Chapter 74: Chiefdom (1)
Hammerchwi was speechless at the unexpected sight.
With a ferocious look, the gnome said, “Do you not have basic manners?! You need to knock first before opening the door!”
Hammerchwi didn’t know how to respond to the gnome jumping up and down and shouting in front of him. He was an old soldier who had defeated terrifying enemies, not an old man used to handling a fussy child.
The chieftain’s warrior behind him stepped forward and said, “If you don’t want to die, shut that mouth, little kid.”
“What?!" The gnome strutted forward. “Hey, you big orc dude, I must have heard it wrong...”
“I said shut up, little kid.”
Sparks flew as their eyes met.
“Maybe you will come to your senses after a stern scolding,” said Tiyo.
“That's what I want to say,” replied the warrior.
The two growled at each other. The gnome raised the long gun on his shoulder and was about to have a face-off with the warrior when someone in a corner of the tent stood up. Hammerchwi hadn’t noticed him before because he had been distracted by the gnome, but once the guy moved, his massive body filled up the tent. He was an orc with tattoos running all over his green skin like blood vessels.
Hammerchwi’s eyes grew wide at the sight of the tattoos. ‘Someone still has tattoos like that.’
“What’s going on?” asked the tattooed orc.
Hammerchwi’s heart thumped with anticipation as he looked into the tattooed orc’s calm eyes. This orc was definitely not a normal guy. Hammerchwi’s lips curved upward in excitement.
“Are you the one who injured Chief Kapur?” asked Hammerchwi.
“Yes,” the orc replied without hesitation.
“For what reason—” asked Hammerchwi.
The orc cut him off and said, “Let’s talk outside.”
Most warriors would have gotten angry, but Hammerchwi didn’t mind.
“Understood,” he replied.
As fellow orcs and warriors, they had to face each other under the sun. Interrogating the tattooed orc inside the tent wasn’t the best way to get to know him.
“Let’s back off,” said Hammerchwi.
Hammerchwi and the chieftain’s warriors went outside and backed away from the tent. Then the tattooed orc stepped outside, revealing his massive physique. He was accompanied by the little gnome. Although the orc was smaller in stature compared to Chief Kapur, his bulging muscles throbbed with vigor. Additionally, the hilt of the greatsword on his back had been worn down until it was smooth. He was an orc formed from countless battles.
The tattooed orc wore a calm expression even though he was greatly outnumbered.
Hammerchwi looked into the orc’s eyes and said, “So, I will ask again, did you hurt Chief Kapur—”
“I’m...” the tattooed orc cut off Hammerchwi again, “...orc warrior, Crockta. Stay alive.”
Then he extended his fist toward Hammerchwi.
“...!”
“How dare you!” One of the chieftain’s warriors came forward and raised his weapon at Crockta. “How dare you cut off Hammerchwi when he’s speaking?!”
The warrior was ready to charge any minute, but Hammerchwi stopped him.
“...Hammerchwi?” said the warrior.
Hammerchwi didn’t respond and instead made a strange face as he looked at the young tattooed orc in front of him. He wore an expression of pleasure and disbelief.
Then Hammerchwi burst into laughter, “Hahahahahahahahah!”
His laughter rang throughout the entire village. The warrior looked at him, dumbfounded. Hammerchwi tapped on his shoulder and gestured at him to step back.
“Hahahaha! Yes, that’s right. This is how it should be,” Hammerchwi said before taking a step forward and bumping fists with the tattooed orc. Then he said, “I’m the envoy of the chieftain leading the chiefdom. I'm the one who relays the chieftain's message, the great warrior Hammerchwi! Are you alive?!”
It was natural for a warrior to introduce oneself to another warrior. This tattooed orc wasn’t the kind of orc who would change his attitude just because Hammerchwi had a high position and many subordinates with him. This orc understood that Hammerchwi was just another warrior. Hammerchwi himself had forgotten this important truth. How long had it been since he had heard that greeting? The two orcs exchanged glances and then withdrew their fists.
