Chapter 14

“What did you say? Say it again.”

“I said to surrender. It’s the best offer our chief can extend to you.”

“I thought my ears were playing tricks on me. But they weren’t.”

In response to Chaku’s words, Narg, the chief of the Boiling Blood Tribe, let out a sarcastic laugh.

“Why are you suddenly making such jokes? I don’t understand.”

Suddenly, surrender? The best offer? If rejected, there will be blood retribution?

And what? A great bloodline? Could it be referring to a High Orc?

It was so absurd, almost laughable.

“I heard your tribe had a change in leadership. Is this the new chief’s command?”

“That’s correct.”

“Huh, you lot are getting bold. An odd orc becoming the chief.”

Narg scoffed, waving his hand dismissively. It was clear he found the situation ridiculous.

“Listen well. I’ll propose something in return. How about you surrender to us?”

“Ridiculous.”

“Take a good look. Our village is larger than yours, and we have 50 more tribe members than yours. Moreover, our warriors are much more valiant than yours. So, it’s only fitting that you surrender to us. Isn’t it?”

Narg looked around, almost as if seeking agreement from the Boiling Blood Tribe orcs. They nodded in unison.

“Think about it. It’s quite amusing. You resort to such nonsense because you have nothing else to present? Are you really uttering words about a great bloodline when you have nothing to show for it? Unbelievable.”

“Why can’t you believe it?”

“Can’t believe it at all. Oh, great warrior from another tribe. Would you believe in such words? Saying that the bloodline of the High Orc, disappeared a thousand years ago, has now resurrected. Isn’t that right, warriors?”

“That’s right!”

“Nonsense!”

“That fellow from their tribe is indeed strange.”

Laughter erupted from all around. But Chaku stood tall without much change in expression.

His belief in Karim was unwavering. Having personally witnessed the reappearance of the great bloodline, he held even more conviction.

“If that’s the truth, what do you say?”

“But… I mean…”

The orc was left speechless. Even he found it unreasonable.

“Don’t worry about it. I won’t raise a sword against fellow orc.”

“But what if their chief truly possesses the bloodline of greatness? If so, they might have the rightful claim.”

“Well, that’s true.”

For a long time, High Orcs dominated and ruled over all orc tribes. They were leaders, rulers, overlords. It was ingrained in the genes of orcs. Without them at the center, the orcs couldn’t unite.

But, if a High Orc truly reappeared on this land, it would be only natural for the great bloodline to subjugate other orc tribes. That’s how it was supposed to be.

“If that’s the case, then it is. But I don’t think so. Isn’t that right, warrior?”

“Well…”

The orc closed his mouth. He thought it made no sense.

“Understood. Go rest.”

“All right.”

Soon, the commotion subsided. The village began to regain its lively atmosphere, as if nothing had happened. The storm that might strike later was not on anyone’s mind.

Chaku immediately returned to the tribe.

Karim, despite hearing what happened, he remained calm. He simply nodded, thanking them for their efforts.

The other warriors reacted strongly to those words.

“What! Is that true?”

“Did someone dare to say that to our chief and our tribe?”

“These insolent brats!”

“Chief, this is not just ignoring us, it’s outright disrespect. If we stay silent after such humiliation, we’re not true orcs!”

“Let’s challenge them to a duel! Show that our warriors are superior!”

“Prepare for battle, warriors.”

Amidst the silence, Karim declared, “There will be no battle.”

“Chief! Why?”

“Are you suggesting we avoid a fight? Didn’t we declare that our next target is the Boiling Blood tribe?”

Typically, disputes among tribes were settled through battles among warriors. However, Karim’s response was unexpected.

“It’s war. A full-scale war. Prepare for departure, everyone.”

Karim’s chilling declaration echoed through the camp.

*

Initially, the orcs of the Blue Axe tribe were dumbfounded upon hearing these words.

Certainly, Chief Karim had mentioned that the Boiling Blood tribe would be their next opponent. But no one had expected an actual war against their own kin.

It made sense, though. While orcs from different regions might not be hostile to each other, the orcs of the Kaizen Great Forest had an unspoken rule to avoid conflicts within their kin.

They were already vulnerable to dangers in the wild; quarreling among themselves and falling prey to superior predators was not a wise choice.

So, naturally, they had expected this dispute to be resolved through a battle.

However, things turned out differently. A real war was declared, breaking the unspoken rules that had held for so long. The orcs were caught off guard.

Yet, their confusion was short-lived. They quickly embraced the situation, realizing it was an opportunity to reclaim lost honor.

They were part of a mighty High Orc army, and nothing could stand against their righteous cause.

“Let’s defeat those Boiling Blood scum!”

“Reclaim our honor!”

“For the tribe!”

Their dormant inner fighting instincts awakened, and they yearned for bloodshed.

“For the tribe!”

“For our great lineage!”

“For the chief!”

Everyone moved with enthusiasm. Except for the remaining people required to guard the village and the elderly and children, everyone wanted to participate in the upcoming war.

Karim accepted their wishes. The preparations were already in place; all they needed to do was march.

Gathering the warriors at the village entrance, Karim, with a solemn expression, addressed them.

