Chapter 68
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 068
Chapter Title: The Covenant
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I took a quick look around at the captured prisoners. Among them were some familiar faces.
Conrad and Edwin.
Having realized they were important figures, the ogres had captured the two men rather than killing them.
Woojin examined their state. Ropes bound their limbs, and gags stuffed their mouths. Conrad and Edwin glared at him with bulging eyes.
"Mmph! Mmph—!"
Writhing like grubs, the two men desperately tried to make sounds. Woojin personally removed the gags from their mouths.
"Help us quick!"
The two spoke in unison. It was about what he'd expected, but he had to ask anyway.
"How exactly do you want me to help?"
"Get us out of here! You and Rolang are together, so you can do it, right?"
Conrad said urgently. He seemed to think that with Woojin, Rolang, and the Holy Knights of Harmony here, they could escape this place.
In response, Woojin asked again.
"And then what?"
"Well... we'd turn back and return to the city."
"You think those guys are just going to stand by and watch?"
Woojin gestured toward the ogres standing behind him. An ogre's sense of smell was even keener than a wolf's. Sneaking back to the city was impossible.
"And even if the ogres let us go, getting back to the city would be out of the question."
The ogres hadn't forgotten to secure their spoils. Most of the Tarasques responsible for transporting cargo had been seized, meaning they'd lost everything—silver arrows, combat supplies, food, the works.
When Woojin explained this calmly, the two men's faces finally paled as reality sank in.
"Then... what should we do?"
"We need to negotiate with them right now."
A ceasefire agreement had to be made.
"If we'd negotiated at the pass, we might have talked as equals... but thanks to your foolish stunt, we're in this mess. It's basically a declaration of surrender."
The second expeditionary force was like a fish on the chopping block. Even so, a ceasefire was possible because the ogres didn't want to make enemies of the Church Alliance.
"I went through hell convincing them. So please, from now on, don't do anything to upset the ogres."
"......Understood."
As Woojin growled the words, a chastened Conrad and Edwin nodded meekly. At last, the two were adopting the right attitude.
Woojin signaled to the ogre beside him. The ogre let out a resounding howl toward somewhere in the distance.
"Ku-wak, kiyaaak—!"
Startled by the cry, Conrad asked,
"Why's it doing that?"
"It's calling their commander. We need someone higher up to conduct the ceasefire talks."
Heavy footsteps echoed in the distance.
Far off, a massive rhinoceros beast lumbered toward them. Atop its neck sat a black hyena-like figure—an ogre great warrior of matching bulk.
Thud!!
Braknak dismounted to the ground. His gaze immediately swept over the prisoners. Conrad and Edwin involuntarily averted their eyes.
Woojin introduced the negotiation partner.
"This is Braknak, an ogre great warrior. He's one of the top five strongest in the tribe."
"A monster like this... and there are five of them?"
"There are even stronger ones."
The chieftain and four great warriors.
The mightiest earned the title of chieftain, representing the tribe, while the next four strongest were granted the honor of great warrior.
"Braknak ranks fourth among them."
"......"
Conrad and Edwin stared in stunned silence. It seemed they'd finally grasped just how reckless they'd been.
"Tell him what you want."
"......What do you mean?"
"Get it together. We need to agree on terms for the ceasefire."
Conditions had to be exchanged. At Woojin's words, Conrad pondered briefly before speaking.
"Tell him we won't attack this place again... so just let us go."
Woojin conveyed Conrad's words via gestures. Braknak replied with some retort, gesturing dismissively with one hand. Woojin translated.
"He says he can't send you back in one piece."
"Wh-what does that mean?"
"Looks like we'll have to cut off one of your left arms or a leg."
They'd trespassed on this land, so an indelible lesson had to be carved into their bodies as payment.
"Wait!! Suggest a deal! Don't we have plenty of loot we brought?!"
Duke Edwin cried out desperately. He'd tossed soldiers' lives away like chess pieces without a second thought... but apparently didn't fancy becoming crippled himself.
When Woojin proposed the trade via gestures, Braknak snorted disdainfully in response.
Woojin translated again.
"He says ransom for prisoners is a given, but cutting off limbs is separate. He can't trust mere words."
"Th-that!!"
The two men looked aghast. Woojin thought for a moment before advising them.
"......Better to lose an arm than a leg. Losing a leg would make movement difficult. And we've got a long way back—that'd be a problem."
"Please, Jin!! Convince that monster!"
Conrad shouted hysterically. Woojin turned back to Braknak and gestured.
Their exchange went like this.
—Proceed as planned. Pretend to deliberate.
—Understood.
In truth, the whole scenario was scripted. They could never imagine the camaraderie between Woojin and Braknak.
After putting on a show of debate for a while...
"......I found another way."
"What is it?!"
"The ogre tribe holds transactions sacred. They believe their ancient ancestors gained wisdom through a deal with a great being."
To the ogre tribe, deals were akin to religion. But that didn't apply to humans. So the ogre great warrior inwardly distrusted any deal with these two.
There was only one solution.
