Reincarnated to the Past 50 (Patreon)

A/N: here we are. At chapter 50. It’s been a long time since I wrote this but this is, as far as the internet is concerned, my first original fiction that I published for everyone to see. So welcome back. It’s been a while. And I hope you enjoy this chapter.

-VB-

Current list of powers:

Perfect Memory Recall [Rank 1]

Minor Body Perfection [Rank 2]

Superior Swordsmanship [Rank 1]

-VB-

Term Reminder:

Kettin - story word used by Getae people to refer to themselves.

Arn - Kettish word for chief

-VB-

Reincarnated to the Past

Chapter 50: Lending Aid

-VB-

Homkal strode down the main street of the Lower River Kettin and observed. 

He saw slaves and regular men with carts of smooth wheels and quiet axles. He saw women wearing even and clean linen of varying colors. He saw a powerful youth striding down the street as he did but instead of a sword or an axe, he held a weird gray-white stone tablet with charcoal stick which he used to scribble things onto the stone tablet. 

But most importantly, he saw in the periphery of his eyes the top of the wooden wall that surrounded the village and kept everyone safe.

He felt safe.

He knew that even if a sudden attack came this way, the wall would keep him and his people safe alongside his kin and kith. Oh, he knew that he would also fight alongside them, but safety was guaranteed. 

It was nothing like the fence that he had around his village. The walls were sturdier and taller. They were a show of strength that the Lower River Kettin could take the time out of their day to build themselves a wall stronger than anything else the other Kettish had. 

Did they do this before or after the Scythian attack? Before or after they subjugated the Thracians to the south?

If it was before, then he had severely underestimated them and explained how they were able to conquer rich cities with stone walls. If it was after, then it only made him want to take down the Dacian volvorio that the bastards used as their base to raid his people. Also, if it was after, then he too wanted to go and conquer because it would make his people safe. The Dacians always raided his people. Why shouldn’t he enrich himself by reclaiming what they have taken? 

It would be glorious to rescue the enslaved Kettish and enslave the Dacians.

“Chief Homkal.”

He paused and turned around to greet the Chief of the Lower River Kettish. 

“Alan!” he greeted the man with a big smile. “I didn’t expect you to come find me the day after our discussion.” They shook hands again. “Did you need something from me?”

Alan shook his head. The normally talkative man looked contemplative as he stared at him. 

“I’m here to introduce you to one of the warriors who accompanied me in my conquests down south,” he said.

Homkal kept his face still as he looked down at the small-ish man standing slightly behind Alan-arn. He had a bushy beard and long hair that fell to his chin. Not uncommon among their people but his was unkept and greasy. 

“This is Ra’zen. He was with me when I took over many a cities.”

He looked at the man critically. 

“A warrior?”

“A hunter, arn,” the man spoke up. “Our arn doesn’t fight like a warrior unless there is a good reason for it. He is more like a hunter than a warrior.”

“Is that so?” he hummed. “But he is a good warrior. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to win against me.”

“Yes. He is a good warrior, but that’s not the only thing he is good at. If he was just a good warrior, then he would have never thought to throw poison and shit into the Istrian wells in the middle of the night.”

Homkal’s eyebrows rose up.

“Poison and shit?”

“You can live quite a while without food,” Alan explained. “But only three days without water. Everyone drinks, and poisoned water makes them all sick. When enough defenders grow sick, then they become defenseless.”

“... It does not seem like a warrior’s choice. Or honorable.”

Alan-arn shrugged. “Then it is upon my shame that my people grow stronger. Honor among my people  weighs more than honor among my enemies and strangers.”

Homkal grunted in agreement. “I suppose then you wish to lend me his help?”

He nodded. “I will be rewarding him for his service while taking care of his family until his return. I ask that you also reward him. A cow or two should suffice. Of course, the reward would only be given if you deem his role in the fight against the Dacians prove good.”

“Of course.” If he truly does prove himself and play a pivotal role in conquering the Burs, then he will be given even more reward.”

“Good. That’s all I ask.”

Homkal stared at him for a second. “You are not asking for a compensation for lending me this hunter?” he asked curiously. 

Alan-arn raised an eyebrow. “Only if he dies.”

“If I die, I want two breeding pairs of goats for my family,” Ra’zen boldly replied. 

