Chapter 151: Multi-Race Alliance 1
TL/Editor: Raei
Schedule: 5/Week Wed-Sun
Illustrations: Posted in discord.
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The border of the wasteland to the north was empty, and there were a few wandering goblins on the western road that Lily took care of.
There was another village nearby to the south that was expecting merchants, but according to the residents, they were later than usual.
So, what remained was the east, where it looked like something had been discovered earlier on the stream.
Grace, who returned the latest, plopped down on the inn table, her cheeks flushed.
The innkeeper quietly brought her a glass of water.
Haah-, ah, thank you.
Grace, who had been running quite far to find traces, took a sip of water and caught her breath.
Then she exhaled and started to smack her lips.
At least, it seems like I found some traces. Not of orcs, but of a pack of wolves. But since those who attacked us before rode wolves, it could be them.
"Yes, I haven't heard any stories about wolves in this village or the neighboring ones."
Indeed, orcs were orcs: they left many traces.
Even if they secretly fled to the west to avoid the knights, it seemed only the boss monster was smart; the orcs remained dim-witted.
After all, just watching them charge in line on wolves, dying one by one, made that clear.
Even goblins, when seeing their comrades die like that, would panic, shrieking in fear and losing all semblance of order.
But orcs, when their comrades died from hitting me, became angry and came at me in the same way.
About twenty of such creatures wandering around would undoubtedly leave plenty of traces.
Wolf footprints impressed upon the dry land, traces of shrubs and bushes having been hacked down, wolf fur stuck to tall grass, and excrement left on the ground.
It seems they moved northeast from this village. The traces are quite old, so there are breaks in between, but some of the marks were very clear.
So northeast means towards the wasteland again?
They might have allied with the orcs in the wasteland. If there is a smart one among them, they might try to unite the scattered orc tribes.
Everyone nodded in agreement to Katie's words.
Even if the creature wasn't one that popped out of the tower, the story was plausible.
The concept of the orc race itself seemed to be nomadic marauders with significantly lowered IQs.
A race that doesnt know how to farm, so they domesticate and ride wild beasts, living by pillaging and eating humans.
Whoever came up with this frame, it has a familiar taste, like a fear of the Mongols*.
Furthermore, barbaric tribes living in rough and barren environments, usually scattered, but uniting under a special leader is also a kind of clich.
Entities like Orc Lords or Orc Generals have been seen over and over again in novels and games, havent they?
"Yes, Katie's words make sense. These are the ones who fled from a place as comfortable and prosperous as the Obernu Forest to avoid the eyes of the Knights. They must be aiming for something."
"So, shall we go explore the northeast right away?"
"The sun will set soon, will it be okay? We can rest here for the rest of the day and explore in the morning."
Katie, who spoke out thinking that there must be something that the orcs are aiming for, immediately suggested pursuing them.
Maybe a bit excited due to a sense of duty and obligation as a noble and as an adventurer.
I asked for the opinions of the other members.
Every time they catch my slowly moving gaze, the members slightly nod.
Perhaps because victims have already emerged, their eyes are full of zeal.
"I'm not tired from exploring for just a few hours in terrain more comfortable than the tower. I'm fine, Roland."
"We only listened to the complaints of the villagers. Since there are people suffering, it would be best to hurry our steps."
"Uh, I dont mind either, since Roland carried me around"
-No one here would back out alone
-If we suggest to go and rest in this atmosphere, wont we be branded sociopaths lacking in humanity?
-If we rested, wed have gotten attacked by the stream lolol
-Seriously, if we found a clue, why not proceed, haha
-If the stream stopped here, I would've turned into Thanos and snapped
The compassion of a saint, the duty of a noble, the friendship that wants to find their companions, empathy for villagers threatened by monsters, and the need for quick progress to prevent the popularity of the stream from plummeting.
Various reasons gathered in one place and moved them.
"When the sun sets soon, we'll have to fight relying on Hannas light magic. Fortunately, the weather is clear, so it would be nice if the moonlight is bright."
"...Yeah, leave it to me!"
-A burden attached to the side vs. a dazzling performance as a light source.
-Just consider Han Se-ah as a walking spotlight...
-Isnt clatter-clatter better than plod-plod*
-Is Han Se-ah producing it? Pfft pfft, so erotic*.
