The Tribal Wars

Heisen left the room and made his way to the underground cage where the Cumin tribe prisoners were held. As he descended the stairs, he heard cheerful voices.

"Ilha rona baharo kir."

"Dag nihora gol kana."

The conversation had already begun. Perhaps because Yang looked like a child, their guard was down, and they seemed to be getting along quite well. Heisen sat a little distance away, ensuring the prisoners didn't notice him.

Yang seemed to sense his presence, but she continued her conversation with the prisoners. Heisen signaled for his bodyguard, Kakazu, to summon Private Edar.

Soon, Private Edar arrived. Heisen beckoned him closer and spoke softly.

"Record everything Yang and the Cumon tribe talk about, and then have Yang translate it. Write down every detail."

"Understood."

Private Edar quickly began writing on parchment.

"Also, please stay in my room and learn the Cumon tribe's language with me."

"In your room, sir?"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all! It's just... I feel it's an honor."

"I'm not the Emperor, so there's no need to feel that way."

Private Edar smiled wryly, and Heisen didn’t quite understand why.

"I plan to master it in a week, but you should aim to learn it within a month."

"A month?"

"This is a special assignment. You'll be exempt from all military training during this period. There are no existing documents on the Cumon tribe's language, so what you write down will become our study material. Don’t miss anything."

"Understood."

Private Edar responded anxiously, knowing the task was challenging with the tight deadline. Heisen also mentioned that Edar’s progress would influence weekly adjustments to his sleep and free time.

"You will serve as a liaison with the Cumon tribe after Yang and I leave. It's a crucial job. If you successfully complete the task, you will be promoted to Private First Class."

"What?"

"I told you, I'll reward ability and achievement accordingly."

Promotion, which typically takes four or five years, would come in less than two months. Heisen didn’t mind; meritocracy is about results. After explaining this, Private Edar swallowed nervously.

"By the way, Ensign Heisen, will you not be conducting military training?"

"I will. I'm a commander. I handle all daily duties."

"And you'll master the language in a week?"

"Don’t worry about me. Just listening to your conversations with Yang is enough for me."

"That’s impressive."

"Why are you surprised? I've been trained to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. You should try it too. It multiplies the time you can use."

"I understand the theory, but not everyone can do that."

"I wouldn’t suggest it to someone who couldn’t."

"I'll try."

Seeing Private Edar motivated, Heisen smiled. He then called Yang over.

"What is it?"

"Is there another person who speaks the Cumon tribe's language?"

"Why do you think that?"

"There are two main ways to learn a language: instinctively or systematically. Children often learn the former method. The latter entails understanding the language structure—learning it as a second language."

"Yes, but that's creepy!"

"What's creepy?"

"You see right through everything."

"Same here. I don’t understand why others don’t get it; it’s unsettling."

"Do you say that to a little girl?"

"Enough small talk. Who is this person?"

"A merchant named Nandal. I'm not sure why he can speak it, though."

"Bring him to me."

"What are you planning?"

"Business."

"Is that necessary for a soldier?"

"I'm not acting like a soldier all day. Also, delegation doesn’t violate military regulations."

"But my relationship with Nandal—"

"I'm not asking for your opinion. Do it."

He pressed down gently on Yang’s head. This might intimidate others, but it didn't frighten Yang. The more pressure she felt, the stronger she became, and the more she pushed back. Heisen liked that about her.

A mere genius wouldn’t satisfy Heisen. True strength requires resilience, defiance, and ambition.

Yang stormed up the stairs angrily.

The next day, Yang brought a merchant named Nandal. He was in his thirties with an unkempt beard. Nandal entered the reception room and sat on the sofa, lounging casually. He seemed unfazed by dealing with military personnel.

"You called for me?"

"I heard you teach Yang the language of the Cumon tribe. How do you know it?"

"If you promise not to charge me with any crime, I'll answer."

"Here are the documents. They state that all of your testimonies will be free of charge. Rest assured. And here’s a token of appreciation."

Heisen handed over the documents and a large silver coin.

"Well prepared, I see. There’s a large silver coin too. Even if I lie, I won't face any criminal charges, correct? There’s no guarantee I'll tell the truth."

"We'll judge whether it's the truth or not."

