Chapter 45
Chapter 45
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 45
Chapter Title: Elf
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“Hold on! What is this?”
A figure stopping the orcs charging toward us.
He wore thin leather armor and came galloping on horseback, halting the orc horde.
“What are you doing, Mikael?”
The man named Mikael cut an impressive figure.
A handsome man with long, curly golden hair.
His skin was so fair that you’d believe it if someone said he was a woman.
No way, with a name like Mikael... he’s not a woman, is he?
His voice was definitely masculine.
“Yalta! Have you forgotten the Tri-Race Conference? We’re supposed to offer surrender first, aren’t we?”
The elf man’s words drew a snort from the orc named Yalta.
“Do you really want to let our enemy live?”
Mikael shook his head at Yalta’s words.
“No. I’m just following orders.”
“Do as you please. But if the humans don’t surrender, don’t try to stop us then!”
As soon as Yalta finished speaking, Mikael turned to face us.
“Human gentlemen, you’ve suffered greatly in this cold weather. We’ve already seized the advantage, so please surrender. If you do, we guarantee food and comfortable beds until the war ends—for everyone except certain high-ranking officials.”
After his words, the soldiers glanced at each other’s faces.
And...
“Uh, Secretary Aiden... we should run, right?”
“Huh? Why?”
Surely no one’s fool enough to fall for the enemy’s words.
But... my expectations were immediately shattered.
-Um... is that really true?
-Surrender! We surrender!
“Huh? Jin? Why are they all saying they’ll surrender? You’re not actually believing the elf, are you?”
Jin wore a dumbfounded expression.
“Of course. Elves always keep their promises, don’t they?”
What? Is there such a thing?
I felt bewildered by this setting I’d never heard of before.
“Well... at least we should slip away between us?”
Jin nodded slightly at my words.
-Sneak sneak.
Behind the cheering soldiers, Jin and I crept away.
“Stop! Humans?!”
Oh no...
Orcs had already grabbed us from behind.
They snorted hot breath and aimed axe blades at us.
“If you don’t want to die, surrender.”
Looking at the orcs surrounding us, I felt a surge of inner conflict.
There’s only a few of them. Should I escape with Jin?
As I had that thought.
-Squeal!
Seeing the horde of orcs riding wild boars encircling us, our plans changed in an instant.
Jin scanned our surroundings warily and asked.
“What should we do, Secretary?”
Guess... surrendering is the right call?
“I surrender... I surrender.”
As I spoke, Jin gently set his sword on the ground to show he had no intent to fight. The burliest orc, Yalta, spat into the snow with utter disgust.
“Ptoo! Shameless humans. Brothers, bind these bastards quick.”
“Over here!”
They roughly snapped cold manacles around mine and Jin’s wrists.
Wait... but why are they here?
We’d heard small groups of other races roamed around, but it was hard to believe they were waiting like they knew we’d pass through.
For a moment, I wondered if there was a traitor inside, but I shook my head inwardly.
Other races don’t trust humans, after all.
Dragged roughly by the orcs’ hands, I spoke in a flustered voice.
“Ugh... where are we headed now?”
“To our camp. Follow!”
The place they forcibly dragged us to was...
Right in front of the fortress we’d originally been heading toward.
“My God... did this happen yesterday?”
I gulped hard at the sight of the massive other-race forces deployed there.
-Gulp.
“Surprised?”
Mikael cut in suddenly.
I asked him.
“Did you target the fortress from the start?”
He gave a slight nod without answering.
Soon, Mikael’s expression soured.
“But... that armor looks familiar. Isn’t that Sir El Kanta’s armor?”
Ah?
Only then did I remember the original owner of the armor I was wearing.
El Kanta, the hero of elves and dark elves.
Luna had killed that guy and given me the trophy armor.
-Gulp.
We’re fucked.
While Mikael tilted his head.
A dwarf emerged from the other races’ camp to greet us.
“Oh? Caught some humans?”
“Ah? Sir Tirion.”
Tirion had a beard, but seeing his height—barely up to my waist—felt bizarre.
Is that a dwarf?
“Puhahaha! Decent number of humans. Good work, Mikael.”
“You’re too kind. But... doesn’t that human’s armor look familiar?”
At Mikael’s words, Tirion frowned and pondered for a moment.