“Sure.”

Homkal stared at the hunter and the chief before snorting. “This place is weird. Four goats for a  hunter’s death, not even for success? That is too much.”

“Maybe but that’s how I rule here. Everyone works for the tribe, and the tribe takes care of the people without them needing to demand to be taken care of. That is the kind of tribe I want this tribe to be. 

-VB-

Year 3 (Early-Fall)

After Homkal left with Re’zan in tow, I found myself planning on improving the lives of my tribe. 

Namely, there had been an increase in immigration from other Kettish tribes, and the original village cannot house them all. Oh, and there was also an influx of slaves, because why wouldn’t there be? The most important of this was the fact that sewage was starting to become an issue.

“And how would you take care of that aside from dumping it in the river? Shouldn’t you just do exactly that?” Ureya asked while letting our son suckle on her tit. 

“That’s exactly what the rest of the men said, too. They don’t care about this issue.”

“Should it not matter? The river is fast enough as it is. It shouldn’t harm us to do it.”

I thought about it.

The Danube River (the locals of this era didn’t call it that but by the God I was going to continue to refer it as the Danube in my mind) was not a small river. From a good guess, the widest portion of the river within a day’s walk of the Lower River Kettin village was over 800 meters long (estimated using my own height of 181 cm as base). 

It was also, despite its width, faster than one might expect. It wouldn’t be a bad idea… 

But if the manpower and infrastructure to dump all of the human and animal waste into the river needed to be used, then couldn’t we use it for something?

“What did the tribe say?”

I frowned. “That Reyan is quickly becoming a pain in the ass.”

After failing to become the chief despite being the grandchild of Ghigari, Reyan formed a “coalition” of likeminded tribesmen to oppose me at every turn. I was actually starting to really dislike someone now. 

Ureya looked up from our son and at me. “Do you need me to discipline him?”

I thought about it. 

Reyan was only sixteen years old, but despite his age, he had shown initiative and proactive mindset. It just happened to be used against me. I wanted to get him to be on my side. I didn’t want to fight family, and having someone on my side was always better than not. 

“Hmm. I’m surprised he hasn’t done something stupid yet.”

I looked at her expectantly. “That sounds like there’s a story behind there.”

She giggled, making her tits (her bigger tits) jiggle on our son’s face. “Well, when he was a wee little kid, Reyan had this idea that he could ride a bull.”

“... I am scared to ask what he did.”

She giggled louder. “He found a bull by himself and charged.”

“He -?”

“And promptly almost got gored for his trouble. If it wasn’t for his dad, then he would be in a shallow grave somewhere.”

I shook my head. “Did he get better?”

“A bit.” She sombered after her reply. “Which is why I’m concerned. He’s getting around a lot of the older warriors who don’t like you for letting women fight, even if they know how crucial it had been in the defense of the village.”

I clicked my tongue. “Can you try to talk to him, at least about if he’s been taking to their side?”

“I can, but he’s stubborn. He did ride that bull in the end.”

I leaned back, thinking about it all. 

I wondered…

Most of Reyan’s direct complaints against me was the fact that I hadn’t wanted to be the chief. I could see how some individuals might react negatively. It could be inferred that if someone didn’t want a job, then they might not be prepared for the full breadth of that job. Since I was adamant about it, I might as well be admitting to the tribe that I wasn’t ready for the job, even if others didn’t think so. 

If that was the case, then could I possibly get Reyan to back off by asserting myself? 

… If so, I needed to choose something that he would oppose even if someone else proposed it.

Like an infrastructure specifically for sewage.

Or more accurately, I was going to copy Edo Japan and build multiple outhouses inside the village and outside of it. Then I would have slaves collecting them so that the “night soil” can be turned into fertilizers. 

I would solve a problem and bolster productivity at same time.

Yeah, I liked that idea a lot.

… But if I wanted to use this to assert my leadership, then I couldn’t do what I did before and make a heavy personal sacrifice like doing everything myself. No, I would have to get the tribe to do this on my and their behalf. 

“Ureya?”

“Yes, dear?”

“How would you go about convincing people to use a public pit latrine?”

-VB-

A/N: the Bur tribe of the Dacian people had their capital at Buridava, which is currently a ruin.