episode_0043

Due to the explosion caused by Scathach, the entire black market building was blown away.

The good news is that there were no casualties.

The reason there was no damage even though there were many people inside the black market is because dragons are supreme beings.

Their breath could be controlled so that it could only affect enemies and terrain, contrary to Providence.

Scathach is not a dragon, but a magic sword made from the body of a dragon.

Of course, Scathach was also able to defy providence like the dragon.

I just found out that it has a self-destruct function.

“Is this perhaps a good thing? … .”

[emergency! emergency!]

It was as if I had been swept away by a sudden fire and when I opened my eyes, the entire building had been blown away.

The orcs around were glaring, unable to understand what had happened.

He took advantage of the opportunity and escaped the scene with Scathach and an iron sword, but there were too many witnesses.

It was very easy to find humans in the orc-filled Mulus Hill.

What if a person was involved in the explosion of a black market following the funeral of a former chieftain?

It was like they were openly promoting it as, ‘You’re the bastard who came to destroy the orcs!’

“Skaha… … .”

[Unconscious! I guarantee it!]

“Okay.”

Just as the human body is well known to fellow humans, the same goes for the sword.

I don’t know why Scathach suddenly exploded and lost consciousness, but running away was the priority right now.

“This way!”

When I turned my head to the clear voice, I saw a woman reaching out to me in the distorted space.

Normally I would be wary, but I had only seen her appearance relatively recently.

The appearance of bright blue-green scales on top of white skin.

The pupils were sharp and the energy gently radiating out was like a waterfall.

If I remember correctly, it was the dragon that accompanied Scathach.

Like a dragon, the fact that it distorted space to create a portal was simply amazing.

“Come quickly!”

“Inhale!”

Holding the sword tightly in both hands, I threw myself into the space the dragon had twisted.

The portal’s coordinates are in the sky.

As soon as I entered the portal, gravity pulled my body down.

When you are at a considerable altitude, if your back touches the floor, even if your body is strong, it will break into pieces.

I was on the verge of death, but there was no need to worry.

A hand gently supporting my falling body.

The dragon, which returned to its true form, accepted my body and placed it on its back.

“Ha… ! I told you repeatedly not to rush forward.”

As soon as Scathach and I were safely taken away, the dragon sighed heavily.

It was a lament that seemed like he gave sincere advice, but his friend took it for granted and ended up having an accident.

Just looking at the accident, it appears to have been Scathach’s self-destruction.

“Nice to meet you again. Did you really say Sephira?”

“Did Scathach reveal it?”

“I’m asking because you mentioned the name of a friend who came with you.”

Sephira might know someone from Tonks Company.

I remembered what Scathach had said.

I asked because it seemed like there was only one dragon accompanying Scathach.

“I had no intention of hiding it, but yes, my name is Sephira.”

“Skaha’s mouth is light, so there’s no need to tell me my name, right?”

“I’ve heard your name so many times, Lian.”

As we finished speaking in full, which we had not been able to do when we first met, we moved straight to business topics.

“First of all, do you know why Scathach is in this condition? It suddenly exploded. Is there something wrong?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. It’s like the breath that a dragon sometimes shoots when it gets excited.”

“You’re saying it’s because you’re excited? Why?”

“That is not my area to answer, so ask the person directly.”

In fact, Sephira was not there at the time of the conversation in the black market.

Even if you ask her why Scathach is so excited, she can’t help but feel embarrassed.

I changed the question later, deciding to ask Scathach when she regained consciousness.

“I heard that Tonks Company’s carriage entered the village. Do you know where it is?”

“It was not far from the black market where you and Scathach were. However, due to the explosion just now, they are moving to another location.”

“Oops… !”

I ended up making too much noise.

I didn’t make a fuss, but a mistake was a mistake anyway.

“Moreover, it is not only the trading companies that are busy. The orcs who were holding the funeral also flocked to the back alley, and some are already investigating the case with those who were on the black market.”

“It means there isn’t much time left before I’m pointed out as a suspect.”

“What shall we do now? If you want to leave this place, can I help you?”

“No, I don’t want it to end in an unpleasant way.”

If I leave like this, it would be like admitting that I was responsible for the sudden death of the former chieftain and the explosion of the black market.

