Chapter 18 : Tradition of Blood Alliance (1)

If we say that the nation that seized dominance in the East is the Kingdom of Mines, then, conversely, the entity that held sway over the West was the Blood Pact.

The Blood Pact was a federation of various orc tribes.

In truth, politically speaking, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was the most backward of all the existing nations.

Unlike other countries on the continent, which at least had the concept of monarchy, the Blood Pact had not yet completely moved beyond the tribal system and still clung to the structure of a tribal alliance.

It’s exhausting even to explain the inefficiency of the federation.

Unlike other nations, which at least provided a sense of unity under a single national identity, the Blood Pact tribes had strong pride in their individual tribes.

That was precisely the problem.

Since they prioritized their own tribe above all else, conflicts over interests with other tribes were commonplace.

It was essentially a compilation of every disadvantage of a federation.

At this point, one can’t help but wonder.

With such chaos that it wouldn’t be surprising if they self-destructed, how did they manage to seize control of the West?

The answer is simple.

Even with all their flaws combined, they were overwhelmingly strong.

While they might have conflicts due to differing tribal loyalties, at least they acknowledged each other as orcs and, though they might disrespect or discriminate against one another, they didn’t kill each other.

However, it was a different story with other races.

To orcs, non-orc races were worthless trash.

In short, it was a sense of racial superiority.

But, regardless of the race, once they acknowledged someone, they treated them like one of their own.

That’s exactly what the saintess targeted – gaining their acknowledgment through traditional methods.

‘To use the orcs, I’ll need to satisfy their desires.’

Her bright white hair was tied back in a ponytail, and her flawless, white skin framed eyes sharp as blades.

Anyone who knew her usual appearance would have mistaken her for someone else.

Her expression was different from usual.

Normally, she wore a beautiful smile like a blossoming flower, but now it was as if a sharp guillotine had taken its place.

She tapped her temple with her index finger and quietly looked at the map on the desk.

‘To keep the Empire in check, an alliance with the Blood Pact is essential.’

It was nearly impossible to stop the Empire with the kingdom’s strength alone.

However, if they could borrow the power of the Blood Pact, which also held control over the West, it would be a fight worth taking on.

Originally, she had no intention of intervening so hastily.

She had planned to slowly build rapport with the orcs of the Blood Pact, fulfilling their desires over time to draw them in completely.

Even so, there was a reason she urgently sought out the Blood Pact.

The End Winter, which had been holding the Empire in check, suddenly ended.

Wasn’t it Wolfgang Leonhardt?

‘A hero who ended the End Winter that the goddess said would last at least another 30 years. I’d love to see what kind of woman she is… but the Empire is too dangerous.’

The Empire’s power was at its peak, with the heroes who led the Winter War to victory and veteran soldiers seasoned through the war.

To stop such an Empire, the kingdom needed the strength of other nations.

Especially if they could form an alliance with the Blood Pact, the Empire’s forces would be significantly divided.

In order to secure an alliance with the Blood Pact, it was crucial to win the favor of Gartahn, the de facto leader of the federation.

And what he valued most was strength.

Exploiting others’ desires is no easy task.

You must adjust yourself to suit their desires.

And even the hearts gained in such a way will eventually drift if not continuously managed.

Knock, knock.

At the sound of a knock from outside, she didn’t panic even though her current appearance needed to remain unseen.

She calmly and familiarly loosened her hair tie.

Soon, her white hair spread out like flowers blooming on a sunny spring day, showcasing its beautiful form.

The man who knocked entered shortly afterward.

He had shining golden hair and blue eyes, radiating an atmosphere akin to wine, slightly more mature than Zaid.

She smiled and spoke.

“Your Highness, what brings you here?”

“I came by out of concern. Are you well?”

“There was no threat whatsoever. Was there any disturbance outside?”

She easily sensed that there was some commotion outside.

The young man, who had been looking at her briefly, then smiled as if reassured and embraced her.

“It’s just that there was a report of undead appearing at the orcs’ checkpoint.”

“Undead, you say?”

“Yes. The Warchief himself is stepping in, but I rushed here just in case.”

“I’m flattered by your concern for me.”

She, too, extended her arms to embrace his back, but her expression over his shoulder was icy.

Undead appearing out of nowhere?

What kind of omen could this be?

From the Empire’s perspective, the Blood Pact was more dangerous than the kingdom.

Although the kingdom was categorized as a potential adversary, at least they were human and could communicate with one another.

The Blood Pact had none of that.

They weren’t particularly hostile, nor did they engage in notable exchanges, yet orcs could suddenly go mad and invade at any moment.

The Empire desperately wanted to interfere with the Blood Pact somehow.

And just in time, the kingdom had given the Empire justification, which the Empire used as an excuse to meddle with the Blood Pact.

That was the main reason she was being transported by carriage to the Blood Pact.

When the carriage finally stopped after running tirelessly, the sun was setting beyond the horizon.

Thanks to the day-long journey without rest, she managed to avoid sleeping outdoors.

Of course, no matter how strong the horses were, maintaining a pace several times faster than ordinary horses without rest for half a day was impossible.

If they were ordinary horses, that is.

But the horses pulling her carriage were far from ordinary.

With no flesh, their bones emitted a dark green glow close to black – they were unmistakably undead.

The issue was that even the relatively simple-minded orcs could immediately recognize them as undead, causing an alarm at the checkpoint.

“Prepare for battle, everyone!”

“Death to the monsters who defy the laws of life!”

And the person in that carriage was none other than me.

Looking at the orc checkpoint, where the orcs were in combat stance, Wolfgang felt a headache coming on.

Who could he blame? It was his own fault for not supervising his subordinates properly. Damn it.

They asked him to trust them, and he did, only to find they were using undead to pull the carriage.

Late nights and exhaustion had made him overlook this, and it had come back to bite him.

“Captain, please give us the order.”

“If you allow it, I can kill them all, Sister!”

“Commander, the command.”

The most aggravating part was that the visitors were supposed to be envoys, yet all they wanted to do was fight.

With a sigh, Wolfgang warned them.

“Just stay put.”

Despite appearances, he was here as a representative of the Empire.

As a diligent public servant, preventing any further incident was essential.

To defuse the situation, Wolfgang disembarked, raising his hands as he approached the checkpoint.

Fortunately, he held the flag symbolizing the Bahamut Empire in one hand.

The orcs refrained from attacking immediately.

Even simple and violent orcs surely knew the consequences of attacking an emissary from the Empire.

‘In any country, it’s always the lowest ranks who suffer the most.’

Under the Bahamut Empire’s name, he intended to press the lower ranks and resolve this peacefully.

At least, until someone fell from the sky.

A kick spun through the air like a cartwheel, aimed like a lightning strike at Wolfgang’s head.

Wolfgang reacted instinctively, raising his arm to block the descending blow.

Crash!!!

The ground shook violently, as if struck by an earthquake.

The orc standing unharmed after such an impact left Gartahn in awe.

“To think there’s such a capable warrior in the Bahamut Empire.”

“Attacking an emissary sent by the Empire means…”

“What do you mean? As Warchief, I’m simply here to subdue the undead that appeared at the checkpoint.”

…

The sudden response from the orc left Wolfgang in shock.

Damn it.

Why does the Warchief have to show up right after the foot soldiers?