Going Home (Part 2)

"Kramsh, you bastard, what happened to my Ram???"

Granny Karom had barely stepped outside when she saw Chief Kramsh approaching with Solam in his arms. Solam's eyes were tightly shut, and he was completely unconscious. She exploded instantly.

Granny Karom was clearly venting her anger, but then again, that's just how women are. Besides, for so many years, whenever anything happened to Solam, the old man was inevitably the one to take the blame. Everyone was used to it, and the old man was helpless; after all, could a grown man really bicker with an old lady?

The old lady snatched Solam from the old man's arms as if it were the old man who had injured him.

She hurried Solam off to his own tent, giving the old man no chance to defend himself. If not for her concern for Solam's injuries, she would never have let the old man off so easily; a thorough tongue-lashing would have been unavoidable.

After checking Solam's injuries, the old lady immediately cast a Rejuvenation Spell on him. The wounds on his body healed at an incredible speed, forming scabs in no time. (A Shaman's healing ability isn't particularly strong; it can't restore an injured area to its original state like a priest's.) However, Solam still didn't wake up, remaining in a deep, heavy slumber.

At this moment, Solari also walked in and asked, "Granny, how is Ram? Are his injuries serious?"

"It's nothing, he's just exhausted. Sigh, you tell me, how can such a little one suffer like this? It's all that bastard old man of yours, always thinking about making the child suffer, talking about becoming a warrior or whatever. What can a child like this understand? It's all that old geezer's instigation." Granny Karom complained about the old man while having Solari change Solam out of his dirty clothes.

Solari's mouth twitched as she listened, wanting to say something but ultimately holding it back. To be honest, Solari felt the old lady was a bit too doting on Solam. While she wasn't entirely sold on her father-in-law's plan to train Solam into a great warrior, she did believe that a bit of hardship wouldn't hurt a child. But looking at the old lady, there were some things she really didn't dare to say.

Solari stripped all the clothes off Ram, wiped his body clean with hot water, and then gently placed him into the fur bedding.

"Zaira was just about to come over to take care of him, but I talked her out of it. It's no wonder Zaira is so worried; these two boys actually snuck out just to help Zaira catch a few Alpine Goats, and now they've ended up like this. It's only natural she's worried sick." Solari quickly changed the subject; after all, it was quite awkward for a daughter-in-law to listen to someone badmouth her father-in-law.

"Hmm, she hasn't even fully recovered herself; coming over now would just be adding to the chaos. They are all good children, it's just that none of them are easy to worry about."

That evening, the old lady didn't leave. Instead, she, the old man, Karut, and Trick gathered in the Chief's tent to discuss the day's events.

After so much time, the old lady's mood had calmed down. Now, she could speak with the old man in a level-headed manner.

"Did Ram really go into a berserk state back there?"

"Yes, given the situation at the time, that's the only possibility." The old man said, frowning.

"These two children are truly blessed by the Heroic Spirits. If Solam weren't still young and unable to withstand the berserk state, causing him to pass out, Krum would have been in danger too." Granny Karom said, still feeling a lingering fear.

One must know that once an Orc goes berserk without a Shaman nearby to soothe them, it is incredibly dangerous. Once they fall into madness, they are likely to kill every living thing around them.

"Hmm, but for Ram to have the berserk talent at such a young age, I don't know if it's a blessing or a curse." The old man didn't seem to care whether it was lucky or not.

"It certainly isn't a good thing. The earlier the berserk talent manifests, the more likely one is to be lost in that violent power." Granny Karom said worriedly. "Even for us Avalon Orcs, it is only after we reach adulthood and our minds are firm, thanks to the blessing of the Prophet Garul, that we can resist the mental destruction caused by this violent power. Solam is not only not a pure-blooded Avalon Orc, but he is also far too young; it is impossible for him to control this power."

The old man's brow furrowed even deeper upon hearing Granny Karom's words, and he remained silent.

"Kramsh, you need to think clearly about what path Ram should take in the future." Seeing the old man remain silent for a long time, Granny Karom said to him earnestly. "His best path is to study the way of the Shaman, using the power of the Shaman to suppress that violent energy. When the Prophet Garul was young, he also had experiences of being lost in the berserk state, and it was ultimately the power of the Shaman that allowed him to break free. You don't want Solam to become like those Orcs outside, becoming chaotic and cruel, do you?"

"Of course I don't, but..."

"There are no 'buts', Kramsh. I know you want Ram to walk the path of a warrior, but for the sake of his future, he cannot take that road. Besides, even if he becomes a Shaman, he can still fight just like a warrior." Granny Karom interrupted decisively.

