Honey, I’m Going on Strike – Chapter 30

‘I’m going to throw up…’

Inside the sack, Cassia was being tossed back and forth and struggled to keep her nausea in check.

“Big Bro, I think this is a good place to set up a base.”

“I was thinking the same thing. What does the situation look like?”

“Not good. We’ve lost about half the Rakans.”

“Those damn bastards…”

Suddenly, their endless movement stopped, and Cassia could hear muffled voices.

Rakans referred to the monstrous beasts they rode. If they were already close enough to assess losses, it meant they’d arrived near the battlefield between Zester’s subjugation force and the barbarians.

Jerome hoisted the sack containing Cassia and leapt down from his Rakan’s back.

“Tung, go to Jerd and tell him we’ve captured the subjugation leader’s wife as a hostage. Once negotiations are done, bring the subjugation leader here.”

“Understood.”

After dispatching his subordinate to Chief Jerd, Jerome opened the sack. Cassia’s messy hair peeked out along with her dazed, half-lidded eyes, prompting Jerome to click his tongue in disapproval.

“W-where am I?”

“Mount Basque. We’ll wait here until our chief brings the leader of the subjugation force.”

Jerome, surprisingly, explained the situation politely. Cassia gathered her senses and looked around.

Night had already fallen. Having come around the mountain, they were now surrounded by a cold, silent darkness. Unlike the barbarians, who were accustomed to the dark, Cassia couldn’t see a thing, and fear quickly crept in.

Tap, tap. She heard the sound of rocks being struck together, then her vision expanded. A fire had ignited some dry branches.

“Ah!”

A sudden force lifted her body. It was Jerome. He picked Cassia up and sat her down in front of the fire, then draped the empty sack around her shoulders like a coat. The leather sack had a musty smell and was heavy, but draped over her body, it was more than enough to block the cold winter wind.

Even since their time in the castle, Cassia had noticed Jerome’s demeanor wasn’t what she expected of a barbarian. Whether this was unique to him or common among the barbarians, she didn’t know.

As she quietly observed Jerome checking his bow and arrows, she felt a touch on her arm and flinched. It was another subordinate who had remained behind.

“W, what are you doing?”

Kuno, the barbarian subordinate, gently lifted the sack draped over her shoulders and brought his flushed face close, sniffing.

“Do all noblewomen smell like this? That other guy just stank of piss. Whoa…”

“Y-You, stay back. Don’t come near me.”

“Kuno, leave the woman alone. Don’t mess with her.”

Thankfully, Jerome intervened, but not with much force. He merely glanced sideways at the harassing Kuno and the flustered Cassia but did nothing else.

“Hehe… as long as she’s breathing, it’s fine, right?”

“Eek!”

Kuno’s hand suddenly poked under the hem of Cassia’s dress while she sat and grabbed her ankle, groping it.

“Hey.”

Shiik. A low growl was followed by the sound of a bowstring tightening.

“B-big bro?”

Cassia and Kuno both turned to Jerome, who was now standing up. His drawn bow was aimed squarely at Kuno’s head.

“We do not shed blood between tribe members. But there are exceptions. What are they, Kuno?”

“When… when you disobey orders…B-Big bro. I was wrong. I didn’t mean to—!”

Thwock! A sharp arrow fired towards Kuno without hesitation.

“Aaaagh!”

The sound of the arrow striking something was visceral. Cassia reflexively shut her eyes in shock then she turned to see Kuno sitting beside her, unharmed except for a thin red line on his cheek.

Instead of Kuno, the arrow had pierced a small wild animal behind him and lodged into the ground.

Cassia stared at the gray rabbit, which was lying limp with an arrow lodged inside, and swallowed hard then turned her head to Jerome.

“Go hunt for food. The Rakans seem hungry.”

Jerome muttered indifferently, and Kuno scrambled up in a panic.

“Y-yes! On it!”

