Chapter 434: Arrival at the Grand Gathering, Is This the Barbarian Way of Life?

As Garrett had hoped, Old Hunchback indeed declined the treatment for now—preferring to postpone it to a later date. In return, he promised to do his utmost to assist Garrett in acquiring a suitable ethereal body.

Garrett expressed his understanding. After all, not everyone is willing to undergo a second treatment after nearly two hours of stiff sitting in a CT chair, barely holding it in…

Their two groups merged into one, meandering across the vast wilderness. Along the way, they absorbed a third village, then a fourth…

Garrett was introduced to each village’s chief and elders. Meanwhile, he received over a dozen requests for help (including but not limited to: my horse has a poor appetite, my horse has trouble walking, my horse…). Alongside, he casually conducted physical examinations, measured heights and weights, and took X-rays using [Detection Magic] for a large group of barbarians.

In essence, he was having a great time, reminiscent of the fulfillment felt by doctors visiting rural areas in his past life.

Half a month swiftly passed by. Finally, they reached “Akura,” the site of the tribal grand gathering. Garrett emerged from the caravan, straightened up, and immediately froze, slowly opening his mouth in awe:

At the camp’s edge, a massive archway stood tall, at least five meters high, not made of bricks, wood, or any inflatable material familiar to Garrett from his previous life, but of some colossal beast’s bones.

The bones’ surface was pale yellow with a full luster. Atop the archway, a beast’s head was stacked high, its mouth wide open with interlocking fangs, and faint traces of pale red could still be seen within the bone crevices. Clearly, these were not the bones of an ancient, weathered beast but rather fresh remains of a ferocious creature recently slain…

Further inside, clusters of small tents surrounded larger ones, scattered across the wilderness. Each large tent had dozens of ropes tied to its top, with colorful flags fluttering in the wind.

The larger the tent, the more ropes and vivid flags it boasted. The men and women coming in and out of these tents appeared more vibrant and well-dressed… Garrett shook his head, unable to discern the barbarians’ clothing as luxurious, but at least they weren’t ragged? The animal claws and teeth hanging around their necks were exceptionally long and sharp.

All in all, it seemed to be the hallmark of a powerful village or tribe…

The tribal encampments didn’t seem to be arranged in order of arrival but followed their own set of rules. Elder Gustan and his group navigated familiarly towards the center of the settlement to set up their tents, enthusiastically offering to set up accommodations for Garrett and his companions as well. Bernard’s offer to help was firmly declined…

What? Let the guests, let the noble casters do it themselves?

That simply wasn’t done!

With Bernard unable to lend a hand, Garrett found himself with nothing to do, so he, along with Seraina and Bernard, went out to explore. After walking around half the area, they came upon a crowded spot, bustling with people. Curious, Garrett stretched his neck to get a better view, then stood on tiptoes:

“What’s happening there?”

On a hill in front of them stood a large stone, about two people tall and very conspicuous. As Garrett approached, a bearded barbarian wearing three strings of sharp teeth stood atop the stone, arms waving dramatically:

“Article ten, if a man is killed, the victim’s family has the right to revenge, an eye for an eye, forever!”

“Article eleven, if a family’s house burns down, the neighbors must help rebuild! If a family’s cow dies of illness, the neighbors must also replace half of the loss with their own cows!”

“Article twelve, arsonists must be tied to the burning post and burned to death!”

“Article thirteen, those who murder their elders must be hanged alongside a live wolf that is also hanged, until death!”

“Article fourteen, those who betray their brethren must be torn apart by five horses, or dragged to death by wild horses!”

The crowd around the stone, mostly older barbarians with thicker, shinier fur coats, applauded fervently. Behind them, a younger, more scattered group whispered among themselves. Garrett squeezed through them, trying to get closer, but Bernard pulled him back:

“Don’t go over there. Those are the Goti.”

“Goti?”

Garrett turned around, puzzled. Bernard explained quietly:

“Goti, means elders, wise ones, those of high virtue and generosity, respected by all. When the tribe faces disputes, they mediate. That Goti up there is running for [Lawspeaker]—the one who explains the laws to the people.”

Ah, a legal explainer. Garrett nodded. The fervor and spittle of the man did seem like he was campaigning. Garrett was reminded of some unpleasant memories and quietly asked

:

“Why is he just reciting laws? Doesn’t he have to promise anything to the people when running?”

“No need!” Bernard looked at him surprisedly:

“The condition for winning the election is to recite a third of the legal code from memory in front of everyone. The other Goti stand by to ensure he makes no mistakes…”

Really?

