Chapter 252

Chapter 252

***

Nomads generally ride small-statured horses. They prefer horses with endurance rather than strength, and docile horses rather than courageous ones. It was because they thought that was more suitable in actual warfare.

Sometimes they even change horses for completely different purposes for each operation, riding a small-statured horse with good endurance when drawing the enemy in, and then riding a courageous and strong horse when seizing an opportunity and driving in all at once.

And nomads have their own special bloodline preservation and training methods. Even if they export horses, they never teach those techniques.

So even if you import a good horse, after only 2 or 3 generations the horses become frail, disobedient, and cowardly, becoming unusable as warhorses.

However, the horse Rickart rode was a pitch-black warhorse from head to toe, a horse specially trained by nomads imported from the Lunadan region.

With innate courage, it had a thorough sense of obedience, didn't puff even when out of breath, and had good speed and endurance.

To what extent, it would carry out commands even to the point of dying from being out of breath while running. Once charging, it would jump off a cliff or leap into a fiery pit.

Compared to the Crimson Comet, the point was that while it usually ran very smoothly it would suddenly change according to the situation at the time.

The name 'Black Cloud' was not a name Rickart gave but a name attached by the nomads.

To nomads horses were their most precious property, honor, pride, and even their life itself, so giving such a horse meant this matter was that important and meant they would trust him.

The horses ridden by Gundar's group were brown, white, and gray horses respectively. As the four horses galloped across the plain, it looked like four warriors had come to execute a giant or a dragon.

Of course including Hushike riding in front of Rickart mmade five people, but she didn't suit being a warrior in many ways.

The four people ran across the plain together and occasionally stopped to survey the surroundings. Rickart placed his hand over his eyebrows to shade the long-absent sunlight and looked all around the faraway places.

"We would have been in big trouble if we didn't get horses."

Gundar said. Nothing else, but because the plains of the Rus region were truly endlessly vast. It seemed larger than the entire Empire, but he couldn't even estimate how vast it was on earth.

"Do you feel anything?"

Rickart asked Hushike. Then she closed her eyes, raised her chin, and sniffed at some scent mixed in the air. Like she wasn't some dog either.

"A little further southwest. It smells of conflict. And a smell mixed with anxiety, hatred, and resentment."

Though the nomad chieftain taught them where Edelrich was, directly finding the way was Rickart's group's task. Here Hushike was playing a big role. Because otherwise they would have wandered aimlessly.

Listening to Hushike's words Rickart galloped his horse there. The dull sound of horse hooves *duguduk*, *duguduk* echoed on the tundra plain.

A place where it snows for half the year, the ground seemed solid yet simultaneously seemed somewhat damp. White and red exotic flowers swayed in the cool wind. It was hard to believe it was summer.

The sun was somehow hazy, and clouds moved quickly. As much as humans' unpredictable hearts, the weather here was the same.

When Rickart crossed a certain low ridge, he hastily stopped. Because in the far distance, he saw people and livestock moving.

Squinting his eyes to examine, except for a few driving the goat herd, everyone was loaded on carts. At a glance they looked like people captured as prisoners.

And, most of the people riding horses or walking were wearing Nordic-style armor.

Rickart was certain it was Edelrich's gang.

"Do you see Edelrich?"

He asked Gundar. Gundar also squinted his eyes to examine the people, but perhaps not seeing Edelrich he shook his head.

However whether one of his comrades discovered him, he raised his hand and pointed towards the rear of the procession.

"Over there."

Following the direction he pointed Rickart also followed with his gaze, and unexpectedly he was walking slowly riding a horse alone. He wasn't surveying the whole from the rear either, but had his head bowed.

"The numbers are too many. Let's do a night attack."

Gundar said. Rickart also agreed but there was something important.

"How will we rescue the chieftain's children?"

"Ricky, you take one person and escape quickly. Revenge is mine so there's no need for you to be in danger too. If we strike the front first the procession at the rear will stop automatically, and while pretending to aim for the goats take the children away in the confusion. I will kill Edelrich."

It was a standard surprise attack. Just, since there were only four people each had to take a separate mission to execute the operation. Meaning the risk of dying was high.

However as if they had already resolved to die long ago, Gundar and the two comrades had no wavering in their eyes.

"There will be a thunderstorm in a few hours. It will pour all night."

