Chapter 23: Dancing with Orcs! (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 23: Dancing with Orcs! (4)
“I shall go first,” Calios’s escort knight, Clark, announced as he stepped forward.
“You, sir?”
Krapa and Cloud narrowed their eyes at him, their expressions full of doubt.
Clark felt a surge of anger but took a deep breath to calm himself.
“That’s right. Didn’t that orc say he would take on any number of us?”
“Well, yeah, but… do you really have to? That orc is surprisingly strong. You could die.”
“I may have lost to Howl, but I am a proud knight of the Goldenbaum family. I have never once feared death!”
“…Suit yourself.”
It was awkward to keep trying to stop him when he was so insistent. Cloud waved a hand as if to say, do as you please. Clark turned his gaze to his master, Calios.
“I will offer that orc’s head to you, my lord.”
“…Yes, I’ll be counting on you.”
Calios nodded, but anyone could see he didn’t mean it. Clark clenched his fists.
I’ve lost his trust, as I thought.
It was only natural. His own escort knight had been defeated so pathetically.
It’s fine. I just have to earn back the trust I’ve lost.
First, he would take the orc chieftain’s head and ensure their safety. Then, when he was in better condition, he would challenge Howl again and win.
If he could do that, he could regain the young lord’s trust. His standing within the family wouldn’t plummet.
Steeling his resolve, Clark stood before Lugar.
“Are you the first?”
“I am. Clark, a knight of the Goldenbaum family.”
“I am Lugar, son of Roxar. Let the duel begin.”
Clark drew his sword. In contrast, Lugar didn’t draw the greatsword on his back, even though the duel had begun. Clark frowned.
Is he trying to insult me? It doesn’t matter. My pride isn’t what’s important right now!
“Die!”
Clark stepped forward and thrust his sword straight out—a textbook stab.
Lugar, however, didn’t move at all. Because of this, Clark was certain his sword would pierce Lugar’s heart.
“…What?”
But Clark’s sword failed to reach Lugar’s heart. It barely even pierced his skin.
“His muscles are like stone…”
As Clark stood there, stunned by the unbelievable reality, Lugar grabbed the hilt of the greatsword on his back.
It happened in an instant.
Swoosh!
With a sound of slicing wind, Clark’s body was split in two at the waist.
The sword Clark had belatedly raised to block the attack was also severed in half.
-Lugar! Great warrior!
Excited by Lugar’s victory, the orcs began to shout loudly.
The humans couldn’t understand the orcs’ language, but they were completely overwhelmed by their fervor.
They had just witnessed Clark being sliced in half. It was impossible not to flinch.
The thrust couldn’t pierce his muscle. Is it because of the level difference?
Meanwhile, Cloud was lost in thought, replaying the duel in his mind.
Judging by that knight’s skill, it’s hard to consider him an Elite Knight. That would put him around level 28 or 29.
Lugar was an orc chieftain, so he had to be around level 50. An overwhelming level difference. It made sense that the knight’s attack hadn’t worked.
But it doesn’t seem to be just the level difference.
Cloud stroked his chin as he looked at the tattoo on Lugar’s shoulder. Then, hearing Lugar call for the next opponent, he pushed Krapa’s back.
“..?”
Krapa tilted his head and pointed a finger at himself.
“Me…?”
“Yeah. You.”
“What, why me?! You just saw what happened. Are you telling me to go die?!”
“You blocked that knight’s sword with your bare hands. Doesn’t that mean you’re on the same level as this guy?”
“What kind of nonsense is that!” Krapa yelled.
Even to him, that orc was a formidable opponent. A worthy adversary he couldn’t guarantee victory against even if he fought at full strength in peak condition.
But right now, he couldn’t use his claws, fangs, or Blood Magic in order to hide his vampiric nature.
And that wasn’t all.
His body was a wreck from all the garlic he’d been forced to eat, and his skin felt like it was burning under the hot sun.
Being told to fight that orc in this state was basically a death sentence.
Just as Krapa was about to say something else to get out of the fight, Cloud whispered quietly in his ear.
“Shut up and listen. The plan’s gone sideways. The orc chieftain is stronger than I thought. I don’t think anyone here can beat him one-on-one.”
“…”
Krapa stared at Cloud with a look that said, I knew you were a hopeless bastard, but I didn’t think you were this bad.
It had little effect.
Cloud ignored the look and continued.
“Just create an opening for me, somehow. I’ll aim for his eyes. His eyeballs can’t be that tough, right? While he’s in pain and the other orcs are confused, we’ll make a run for it.”
“Are you suggesting we break the rules of the duel? If we do that…”
“I know, we’ll be fucked. All the orcs will turn on us. But it’s better than dying right here and now.”
After a moment of hesitation, Krapa nodded.
Come to think of it, it wasn’t a bad plan for him. Krapa, under the protection of the high-ranking vampire Hailey, had no reason to fear the wrath of orcs.
“…One last question. What about those people?” Krapa asked, gesturing to the humans trembling in fear. Cloud shook his head with a bitter expression.
“…We’ll have to give up on them. I’m not stupid enough to be stubborn in a situation like this.”