Like in the past when they were chased by paladins and demons, there was a possibility that they would become targets of extermination by orcs and be chased.

I didn’t want to go around with a bump.

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“I heard that after the funeral, the orcs in important positions will gather in one place and hold a tribal council. I plan to go to that site.”

“I am worried that your presence may be causing confusion for no reason.”

“Anyway, the previous two incidents threw the Orc tribe into chaos. Even if confusion increases now, it doesn’t really matter.”

“Do you want to become a loach that clouds the puddle?”

“Commonly called Buntang.”

The sun has already gone beyond the horizon.

As the moon rose with darkness, the lights in the village lit up one by one.

Fireworks shake off the darkness and brightly illuminate the entire village.

Among them, one building with particularly powerful lanterns caught my eye.

Several orcs were entering the building one after another, so it was the perfect place to go out for a night out.

“If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.”

It was the start of the third banquet.

***

“No need to talk! Orcs must stay away from humans and join hands with demons!”

Inside the venue where the tribal council is held.

Suddenly, an Orc warrior standing in a hardliner’s position pounded on the desk and shouted.

He was already excited even before the meeting began in earnest and his emotions were heightened by the bickering between the two opposing sides.

He ignored all procedures, asserted his position, and acted in a way that could not be considered polite.

However, the moderate orcs did not respond or make any suggestions.

I didn’t give up.

What bothered me was that the orc warrior who took the lead was the owner of the black market in the back alley.

A black market explosion that occurred during the day today.

The orc who was the victim dismissed it as a human act based on the testimony of others.

He said that he was a human who had come to destroy the orc village from within and demanded that he be arrested immediately and held accountable.

However, they became impatient when Rian, who was presumed to be the prime suspect in the case, suddenly disappeared.

‘It’s a disaster… … .’

However, with Rian gone, the moderate orcs were also in a difficult position.

It was necessary to somehow refute that it was not a human act, but it was impossible.

Before the evidence could be gathered, the meeting time was approaching and there was no one left to prove his innocence.

Therefore, the moderate orcs had no choice but to quietly listen to the hardliners’ position for now.

“Calm down your excitement appropriately. If you present the conclusion first, it will be difficult for the other party to accept it.”

“But… … .”

“I had a hard time. I will explain why the orcs must hold the hand of the demons.”

Now we can finally have a discussion worthy of the meeting.

At this, the man who was the leader of the moderate faction breathed a sigh of relief.

“It may be difficult in many ways, but I will persuade all the Orcs gathered here to understand. First of all, this is the first reason why Orcs cooperate with Demons.”

Clap clap-!

As we applauded, a young orc entered the conference hall.

The child could have said something wrong at a gathering of important people, but no one scolded him.

No, I couldn’t scold him.

The young orc’s ears had already been cut off, he was limp, and one eye was covered with a bandage.

“This child hoped to become a great warrior. I even went out of town to practice. However, this is what happened when he was caught by a human while traveling.”

Inside, things start to get agitated.

The Orcs considered children to be irreplaceable treasures.

He called them an asset for the future and the hope of the tribe, taught them many things and gave them generous affection.

Such a precious child barely returned after suffering terrible humiliation from humans.

There was no orc anywhere who wouldn’t be angry.

“Humans have looked down on us Orcs for a very long time. No matter what problem they faced, they never offered a helping hand and only had the intention of taking advantage. But should we still stand on the side of humanity?”

“We can’t live together with humans under the same sky!”

“Humans are our enemies!”

Public opinion immediately tilted toward the hardliners.

The leader of the moderate faction realized that the Orcs’ excitement before the start was a ploy to take the lead, and bit his lip.

‘It’s detailed. I guess I sharpened my knife properly this time.’

I couldn’t let things go on like this, so I tried to come up with a counter argument, but I wasn’t a hardliner who would just leave it alone.

Before he could present a counterargument, the leader of the hardliners brought up a second reason.

“Second! Although the Demon World appears to be disorderly, they have gathered together under the Demon King to fight against foreign forces. But what about humans? Unable to unite, they are biting each other and even going to war. Great warriors told us to love our people. We cannot associate with people who carelessly commit terrible acts even though they love their own people.”

