The next day, Valka and I headed to the longhouse.
She wasn't in great shape, but she insisted on coming with me to meet Ingmar. Valka thought all of this mess was her fault and felt responsible.
Since I was worried her wounds might reopen from walking, I carried her on my back. We drew a few looks along the way to Ingmar's place.
The settlement was small. Everyone knew each other, and Valka was a new face. They could tell she wasn't one of them.
"Hey, you can put me down. People are staring," Valka whispered.
"Don't mind them. They're just curious. It's nothing serious. You should focus more on what you're gonna say to Ingmar. This guy is a real deal."
The main reason we were here was to explain what happened in Omvrik Clan.
I didn't want any bloodshed over a misunderstanding. Well, maybe it wasn't even a misunderstanding. More like a twisted scheme.
Someone was using an outbreak for personal gain, framing a defenseless woman and almost getting her killed. Worse, that person probably didn't care about the consequences.
People like that are the ones who turn the world into a rotten place. The same kinds of people who made my life miserable in my previous life. They'll keep spreading corruption unless they're stopped.
And I'm the one who's gonna do it.
"Are you sure this will work?" Valka asked.
"Don't worry. Leave everything to me."
Last night, Valka and I came up with a plan. We found a way to fix the relationship between Omvrik and Varglund Clans.
But the main problem was convincing Ingmar to go along with our plan.
After what happened yesterday, I worried he might still be holding a grudge against me. This guy's unpredictable and dangerous when getting angry. Plus, no one dares stand up to him. I'm afraid what happened to Ingrid could happen to me too.
Ingrid survived only because I was there. But who's gonna save me if Ingmar loses his temper? Valka? I'm not too sure a woman with anemia can save me.
But as long as I can get Ingmar to hear me out, I'm sure things will turn out fine. My plan won't only repair the relationship between Omvrik and Varglund Clans, but make it stronger!
"Finally, we're here."
The maids opened the doors for us as we arrived at the longhouse. They warmly invited us in. One of the maids told us to sit at the table while she went to get Ingmar.
I was a little surprised he came so quickly. I thought we would have to wait a while, thinking he'd still be asleep. You know, like typical medieval rulers in those stories, where the king shouldn't be woken before he's ready.
But Ingmar was the total opposite of that storybook ruler.
He looked cool in his bear-fur cloak. His mullet-style hair was a bit messy but gave him a badass vibe. If this were a TV series, he'd probably be the main character. Or maybe the villain.
Behind him was Sigurd. This bald guy was always with him wherever he went.
"Maikal… I always thought you were a coward. Nobody dares to face me after feeling my wrath. But here you are, the first person brave enough to come find me. I respect that."
"Ugh… yeah." I could not tell if that was a compliment or an insult.
Honestly, I was hoping Ingmar would apologize or something. But he was acting like nothing happened. It was a bit annoying, but it's okay. Seeing him in a good mood was enough for me.
Ingmar rolled his eyes at Valka. When he looked at her, I could see the despise in his gaze.
"So, you're the reason for all of this mess, huh?"
Valka nodded. "My name's Valka. Sorry if my presence has caused trouble for your clan."
"Forget it. Maikal already saved you. I just hope you're worth the risk he took."
Ingmar and Sigurd sat down right before us, close enough that I could feel the tension. After what happened yesterday, facing Ingmar didn't feel quite the same. I was worried he'd blow up if I said the wrong thing.
"I was planning to come to you, but you beat me to it. Saved me some time." Ingmar sighed. "So… tell me why I shouldn't hand this woman over to Guthrum. That's why you're here, isn't it?"
Ingmar cut straight to the point.
I expected him to bring this up, but not so quickly.
I knew Ingmar really wanted to avoid conflict with Omvrik Clan. If I were him, I would hand Valka over to Guthrum as a good gesture.
The clan leader, Asbjorn, wasn't here and had most of the fighting force with him. If a battle broke out, it'd put Varglund Clan at a huge disadvantage.
"I have a plan to stop a fight between the clans," I said, confidently.
Ingmar raised an eyebrow. He seemed interested.
"But before we get into that," I continued, "I'd like you to hear Valka's story first so we can understand what's really going on."
Ingmar glanced over at Sigurd, and the bald guy nodded. Then he turned his attention to Valka.
"So, woman. Tell me what really happened," he said.
Valka started sharing her story. Everything she said was just as she'd told me last night. Ingmar and Sigurd seemed engrossed in her words.
I took this as a good sign.
When Valka finished, Ingmar nodded. He was silent for quite a while.
"So, you're saying Guthrum has two seers. Because he found you are more useful, he discarded the other one. The other seer, Gull, got mad and cursed your clan with a smallpox outbreak. And he tried to frame you as the cause so he could reclaim his position, right?"
"Pretty much, Lord Ingmar," Valka answered.
Well, Ingmar missed a few details from Valka's story.
Smallpox is caused by a virus, not something you can whip up with magic. The outbreak hitting Omvrik Clan was just a coincidence. Gull was trying to exploit this tough situation for her own gain.
But I didn't think explaining that to Ingmar was necessary. As long as he understood that Valka was a victim here, that was enough.
"What do you think, Sigurd?" Ingmar asked.
"I think this info's reliable. Lately, my men haven't seen Omvrik Clan folks around. They usually roam around downstream. Also, if they knew the person they were after was here, Guthrum would've sent someone by now. He hates it when someone touches his things."
Ingmar nodded in agreement. "You're right. Given our clan's history, he'd have used this as an excuse to strike against us. Or at least send his men over. But he's done nothing."
Hearing them believe Valka's story, I couldn't help but grin. Valka seemed to feel the same.
Our plan was pretty simple: help Omvrik Clan.
Omvrik Clan was in a tough spot. And now, they were being deceived by a seer. If Ingmar helped this clan fight off the smallpox outbreak, Guthrum would forever owe Varglund Clan.
Of course, helping Omvrik Clan wouldn't be easy.
Smallpox is a disease caused by a virus. It's not exactly deadly and can clear up on its own. The reason it's been taking lives is due to how fast it spreads and because people often get complications. It's somewhat like COVID-19.
On top of that, the terrifying physical effects of the disease made people shun the sufferers. This isolation kept them from getting proper medical help.
I'd already researched and found a way to stop smallpox.
Using this method, I'd expose Gull's trickery. Of course, it'd be tough to convince the people of Omvrik Clan, given how much they trust their seer.
But if Valka and I could prove it, they'd believe us.
Right now, I needed to get Ingmar on board with my plan.
"Isn't this a good opportunity?" Ingmar asked Sigurd.
I grinned wide. I hadn't laid my plan yet, but he'd already guessed what I was thinking. Well, to be fair, my plan was pretty simple, so it's no surprise he could figure it out.
"Yeah. Omvrik Clan's in a weakened state. If the outbreak's been spreading for over a month, I bet a lot of their people have already died from it."
"Exactly. I'm glad you two could guess my plan," I said. "We're going to use this outbreak."
Sigurd and Ingmar looked at me, clearly shocked by what I'd said.
"Oh, Ingmar. So you're thinking like us. I didn't expect you'd be sharp enough to see an opportunity here. If I'd known, I would've made you our strategist. Ha, hah, ha."
Wait… strategist? What was he even talking about?
"Well, I guess I underestimated you a bit too, considering you were once a thrall," Sigurd complimented me.
Suddenly, I felt something went wrong here.
BAM!
Ingmar slammed the table.
"It's settled. Gather everyone. We're going to attack Omvrik Clan!"
Apparently, they had their own idea. I forgot these people were Vikings. They love war.