Chapter 51
Chapter 51
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Treasure
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As I was being carried off on the orcs' shoulders to who-knows-where...
"Come on! All the women, kids, and elderly—head out the back gate!"
The voice of an orc soldier rang out.
Huh? Are they seriously trying to escape right now?
I glanced around, and my eyes fell on a massive horde of orcs.
With the Grand Duchy's army at the main gate, this must be their escape plan.
Convinced that if I got dragged off like this, I'd definitely get gang-raped for sure, I screamed at the top of my lungs.
"Help! Please spare me!"
"Don't scream in my ear like that, human!"
The black-haired orc yelled, but I thrashed even harder.
"Let me go... Mmph!"
Finally fed up, the red-haired orc tied a rope around my head and jaw to hold it still.
"Quiet down! You'll bite your tongue if you keep this up."
"Mmmph!"
"What a handful this male is."
Damn it...!
I resisted with everything I had, but the strength gap was too wide.
Did they stuff their brains with muscle too? How are they this strong?
This wasn't my original plan at all.
I was supposed to negotiate with Yalta and get released. How did things end up like this?
Hanging from the orc's shoulder as they dragged me along, I scanned my surroundings.
Not the gate we'd come through yesterday, but a smaller side gate.
-Creak!
The gate swung open, and the orcs fled north.
I twisted my body with all my might, but...
"Human! Stop thrashing!"
"This won't do. We might have to chop off a limb or two."
"Yeah, good idea."
Chills ran down my spine at their words, and I went limp.
"Hm?"
The orcs eyed my sudden compliance with narrowed gazes.
"If you stay quiet like that, we won't do anything. Keep it up."
It bruised my pride, but keeping all my limbs intact was a win, right?
I nodded slightly, and the two bolted across the snowfield.
Fuck... it's freezing.
No exaggeration—the wind was cold enough to kill.
Guess rushing out in thin clothes was the problem.
About ten minutes in...
-Waaaaah!
A shout echoed from somewhere. I looked ahead and saw...
a large force of knights and soldiers.
That flag... the Grand Duchy banner?
Overjoyed at the sight, I waved both arms frantically.
Praying they'd spot me.
Sir Charles locked eyes with me.
"Secretary Aiden! We'll rescue you right now! Everyone, exterminate these vile orcs!"
At Charles's command, the soldiers leveled their long spears...
-Clank, clank!
The ground shook as heavily armored cavalry charged toward us.
"Damn... sly humans."
The orcs were unarmed.
That's when it happened.
The black-haired orc gently set me down in the snow.
"Hey, human... don't get caught in the crossfire. Head that way, quick."
Her eyes brimmed with deep regret.
This wasn't the time. We couldn't let them kill all the orcs here.
These orcs held incredible business potential.
Desperate to save them, I yanked the cloth from my mouth and bellowed at Charles with all my strength.
"Sir Charles! Hold up for a moment!"
Charles raised his right arm abruptly upon hearing me.
"Everyone, halt! Secretary Aiden, what's going on?"
As the soldiers froze, I let out a sigh of relief.
"There's no need to kill them all. In fact... they'll bring prosperity to our Grand Duchy."
I stepped away from the orc group and slowly approached Sir Charles.
"What do you mean?"
Charles looked baffled.
"They're a race that can make our Grand Duchy thrive. We need to negotiate, not slaughter them."
Hanging out with the orcs briefly had sparked a brilliant idea.
I'd planned to use it in negotiations with Yalta, but...
If we played this right, the Grand Duchy could reap profits bigger than any frontier development.
"Ha... But I don't have the authority. The Grand Duchess's orders were to rescue you and wipe out the orcs."
I could see he was in a tough spot, so I pressed on.
"Then... I'll propose it to the Grand Duchess myself. Where is she?"
Charles didn't answer.
"She's... at the main gate right now, Secretary Aiden."
"Jin?!"
Behind Charles stood Jin, Elysia, and Roa.
How the hell did that guy get here?
Jin was supposed to be a prisoner in the elf village, yet here he was...
"You bastard! You handed me over to the orcs and ditched for the elf village, huh?!"
As I grilled him, he waved his hands frantically with an awkward grin.
"It's a misunderstanding! Elysia and I just told the Grand Duchess the orc village's location."
"Misunderstanding my ass? Be honest—you could've saved me but tossed me aside on purpose!"