“Gi, wait! Although humans often fight with their own kind, that is a cultural difference! Just as there is no need to eat flies like a frog just because you like frogs, shouldn’t humans be classified as humans and orcs as orcs?”

“Understand cultural differences. However, since they are people who sell even their own people, there is a high possibility that they will mock us and take advantage of us. On the other hand, demons are made up of many different races living together in the demon world. Humans ignore orcs, but demons will welcome us.”

“Isn’t it too early to be sure? I heard that there are many demons who are vicious or cruel depending on the race?”

“At least there are no cases of abusing young children like humans!”

As heated opinions were exchanged, emotions gradually began to intensify.

As the voices of both sides grow louder, it would not be strange for them to engage in physical confrontation at any moment.

In an imminent situation, their situation faced a new change.

“You, who are you!”

“… … Human?”

“Stop! This is the sacred meeting hall of our Orcs… !”

“Come out here!”

Kwasik-!

The orc standing guard at the entrance was thrown into the conference hall.

Because it came in while colliding with a tightly closed door, the door was completely torn off.

Beyond the empty door, the man whom the hardliners had been maligning so far appeared.

“Human! How dare you come in here!”

“The one who disrupted the sacred meeting! Pay with your life!”

“That’s really noisy. I came here because I couldn’t stand it since you guys were talking so much nonsense earlier.”

“What!”

Rian appeared scratching his head and smiled wryly.

I become angry at the attitude of people who suddenly appear to cause a commotion and even provoke me.

The orc who lost the black market was already furious and was rushing towards Lian.

As we get closer, the difference in physique between humans and orcs becomes clear.

However, despite the orc’s charge, Lian calmly escaped to the right and kicked his leg.

The orc’s eyes, which were looking straight ahead, were directed to the ceiling.

Unable to figure out what had happened, he fell to the floor miserably.

For a moment, Lian subdued the orc by pressing his foot on his chest.

“Keheuk… ! Ugh!”

“Stay calm. Because I won’t kill you.”

An orc, who was famous for being good at fighting, was subdued by a human without any hesitation.

That fact made the hardliner Orcs slightly nervous.

“You said you hated the human who hurt the young orc just now, right?”

“Yes! You humans must be a species that does not hesitate to commit inhumane acts even when they are children!”

“Yamma, if you put it that way, you don’t take into account what you did to humans? In the past, the Orcs were the ones who attacked human women without mercy and raped them. The boys were killed mercilessly and the girls were taken away to be used as playthings in the future. For reference, is that fact recorded in literature?”

“Well, that’s an old story! Nowadays we don’t do such senseless things!”

“Do you think the past will change just because it has changed now? And I said that demons are different from humans, but I know you are stupid. Do you know how many demons prey on orcs? Your origins are pigs. Humans are still reluctant to eat orcs, saying they are closer to humans, but demons have nothing like that. If a war breaks out and there is a food shortage, you are just in need of emergency food.”

“That can’t be possible!”

“Then shall I take a guess? The little boy you brought here, you said you saved him from humans, right?”

“What?! How… ?”

“Humans do not have sharp claws like animals. When cutting a body, you have to use a tool, often a sword. But isn’t it strange when you look at the cut surface of the ear? If you cut it with a sword, you wouldn’t have such a crooked cross section.”

The orcs’ eyes all turned to the child.

As they looked closely at the child’s scars, they each realized something strange.

The scar was too rough to be considered a stab wound.

It looked as if it had been scratched and cut by sharp teeth or sharp nails.

“In other words, the person who hurt that child was not a human but a demon.”

“It’s speculation! How can I trust what you say when there is no solid evidence!”

“Then do you have any evidence that humans made children like that?”

“Well, that’s… … !”

“Probably not. Like an idiot, he would have believed only what the demons said and accepted it as the truth. If not that too… … .”

Received power or bribes from demons.

As Rian said those words, the orc who was the leader of the hardliners stood up.

He narrowed his eyebrows into the character 川 (川) and glared at Lian, as if he was extremely displeased.

“You are prepared to bring up such dirty stories to us orcs who die for honor and live for honor, right?”

“What, so you’re going to fight me now?”

“You have crossed the line, human! At Mulus Hill, where the souls of great warriors rest, the brave warrior Urok challenges you to a duel!