"I'll risk my life to protect this orc."
"Now, now, I told you not to. What's important is your safety."
"Yes!"
Yuri gave a broad smile, then led the other two knights away from the area.
Gradually, the sound of explosions and clashing weapons was fading.
"Let's hurry."
As they kept walking, the expressions of the remaining two knights, Guinness and Dyke, grew increasingly odd.
Perhaps it was because he had given Simon too much attention. The two seemed to harbor jealousy and a sense of rivalry.
Yuri clicked his tongue.
Why were grown men, already of age, acting this way toward an eighteen-year-old boy?
Still, he didn't want to blame them. After all, they were risking their lives on the battlefield—perhaps they needed something to give it meaning.
Yuri opened his mouth.
"You two."
The moment he spoke, both of them looked at him with expectant eyes.
But Yuri wasn't thoughtless enough to offer praise the same way he had with Simon.
Every person needed to be treated in a manner befitting them.
Yuri spoke in a sharp tone.
"Already tired? Are you panting now? You think this is a training ground?"
"Th-that's…"
"Honestly…"
Their faces darkened rapidly.
Their steps grew gloomy and sluggish.
"Here."
Yuri suddenly stopped and handed over the pouch hanging at his waist.
It was a water pouch.
The two of them looked at Yuri.
Without looking at them, Yuri stared straight ahead and said,
"I-it's not like I'm giving this to you because I'm worried or anything."
To someone like Simon, who was often scorned for being an illegitimate child, Yuri had to be the 'kind older brother'. But for these young lords who had always had everything, he had to be the 'man they wanted to become'.
They stared blankly at Yuri for a moment before finally accepting the canteen.
"Th-thank you."
"Hmph. Nothing to thank me for. Just giving away what's left."
"Yes…"
"I'm only a little worried about you two."
"Sorry?"
Not not worried, but only a little?
Something flickered in their eyes.
As soon as they drank the water, Yuri smacked them on the back. One of them choked and started coughing.
"If you're back in your right mind, then move!"
"Yes!"
"Ugh, yes!"
Yuri ran off, heading for the nearest clash.
Three knights were facing off against an orc.
Without hesitation, he jumped in and swung his sword. The orc, startled, backed off.
"What are you waiting for? Get over here!"
"Yes!"
"Trap it!"
Guinness and Dyke quickly joined the fray.
Six knights surrounded the orc. It had no chance to resist and was cut down mercilessly.
"Numbers always win. Beat it down. Everyone, follow me."
"Yes!"
Yuri led the group of knights, moving from skirmish to skirmish, lynching orcs in turn.
Explosions still occurred occasionally, but thanks to the fireproof cannons, the damage was minimal.
"Whew…"
Yuri wiped the sweat from his forehead.
The outcome was satisfying.
Without the fireproof cannons, and if the knights hadn't been on standby, the provisions meant for Balshad would have gone up in flames.
"Remove the dead. Bring the living ones to my tent."
"Understood."
Grabbing his sore shoulder, Yuri returned to the camp.
There, Ernando was warming himself by the fire. He waved when he saw Yuri.
"Did everything go well?"
"Of course."
"Are you hurt?"
"My shoulder."
"Come here."
Healing magic activated in Ernando's hand.
"The shoulder's a spot that gets injured easily. You should always stretch it properly. Do you do rotator cuff exercises?"
"I just got hit by an orc."
"Jeez. You're getting beat up out there?"
"You little…"
"There we go."
Once Ernando removed his hand, Yuri rolled his shoulder.
The pain had vanished like a lie. He was better than most clerics.
"Where's Cory?"
"I sent him on an errand. Oh, there he is."
Cory came waddling over, carrying something.
"Sir Ernando, I brought it!"
"Good job."
It was a large wooden chair.
The backrest and armrests were carved with the heads of beasts, and dark leather was wrapped around it. It looked like something a bandit leader would use to show off their power.
"A commander must possess dignity, after all."
Cory placed the chair behind Yuri.
"Where'd you get it?"
"I didn't get it. One of the soldiers used to be a carpenter, so I asked him to make it."
"Seriously…"
Yuri sat on the chair without hesitation.
"Well done."
"Hehehe…"
The backrest was so tall, it more than supported Yuri's body.
The sensation of the leather wrapping around his back wasn't bad at all.
With his arms on the rests, Yuri waited leisurely.
Soon, orcs were dragged over.
Some still had the strength to resist, but after getting kicked by the knights, they quieted down.
The ones who couldn't even move in front of an orc back at Jaime's castle had grown quite a lot.
Yuri smiled in satisfaction.
He ordered Orcbal to be brought last.
"Make them kneel, one by one."
"Yes!"
One orc was thrown to the ground in front of Yuri.