As he waved his hands trying to explain...
Elysia stepped forward with a stern face.
"No. Jin begged to save you. But... as you know, I could only take one person. So I had to save Jin."
I'd heard elves couldn't lie.
But something about it felt off, like total bullshit.
That little liar.
I eyed her skeptically, and she spoke softly.
"I stake my honor and life as an elf on those words."
I stared her down until Charles intervened.
"Secretary Aiden, please calm down. The Grand Duchess will be here soon."
He nodded subtly to his adjutant.
The adjutant pulled a small stick from his pocket, aimed it skyward, and yanked the bottom.
-Boom!
A firework shot high into the sky.
-Bang!
Blue light burst in the heavens.
Some kind of signal?
I turned to Charles.
"So, can you wait until Luna... I mean, the Grand Duchess arrives?"
"As long as the orcs don't resist or try to flee..."
Charles eyed the orcs suspiciously.
"We'll maintain a proper encirclement until she arrives."
Charles raised both arms high and spread them wide...
And the soldiers surrounded the orcs.
"Grr..."
The soldiers stared at the women, elderly, and children.
The excited black-haired female orc flexed every muscle.
"I'll kill you all!"
I swallowed hard watching her bulge with power.
-Gulp.
Ugh... I almost got it on with a monster like that?
The orcs looked ferocious.
"Waaah! Death to the humans!"
"Don't fear! If we die here, the gods will guide us to the eternal battlefield!"
The females screamed as the elders rallied morale.
Bare-handed and ready to charge anytime, the orcs left me stunned.
They really don't value their lives.
In this powder-keg tension...
Someone came dashing through the snow at unbelievable speed.
Is that... Luna?
We'd been apart just a few weeks at most.
But for some reason...
Seeing her again nearly brought tears to my eyes.
Fuck... I'm safe now.
All the pent-up grievance and fear melted away the moment I saw her.
"Aiden, are you hurt anywhere?"
Not her usual warm tone, but the Grand Duchess's cold authority.
Even so, profound relief washed over me.
I knew it, Luna!
I thought that inwardly and expressed my deep gratitude.
"No, thank you for coming to rescue me."
I meant it.
If I'd gone back to those orcs and gotten gang-raped... my sanity wouldn't have held.
Female orcs were that horrifying.
She checked me over, then placed her hands on my shoulders.
"Good you're unharmed. But the enemy is still here. Charles? Didn't I order you to kill all the orcs?"
I spoke up as she glared coldly at Charles.
"Your Grace, I have something important to say."
"We'll hear it later. Kill them now and..."
I cut her off as she urged Charles.
"No, we can't. We need them alive for the Grand Duchy to prosper."
A strange silence fell over the field.
Especially Luna—her red eyes turned icy on me.
"Why? They're our enemies. Don't tell me you've grown attached after mingling with them..."
"No! Nothing like that happened! And even if it did, would you say that looking at their faces?!"
She glanced sidelong at the female orcs.
"Ahem... Then why? Why should we spare them?"
This wasn't the playful Luna. This was Luna Valmore, ruler of the Grand Duchy.
I answered her seriously.
"Because they have the ability to create immense treasure for us humans. If we let them live and make it... we'll become the richest nation in the world."
Silence blanketed the area again.
Everyone strained to grasp my words.
Especially...
-We can make treasure like that?
-No? First I've heard of it.
-What? Did the half-orcs make something huge in the meantime?
-Oh! That thing? I heard Ekupne the half-orc made some fragrant mud recently.
The orcs whispered to each other, clearly hearing this for the first time.
And with every murmur, Luna's suspicion deepened toward me.
"Secretary Aiden... you said these orcs can make treasure to enrich the Grand Duchy?"
I half-expected her to threaten execution again, but I had solid backing.
After all... on modern Earth, the first to make it became a massive corporation.
"Yes! Exactly! They're golden geese. Kill them, and all we'll get is their worthless land."
She furrowed her brow slightly.
"Then tell me! What treasure can they make? And how will it make our Grand Duchy rich?!"
Her eyes blazed.
She seemed to think I was saying this out of some crush on the orcs.
But no... I felt nothing like that.
They truly possessed treasure.
I met Luna's gaze steadily, and everyone—humans and orcs alike—held their breath for my answer.
Feeling all eyes on me, I spoke calmly.
"They can make erectile dysfunction medicine."