“!”
At Ian’s calm voice, all members of the Hidden Dragon unit concealed themselves in the grass, carefully observing the movements ahead.
Crunch, crunch!
The sound of footsteps, slightly thicker and heavier than a human’s, approached.
Two orcs, each carrying massive axes and blades across their shoulders, walked slowly toward them.
The number was two.
They were likely coming to relieve the orcs that had already been dealt with.
Munch, munch!
Whatever they were eating seemed delicious, as the sounds of constant chewing echoed from deep within their large molars.
The Hidden Dragon members, observing the approaching orcs from afar, did not relax.
But as their eyes fell upon the orcs’ mouths, tension gradually gave way to anger.
Through the molars of one of the walking orcs, a small shape was visible.
It was unmistakably a human arm.
A child’s arm, not yet fully grown, swung lifelessly with the movement of the orc’s jaw.
It was probably the arm of a village child burned in the attack by the Red Molar tribe.
“…These damned sons of bitches…”
Ralph, tense from the Red Molar extermination mission, muttered in rage.
Though these individuals were often troublemakers within the Richtenauer clan, there was no denying that they were still members of the Richtenauer family.
Seeing the citizens of the Asran Kingdom—protected by their clan—reduced to mere meals for orcs, no one could remain calm.
Observing their rising anger, Ian silently nodded to himself.
Excessive rage could be poison, but controlled anger could heighten combat intensity.
“Ralph, Ryu’an. When I give the signal, ambush them.”
“Understood.”
“Do that.”
After giving the brief order to the vanguard, Ian’s gaze shifted to Helena.
“Helena. Support Ralph and Ryu’an with your arrows. After the battle, check their physical condition as well.”
“Yes, sir! And you, Captain…?”
Helena, clearly angry at the orcs as well, bit her lip and gripped her bow tightly despite her nervousness.
“Once we deal with these guys, the orcs will sense something is off. Be prepared. Dane and Cilia, come with me.”
As Ian issued his command, the orcs’ footsteps abruptly halted.
…Sniff, sniff!
The orcs, their ugly noses flaring, sensed something strange. They tightened their grip on their weapons and readjusted their stance.
“Chiiik! Smells of kin’s blood!”
“Kuuruk, the tracks are gone!”
They had probably detected the scent of fallen comrades’ blood.
With the element of surprise gone, prolonging the standoff would only be disadvantageous.
“Ryu’an, Ralph. Go.”
Ian calmly instructed them as he watched the two orcs on alert.
“You filthy pig bastards! I’ll smash your skulls!”
“Ralph, quiet. This is enemy territory.”
Ralph charged forward, fueled by excitement, while Ryu’an quietly burned with controlled rage.
Ian emphasized once more to Helena.
“Helena. Support them properly. They might not be able to face the orcs head-on on their own.”
“Yes!”
Leaving the two and Helena behind, Ian turned to Dane and Cilia.
“We move as well.”
“Is it okay if we don’t support them?” Dane asked, glancing at the battlefield.
Ralph and Ryu’an had begun fighting the orcs with their massive halberds and broadswords.
Though talented even within the clan, they were not yet at a level to instantly take down orcs.
Dane assumed they would need Helena’s support to handle the orcs, but Ian responded coldly.
“They’re not idiots who’ll die that easily. Besides, if these two can’t handle them, defeating the entire tribe is impossible. It’d be like walking straight into suicide, just as you said.”
“Is there any plan, then?”
Their opponents were orcs reigning over the Fire Mountain.
Without a strategy, a frontal assault would never succeed.
Swish…
At Dane’s question, Ian turned his gaze to the valley formed not far away.
“Ruling as a Dominator is sometimes a curse. They think no one can threaten them.”
Even he, who had once dominated the northern continent of Krohoka, had been blindsided by Siegfried and lost everything due to a single lapse.
And among orcs, now addicted to the intoxicating thrill of absolute domination, their vision would be even narrower.
“Let’s sweep them all at once. For that, I’ll need both of you.”
“Chiiik!”
Kraaang!
Ralph’s halberd met the thick blade of the orc.
“Ugrgrgrgh!”
Gritting his teeth, Ralph blocked the attack, but the deep groove his foot sank into caused him to slide back.
True to orc nature, even at just one year old, they could wield the strength of two or three grown humans.
Being in charge of the tribe’s guard meant they were respected warriors within their tribe.
Even Ralph, unmatched in strength among his peers, could not overpower a fully grown orc.
If not for Cilia’s supporting arrows from afar, the fight might already have been lost.
Yet even with assistance, Ralph facing an orc one-on-one at his age was proof of his talent.
But all assumptions were meaningless here.
Lose now, and Ralph’s shining talent would vanish into the orc’s maw.
“Chiiik! Human! I’ll make you lunch for the guard!”
“You… pig-headed bastard…”
Ralph ground his teeth.
It had been ages since he had been purely overpowered.
Clench!
‘If only I could freely use my Aura…!’
He would not have been pushed back by such a pig-headed brute.
He could have sliced that crude blade and taken the orc’s life.
And all you can do is blame others and the situation? Pathetic.
The thought brought back the words of Master Lee, who had beaten him like a dog yesterday.
‘Damn it! What do you expect me to do?’
