Chapter 132: Chapter 136

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

After confirming the details with Yuyeong, Hans departed immediately.

The Orcs traditionally resided in the mountains. However, as he flew across the sky on his wyvern, Hans easily spotted something unexpected.

The Orcs, who had previously used the mountain passes and wyverns for travel, had descended to the ground.

Not only that, they had constructed a palisade, and even built rudimentary houses. It was a full-fledged settlement.

Hans tilted his head.

It had only been three months since he had passed the Warrior’s Festival. In that short time, the chieftain had changed, and they had built a village?

“I can’t believe they came down from the mountains and built a village.”

“Indeed...they usually adhere to their traditional ways.”

“We’ll have to speak with the chieftain.”

Changing one’s way of life was a difficult undertaking, especially for the Orcs, accustomed to living on the mountain slopes.

Yet, in such a short time, they had undergone a complete transformation.

Was this even possible?

Hans swallowed, a nervous lump forming in his throat, and descended on his wyvern. He and Helia landed without difficulty.

The Orcs, spotting them, rushed forward in greeting. The one who had conquered the Warrior’s Festival. They held his achievement in high regard.

Hans, upon arriving in the village, immediately surveyed his surroundings.

He couldn’t locate the Rusted Overlord.

Just then, someone approached.

“It’s been a while, Sir Hans!”

“...?”

She was an Orc, but unlike the others.

While typical Orcs were green-skinned, muscle-bound warriors, this one was a petite young girl.

She was far from muscular, her slender frame looked as though it might collapse at any moment.

Despite this, she wore a revealing outfit that barely concealed her breasts and genitals.

He questioned whether it could even be considered clothing. It looked like little more than scraps of animal hide stitched together.

She possessed the characteristic green skin of her kind, but her hair was black.

Her hair reached all the way to her ankles. This was due in part to its length, but also to her small stature.

[T/N: Oh boy... ]

Hans wracked his brain.

‘Have I met this girl before?’@@novelbin@@

No, that couldn’t be right. If he had, he would surely remember.

‘But she’s more than just a child.’

The moment she appeared, the atmosphere among the Orcs shifted.

‘Just like when I met the Rusted Overlord.’

In less than a second, Hans pieced together the clues. He concluded that this girl was the new chieftain.

It wasn’t an easy deduction. Who would imagine the leader of the Orcs to be such a young girl?

But Hans thought flexibly.

This was due to his experience as Commander, but also to his familiarity with fictional tropes. The frail young girl possessing incredible strength, the ancient, childlike sorceress. raɴỗᛒĚᶊ

“So, you’re the one who ousted the Rusted Overlord and became the new Orc chieftain.”

Thinking flexibly was a difficult skill to master. Even Helia, standing behind Hans, was stunned by his words.

Helia’s hands trembled.

Those who stood at the top were like this. Without any overt action, their words alone could subdue their opponents.

The only one who could withstand such pressure was someone of equal standing.

Her teacher.

Indeed, Hans had exchanged words with Sharaka as an equal. Perhaps sensing Helia’s distress, Hans stepped in front of her, as if to shield her.

Helia, feeling a sense of relief, composed herself.

Simply hearing those words imbued with power had been overwhelming. Such charisma was necessary to lead.

“Then, let’s hear the details.”

Hans himself was unaffected.

He was simply oblivious to such nuances. But more importantly, he felt protected by something else entirely.

Sharaka was impressed.

It had been a while since she had encountered someone so steadfast, so unmoved by her words. Worthy of the Royal Knights.

The warrior her father had acknowledged.

“To put it simply, we were defeated and lost half of our territory.”

“Defeated and lost your land?”

“Yes. The Orcs were nearly annihilated, but my father’s sacrifice allowed us to survive.”

“...”

She spoke of such devastating events with unnerving calmness.

The Orcs, led by the Rusted Overlord, defeated and driven back? From their mountain stronghold? How was that even possible?

“Were you fighting dragons or something?”

Hans’s words were laced with sarcasm, an incredulous exaggeration.

Yet, to his surprise, it was the truth.

Sharaka’s eyes widened.

“How did you know?”

“What?”

“Just as you said, we lost our land to a dragon.”

“Lost your land to a dragon?”

“That’s right! We were defeated and driven back!”

She admitted defeat without hesitation.

Defeated by a dragon? Was that even possible? Confusion flooded Hans’s mind. Dragons, the benevolent race. Attacking and seizing territory? Why? A demon-controlled dragon? No, that couldn’t be.

Countless possibilities clashed within his mind.

But Hans quickly reached a conclusion. Not everyone loved puppies or kittens.

Among the dragons, there were bound to be exceptions.

There was only one thing Hans could do.

“Tell me more about this dragon.”

He had to understand the problem and find a solution.

Quickly.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

[Translator Notes]