Chapter 93: Blood Oath

The flow of the battle shifted from our side to a complete victory with Elaine’s win.

She won 3 out of 4 matches.

There was no way to find fault with the fact that the Northern Army had won, and in fact, the expressions of the Orcs were as dark as those of people at a horse racing track.

Seeing their gloomy faces made me feel good, but it wasn’t because I had a sadistic hobby. It was because the Orcs’ admirable display of respecting tradition and accepting the results calmly was pleasing to see.

With the mood so downcast, it would make my next move work even better.

Elaine, having seen through my inner thoughts, had set the stage for me. If I were to just get some benefits and leave, it would be boring. But I had acted earlier, so I was slightly concerned, glancing at Grace.

“…….”

Grace met my gaze, and after a brief eye contest, she gave a small smile and nodded once.

While I had set the stage for a good result, it seemed that she felt that not showing her own skill directly was her shortcoming. Her unspoken agreement to go further showed in her gesture: I was to proceed without stopping.

With my certainty that I would bring her the best results without fail, I nodded back and stepped forward.

“Chieftain Glaka of the Orcs, I request a conversation.”

At my call, Glaka stepped forward.

“Human, your victory is deserved. As promised, we Orcs…”
“Ah, before you say that.”
“Mm?”
“Just one question. Among the Orc chieftains, how strong are you?”

His face looked slightly confused, but knowing the pride and honor involved in such a question, he answered without hesitation.

“I won’t boast that I am the strongest among the chieftains. I’m currently vying for rank with Boom, whom you just fought.”
“Then you could technically be considered the strongest, but you’re being honest with yourself.”
“To us Orcs, strength is the most important value. It is disgraceful to lie about one’s strength.”
“True, if you were the strongest, you would have become the Grand Chieftain by now.”
“Mm.”

Glaka maintained his expression, but perhaps his pride had been slightly hurt, and he let out an uncomfortable grunt. That alone was enough.

To engage in a bullfight, you first have to provoke the bull with a red cloth to make it snort in excitement.

“Aren’t you frustrated?”
“……?”
“You pointed me out even before the start, but now you won’t even get to fight me. If you had come out from the beginning, maybe the result would have been different.”
“……Even so, it’s the same result, we would still lose three to one.”
“Haha, well, you never know. Maybe the order of the battles was off, and due to type advantage, your side could have won. The situation could have turned out differently.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“You only used one of the two chances to duel with our style, right? I’ll use the other one now.”

Glaka seemed puzzled, not understanding my words. However, there was no time to explain it all, so I went straight to the point.

“Let’s have a clean final duel. If you win, the Northern subjugation of the Orcs will be annulled.”
“In return, since we’re already winning, you must disarm and quietly leave this place, returning to where you came from. Do you understand?”
“……Understood.”

For Glaka, it was a confusing yet tempting condition.

Having been forced to join under Dorgon’s command to save the Orc females, and having been confident in victory, he had accepted the duel. But now that defeat was clear, his mind must be in turmoil. If he submitted to a human and turned against Dorgon, the remaining Orc females would be in danger.

However, ignoring the results of the duel would be disregarding the essence of strength, thus shattering the Orcs’ tradition and identity. So, having thought it was over, he was presented with a chance of salvation from the victors. Even though they’d have to return like defeated soldiers if they lost, at least they could plan for the future.

“Ugh. Human, what are the conditions if you win?”
“Simple.”
“?”
“Not only the Orcs present here, but all Orcs must submit to the North. You must never rebel against the North, betray it, or engage in any hostile actions against it. You must swear to this with a blood oath.”
“!”

At my condition, Glaka’s eyes widened in shock.

The blood oath.

This was a nearly forgotten ancient ritual in this world, known only to a few. As the name suggests, it is a pact made by swearing on blood, and as long as the contract holders have blood in their veins, the binding effect lasts forever.

The most terrifying aspect of the blood oath is that descendants inherit the pact. This means that once the oath is made, the contract continues to bind their descendants.

There are only two ways to break the contract: either the parties involved in the pact break the contract by mixing their blood, or all of the contract holder’s bloodline is severed.

It’s easy to understand why the blood oath contract became obsolete. Who would want to make such an agreement knowing it would bind their descendants? It would be a hassle.

But in a situation like this, it was highly effective. By binding the entire Orc tribe with the blood oath, it would eliminate any chance of betrayal in the distant future.

“Human, how do you know of this ancient contract?”
“I’m just smart.”

Of course, it wasn’t because I was actually that smart—it was because Aran, the protagonist of this world, had made a blood oath, and that’s how I knew about it. From the Orcs’ perspective, it must have been quite a surprise that a young human knew about such an ancient contract.

“So, are you going to accept it? If not, we can end this duel right now.”

Ending the duel right now would mean a victory for the Orcs, and while they wouldn’t be bound by a blood oath, they would still be subjugated to us. It wasn’t a big deal either way; accepting it would be nice, but it wasn’t crucial.

“……”

For the Orc, it was a decision with a different weight. If he refused, it would be the end, but accepting it would be like throwing himself into a gamble.

Yet, despite the well-known risks of gambling, why do so many still fall into its trap? Why do people gamble away assets as valuable as their own blood, go to casinos, or spend more on lottery tickets than they would on a decent meal? It’s a mystery.

There’s one fundamental answer to this: they believe they’ll win.