“Now that you say it, it does look familiar... yeah, it’s exactly like El Kanta’s armor.”
“Right? I thought it looked familiar... as expected.”
I felt their gazes turn icy as they stared at me.
“Hey, human. Where’d you get that armor?”
At the dwarf Tirion’s question, I answered with a troubled expression.
“Well... it was a gift from the Grand Duchess.”
“What? From Luna Valmore?”
“Is that for real?”
Their pupils trembled in disbelief.
“Yes, that’s right.”
Tirion and Mikael fell deep into thought.
Soon, Mikael spoke coldly to the orcs.
“Throw these guys in the POW camp, strip off the armor, and bring it to me.”
“Don’t worry. That was the plan anyway.”
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Luna’s pioneering efforts were progressing smoothly.
Today alone, they’d driven the orcs out of the territory.
The elves who’d come to support them had also avoided all-out war with Luna and her army, securing vast lands and forests.
Luna gazed at the distant mountains.
She stared at the snowcapped peaks with melancholic eyes.
‘I want to have sex with Aiden.’
A utterly vulgar thought, but...
Luna had already tasted Aiden(?).
When she’d first joined with Aiden, she’d endured somehow through masturbation, but lately, having discovered the joy of mingling with him every single day...
‘Should I have brought Aiden here?’
She was starving for Aiden.
Desperately so.
Anyway, Luna loved being with him.
Meeting Aiden was how she unloaded the day’s grueling duties and recharged.
She wanted to keep him right by her side.
But she felt it was too dangerous.
The enemies were holding back for now, but if they launched an offensive, the sacrifices would be immense.
It wasn’t just orcs or elves—if giant monsters and spirit mages stepped forward, even Luna would struggle.
Staring at the distant snow mountains, she smiled to herself.
‘Probably... no more pioneering needed from here on out?’
The Grand Duchy had been created solely for northern pioneering.
Unlike before, the Empire no longer cared about the north.
Without a reliable patron, the Grand Duchy had forcibly pushed pioneering efforts just to survive and govern.
Success meant vast new lands.
In truth, the Grand Duchy already owned absurdly expansive territories.
But with too few people to manage them, finances crumbled, trapping them in a vicious cycle of debt-fueled pioneering.
But this vicious cycle was about to end.
Luna’s man had already shown them hope.
‘Hehe, all thanks to Aiden?’
As she thought optimistically about the future...
A knight rushed up with an urgent expression, shattering her reverie.
“Grand Duchess! Big trouble!”
“What is it?”
“Word from the forward fortress... it’s under attack!”
“What?!”
The forward fortress had Aiden.
It also stored all the supplies needed for this pioneering push.
‘No way? All the other-race villages should be ruins by now?’
Luna wasn’t foolish—she’d naturally fortified key facilities with sturdy fortresses and ample guards...
‘But if large monsters are involved...’
Luna bit her lip.
“You hold this position. I’ll head back to the fortress with the knights.”
Luna moved with urgency.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ I’d been thrown into the other races’ POW facility.
A massive tent housing wooden cages.
At least they provided thick blankets, firewood, and ample food?
“What now?”
I grumbled to Jin, who’d been disarmed alongside me, but he seemed unfazed.
“Eh. Don’t worry too much. Even if the sky falls, there’s always a way out, right?”
“Yeah?”
Honestly, it felt hopeless.
Captured as a POW in a war, without earning a single merit.
Of course, the treatment itself was pretty good...
-Swish!
“Jin? Where are you?”
A sweet woman’s voice echoed through the POW camp.
“Huh? Looks like someone’s here for you.”
A blonde elf woman wandered through the tent.
With sapphire-blue eyes, she was stunningly beautiful.
“Elisha, I’m over here.”
Jin waved happily as he called to the elf, and she whipped her head around.
“Ah... Jin?”
“Long time no see? A whole year?”
Elisha the elf’s expression hardened...
“Sniff...”
And tears streamed down as she unlocked the cage door and stepped inside.
What? Why’s she acting like that?
“Why are you here? I told you to drop my name if you got captured.”
Watching the elf Elisha tightly embrace Jin—and Jin nuzzling into her bosom—I couldn’t help but think.
Fuck... this guy’s got it all.