He disappeared into the mountains with his Rakan. Meanwhile, Jerome, not even bothering to glance at Cassia, went to retrieve the hare, skinned it with a rock, and skewered it on a sharpened branch to roast over the campfire.

Cassia watched Jerome’s every move.

She wasn’t okay with Kuno’s behavior, but his attitude and reaction aligned more with what she expected from a barbarian. Jerome, on the other hand, was startlingly gentlemanly.

“Here.”

Jerome offered the roasted meat to Cassia.

Even though he had grilled it over a fire, she didn’t think she could stomach it but she accepted it wordlessly out of respect for his kindness.

“We have the blood of barbarians flowing in our veins so sometimes, we have a few who act without sense, like that one. Please understand. Still, we’re trying to teach them and they’re doing their best to learn.”

Jerome said, gathering more dry branches scattered around and tossing them into the fire..

Cassia glanced at him suspiciously. It was strange hearing a barbarian talk about principles, teaching, and learning. Something about it felt off.

“It’s fine. Thank you for your help. I didn’t expect you to be so polite…”

“Jerd, the chief, is my brother and our mother was also a noblewoman. She was captured by our father and under the pretext of trying to increase the tribe’s numbers, she was forced into relations with many of the men of our Rakan tribe.”

Jerome’s abrupt revelation of the Rakan tribe’s primitive past was quite shocking. Cassia flinched and her expression couldn’t hide her unfiltered disgust. Jerome cast his gaze downward, eyes trembling as he continued.

“Jerd and I didn’t realize those actions were wrong. We didn’t know how deeply humiliating it was for our mother… We thought it was a natural duty to increase the numbers of our tribe through reproductions.”

Jerome clutched his hair, a pained expression on his face. Cassia felt like she had a faint idea of why he was feeling such belated regret.

“She wasn’t just our mother. She was the mother to many of our other tribesmen. After she took her own life, Jerd and I, and the other children of my mother, began to think. We may be barbarians, but we are not beasts. We are human. So, we must live like humans.”

“…”

“I have no intention of treating you rudely. So, give that to me. It’s dangerous to hold onto a weapon you’ve never used before.”

Jerome reached out a shaky hand and gestured to Cassia’s right sleeve.

A small knife she had secretly taken from the viscount’s castle. He must’ve seen her grab it earlier, when Kuno looked like he was about to force himself on her.

Cassia flinched and tightened her grip, startled by Jerome’s sharp gaze.

“If you truly don’t intend to treat me rudely, then I have no reason to use this at all. But I should at least have some way to defend myself, shouldn’t I? Let me keep it.”

“Really?”

Jerome was worried that Cassia might stab the weapon into her own neck. He knew how humiliating a situation like that would be for a noblewoman.

Realizing what he was thinking, Cassia nodded calmly.

“Who would choose to take their own life? Don’t worry.”

Jerome didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t push further.

“Things may have turned out this way, but we didn’t march to the castle with the intention of fighting. We wanted to ask for help so we could settle down and live like human beings. We’ve asked several times and got no response so out of frustration, we decided to come here ourselves.”

“…You wanted to ask the Viscount for help? If you wanted to live like human beings, why have you been attacking people’s homes? Why kill innocents, steal food…?”

“What are you talking about? Yes, we settled in the territory without asking but we have never attacked people’s homes. I personally taught our Rakans not to harm people. We gather our own food, and we have never raided a village. I swear!”

Jerome’s eyes were bloodshot as he spoke. It didn’t feel like a lie. Cassia’s eyes were wide as she studied Jerome’s expression, then the Viscount’s snake-like nature dawned on her.

‘He spread rumors everywhere that his territory was suffering from barbarian raid. There’s no benefit to spreading rumors about your territory being dangerous. Don’t tell me he was trying to get free help from nearby territories?’

He didn’t want to accept the barbarians and wanted to drive them out but lacked the manpower. From what Cassia knew about the Viscount, she wouldn’t put it past him to spread false rumors about the barbarians to further his own agenda.

