Warlord Zerik
Boom. Thud.Thud.
“Guhk.”
“Urghhh.”
Three orcs shot up into the air(?)—all of them crashing back down. One failed to keep his balance and slammed headfirst into the ground, instantly losing consciousness. The other two hit the dirt on their backs and fronts, groaning in pain.
They were clearly no ordinary orcs—burly orc warriors built like tanks—yet whatever technique had felled them left them unable even to circulate mana. They just lay there, moaning helplessly.
Tiny's eyes gleamed as he watched them.
Mana Freeze.
He recognized at a glance that they'd fallen victim to a technique only an Aura User could pull off.
One of the flung orcs struggled to rise, only to slam his head back toward the tent and prostrate himself once more.
Thud.
“цопьдыьы кьцо прлкулйвьа йлукрцл пщЕвьа Йты, ущцоыелвьд фгввЗаьа фрвнкпла ещвклквьы стпрур войевоЕеьйыдулю! (We merely sought confirmation—no intent whatsoever to insult the great warrior's honor!)”
The desperate cry rang out. But Narn, who translated it, looked grim.
“That black tattoo on his face... He's a shaman of the Black Rhino tribe, Sir Tiny.”
Before the words even finished, the tent flap parted, and an orc strode out.
He towered a full head above even the burliest orc warriors—a truly massive frame packed with muscles that seemed ready to burst. Massive molars and fangs jutted upward from his lower lip, his small yellow eyes glowed fiercely, a piercing dangled from his protruding nose. His deep brown hair, tied in a topknot like the people of the East Continent yet cascading to his shoulders, stood on end in strands mirroring his fury.
Chains linked his shoulders to his lower body, fusing with his armor to amplify his already savage aura into something downright ferocious. Even from afar, the mana surging from him warped the air around him.
“ущцоыел ыдфвдедул!”
“Ooh!”
“ущцоыелыдфКз вгвкрлввьа!”
Nearby orcs dropped flat and shouted.
“That's the Warlord...”
“Incredible.”
“...The rumors weren't exaggerated.”
Even the human merchants watching from afar shrank back involuntarily.
But one person smiled brightly at the terrifying orc.
Zerik.
To others, his appearance and vibe screamed mortal threat. To Tiny, it was the face of an old, welcome friend.
Zerik ignored the stares, bellowing down at the prostrated shaman like a predator.
“Tell Nergui this clearly: I will uphold the laws—and punish only those who break them.”
His heavy orcish voice carried thick killing intent, blanching every face nearby.
The Black Rhino shaman slammed his head into the dirt again, screaming back.
“O-Of course!”
Thud. Thud.
Then he added,
“On the day our chieftain becomes Orc Lord, we will serve the great warrior with honor.”
Zerik's small eyes widened for a split second.
“What!? Has Nergui somehow obtained the Soul of the Warrior?”
“N-No, not that, but...”
The flinching shaman hastily clarified, twisting Zerik's face into an even uglier scowl.
“How dare an unworthy wretch speak that sacred name.”
Killing intent surged anew with his furious growl.
The pale shaman shrieked,
“N-No! No such intent! A slip of the tongue—my mistake!”
Thud, thud. He bashed his head again.
Zerik glared down murderously, then growled low.
“Remember this: I punish lawbreakers. Even if it's the Black Rhino chieftain—no exceptions.”
Thick killing intent soaked Bator's heart. Only after Zerik scanned the area coldly and turned away did Narn finish translating with a relieved sigh.
“Looks like nothing went wrong.”
The exchange had seemed tense, but Tiny focused on the unfamiliar term instead of nitpicking.
“What's this Soul of the Warrior?”
Narn tilted his head, so Bold beside him chimed in.
“An orc legend. Only the true heir to Orc Lord Bator can claim it.”
“So what is it?”
“Hell if I know!”
He said it with such brazen confidence that Tiny almost questioned it—but nodded, convinced.
...Yeah, that's orcs for you.
Batar and Byr had briefly thrown him off with their un-orc-like sanity, but this was orc normal.
A natural sigh escaped him. In the distance, the Black Rhino shaman roused his comrades. They staggered toward the black rhinos tethered near the central mega-tent.
Considering the war's frontlines, their destination was obvious...
“Hide. Everyone, move.”
He glanced urgently at his group.
“Friend, why hide?”
“You telling me to flee before the enemy, Sir Tiny?”
The responses weren't promising.
Yeah, orcs.
Tiny ground his teeth at the unwelcome realization, spitting words like he wanted to chew his lips off.
