Chapter 195
Chapter 195
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 195
Chapter Title: The Lizardman King
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The orcs’ metalworking skills were abysmal, but their woodworking surpassed even that of humans.
Thus, the weapons wielded by orc warriors boasted tremendous durability despite being crafted from wood.
With proper maintenance, they wouldn’t rot or bend for decades, so quite a few human knights and mercenaries deliberately carried orc-made wooden weapons.
The five javelins that Chieftain Katan always carried were particularly special wooden weapons.
They were so sturdy that he could shatter a beast’s bones by swinging them.
Yet the Lizardman King had gripped one in his hand and snapped it with just four fingers.
“……!”
Chieftain Katan and his warriors were struck with indescribable shock.
Even for orc warriors who had battled countless monsters regardless of type, this was the first time they’d encountered a creature with such monstrous strength.
If it had been an ogre, they wouldn’t have even thought to fight it from the start.
They never dreamed they’d run into a Roamer monster as powerful as an ogre in a place like this.
And for the orcs, the even more unfortunate and horrifying fact was that the Lizardman King was as ferociously ill-tempered as an ogre.
Kee-eek!
As the Lizardman King let out a cry laced with malevolent energy, the five horns slanting from the crown of its head to its neck stood rigidly upright like massive spikes.
Not only that, but its thick, long tail and the scythes attached to its forearms unfurled like fans, locking into firm crescent shapes.
The orc warriors could all guess the purpose of those scythes, each as long as a shortsword.
Kueeeek!
With a threatening roar, the Lizardman King charged.
Even as its massive frame raced forward at an unbelievable speed, it freely whipped its tail against the water’s surface without pause.
Water sprayed up around it in successive bursts.
The 4- to 5-meter walls of water were enough to conceal the Lizardman King’s huge body, and it cunningly hid within them to attack the orc warriors.
“Kuek!”
“Kwak!”
With horrific screams, the bodies of orc warriors struck by the metal-rending scythes flew into the air amid red sprays of water and blood.
The creature’s form was already blurry behind the water barriers, and once blood mixed in, it became completely invisible.
“E-everyone, out of the water!”
The orc warriors’ boiling battle spirit extinguished in an instant, and they backpedaled before turning tail and fleeing.
The distance to the Lizardman King was over 20 meters, and the water wasn’t that deep, so they naturally assumed they could escape.
But it was an illusion.
Pwoong!
The Lizardman King slammed its thick tail down hard, using the recoil to launch its massive body high into the air.
The gap to the orc warriors closed in a flash, and while airborne, it hurled the harpoon in its hand.
Shwoooosh!
“Kuek!”
The massive harpoon pierced the water spray and skewered the backs of two orc warriors.
The impaled orcs floated into the air like kebabs before crashing hard into the surface with a crunching sound.
A long, thick rope made by twisting monster tendons multiple times was attached to the harpoon shaft, and the Lizardman King swung it mercilessly.
The skewered comrades and panicked orc warriors alike went flying as bloody messes.
“……!!!”
With over ten warriors dead in moments, Chieftain Katan’s jaw dropped.
‘We can’t win like this!’
“Sh-shaman! Hartan! Hartan!”
The chieftain called for the shaman.
But the shaman, clad in a robe topped with a crow-feather headdress, had long since fled alone.
“That fucking bird with a dick instead of teeth!”
Chieftain Katan now had only one choice left.
“Huff! Retreat! Everyone, run!”
Kueeeek!
Orc honor be damned—there was truly nothing they could do against such a cunning, overwhelming monster.
Thus, the warriors of the Katan Tribe began fleeing in a frantic scramble.
Kueeek! Kek!
The Lizardman King issued a bizarre cry in response, and Lizardmen gripped their spears at odd angles to pursue the orc warriors.
That was when it happened.
Kwaaaaa…!
A red aura surged rapidly from the direction the Katan Tribe’s orc warriors were fleeing.
The red energy swept in like a flood, instantly dominating the space, and the engulfed orc warriors tumbled to the ground, rolling in place.
“Kue… kuee…”
A suffocating terror crushed the orcs’ flesh and souls, and that overwhelming fear quickly spread to the Lizardmen as well.
The Lizardmen, who had been darting forward with tongues flicking to slaughter the orc warriors, let out shrieks and flattened themselves into the water.
In the end, the only being left standing on two legs was their king, the Lizardman King.
“Kuee…?”
Drooling from beneath its fangs, Chieftain Katan and the orc warriors desperately lifted their heads.
They saw a knight in pitch-black armor, cloaked in red mist and wielding a spear, charging in on horseback.
‘J-just one?’
Even amid their fear-clouded minds, the chieftain and warriors all shared the same question.
Kee-ee-ee-eek!
Spotting the knight, the Lizardman King bellowed a murderous roar.
Kwarung!
A black streak shot like lightning toward the Lizardman King, slicing through the rippling red mist barrier like waves.
Reflexively, it swung its massive hand to grab it, convinced—like with the chieftain’s javelin earlier—that it could snatch the black spear as well.
But.
Kwachik!
The moment the black spear’s sharp tip touched its hand, the hand exploded. It wasn’t just flying fast; it was spinning at high speed.
The spear that had shredded the Lizardman King’s hand like rags continued onward, piercing straight through its skull.
Pwoom!
The gray carapace covering the Lizardman King’s skin—which the orc warriors hadn’t even scratched—shattered into pieces.
