章 137: The Barbarian King's Unusual Experience
This tale begins in my homeland of Freljord," said the Barbarian King, Tryndamere, scratching his bronze chest. "Freljord, you know, the Arctic—it's a dreadful place, hardly fit for human habitation."
With a pained expression, he gazed up at the ceiling of his cell, wiping away nonexistent tears from the corners of his eyes. "In summer, it's as cold as winter; and in winter, well, that's a different story altogether. It's utterly inhospitable! The blizzards howl mercilessly, and for at least three and a half months of the four-month-long winter, the entire Freljord tundra is engulfed in snowstorms. And the worst part is, once winter arrives, that wretched place is shrouded in darkness, devoid of sunlight—damn it!"
"It's perpetually gloomy! When winter sets in, we don't even catch a glimpse of the sun! Many tribes, if they fail to gather sufficient game before the long winter nights, face the grim fate of freezing or starving to death," the Barbarian King lamented, his face etched with pain. "The most terrifying aspect is the snow bears and other monstrous beasts that, with the arrival of the winter night, brazenly attack the tribes in search of food."
"Once, my tribe encountered a snow bear during an attack—good heavens! That beast had evolved to the ninth tier!" At this point, Tryndamere clapped his hands together with a resounding thud, exclaiming, "I fought that creature in the blizzard for an entire day and night! I tell you, little Yunzi, that beast was towering! Just slightly smaller than the Moon-Eating Wolf from your Winter's Embrace Forest. We battled for a full day, and we even brought down several icebergs!"
"…" Xiao Mu Yu silently observed the Barbarian King as he animatedly recounted his tale, his excitement palpable. With a stoic expression, he raised a hand to his forehead and coldly inquired, "And then?"
"And then? Heh heh… of course, the indomitable Barbarian King triumphed and severely wounded that scoundrel!" Tryndamere exclaimed, thumping his chest with pride as he reminisced about his heroic past. "Does it not occur to that beast who I am? I am the unrivaled champion of the vast snowfields! Over the years, in all of Freljord, aside from that peculiar little queen, who could possibly stand against me?"
"…" Xiao Mu Yu, with an impassive expression, lifted his gaze and coldly queried, "What does this have to do with your confinement here?"
"Uh… heh heh," Tryndamere paused, momentarily taken aback, then sheepishly scratched his head and chuckled, "My apologies, I digressed… sorry, little Yunzi."
Feeling the weight of Xiao Mu Yu's unyielding gaze, the Barbarian King felt a surge of pressure. "Well… please don't look at me like that; it's quite daunting… I assure you! By the honor of the Barbarian King, I promise I won't stray off topic again."
"Heh heh… So, little fox, are you satisfied now?" Tryndamere grinned at the small fox perched on Xiao Mu Yu's shoulder, his ingratiating expression contrasting oddly with his robust physique.
"Hmph… ooh-ji… ooh-ji…" The little fox turned its head disdainfully, sitting with its tiny paws clasped on Xiao Mu Yu's shoulder, ignoring Tryndamere's flattery.
"Uh… all right, all right, I suppose I still lack charm," Tryndamere muttered, somewhat hurt by the fox's reaction. The burly man scratched his head in frustration and asked, "Let's continue, little Yunzi, um… where was I?"
"…" After a few seconds of silent contemplation, Xiao Mu Yu met Tryndamere's innocent gaze and coldly remarked, "You were discussing the harsh climate of Freljord."
"Oh, right! Speaking of the harsh weather in Freljord, our tribes have had a rather difficult existence," Tryndamere replied, clapping his hands together with a smile. "However, six years ago, our quirky little queen ascended to the realm of the divine, and with a powerful figure like her in charge, the status of our barbarian tribes naturally changed."
"Not long after our peculiar little queen ascended, we reached an agreement with the nobles of Demacia. Every winter, they would graciously provide us with much-needed food and supplies to help us survive the harsh winter," Tryndamere explained. "All we had to do was refrain from allying with Noxus against them."
"After all, Freljord is adjacent to Demacia. If we were to attack the Demacians alongside Noxus, especially with our new divine ally, it would put Demacia in a precarious position," he continued. "Signing the contract was a win-win situation for us, so we naturally agreed."
"However, those Demacian nobles are a bunch of scoundrels," Tryndamere said, his teeth gritting in frustration. "When we signed the agreement, they clearly stated that for at least a hundred years, regardless of circumstances, unless the barbarian tribes of Freljord were annihilated, they would continue supplying us with food and resources."