[Chat deleted by mod]
"You, get out of here. Seriously, you went too far."
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Raei Translations
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The path we used to travel from Ertta to this small village was a narrow dirt road, just wide enough for a single carriage to pass.
The unpaved road, flanked by steep, tree-covered hills on both sides, looked like a prime spot for an ambush.
There were steep ridges covered with bushes on the left, and dense foliage spreading out on the right, making it a terrain where even the most ignorant orc could lie in wait.
However, while the terrain is ideal for hiding, it's also perfect for being tracked.
In the blue bushes, there were clear signs of forced passage, and the small bushes had broken stems or sharp claw marks.
On the barren hill, devoid of plants, wolf paw prints remained clearly visible.
"They crossed this ridge to scout and then turned back."
"Is it their strategy to attack when they spot someone from the highest hill?"
"They're riding wolves, so maybe they're using scent to track."
Thanks to the very clear traces left behind, we, who knew the path the creatures had taken, followed their footsteps over the hill.
According to Grace's analysis, this group was slightly smaller than the one that got trashed by me last time, with around ten members.
If they travel in packs of about twenty near small cities, and around ten near small villages, is this also calculated and organized by their leader?
"Roland? There are bloodstains here."
"Villagers?"
"Judging from the wreckage of the carriage, it might be a small group of peddlers. But something seems off."
After crossing a few hills, the sharp, rancid smell of blood wafted towards us.
Descending from a hill, we saw a small carriage, shattered and collapsed, and a horse carcass at a crossroad leading to another village.
The horse's carcass was gruesomely torn, its hide ripped and shredded, perhaps devoured by wolves, and its head was rolling in the distant bushes in a horrible state.
The carriage seemed more like a pile of lumber than a carriage, as if it had been axed with the intention of making firewood.
Meanwhile, Grace, undisturbed by the sight, stepped over the horse corpse and poked at the shattered carriage debris with her toe.
"What's up?"
"... There are no human corpses. Look, there's no cargo that should be in the wagon either."
"So, the orcs didn't just loot the goods, they also kidnapped the people?"
"Like that lady knight back then?"
Katie mentioned the lady knight we had rescued last time in response to Grace's words.
Katie, scratching her cheek, began to explain about the strange behavior of the orcs to Lily, who looked at her full of questions.
Orcs appearing on the 20th floor of the tower exhibited peculiar behavior, such as kidnapping a lady knight and seemingly targeting nobles.
These creatures seemed to have escaped from the Obernu Forest, avoided the eyes of the knights, and appeared to be heading west.
"To be honest, it's a pretty far-fetched story."
"Right? I found it hard to believe at first too. I never expected a knight to be imprisoned under the hut of an orc shaman."
"Well, I can't accuse you guys, who are helping me, of lying... But what is it that these guys want?"
"We'll find out once we catch them."
This time, it was not a knight but villagers that the orcs had kidnapped.
They had taken people and even killed horses and destroyed a carriage, leaving more intense traces behind.
"The bloody wolf tracks continue in this direction. They came from that direction and then headed this way."
"The bloodied wolf fur left blatantly in the bushes makes it easy to track."
-Man, aren't these orcs too obvious about being orcs?
-They're scary face-to-face, but following them, they seem so dumb.
-Meeting them at a low level, they're like a newbie slicer with sturdy equipment and high strength
-Newbie slicers are usually equipped with combat power measurement devices for mid-level and below*
-Even a villager could track this, lol.
There weren't specific traces of humans being carried on the wolves, but the wolves, after feasting on two horses without cleaning up, had passed through the underbrush.
The broken underbrush and the wolf fur soaked in blood, scattered everywhere, were as clear as a painted cat's paw prints.
The direction?
Unsurprisingly, towards the boundary of the wastelands.
"The blood of the horses hasn't even dried yet. It seems like less than half a day has passed."
"Hmm, even if we catch up and find them, we'll have to hold back until we find their main base."
"That's right. Eradicating the evil in front of us is not as important as eliminating the source. That's how we ensure the safety of the villagers."
Following the wolf tracks and crossing another hill, a small dust cloud is visible in the distance.
It seems the wolves were feasting while the orcs took a break.
They were just in front of us all along.
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