Surrounded by knights, the orc sat in front of the campfire, growling at Yuri.
"Cory, translate my words."
"Yes."
"Who ordered the ambush?"
Cory asked in Orc Language.
The orc's gaze, lying on the ground, fixed on Cory. Its face twisted with rage.
The orc shouted in a coarse voice.
Cory flinched instinctively.
"What's he saying?"
"Um…"
"Threats, right?"
Of course.
He was most likely threatening Cory, the half-orc who spoke Orc Language.
Yuri stood up from his seat.
"Prince?"
Raymond, standing beside him, called out. Yuri didn't respond and walked toward the orc.
He wasn't planning to drag this out.
Torturing a regular orc was just a means to instill fear in Orcbal.
"What, what should I tell him?"
"Forget it."
The orc that had threatened Cory was the long-haired one. Yuri grabbed the creature by the hair.
He shoved its face into the campfire.
A terrible scream rang out.
Yuri didn't let go until the orc's face had melted.
As it thrashed its limbs, he dislocated both its shoulders.
"GYAAAGH!"
Open its mouth, and the flames rushed in.
Even its scream crumbled, consumed by fire. Its vocal cords must have burned up. The orc trembled violently, then went limp.
Yuri dropped it to the ground.
It wasn't completely dead. Its face was a melted ruin, but its heart was still beating.
"Take it away."
Yuri nodded his chin.
The knights hesitated, but Jared stepped forward and dragged the orc away.
"Next one."
Yuri gestured toward the orc group and returned to his seat.
Silence fell.
That chair, which had seemed almost silly just moments ago, now exuded terror.
The knights tensed in the face of Yuri's unexpected brutality.
Another orc was thrown in front of him.
"Cory. Ask the same question as before."
"Y-yes."
Cory repeated his earlier words.
This time, the orc didn't curse immediately like the last one. It simply clenched its teeth and glared at Yuri.
Yuri stood up once more.
The orc finally tried to say something.
"Prince, that orc says—"
"Forget it."
Yuri waved his hand, and Cory went silent.
"These creatures only get one chance."
Yuri held no sympathy for the orcs.
The orcs were hostile to all living beings by nature. They weren't simply another race with a different culture, but rather, a blight corrupting the world.
As Yuri approached, the orc dragged its broken leg and lunged at him.
Yuri swung Guilty and severed the creature's wrist. The severed hand flew through the air.
He kicked its body, knocking it into the campfire.
Flames engulfed the orc's body.
As it flailed about, ashes scattered, and sparks flew. Yuri pulled a dagger from his coat and drove it straight into the creature's torso.
It was the Four Wheel Blade retrieved by Guillermo—among them, the Water Spirit Sword, infused with the essence of water.
The water energy protected both Yuri's and the orc's hands. The fire burning the orc died down, and steam rose in thick clouds.
Yuri pulled the orc out from the flames. Its body, twisted and oozing from severe burns, was grotesque.
"Ugh, disgusting."
Yuri dragged the creature and tossed it down beside the first orc he had thrown down. The two orcs crawled on the ground, half-dead.
"Next."
Yuri returned to his chair. The atmosphere had grown more solemn than ever before.
Surrounded by a silent order of knights, another orc was brought to its knees before Yuri.
Yuri motioned with his hand.
Cory repeated the question. The orc replied.
"He says he doesn't know."
"Doesn't know?"
"Yes. Should I press him further?"
Yuri counted how many orc prisoners remained. Including Orcbal, there were two left.
"Jared."
"Yes."
"You do it."
"Understood."
Jared understood Yuri's intent and approached the orc himself. The creature gave up resisting and begged with its head bowed low.
But it ended up just like the others. Its face was shoved into the fire, and half-melted, it was thrown to the ground.
Yuri propped his chin on his hand.
"All right, now we'll need quick and clear answers."
The next orc began speaking swiftly. Cory tilted his head and listened more carefully.
"What's he saying?"
"He says he doesn't know. That orc over there, Orcbal, knows everything about the mission. He's begging to be spared. Says he was just following Orcbal's orders to launch the ambush, and we should interrogate him."
"At least he's making an effort."
Yuri had him stood to the side, alive and intact.
Lastly, Orcbal was brought forth.
Cory looked at Yuri. This time, Yuri changed the question.
"Was it Okua's order?"
Cory tilted his head and asked Orcbal. At the mention of Okua's name, Orcbal's eyes sharpened.
But he didn't open his mouth easily.
He seemed lost in thought.
"Tell him to answer."
"He says, if he answers, will we spare him?"
"Tell him yes."
"He says he doesn't believe you."
"Then he'll have to die."
"He says he has a lot of information. He'll tell you everything, but he wants a token of your promise to spare him."
"Damn nuisance for a dead man walking."
