Edited by An Zheee
The interior was as large as a banquet hall. The nobles were seated at the long table, their servants standing just behind them.
Medeus walked closer to the head of the table. Unlike the other nobles, he didn’t sit down, instead choosing to stand with his arms crossed. Now that Nataek looked closer, some of the people who were standing near the head of the table just like Medeus also seemed to be nobles.
The elderly man sitting at the head of the table smiled brightly at Medeus. It was a face that Nataek definitely recognized. The face that was always shown to Nataek after a gruesome decapitation scene whenever he conquered Uruk in Sununki.
The Ensi (ruler) of Uruk, Ninurta Kushanna.
“Welcome, my third son.”
Medeus uncrossed his arms and greeted the man. Of all the attitudes Nataek’s witnessed so far, there’s never been a more disrespectful than the one Medeus was showing now. Lugalzagesi, who was seated next to the head of the table, watched Medeus furiously.
Ensi Kushanna asked the table, “Has everyone gathered?”
The nobles exchanged glances with each other and nodded.
“Then I shall call the meeting to order.”
The doors to the meeting hall closed with a heavy thud.
The first item on the agenda was the looting done by the Guti. The Guti, who lived in the “Zagros Mountains” east of Uruk, were an uncivilized tribe. Their way of living had nothing in common with the way of life in urban civilization.
They did not hesitate to descend upon the city walls of Uruk from time to time, plundering civilians and violating women. Their innate physical strength and formidable combat power matched their intense way of living, so they could not be easily subdued.
One of the nobles raised his hand.
“It’s only been twenty days since the Guti have raided the outskirts of the city, but I’ve been seeing signs of another coming. The raids are becoming more frequent.”
“Do not sow seeds of unrest with your uncertain claims of ‘seeing signs’!”
“What, me, sowing seeds of unrest? Do you think I’m making this up? General Medeus himself was the one who reported this after he came back from scouting!”
Ensi Kushanna, who’d been listening to the nobles’ conversation, looked at Medeus.
“Medeus. Is this true?”
“It wasn’t too long ago that I scouted the area outside the castle. Three Guti were lurking nearby during our reconnaissance. I suspect they came down from the mountains looking for an open opportunity.”
“Ah! Shouldn’t you have written all of this down in detail in a report instead of having to talk to us about it, Medeus!” one of the nobles said, raising his voice. Medeus sent him a cold look.
“You seem ignorant sitting at your desk all day, not knowing anything about what’s happening out there. I could sharpen more than ten blades in all the time you’ve wasted.”
“What? Wasted? General Medeus, what did you just say?”
“I said it was a waste.”
“What?!”
The “wasteful” aristocrat jumped to his feet, slamming the table with his fist. Lugalzagesi let out a nasty sneer. The mood in the meeting hall became tense. It wasn’t too long until another noble intervened.
“General, that was uncalled for. Yonan is merely advising that you follow the necessary procedures.”
Medeus snorted. “It seems the both of you don’t understand. I’m saying that the procedures are a waste of time.”
“General!”
Nataek hadn’t noticed when Medeus crossed his arms again, but he was standing with the same disrespectful posture he had when he first entered the meeting hall. Medeus was maintaining his composure, but Nataek, who was standing behind him, broke out into a cold sweat.
…The way Medeus rudely talked… It was the same as people who were at least ten or twenty years his senior…
Even in the modern era where the caste system did not exist, such behavior wasn’t lightly tolerated. The “wasteful” aristocrat pointed a finger at Medeus, his body trembling in anger.
“What place is there for someone with the blood of a barbarian? The general has no dignity as a noble! He has no right to be here!”
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Qtja gluta vb sbe vfrfgnf atfc, jr rbwfbcf ktb riffqr mbwobgajyis klat sbeg ifur ragfamtfv bea lc j mlas qgbafmafv ys remt yjgyjgljcr?”
“Lbk lcrbifca…!”
“Po sbe vlrilxf atf lvfj rb wemt, sbe’gf wbgf atjc kfimbwf ab ajxf bnfg atf qbrlalbc bo ufcfgji.”
Qlat j mifcmtfv olra, atf jglrabmgja aegcfv ab Bertjccj. “Scrl, rtbeiv kf gfjiis yf fcageralcu atlr mlas ab remt j qfgrbc? Zfvfer tjr cb yerlcfrr rlaalcu lc atf rfja bo j ufcfgji!”
Kushanna narrowed his eyes.
Suddenly, a nobleman sitting from the far end of the table stood up. “The words and actions of General Medeus may come off a bit harsh, but he’s also a soldier, so it can’t be helped. It doesn’t seem right to say that he is not qualified to be a general.”