‘The more I learn about that man, the more vile he becomes.’

Cassia rubbed her forehead in frustration. Seeing that, Jerome spoke in a small voice.

“We will have to behead the subjugation leader, but I swear on my name that you will be returned safely. Don’t worry.”

“What? Who, whose head are you beheading?”

Cassia asked, startled.

“I apologize in advance. We’ve lost too many of our kin, and Jerd is furious. He insists the leader’s head must roll to honor the dead. So…”

“This is frustrating. You’re only seeing one side of the situation here. Whether you behead my husband or not, your tribe will not survive here.”

“What? What do you mean?”

The barbarians, fooled by the Viscount’s ruse, took only Cassia as a hostage, and in doing so, they made the worst choice. Did they not even consider that the Viscount, once left alone, would think of a countermeasure? She knew they were ignorant and foolish, but she kept quiet because she had been captured and needed the Viscount’s help for rescue.

But if these ignorant barbarians were set on taking Zester’s head, then things could get scary. She had to somehow handle this situation. Cassia tried to suppress her trembling heart and spoke.

“You should’ve captured the Viscount too. Do you think he will just wait in castle quietly for you to return? He is probably forming a new subjugation force right now or requesting reinforcements from other territories. Unless he plans to surrender his territory to you, he has no choice but to drive you out.”

“T-That damned—!”

Jerome jumped to his feet in panic.

“It’s already too late.”

“What, what do we…”

“Listen to me. I’m sorry your men had to die because of this misunderstanding. But how about we end it here, before more lives are lost?”

Cassia’s calm voice continued, and Jerome’s shaking eyes gradually began to settle.

***

Tung, who had arrived at the battlefield, quickly went to find Chief Jerd. When he reported that they had taken the leader’s wife as a hostage instead of the viscount, Jerd exploded in rage.

“You idiot!”

“W-why? Isn’t the Viscount right? That bastard subjugation leader won’t sacrifice himself just because the Viscount asked him to die, right? Didn’t you say we absolutely have to have his head?”

“You should’ve taken the Viscount too! Idiot!”

“T-the Viscount? Ooh… right…”

If they had taken the viscount hostage, they could’ve halted the subjugation and marched on the castle. And they could’ve just forced him to comply with their demands. If they wanted revenge on the subjugation leader, they could’ve always plan a later attack and stab him in the back.

But now, the hostage wasn’t the Viscount but the subjugation leader’s wife?

Jerd bit his lip in frustration. That man was the leader of the subjugation force hired by the Viscount so if it was the Viscount’s order, they wouldn’t have to worry about the troops returning.

How valuable could a wife be to someone as murderous as that subjugation leader?

It was too late to take the Viscount hostage now. That sly man would definitely be devising a plan right now. He may have fled or called for reinforcements.

“I am a fool for trusting that idiot Jerome!”

“C-Chief…”

“Move! Even if she’s a worthless hostage, we have to try negotiating!”

Even at this moment, his companions were dying, and he couldn’t just stand by and watch.

Gripping his spear, Jerd charged on his Rakan towards Zester, who was still ravaging the battlefield.

“Hey!”

Whoosh! He hurled his spear at Zester’s vital spot, but it was easily deflected by Zester’s sword. Jerd swallowed hard. With strength like that, they wouldn’t last much longer.

“I request a truce to discuss! Halt your assault!”

“What kind of fool listens to their enemy mid-battle? Stop wasting my time and fight.”

“Don’t you want your hostage back? I didn’t expect someone like you to bring such a fragile woman into such a dangerous place!”

Jerd, who had been shouting incoherently saw Zester’s stern demeanor suddenly change and his face lit up.

“…What did you say?”

‘No way? Was this better than capturing the viscount?’

Zester’s arm trembled, almost as if he were about to drop his sword at any moment.

Jerd’s lips slowly curled into a grin.

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