“So, I ask again, did you hurt Chief Kapur?” asked Hammerchwi.
“Yes,” replied Crockta.
“With what intention?”
“I was just defending myself because he attacked first. I didn’t have other intentions.”
“Hmm.”
‘This guy...’ Hammerchwi looked at Kapur, who stood far away from them.
Kapur shook his head and made a disheartened expression as if he had been wronged. Kapur had a huge build that was rare even in other regions, and he dominated the wastelands with the strength he had been endowed with at birth. Although there wasn’t much in this wasteland, no one could defeat him in this area. If Kapur were equipped with equipment, then he would be able to fight on par with one of the chieftain’s warriors.
If the tattooed orc could make even Kapur act that cowardly, then just how severely had he treated Kapur?
Hammerchwi said with a laugh, “According to Kapur, you tried to take over the chief position and attacked in a cowardly manner.”
Crockta smiled back. “It’s a lie.”
“Well, even if you say so, I don’t know who is right or wrong.” Hammerchwi pretended to be lost in thought as he caressed his chin. “Then let’s see... Since there’s no way to know who is right... Let’s...”
Then he grinned. Hammerchwi had an expression of curious excitement that didn’t fit his wrinkled face. “Why don’t we decide what is right and wrong with a duel like real orcs?”
He tapped on the hammer that he was carrying on his back. As befits his name, Hammerchwi was a warrior who swung a hammer in battle.
“I will take you on since Kapur is not in a state fit to battle,” Hammerchwi said.
However, everyone knew Hammerchwi was making an excuse because he wanted to duel with Crockta.
Crockta burst into laughter.
The chieftain’s warriors, on the other hand, tried to stop Hammerchwi.
“No.”
“He is not worthy of you, Hammerchwi.”
“Please hold back, sir.”
Hammerchwi furrowed his eyebrows. “Are you guys ignoring me because I’m old?”
“Not at all, sir. How dare we? But remember what the chieftain asked of you?”
“We can just keep it a secret from him," Hammerchwi replied.
“We can’t...”
“Hmm... You guys are spoiling the fun. Fine, just stay loyal to the chieftain.”
“Hammerchwi!”
“I’m just joking.”
Then Hammerchwi said to Crockta, “It’s a pity, but I don’t think I can duel with you after all. These guys are acting like my nanny. They look down on me because I’m old.”
“It seems like they are respecting you, not ignoring you,” Crockta remarked.
“Hahaha, you do sometimes say agreeable things.”
Hammerchwi grabbed the shoulder of Zeulta, one of the chieftain’s warriors who was standing behind him, and pulled him forward. “This guy will face you instead. He’s the most decent one out of them all. Say hi, Zeulta.”
Zeula didn’t seem fond of the idea, but he greeted Crockta at Hammerchwi’s insistence. He was the warrior who had opened up the tent and had a tense encounter with Tiyo.
“I’m a warrior of the chiefdom, Zeulta.”
“I’m warrior Crockta.”
Hammerchwi clapped. “So, Crockta, you don’t have any complaints, right?”
“It seems like I have no choice,” replied Crockta.
Crockta looked at the chieftain’s warriors glaring at him with murderous intent and smiled bitterly.
Tiyo slapped Crockta’s thigh. “Will you be okay? That orc looks really tough.”
“Do you think I will lose, Tiyo?” asked Crockta.
Tiyo shook his head. “No, I'm just worried that his scary face will become even scarier after getting beaten up by you.”
Crockta couldn’t help but laugh at what Tiyo said. Even Hammerchwi seemed to be stifling his laughter.
Zeulta’s lips twitched. “This guy... You are next after this guy, little kid.”
“Yeah, I will straighten out your face after Crockta crushes it. I will slap your face and flatten it back out, so don’t worry!”
Even the chieftain’s warriors chuckled at what Tiyo said.
