Chapter 36
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Translator: Wjin
Chapter: 36
Chapter Title: Disaster in the Elf Forest
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Seeing the sun rapidly sinking, Howard and Yeagar rose from their seats.
"Whew, spending time with good people really makes it fly by. Next time, how about we host you at our estate for an even more meaningful gathering?"
"What's not to like? Just make sure you've got enough liquor to fill the earl's castle by then, little Earl Howard."
"Of course! I look forward to that day with you, Sir Yeagar. For now, safe travels on the rest of the road, Great Chieftain Gurkan."
Howard and Yeagar bowed not just to Gurkan but to the other orc warriors as well before turning to leave.
As they headed back toward the caravan, Johann called out to them.
"You two go on ahead and depart. I need to discuss some remaining trade route issues with this friend here."
"Got it. We'll head out first, then."
On the way back down the mountain path, Howard suddenly glanced back at Johann.
"What's wrong, my lord?"
"No, nothing..."
Was it the mystery?
Or pure curiosity?
From their first meeting until now, his gaze had occasionally drifted toward this man called Alpha.
The strange part was that even though it was clearly their first time meeting, he didn't feel any sense of unfamiliarity.
'Have I met him somewhere before? I'd never forget someone so distinctive. Must be my imagination...'
"Let's go."
No matter how much he pondered, no answer came.
In the end, Howard shook off his thoughts and quickened his pace.
"So, what's this you want to talk about?"
"It's nice being comfortable, but aren't you a bit too comfortable now? Where'd all that dignity and presence from earlier go? You're like a completely different person..."
Johann let out a deep sigh at the sight of Gurkan digging into his nose with his pinky finger.
"You and I aren't exactly in a position to talk about dignity. Anyway, what is it? We need to get food to the tribe fast."
"Fine. Cutting to the chase: come with me to grab a person."
"...Grab who?"
Gurkan furrowed his brow and looked around at the nearby warriors.
"You hear what this guy just said?"
"You said to go grab a person, right? Isn't that kidnapping?"
"Exactly? I didn't mishear?"
Gurkan sighed and patted Johann's shoulder sympathetically.
"Listen, brother. Of course I'd dive in headfirst for my brother's request, no questions asked. But kidnapping would make this great orc warrior look bad..."
"Brothers! Wait near the caravan, then once it leaves, take the food back to the tribe first? I need some time alone with Gurkan."
The warriors glanced at Gurkan at Johann's request, and Gurkan nodded.
"We'll head out first, then."
"Yes! Time for a feast after so long!"
Once the warriors had left, leaving just Johann and Gurkan, the chieftain grinned and asked,
"Spill it. You're not dragging me along to kidnap some ordinary fool. So, who exactly are we grabbing?"
"Remember what I told you before? About how, before I regressed, I challenged Hector and got utterly wrecked, then captured."
Gurkan nodded as the memory surfaced.
"Yeah, I remember. You said Hector had three treasures that kept you from winning, right?"
"Do you remember what they were?"
"Let me think... One was the dark power Hector himself had acquired. Another was the seven divine artifacts he collected from some ancient ruin. And the last one..."
Gurkan's eyes widened as he recalled the final treasure.
"Ah, that black-haired warrior who was Hector's bodyguard knight! You said he came from the Eastern Continent, something about a demon cult..."
"Where do you think that guy's at right now?"
"Where?"
"Itearan."
"Itearan? Wait, you don't mean...?"
Johann's lips curled into a sly grin as he met Gurkan's shocked gaze.
One month later.
"Huh? Where'd those people come from?"
The merchants traveling the Itearan highways couldn't hide their shock at the caravan appearing from a completely unexpected direction.
"That's the Gurkan Mountains side, isn't it? No way they crossed over from there?"
"You're crazy? Even ten lives wouldn't be enough for that place. And crossing with that much cargo? Forget ten—you'd need a hundred."
"Then where'd they come from?"
"Beats me!"
Curious eyes turned toward the two caravans, but the ones most disbelieving of this reality were the caravans themselves.
"W-We really crossed the Gurkan Mountains..."
"Look! Barren wasteland! Just over this, Itearan's right there!"
"We reached Itearan in just two and a half months? Unbelievable..."
"It's not two and a half. If we'd kept that pace from the start without the delays, we could've made it in under two."
The merchants' astonishment at traversing a half-year journey in a mere two and a half months showed no signs of fading.
Of course, the most thrilled by this were Howard and Yeagar.
"Sir Alpha! Incredible! How did you... I never even dreamed this day would come! It's a miracle!"
"You worked hard. This trade route will bring more revolutionary change than any before it. I guarantee it."
The two sought out Johann and showered him with endless praise.
