Chapter 487: A Daughter Takes After Her Father
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 487: A Daughter Takes After Her Father
“Sh-She has strongly inherited Blood Dagger’s blood.”
“................”
“S-Sorry, Nicole!”
“Yoora-unni! Hurry!”
“...................”
“..............”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I watched the leader of the 5th Elite Orc Swordsman squad stare blankly at where Laveua’s group had vanished. But I couldn’t laugh out loud. Not with Jang Ye Ri’s serious expression.
Most of the Elite Orc Swordsmen were like that—they were warriors who truly knew nothing but the sword. Gark, Hark, Hazaku of the 1st squad, and so on—most of them didn’t know how to be cunning. It wasn’t that they were incapable of ambushes or strategic movements, but they certainly lacked the flexibility of the Goblin corps.
They held the pride of being the Blood Dagger Clan’s greatest military force, and they honored the position they held. Uncharacteristically for the Blood Dagger Clan, they enjoyed swinging their swords in direct, head-on confrontations. Orbo’s steadfast Minotaurs were the same. Most of the individuals Ratga had selected had a strong tendency to only look forward. In contrast, the members on Laveua’s side possessed incredibly flexible minds.
The Goblin Three Sisters, Lee Wanyong, Kim Yoora, and even Laveua herself.
In Lee Wanyong’s case, it wasn’t just a matter of having a flexible mind. I’d had to personally warn him not to twist, exploit, and shatter the very rules of this mock battle.
In any case, with such individuals gathered, I had expected a similar scene to unfold, but I never imagined I would see Kim Yoora and Laveua pull something like this. Laveua’s gamble—risking danger to enter the enemy camp and announce her presence—was something even I wanted to praise.
Of course, separate from that, the warriors who had been eagerly awaiting the chance to clash swords with Kim Yoora were probably even more dumbfounded than I was.
“..................”
“G-Good job, Laveua!”
The three women watching the situation with me likely felt the same.
“That was pretty good. I was on the edge of my seat...”
I couldn’t tell if Mev was genuinely impressed, trying to get a rise out of Jang Ye Ri, or deliberately trying to provoke her, but she was shouting with excitement. Jung Hayeon added to Mev’s words, while Jang Ye Ri just scowled as she watched the whole affair.
“Th-That’s my daughter! G-Good job! Go, Laveua! Go! You can do it! Mommy is cheering for you, so you have to do your best out there! You’re doing great! That was brilliant! Mommy was watching!”
There’s always one of those in a movie theater.
“Hmph.”
“Sh-She’s amazing. Right, Chieftain? You’ve done something like this before, haven’t you!”
“I think I remember something like that.”
When I gave a slight nod, I saw Mev’s mouth stretch into a grin that reached her ears.
“Hehe. I guess she really does take after you. I thought she took after me, but blood doesn’t lie, right? Hehe.”
As Mev said, I had done something similar in the past. Right now, they were only stealing supplies, but in my case, I had indiscriminately stolen adventurers’ items—their entire livelihood. I remember their screams of despair and resentment being more memorable than any other gruesome shriek I had ever heard.
Those orcs, robbed blind, were probably feeling the same way. Even Jang Ye Ri seemed to find it hard to just watch, finally letting out a comment.
“It’s nothing special. Just simple thievery... And I would appreciate it if you watched a little more quietly.”
Jang Ye Ri’s voice must have sounded quite cold, because Mev started glancing around nervously. It seemed she had only just realized how loudly she’d been cheering, belatedly understanding what she’d been doing.
“Ah...”
“...........”
Jang Ye Ri shot Mev a sideways glance, Jung Hayeon quietly observed the situation, and Mev broke out in a cold sweat.
“S-Sorry.”
“Don’t mind it. It is your child’s achievement. You wouldn’t be a mother if you weren’t happy. Your reaction is only natural.”
“St-Still... I think I was a little too happy...”
“It doesn’t seem to occur to you that you apologizing to me right now is far more insulting.”
“Th-That’s not what I meant...”
“The situation will have changed after a little more time passes. You can be as happy as you want for now. This isn’t such a big deal. It won’t affect the overall tide of the battle. In fact, I would like to join you in celebrating Laveua’s small victory. Are we not family? Yes, since we are family, it is right that we celebrate together. Hmm...”
She pretended to be unfazed, but it was obvious that Jang Ye Ri was quite angry.
“I feel like I should give her a round of applause.”
Clap, clap, clap.
The great Jang Ye Ri’s tongue had certainly gotten long. Her attempt to act cool while clapping her hands was even more unnatural. Mev, too, seemed to have noticed how talkative Jang Ye Ri had become and fell completely silent.
“R-Really?”
“...................................”
Watching the battlefield with Jang Ye Ri, Jung Hayeon, and Mev was enjoyable, but I was at a loss as to how I should react to situations like this that occasionally erupted. I wanted to have them watch from separate places, but Elia was the only one on the entire continent with this kind of unique ability, so that was difficult.
In the very beginning, during the development phase, all three of them had reacted reasonably.
‘Look at Ratga, my mate. Is he not truly fit to be a king?’
Jang Ye Ri had been delighted watching Ratga expand his territory from his initial base.
‘He doesn’t seem bad. Right, Taesung-ssi? What do you think?’