Zeulta shook his head dejectedly and asked Crockta, “Is your friend always so bold?”
“He’s fearless," stated Crockta.
He pulled out his Ogre Slayer as Zeulta grabbed his double-headed axe.
“It seems like you are just as fearless as him,” said Crockta with a grin.
Zeulta grinned back and replied, “You guys are two peas in a pod."
Hammerchwi and the chieftain's warriors retreated to make space for the two of them. Simultaneously, the Kapur Tribe members began to gather one by one to watch the sudden duel. Kapur looked nervous. He had shown a cowardly side while lying. If that tattooed orc were to be acknowledged by the chieftain's warriors, then Kapur's situation would worsen. Kapur cheered for Zeulta inwardly.
Crockta and Zeulta got into position opposite each other and started the fight. The sound of their weapons colliding rang throughout the entire village. After they got a sense of each other, their brawl intensified, and the sound of the weapons grew louder. Sparks flew from the weapons’ friction, and it seemed like their blades would fall off.
Crockta thrust his greatsword downward, and Zeulta blocked it with his axe. Their battle continued as veins popped out on their faces.
“Such... strength...!” Zeulta muttered under his breath.
Although Zeulta would have normally taken advantage of his double-headed weapon to target his enemy’s weakness, this unfamiliar orc was different. Each of the tattooed orc’s strikes had deadly force, so Zeulta felt like his body could split in two at any moment if he made a half-hearted move. Moreover, the orc grinned at Zeulta each time their eyes met.
Zeulta, whose pride was hurt, shouted at the top of his lungs, “Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
The frightening roar gave everyone goosebumps. It was the battle cry of the chiefdom warrior Zeulta, who drowned his enemies in fear on the battlefield!
Zeulta displayed incredible strength as he swung at Crockta with his double-headed axe, but he was blocked by the greatsword.
“Ugh!” Zeulta groaned.
Although the fight continued, Zeulta didn’t see a clear way that he could win. He realized his opponent was continuing the battle to assess his strength. His opponent wanted to know what the strength of the chiefdom warriors was like, and he had the leeway to do so.
“How dare you?!” Zeulta unleashed a strike of anger that put himself at risk.
Be it Zeulta or his opponent, this was a showdown where one of them would get hurt. So, Zeulta decided to settle the match instead of dragging it on.
However, to Zeulta’s surprise, what ended up flying in the air was his double-headed axe. Crockta’s greatsword touched his throat. It was Zeulta’s loss.
The Kapur Tribe warriors who had been watching the duel began clapping.
“It was a great battle.”
“It was close.”
On the other hand, Hammerchwi and the warriors from the chiefdom were frozen. They knew this battle had not been a close call. That orc Crockta had played with Zeulta. He could have ended the battle at any moment, but he had carried on the battle to assess Zeulta’s abilities. Then when Zeulta charged at him in anger, Crockta had restrained him with ease. Zeulta was the leader of the chiefdom warriors that Hammerchwi led, and he was the strongest among them. This meant that the level of the young tattooed orc’s skills was close to that of the great warrior Hammerchwi.
Hammerchwi, who had been standing still, joined in the applause. “Amazing.”
He patted the dejected Zeulta’s head and stepped forward.
“Your fighting method is uncommon in orcs these days. It’s very refined. Who did you learn from?” asked Hammerchwi.
“From great warriors,” replied Crockta.
“Great warriors...” Hammerchwi laughed again.
‘I like this guy,’ thought Hammerchwi.
In an era where no one gave warriors accolades of greatness, where had a warrior like this emerged from? It was an era where warriors were celebrated and measured for how strong they were, by how many they had killed and how much they had looted. This was the land of orcs where orcs tried to become strong rather than great. They were more interested in killing than leaving notable achievements.
“I’m curious. Where are you from?” asked Hammerchwi.
Crockta gave his answer.
