Chapter 276: The Grand Design
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 276: The Grand Design
“Huh…”
Someone let out a stunned gasp.
The chieftains must have been surprised as well. The outcome of the fight was one thing, but the way it had been conducted was truly remarkable. She had grasped her opponent’s abilities, designed a strategy to exploit their weaknesses, and turned Karsak’s battlefield into her own.
Even I couldn’t have made such meticulous calculations. The same went for Goff, and even Black Spear. They had surely never seen anyone fight in such a manner.
No cheers erupted.
Instead, the Green Skins placed their hands over their hearts—a sign of respect for the magnificent display Kim Yoora had shown them.
“Haa… Haa…”
Having used her mana to its absolute limit, Kim Yoora caught her breath. When she finally raised her head, she wasn’t met with the Green Skins who had ignored and despised her, but with those who now offered her their respect.
She had earned this with her own strength. An incredible sense of accomplishment must have washed over her. The Orcs from the South were no different. Although Sand Glave’s expression was grim, several of his chieftains were showing their respect to Kim Yoora.
Karsak was completely silent. He had fainted, unable to withstand the damage. As the arena grew a little quieter, Storm Shadow slowly began to speak.
“The winner is…”
“…”
“Kim Yoora of the Blood Dagger Clan.”
A tremendous roar echoed through the crowd. They had just witnessed a truly splendid duel. Unlike a typical Green Skin, tears welled up in Kim Yoora’s eyes.
“The Green Skin Kim Yoora of the Blood Dagger Clan may now exercise the winner’s right. State what you desire from Sand Glave.”
The answer was already decided.
“I demand that you apologize for your abusive remarks toward Blood Dagger.”
As Kim Yoora’s words rang out, Sand Glave gave a very slow nod. He may not have liked it, but a man who valued discipline would find it difficult to refuse.
“For all my remarks that belittled Blood Dagger… I apologize. Furthermore, Kim Yoora of the Blood Dagger Clan, I shall respect you as well.”
There was nothing more to be said. Sand Glave nodded once more, then immediately turned his back. I, too, spoke up.
“I accept your apology.”
I felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted. Although nothing had been definitively settled, the perception of humans had undoubtedly changed. Kim Yoora slowly began to walk toward me. Feeling it was right to say something, I looked at her and opened my mouth.
“You did well.”
It was a rather blunt remark, but Kim Yoora seemed pleased.
“Th-Thank you, Chieftain.”
When I patted her head, she bowed it deeply once more. Thinking it wouldn’t be a bad idea to give her a hug, I opened my arms, and as she nestled into my embrace, the other Green Skins applauded.
It was a rather enjoyable moment.
Just then, Storm Shadow’s voice cut through the air.
“I would like the chieftains of the Brother’s Land to come to the tent in a moment.”
I didn’t know why he was calling for me, but I presumed it was to smooth over the friction with Sand Glave. The fact that the Orc’s momentum had been broken was a relief for us as well. The three tribes of the Brother’s Land, myself included, nodded in agreement.
“For Strength, Wisdom, and Honor…”
Having witnessed a good spectacle, the Green Skins all began to disperse. It felt as if the long, drawn-out tribal meeting had been injected with a new vitality.
I headed toward our tribe’s tent with Kim Yoora, who seemed to be in high spirits as she chatted endlessly with Hark. The duel had more upsides than downsides. As we entered, she was immediately surrounded by the elite Orc swordsmen of the Blood Dagger Clan who had heard the news. Members from other tribes also began to approach and speak to her.
She had been accepted by the Green Skins of the Land of Glory.
Even a hulking Orc, looking hesitant, approached our tribe’s tent.
It was Barui, the first one Kim Yoora had fought.
“Ahem… ahem…”
I had spotted him as I was about to enter the tent, so I found a suitable spot to wait. His behavior was unusual. His face was flushed, and his nervousness was palpable. Seeing him, I briefly thought, No way… but a moment later, his outburst confirmed my suspicion.
“Th-That was a very good duel earlier. I wish to retract my thought that you were a mere human.”
“Ah… um… thank you.”
“Kim Yoora. You are a magnificent female warrior.”
“Ah… thank you…”
“I, Barui! As a proud and valiant warrior of the desert tribe, formally ask you, the female warrior Kim Yoora of the Blood Dagger Clan! I am still young, but I will become an adult after a little more time passes. Wh-When I become an adult, will you not mate with me! You are not beautiful… but I like you!”
It was quite a splendid proposal. From a Green Skin’s perspective, that is.
“…”
His voice boomed, and soon another loud voice joined in from the side.
“I, Babara, also formally ask Kim Yoora!”
“The same goes for me, Hadoai! Together with you, we could build a strong family! K-Kim Yoora is not beautiful! But she is strong!”
“Her appearance is a major obstacle, but I, Radurogu, can endure it!”