Hushike said looking at the sky.

"Then shall we not wait until night?"

"If it rains the procession has no choice but to stop. Two people pretend to aim for the goats, and when the personnel flock there let's kill Edelrich."

Gundar modified the plan. That was fine too. Rickart remained silent but if he had the leeway he did want to help him.

The four people, no, five people went back down the hill and hid their bodies. And following the procession from afar they waited for the rain to come.

The clouds flowed quickly, and after a few hours the sun was covered. Around that time it wasn't raining, but the whole world flashed brightly once. In the far distance lightning could momentarily be seen falling.

Rumble......

The sky cried. Then the warhorses began to tense up in advance, and Edelrich's procession also stopped. Soon raindrops fell *ttukttuk*.

About dozens of Edelrich's subordinates hurriedly took pillars and tents down from the carts preparing to avoid the rain. Rickart thought it was time.

Gundar and the two warriors kept their mouths firmly shut and examined the enemies like beasts of prey, then whether they also felt now was the time they looked at each other and nodded.

Gundar placed his hand on Rickart's shoulder for the first time and said.

"Thank you. If it wasn't for you one of us would have had to take charge of the rescue. If we survive let's become friends."

"I thought we were already friends."

At that Gundar smiled faintly. The two men clasped hands, the other two warriors also raised their hands, and perhaps not to be left out Hushike also raised her cute hand. Five people solidified their resolve.

The two warriors mounted their horses and said.

"We go. Let's see you alive."

Then they drove their horses without delay and galloped towards the side where the goat herd was. The sound of *duguduk*, *duguduk* was heard, and around the middle the enemies noticed.

Some tried to mount horses to respond, and some brought spears trying to throw them. The two warriors lay flat on their horses and ran like arrows. Not even leaving strength to return.

Spears flew in fiercely, and most missed but some brushed right past their sides. The enemies riding horses blocked their path attempting to kill them with swords drawn, but the Norsemen were unaccustomed to driving horses.

So the two warriors didn't die in the middle and reached the goat herd messing around its vicinity entirely. As the startled goats scattered in all directions the enemies seemed to consider it a big deal and people flocked to that side.

At that time Rickart rode the Black Cloud and ran towards the side where the prisoners were. Almost simultaneously Gundar also ran towards the targeted Edelrich from afar.

*Duguduk! Duguduk! Duguduk! Duguduk!*

From now on it couldn't be known whether each other lived or died. They merely carried out their assigned tasks. The rain streaks grew thicker and beat at their faces, and the pitch-black world flashed repeatedly.

Rumble...... Crash!

A loud thunderclap shook the world. The closer they got to the enemies the louder the shouts could be heard.

"Move over!"

"Over there!"

"Take care of the goats first!"

"Spear! Spear!"

"There's another bastard!"

Rickart drew his sword. Thick rain streaks fell *hududuk* on the blade. Just in time the world flashed. As he struck down the sword like lightning along with the running speed, it cleaved the shield and split the helmet and head all at once.

As thunder struck, Rickart pulled the reins and shouted loudly. It clearly split the sound of thunder and was heard. Right now drawing attention was the best he could did to help Gundar.

"Where are the chieftain's children!?"

Because there wasn't just one or two prisoners it couldn't be known who the chieftain's children were. And while everyone was extremely terrified and unable to move, someone wearing chains on his arms came running. It was a boy looking about 10 years old.

"I am Bodonchar!"

The child named Bodonchar stretched both arms out towards Rickart, and Rickart struck his sword down once more. It was extremely dangerous but he accurately cut the chains.

*Kaang!*

The freed boy grabbed a horse going completely wild in fright and instantly mounted it. And then quickly snatched a curved sword from the dead and held it in his hand. He thought he would run away but he intended to fight. A 10-year-old child.

That sight was quite impressive but to rescue as many prisoners as possible first of all, Rickart ran here and there ramming enemies, stabbing, or cutting them down.

At that time flames suddenly flared up *hwak* from the left. Being nomads who carried residential tents around, the flames were quite large even amidst the pouring rain.

Some of the prisoners fled however they could, some protected the boy, and some grabbed weapons and fought back. Becoming like this, Edelrich's gang had no ability to withstand it.

Rainy weather with thunderstorms, plus flames flaring up and people dying while screaming here and there made it extremely chaotic.