“Remember this. Even though they’ve ignored and tarnished our honor, they are not our enemies. Our goal is not to annihilate them as we did with the lizardmen last time. You all understand that.”

Nods of agreement followed Karim’s serious words.

“They will soon become our kin, sharing the same pot. They will all become members of our tribe. Hence, we must minimize casualties.”

Karim briefly explained the strategy. Any group conflict would crumble if the leader disappeared. So, the plan was to focus on targeting the enemy’s leader.

“They outnumber us, and it won’t be easy. Any fearsome orcs among you?”

Silence followed. Karim smiled.

“Good. Let’s proceed.”

And so, the march of the warriors began.

*

As the sun set over the Boiling Blood orc village, a guard on the watchtower become alert.

“What’s that sound?”

Thud. Thud.

It sounded like footsteps, and they were getting closer. Soon, the source of the noise revealed itself.

“Huh? Fellow orcs?”

Armed orcs were approaching from the front. There were many of them, easily over a hundred.

At first, the guard thought they were members of their own tribe, but upon closer inspection, everyone seemed unfamiliar. There was a clear hostility in their eyes.

The guard, feeling a shiver down his spine, shouted, “Enemy! Intruders! Other orcs want to invade our village!”

He immediately rang the alarm bell.

Ding dong!

However, the intruders were already close.

“Warriors! Charge!”

“Show them our prowess!”

“Reclaim our honor!”

Thud thud thud!

The charging orcs quickly crossed the village fence.

Armed orcs rushed out to confront them. Orcs clashed, and the village turned into a battlefield. Axes swung, iron clashed, and screams echoed. Battle cries filled the air.

“Boiling Blood warriors! Stand firm! Those who dare point weapons at their own kin are no true orcs!”

The battle was intense. Surprisingly, even with a significant numerical disadvantage, the fight remained evenly matched.

“······.”

Amidst the chaos, Karim stood outside the village entrance. Riding atop a large gray wolf, he observed the inner side where the battle unfolded.

The warriors of the Blue Axe tribe followed his orders meticulously. They fought without staining their axes with blood, maintaining their formation and following the commands of Chief Karim.

“Lord, watch over me. I can do this.”

There was no response, but he could feel his Lord. His Lord was watching over him.

He took a deep breath. Honestly, he felt nervous. Not long ago, he was just an ordinary orc with nothing special about him.

But not anymore. Now, he was the chief responsible for two hundred lives. A future ruler uniting all orcs.

“My companion, can I do it?”

“Thud!”

“Good. Let’s go.”

The wolf barked energetically and took off. The gray fur, illuminated by a blue light, fluttered vigorously.

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

The speed was astounding, and the wind struck all over the body. The pressure was palpable. But they endured it. If they couldn’t endure this, they wouldn’t be warriors.

Although Karim had never learned horseback riding, he was remarkably stable on the back of the wolf. It was as if he were an experienced cavalryman. The connection between the wolf and the orc was so seamless.

The instincts dormant within the High Orc’s racial essence awakened. The wolf rider, once a commander of the continent, was reborn on this land.

[Summoned creature Karim has gained enlightenment!]

[Unique skill ‘Imperial Companion’ of summoned creature Karim is evolving!]

Something extraordinary happened. In the midst of running, the wolf was enveloped in light. Simultaneously, the wolf was growing larger.

[Mature Giant Wolf Fury]

The transformation was instantaneous. The wolf had now become an imposing adult. An already large wolf had grown even larger. It had truly become a monstrous wolf. The gray fur now leaned more towards a silvery hue.

They were still running. Like a cannonball, they shot forward, leaping over the village fence.

“Ugh!”

“W-What is that?”

“Danger! A monster is approaching!”

Ignoring the astonished enemies, they continued running. Nothing else was visible. Only the enemy leader was the focus.

“Left!”

The voice of his lord reached him. Although it was an out-of-place remark, Karim understood its meaning immediately.

It was indicating the location of the enemy leader.

‘Indeed, my lord was watching over me.’

“Right! Turn!”

The wolf carrying Karim skillfully twisted its body, avoiding any obstacles effortlessly.

“Left!”

“Right!”

“There it is. Over there, that big head is the leader.”

At last, he saw it. Chief Narg was leaning against the back of the village, next to the chief’s house. It seemed as if he had been hiding.

“Heh, hehe!”

“For the chief to hide and not take the forefront in battle. You’re not worthy of being a chief.”

“W-What is this? That wolf! Wait, hold on! Ugh!”

Narg’s face turned pale. The wolf didn’t slow down. Like an arrow, maintaining incredible speed, it continued its charge. At this rate, they would collide without a chance to react. Narg would be smashed to death against the monstrous wolf’s head.

Narg exerted all his strength to dodge, but Karim was one step ahead.

Karim threw his axe. Swoosh! Karim’s axe flew through the air, cutting through the wind.

And…

Thud!

“C-Kuh!”

It passed by Narg. Narg’s neck was smoothly cut.

Thunk.

Thud, thud.

It fell to the ground.

The wolf picked up the severed head and presented it to Karim. Moving towards the center of the village, Karim raised the head high and shouted.

“I, Karim, leader of the Blue Axe Tribe and High Orc, have cut off your chief’s head!”

“······!”

Once his voice sounded, everyone stopped in their tracks.