Chapter 23: Great Tribe Leader Agar
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Great Tribe Leader Agar
[ Chieftain… I have a question. Kkireuk. The Goff Clan always shouts when they fight. “Victory or Death.” The Blood Dagger Clan shouts as well. “For Victory, and Victory Alone. For Blood Dagger.” I think I can understand what they mean. But I can’t understand the chant of the tribesmen who followed the previous Great Tribe Leader, Agar. Kkireuk. It was a long time ago… so I don’t… remember it well, but it was probably… “For Strength, Wisdom, and Honor…” What does that even mean… - A young goblin from the Darkmoon Clan ]
After crossing the desert and walking for a long time through a lifeless forest we were reluctant to enter, we finally discovered a dense, lush wood. A colossal tree forced our group to take a slight detour, and beyond it, a vast plain came into view.
And what we saw next were countless Green Skins. Orcs, Ogres, Goblins, and even other races like Werewolves and Minotaurs were lined up at the forest’s entrance. It seemed they even included those who, despite not having green skin now, were once fellow Green Skins in the past. The moment we took another step forward, a tremendous roar erupted.
“For the brothers who overcame the honorable exam!”
“For the brothers who have set foot on the Land of Glory!”
Every one of them had a hand placed over one side of their chest, facing us. The sight was overwhelming. On the vast plain, countless Green Skins were parting to make a path for us, who had just set foot on the Land of Glory.
At the end of the two long lines of warriors stood a massive fortress built of wood.
“The Land of Glory…”
Goff, who was walking silently beside me, muttered the words. If Goff was like this, the reaction of the goblins and hobgoblins was obvious. They were already jumping around, celebrating the fact that they had reached the Land of Glory.
“Kkireuk! Kkireuk!”
“The Goff Clan has set foot on the Land of Glory!”
“The Blood Dagger Clan set foot on it first!”
“It’s the Land of Glory!”
It must have been an arduous journey. Looking back, I saw Mev and Jung Hayeon walking with joyful expressions. A sense of fulfillment I had never experienced as a human washed over me. It had been difficult, but we had done it.
We continued to walk, but the lines of Green Skins seemed endless. By human standards, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call this place a ‘city.’ Seeing this many troops, I understood why the desert city was destined to fall in five years.
Moreover, every single one of them was a formidable warrior. Of course, not all of them were strong, but there were many who would be treated as at least third-class summoners in any human city.
And just as we reached the end of the lines of Green Skins, the fortress gates began to open with excruciating slowness.
“Welcome to the Land of Glory, new brothers.”
What we saw was an Orc. A very ordinary-looking Orc. His green skin was wrinkled, suggesting he was old, but his tusks were larger than any I had ever seen. When the Orc slowly moved his hand, I instantly realized who this Orc greeting us was.
‘The Great Tribe Leader.’
My instincts knew. I could understand why the other Green Skins had been so fervent at the mention of the ‘Great Tribe Leader.’ It was ridiculous, but a sense of respect swelled in my chest. It was unbelievable, but I could feel the traces of the honorable battles this Orc had fought throughout his life.
As if to prove that one does not become the Great Tribe Leader simply by gathering a large horde and uniting many clans, the old Orc stood there, watching us.
And when the Orc I believed to be the Great Tribe Leader placed a hand on his chest, it wasn't long before a thunderous roar erupted from all directions.
“For Strength! Wisdom! and Honor!”
The hands of all our tribesmen, including myself and Goff, rose instinctively. The moment our hands struck our chests, the Great Tribe Leader’s mouth opened once more.
“I am Agar, the Great Tribe Leader of this Land of Glory. Brothers.”
I could only lower my head before the Great Tribe Leader’s eyes, which felt as if they were peering into my very soul. And so, we were able to set foot on the Land of Glory.
*
Once inside, I looked around. Tents for each clan to use had already been set up. What pleased me was that basic necessities were provided for every individual. From a monster’s perspective, “necessities” were just things like blankets and leather pouches, but it was still something. They had a complete grasp of the number of clans here, and even the number of members in each clan.
“Krrrrk. As expected. The examiner who gave us the test must have reported everything.”
“Yes. It certainly seems so. It’s… amazing. I thought monsters were… r-rather…”
“You want to say they’re more human than humans.”
“Y-Yes. Back in the Tutorial… It’s… it’s funny, but I feel safer now that I’ve evolved than when I was with humans.”
She probably didn’t mean that the chances of being attacked by monsters were lower. She meant it literally. Jung Hayeon was undeniably beautiful. I had expected there were plenty of bastards who pestered her under the guise of ‘protection,’ and it seemed I was right.
Jung Hayeon, who entered this continent ‘as a human,’ had no idea. She didn’t know just how rotten the cities where humans now lived were… She seemed quite satisfied with her choice to become an Alraune, but if I told her about the state of the cities, she truly wouldn’t regret her evolution. The reason was simple: compared to a human city, the Land of Glory could be called a paradise.
