Chapter 219
Chapter 219
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 219
Chapter Title: 87. Black Devil (2)
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Yuri stepped outside. The tension before battle hung in the air.
"Francesco, sir. If it gets dangerous, fall back."
He looked offended for a moment but nodded soon after.
"Don't worry. I'm an expert at staying out of harm's way now that I've lost my mana."
Without mana, he was at a severe disadvantage against orcs. No amount of skill could stand against overwhelming brute force.
Fortunately, Francesco seemed aware of that, moving with calm precision.
Yuri looked up.
Orcs were charging from all directions, already scattered into formations as if prepared in advance.
"Only the smart ones survived, huh."
Most of the tough specimens that Oqua had summoned were dead.
And Oqua's death itself had weakened the orc race as a whole. The superhuman strength they'd shown in the last war stemmed from black magic, and with its source gone, the entire species had declined.
As a result, bands of orcs that relied on brains over brawn now dominated.
They were compensating for their inferior physical abilities with tactics.
"Spread out!"
"Orcs over there too!"
But that only worked against enemies on their level.
Yuri slung Guilty over his shoulder and strode forward. Francesco, Jared, Simon, and Guinness followed with eager stances.
"Let's take that one out first."
Yuri spotted the leader amid the orc squads swarming from every side.
It looked like a regular orc at a glance, but constantly rolling its eyes and barking orders marked it as the one commanding the battle.
"Won't the merchants need help?"
"Don't worry too much. The caravan didn't make it to the East on luck alone."
The Ireine Merchant Company was one of the top firms on the continent. Their escort unit was no pushover either. They clearly had experience fighting orcs and handled them adeptly.
To minimize casualties, they needed to take out the leader quickly.
"Been a while since we killed some orcs. Let's have at it."
"Sounds good."
Yuri and Jared weren't the only ones exuding confidence. Simon and Guinness looked thrilled, as if they'd been waiting for a fight.
Back when they'd campaigned with the Allied Forces, the two had been green, barely surviving thanks to others' help.
But things were different now.
They'd trained under the Ten Strongest, Moyong Chan, and someone on par with him—Yuri.
Time to see the results firsthand.
"Simon, Guinness."
Yuri read their minds and spoke.
"Jared and I are going for that leader. But there are too many pests in the way. Can you clear a path?"
Simon and Guinness grinned.
"Of course, Your Highness."
"Leave it to us."
"Good."
Yuri pointed ahead.
"Go cut loose."
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes, sir!"
The two shot forward.
The orcs approaching from the leader's direction spotted the sudden human charge and rushed to meet them.
Several orcs against two humans.
The size difference was dozens of times over.
But the moment they clashed, it was Simon and Guinness—the apparent underdogs—who pushed forward.
They sliced through orcs with fluid swordsmanship, advancing through the gaps while clashing weapons anew. Even surrounded, they showed no fear.
Yuri chuckled.
"They've grown a lot."
Francesco, who'd been watching, spoke up.
"I'll join those guys. Handle the leader yourselves."
With that, he dashed toward Simon and Guinness.
Yuri worried inwardly, but Francesco fought orcs cleverly. Even without mana, the sword principles he'd mastered remained intact.
"Not bad at all. Jared, our turn."
"Yes, sir."
"Ready?"
"Let's go."
"Then..."
Yuri felt a sudden emptiness.
There should have been one more person beside Jared.
Rolang.
Was that guy alive? Or had he died with Franchese's tragedy?
Had he resented Yuri in the end?
Yuri shook off the thoughts and advanced.
"Hoo..."
No time to dwell on the past.
As Simon, Guinness, and Francesco engaged the orcs, a path opened.
Yuri intuitively traced the route to the leader and moved at once.
"Keep up."
"Got it."
Yuri leaped forward. He stepped lightly, vaulted, and cleaved an oncoming orc.
The orc, unable to overcome its momentum, spun wildly from Yuri's strike and flew.
Before it hit the ground, Yuri surged ahead again.
The leader was close now.
Two escort orcs tried to block him.
Jared overtook Yuri and engaged them.
"Your Highness!"
"I see it!"
While Jared handled the guards, Yuri pursued the fleeing leader.
It was quick on its feet, clearly experienced in retreat.
"Akuak Kai! Armute Tume Tun! Akuak Kai!"
The leader bellowed in orcish, and nearby orcs wheeled toward Yuri.
Fleeing leader, pursuing Yuri, pursuing orcs.
A bizarre chase unfolded.
But the balance broke soon enough.
Yuri caught up and stomped the leader's spine with his knee. The impact launched it into the air; it crashed and rolled several times.
"Kreeeeeh!"
As the dirt-caked body stopped tumbling, a sharp blade hovered before its eyes.
"Speak the common tongue?"
"Ummetu Kumar Armatu..."
"Nope."
Yuri pressed the sword closer, drawing blood from the leader's forehead. Its escorts froze, not daring to approach.
Meanwhile, Francesco, Simon, and Guinness finished off the surrounding orcs and joined Yuri.
Yuri stomped the leader's neck and gestured.
"Hey, call them all together."
"Akuak Kai?"
"Yeah, that's me, you punk. Bring your minions."
"Aguur Kulrat!"
