The Orc Settlement
The advance party pressed onward, but no suitable terrain for establishing a forward base presented itself. As fatigue gradually wore down the team members, Yusoha had no choice but to order a return to base camp.
“We’ll stop the search here for today. At least it wasn’t a complete waste. Chae Gain, recall Jekern. And while you’re at it, ask if he found anything.”
“Ah. Yes!”
Chae Gain sent her will toward Jekern in the distance. The moment he received the signal, Jekern released his materialization and returned to her side. The reason he could return so quickly was simple: the moment a Guardian Star released its materialization, it could instantly return to its Awakened contractor.
Once back, Jekern began chattering excitedly to Chae Gain.
[Gain!]
“Hm?”
[I saw something really strange!]
“Strange? What was it?”
[An orc settlement!]
“What? An orc settlement?”
In an instant, every gaze snapped toward Chae Gain.
“Chae Gain, what did Jekern just say? I thought I heard ‘orc settlement.’”
“Jeki, can you materialize for a moment and explain exactly what you saw?”
[Got it!]
Jekern materialized again at Chae Gain’s request and began describing what he had witnessed.
* * *
Well, I kept going through the lava fields while staying hidden, and I found a spot where the heat was noticeably weaker. How weak? It looked like the lava there had completely cooled. The ground felt almost like normal earth—actually, it was a little chilly for me. Oh, right. You guys were looking for a place to set up a forward base, weren’t you? You could build it right there. Orc settlement? Yeah, an orc settlement. It was literally a village. Tents lined up in rows, watchtowers made of bone, the works. These orcs had ashen skin, different from the usual ones, and they were on high alert. Huh? You ran into some riding wolves today? That’s new. How many were there? Roughly… a hundred to a hundred and fifty? Quite a lot. Not a number you can just brush off. They didn’t spot me, but something felt off. Wait, they used mana? Whoa, that was close. Well, I could just release materialization, so it’s fine, right? But isn’t that still really dangerous? If a hundred to a hundred and fifty orcs can use mana… can we even take that place with our current numbers? Then again, the team leader’s Guardian Star is here, so we should manage somehow. Anyway, that’s everything I saw. A pretty large group of orcs in a settlement. There were watchtowers, and the village was surrounded by stone walls—looked like they’d carved the surrounding rocks into barriers. Is that enough? Glad it helped. I’m gonna rest a bit now. Staying hidden that long was exhausting, even for me in an environment this comfortable.
* * *
Jekern’s report ended there. The members of Hwanryeong Team 2 fell into a heavy silence.
“What should we do?” Lee Mina asked Yusoha cautiously.
“We’ll return for now, rest a little, and then finish organizing the information.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The return trip didn’t take long. Thanks to their thorough preparations, the team didn’t seem nearly as drained as they had the day before. A few ice packs and extra water had made a surprising difference in their stamina. With lighter steps, the team members headed to their respective quarters.
The moment Yusoha entered her room, she pulled out a pen and began jotting down notes.
‘Orc settlement. Roughly a hundred to a hundred and fifty orcs… surrounded by stone walls, with watchtowers…’
After compiling Jekern’s information, she began to carefully consider how to deal with the settlement.
‘If there are watchtowers, their field of vision is wide. Bullets won’t work, as we confirmed earlier. We need to scout the terrain more thoroughly and wipe them out in one swift strike. To do that…’
She recalled the time they had cleared the Shadow Gate.
‘Unlike then, this would essentially be a siege. In that case, we need to maximize the firepower of the gunners and mages from long range. There isn’t much the front line can do. Their close-combat skills were formidable. We can’t let them get close. We have to fight from a distance.’
She considered her team’s capabilities.
‘If we use Soul Armament, we have a chance. In terms of raw firepower, I’m no slouch either. Still, the orcs might have ranged attacks of their own—arrows or shamanic spells… Come to think of it, there were orc shamans in other gates too.’
‘Wait. Why did I forget about Jekern? He has stealth abilities. Then… we can use Jekern to slip past the orcs watching from the watchtowers and hit them with high-powered magic all at once.’
‘Good. That’s the basic plan…’
Yusoha’s thoughts continued to race. She wanted to eliminate the orc settlement without losing any of her team’s strength. Even with some physical rest, constantly wracking her brain was no easy task. Fatigue began to show on her face.
Just then, a knock came at her door while she was forcing herself to think over a cup of coffee.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me.”
Eclipse again. Wondering what he wanted, she called out.
“Come in!”
The scene was much like the previous night. What could have brought him here this time?
“What is it now?”
“I just wanted to check how you were doing. I’m glad to see you didn’t push yourself today.”