Yuri muttered. Cory did not translate that part.
"What kind of token?"
"He says humans value oaths, so he wants one of those."
"An oath, huh…"
Orcbal spoke again, and Cory relayed the meaning.
"He wants you to swear, in front of all your subordinates."
Yuri chuckled.
It seemed Orcbal had learned a thing or two about human culture from fighting them, and was putting it to use quite effectively.
Even if he was the enemy, a commander who breaks his word loses credibility.
"Fine."
Yuri nodded and stood up from his seat.
"Let's do that."
With Cory as the interpreter, Yuri and Orcbal exchanged oaths.
They agreed not to attack each other. In return, Orcbal would provide the information Yuri sought.
Orcbal emphasized,
"He says, 'If one attacks the other, the oath is broken. Honor will be tarnished.'"
"An orc, talking about honor…"
The fact that an orc dared speak such words was irritating.
From his mercenary days, Yuri knew that orcs had no sense of justice or righteousness whatsoever.
"Let's proceed."
With the negotiation settled, Yuri began questioning Orcbal.
"Was it Okua's command?"
"Yes, he says. More precisely, their chieftain sent him on Okua's orders."
"How did they know about the Allied Army?"
"He says Okua has ways of obtaining information. Even he doesn't know how."
"Do all orcs of the plains follow Okua?"
"The largest tribes have already been united under Okua. The rest are a matter of time. Their influence is still growing even now."
Orcbal didn't know much. Just things Yuri had already suspected.
Yuri asked a few more questions, then decided to wrap things up.
"So. The orcs were preparing for war all along."
"Yes. Even if the humans hadn't come, the war would've started anyway."
Yuri hadn't expected highly detailed intel. It was enough to understand what kind of being the Allied Army would face.
"That's everything he knows. Even as an Orcbal, he says he has low rank, so he couldn't know more…"
"Fine. Tell him he's done well."
Cory passed on Yuri's words. Orcbal frowned.
"He's asking if he can leave now."
"Hmm…"
Yuri looked around.
Now, the knights likely understood the nature of the enemy they would soon face.
Okua.
A monstrous being.
By the time he died, Okua's name was ranked among the Continent's Ten Greats.
"Any of you have questions?"
Yuri asked the knights. Everyone remained silent until one raised a hand.
"How strong is Okua?"
A good question.
At Yuri's signal, Cory asked Orcbal.
Orcbal burst into laughter.
"So…"
It wasn't the same cautious Orcbal as before.
"He says, even dozens of orc chiefs like him couldn't beat Okua. He guarantees that Okua is stronger than any being in existence."
The mood grew heavier.
Yuri nodded.
"Tell him he can go now."
"Yes."
"And if he wants to take the other orcs with him, let him."
"He says he doesn't need them."
Orcbal straightened his back, looked around at the knights, smiled faintly, and began walking out of the camp.
He moved not like a defeated prisoner, but like a victor.
"Are you really letting him go?"
Jared asked. Yuri nodded.
"We made a vow."
"Still…"
"I am a prince of Briol. I do not break my word."
With that, he pulled something from his pocket and showed it briefly.
Jared's eyes widened, then he smiled quietly.
"Of course."
"Right."
It was a red gemstone necklace taken from a bandit.
A relic capable of driving orcs into a frenzy—its power had been sealed for now.
Yuri had asked Ernando to modify it so it could be activated with mana as needed.
Yuri activated his mana method. The power within the gemstone surged.
Orcbal, who had been walking away confidently, stopped in his tracks.
"Hey, Orcbal!"
Yuri shouted.
"Safe travels!"
He waved his hand.
Orcbal turned around.
His eyes were burning crimson.
"Grrrrr…"
Orcbal's face twisted grotesquely.
Where a nose should've been, his snout twitched, and he opened and closed his mouth repeatedly.
"Looks like it's working well."
Orcbal looked like he was trying to resist the madness surging within him.
But in the end, he couldn't defy his nature.
Orcbal let out a massive roar.
The knights, startled, raised their weapons. Orcbal charged at Yuri like a mad beast.
"Stop him!"
Yuri didn't even need to move.
The knights in the camp rushed out all at once to block Orcbal. As strong as he was, he couldn't fight them all.
Soon, Orcbal was struck down, bleeding from countless wounds, and collapsed.
Even so, he glared at Yuri with blazing red eyes to the very end.
"Kill him."
Yuri ordered. Laurent, who stood nearby, immediately swung his sword.
Orcbal's head flew off.
It rolled across the ground, stopping at Yuri's feet.
Yuri grabbed both ears and lifted Orcbal's severed head. His eyes were still wide open in death.
The strange, frenzied madness that had gripped him hadn't yet faded, still lingering in his eyes.
"Mount it on a spear and display it."