Chapter 178
Chapter 178
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Regional Dispute (1)
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Ayrum stopped walking and turned his gaze to Suhyun.
“What’s the good idea?”
“Going and asking them directly is the good idea.”
“You seem to be misunderstanding something. Do you even know who we’re dealing with? Orcs from a nomadic tribe. They’re not gentlemanly like us. If something rubs them the wrong way, they’ll charge in regardless of any agreements.”
Not all of Cameron Planet’s other races were good at controlling their tempers.
Elves, for instance, had been a representative moderate faction allied with humanity since the pioneering days, but even among them, there were tribes that hated humans.
That tendency was especially strong among nomadic tribes that didn’t settle down. They didn’t care who was backing humanity—they’d attack first and ask questions later. Those with nothing to lose acted even more recklessly.
Even the relatively moderate elves were like that, to say nothing of dark elves or orcs.
“If they charge, that’s even better for me.”
“…!”
Ayrum had no choice but to accept Suhyun’s words.
‘Right, this guy’s exactly that kind of guy!’
Thinking about it, even if the orcs were skilled fighters, they were fireflies before the full moon compared to Suhyun. It wasn’t that he underestimated the orcs’ combat prowess—Suhyun’s was just overwhelmingly superior.
He was a rare mage even among elves, and with the group accompanying him, he wasn’t lacking support either……
“Then go ask them. I won’t stop you.”
‘Wait. If this guy takes care of the orcs for me, I could solve a pesky problem without lifting a finger?’
While Ayrum was lost in that thought, Suhyun spoke as if wondering what the fuss was about.
“We should at least talk before heading out.”
“What talk?”
“I can’t just handle your pesky problem for free.”
“!”
He was caught off guard at first, but Suhyun’s demands turned out to be nothing much. There were no resources they particularly coveted—just guiding the way and letting the team rest inside.
“If it’s just that much……”
Jerwen nodded. Considering Suhyun had healed them, they could grant that much. He’d been tense, wondering what huge request it would be when Suhyun said he’d deal with the orcs in exchange, but now he felt deflated.
“Are we heading out now?”
Aida stood up naturally to follow.
“Ah, you stay here.”
“?!”
“Stay with Erendil. We’ve got enough firepower without you, so don’t worry.”
Aida nodded with a sullen expression. Once the discussion wrapped up, Suhyun prepared to move.
“Alright, then. Let’s go see what these orcs look like.”
* * *
“Did the talk go well?”
The team members were camping at the boundary of the elves’ territory. As Suhyun emerged from between the trees, they ran over happily.
“It went well. Nothing happen?”
“Nothing happened. It’s really peaceful here.”
“I wish everywhere was like this.”
“If everywhere was like this, the mercenary gig would be over in no time.”
“Oh!”
“Pack up and get ready to move. We’re going to meet the orcs.”
“Are there orcs around here?”
Gorgan tilted his head. This area wasn’t somewhere orcs would like. Plus, there were elf tribes nearby. Normally, no orc tribe would show up.
“Apparently a nomadic orc tribe showed up nearby.”
“A nomadic tribe?”
Gorgan grimaced.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nomads have never been helpful. They always drift in and cause trouble. No attachment to the land means no restraints on their actions……. They just bring a ton of harm to the locals.”
“Well, they can’t be worse than humans.”
Gorgan spat curses, clearly harboring bad memories. But Suhyun paid it no mind. He wasn’t here to build positive relations with them, and above all, if you tallied up all the trouble caused by wandering groups, no one could match humanity.
“Are we fighting?”
Gorgan clashed his fists aggressively. It was rare to see him like that.
“No, let’s talk first. Attacking a nomadic group on sight could land us in court. You other races might be fine, but we humans aren’t.”
“Gorgan, you saying you won’t go to court so let’s just fight?”
“Th-that’s not it!”
The team teased him, and Gorgan hurriedly denied it.
Everyone prepared to move with light hearts. No one here looked tense. This had become routine for them.
They’d been through too much to get worked up over meeting a nomadic orc tribe.
* * *
“But do you think the orcs will have guns? I hope they don’t.”
After humanity set foot on Cameron Planet, guns had spread widely among the other races thanks to greedy merchants. Even the Anes region, blocked off by Asen Lake, was no exception.
It was just incredibly far away, but still connected to other places.
The orcs of Kevaswak were actually the exception. Other races generally loved strong weapons.
“Who knows. We should assume they do, but since they’re nomads……. Hard to say. Let’s hope for the best. Everyone’s got shield artifacts, right?”
“Guns hit first, making it hard to activate them.”
“Don’t worry. As long as it’s not instant death, I’ll heal you.”
He said it like a joke, but it wasn’t. Excluding their superpowers, the artifacts the team carried were no joke. He’d distributed them to ensure each member could hold out alone in combat if needed.
The forest gave way to open plains with almost no grass. Hills dotted the landscape, blocking the view. One team member scanning with electronic binoculars voiced a doubt.
“There’s no village or anything. Is this the right area?”
“Nomads, so no surprise if there’s no village.”
Gorgan stepped in to explain.