In the midst of that Rickart surveyed the surroundings looking for Gundar when he shouted towards the boy he rescued earlier.

"Hey! Bodonchar!"

Then the boy who was proudly fighting the enemies riding a horse despite his young age looked back at Rickart.

"Stop fighting and go find your father!"

"Sorry but he is not my father!"

What? Rickart's eyes widened. All military operations never flow as planned anyway, but the thought 'Oh snap' crossed his mind. Still there were quite many prisoners who fled so he had to hope the chieftain's children were among them.

So thinking 'ah, whatever' he messed through the enemies setting out to find Gundar.

By the way although the warriors following Edelrich were Norsemen nonetheless, they stubbornly held weapons and resisted to the end. But once the freed prisoners started fighting on horseback they fell one by one as if being toyed with.

The nomads surrounded the enemies as if driving livestock and circled round and round, threw spears when they showed an opening, and instantly pounced and killed them.

In the midst of that Rickart escaped the battlefield and surveyed the war situation. Then he saw a scene of Gundar fighting Edelrich one-on-one. It was near the place where the flames were flaring up, and Gundar was bleeding whether he suffered an injury.

He hurriedly ran to help him, but somehow knowing he looked back at Rickart and shouted fiercely.

"Don't come!"

That bastard Edelrich standing with his back to the flames looked like seeing a demon risen from hell. Wildly tangled long hair, a pitch-black face whether it was charcoal soot or what, glaring eyes, and a smiling mouth.

"Wahaha! Awesome! Gundar! You grew up into a courageous warrior!"

"Shut up! Traitor!"

"Betrayal? The traitor is your father! No! Your uncle! Your mother and I loved each other from the beginning! From the beginning! You are my son!"

Whether it was a lie or the truth couldn't be known. Since he was driven to an urgent situation was he blabbering just anything, or since it was his end was he speaking the truth.

But whether that was the truth or a lie, it was enough to stimulate Gundar's rage. The frenzied warrior couldn't even feel pain, thus injuries and such were out of mind.

Gundar gripped his sword and charged like a bison. Since he charged too recklessly Edelrich's sword stabbed his abdomen, but not caring he pushed to the end and threw his body into the fiercely burning flames.

The avenger and the exile were engulfed in flames together at the end. Even though it was raining the flames were so fierce they instantly swallowed the two people.

Rickart watched that entire sight riding his horse. The flames brightly illuminated the rain-soaked Rickart but his expression was dark.

A staff was dropped nearby. He couldn't know whether that was Caldebert's staff or not, but Rickart got off his horse and picked up the staff.

"I can save him. What should we do?"

Hushike who was sticking closely to the horse's neck said. But Rickart didn't think long and answered. Even if he saved him, in a state where his whole body suffered burns he could no longer live as a warrior.

"He must go to Valhalla."

"Right......"

Rickart looked around the battlefield. The two warriors who were always with Gundar were sprawling dead on the ground in a battered state.

"Hey! Foreigner warrior!"

A youthful voice was heard. Turning his head to look it was the boy Rickart rescued.

Three or four people were escorting the boy, and he seemed to have high status. Looking merely about 10 years old he skillfully handled a horse and seeing him courageous he really was extraordinary.

"I am Bodonchar. The chieftain of the Borjigin clan. What is your name?"

"Ricky."

"Hometown?"

"Why hometown?"

"Our clan will never attack your hometown eternally. Where is your hometown?"

"Stormhearts."

"Where is that?"

"West at the end of the world."

"I will keep that in mind."

"Before that, aren't you the chieftain's son?"

"No. He is my parents' enemy. He captured me and tried to raise me as a slave warrior. I will definitely avenge them someday."

"......"

Rickart felt the irony of fate. Revenge had just been completed, yet revenge was being conceived anew.

"If you want to repay the favor there are two warriors here and a Norseman warrior who burned to death over there. Please collect the corpses of those three. The ones who saved you are them, not me."

Leaving those words behind, Rickart sheathed his sword, mounted his horse, and galloped off into the storm-swept tundra plain.

Bodonchar stared blankly at the foreigner warrior who came from the end of the world for a while, then collected the corpses.

Even if they had died, another avenger remembered them for a long time and passed it down to his clan. Because of them I lived, so did not touch the country at the western end.