“What would I even push myself for?”
Yusoha sipped her freshly brewed coffee as she answered.
“Orcs that can use mana… you said.”
“That’s right. It could be dangerous. I felt it when we fought them today. Those things aren’t ordinary. If stronger ones appear over there, you might have to step in.”
“That’s what I was hoping for.”
“……You’re reliable.”
“Don’t push yourself either. If you overdo it, you’ll eventually break. It’s fine to ask for help.”
“No. That’s not an option.”
Yusoha answered Eclipse’s words firmly.
“Asking for help is a last resort. I don’t want to consider it unless it’s absolutely necessary. Once you start relying on someone, it’s human nature to take it for granted.”
“Is that so.”
“Yeah. If you keep relying on others, you lose the strength to stand on your own. That’s how most people I’ve seen end up. I refuse to become like that. That’s also why I told you not to intervene unless it’s truly dangerous. If I keep depending on you even when I can handle things myself, I’ll eventually lose the ability to do anything on my own.”
“That makes sense. Still… if you ever feel like you’re truly about to break, it’s fine to lean on me then. That was the point of our contract, wasn’t it? I learn arrogance from you, and in return, I lend you my strength.”
“No matter how I look at it, that contract seems pretty one-sided in your favor… By the way, I’m not even sure if the way I act is actually helping you.”
“Arrogance? I’m learning it quite well. Though it does bring its share of worries.”
“What kind of worries?”
“Well. I’ll organize my thoughts and tell you later.”
“What’s with that?”
Eclipse changed the subject. Yusoha didn’t press him further.
“Anyway, if you ever need me, just say the word. I’ll help with all my heart.”
“What if I start bossing you around like crazy?”
“I know you’re not that kind of person.”
“……Hmph.”
When Yusoha let out a small snort, Eclipse added one more thing.
“You mentioned sensing a powerful energy before.”
“Yeah. I figured it was probably the gate’s core.”
“It’s possible that it has noticed my presence as well.”
“……What?”
“It didn’t seem ordinary.”
“How strong are we talking?”
A look of dismay crept across Yusoha’s face. If Eclipse was saying this much, the entity was likely absurdly powerful.
“It may be an opponent difficult for you all to handle. So if that time comes, I will definitely step forward.”
“……Haah. Got it. This is getting complicated.”
The crease between Yusoha’s brows deepened. Without thinking, Eclipse reached out and gently pressed on it with his fingers.
“……What are you doing?”
“If you keep frowning like that, you’ll get wrinkles. It won’t look good.”
“I know that. But why do you care?”
“Didn’t you say you value your appearance? It reminded me of something the princesses in my world used to say.”
“What did they say?”
“They’d complain to their maids that they’d gotten more wrinkles again.”
“Doesn’t sound all that different from here. What was your world like, anyway?”
“Well… if I had to compare it, it was similar to Earth’s Middle Ages. Or perhaps a bit further along than that.”
“Then not quite the modern era?”
“Nowhere near that developed. Just about that level. There were knights, princesses, kings, emperors…”
“So, was there anyone you had your eye on?”
“No. I didn’t have the time for that.”
“You said you pursued nobility, right?”
“Yes. I followed my master’s values without truly understanding them.”
“What values?”
“Saving people. That was all I knew. I couldn’t just stand by and watch someone die. I believed even the wicked had the right to live. But… in the end, it was all for nothing.”
Yusoha listened quietly to Eclipse’s story. She didn’t know why he was telling her this now. Eclipse himself couldn’t explain why he felt the need to share it with her. Perhaps it was simply because she looked so exhausted that he found himself wanting to speak of his own struggles.
“I pushed myself trying to follow my master’s values, and I failed. I did everything I could to save people, but others didn’t.”
“……I see.”
“Yes. So don’t push yourself. I know you strive for perfection, and I know how strong your pride is. But if you overdo it, you’ll break. That’s advice from someone who’s been there.”
“I know.”
“Knowing and doing are two different things.”
“……”
“When that happens, I’ll step in. Remember that.”
“Do whatever you want. It’s not like you’ll listen even if I try to stop you.”
“You’ve come to know me well.”
“This much is normal.”
Yusoha wore a smug smile.
“Anyway, since there doesn’t seem to be any other issues, I’ll be going now.”
“Sure.”
Yusoha gave him a small wave. Eclipse awkwardly waved back before leaving her room. The sight struck her as oddly funny, and she let out a soft laugh. Someday, when that helmet came off—what kind of face would he have underneath? Not just his appearance, but what expression he would wear… Yusoha found herself strangely curious about that.