“Nomadic tribes usually need to move fast, so they pack light. Instead of villages, they use wagons or tents they can set up on the go. They’re probably behind that hill. No sentries means they’re slacking due to the distance. We could just rush in and……”
“Hey, Gorgan. Sorry to interrupt.”
“?”
“There’s a village.”
Gorgan’s head snapped around at Suhyun’s words.
“A village……?”
“Yeah.”
“Not tents or something?”
“Yeah.”
Gorgan’s head drooped. The other team members patted his back.
“Hey, you can be wrong sometimes! No big deal!”
“Yeah. These guys must just be a bit unusual.”
While the team consoled him, Suhyun scratched his chin thoughtfully.
‘Definitely a bit unusual.’
From afar, the nomadic orc village looked decent enough. It was crude and rough, clearly slapped together recently, but it didn’t look like a settlement for people about to move on.
‘Are they really nomads? Something’s off…….’
“Team Leader. What’s the plan?”
“Let’s get closer first. No sentries around.”
At Suhyun’s words, the team moved out immediately. The village was nestled in terrain hidden by the hill. As they approached cautiously, Suhyun activated Clairvoyance again.
“Huh?”
Inside the village were people who had no business being there.
Humans.
“???”
Suhyun quickly assessed the situation. The peaceful atmosphere meant they weren’t here due to a dispute with the orc tribe, and their attire screamed mercenaries.
‘Why are mercenaries here? What could they possibly gain from those guys?’
Suhyun focused on their mouths. Watching them move, he could read their words. And what they were saying was…
‘Chinese!’
Looking elsewhere, a shabby hut had an orc male and human female talking. The orc was speaking passionately, the woman responding businesslike.
He didn’t know the details, but one thing was clear.
‘Leaving them alone would be a mistake!’
“Let’s go!”
“Pardon?!”
* * *
“You vile orc bastards! Face the judgment of justice!”
“?!”
The wooden front gate splintered apart. The noise made those inside look up in shock. The Chinese soldiers disguised as mercenaries reached for their guns.
“What? What’s going on?”
“Some crazy bastards showing up here…….”
At first, they thought the intruders were reckless mercenaries. Crazy ones were common among mercenaries, ignoring all rules. If they seemed like trouble, they’d eliminate witnesses without hesitation.
If that was the case, they’d caught a big fish.
They weren’t pushovers. All had undergone brutal training, more confident in anti-personnel combat than against monsters.
Even if their captain was a bit of a coward……
As the commotion died down, the intruders came into view.
“Human mercenaries, orcs, elves, dark elves……? What is this, the Bremen Town Musicians?”
Shaina, hearing that, asked curiously.
“What’s the Bremen Town Musicians?”
“I’ll explain later. This soldier’s got some culture.”
“No dwarves? Hey! Get on your knees and hands up! How dare you invade other race territory!”
One soldier bellowed. They’d smashed the gate, but the intruders weren’t armed. If they tried anything, guns would be aimed instantly.
“What, what? What’s happening?”
The woman inside came out at the commotion. She frowned at the group by the gate. Her instincts screamed bloody murder.
“Who are those guys?”
“No idea. Just seems like brainless mercenaries……. I’ll talk them down and send them packing.”
“Mercenaries traveling with that kind of racial mix?”
“Uh… maybe they needed something and let them in temporarily?”
Xiao Mei scanned the group carefully. Elf, dark elf, orc……?
‘Wait, I’ve seen this racial mix before.’
A chill ran down her spine. She stared at the human at the front. He didn’t look particularly fierce, but the moment she saw his face, her heart sank.
“Kim, Kim, Kim, Kim…….”
“Pardon? Captain? What’d you say?”
‘It’s Kim Suhyun, you blind idiot!’
The fact that no curses escaped her lips proved she was fully qualified as a leader. No matter how dumb and blind her subordinate was, he was still her man. She gritted her teeth.
‘What to do? Best move right now?’
The silver lining was they hadn’t fought yet. And they weren’t here to target Korea specifically, so sweet talk might get them out.
“Tell the guys to lower their guns.”
“Huh?”
“Lower. The. Guns. You. Idiot.”
“Y-yes, ma’am!”
The subordinate scrambled. Their captain wasn’t one to rage often. That’s why they respected her.
But when she did snap—which was rare for her—she went absolutely berserk, as if proving why bottled-up anger is scarier.
And her voice now carried that vibe. Choppy words, barely holding back. Push it here, and lightning would strike.
With reluctant faces, everyone lowered their guns. Xiao Mei rushed forward.
Expression control was key now.
“Given the situation, my men overreacted. My apologies. What brings you here?”
Her voice was calm, her expression steady. For such a sudden event, it was masterful acting.
Suhyun, who’d seen it all, spoke up.
“Came to verify something about the elves. Heard orcs from here attacked them and caused injuries.”
Xiao Mei’s eyebrows shot up. She’d taken a humble stance, but Suhyun’s attitude was downright arrogant. He had the position for it, but she hadn’t expected him to come at a stranger so aggressively.
‘Was he always this much of a dick?’
“Injuries? Must be a misunderstanding. Disputes between other races happen all the time, don’t they? Our orcs here are pretty banged up too.”
Xiao Mei pointed to orcs in the corner wrapped in bandages, groaning on the ground.
Suhyun smiled.
Their antics reminded him of his old self.
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