Jung Hayeon had watched Lapura, who was preparing to make her move while keeping Ratga in check.
‘Ch-Chieftain! It’s okay, right? She’s doing fine, right? Right? Sob...’
Mev had looked anxious, as her daughter seemed to have made no significant progress compared to the other two.
But as the troops began to move, bit by bit, the women grew more on edge. In truth, all three children had gotten off to a stable start. There had been mistakes, but the one I wanted to praise the most was, without a doubt, Ratga.
The results of Jang Ye Ri’s education were plain to see, so nothing more needed to be said. He established a base, gathered supplies, expanded his territory, and amassed his forces for a decisive blow. Contrary to my expectation that he would manage his troops amateurishly, Ratga was painting the picture exactly as he wanted, even without a staff of advisors.
Lapura was looking for the right moment to attack somewhere, while Laveua’s side was trying its best to maintain the balance between the two. The reason she deliberately targeted Ratga’s supplies was likely because Ratga’s camp was growing more smoothly than they had anticipated, and it was getting on their nerves.
“She succeeded again, Chieftain!”
Mev, who had looked apologetic just a moment ago, was now shouting again at Laveua’s renewed success. I hadn’t thought it would end with just one attempt, but stopping Laveua and Kim Yoora, who were so determined to steal, was a tall order. Especially now, when word hadn’t spread throughout the entire camp.
“.....................”
Giant Wolves carried beasts on their backs or in their mouths. Atop these wolves rode Kim Yoora and the wolf riders. Laveua was concealed among them, hiding her presence.
“Lady Laveua?”
“I think this is enough. Unni, the other places will probably be guarded by now. They might let it happen twice, but a third time... I’m also a little worried about Uncle Gark...”
“Sir Gark is likely keeping Lady Choi Eunju in check. I heard he’s in the rear. But you’re right... any more would be a gamble. Let’s head back.”
“Okay.”
“Everyone, we’re returning.”
An excellent choice. It wasn’t a massive blow, but the fact that she had made them worry was what mattered. It hadn’t stopped their smooth growth in its tracks, but it had at least caused some confusion. The ship that had been sailing smoothly across the sea hadn’t hit a reef, but it had run into a headwind.
Mev seemed to agree with Laveua’s words, nodding her head vigorously, while Jang Ye Ri clicked her tongue in disappointment.
“Can you show us Ratga’s side?”
“J-Just a little longer!”
“Laveua is on her way back. It’s unlikely anything else will happen. We’ve been watching Laveua’s side this whole time, so isn’t it Ratga’s turn now?”
“Still... can’t we just watch until she gets back safely?”
It felt like we were fighting over the TV remote. I understood they were concerned for their children, but the authority rested with the head of the family.
Jang Ye Ri stared at me with burning eyes, eager to see Ratga’s side. Mev pleaded with teary eyes, begging me not to change the channel. Laveua and Kim Yoora would probably return without any trouble.
I was just about to nod when it happened.
Jang Ye Ri, who had been insisting on seeing Ratga, and Mev both stared blankly at the scene once more.
“Laveua?”
“..............”
Jung Hayeon, who had been silent, spoke up softly.
“That’s Lapura’s territory.”
“.............”
The wolf riders and Laveua, who had been running with the beasts, had stopped where Lapura’s plants were and begun to unload the stolen food.
“Ha...”
Jang Ye Ri, equally dumbfounded, let out a short, sharp sigh.
It was obvious that Lapura and Laveua had not formed an alliance. Not only had I never seen them meet, but I couldn’t recall them ever having even a minor skirmish. The reason for deliberately dropping the beasts off on Lapura’s side was plain as day: to sow confusion for Ratga.
“I never thought she was cunning... It seems she truly does take after her father.”
I quietly swallowed at Jang Ye Ri’s words. I, too, had never thought of Laveua as cunning. If I had to assess her, I would have said she was more influenced by her mother, Mev, than by me. Seeing this side of her was unfamiliar.
“It’s a bit obvious, but...”
“But it’s not meaningless.”
I added a brief comment to Jang Ye Ri’s words. It was certainly a very obvious move. But it wasn’t a move one could ignore. Naturally, the Giant Wolves would leave tracks. The rangers from Ratga’s camp, searching for the wolf riders’ trail, would surely notice that Kim Yoora and Laveua had headed toward Lapura’s territory. This information would undoubtedly reach Ratga’s ears.
Lapura, on the other hand, had just gained an advantage without lifting a finger—that is, if she chose to accept what Laveua had left for her. Seeing Jung Hayeon’s faint smile, it seemed she wasn’t displeased with the current situation.
The best-case scenario was making Ratga think the two sisters had joined forces. Even just planting a seed of doubt was a huge gain.
“................”
Jang Ye Ri was fiddling with the spot where her horn had been cut off, a sign of her anxiety. It was her tell when she was uneasy about something. Sensing the strangely tense atmosphere, Mev glanced at me and nodded slightly.
It was a silent pressure to quickly switch the view to Ratga’s camp. Naturally, she was curious about how her son would react. Before Jang Ye Ri could even open her mouth, Elia looked at me and nodded. Soon, the landscape that formed in my mind began to appear in my vision.