Book 2-3.3 Heading Back (II)
Yulian spoke while looking down toward Duripue. Duripue did not dare to lift his head up as he continued.
“The warriors… and my sons and nephews, please know that they were not responsible. As the head of the family, I … as the chief of the warriors, I … ordered them to do it. I deceived all of them and ordered them to do it. I hope the Glow’s grace that is as wide as the wide desert can kill me as the originally responsible party and forgive them.”
Yulian’s heart was shaking as he looked up to the sky. It was what he had wished for, but on one hand, the hatred and sorrow he had been suppressing deep in his heart was squirming.
“Why couldn’t you realize that earlier? Why did you fall for such temptation? My father has passed away and the family has a wound that cannot be washed away. You’ve left a stain on Pareia’s history. Why couldn’t you anticipate something like this earlier? Just WHY!”
Pere, who could tell that his brother’s emotions were shaking intensely, led his pirma forward next to Yulian.
“Glow.”
Yulian looked toward Pere who was calling his name and spoke.
“Younger brother, after all that, he’s asking for forgiveness. It is what I wanted, but what am I to do with all this hatred that I have been suppressing? Who can I take it out on? This grudge of losing my mother and father, who can I take it out on? And this pain in my heart, what am I to do with it?”
“Please hold yourself together. As the Glow, you are no longer just an individual. Are you going to become weak in front of the warriors? Are you going to be indecisive? Steady your heart and lay down a command. Whether you kill them all or forgive them, it is up to you as the Glow.”
“You seem to always be calm. You also lost your father and mother……”
“If the warriors of Pareia could not steady their heart after losing their family members, Pareia would have disappeared a long time ago. How many warriors do you think lose their parents or family? Why are you suddenly acting useless like this! Are you planning on insulting all of us who have pledged our loyalty to you because of your passion?!”
Pere shouted as if he was possessed.
On the outside he looked strong and collected, but this person had always been like this.
He was an idealist and was so full of emotion that his passion just flowed out of him.
That was what made him so charming and why it was so easy for him to make people drawn to him.
But that could also end up being his weakness. If he trusts and likes people too much, it was definitely possible.
His mission was to help this Glow, his brother, maintain the balance and help him make the difficult and cold-hearted decisions.
“Please remain cold-hearted and give an order. Pareia’s warriors will follow the will of the Glow.”
Yulian closed his eyes and his eyelids started to shake.
‘I am the Glow. I am the Glow who needs to take care of Pareia.’
He continued to repeat that to himself nonstop in his head.
Although he was unable to learn the mindset of a Glow from his father, the previous Glow, that one thing was imprinted in his mind.
His brother’s words were correct.
He was the Glow who needed to determine a course of action and issue a command. Showing weakness was not helpful to the Glow.
Yulian opened his eyes widely. He then ordered Duripue.
“Tell the warriors and your family the truth. Then I will allow you to commit suicide in front of me.”
“Thank you very much Glow Yulian-nim.”
Duripue sounded like his life had just been saved and shouted toward Yulian in a happy voice before quickly getting up and riding the pirma back to his camp.
Seeing Duripue’s camp suddenly becoming loud, Yulian closed his eyes again.
“Glow, the punishment is too light. Issuing a punishment like this for a rebellion will end up setting a precedent for the future.”
As Pere stated this to Yulian, Yulian kept his eyes closed as he shook his head.
“The warriors will now curse Duripue and his family. They will ignore them. For an old warrior like Duripue, there is no worse punishment. There is no point in killing such a person.”
“But……”
“We need to keep as many people alive as possible in order to defend against our enemies. You have to remember that out of Pareia’s 500,000 people, only 100,000 are men. Do not forget that out of those 100,000, only a mere 70,000 are warriors.
Pere continued to object.
What Yulian said was correct, however, it was also true that the punishment was too light. It also didn’t make sense to allow someone who had lost their honor to commit suicide.
“Hyung-nim, we should minimally kill everybody in his family to set an example……”
“You said it yourself that I am the one to issue the command.”
At Yulian’s emotionless voice, Pere closed his open mouth.
“You also said that you will follow my command. Do as you said.”
Seeing that Yulian had clearly made up his mind, Pere decided not to stop him anymore. He had decided that as long as they managed to give Librie a horrible death, that alone will be enough of an example for others.
A bit later, Duripue returned to where Yulian was standing. Although only about 20 minutes or so had passed, he seemed to have more white hair and wrinkles on his face, to the point that Yulian had to think hard about if he was seeing clearly.
“Glow Yulian-nim, thank you very much. Thank you again for your grace in giving this unworthy person an opportunity to not lose my final honor.”
Duripue kowtowed to Yulian before grabbing his shamshir and brought it to his neck.
‘Stop.’
That is what Yulian wanted to say. Although he wasn’t his biological mother’s father, regardless of what happened, he was still one of his grandfather.
He was someone who, at one point, cherished him more than his biological grandson Orca.
‘Why did things have to be this way……”
Yulian wanted to turn his head away, but he suppressed that feeling as he continued to watch Duripue. That was the respect he needed to show for Duripue’s last breath.
“Long live Pareia! Long live our Glow!”
Duripue shouted loudly before moving his hand.
Spurt.
Blood started to spurt out like a fountain once the sharp blade of the shamshir slashed his neck. As it reflected the hot sun of the desert, it created a seven colored rainbow as it flowed.
Yulian watched until the end of the old warrior’s life, then turned his pirma around, returned to his camp, before speaking to Grace.
“He was a warrior of Pareia and the chief of an oasis. Although he ended up on the wrong path, he was able to eventually realize his mistake and took the fault so that the rest of the tribe would not have to shed each other’s blood. For that, please make it so that he can have a fitting funeral.”
“Yes Glow. I understand.”
Listening to the now official Mother of Pareia, Grace’s answer, Yulian looked back toward Yarumaha before continuing on.
“Yarumaha-nim, please go meet with Duripue’s family and inform them that they must vacate the oasis chief position and return their family name of Anishun. From now on, they will only use their first name. Should they be reborn as a warrior and manage to achieve great merits in the future to wash away their family sin, they will be able to take back their honored family name with their own hands.”
Yarumaha thought that Yulian’s punishment was too light, but he saw Yulian clashing with Pere earlier, and felt that it wouldn’t do any good to try to convince him any longer. So he just nodded his head and responded.
“I will do as you commanded.”
“Each lead warrior divide up the warriors amongst yourselves, and until a new Greatest Warrior is determined in these two oasis, treat those warriors like a part of your family.”
Since the Greatest Warriors of each oasis had to stay back to defend against the enemies, a newly selected group of ten Greatest Warriors responded in unison.
“Yes Glow!”
Tuma Takaka-nim, please return to the village and console the people. I’m sure they must be feeling anxious right now because a lot of shocking things have happened lately.
“Glow, I understand.”
“Red Storm warriors, to be safe and prepare for any surprises, strengthen the security around the oasis.”
“Crystal.” [1]
Yulian looked around to think about what else he needed to tell them to do, and deciding that he had issued all the necessary commands, he said one last thing.
“Everybody, please do as I’ve instructed. Pere, you come with me.”
Yulian had decided to meet the instigator of all of this, the source of their hatred, Librie, with only Pere by his side.
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[1]: The raws had a phrase that is equivalent to saying “Crystal” when the superior in the military says “Is that Clear?”