Chapter 3: The Mounted Tribe

“Tati, is this what you were talking about last time?”

“You got it?”

Tati casually picked up the soft leather Tu handed her, acting indifferent. Gaining the attention of the Mounted Tribe warriors and drawing out their favor was easy—except for Bart. What she truly wanted was Bart’s attention, but only useless men kept clinging to her instead. Her patience was starting to wear thin.

“I had to beg Aunt for days to finally get it…”

“But is Bart still in training?”

“Yeah? …Probably.”

Before the conversation even ended, Tati was already walking toward the training grounds. Tu watched her retreating figure with a hint of melancholy.

“Let it go. You know Tati’s interested in Bart,” Miron said, giving Tu a light pat on the shoulder in an attempt to console him.

“I know, I do… but the heart doesn’t work that way.” Tu nodded, acknowledging the truth yet unable to suppress his feelings.

From the day Tati arrived at the Mounted Tribe’s settlement until now, Tu had constantly expressed his affection for her, but not once had he caught her attention. Miron couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. But what could be done when the heart kept gravitating toward someone?

With little else to say, Miron was about to suggest they check their weapons for the upcoming event when the leader’s furious voice echoed out of the tent.

“Useless! Are you trying to pass that off as an excuse?! Is there nothing you can do properly?!”

It seemed Namta was being scolded by the leader again. Knowing that making eye contact with Namta after one of his reprimands could lead to trouble, people nearby discreetly drifted away.

“What’s he in trouble for this time?”

“He failed the spear training yesterday.”

Failed wasn’t even the right word—Namta hadn’t even managed to throw the spear. Unlike the leader, Namta lagged behind in nearly every aspect. The only thing he was somewhat decent at was swordsmanship, but even that wasn’t exceptional—just average. As a result, the leader’s dissatisfaction with Namta grew with each passing day.

“You’re planning to enter the selection for the leader’s direct warriors, right?”

“Of course. But do we get personal huts right after becoming direct warriors?”

“Not sure. At the very least, you won’t have to stay in a shared hut anymore.”

Casting a glance at the tent from which the leader’s shouts continued to grow louder, Miron and Tu decided to leave the area together.

* * *

“Yujin, spread all this out to dry properly. Then help with tanning in the afternoon.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t dawdle, and finish everything by today. Got it?”

“Yes.”

Yujin replied calmly as he sorted the herbs he’d gathered from the mountains.

As usual, he went about his life doing various odd jobs. Since that day, he hadn’t seen Bart. For a while, he hoped Bart might return to the creek to meet him, so after finishing his tasks, he would sit at the creek and wait. But Bart never came.

It wasn’t until he’d watched the crescent moon grow full three times that Yujin accepted Bart wasn’t coming back. At first, he felt disappointed. But thinking back, Bart had never made any promises.

While he had come to terms with Bart not returning, he couldn’t forget him. Occasionally, when he saw warriors passing by from a distance, he inevitably thought of Bart.

‘I hope he’s doing well. Does he still remember me? I wish he did.’

Looking back, Yujin realized he liked Bart. It was the first time he’d ever felt something like that for anyone, so he hadn’t understood it back then. But even if he had, he wouldn’t have been able to voice it. Even if he had shown his feelings, it probably wouldn’t have ended well. Whether he knew it or not, nothing would’ve changed. So, there was no regret.

At first, the memory of that day was so vivid that his face would flush whenever he thought of their kiss. But as time passed, the memory faded. Now, a year later, it felt like a distant dream—a blurry recollection from long ago.

Yujin was lost in thought, reminiscing about that day, when Chi-chi came running up, her face alight with excitement.

“Yujin! What are you doing, still sitting here? Hurry, let’s go!”

“Go? Where to?”

“I told you before! The selection for the leader’s direct warriors is today. Did you forget?”

“Oh, that… I’m not really interested. It’s probably nothing special anyway.”

For those stuck in the monotony of daily life, the selection for the leader’s direct warriors was a major event. Although it was called a selection, in reality, it was a process to weed out the weaker warriors. No one batted an eye if a few warriors died during the event.

“No, this year’s different! One of the warriors is taking down older, more experienced fighters left and right. It’s causing an uproar! Hurry up!”

Chi-chi, too impatient to wait, grabbed Yujin’s hand and pulled him along. He briefly considered shaking her off but decided going with her was better than sitting alone, drying herbs. Together, they headed toward the central clearing of the settlement.

The clearing was packed, as if the entire settlement had gathered. The crowd surrounded the area in a circle, buzzing with excitement as they cheered loudly for the warriors.