“Narn, you want to advertise to the enemy that the guys who tried to kill you failed? Even if we slaughter them, does that end the war? Bold, you wanna broadcast to the enemy that the Red Boar met the great warrior?!”
“Ah...”
“Move—now!”
Laced with killing intent, his words made the two orcs flinch and follow him behind a nearby mega-tent.
Red Boar Yarltai's tail had just vanished behind it when Black Rhino riders slowly passed their former spot on the road.
Clop clop clop.
“ущцоыелвьд вшкерквьы йлувлыщЕул. (We've secured the great warrior's pledge.)”
“вдкоевьар влыедфвдктывн. (Now we can relax.)”
“клцл! (Let's go!)”
Only after they passed did the group skirt the road and approach Zerik's tent.
“ущцоыел фрйтцрквьд Уьевьа цоыплао врлЕул! (We bring the will of the great warrior's allied tribe!)”
Thanks to Bold's shout, they soon faced Orc Great Warrior—Warlord Zerik.
Good.
Tiny clenched his fist at the audience grant, but things didn't go as hoped.
* * *
The central tent, upheld by interlocking massive bones, was divided into sections. An orc warrior led them to the deepest one.
Impressive, however he pulled it off.
Tiny admired the orc bone architecture anew.
“Here. Show respect. Especially you, human.”
They nodded at the gruff warrior's Common Tongue and entered.
There sat Zerik, the hugest orc of all.
His throne—carved from enormous unidentified white bones—had sleek black hide of unknown origin draped over the back.
Beast hide? Purged of demonic energy?
As Tiny eyed the throne and tent interior,
That...
His gaze snagged on a familiar axe. A savage growl assaulted his ears.
“вдыклывдал…… (A human...).”
Zerik's small yellow eyes gleamed at Tiny. The choking killing intent made the group's faces stiffen.
“I am Tiny. Honored to meet the Orc Great Warrior.”
Only Tiny stepped forward, bowing calmly.
“Hoh?”
Interest flickered in Zerik's eyes; the pressure vanished like mist.
Near-perfect aura control. The others relaxed, faces tinged with awe.
Not quite at that level yet. Has he grasped the path to Aura Exceeder?
As Tiny coolly assessed his old comrade, Bold stepped up, bowed once, and spoke in Common.
“I have a message for the great warrior—from Mother Chieftain.”
Whether out of deference to Tiny, he stuck to Common. Zerik's expression shifted repeatedly.
But his reply dashed their hopes.
“Impossible.”
“But Great Warrior! Mother Chieftain verified the head this friend brought herself!”
“...Demon worshippers attacked a human heading to Bator? That doesn't prove Black Rhinos collude with them.”
“But...”
Zerik shook his head stubbornly as Bold faltered.
“Sister Byr's meddling too much—overdoing the 'benefactor of the tribe' bit.”
“Great Warrior! Our tribe found this in enemy territory—this dangerous item the demon worshippers used to unleash calamity on human lands! Isn't this proof enough!?”
Narn jumped in, but
“That belongs to demon worshippers? Who vouches for it?”
Zerik's counter drew inevitable glances.
“Sir Tiny, of course...”
As Narn trailed off toward Tiny, Zerik's yellow eyes followed.
“All your 'proof' ties back to this human. Should the entire orc race bend to one man's word?”
“But Great Warrior, he's the hero who thwarted demon worshipper calamities twice. In human lands, the title 'Knight of Light' is the pinnacle of honor.”
Zerik's face twitched at 'pinnacle of honor.'
But his stance held.
“Humans—Aslan—have long been our orc enemies. Their 'hero'? How far should we trust that?”
The orc great warrior's eyes bored into Tiny with unyielding hostility.
This stubborn bastard, of all times...
The Empire was orc foe—history's wars proved it. But Tiny could only sigh repeatedly.
Won't even get a chance to mention my past life at this rate.
Yet a question arose.
Zerik's stubborn, but no fool. He'd realize if my words are true, it could doom the orcs.
Maybe...
“I saw Black Rhino orcs leaving here earlier. Did you make some deal with them?”
Zerik's brow-ridge muscle twitched.
“No special deal. Just obvious words.”
“Then...”
“They said a black-haired human might slander the tribe. Hoped I wouldn't break laws falling for it.”
Son of a bitch!
Tiny's face twisted naturally.
“So I ask you, human hero: Why trust you over my own kind?”
Zerik's yellow eyes weighed heavy on him.
Tiny bit his lip, then slowly spoke.