The old man was very troubled now. He had always wanted Solam to walk the path of a warrior, but this accident had ruined his well-laid plans. In Avalon, an Orc who cannot control their berserk state is no warrior. Although he knew that in the outside world, many powerful warriors did not go berserk, in the eyes of Avalon, failing to control the berserk state meant one could not be considered a qualified warrior. At the same time, they held extreme contempt for those cousins influenced by rage and chaos, believing they were more like beasts than warriors.

If Solam truly became as muddled and chaotic as those Black Orcs outside, then not only would he be unable to face his young son who died early after his own death, but the ancestral spirits of the clan would likely never forgive him either.

Although Karut and Trick were both sitting in the tent, neither had the qualifications to speak. Regardless of anything else, they were only Solam's uncles and had no say in his future.

And to be honest, both Karut and Trick felt that there was nothing wrong with Solam walking the path of a Shaman; it was less work, closer to home, and carried no danger.

(Shamans are supported by the clan; they don't need to hunt or herd, they have their own livestock, but the clan helps take care of them. Plus, they only help the tribe handle weddings, funerals, and ancestor worship. In their eyes, these weren't considered heavy or tiring work.)

The old man sat there considering for a long time before finally, helplessly, compromising. The old man had been stubborn as a mule his whole life and never knew how to bend. But when it involved his most beloved grandson, no matter how stubborn he was, he had to compromise; he couldn't take his grandson's future lightly.

"Fine, I agree. But his martial arts training must absolutely not be neglected. That is my final requirement." Although the old man gritted his teeth as he agreed, he still needed to find a way to save face. He knew himself that if Solam truly became a Shaman, he probably wouldn't have much time to practice martial arts.

"No problem, I will absolutely not hinder his martial arts practice." The old lady was beaming with joy now that her long-held wish had been fulfilled; if not for the fact that the old man was in a bad mood, she would probably be singing and dancing right now.

Seeing the old lady's expression, the old man felt extremely annoyed. After insisting for so many years, he had still let this old woman get her way. Thinking about how he had been scolded by the old lady for years because of this, he felt a deep sense of grievance, so he unhappily took a jab at Granny Karom.

"Hmph, don't get too smug. If Ram doesn't pass the Spirit Communion Ritual, I will still make him become a warrior. At most, I'll just be a bit harsher on him then; I don't believe I can't help him control the berserk state."

The old lady had finally won their "struggle" of so many years, and she was in such a good mood that she didn't care about the final "barking" of this defeated dog. Hmm, she had to maintain the poise of a victor. So, she ignored the old man entirely and happily left with Karut's support, leaving the old man to sulk by himself.

Granny Karom had left happily, and the tent became quiet. Trick felt miserable; he sat there not daring to speak, not daring to leave, and unable to sit still, terrified of being used as the old man's punching bag. One had to know that this situation had happened countless times over the years; every time the old man was angered to death by Granny Karom, he would take it out on him and his older brother, scolding them half to death each time.

It seemed the eldest, Karut, was the smart one; seeing the situation go south, he had followed Granny Karom and run off first. Trick cursed his older brother for being a sly fox while silently chanting, "Can't see me, can't see me."

But clearly, he was overthinking it. How could the old man not see a grown man like him?

"Why are you sitting there like a fool? Does your father need you to keep him company? Tell me, what use are you? You couldn't even keep an eye on a child..." As soon as the old man saw his son sitting foolishly to the side without saying a word, he felt a surge of irritation. Looking at his foolish appearance, he couldn't help but fly into a rage and started berating him.

The sorrow in Trick's heart was truly flowing like a river. What does this have to do with me? My wife is giving birth; how would I have time to watch the child? But the old man's authority was heavy, and Trick didn't dare let out a single peep. He could only hang his head and obediently listen to the scolding; if he dared to utter even half a word, he didn't doubt he would be beaten half to death immediately. Don't doubt it—the old man beating him was like child's play.

Just like that, Trick was scolded by his old man for nearly half an hour. It wasn't until the old man felt satisfied that he chased him out. "Why are you still standing there? Zaira is giving birth today; you aren't going to keep her company, just sitting here like a fool, trying to piss me off? Get out!!"

As if I want to! If I could run away, who would be bored enough to come here and get scolded for nothing? Trick slandered in his heart while nimbly running out of the tent.

However, thinking of his newborn big, healthy son, his mood immediately improved. He returned to his tent full of energy, looking at his wife and the son nursing in her arms, feeling that this was the happiest moment of his life.