Somehow communicating, the leader shouted. Nearby orcs echoed it.
"Aguur Kulrat!"
"Aguur Kulrat!"
The call spread.
Fighting gradually ceased as humans and orcs eyed each other warily and backed off.
Yuri hauled the leader up, displaying it as a hostage to all.
The orcs rolled their eyes, gauging the situation.
Definitely different from before. Smaller, less vicious. A welcome change for Yuri.
"Tell them all to gather."
The leader, dazed at first, snapped to after a few slaps from Yuri.
"Gather here."
The halted orcs began assembling before the leader.
Once gathered, it wasn't that large a group.
Yuri nodded and slit the leader's throat. Its head dropped.
The orcs, initially confused, soon widened their eyes in frenzy. But their rage turned to flight, not fight.
They bolted like mad.
"Hoo..."
Enemy reactions were always fight or flight. And Yuri's response was the same either way.
A one-sided slaughter began.
"Pursue!"
The orcs screamed Yuri's moniker, Akuak Kai—"Black Dog" in orcish—hurling curses. Yuri ignored them. Such cries only fueled him.
Orc blood splattered across the moonlit grassland.
By the time their numbers had thinned greatly...
"Wound them, but don't kill if you can help it! Let them run if they flee!"
Yuri shouted.
The Ireine escorts tilted their heads at the order but obeyed.
Thus, wounded orcs limped away.
Only orc corpses remained around the Ireine camp.
Their silhouettes faded into the distance under moonlight.
The battle with the orcs ended in smooth victory.
Everyone shared in the joy.
Rick from the Ireine Merchant Company approached Yuri.
"Truly grateful, Your Highness. Your valor was incredible."
"Casualties?"
"Some injuries, but no deaths. A miracle. All thanks to you."
Even on successful trade runs, comrades often fell on long journeys. Large-scale clashes with orcs were especially costly.
But this time, casualties were minimal relative to the battle's scale.
Thanks to Yuri taking out the leader and turning the tide.
Seeing him so at ease in the fray convinced the Ireine staff that Yuri Brioll lived up to the rumors. If anything, the rumors understated it.
Rick asked.
"But why let them go...?"
"The road gets boring, right?"
Yuri grinned.
"Following the blood trail. Kill any other bands we spot along the way."
"Uh..."
"Don't worry about your group. It's safe from here—no more fights."
Rick stared blankly at Yuri.
He revised his view of Yuri Brioll. He'd seen him as a royal skilled with the sword, a noble knight.
But firsthand, it was different.
His royal blood was secondary. No matter his lineage or upbringing, Yuri Brioll wielded his blade just like this.
"I see."
Rick smiled faintly and nodded.
There wasn't much he could do for such a man.
"Then for Your Highness's rest tomorrow, we'll prepare the finest bed."
The next morning, Yuri's group shouldered Eastern goods and bid farewell to the Ireine Merchant Company.
Simon and Guinness pocketed Eastern hidden weapons. Yuri held a gift for Marirose and the bokma jubal tool.
Francesco bought nothing.
"Jared. What'd you get?"
"Secret."
"You did buy something?"
"Yes."
"Hm..."
Yuri rode on, eyes on the ground. He occasionally played the bokma jubal.
"It calms the mind."
"Right?"
Even so, Yuri tracked the orcs' blood trail and scent. It split several ways midway, but he followed paths near the Balshard route.
Yuri pointed to the horizon.
"There it is."
Far off by the water stood an orc village of ramshackle tents.
Meager compared to the massive settlements of old, but still sizable.
Yuri glanced back.
"Anyone scared can sit this out."
"None here."
Jared replied promptly. Yuri grinned.
"Then let's go."
Orcs.
Nightmares during the Allied Forces campaign.
No longer.
Yuri's group had grown stronger; the orcs, weaker.
"Charge!"
"Charge!"
They massacred every orc band they met, sparing a few to flee and lead them to new settlements for total annihilation.
This routine repeated en route to Balshard.
"Akuaktar, akuaktar!"
One orc yelled at the blood-soaked Yuri.
"What's that mean?"
"Dunno. Sounds like an insult."
"Yeah?"
Yuri slew the orc and wiped Guilty on its corpse.
"Morning workout feels refreshing."
Yuri stood amid scattered orc bodies, gazing skyward.
They'd swung their blades since early morning.
It delayed their schedule a bit hitting settlements along the path, but Yuri held nothing back, so battles were swift.
A string of short fights.
But enough for Yuri's infamy to spread across the plains.
Thus, when they reached Balshard, the guards already knew of his arrival.
"We welcome Akuaktar's visit!"
The guards shouted boisterously, greeting the group.
Yuri tilted his head.
"You knew I was coming? And Akuaktar—that's orcish, right?"
"Yes. Your Highness's notoriety has spread among the orcs."
"What does it mean?"
"Akuaktar means 'Black Devil'."
"Devil?"
"Yes."
"Better than Black Dog. Promotion."
Yuri chuckled.
"Yeah, the Black Devil's here in Balshard. Come to see Marirose."
"The Duchess awaits."
The guards parted. A seductive silhouette in a red dress emerged.
"Oh my, a devil."
Marirose waved with a smile.