Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Orc Great Warrior
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The prelude to the war, which began at dawn, started with the orcs being crushed, like the resounding blast of a horn made from unicorn ivory.
Their green blood clung to the blades, soaking the earth in all directions, and the soldiers' dying screams echoed piteously amid the blind axes flying through the air.
Red blood and green blood mingled together, blanketing the ground layer upon layer.
Kill and be killed.
In the faintly brightening sky, only the untainted twinkling stars and the sun rising over the mountain ridges signaled that time was still passing even in this endless-seeming war.
‘This should be enough.’
So far, everything had gone according to plan.
Kallias and the knights decided to make a wide detour and gradually pull away from the battlefield.
Their goal wasn't the orcs right in front of them—it was to cut off their supplies.
"Follow me!"
As Kallias raised his sword high and shouted, the knights gathered around him one by one, swinging their blades.
Unfortunately, some spat blood after taking axe blows, but there was no helping it.
"We must go now!!"
"Kallias!"
Ellen screamed at Kallias, who had been waiting for the knights trailing behind. If they waited for all the late-joining knights, they'd be surrounded.
"Tch."
No choice.
"Let's go!"
"Uoooooh!!"
"Clear a path!!"
In that way, they avoided or cut down most dangers with the trait [Three-Colored Eyes], traveling for half a day.
By the time the risen dawn had turned to dusk.
The scenery enveloping Kallias changed.
The white plains reminiscent of the northern winter had transformed into a dense forest.
Kallias had moved north from Jaybarshu Castle and reached an unnamed forest.
"Are these all of them chasing us?"
"It seems so, but we can't let our guard down yet, Kallias."
It was Ellen. Ever since losing one eye, he'd become much more cautious.
Around Kallias and the knights lay the corpses of orcs strewn about.
They were the ones who had obsessively pursued them as they escaped the battlefield.
By moving quickly, ambushing, and striking back, there were no casualties, and the situation had settled for now.
"Who doesn't know that... My lord, wipe the blood off with this cloth!"
"Hm."
Brans glared negatively at Ellen, feeling like his role had been stolen, while the other knights stood guard.
Emily was naturally assigning roles and handling the knights.
"Did you erase all the footprints on the way? Wipe away every trace possible."
"Yes, sir!"
Of course Emily had, but the knights had grown through multiple battlefields.
They found and handled tasks without needing instructions, creating some leisure.
Kallias checked the orc corpses from the moderately strong foes for any secret quests from Si-eun.
‘Nothing much.’
There were a few, but they were quests to kill northern knights, leaving him no choice.
Since he'd already turned them into carcass swords, he tried handing them to other knights or releasing the carcass transformation for rewards, but no rewards returned—perhaps because they weren't used.
Soul guidance seemed only possible after quite a bit of use as swords.
「Kallias von Jerban」
「Occupation」 – Pilgrim.
「Divine Power」 – 3rd Grade
「Holy Power」 – 5302/6251.
「Talent」 – [Bard’s Blessing]
「Traits」 - [Corpse Grace] [Noble’s Duty] [Count Family Wastrel] [Death-Time Insight] [Church’s Black Sheep] [Big Eater] [Three-Colored Eyes]
[Stats]
Strength – 76 (30)
Agility – 55 (30)
Technique – 13
Vitality – 47 (30)
Faith – 63
With divine power reaching 3rd grade, his overall physical abilities had surged.
‘Strength has risen quite a bit.’
Grabbing a nearby rock, it crumbled to powder in an instant.
At this point, he could probably put up a good fight against Jornik's monstrous strength, now reduced to a dagger.
"Kallias, we've erased the traces."
Time to move.
"We head north. I know the location, so keep erasing traces and move slowly as before."
"Yes, sir!"
After four days of advancing while erasing traces.
Kallias's knight order finally pinpointed one supply route and ambushed, waiting two days.
They spotted a procession of orcs carrying military rations.
"Those guys have hostages?"
At the rear of the orc procession, familiar faces were bound in ropes and being dragged along.
Kallias immediately ordered.
"Attack."
No matter who was captured.
Their goal was to seize—or destroy—the supplies anyway.
"Kill them all without mercy."
"Yes, sir!"
For the surprise attack, he threw Jornik at the forehead of the shouting orc.
The dagger flew from Kallias's lightning-quick grip, embedding precisely between the orc's eyes.
‘Not bad.’
Thanks to his throwing skill, accuracy had risen considerably. It seemed to apply corrections to everything thrown.
Unnecessary at Kallias's level, but nothing wrong with having it.
"Charge! Kill them all!!"
"Damn orcs!"
The knights dashed forward like flashes of light first, swinging their swords.
The blond boy Allen, clutching a short sword and small shield.
Aaron, wielding a greatsword suited to his build.
Brans, nimbly swinging a dagger.
And the graceful longsword.
Emily, flying about like a bird, slicing orc necks with Lucen.
And behind them.
Slash! Kallias advanced with noble steps, cleanly felling charging orcs.
"As expected, it's you."
While cutting down orcs, Kallias spotted the huddled hostages and spoke to one woman.
Her name was Orphin.
Once upon a time.
She had been the knight who guarded Kallias.
* * *
"Walk faster!"
Thud!
A voice like scraping iron plates kicked the woman's waist, urging her on.
She collapsed weakly from the kick. But bound to the cart, her hands and feet dragged her limp body across the ground.
The orcs' giggling laughter.