“Very well.”
If he’d insisted on saving everyone, I was going to give up and run by myself. Thankfully, he seems to have a grasp on reality.
Krapa caressed his sword and said, “I’ll trust you.”
“Yeah. Trust me,” Cloud said in a serious tone, patting Krapa’s shoulder.
*
“YOU SON OF A BIIIIIIIIIIIIITCH!!!!” the bat shrieked.
What the…
Lugar stared at the bat with a dumbfounded expression.
Just a moment ago, he had been fighting a fierce battle with the human named Howl.
Howl was a better warrior than the human named Clark, so Lugar was actually able to enjoy the duel. In the middle of the fight, Howl, perhaps exhausted, made a huge mistake.
Is this it? Setting aside his disappointment, Lugar swung his greatsword wide for the finishing blow.
The greatsword was just about to tear through Howl’s body.
With a poof!, smoke billowed out, and from within it, a single bat flew up.
That alone was surprising, but what was even more astonishing was that the bat was now screaming its head off at the red-haired human.
A talking bat?
Lugar and the other orcs stared blankly at the sight, something they had never seen before in their lives.
“I was an idiot for trusting you! An idiot!”
“A vampire trusting a human…? Pfft…!”
Meanwhile, the red-haired human being cursed at by the bat was clutching his stomach, howling with laughter.
This seemed to infuriate the bat even more, and it spewed a torrent of insults, but the human’s laughter wouldn’t stop. The human mocked the bat, saying he’d never seen such a stupid vampire in his entire life.
Vampire?
Lugar had heard the name before. They looked similar to humans but were incomparably powerful monsters. His father had even told him to be prepared to die if he ever encountered a vampire.
…My father’s expression was definitely serious back then.
Lugar watched the bat as it continued to scream.
“I’ll kill you someday. I’ll definitely kill you. No, killing you isn’t enough. I’ll make you my slave and make you suffer for the rest of your life!”
That’s a vampire?
No matter how he looked at it, he couldn’t believe it.
“Cut the crap and go tell your master. If he tries any more of this pathetic shit, I’ll tie him up and feed him nothing but garlic for the rest of his life.”
“How dare you…!!!”
“What, you wanna fight?” Cloud shrugged.
In his hand was a pouch filled with minced garlic. If Krapa charged, he planned to throw it in his eyes.
“Grrrgh…!” Krapa groaned.
He wanted to rip that human’s mouth off right then and there, but the situation was not in his favor.
His condition was already poor from all the garlic he’d eaten. On top of that, he was standing directly in the sunlight. He had used Blood Magic in that state, and as a result, the blood energy in his body was now in complete disarray.
If he didn’t find a safe place to stabilize his blood energy immediately, he would suffer severe aftereffects. With such aftereffects, he might even be stripped of his position as his master’s subordinate.
“As soon as my body recovers, I will… I will find you! Keep your neck clean until then!”
In the end, Krapa could do nothing but spit out a threat and leave.
“Wow, what a tough-sounding threat.”
Cloud let out a dry laugh and stepped forward to stand before Lugar.
“I’m the last one.”
“…Was that really a vampire just now?”
“Hm? Oh, yeah. First time seeing a vampire?”
“Yes. I’ve only ever heard about them from my father. I heard they were terrifying beings, but it seems the stories were exaggerated.”
“I wouldn’t say exaggerated. That guy was just severely weakened. If he wasn’t, even you would have been in mortal danger. Especially if it were night, you would have died for sure.”
“…Are they really that powerful? Vampires?”
“They’re not to be underestimated.”
“And you travel with a creature like that?”
“I’m not traveling with him, he’s just following me around. Anyway, when are we going to start this duel? We should probably get going.”
At that, Lugar looked at Cloud for a moment before speaking.
“You look young. I’ll give you another chance. Give me your money, and I’ll see you safely to the border.”
“I told you, I don’t need it.”
Cloud drew his sword. His blade caught the sunlight, emitting a soft, silver glow.
“…So you’re determined to throw your life away.”
Lugar sighed. In an instant, his eyes sharpened.
Swoosh!
With a whoosh, the greatsword shot toward Cloud at high speed. A diagonal slash from the upper right. Cloud positioned the flat of his blade to meet the descending greatsword.
A foolish move.
Did he learn nothing from the previous warrior’s fight? If he can’t learn from watching another warrior’s battle, he doesn’t deserve to be called a warrior.
Lugar’s furious greatsword met Cloud’s blade. In that instant, Cloud moved. He slid the flat of his sword, dispersing the impact.
Thud!
The deflected greatsword slammed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of sand and dust.
Shhhk!
A single swing of the sword slashed across Lugar’s arm. Skin tore, and blood trickled down.
At this, not only Lugar but also the orcs and humans were greatly surprised. They had expected him to die horribly like Clark the moment the greatsword touched his blade, but he had suddenly moved with a flash, not only dodging the greatsword but even managing to scratch Lugar’s arm.
I thought he had no aptitude as a warrior… but was he the most warrior-like of them all…?
I judged my opponent’s abilities too hastily.