"Your praise is too much. If you really mean it, pass those words on to my brothers on your way back. They've suffered more in the Gurkan Mountains than I have."
"Absolutely. The Gurkan Orcs—no, the warriors of the Gurkan Mountains—are our allies now."
"I'll end my mission here. You know the roads to Itearan from here better than I do."
"You're not coming with us, Sir Alpha?"
"I'll be waiting for you back in the Gurkan Mountains. There's still some trade route business to wrap up."
Though disappointed that Johann's escort ended here, they couldn't ask for more under the contract.
"Understood. See you on the return trip."
"Good luck."
As the two led their caravans onto the highway, questions poured in from the other merchants, just as expected.
Johann watched the scene from afar with satisfaction.
'Once word spreads through them, the Gurkan trade route will boom overnight. That alone should ease my funding worries for now.'
After parting with the caravans, Johann immediately procured a horse and raced north.
To claim Hector's future bodyguard—one of his treasures—for himself, he needed one essential item.
'Thanks, Hector. I never would've thought of this without you. I'll repay this favor with plenty of interest later.'
People often imagined the elves' forest as a serene, peaceful expanse of lush greenery, but reality was far different.
"This way! The elves fled this direction!"
"Chase them! If even one escapes, your heads roll!"
Ferocious shouts echoed from one side of the forest as bloodthirsty slave hunters, eyes blazing, pursued the fleeing elves.
To them, elves weren't people—they were merchandise that would make them rich.
At that moment.
Shwick! Shwick! Shwick!
Arrows flew from the treetops thick with leaves, piercing the slave hunters' hearts and foreheads with deadly precision.
The lifeless bodies tumbled roughly to the ground, forcing their pursuing comrades to dive behind trees in panic.
"Watch out! It's the guard squad!"
"Damn it, how'd they get here so fast? They shouldn't have been here for a while..."
"What now, boss? Retreat...?"
Shwick! Thunk!
The man suggesting retreat peeked out just barely to check the situation.
Hardly more than the edge of one eyeball was visible, but an elf guard's arrow struck it dead-on, bursting out the back of his skull.
Uger, the leader of the slave hunters, spat at the corpse of his dead subordinate.
"Useless bastard! We've spotted twenty of them here— you want to give that up and go home empty-handed? Am I crazy? No choice... even if it's a bit of a waste."
Preeet!
He pulled a flute from his bosom and blew it without hesitation.
Immediately, the massive footsteps of countless others began converging on his position from afar.
Beasts driven by greed and desire.
Feeling the approach of more slave hunters, one guard rushed to report to the guard captain.
"He blew the whistle! Boss, nearby hunters will swarm here soon—what do we do?"
"Stay calm. Our goal isn't exterminating the hunters. I'd love to shoot them all down, but our priority is helping the villagers evacuate. Split into two teams. Team 1 with me—we'll lure them. Team 2, Kant, you cover their escape tracks completely."
"Yes, Captain!"
Kant moved swiftly, trusting his captain.
Team 1, including guard captain Ehrade, consisted of the squad's most skilled veterans.
He was confident they'd complete the mission and return.
As expected, Ehrade's Team 1 kept a safe distance while efficiently checking the incoming hunters.
"What the hell! Are your heads just for show? With this many of us, what are you doing against a few dozen guards?!"
"Then you heroically charge in and fix it, you coward hiding like the rest!"
"Screw this! Shields up! Advance while blocking arrows and press them!"
Not wanting to play arrow fodder, the hunters raised shields over their heads and charged.
But that was exactly what Ehrade had hoped for.
Pierce! Pierce! Pierce!
"Argh!"
"My knee!"
With heads covered, they couldn't track the guards leaping tree to tree like flying squirrels.
Now it was the guards' show.
They couldn't always hit heads or hearts for instant kills, but leg shots immobilized the hunters.
And with poison on the arrowheads, untreated wounds would lead to agonizing deaths.
The hunter bosses watching from behind exploded in rage.
"You dogs! What are you doing? Move the wounded back!"
"Curl up tight and advance slowly! Don't give them shooting lanes!"
"These guys who showed up are no pushovers! What if we lose them all?"
Slave hunting wasn't 100% successful. Success rates had skyrocketed lately, but failures used to be the norm.
But today, failure meant sleepless nights.
This elf group numbered twenty.
Capture them all, and they could buy a small baron's keep.
But at this rate, they'd watch them escape in broad daylight. That was the guards' aim.
"Don't close in—keep your distance!"
"We don't need to kill them all. Just cripple the reckless chargers!"
They only needed to buy time for their kin to flee, and they were performing their roles perfectly.
This way, the guards could complete their mission unscathed.
But the hidden hunter targeting them apparently had other plans.