The pitying gazes of fellow hostages like herself.
Helpless, she rose again and walked with the orc procession.
Her name was Orphin.
Jerban's knight maiden, awaiting Killaban's orders.
Orphin de Riofing.
"Orphin, you okay?"
"I'm fine."
Beside her were Killaban's captured twins and several half-crippled knights.
"Haa...."
Her sigh met the dawn air, turning white.
Bad luck.
Spotting the orc supply procession had been the problem.
Hoping to aid the north somehow, they'd tried delaying it even a little—and got caught.
Combat erupted in an instant and ended just as fast.
Total defeat.
That's how they became hostages, dragged along.
Likely, the orcs kept them as toys or bait to taunt enemy forces on the battlefield.
Either way, they wouldn't be killed easily.
‘That's fine for me, but Rivan and Rini....’
As a knight, it was shameful.
The guilt of failing to protect them weighed heavier on her shoulders.
Then.
"Surprise attack!!"
The orc procession grew chaotic.
They instantly drew axes and began fighting someone.
Several knights started felling orcs.
They bore no Jerban insignia. Yet the knights expertly felled orcs one by one in turn.
Among them stood out a girl with short black hair swinging a sword. And one step behind them, a man's graceful face came into view—heavy, solemn steps.
Jerban's wastrel, said to have the kingdom's handsomest noble face.
Kallias von Jerban.
His appearance.
"As expected, it's you. Orphin."
"Ah... Kallias."
"Kallias!!"
"...."
Orphin shed tears, Rini welcomed Kallias, but Rivan remained silent, somber.
Slash.
With one sword stroke, Kallias severed their handcuffs and shackles, covering the knights' rear as he exterminated the orcs.
Orphin watched his back, tears flowing.
Once the back she guarded, now she was guarded by it.
Indescribable emotions swirled within her.
As a knight.
As a knight serving Jerban, she felt shame and gratitude simultaneously.
‘He's changed beyond recognition.’
No longer the wastrel she knew.
Rather, wasn't he the very ideal knight she'd longed for? Orphin gazed at Kallias with eyes sparkling with admiration through tears.
"Take the sword."
He turned a nearby orc into a carcass sword and tossed it.
Orphin choked up at Kallias handing her the sword.
She bit her lower lip until it bled. Quietly, she received the sword from Kallias with both hands.
Her demeanor was utterly reverent.
The hesitation in her heart vanished.
Orphin steeled herself.
She hesitated, lips twitching as if to say something, but the situation didn't flow smoothly.
Boom!
"Argh!"
An explosion erupted where the knights were.
Soon, murderous intent prickled her entire body.
Thud, thud.
Only heavy footsteps descended onto the orc corpses.
"Ka, Kallias!!"
The one revealing himself was none other than green-skinned, red-haired.
An orc warrior of high honor.
A warrior among warriors.
The Orc Great Warrior.
"Great Warrior...."
The Orc Great Warrior exuded a weakening-kneed aura even from afar.
He carried an even more ferocious presence than before.
"Ah...."
A Great Warrior!
Orphin, who had just thought she'd survived, plunged back into despair.
"It's different. Isn't it?"
"Yes! It's not the same one we saw before! This one's smaller and slimmer!"
Rini chimed in on Kallias's mutter.
"...You saw it?"
"I saw it from afar last time! My eyes are pretty good!"
Rini pointed to her eyes and grinned.
Kallias glanced at Rini with expressionless eyes and murmured.
"The 'grace' from the god's blessing."
"Yes! Exactly!"
The blessing of Valterus God, said to be received only by nobles and royals from the founding myth.
It seemed to be grace from that.
Such divine graces manifested sporadically across generations.
‘Jerban's was eyes.’
Ashen eyes like the god's.
Of course, Kallias had no such grace.
"Pity it's not Keltuk, but perfect for crossing swords."
"Kallias! That one seems confident in speed!"
Ignoring Rini's shout, Kallias stepped forward and drew his Predator Sword.
The orcs' axe god.
Kunta bestowed different miracles on his warriors than other gods.
Most axes they wield were strength-enhancing armaments.
Upon gripping, they gained near-superhuman physical power.
Whether in shoulders or legs, no one knew, but most orc miracles were thus.
So this one probably.
‘Its unique ability relates to agility.’
Since Keltuk's was strength.
Rini had noticed its slimmer build and trained muscles with her god-blessed eyes.
It would be a novel fight.
But Kallias welcomed it.
Since then, it had been nonstop breathless wars, but no opponent to make his heart race had appeared.
Kallias's mouth twitched.
"Come."
Thung. The ground-pounding sound was clear.
But the charging Great Warrior was lightning-fast in his downward strike.
Kaaang!!
The handaxe at invisible speed clashed with Predator Sword-Roas.
It sparked fiercely enough to illuminate the now-dusking red twilight sky.
Kwang! Kaang! Kigigigik!
Vibrations from the intense exchange rippled through the air.
Amid thunderous roars, Rivan and Rini plugged their ears with both hands.
Yet the children's ashen eyes never blinked.
For even a moment's blink might mean missing the Great Warrior and Kallias forever.
"Rivan. Watch closely. If the man you crossed swords with hadn't held back, you wouldn't be here now."
Somehow now behind them, Emily looked proudly at the fiercely battling Kallias beyond Rivan and Rini, speaking.
"Someday, you'll take pride in yourself. Just for having crossed swords with him."