***
To welcome Hamerchwi and his warriors from the chiefdom, the Kapur Tribe held a feast in the public square where the fight had occurred. The tribe killed several karuks for the feast. They lit a huge fire in the center, and all of the orcs sat around it and enjoyed alcohol and meat.
“What an amazing place,” commented Hammerchwi from across Crockta.
Hammerchwi initially thought Crockta had been joking when he said he had crossed the southern boundary, but he had come to believe Crockta’s story after talking further with him. The place Crockta came from sounded like paradise. It was a place where orcs followed the oath of the warrior, and different species lived together without fighting.
“I heard you are looking for the Temple of the Fallen God,” said Hammerchwi.
“Yes,” Crockta replied.
“Hmm...” Hammerchwi caressed his chin.
The area where the temple was located wasn’t orc territory, so Crockta would have to risk getting into conflicts to get there. Nevertheless, conflicts didn’t always have to be avoided.
“Crockta,” said Hammerchwi.
“Yes.”
“Won’t you become a warrior of the chiefdom?” asked Hammerchwi.
The warriors who had been listening in on their conversation leaned in closer upon hearing Hammerchwi’s offer. Crockta had the skills—no, he was beyond qualified. With the chieftain’s tendency to give special treatment to the strong, Crockta could rise to a position higher than a regular warrior. The warriors welcomed the prospect of having another strong warrior join them. Although there had been the fight earlier, their enemies were not fellow orcs but wicked humans and dark elves.
“If you become one of the chieftain’s warriors, we will help you get to the Temple of the Fallen God,” stated Hammerchwi.
“How?” asked Crockta.
Hammerchwi tapped on his hammer several times and grinned. “Through war.”
He was a militant northern orc after all.
Hammerchwi continued, “After we slaughter all of the dark elves there, we will take all of their supplies and help you reach the Temple of the Fallen God.”
The warriors raised their glasses at Hammerchwi’s words.
“For the chiefdom!”
“For the orcs!”
Then, they all downed their drinks at the same time. The Kapur Tribe members followed suit and gulped down their drinks.
“The chiefdom will enter a war soon. That’s the chieftain’s decision. Crockta, if you join us, we can crush them even more easily. Then we will help you get anywhere you wish to go in the north.” Hammerchwi’s voice was filled with sincerity.
He genuinely wanted Crockta to join them. Hammerchwi was certain Crockta would become a great warrior and perhaps something even greater.
“I will think about it. I’m not alone.” Crockta gestured to a spot nearby.
A small drunken gnome was firing iridescent magic lights into the sky as orc children cheered around him. Tiyo was always so energetic.
Tiyo, drunk on liquor and the lively atmosphere, began singing, “We are the gnome guards who protect beautiful Quantes~! We live each day to the fullest~! While braving through the sea of blood of monsters~!”
It was the song of the gnome garrison, but the young orcs awkwardly sang along with him, and Tiyo continued to fire iridescent magic lights that filled the sky.
“Hmph!” The chieftain warrior, Zeulta, who had been watching Tiyo, got up.
He pointed his finger at Tiyo and exclaimed, “As expected, gnomes’ songs are terrible!”
“What did you say?!” shouted Tiyo.
“Listen, little kid! The song of real men goes like this!” Zeulta said. Then he started singing at the top of his lungs, “Stretching both legs~! After~! A successful~! Loot~!”
It was the song of northern orcs. Although the lyrics were crass, Zeulta’s tone resonated with strength. But it wasn’t enough. Although the song had spirit, it fell short according to Crockta’s standards.
“Ha...” muttered Crockta. ‘These northern orcs don’t know what a real warrior is like.’
Brimming with a sense of duty, Crockta rose from his seat. He needed to spread the voice of real warriors. He should show this wasteland what a true warrior was like!
Crockta imbued his voice with his Essence-tier skill, Army Crushing Roar, as he sang the lyrics, “We are orcs! Strong orrrrrrrcccccccccssssssss!”
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