"Swear by the names of the gods you each serve. Vow to do your utmost to ensure a peace treaty between the ogre tribe and your respective alliances."
Archbishop Conrad for the Church Alliance, Duke Edwin for the Royal Alliance. They'd pledge to aid in forging peace between humanity and the ogre tribe.
If they swore by their gods' names, no limbs would be severed, and this matter could end.
At those words...
Conrad's face twisted unpleasantly.
"We have to swear...? They won't understand anyway, so I'll mumble something, and you just make up the rest convincingly."
Since they couldn't understand speech, a false oath wouldn't matter to Braknak. Even now, Conrad's rat-like mind was scheming.
......Exactly as Woojin had anticipated.
"Kuwaaak!!"
Suddenly, Braknak roared in fury. Conrad flinched and huddled in fear.
"Why's it suddenly like that?!"
"Conrad, this guy's sharp. He senses you're scheming, so he's threatening to just kill you."
Braknak strode toward the rhinoceros. He drew a bone hammer from the saddle—an enormous two-handed weapon made from a rhino skull.
Gripping the vicious armament, Braknak turned back toward them. Seeing this, Conrad screamed in terror.
"I'll swear!! I swear!! Please—!"
Woojin hurriedly gestured to halt Braknak. His hands moved busily, as if pleading. The ogre great warrior hesitated, then lowered the hammer.
Woojin sighed and said,
"Why do you keep making trouble and complicating things? I'm not doing this for fun. I'm starting to have doubts."
"......Sorry."
"I can't cover for you twice. So no more nonsense—swear properly."
Urged on, Archbishop Conrad recited the oath in a deflated voice.
"I swear by the God of Wisdom, Thalos... that I will do my utmost to ensure a peace treaty between the ogre tribe and the Church Alliance."
Shaaa—
The moment Conrad finished, a blue light flickered briefly around him.
Holy covenant.
A cleric's oath carried more weight than most. Sworn in their god's name, breaking it meant losing divinity and suffering endless misfortune.
'That's why Conrad resisted swearing so much—with these constraints.'
Woojin turned to Duke Edwin. Perhaps having witnessed Conrad's antics, Edwin swore without a moment's hesitation.
"I swear by the Seven Gods... that I will do my utmost to ensure a peace treaty between the ogre tribe and the Royal Alliance."
Nothing special happened this time. Edwin was a mere layman without divinity.
Still, he'd try to uphold the covenant. Breaking an oath in the gods' names was deeply taboo.
The oaths from both men were secured. Immediately, Braknak slammed the hammer's haft into the ground.
Thud!
In response, the surrounding ogres sprang into action. They untied the ropes binding Conrad and Edwin. Then, piles of dry firewood were heaped on the ground.
The ogre shaman blew on the wood.
Whoosh—!
Flames from his mouth ignited the pile. Muttering something, the shaman sprinkled dark powder from a wooden bowl into the fire.
Bang!
A popping sound rang out. The blaze intensified, its flames shifting to a sulfurous green hue.
Under that eerie glow, Conrad and Edwin shrank back. The two stared blankly at the fire. He didn't know what was in it, but a sharp, minty scent pierced their noses, like burning peppermint.
Woojin handed each a dagger. Conrad, receiving his, asked,
"Why are you giving us these?"
"Cut off some of your hair."
Woojin demonstrated, slicing off a lock with his dagger. Braknak clawed fur from his flank. Pressed by the mood, the two complied without protest.
The ogre great warrior tossed the fur into the bonfire.
Fwoosh!
The flames devoured it, roaring fiercer. Woojin nodded toward the two men.
He said nothing, but Conrad and Edwin got the idea. They threw their hair into the blaze.
Fwoosh!
The green flames burned more viciously. Woojin gazed at them and murmured softly.
"......The guardian has witnessed this transaction."
He tossed in his own hair.
Fwoosh!
The green inferno raged on. Its heat was so intense that the logs burned away visibly fast.
Soon, the fire died out. The green flames vanished. The hair and wood inside had evaporated without a trace. Only the sharp, lingering scent remained.
The ogres would remember the transaction's scent. Through the ritual, the covenant of the four was proclaimed to the tribe.
'......Somehow, we pulled it off.'
Truth be told, he wanted to just abandon Conrad and Edwin here...
But a peace treaty between the Church Alliance and the ogre tribe wasn't easy to achieve. Woojin lacked political power, making it even harder.
'The Church Alliance might ignore me. Just like the expedition's leadership did.'
If so, today's events would repeat endlessly.
A peace treaty had to be secured. The problem was the heavy casualties from this battle. It might make the Church Alliance wary of peace with the ogres.
But if the two leaders of this expedition—Conrad and Edwin—struck the deal and championed the treaty, things would change.
'If the ones who suffered the most accept a truce with the ogres, the Church Alliance won't easily oppose it.'
Though this failure would sideline Conrad and Edwin from politics as has-beens... they'd retain some influence.
With the expedition leaders backing peace with the ogres, achieving the goal would be smoother.
'Time to head back to the city.'
The second expedition had drawn to a close.