This practice seemed quite reasonable, especially in the barbarians’ living environment. But, reciting a third of the legal code in public?

…How long is your legal code, exactly? Does this mean everyone has to stand here all day for someone to win?

“Article twenty-one, a freeman who loses all his land can become a slave! A slave who serves his master faithfully can earn a chance for redemption and become a freeman!”

“Article twenty-two, those who violate the laws will be expelled from the tribe! The exiled cannot cultivate any land, nor accept any gifts or help from anyone!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd at this point. First, the Goti in the front row clapped enthusiastically, followed by the barbarians in the back, raising their fists and cheering:

“Lawspeaker! Lawspeaker! Lawspeaker!”

What, just 22 articles, and that’s a third of your legal code? Is your legal code that short?

Any mage, no, any mage apprentice could memorize it with ease!

Garrett came back to his senses. He looked at the newly elected Lawspeaker’s bare arms and well-developed biceps, wondering whether barbarians’ Lawspeakers explained laws through words or physical enforcement…

After this Goti was successfully elected, two more candidates took the stage to run for Lawspeaker. Unfortunately, these two had memorably poor performances, making errors before even reaching ten articles and were unceremoniously booed off stage.

Garrett lost interest after a while. Seraina, even less patient than him, pulled him along with one hand and waved to Bernard with the other, continuing their exploration. After walking about fifty to sixty steps, they heard the sound of water and saw a large group of people running along the riverbank, shouting:

“Push harder! Push harder!”

“Go on! Go on! Beat this guy! You can do it!”

“Just a bit more! Just a bit more!—Ah!”

“He’s gone under!”

“Should we save him?”

Following were splashes, as a crowd jumped into the water. Someone drowning? Garrett hurried forward, then suddenly felt weightless as Bernard expertly grabbed him by the collar and ran forward…

It was a distressingly proficient act.

Upon reaching the scene, the drowned person had already been rescued, with people busily helping him cough up water and patting his back. Garrett observed the man quickly recover consciousness and decided not to interfere. Soon, another group of barbarians, carrying shields and axes, jumped into the water:

A new weight-carrying swimming race had begun!

Garrett dispelled [Heat and Cold Resistance], tried to gauge the air’s temperature with his hand, and quickly reapplied the spell. As for the river’s temperature, he had no interest in even dipping a finger. At the end of autumn, beginning of winter, even if it wasn’t freezing, it was close enough!

Bernard, however, was enthralled. Rubbing his hands together eagerly, he started to strip off his leather jacket:

“Boss, can I give it a try?”

Weight-carrying swimming! It had been a long time since he last competed! Back in his tribe, he always came first!

“You…” Go ahead if you want to. Before Garrett could finish, Seraina, full of excitement, interjected:

“Garrett! I want to go too!”

“Don’t go!” Garrett held onto her tightly. What’s a silver dragon like you competing for? If you win, everyone else will feel humiliated; if you lose, are you going to transform into a silver dragon right there and have another go?

“Seraina, I’m here to provide healing and seek a contract body! I need your help! Don’t wander off!”

Seraina reluctantly stayed. Garrett waved Bernard off to enjoy himself and continued forward with Seraina. They passed various martial arts fields, with javelin throwing, wrestling, hand-to-hand combat, and armed combat…

The most bustling circle was filled with roaring cheers. Garrett finally squeezed into the center, only to see a barbarian holding a shield in one hand, empty-handed in the other, fighting a snow-white giant wolf at least one and a half meters tall and over three meters long!

The giant wolf roared, bit, and spat frost, imposing as a high-level magical beast. The barbarian dodged or blocked with his shield, and when caught off guard and frozen in ice, he shattered the ice layer at the last moment to dodge aside. Then, he opened his left arm, pressed down on the wolf’s neck, and delivered a heavy punch with his right fist!

Punch after punch

thundered down. The wolf’s howls turned from rage to struggle, and then to whimpers, eventually tucking its tail between its legs. The barbarian ceased his punches, mounted the wolf, and without any resistance, the giant wolf submitted, allowing the barbarian to parade it around the ring.

“Looks like you can pick mounts here!” Garrett’s eyes sparkled:

“Hey, should I call Bernard over, see if he can tame a mount here?—Or should I start by healing a few people first, earn some points or something?”

“Are you a healer?” Suddenly, someone interjected. Garrett turned to see an elderly man with white hair smiling at him, leaning on a bone staff adorned with strings of shriveled plant fruits:

“Young healer, if you wish to exchange ideas, our camp is on the other side—”

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