Chapter 68

"I don't… hate him anymore... that's what makes this so hard to deal with… now that my hatred is gone… I’m empty. I’m totally empty. The only thing I know, the only thing I’m good at, is battle. I have no desires."

- Thorfinn

An Empty Man (カラッポな男) is the 68th chapter of the Vinland Saga series.

Overview
Thorfinn dreams he is climbing a rock cliff he must not fall off of; he is dragged down by hands and wakes up screaming right as he falls in the dream. Einar points out he was screaming things like "Askeladd!" and "Father!", but Thorfinn can only remember falling in the dream. He feels as though there is something important he has to remember. As Thorfinn and Einar work, a worker is annoyed to see that their wheat is growing well, worried that things will be out of balance if slaves end up being treated like workers. Thorfinn and Einar help fix Sverkel's roof and Thorfinn tells Einar about Askeladd. Einar tells Thorfinn he should forget about things, since he can no longer have his revenge and no good will come of hating a dead man. Thorfinn admits that he no longer hates Askeladd, but that he is empty without hatred and does not know how to do anything but be at war. Sverkel shows them how to fish with a net — as he overheard Thorfinn and Einar, he tells Thorfinn that being empty is a good thing if he wants to be reborn. The next day, as Thorfinn wonders if humans can really change, Einar assures Thorfinn that no one would assume he is an ex-warrior if they saw him now, and that he is in the middle of a positive change. As they arrive at their field, they are shocked to see that their wheat is destroyed.

Summary
Thorfinn climbs a rock cliff, telling himself he just needs to keep going a little more. He wonders why he is doing this, but acknowledges that he knows it'll be over if he falls, as he'd be falling "there". Thorfinn starts to slip down as hands reach out and start dragging him; he yells at them to please let him go and tells them he is sorry. As Thorfinn loses his grip and falls below, he wakes up screaming in the barn. Einar groggily greets him good morning and tells him that he was tossing and turning even more than usual. Thorfinn tells him he dreamt that he was falling over a cliff. Einar is surprised to hear that he remembered his dream this time, and tells him he was saying things like "Askeladd!" and "Father!". He asks him if Askeladd is a man's name. Thorfinn is surprised, but does not answer. Outside, Thorfinn washes his face at the well as Einar cheerily talks with Arnheid. He wonders why he always forgets almost all of his dreams; he can only remember that this particular one was frightening and that it feels as though he is forgetting something important. Although he is scared and wants to forget, he knows it's something important that he must remember. Thorfinn and Einar continue to drag logs away from their field with the help of their borrowed horse. One of the farm workers observing from nearby admires one of their wheat ears and wonders if they grew so large already because the freshly cleared land is particularly fertile. He thinks the slaves, Einar in particular, may be better workers than he thought, especially since the cultivation quickly increased after Einar's arrival. Another worker listens to him, visibly annoyed. Still working, Thorfinn comments that trees feel lighter in the winter. Einar tells him it's because they have less moisture. The annoyed farm worker comments that something must be wrong with the master if he's leaving fieldwork to slaves, as it's a job a proper man should do. He tells the other workers that if slaves end up being treated the same as workers, the balance of the world will crumble.

Thorfinn and Einar begin to work on fixing Sverkel's roof. Thorfinn tells Einar that Askeladd was the man who killed his father. He elaborates that he was a Dane warrior, a strong and ruthless man. Einar asks him if Askeladd appeared in his dream, but Thorfinn replies that he doesn't know, as all he can remember is falling off a cliff. He continues to tell Einar about Askeladd and his past: that he ended up on the battlefields fighting for 10 years because he was chasing Askeladd in order to avenge his father's death. He tells Einar that he hated Askeladd so much he wanted to kill him. Einar asks Thorfinn if he ended up avenging his father; Thorfinn tells him that he did not, as he was killed by another man in front of him. Einar tells Thorfinn that although he does not know the details, he thinks he may be so devoid of spirit because he's lost his goal of revenge. He hypothesizes that Thorfinn still sees it in his dreams because he hasn't sorted things out in his heart yet. Thorfinn agrees that Einar may be right, but thinks that there's something more than that, linked to his feeling of forgetting something important. Einar tells him he knows that his saying it won't change anything, but points out that Thorfinn's chance for revenge is over and that he should forget about it, since no good will come from hating a dead man. Thorfinn recalls Askeladd's last words to him, about becoming a real warrior, and admits to Einar that he's troubled because he doesn't hate Askeladd anymore. He tells him that without hatred, he is empty, and that not knowing how to do anything other than be in wars, he has no desires of his own either. Sverkel tells Thorfinn that if he has time to talk, he has time to work. He tells the two to hurry up with the roof, as it's not the only task they'll have today. After they are done with the roof, Sverkel brings them to the water and shows them how to set out a net to catch fish. After demonstrating, he tells them to try it themselves. They have trouble setting out the net at first, but Sverkel encourages them to keep going, as it's Easter season and they'll need the fish while they cannot eat meat. Thorfinn pulls the net back, but has caught nothing; Sverkel shows him how to spin it while throwing it, and reminds him to change spots while he does it instead of throwing the net in the same place. Looking out at the water, Sverkel tells him to keep learning little by little and points out that if he's empty, then he can take in anything. He adds that if Thorfinn wants to be reborn, being empty might be the best thing to be. Einar asks Sverkel if he was listening and Sverkel replies that he overheard. Thorfinn asks if he can be reborn, and Sverkel tells him that his hands aren't moving and that he needs to work. The next day, Einar comments about how cold it is and guesses that it will snow. He anticipates fishing will be painful in the cold with numb hands, but is looking forward to redeeming himself for the three measly fish and shells they caught the previous day. He asks Thorfinn what he thinks, and Thorfinn admits he wasn't listening. Einar asks Thorfinn if he's still thinking about what Sverkel told him yesterday, and Thorfinn admits that he is. He wonders if humans can really change, and how they can do so. Einar tells Thorfinn that he used to be a warrior; one of those fearless men who'd pick up axes, go to war, pillage villages and drink alcohol. He mimics a warrior, trying to make Thorfinn feel better. Thorfinn admits that's true, though he himself didn't have an axe. Einar tells Thorfinn that looking at him now, no one would think that Thorfinn is an ex-warrior. Thorfinn is doubtful, but Einar replies he should go look at his reflection in the water. He admits that he is glad he didn't meet Thorfinn when he was a warrior, as they certainly would not have become friends. On a more sombre note, he adds that if they had met on bad terms, he may even have been killed by Thorfinn. He nevertheless tells Thorfinn that humans can indeed change, and tells him he's probably in the middle of that positive change now. He tells him to have some confidence. Thorfinn smiles and thanks Einar, but bumps against his back, as Einar suddenly stopped in his tracks when he reached the field. Thorfinn asks him what's wrong, then sees what has Einar speechless: the wheat that had been growing on the cleared portion of their field is destroyed.

Characters in Order of Appearance

 * Thorfinn
 * Einar
 * Arnheid
 * Askeladd
 * Sverkel