"I see."

Nandal scrutinized Heisen, who met his gaze steadily.

"You have intimidating eyes. It feels like you're reading my heart. Alright, I’m a merchant. I’ll give you a testimony worth a large silver coin."

"That helps."

"You asked about the Cumon tribe’s language. When I was young, I met a woman from the Cumon tribe and started dating her."

"I see."

"An animal in the forest attacked her. She was bleeding heavily and collapsed. I nursed her back to health. It was love at first sight."

"How long did you date?"

"From when I was 16 to five years later."

"You broke up?"

"She was killed. She broke the Cumon tribe's laws. When they found out, that was the end."

Nandal drew a line across his neck with his thumb.

"She was a decent woman... At the time, I was so filled with anger and hatred that I thought I might die."

He paused, his emotions reflecting that the intensity of his feelings had diminished over time.

"Why did you teach Yang the Cumon tribe's language?"

"This kid is smart, right? I knew they wouldn’t harm children, so I looked for a promising orphan to teach."

"I see. Understood."

"So, what's the main issue?"

Nandal asked, still scrutinizing Heisen. Heisen appreciated his straightforwardness, preferring not to deal with sycophants. He wanted to conduct business without exploiting the other party.

"We will soon sign a ceasefire agreement with the Cumon tribe. When that happens, we'll need merchants to trade goods. Will you help?"

"A ceasefire? Considering all the bloodshed, is a ceasefire even possible? This conflict will persist until one side is completely destroyed."

"Only if the agreement is signed. Very few people can communicate with the Cumon tribe. I want to monopolize the resulting profits."

Nandal’s eyes gleamed with interest, and his merchant instincts clearly piqued.

"Are you saying the Imperial Army will handle this?"

"No, the army isn’t involved. This is a personal matter."

"Smuggling, then? You’re bold to talk about that so openly in an imperial fort."

"I’m merely promoting interaction between Imperial citizens and the Cumon tribe. It doesn’t violate military regulations."

"If I start trading with the Cumon tribe, how much do you want?"

"Nothing."

"You mean you won't take anything directly?"

Nandal seemed to suspect money laundering. Heisen would eventually receive the money through indirect channels. But Heisen shook his head.

"No. I mean, I won’t take any cut of the profits."

"What? That means I’ll profit alone."

"Exactly."

Nandal’s eyes widened in surprise as he touched his unkempt beard, clearly baffled by Heisen's intentions.

"I can’t agree to such a beneficial deal immediately. What’s the catch?"

"First, present the list of goods for trade. Give me the first negotiation rights."

"For how much?"

"I’ll leave that to Jan."

"Is that all?"

"Yes."

"…I'm overwhelmed."

Nandal looked genuinely troubled.

"Is something wrong?"

"No. I’m just surprised. I pride myself on reading people’s intentions, but I can’t read yours at all."

"This is for the future. Nandal, you sell goods, but you also wholesale them, right?"

"Of course. Without wholesaling, I’d have nothing to sell."

"I’m thinking of processing goods sourced from the Cumon tribe and selling them back to the tribe."

"…"

Nandal fell silent, contemplating for over five minutes before finally speaking.

"Are you saying you have something specific in mind from the Cumon tribe’s trade goods?"

"Yes. But I can’t tell you yet."

"Alright, I’ll take the job."

"Are you sure?"

Heisen's withholding of information might suggest he was concealing the most profitable aspect. As a skilled merchant, Nandal would not miss the most lucrative opportunity. However, as he touched his unkempt beard, he nodded.

"Yes. I like that you’re not skirting the issue. Most Imperial soldiers are oppressive. I expected you to take a large cut, but it seems I was worried for nothing."

"Those who conduct fair business should earn fair profits. A system where people profit without contributing hinders the growth of those engaged in legitimate business."

Heisen's goal was not to exploit profits but to build a large, supportive community around him. A novel business is always successful because there’s no competition.

Heisen believed that the only thing preventing such simple logic from prevailing was interference by nobles, trading houses, and states seeking to exploit profits.

"Haha! I like you. Yang, you found yourself a decent man."

"I absolutely don't think so."

The black-haired girl made the most disgusted face possible, clearly unimpressed.