"Yet, three years ago, after several Noxian generals mysteriously vanished, the pressure on Demacia significantly lessened, and those idle nobles began to cut back on their supplies," he lamented. "At that point, even if Noxus and we joined forces to wage war, Demacia wouldn't feel much pressure… so those nobles began to breach their promises."
"Since the winter of the year before last, those scoundrels have ceased supplying us with resources," Tryndamere said, scratching his head in dismay. "However, their withdrawal of support wasn't entirely catastrophic. During this time, after interacting with several nations on the continent and thanks to some insights from you, we discovered that certain local specialties from Freljord, like monster hides and whale oil, fetch a high price outside."
"So, after the Demacian nobles stopped supplying us, we established trade relations with a few smaller nations near Freljord… um, I believe you referred to it as 'trade,' right? Ahem… in any case, that's the gist of it." Tryndamere raised his head, noticing Xiao Mu Yu's impassive expression and lack of response. He cleared his throat, struggling to keep himself on track.
"We formed trade relations with those nations, exchanging goods that each side needed, thereby improving the living conditions of our tribes. Yet, those scoundrel nobles of Demacia!" He clenched his fists and pounded the ground, still incensed by the memory. "They, upon seeing us forsake them to trade with those smaller nations, actually threatened those countries with repercussions."
"They warned that no one was permitted to trade with the barbarian tribes of Freljord, or they would face Demacian retaliation! Hmph! Who we trade with is none of their concern!" Tryndamere exclaimed, his frustration spilling over as he gesticulated wildly. "Are they afraid that we might grow powerful enough to threaten them? How pathetic for the continent's foremost empire to stoop so low—it's truly disgraceful."
"And then?" Xiao Mu Yu asked, his expression as cold as ice.
"And then? To persuade those scoundrel nobles to retract their ridiculous proclamation, I came to Maple Leaf Snow with your sister Ashe, hoping to convince those fools," Tryndamere sighed, a sense of helplessness creeping into his voice. "But those nobles are as insufferable as ever. We have been here for nearly half a year, and all we see are those rascals hosting lavish banquets, tea parties, and hunting competitions. Sometimes, there are even some immature youngsters squabbling over petty rivalries, dueling one another—ugh! They are nothing but parasites, living off the labor of others."
As he spoke, Tryndamere's previously calmed demeanor reignited with agitation. The thought of the countless failures he faced among the idle nobles over the past six months gnawed at him, making his teeth grind with irritation. "The worst part is their wives—ugh! Or should I say, those so-called noblewomen—like they've never seen a man before! Several of those foolish women even dared to threaten me with the affairs of Freljord, demanding I engage in… intimate acts with them!"
"Ugh! What a joke! Who do I think I am? I am Tryndamere, the Barbarian King, undefeated in the northern realms! A man who can single-handedly wound a snow bear towering over ten meters! How could I possibly stoop to such levels with those aging women? It's utterly ludicrous!" The mere recollection of those relentless, desperate noblewomen made his expression twist with frustration, as if he were about to devour someone whole. "If it weren't for the potential consequences of causing a scandal, I would have long since dispatched each of those foolish women with a single stroke."
Xiao Mu Yu silently scrutinized Tryndamere's robust physique. Indeed, such a ruggedly muscular man would be an anomaly in the aristocratic circles of Demacia, and he certainly possessed the allure to attract the attention of those desperate noblewomen. However…
"What does this have to do with your imprisonment here?" Xiao Mu Yu asked, his tone frigid.
"Uh… ahem… well, the situation is as follows," Tryndamere said, awkwardly scratching his head, a hint of exasperation flickering across his face. "One of those noblewomen has a husband who is quite the eccentric—a true oddity!"
"That scoundrel is named Littel, a count. Although he is merely a count, his influence in Demacia is still formidable," Tryndamere explained, scratching his head in frustration. "I had previously sought his assistance, but that scoundrel completely ignored me. And then, guess what happened?"
"That scoundrel actually demanded that I engage in intimate acts with his wife—right in front of him!" Tryndamere exclaimed, his expression one of utter disbelief as he scratched his head vigorously. "Ahhh! He is simply an oddity! He claimed that if I performed such acts before him, he would agree to help me negotiate with the Demacian nobles to lift the blockade against the barbarian tribes—what do you think of this bizarre individual?"
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット