Ch.27Orc Subjugation (2)

Early the next morning.

“How’s the weather?”

“Dry and brittle, perfect for setting fires.”

“Good. Let’s get moving then. Grab the firebombs.”

I took 10 firebombs, while Seriya took 30.

As a result, we were both draped with flammable materials all over our bodies…

Well, as long as they don’t explode prematurely, we’ll be fine.

“See you alive later.”

“Yeah.”

I headed toward the orc settlement, while Seriya made her way to the rocky shore where orcs were fishing.

Once I could no longer sense Seriya’s presence, I was able to see the orcs without a telescope and began luring them one by one to eliminate them.

Tap tap!

“Tweek?”

When I made noise by knocking stones together, an orc who had been urinating alone approached me, and I quickly drew my sword and sliced its throat.

Thud!

Swish…

I wiped the fat and blood from my blade with nearby leaves, made sure the other orcs hadn’t noticed, and began looking for my next prey.

Soon, orcs who had come out of their camp to relieve themselves or gather firewood fell one after another, bringing the total to seven including the first one I killed.

“Huff… This has been easy since taking down those bandits in the ruins.”

Though they wore something resembling armor, they had no protection on their heads and necks, making it easy for me to target these weak points. Caught by surprise without warning, the orcs fell like autumn leaves.

As I gathered the fat-stained leaves and brought them close to the camp, I saw other orcs gathered around their chieftain, who was shouting something—either scolding them or giving some kind of orders.

I quickly placed the greasy leaves on the ground, broke a fire stone to create a small flame, and threw another fire stone tied to a rock toward where the chieftain stood.

Bang!

“Tweek?!”

“Tweek! Tweeeeek!!!”

The sudden explosion at their feet caused chaos among the orcs, and I seized the opportunity to throw a firebomb that I had lit from the small fire.

Whoosh…

Crash!

“Tweek!!”

Whoosh!!

“Kweeeeek!!!”

The orcs who caught fire properly began turning into roast pork in an instant, and I used the opportunity to light more firebombs and start burning the orcs’ tents.

Whoosh! Whoooosh!

“Kweeeeek!!!”

Counting both the burning orcs who ran out of the tents squealing like pigs and those who burned with the tents without even having a chance to scream, there were over 20 of them. The chieftain orc, his face red with rage, began shouting in the direction where I was hiding.

I probably wasn’t spotted, but he must have figured out the firebombs were coming from this direction.

“Hup.”

Crash!

“Kweeeeek!!”

But what can you orcs do about it?

What can you do besides burn from the firebombs I throw!

With that thought, I threw another firebomb, and three orcs approaching me were engulfed in flames, becoming well-done pigs.

“Two firebombs left…”

There were still more than 10 orcs remaining.

It would be impossible to kill over 10 orcs with just two firebombs.

While I was thinking this, flames began to rise in the distance.

Whoosh!

“Tweeeeek!!!”

“Seriya…!”

I couldn’t see clearly from here what her situation was.

But at least the rising flames meant that firebombs had exploded, and if she could maintain that distance, it meant she was still safe.

Having finished my thought, I threw my last two firebombs and then charged forward with a longsword in each hand.

Crash! Crash!

“Kweeeeek!!!”

Whoooosh!!!

Half of the orcs surrounding the chieftain were consumed by flames, and at the chieftain’s furious command, six surviving orcs came to kill me.

“Tweek!”

“Die!!!”

I thrust my sword before the club could come down, and I pushed through the feeling of rolled leather blocking my blade.

Squelch!

Soon my sword pierced the orc’s heart, and in that moment, five orcs surrounded me.

“Tweek! Tweek!”

“Tweee….”

They sure do tweek a lot.

Steamy breath continuously puffed from their pig-like snouts, while I held my two swords, alert to all directions.

Finally, when one of them moved, I pivoted around that orc and thrust my sword into the unprotected back of another, taking down one more.

Thud!

“Kweeeeek!!!!”

Enraged at losing two comrades, the remaining orcs charged at me recklessly.

I dodged their attacks and slid toward the farthest orc, and while it was confused, I sliced its body vertically and then cut its throat, finishing it off.

“Grrrk….”

Orcs make the same sounds as humans when their throats are cut.

I gained a new piece of knowledge, but unfortunately, the situation wasn’t good for bragging.

Whoosh!

“Hup!”

Clubs and axes flew at me, and I threw myself aside to dodge the attacks, then swung my sword while lying on the ground, cutting an orc’s leg.

Slash!

“Kweek!”

It wasn’t severed, just deeply cut, but for a bipedal creature, having an artery in the leg severed meant death.

Squelch!

I got up again and stabbed the fallen orc in the heart, leaving me in a life-or-death struggle with the remaining two orcs.

“Tweek!!”

“Uaaaah!!”

The two orcs flanked me and continuously attacked, while I kept swinging both swords to counter their attacks.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

“Grrrr!!”

But the strength difference between an orc and a human—especially an adolescent still growing—was too great to withstand the orcs’ fierce attacks, and I ended up taking several hits.

“Kweeeek!!”

Thwack!

“Urgh…!”

In the end, I took a direct hit from a club and tumbled ungracefully on the ground, while the orcs approached with vile grins to finish me off.

Whoosh!

The raised club gleamed in the sunlight, and I summoned my last bit of strength to raise my upper body and stab the club-wielding orc in the neck.

Squelch!

“Kwurk!?”

Though my body had been sent flying, I hadn’t let go of my swords—that’s what made this possible.

Stand!

I gritted my teeth and got up, shouldered the orc that was about to deliver a horizontal slash, then spun my body and slashed the orc to death with my dual swords.

“Huff… huff…”

In the silence, I felt the chieftain’s gaze and looked to the side.

The chieftain was charging at me with a look that said he would definitely kill me, and I hurriedly pulled out a healing potion from my waist, poured it into my mouth, and raised my swords again.

“Grrrr!”

Instantly, vitality returned to my body.

My crushed lungs were restored to full strength, and blood began flowing rapidly through my compressed flesh.

I bent my body and charged at the orc chieftain, and we collided with a thunderous sound.

Crash!!

“Kweeeeek!!!”

The roar, in a different vocal range than the other orcs, made my eardrums vibrate.

My dual swords were facing off against a massive halberd, and my small frame was like that of a dwarf compared to the muscular body of the chieftain, who stood over two meters tall.

But for some reason…

I didn’t think I would lose.

“Blood God Karil! Grant me strength!”

I prayed to Karil as I wielded my dual swords.

An endless repetition of slashing and thrusting.

Until my stamina ran out and the halberd’s shaft broke in two.

Clang! Clang-clang! Crack! Crack-crack!

“Grrrr!!!”

But the orc chieftain countered all my attacks and regained the initiative as his halberd blade flashed blue.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

“Hup!”

A heavy, destructive force swirled around me.

I instinctively knew.

If that halberd hit me, my chain mail wouldn’t save me.

The armor might let me withstand one hit, but after that, I’d truly be in Karil’s hands.

With that in mind, I narrowly dodged the halberd’s attacks while looking for an opening.

Clatter! Clatter!

At that moment, I noticed the potions rattling loudly in my pocket.

I kicked off the ground to create distance, then gripped an antidote potion in my left hand, waiting for the chieftain to charge again.

“Tweeeeek!!!”

As I expected, the chieftain approached me ferociously, and I threw even the sword in my right hand as a feint.

Clang!

The chieftain contemptuously deflected my sword with his halberd, and…

Crash!

In that moment, the antidote potion hit him squarely in the face.

“Kweeeeek!!!”

To kill the chieftain who was screaming and clutching his eyes, I gripped two medium swords in both hands, charged to knock him down, then reversed my grip and began slashing at his chest.

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Kweeeeee!!!”

“Die! Die! Dieeeee!!!”

After exactly 42 slashes, the chieftain died with a death rattle, and I staggered as I sheathed my medium swords and picked up the longswords scattered around to put them back in their scabbards.

Tremble….

Despite having drunk the healing potion, my body wouldn’t obey my commands and collapsed back onto the ground.

“Huff… huff…”

Breathing is difficult.

Something beyond fatigue began to pull my consciousness under, but then a voice from the distance awakened my mind.

“Viktor!”

“…Seriya?”

I had been so focused on fighting that I hadn’t noticed the flames on the shoreline had all gone out.

She looked as disheveled as I did, with her leather armor torn in several places and her quiver completely empty.

I barely managed to get up, and Seriya rushed over to support me.

“Viktor. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine… The chieftain…”

“Hm?”

“We need to cut off the chieftain’s head…”

“…You rest a bit. I’ll cut it off.”

As Seriya laid me down, I was overcome with relief that all enemies were gone, and with that, I fell asleep.