Chapter 66: New Clan Members
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 66: New Clan Members
The Blood Dagger Clan moved forward slowly. It wasn't a battle, but it was a shame such a grand march lacked the beat of a drum. The one who always played it had left with Goff.
As if thrilled to be out with me for the first time in a while, Ibar trotted along with a continuous, low growl, needlessly scanning our surroundings even though there were no beasts or enemies nearby. Of course, he wasn't the only one in high spirits.
Gark and Hark.
The two stuck close to my side, their vicious faces twisted into grimaces. They were trying to project a certain atmosphere, a far cry from their usual oafish selves.
I spoke to Mev, who was ahead guiding us.
“Where’s the first one?”
“The first is a settlement with a slightly higher number of female Green Skins. It seemed like a decent enough village… I couldn’t tell if they spotted me, but their defenses were reasonably well-prepared.”
For Mev to say that, it seemed the group’s leader wasn’t a complete fool. Either that, or they were just extremely cautious. It had to be one of the two. As we continued on, a village that looked for certain to be inhabited by a group of Green Skins began to come into view.
“For Blood Dagger!”
The interesting thing was that the closer they got to the village, the louder they shouted. Just as I was thinking, What if they run away because of this?, Mev, who had entered the village first, spoke with a bewildered expression.
“Ch... Chieftain.”
“Hm?”
“They’re… they’re gone?”
I couldn’t help but be taken aback by Mev’s words. Entering the village, there was indeed not even a trace of them. There were clear signs of life everywhere, but for not a single person to be here meant they knew we were coming. Of course, it was impossible not to notice, given how we’d announced our arrival, but for them to have vanished completely was still dumbfounding.
“They ran.”
“They… they ran.”
To flee before an enemy even attacks… they certainly didn’t deserve to be called Green Skins. But my interest was piqued. We clearly had no intention of fighting. Of course, our presence was menacing, but it seemed they had perceived it as a major threat. They were completely different from any Green Skins I had seen before.
As expected, the others began to shout.
“Cowards!”
“Cowardly Green Skins! Pathetic! Krrrk.”
“There’s a difference between being dishonorable and being a coward! Kkik!”
Seeing my clan members shout that there was a difference between being dishonorable and being a coward, as if their own past actions pricked their consciences, was actually quite cute. In any case, I looked at Mev and continued.
“Can you read the tracks?”
“Yeah. Of course.”
It looked as though they had fled in a panic, leaving tracks everywhere, just as you’d expect from a group that hadn’t grown much stronger over time. Even I could spot the signs. I couldn’t read them as precisely as Mev, of course, but with footprints stamped all over the place, it was impossible to miss them.
“They fled this way.”
Mev started to move slowly. They must have been more than just scared; it seemed they had fled deep into the forest. This village also seemed to have been hidden to avoid detection by humans, and as we went deeper from here, the forest certainly grew denser. As if the excitement had worn off, Hark and Gark began to voice their complaints.
“We can’t let creatures like this join our clan! Krrrk!”
“I will follow Blood Dagger’s will, but these Green Skins aren’t even worth fighting!”
“These kinds of Green Skins are bad!”
It was sincere advice, in their own way.
They weren’t wrong, but since I’d decided to meet them, it seemed best to see it through. A little deeper into the forest, a ‘cave’ came into view. Unlike the hard-to-find village, as we approached the cave, a rather well-maintained ‘path’ appeared. It seemed this wasn’t the first or second time they had taken refuge here. Small rocks placed on either side were reminiscent of a canyon, and going a little further in, I could see a single Hobgoblin standing out front.
He couldn’t even meet my eyes; he seemed utterly terrified. Still, seeing that he had placed his group safely inside the cave, it appeared he did care for his people.
“Grrrrrrr…”
Just then, Ibar began to growl lowly, and the Hobgoblin trembled once more.
“For Blood Dagger!”
“For Blood Dagger!!”
My clan members roared as if to announce our arrival. I let out a small growl and lowered my hand, and the area soon fell silent. It finally felt like an atmosphere where we could have a conversation had formed.
“What is your name?”
“I… I am Hakajin. Honorable Warrior Blood Dagger.”
The bowing Hobgoblin slightly raised his head to answer my question, and I snorted before speaking to him again. It had been a while since I was called an honorable warrior. Everyone else called me the warrior who lost his honor, so for him to use such a title felt, for some reason, like ‘flattery’.
“You know of me?”
