[Barbarian] Chapter 2 – Chance (2)

Azur Livrea.

A great shaman who inherited the wind of the meadow and the magic of the earth.
She, who had turned seventy-seven this year, stared at the young man in front of her without saying anything.

‘Warrior Ulan.’

Azur recalled the day Ulan was born.
Among all the children born that year, only he did not cry.  That’s why he was an unusual child from the beginning.

As if to prove that he was extraordinary, Ulan went on to do all sorts of things.
Following that, he became the youngest person to qualify as a warrior and eventually passed the Trial of a Hero.

‘It’s truly a blessing from the Gods.’

A smile formed on her bright red lips.

It was worth it.

The fact that such a strong warrior was born meant that the future of the clan was bright.

‘But······’

Ulan had one problem; it wasn’t that his body was unhealthy or anything of that sort.
It’s just that his mind’s a little dull.

‘······No, not a little bit.’

Correction.
It’s incredibly dull.

To the point where everyone would agree that Ulan was the best stone head in the clan.

But what was the big deal about it?

Ulan had a blessed body and an excellent fighting talent to compensate for his disadvantage of being a stone head.

So she didn’t think it was a big deal.

Until Ulan opened his mouth, that is.

“I want to learn.”

“Yes, learning…! What?”

Azur blinked her wide-open eyes.

Did I hear wrong?

What did Ulan just say?

“Shaman Azuh.”

Ulan looked her way with a serious face and lowered his head slowly.

“Teach me a lesson.”

“………”

Azur stared blankly at Ulan with her mouth slightly open.

It was only after a while that she came to her senses little by little.

‘What is he saying…?’

Are you asking to learn? You want me to teach you? The best stone head in the clan?

Azur’s face turned to bewilderment.

‘Did he get a head injury while taking on the Trial?’

It was a reasonable guess.

That’s how absurd Ulan’s words were.
Meanwhile, when she couldn’t get out of her confusion.

“Azur.”

A low-pitched voice entered her ear.

It was not Ulan’s voice.
When she turned her head, a tall young man was looking her way.

“The Hero Ulan is waiting for an answer.”

Alk Bator.

Son of the Tribal Chief and Ulan’s brother.

Azur finally regained her senses.
She cleared her throat and looked at Ulan again.

“······Let me ask you again, Hero Ulan.”

To make sure she hadn’t heard anything wrong.

Azur’s question followed.

“What did you just say?”

“I asked for you to teach me.”

Damn, I didn’t hear that wrong! Azur’s eyebrows twitched.

With quivering lips, she clenched her fists and asked again.

“Is that really what you mean?”

“It is.
I wish to learn.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

Oh, why are you doing that? Really!

In her heart, Azur wanted to shout like this.

You are a fool.

Rather, it is much more efficient to train as a warrior by utilizing your natural body and talent.

But she couldn’t.

Ulan’s eyes were very sincere.

“I want to be your disciple.”

Besides, he will go one step further and become a disciple.

Azur felt like crying.

“I wish I could hear your answer.”

“Uh, I, that’s…”

In her mind, she wanted to refuse.

There are two reasons.

One was that Ulan was a stone-head, and the other was because of the pressure.
The pressure of accepting a warrior who has passed the Trial of a Hero as a disciple, and not just an ordinary warrior.

‘But······.’

She couldn’t bear to refuse.

There were too many eyes on her.
Also, if she refused for a trivial reason, he might get angry saying that she have tarnished the hero’s honor.

So she decided.

“—— Good.
I will teach you.”

Let’s get out of this place for now.

And she can try to convince him later.

That’s what Azur decided.

Meanwhile, Ulan, whether aware of this or not, bowed his head slightly with a happy face.

“Please.
Azur.”

“Mmm.
That, yes.”

Azur looked nervous.

After wandering all over the continent, she returned to her hometown to spend a comfortable old age, only to be given a disciple.

A disciple who was too much for her to handle.

———————❖———————

The first thing to do as a shaman’s apprentice is to take care of the master.

First, learn to clean, do laundry, and cook.

Then, in preparation for the winter, you must gather firewood in advance or hunt animals in the meadow to offer food to your master.

After living this life until the winter in the meadow is repeated three times, only then will you be recognized as a formal disciple.

This is usually the norm.

‘”But——‘

She can’t do that this time.

Ulan was a warrior of the clan and a giant among giants who had passed the Trial of a Hero.

How can she ask someone like that to clean and do the laundry?

‘He’ll surely disrespect me and make my torso and head fall off.’

The warriors all valued honor and dignity, and were famous for their fiery tempers.

Azur shuddered.

‘······Let’s just keep it in moderation.’

Surely his request to learn was just a sudden whim, so she could pretend to teach him and send him on his way.

But her expectations were wrong.

Boom!

Early in the morning, before dawn.

Someone knocked on the door.

Azur woke up in a daze and opened the door, startled.

“…!”

It was because Ulan had come.

In addition, in one hand, he even held an ax with a black blade.
As the drowsiness faded, she jerked awake.

It was then that Ulan spoke.

“Master.
I have gathered the firewood.”

“What? Firewood?”

Why all of a sudden? I didn’t ask him to?

Azur was confused.

“When I looked up my duties as a shaman’s apprentice, they said I had to gather firewood first.”

“…………..”

He doesn’t seem to be planning on swinging that axe for now.
At least that’s a good thing. When she let out a sigh of relief, Ulan spoke.

“But I didn’t know how much we’ll need, so I cut down all the trees around here.”

“······what?”

Did he cut them all down? Azur looked dumbfounded

It was only natural.

Her cabin was in the woods near the meadow.
In other words, the whole area around here was filled with trees.

But there’s no way he can cut them all down in one night.
So she dismissed it as a mere bluff.

Until she saw the scenery outside the cabin.

‘This is crazy!’

A desolate landscape welcomed Azur.

She followed Ulan to the backyard and saw a pile of well-organized firewood.

He did this all by himself? And all in one night?

“If it’s not enough, I’ll cut more.”

“Oh, no.
Okay.
This is enough.”

She waved her hand with a bewildered face.

She felt like if she said it wasn’t enough, he’d cut down all the trees in the forest.

“And I’ve prepared a meal.”

What? A meal? Azur’s eyes widened.

“I made it from the deer I caught last night and it’s been boiling all night, so it should be quite tender.”

What Ulan brought was stew.

A delicious-smelling stew with all kinds of root vegetables and venison.
It was enough to stimulate Azur, who was hungry on an empty stomach.

Slurp! Chomp!

Her eyebrows went up slightly as she tasted the stew.
It was actually quite tasty, unlike what she expected.

“I will clean the room next.”

Ulan stood up.

It was then that she suddenly had an ominous thought.

“Now, hold on!”

Ulan is the strongest warrior in the clan.

There was a high possibility that the tool would break if handled arbitrarily.
That’s why she was trying to dry it in a hurry.

“Don’t worry.”

A calm voice returned.

“I have no intention of treating it carelessly.”

Ullan knew what was important when he saw it.
Like that, Ulan didn’t have any accidents and finished cleaning and washing.

Some time later, after all the chores were done, Azur sat facing Ulan.

‘Originally, I thought it would pass it off.’

She had a change of heart and the trigger was Ulan’s attitude.

He passed the Trial of a Hero at the young age of sixteen and could have become arrogant, but he faithfully did his job as a shaman’s apprentice.

With such an earnest demeanor, one can’t help but be swayed.

‘therefore······.’

Let’s ask this first.

Azur’s eyes twinkled once.

“Warrior Ulan.”

She looked him into bright red eyes and got to the point.

“Why do you wish to learn?”

“Because there is something I want.”

“Hmm? And what is that?”

“I can’t tell you the details.
You wouldn’t believe me if I did.”

I’ve traveled back in time. Even a wise shaman wouldn’t believe it.
So instead of hiding the facts, Ulan gave his honest thoughts.

“However, this is not just for me, but for the entire clan.
To do that, I must enter Arsene Academy.”

“What? Arsene Academy?”

“That’s right.
I will enter there and obtain the knowledge and power I desire.
For the sake of the clan, and for myself.”

After the spleen answer.

The hall was filled with silence.

On the other hand, Azur had a puzzled look on her face.
Partly because of the sudden mention of the Arsenal Academy, but mostly because of Ulan’s eyes.

‘······Were they originally like this?

Reasonable and cold-eyed.

His eyes were so calm that it was hard to believe that he was a sixteen-year-old boy.
A starkly different look from warriors who worship strength and crave a fight.

Looking at the eyes that never wavered, the corner of Azur’s mouth twitched upward.

‘I don’t know what he learned from the Trial of a Hero…’

But it was interesting.

Her heart pounded at the sight of the giant tree, which she believed would become the strongest warrior, that woud stretch out new branches.

If a warrior with overwhelming strength and skill possess wisdom too, how great a warrior will be born?

‘Perhaps the day will come when the clan will leave the grasslands and conquer the continent.’

Such a thought.

Azur tried to suppress her intensified emotions.
After she managed to calm her excitement, she spoke to Ulan again.

“Then I will ask, Ulan.”

Her tone had changed.

She didn’t call him ‘warrior’.
She just called his name.
The way she spoke also changed.

Even so, Ulan did not get angry.
Was he content with this attitude? Azur asked with a faint smile.

“What do you wish to learn from me?”

As soon as she finished her question.

Ulan answered without hesitation this time.

“Everything I do not know.”

The knowledge required to enter the Academy.

From basic common sense to in-depth study.
Or everything about spells or magic that only the chosen ones could master.

Ulan was ready to devour it.

“It will take a long time.”

“It doesn’t matter.
I’ve heard that knowledge is a tower built over time.”

Another warrior, a companion from a past life.

The moment he spoke the words he had heard from the Star Witch, a smile formed on Azur’s wrinkled lips.

“Good! Then I will share my knowledge.”

Azur’s eyes flashed.

“But be prepared.
The process of building the Tower of Knowledge is never easy.”

“That is what I had hoped.”

Ulan smiled broadly.

Time passed quickly after that.

And before they knew it.

Half a year had passed.