Even his divine power, which shone as a talent, was diminished against an orc.
Without Aura, how could he handle this creature alone?
‘…Wait. How did Master Lee beat me back then?’
Lee had been weaker and smaller, yet he didn’t just defeat him—he toyed with him.
How… exactly?
‘Ah… right…’
So slow, you wouldn’t even catch a fly.
He had smoothly deflected Lee’s attack and countered with his knee joint.
Even in the heat of battle, he recalled Ian’s movements as if entranced.
“Chiiik! Human, you’ve decided to be lunch! I’ll make it painless!”
Seeing Ralph, the orc swung its blade arrogantly.
Orc combat was simple: the stronger and bigger one wins.
The victor devours the loser.
Humans, being weaker, were naturally prey.
Even the human before them was no exception.
Stronger than most, yes—but only slightly.
The more he resisted, the fresher the meal for the orc.
The orc’s blade descended toward Ralph’s head.
Using his long staff to block was reaching its limit.
The orc was confident in victory.
Just before the blade touched Ralph’s head…
Kaaang!
Ralph’s halberd met the orc’s blade.
A clash like any other—yet different.
Screeeeech!
The orc’s blade slid down Ralph’s angled halberd, sparking and veering sideways.
Perhaps crushed by its own weight, the halberd’s shaft fell instantly.
The massive blade, by contrast, thrust upward.
With the weapons now distant, a wide space opened between them.
Through it, the orc’s head was exposed.
Ralph was no fool to miss such an opening.
“Chiiik?! Wait…!”
The orc sensed something was wrong, trying to speak, but…
…Kuuuuk!
Ralph had no reason to wait.
Bwaaah!
The halberd’s blade tore through the air and struck downward.
And it did not merely cut the air.
Krazik!
The orc’s head split in two, blood spraying, and its body collapsed.
Kuuung!
“Huff… huff…”
Ralph panted heavily.
He had won.
Against an orc warrior, without even using Aura.
“…Damn. Still, I won’t say thanks.”
Last night’s beating from Ian still throbbed faintly, making genuine gratitude impossible.
Ryu’an’s battle unfolded differently.
Swaaaack!
A strand of his hair, cut by the orc’s axe, flew in the wind.
As a Palchion swordsman, Ryu’an specialized in taunting rigid combat styles like the orcs’ with fluid maneuvers.
But instead, he met the orc’s axe and sword head-on.
Kraaang!
The clash of metal rang in their ears.
“Chiiik! Human, stronger than you look! Tasty!”
The orc licked its lips at Ryu’an’s resistance.
His muscular body, honed through martial training, was unmatched by ordinary humans.
While the orc rejoiced at a rare meal, Ryu’an stayed cold and recalled Ian’s words.
A sword ends in a few precise strikes. You train your blade with movement and change, so mistakes are natural.
‘Annoying, but true.’
The sword was light, swift, and precise.
It could mock an opponent’s attacks but was too light to deal fatal damage.
Thus, stabs predominated to overcome the sword’s thinness and strike vital points.
But a broadsword was different.
Its attacks were slashes, slow but capable of disabling an opponent with a single blow.
That was why Ryu’an was so captivated by it.
Ironically, Ralph mastered reversing his opponent’s strength with Ian, while Ryu’an, a master swordsman, repeatedly clashed crudely with orcs.
The standoff continued until Ralph felled an orc with his halberd, creating cracks in the enemy line.
“Chiiik! Stop falling, human!”
Vwoooom!
The orc’s hurried movements left its chest exposed.
‘…Now!’
Ryu’an’s eyes flashed.
This was the moment to strike, as Ian had instructed.
Kuuuuuuk!
Ryu’an gathered his leg strength and surged forward.
Closing in on the orc, he slashed diagonally upward with his broadsword toward its exposed chest.
Shing!
A single slicing sound.
Fwahhh!
Blood sprayed from the orc’s chest onto Ryu’an’s face.
“…Huuu.”
He had defeated the orc.
Not as a Palchion swordsman, but as a broadsword master.
“…I hate to admit it, but you were right, Captain.”
Ryu’an looked at his legs.
The lower body, operated like a sword master’s technique, now flexed explosively, causing unfamiliar muscles to twitch.
Rustle…
Helena, who had been supporting Ralph and Ryu’an with arrows, cautiously peeked out of the grass.
Once she confirmed the orcs were down, she approached them slowly.
“…Heal.”
Wuuuuuuuh!
Holy light flowed from Helena’s hands, revitalizing their weary bodies.
“U-um…”
“Yes? What is it?”
Receiving her healing, Ralph and Ryu’an asked.
“C-Captain… told us to follow immediately after it’s over…”
Helena’s careful reply allowed them to finally notice their surroundings after being consumed by battle.
“…Right, orcs aren’t complete idiots. More will come soon.”
Unlike Helena’s ambush or Ian’s clean strikes, the two had fought noisily and openly.
Some orcs in the tribe’s village may have sensed something amiss.
“Even with just two this strong, how do we face an entire tribe?”
“Let’s go for now. Captain must have a plan.”
Once Helena finished healing, the three began moving slowly, following Ian’s orders.
Unnoticed, they had begun instinctively accepting Ian’s command as natural.
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