Yujin couldn’t understand what was so entertaining about this. As he lingered awkwardly at the back of the crowd, Chi-chi grabbed his wrist and dragged him forward, weaving through the throng until they were at the very front. She pointed toward a warrior standing in the middle of the clearing.

“That’s the one I was talking about. He’s already taken down seven opponents, and two of them are dead. Oh! Another opponent is stepping forward. They say this is the final challenger. If he defeats this one too, the leader has declared he’ll get to enjoy all the privileges of being a direct warrior. Isn’t that amazing? Even among direct warriors, it’s rare to receive such benefits.”

At the center of the clearing stood a blood-soaked warrior. His sword dripped crimson, saturated with the blood of his defeated opponents, and his face was smeared with it. He looked like a demon straight out of hell. The dark, blood-tinged gleam in his eyes was eerily calm, chilling enough to send shivers down Yujin’s spine. Unwilling to witness any more, Yujin stepped back as the final opponent charged toward the bloodied warrior.

The piercing clang of clashing swords and the feverish roar of the crowd filled the air, making Yujin frown. He hated the stench of blood that wafted on the wind. The smell reminded him of the day, two years ago, when he was dragged into the Mounted Tribe.

‘Two years… Has it really been that long?’

Lowering his gaze, Yujin looked at his hands. At first, his hands would swell and ache easily. His skin would peel and tear almost daily. He had even thought his hands might never develop calluses. But now, as he stared at his heavily calloused palms, he let out a bitter laugh.

‘Well, at least they don’t hurt as easily anymore.’

He had hoped that, like these calluses, time and adaptation would make things better. But reality had proven otherwise. Each day remained a struggle, and every night before he slept, the same thought would run through his mind.

‘I want to die.’

Suddenly, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.

“Bart won! Warrior Bart has defeated eight opponents!”

Slowly, Yujin lifted his head toward the object of the crowd’s adoration. The blood-soaked warrior was Bart.

As the crowd showered him with praise, Bart raised a hand and wiped the blood from his face. Droplets clung to his fingers before falling to the dirt below. With a few more swipes, Bart revealed his features beneath the crimson mask.

“…Bart.”

Yujin took an unconscious step forward, staring intently at him. He looked slightly different from the memory Yujin carried. He was taller than a year ago, his muscles more defined. But his black eyes, those calm, deep eyes that had once reminded Yujin of still waters, hadn’t changed. Those eyes—how he had missed them.

It was then that Bart, scanning the crowd amidst the deafening cheers, briefly locked eyes with Yujin.

‘Does he remember me? I hope he does.’

Bart’s expression was as unreadable as ever. His gaze met Yujin’s briefly, carrying the same indifference as it had before, before shifting away.

Yujin continued to stare, hoping Bart might look at him again, but he never did.

‘I guess he doesn’t remember me. Well, it’s been a long time, and we didn’t meet often anyway.’

The thought stung, but it was nothing more than that.

The tanning work that stretched into the early hours of dawn had been grueling. After only a brief moment of rest, another day had begun. Struggling to his feet, Yujin tidied his corner of the shared hut, his thoughts drifting back to yesterday.

Bart had become a direct warrior trusted by the leader. Meanwhile, Yujin was still doing odd jobs.

‘The gap between us is huge.’

Suppressing a bitter smile, he finished tidying his spot when Aunt entered the hut. It was the first time she had stepped into the commoners’ shared hut. Usually, she managed the tribe’s affairs from afar.

As everyone looked at her in confusion, Aunt called out in her characteristic dry tone.

“Yujin.”

Startled, Yujin blinked rapidly, caught off guard by the sound of his name. After a moment of hesitation, he scrambled to respond, standing awkwardly.

“…Yes?”

“Starting today, you’ll help in the warrior quarters.”

“What?”

“Pack your things and move to the shared hut in the warrior quarters.”

“…Move my hut too?”

It wasn’t common for those working in the warrior quarters to live there. The area was primarily home to warriors and their families, with only a select few non-warriors allowed to reside there.

Living in the warrior quarters didn’t necessarily come with special treatment, but it did offer minor perks: extra charcoal in winter, easier access to meat or leather, and so on. These small privileges made it a coveted opportunity among commoners.

Aunt didn’t respond to Yujin’s question. She merely looked him over as if assessing him before leaving the hut.

The moment she left, the hut buzzed with whispers. Yujin, of all people, being sent to the warrior quarters was a shock. Weak and unimpressive, even among commoners, Yujin moving ahead of stronger men seemed unbelievable.