Lugar briefly reflected on his mistake and focused his attention on Cloud. He decided to stop underestimating him and fight seriously.
“Even with a strength ring and a bleeding ring, that’s all the damage I can do…”
Cloud was muttering something Lugar couldn’t understand. Looking at the rings on his fingers, he raised his head to meet Lugar’s gaze.
“That thing on your shoulder. It’s a Pattern, isn’t it?”
“…How does a human like you know about that?”
“There’s no other way to explain how tough your body is.”
The Pattern. A mystical power of the orc tribe, passed down from the distant past.
A warrior who bears a Pattern inherits the karma of the magical beasts they have slain, gaining abilities befitting them.
It was an ability that the hero, Gis, would later acquire.
“…That’s right. I earned this Pattern by defeating a giant scorpion that was tormenting my tribe years ago.”
At the mention of a giant scorpion, Cloud recalled the creature’s shell. He now understood why Lugar’s body was so abnormally tough.
“I see. Got it. Now, let’s get back to what we were doing.”
Cloud pointed his sword at Lugar. Lugar leaped high into the air and brought his greatsword down on Cloud.
The duel continued amidst the fierce cheers of the orcs and humans.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The heated excitement surrounding the duel had vanished. Not only the orcs, but the humans too, watched the duel without a word.
Thud! Shhhk!
Once again, Lugar’s greatsword failed to reach Cloud. His blade struck the ground with a dull thud. At the same time, another long, shallow cut appeared on his back.
“Grrrgh… Graaah!”
With a great roar, Lugar swung his greatsword wildly. The heavy slashes seemed powerful enough to tear Cloud’s body to shreds at any moment.
But his body was never torn.
Only the number of wounds on Lugar’s body increased.
The fight continued for several more tens of minutes, and then Lugar… fell to his knees.
His body was covered in countless wounds.
None of them were deep, but they were all bleeding.
The blood that flowed from his body had formed a large pool on the ground.
Cloud’s sword rested on the neck of the kneeling Lugar.
“Huu… huu… Damn, this body really makes things tough.”
Cloud gasped for breath. His hair was a mess, soaked with sweat, and his expression was no longer as casual as it had been at the start.
It was only natural, having exchanged hundreds of blows with an orc in such a weak body.
“…I have lost.”
Lugar admitted it with surprising frankness.
He had fully realized it during the fight—the gap in skill between himself and Cloud.
At Lugar’s declaration of defeat, the orcs who had been staring blankly snapped to their senses.
-This isn’t a duel!
-He must have used some cowardly trick. Protect the chieftain!
They each grabbed their weapons and were about to charge at Cloud, but…
-Enough!
Lugar shouted, stopping them in their tracks.
-How much further will you shame me! As a warrior, not a chieftain, I have accepted the outcome of this duel. If you do not wish to insult me, then you too will accept this result as orcs.
-Chieftain…
The orcs looked at Lugar with somber expressions. They knew it too. They knew their actions were unreasonable and would tarnish Lugar’s honor.
The reason they still tried to act was because Lugar was that precious and important to them.
Understanding their feelings, Lugar smiled faintly and gave his final order as chieftain.
-Migatan. My friend. When I die, you will be the next chieftain of the Wolf Fang Tribe. I trust you will lead the tribe wisely, with a hot heart and a cool head.
-…I swear it, Chieftain.
Seeing Migatan’s firm resolve, Lugar’s expression became one of relief.
“My tribesmen caused a disturbance. My apologies. I have lost. You are the victor. Exercise your right as the winner.”
Lugar lifted his head, making his neck an easy target.
But Cloud didn’t cut his throat. Instead, he sheathed his sword.
“…What are you doing?”
“I have no intention of killing you.”
Lugar’s face contorted into a deep frown.
“Are you going to insult me as well? I lost to you in a fair duel. For a warrior, defeat means death. So, kill me.”
“I refuse. If taking your life is the victor’s right, then not taking it is also the victor’s right.”
“What kind of twisted logic is that…”
“I’m not satisfied with today’s fight,” Cloud said, cutting him off.
“Sure, I beat you. But I didn’t win completely. My sword couldn’t pierce your muscles. I don’t like that. So I’m going to let you live for now. And someday, when I’m confident my sword can run you through, I’ll challenge you to a duel again. Got it? I’m not sparing you out of some petty emotion like pity. I’m doing this for my own pride. So…”
Cloud extended a hand toward Lugar.
“…don’t talk about insults or whatever and get up. Because I want to fight you again.”
“…”
Lugar looked up at Cloud. There was no trace of pity or any similar emotion on his face.
Lugar turned his head to look at his tribesmen. They were watching him with anxious eyes.
Finally, he looked at the hand Cloud offered him. A palm covered in calluses, scabs, and sweat.
It was a tiny hand compared to an orc’s, but it was the hand of a warrior.
Lugar sighed and took Cloud’s hand.
“In the end, it’s still just twisted logic.”
“I told you, it’s the victor’s right, not twisted logic. If you don’t like it, then you can win next time.”
“I suppose I’ll have to.”
Lugar chuckled as he got to his feet. He shouted to his tribesmen.
-Prepare a feast