If the opponent had been Grace, Glaka would have rejected the bet. But given that the opponent was a suitable human, from the way Glaka had been glancing at me, I could predict his response.

“I’ll accept.”

As one of the strongest Orcs, Glaka must have had plenty of experience in battle. He probably saw me as a mere amateur.

Well, he was right. If you compared me to Glaka, the outcome was obvious.

“Alright, let’s settle this.”

It seemed like the fight was already over, but now, both the humans and Orcs were surprised that Glaka and I were going to have one last duel.

On the Orc side, some welcomed the new challenge while others looked at me with confusion or disdain. There were even those who admired the fact that I was finishing it without cutting the fight short and doing it like a warrior.

“……”

The one with the most complicated expression was Glaka. The emotion most strongly reflected in his eyes was “suspicion,” but there was also curiosity.

It seemed like he couldn’t understand why I was making such a proposal when the fight was already won. He was probably wondering what I was trying to do, even though it looked like he would win. He probably wouldn’t ask, but I could tell.

Among the humans, the most common reaction was confusion. After winning three times in a row, everyone expected the celebration, so they didn’t understand why I was starting another fight when I didn’t have to. Even Grace was puzzled.

“What’s your plan?”

Grace, too, was curious and asked me.

“You’re not the kind of person who would fight a battle you can’t win. Do you have some way to win this?”
“I’ll do my best.”
“Well……”

Grace stared at me, then chuckled.

“Heh, I see. Since I left it to you, I’ll just watch. It should be more fun seeing it in person than hearing about it in advance.”
“I won’t disappoint you.”
“Alright, we won’t talk about the details of the duel then… was this your scheme all along?”

“Even if we subjugate the Orcs, there’s bound to be distrust because of past conflicts. The people will feel uneasy.”
“Is that what the blood oath is for?”
“With the forced contract, there might not be trust, but at least there will be credit, right?”
“That’s true. If we do this, the benefit we get from this campaign will far exceed expectations. As you put it, the Orcs will essentially be our mercenaries, and we won’t have to spill as much blood when fighting Dorogon.”

When Grace realized my plan, she laughed, finding it interesting.

“The blood oath. I’ve heard of that ancient contract before, but you really know a lot about it.”
“…I have a hobby of reading.”
“Let’s go with that. Aran also sometimes learned powers that no one taught him. So, I guess you’re a scholar.”
“Sir, as I mentioned earlier…”
“Hmm? What? I was just talking about Aran.”

Glaka’s suspicious gaze lingered, but Grace remained shamelessly indifferent, pretending not to notice my muttering. It seemed like she had no intention of dropping the second hero theory.

It was convenient that Grace accepted my words without question, but it also made me feel burdened in another way. At least she didn’t openly treat me like the hero, so I had to be satisfied with that.

“Luke.”

After finishing my conversation with Grace, preparing for the duel, Elaine approached me.

“Come to give advice, I see.”
“Of course, it’s only right for a wife to see off her husband before he goes to something important.”
“Are you going to keep saying that?”
“I said it as a joke at first, but it’s sticking with me more than I thought. It feels like it’s the natural way to say it.”

Elaine said it so sincerely that it eased the tension building up in me before the duel.

“I think I need real advice rather than encouragement.”
“I came here to give serious advice. I can’t stand the anxiety I’m feeling right now.”

Having fought someone of Glaka’s strength, Elaine must have known exactly how dangerous my current situation was. She took a deep breath before speaking.

“Back when we fought at the Snowflower Tower.”
“……?”
“At the end, when I used the snowstorm to land a decisive blow, it felt like I was making a flower bloom with magic on my hand.”
“What does that mean?”

As I tilted my head in confusion at Elaine’s vague advice, she smiled slightly.

“I think it’s better to explain it this way to you.”
“I prefer direct and simple advice.”
“Then I’ll give you that too. Don’t focus too much on speed in trying to drain your opponent’s soul.”

Elaine glanced at Glaka.

“It won’t work on someone like him.”

This time, her advice was practical, and I nodded, taking it to heart.

Indeed, Glaka didn’t have any distinctive physical features like the other clan leaders. He was big and had solid muscles, making him a balanced warrior. He seemed capable in strength, speed, and weapon skills.

From our conversation, I could tell that he was a primitive man who valued strength but was calm despite his lack of eloquence. His mental fortitude might even be the strongest of the clan leaders.

After finishing preparations, I drew my sword and entered the duel arena, where Glaka, who had been waiting, raised his axe. One hand gripped the axe, and the other held a shield, making him look like a Viking warrior.

‘Come to think of it…’

Whenever I faced opponents stronger than me, like Silver Sabertus or Lowe, Elaine had always been by my side. Glaka might not be at their level, but it was the first time I’d had to face such a strong opponent alone.

‘Alone, huh.’

I suddenly wanted to look over at her, and when I did, I met Elaine’s gaze immediately. She was staring at me with steady eyes, unwavering in support.

“You’re not alone.”

Even though it was a one-on-one, she had said she would be there as an observer. Though she couldn’t fight alongside me, just knowing her heart was with me made the distance feel less lonely.

I turned back to face Glaka and took my stance.

“You’ve got the eyes of a true warrior, human.”

Glaka acknowledged me before assuming his own stance. We stared each other down, our resolve burning brightly.

“Begin!”

With the signal to start, we charged at each other, and the final duel began.