The atmosphere grew chilly, and resentful glares followed him. Envy and jealousy quickly replaced confusion. Feeling the weight of their stares, Yujin hurriedly gathered his belongings. Not that he had much—a piece of cloth to sleep on and a small bundle of herbs he’d gathered from the mountains.

As he neatly folded his thin bedding outside, he noticed Chi-chi emerging from the women’s hut with her belongings. Their eyes met.

“Oh? Yujin! Are you moving to the warrior quarters too?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“I knew it! I had such good dreams last night; this must be why.”

Chi-chi spread her arms wide, as if to embrace all the happiness in the world, her voice brimming with excitement.

“We won’t have to starve anymore! Those days when we worked all day and didn’t even get a meal—they’re finally over, right?”

“Probably. Food distribution always starts with the warrior quarters.”

While food shortages were rare in summer, winter brought hunger every few days. Going to bed on an empty stomach after a long day’s work was unbearable, especially in the cold.

“Who knows? Maybe I’ll pair up with a warrior and become a warrior’s wife! Don’t you think?”

For women, the warrior quarters held even greater allure. Marrying a warrior could elevate their status, and bearing a warrior’s child could secure their position as his wife. Wives of warriors didn’t perform manual labor. Their sole focus was their partner’s well-being: mending clothes, maintaining weapons, preparing meals, and raising children.

“Yujin, let’s hurry. After moving our stuff, we need to report to Aunt to get our assignments.”

“Alright.”

“What kind of work do you think we’ll get? Most people just keep doing what they did before, but I hope I get kitchen duty. Should I try hinting at it? What do you think?”

“I don’t know. Maybe.”

Listening to Chi-chi chatter excitedly, Yujin grew curious about his own assignment. But as Chi-chi mentioned, most people continued their previous work, so he didn’t expect much.

As expected, Chi-chi was assigned laundry duty, and Yujin was tasked with various odd jobs. Chi-chi grumbled as they left Aunt’s hut, but Yujin remained indifferent.

“Ugh, I should’ve at least asked for kitchen duty!”

“It’s better you didn’t. What if she got mad?”

“True, I guess.”

“At least the number of people in our hut has gone down. I’m happy about that.”

“Yeah, the old hut was way too crowded. How can ten people share one hut? Just thinking about it is awful.”

Chi-chi shuddered dramatically as if she’d never experienced the overcrowded commoners’ hut herself, despite having woken up there just that morning. Yujin chuckled at her exaggerated behavior.

His comment was partly to console Chi-chi but also genuine. Sharing a hut with five people instead of ten made a significant difference.

“See you later, Yujin.”

“Yeah, see you.”

Chi-chi headed toward the women’s hut, while Yujin made his way to the men’s shared hut. His gaze wandered to the cluster of warriors’ huts.

His tasks would likely remain the same, but working in the warrior quarters meant he might interact more with warriors.

‘Maybe I’ll see Bart again.’

The thought flitted through Yujin’s mind. The idea felt oddly comforting.

* * *

As expected, the work in the warrior quarters wasn’t much different from what Yujin had done in the commoners’ area. The only change was that the odd jobs he performed were now for the warriors instead of the commoners.

The Mounted Tribe was one of the top three warrior tribes on the continent and was notably large in size. While each tribe had its own distinct traits, the Mounted Tribe was particularly known for its bravery. That reputation, however, also meant they were rough and merciless. Yujin didn’t know if only those with dulled emotions became warriors or if such traits were passed down through generations of survivors, but to him, they were simply insensitive and violent.

Thud!

A bowl crashed to the ground. It brushed against Yujin’s wrist as it fell, leaving it sore and throbbing.

“Damn it! I told you to bring dried meat, not this! Why can’t you understand simple words?!”

“……”

The man had been boiling fresh meat in broth moments ago. When he asked for more meat, Yujin had naturally assumed he meant fresh meat and brought it to him. Yet, the man exploded in anger because Yujin hadn’t brought dried meat instead.

Most warriors rarely gave clear instructions. When their meaning wasn’t perfectly interpreted and their demands weren’t met, they always reacted like this—with rage.

“Not going to answer? Who let a useless bastard like you in here?!”

Smack!

The sharp crack of a slap echoed through the room, and Yujin was sent sprawling to the floor.

It hurt.

His cheek stung as though it had been split open, and a burning pain spread across his face. His vision blurred slightly as tears welled up, but he held them back.

The warrior muttered a few more curses before stomping off, leaving Yujin crumpled on the floor. For a moment, Yujin didn’t move. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, and bit down hard on his lower lip to suppress the sobs threatening to escape.

‘I don’t belong here.’