When you first enter a human city, you are certainly treated well ‘at first.’ The problem is what comes after. Once the instructors or influential figures from the guilds come and pick out the promising summoners, the rest are blatantly abandoned as if they never mattered.
The fate of an abandoned summoner is painfully obvious. A woman would become a prostitute at best, or if she was lucky, be sold off to some powerful pig. As for men, ninety-nine out of a hundred would become beggars or die on some reckless adventure.
It’s funny to think about now, but I once heard that Choi Seulgi had refused all the subtle offers she received, saying she would rather sell her own body on her own terms than become some thoughtless pig’s concubine. Of course, her initial plan was to live as a ‘thief’ on the continent, but things rarely go as planned.
My case was one of the luckier ones. Though my life ended absurdly, the fact that I had somehow survived for ten years could be considered a fairly long time.
Lost in useless thoughts, I was brought back by a sudden silence and slowly turned to look at Jung Hayeon. As expected, she was looking back at me, her face blushing. She probably had a good idea of what I wanted. Sure enough, she slightly parted her petals and began to approach me. Seeing her be so proactive, it seemed she was actually the one who wanted it more.
It was then.
“Blood Dagger.”
Goff had suddenly thrown open the tent flap and entered. What he said after seeing us tangled together was even more of a spectacle.
“Looks like you were mating… Finish up in moderation and let’s go together. The Great Tribe Leader is summoning us.”
There wasn’t a hint of embarrassment or bewilderment in Goff’s eyes. If I had to interpret his expression, it was simply, ‘So, Blood Dagger is mating.’ It seemed Green Skins didn’t get embarrassed over such things, so I could only nod and stand up.
Jung Hayeon muttered, “Oh my god… what do I do…” and hastily dove under a blanket, but Goff was already heading out of the tent.
“Tsk. I’ll be back.”
“Yes. Be safe.”
This wasn’t the first or second time Goff had caused such an incident. The reason was that Goff and I were sharing our tents. It wasn’t as grand as it sounded. I had naturally grown closer to Goff while searching for the Land of Glory, and since then, we had started entering each other’s tents without needing permission. Neither the Blood Dagger Clan nor the Goff Clan seemed to mind whether I or Goff came to stay in our camp or theirs.
I wasn’t sure, but I’d heard it was quite common for Green Skins to share tents. In Green Skin society, only blood-brothers or family live in the same tent. For it to be possible between those who don’t share blood, it’s said that they must consider each other ‘true brothers.’
I was grateful and happy that Goff thought of me as a true brother, but as someone who was human on the inside, I found these situations a little awkward.
Still, it was a relief that he didn’t barge in at night, so he wasn’t completely without manners. The problem was that we did it at all hours of the day. In the end, I decided it might be the fault of my own vigorous libido and started to head outside.
“Kkireuk… Blood Dagger is here too…”
“Yeah, something like that, old man Darkmoon. Looks like I’m the last one.”
As the chieftains of the clans who had arrived together gathered and headed somewhere, the goblins nearby began to shout noisily.
“Kkireuk! Where are the chieftains going! Kkireuk!”
“They’re going to meet the Great Tribe Leader. The Great Tribe Leader!”
They were always so full of energy. I didn’t know why the Great Tribe Leader had summoned us, but it was probably to share a meal and greet the clans that had newly arrived in the Land of Glory. Or maybe he would explain how this place operated…
In any case, I began to take in the sights of the Land of Glory as I walked. I had been so focused on getting to our assigned tents that I hadn’t had a chance to look around properly.
Green Skins possessed a civilization, albeit a basic one. They built houses, went hunting, and lived in groups under a single belief system.
But the ones I saw here were beyond imagination. Their civilization was far more developed than I had thought. They had their own way of life, their own laws. For example, there were warriors fighting in an area marked by a flag.
‘Fights are held under the Great Tribe Leader’s banner. Getting hurt during combat is fine, but you do not kill your opponent.’
Next, there were others bartering goods somewhere.
‘All trades are to be fair. Any Green Skin who bullies a weaker brother will be severely punished.’
They had established their own sense of order. They knew what honor was. Because of that, I was proud to be a Green Skin right now.
As I looked around and entered the Great Tribe Leader’s large wooden tent, I could see many chieftains turning their gazes toward us.
Behind the chieftains were their respective banners. One had a black snake drawn on it, another a single giant axe. But what stood out even more was their combat strength.
I couldn’t tell for sure, but I could feel it on my skin. Everyone here. Not a single one was weaker than me.
“Welcome, brothers.”
“For Strength, Wisdom, and Honor. For the Great Tribe Leader Agar.”
Goff, representing us, greeted the Great Tribe Leader, and then we were able to enter the tent.