With its head blown open in one strike, the Lizardman King slowly toppled backward.
‘Insane!’
It was an unbelievable sight even as they watched it unfold, leaving the chieftain and warriors with mouths agape.
The monster they couldn’t even touch and had only desperately fled from had its head burst open in a single blow?
Kwarrak!
Then, the spear twisted like a serpent in midair, changing direction before flying back into the black knight’s hand.
At the inexplicable spectacle, the chieftain and warriors gawked with eyes nearly popping out.
But the shocking events were far from over.
“Krahahaahaha!”
“Hahng! Hng!”
A chilling mad cackle and a perversely lascivious moan rang out together, followed by dozens of cavalry crashing through the underbrush.
“Kieeek! Mana stones! Mana stooones!”
Behind them flew bluish glowing orbs shrieking in shrill frenzy.
“Growl!”
Wolf heads with glowing red eyes brushed past the prone orc warriors one after another, then pounced on the panicked Lizardmen.
* * *
It didn’t take long to deal with the Lizardmen who had lost their king.
Eugene and the knights also took the surviving half of the Katan Tribe orcs—whose warriors had been reduced by half—as prisoners and headed for the nearest noble’s manor.
“Where’s the lord here?”
“L-Lord Ridwell went to visit Lord Fransil. He should be back soon.”
The Vampire Duke’s brazen revisit came mere days after he’d beaten the manor guards like dogs and looted their wealth.
Moreover, he’d brought rugged, fierce orc warriors as prisoners this time, so the lord’s retainers were terrified and groveling.
‘How much more is he going to take…?’
‘The lord needs to get back soon.’
They didn’t dare defy Eugene and the knights, who had wiped out the troublesome Lizardman pack plaguing the area and gathered the spoils.
They could only pray for the lord—who had rushed off to tattle to Lord Fransil—to return as quickly as possible.
“Give my knights booze and food. Meat-heavy for the Beowulfs.”
“Y-yes, sir…….”
As expected, the retainers despaired as if the sky were falling at the declaration of freeloading for such a large group.
“We’ll call it even with this.”
Clang!
The retainers, who had turned away with utterly deflated expressions, whipped back around with bulging eyes.
The leather pouch Eugene tossed contained over ten gold coins gleaming with hypnotic luster.
“What’re you standing around gawking for? What, no food?”
“Oh nooo! Of course we have some! Right away, Your Grace the Duke!”
Fearing he might change his mind, the retainers snatched the coin pouch and vanished in a flash.
“Fair and just. His Grace the Duke’s generosity is truly dazzling.”
Princess Lilisein—apparently Eugene fan number two—stepped forward praising him.
Romari then flashed an incongruously bright smile and chimed in.
“Princess, Princess. You don’t know Sir Eugene that well yet, do you?”
“What do you mean?”
“That money he just gave? Definitely squeezed it from this lord. Pulled it off without lifting a finger, you could say? One of our Sir Eugene’s specialties.”
“Ah……!”
Princess Lilisein’s eyes rippled like waves before snapping to Eugene. It was obvious disappointment toward him.
‘Good. This cute, charming princess mustn’t fall for a sleazy guy like Sir Eugene. As long as justice exists, absolutely not.’
Having fulfilled her duty as a truth-seeking mage, Romari sneaked a glance at Eugene while inwardly sighing in relief.
She might catch some flak, but saving this lamb from self-inflicted misery was satisfaction enough……
“Perfect even in supply tactics. As a knight, as a commander—veritable genius. I am in awe, sir.”
“Ahh!?”
Romari’s jaw dropped at the unexpected reaction.
“Cut the flattery. Princess, go do your job.”
Eugene snapped curtly at Princess Lilisein, who had insistently followed him despite Prabo, Galpredic, and the other knights being around—for some reason.
“Job, you say?”
“…….”
Eugene blanked, unable to think of any particular duty for a grand noble like Elrand’s princess.
He resorted to a hasty excuse.
“Training.”
Even he cringed at how lame it sounded, so he sneaked a peek at Princess Lilisein’s reaction.
“……!”
Green flames sparked in her eyes, and she swiftly pulled a small parchment and quill from her bosom.
“A knight must never cease training, no matter the circumstance. Note taken…….”
As if enchanted, the quill scribbled rapidly across the inkless parchment.
“Advice etched into blood and flesh. I am profoundly grateful.”
She snapped a sword salute and turned away.
‘Incomprehensible. Truly an unfathomable woman.’
His ploy had worked regardless, so Eugene relaxed.
But after a few steps, she glanced back ever so slightly, licked her lips with her tongue.
And winked.
“Keehk!”
At the elf princess’s lewd come-hither, the spirit peeking over Eugene’s shoulder froze solid.
Princess Lilisein departed humming a tune, leaving Eugene exasperated and the spirit petrified with horror.
“Such a unique lady. Her beauty is truly exquisite.”
Romari turned from gazing wistfully at Princess Lilisein, her eyes lingering on Eugene’s face.
“……In that way, she seems to suit Sir Eugene perfectly… Hah! Wh-what did I just say? Cursing without thinking!”
Eugene glared fiercely at Romari as she freaked out and berated herself.
“That’s the most horrific curse you’ve ever uttered. Never speak such ominous nonsense again. I just barely got a red mana stone this time—if it jinxes it, it’s all on you.”
“…….”
Romari felt like the point had veered way off somehow.
But calling it out would just earn her grief, so she decided to shut up.
(To be continued next time)