The noble next to him also stood up. “Yes, General Medeus has achieved nothing but victories on countless battlefields. It’s only thanks to him that Uruk is what it is today. Our city of Uruk has remained undefeated since Medeus became a general. In fact, the reason why the Guti raid outside the walls without hesitation but never breach the walls themselves is because of General Medeus’s presence.”
“He’s right, Ensi. His dignity as a noble aside, his prowess as Uruk’s general is unparalleled. Who else can defend Uruk as steadfastly as Medeus?”
Medeus remained unfazed at the comments, indifferent to the ones coming to his defense and the ones criticizing him. He consistently stood with the same disrespectful posture and a sullen expression on his face.
It was only then that Nataek realized something. The reason why, despite the fact that Medeus was ostracized for his barbarian blood, the nobles didn’t cast him out even when he acted so rudely in front of them.
Medeus was a capable enough soldier to the point where all this extra noise didn’t even matter. The myth of being undefeated since his debut as a general… is something like that even possible?
However, if you think about it, the only reason Medeus remains undefeated is because Nataek was brought here as a slave. Originally, the first country that Nataek would have conquered would’ve been Uruk.
Instead of being grateful towards Nataek, he ended up treating Nataek like a slave…
Kushanna, who’d been quiet while listening to the nobles’ discussion, rose from his seat at the head of the table.
“I understand where everyone is coming from. However, it is true that strong soldiers and capable leaders are needed in order to protect our city. For the sake of Uruk, we need Medeus, my third son and general, so do not bring this matter up anymore.”
The noble who’d been labeled as wasteful earlier sat back down at Kushanna’s words while biting his lip, his face flushed red from embarrassment. The expression on the face of Ensi’s first son, Lugalzagesi, who sat right next to the head of the table was also twisted like a rotten tomato.
It was a meeting to discuss countermeasures against the Guti, yet the hot potato on the table was Medeus himself.
* * *
By the time the meeting was over, it was well past lunchtime in the afternoon. During the meeting, most agreed to further strengthen defenses in the east. In the end, such a matter was entrusted to Medeus again.
‘Medeus. Go to the east and see what is needed to reinforce our defenses. If necessary, you may bring your war horse and a few soldiers with you.’
After leaving the meeting hall, Nataek’s mind became even more occupied with thoughts. While it was true that Sununki was a story about waging a war of conquest, it turned out that sitting in the corner of his bedroom clicking on his computer mouse was much different than having a war looming over his doorstep.
Surely, he wouldn’t have to go too…?
As Nataek followed Medeus, he felt conflicted with himself. However, his tactless stomach that didn’t understand Nataek’s feelings, roared in that moment.
Growl–
The sound was so loud that Medeus, who’d been walking away, turned immediately to look at Nataek.
“Hungry?”
“Yes… A little…”
Unlike Medeus, who’d been drinking throughout the meeting, Nataek hadn’t eaten anything since he first entered the meeting hall. Medeus, who knew what was going on with Nataek’s stomach better than anyone else, was confirming the obvious.
“Hmm.”
Medeus looked at Nataek, and then pointed his head up at the sky. “We should be making preparations… Well, I guess it’ll be fine for today. Follow me.”
Medeus jerked his chin in a direction ahead, not towards his quarters but towards the main entrance to the marketplace.
As Nataek followed Medeus, his stomach kept singing an entire chorus. Grumble, growl, growl.
Even Medeus, who usually walked stiffly like a robot, eventually burst into laughter when the three-part symphony continued, showing no signs of stopping. Nataek’s ears grew increasingly redder.
“Why are you laughing?”
“Your body makes the same sound as a rolling cart.”
Nataek clenched his teeth at those words. What cart, you damn bastard. You starve someone all day and then have the audacity to laugh?
“As an upstanding aristocrat… You shouldn’t laugh at the plight of others.”
“So, if I’m not an upstanding aristocrat, I’m allowed to laugh as much as I want?”
“…”
Nataek puffed out his cheeks and furrowed his eyebrows. A faint smile still lingered at the corner of Medeus’s lips.
Whether he acted like a noble or not, Medeus was somehow taking comfort in the situation where only Nataek was hungry.
The place that Medeus took Nataek to was a small tavern near the entrance of the marketplace.
“Sit down.”
Medeus pulled up a chair, sitting down and gesturing to the seat opposite of him.
Was this… meant to be a test of humility as Medeus’s slave?
Nataek finally properly understood his position after the meeting today. He couldn’t tell if he was really allowed to sit down or not. When Nataek showed no signs of moving, Medeus leaned back in his chair, his arm lazily hanging off the backrest.
“I’m allowing it because today is a special day. Sit.”
Only then did Nataek cautiously sit down in the chair across from him. “What do you mean by a special day?”
“I always do this for soldiers I go on expeditions with. I feed them with whatever they want to eat before we leave.”
To supplement their nutrition? Besides, Nataek wasn’t a soldier.
Nataek combined all the questions in his mind into one wordless question conveyed by his eyes only.
Medeus continued, “You might not come back. This could be your last meal, so I’m letting you eat as much as your heart’s content.”
“I’m… I’m not a soldier, so why are you…”
Nataek already knew the answer, but he didn’t want it to be the truth.
“I’m taking you on this reconnaissance.”
“…Me.”
Ding-dong, the chime of a grandfather clock went off in Nataek’s head.
“Yes, you. You’re my only servant, so you’re coming with me.”
“I… I’m not a soldier. I don’t even know how to use a sword. I don’t think I’ll be of any help at all…”
“You said you weren’t weak. You look like you could be of use.”
Even so, to take civilians with you on your way to scout the enemy…
Medeus continued speaking, as if he knew what Nataek was thinking. “This time, I’ll need to go deeper than last time, and scouting the Guti won’t be as less dangerous as any other enemy territory. Uruk is always short of soldiers. Each elite soldier is a valuable asset, so there’s no point at putting them at unnecessary risk. That’s why I want you to come instead.”
So… was Nataek worth putting at unnecessary risk instead?
Nataek bit his lip in order to hide his swollen cheeks. Then, the tavern keeper set down two glasses of sikaru on the table. Inserted inside were reed straws.
“Drink. Just for today, you may forget your identity and fulfill your desires without holding back.”
Nataek looked down at the glass of sikaru, anger welling up inside him. He was mad about the whole situation. There were hundreds of things he wanted to say, but not being able to say any of them aloud made him feel as though his heart was burning.
Nataek took the straw out from the glass and cast it aside on the table. Forgetting that he was drinking on an empty stomach, he downed all the alcohol from his glass into his mouth in order to suppress his anger.
How much time had passed?
“Ha…” Nataek sighed deeply, lowering his head. Across from him, Medeus sat in a hunched posture, curiously watching Nataek.
“Whew…” Nataek sighed again, longer and louder this time.
A chuckle escaped Medeus’s lips. “Teresi. This might be your last meal, so why don’t you eat some more?”
Nataek raised one of his limp hands onto the table. His arm lacked any strength, dangling as if it was boneless.
“Ah… Hey.”
“Hey?” Medeus set down the glass that he was holding in his hand. “Was there drugs in the alcohol I told you to drink? Shouldn’t you carefully watch what you say?”
“Huh, I won’t!”
“…Teresi. You’re not drunk from three glasses of sikaru, are you?”
Medeus had been drinking alcohol instead of water ever since the council meeting, and even continued to drink after they came to the tavern. He’d been drinking glass after glass of sikaru, but his facial expression hadn’t changed once. On the other hand, Nataek had been losing his soul by the time he finished his second glass of sikaru.
Nataek was a terrible drunk, which made it difficult for him to have a good social life. His messy drinking habits combined with his tendency to get wasted whenever presented with alcohol was the worst possible combination.
Medeus knocked on the table with his fist. Nataek’s head tilted up slightly at the noise.
“…Right, how can I be drunk after only three glasses?”
“Now, aren’t you a worthwhile sight? Why don’t you raise your head and speak?”
“I don’t want to. I don’t even want to see you,” Nataek said.
“Who, me?”
“Yes, you.”
“Huh,” Medeus said. “…What’s the problem?”
Looking at his body language or the expression on his face, Medeus didn’t seem particularly angry. He was just curious as to what this rude slave had to say to him.
“I don’t… I have no intention of dying any time soon, so why do you keep insisting on sending me to an early grave at your whim? Is my life really worth only ten won?”
“Worth what? I don’t know what you’re talking about, but lift your head first unless you want me to cut it off.”
“…I don’t want to.”
Nataek lowered his head even further down, as if he was making a fuss. Then Medeus slowly rose to his feet and moved to the seat right next to Nataek. Two people were squeezing tightly into one corner of the square table.
“Teresi.”
Medeus reached out his arm and brushed the back of Nataek’s head with his hand once. Then, he grabbed Nataek’s hair and pulled the man’s head backwards, Nataek’s eyebrows furrowing at the sudden force used. Medeus’s puppy-like eyes were smiling softly.
“Now, keep talking.”
Thank you for the chapter!
Thanks for the chapter
Ooooooh someone’s angry
…..I’ve never wanted to be a slave so much in my life as now- but I DONT GET DRUNK EASILY 😭😭 If I ever get drunk and no one records it im gonna be so mad and find shitty friends who will record it 😭😭😭