“Aren’t you the clan that is growing the fastest among the western villages? The renown of the Blood Dagger Clan has already spread widely to other villages and even to groups like ours. There are also rumors that you… you formed a pact of brotherhood with the Black Spear…”
“I see…”
I could infer one thing from that conversation. They hadn’t been able to enter Green Skin society, but they were paying close attention to it. Hearing Hakajin’s voice, the clan members behind me began to murmur again. An interesting situation. What this guy was doing was definitely flattery. He was soothing not only my mood but that of my clan members as well.
“Growing the fastest!”
“Blood Dagger’s renown echoes throughout the land!”
While I was lost in thought for a moment, he spoke to me in a trembling voice. It seemed there was something else he really wanted to ask. Probably the most important matter.
“B-But… for what reason have you come all the way here…?”
“I haven’t come to cause harm. I came to see how the group you lead is living. You could call it an inspection tour, I suppose. Tsk.”
“Ah…”
Despite that, the expression on his face didn’t relax.
“I swear on my lost name. I have not come to harm you.”
If they were sensitive to rumors, they would surely know the story of how I lost my name. The tale of losing my name after being defeated in a Sacred Battle with the Queen of the North was quite famous in Green Skin society, so of course they would know. As expected, his expression slowly began to ease. For Green Skins, staking one’s honor was a truly important matter.
“I… I understand, Blood Dagger. I will escort you inside the cave.”
“Good.”
“But why were you in a place like this, leaving a perfectly good village behind, Hakajin?”
At my words, he pressed his lips together and didn’t answer. We ran away because we were scared. Being born a Green Skin, he couldn’t possibly utter such words. I subtly began to study his expression.
“Th-That is…”
An expression of pure fear. More than thinking about his own honor, he was racking his brain, wondering if giving a vague answer might displease me.
“Well… if you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to. Everyone has their reasons.”
“Thank you.”
I had a rough idea anyway, and I didn’t really want to press the issue. The cave was quite small. Glancing to the side, I saw his group trembling. It was a wonder how creatures like this had survived until now. About twenty of them. It was definitely a group with slightly more females. There were males scattered about, but they were all unprepared for a fight.
Even if I recruited them into the clan, they weren’t warriors I could use right away. They would likely need a great deal of training before they could be of any use. As my large frame entered, sounds of “Kkik! Kkik!” echoed.
It was Hakajin who calmed the group. He did his best to reassure his people, telling them I had made an oath on my honor not to cause any harm.
Only after he brought some simple food could we begin our real conversation. This was the part where I could start sizing them up—to get a rough idea of whether or not they could assimilate into our clan.
“How long have you been here?”
“T-Two years now.”
“That’s a long time… But your group hasn’t grown at all.”
The Blood Dagger Clan, by contrast, already possessed quite a few Orc warriors. This group’s strongest members were their leader, Hakajin, and a few female Hobgoblins. That was it. It seemed that after failing to achieve much in the Tutorial, they hadn’t gone on any major hunts since coming here either.
“Y-Yes… that’s right. It was because… many things happened…”
“The Warrior’s Exam…”
“…”
“Why did you give up on the Warrior’s Exam?”
At my words, he once again couldn’t answer. He just kept mumbling. His anxious glances back seemed to indicate he heard my question as, Why did you give up on the Warrior’s Exam and become a coward? He thought I was pressuring him. The other Hobgoblins behind him also began to nervously watch their leader, Hakajin, and seeing this, I couldn’t help but sigh.
It was laughable, but they had no fighting spirit. It was natural for ordinary Green Skins to possess a will to fight, but these ones had completely lost it. The Blood Dagger Clan also flees from battle. But as my clan members said—to put it a bit grandly—our retreats are strategic retreats for the sake of victory. These guys were just running away. Those with no will to improve have no right to join the Blood Dagger Clan.
I let out another breath and slowly began to rise. Staying here any longer was a waste of time. Turning my head toward the outside of the cave, I slowly started to walk toward the entrance.
“I’ll come again. I hope to see you in your village next time, Hakajin.”
“I apologize, Blood Dagger.”
He insisted on seeing me off to the front of the cave, and I waved my hand in farewell. As expected, the moment I stepped out of the cave, my clan members’ voices erupted.
“They’re cowards.”
“They can’t be called Green Skins!”
I couldn’t help but agree with them. Noticing my displeased expression, Jung Hayeon spoke to me.
“As I thought, these ones are…”
“I don’t know. They certainly don’t have the right to be with us. But it’s not like there’s nothing bothering me about it.”
“Yes… especially the eyes of that Hobgoblin, Hakajin… they were… they were clearly the eyes of someone who wants to live.”