All the young Green Skins in the vicinity were swarming Kim Yoora, raising their voices. Even I was getting flustered. Kim Yoora stared at the Green Skins, who were making what they considered to be magnificent proposals, with a look of bewilderment.
Her expression clearly said she had no idea how to react. But as the surrounding commotion continued, her face began to contort bizarrely.
“Mate with me!”
“No, with me!”
Finally, a single word burst from her.
“The worst.”
After spitting out that one word, Kim Yoora stormed into the tent, leaving the surrounding Orcs staring blankly after her. Amidst the chaos, one Green Skin was shouting, “Who was the one who said she wasn’t beautiful?” The sight was so ridiculous that a dry laugh escaped me. Unable to hold back my laughter, I immediately headed for Storm Shadow’s tent.
A few Green Skins were still wailing.
*
“You’ve come?”
“For Strength, Wisdom, and Honor.”
As I entered the tent with Goff and Black Spear, a few familiar faces came into view. It was White Silverfang of the North and the Minotaur of the Plains. Curiously, Sand Glave, the Orc from the South, was nowhere to be seen.
I couldn’t tell if he was simply sulking or had other business, but neither the Great Tribe Leader, the Werewolf, nor the Minotaur seemed to care. I thought perhaps they had something else to discuss, unrelated to the recent issue.
“Ahem… I am curious as to why you have summoned us, honorable Great Tribe Leader Storm Shadow.”
Goff was the first to speak. It was only natural to be curious. He had gathered the representatives of every region except the South; it was no wonder he was asking.
Black Spear nodded, and I casually took a seat, waiting for the Great Tribe Leader to speak.
“First, I want to tell you that you no longer need to worry about Sand Glave. Not just Sand Glave, but all the tribes of the South, large and small, have said they will no longer interfere in the affairs of the Brother’s Land and will offer their support.”
If you asked if I was surprised, I would have to say yes. I had thought he was a fellow who was quite adept at changing his stance, but I never imagined he would go so far as to abandon his long-held convictions.
“I didn’t think this was an issue that could be resolved so simply…” Black Spear muttered, seemingly sharing my sentiment.
Suddenly, the words Storm Shadow had said to me before I left the tent yesterday came to mind.
‘Don’t hate Sand Glave too much.’
The Werewolf of the North and the Minotaur of the Plains wore calm expressions, as if they had already known the outcome. I looked at them and spoke.
“We’ve been had.”
Completely had. We had been utterly deceived by that fellow, Sand Glave.
“Huh…”
“So it’s true that you’re quick-witted,” White Silverfang muttered.
Goff and Black Spear still looked confused. Black Spear seemed to have caught on to something, but Goff’s eyes were wide with incomprehension, so I looked at him and explained.
“He never intended to pick a fight with us from the start. It was likely part of a plan to change public opinion on behalf of the southern tribes. Provoking me, clashing with us, even arranging the duel between Kim Yoora and the young Green Skins of his tribe—it was all part of his plan.”
“Why would he do such a…”
“Was it not to change the other tribes’ perception of humans and to join hands with them?”
Black Spear had stated the correct answer.
The South’s rules and regulations are stricter than those of other tribes. They hated humans and were extremely belligerent. I couldn’t confirm whether Sand Glave knew that humans were the ones who killed the former Great Tribe Leader, but in any case, he disliked humans. That was an undeniable fact, and I had believed this whole incident was purely due to his animosity toward them.
The reason why he would want to join hands with humans was obvious.
“You already knew about the undead as well.”
They had noticed the existence of the undead even before Darga came over. While the Brother’s Land was discovering and waging war on the Eastern continent, it was highly probable that the Land of Glory had also been making moves, centered around the Werewolf of the North.
In the process of exploring the Northern continent, Sand Glave must have concluded that those creatures would be a clear threat to us Green Skins. As if my words were the truth, Great Tribe Leader Storm Shadow nodded.
“We felt it was premature to inform everyone, so only those of us who spent the most time with Great Tribe Leader Agar were aware. The Brother’s Land was busy, and we simply thought it was too early to tell everyone, so I hope you won’t feel slighted.”
“For Sand Glave to think this way… he must have seen something. He definitely went to the Northern continent and saw something. He truly believes they are a threat to us Green Skins. Am I wrong?”
I had probably hit the nail on the head. This was Sand Glave, a man who loved battle, was belligerent, and did not fear death. For him to be so concerned about the welfare of his race that he would stage such a play, it was right to assume he had seen a tangible threat. I nodded, and another voice rang out.
“The answer to that question should be heard not from me, but from him.”
Storm Shadow paused for a moment. Then, from one side of the tent, someone slowly began to emerge. It was a very familiar figure. A fellow wearing a giant wolf’s pelt on his head, one I hadn’t heard from since I last saw him, the one who had left the West, vowing to find a way to restore his tribe’s honor.
I muttered his name.
“Broken Bow?”
As if to confirm my words, a cheerful voice replied.
“It’s been a while, brother.”