Chapter 59: Alliance (3)
Those who had co to provide support for the Ork Tribe advanced in sequence.
In particular, the performance of the Special Operations Unit mbers dispatched from Ragnar stood out.
They were possessors of martial strength enough to surprise even Yahan.
It was not catastrophic damage, but from the Ork Tribe’s standpoint—already lacking in warriors—it was a painful blow.
The number of warriors lost in battle alone had already far exceeded a thousand.
When the battlefield entered a lull and they were able to retreat back to their settlent, Yul looked upon the wounded Orks with a devastated heart.
“……Was it an overly reckless choice.”
“It was not the lord’s fault. It was a path chosen of their own will, to preserve their pride as warriors.”
“Yahan, but too many were sacrificed.”
Yul clenched his fist tightly.
That was the nature the Orks possessed.
A habit of charging forward recklessly, even knowing death awaited them.
If they had fled earlier when they were pushed back by the Lords, the Ork Tribe would have preserved a certain degree of its forces.
However, the ork warriors chose to fight to the very end, and in the end, only the bare minimum survived and escaped to the mountain range entrance.
Despite having already experienced it once, Yul, as the head of the tribe, had committed the sa mistake again.
Seeing Yul let out a deep sigh, Yahan wore a sorrowful expression.
“Lord…….”
“I am sorry.”
Even when they had fled to this place after being driven back by the Lords—no, throughout his entire life, Yul had never once said he was sorry.
But after eting Kyle, Yul had co to realize many things.
Kyle spared no ans or thods if it was to protect sothing, and he tenaciously worked for Ragnar.
He did not need to help the Dwarves, nor did he need to hunt the Ice Dragon, yet Kyle had stood at the forefront for Ragnar.
When Yul looked up at the sky, Yahan, in contrast, lowered his head.
“For
and for the tribe’s warriors, it is an honor to serve by your side, lord. You must not weaken.”
“I have not weakened. I have rely realized the reality that I must change. From now on, not only the tribe, but I too must change.”
“…….”
“When the tribe was scattered to the winds after being driven back by the Lords, no one helped us. But what about now?”
For the Ork Tribe that no one had cared about, Ragnar and the Dwarves had co running from afar.
If he had not t Kyle, if he had not ford an alliance with Ragnar, what would have happened?
The Ork Tribe would likely have t its end here.
“……I too felt many things while fighting alongside a human nad Seros. That in this world, a tribe cannot survive on its own. Perhaps we have been trapped in a small world all this ti, unable to see reality.”
At Yahan’s words, Yul suddenly recalled a thought and let out a hollow laugh.
“Perhaps. Perhaps the Founding Head of the Ragnar Family bound us to the mountain range in order to keep us alive.”
The Founding Head of the Ragnar Family may have wished for the races wounded by humans to build worlds of their own and live peacefully within those societies.
If that were true, he should have supported the claims of the Dwarves and Elves, who were not neutral, from the beginning.
That would have been the Ork Tribe’s path to survival, but Yul had been extrely reluctant to clash with other tribes, and as a result, it had brought about a great crisis.
Even so, Yahan smiled toward Yul as if it were nothing.
“I believe that from now on, all that remains is to make the right judgnts. The warriors who were sacrificed will never resent you, lord.”
anwhile, Seros was looking at Acacia with a grave expression.
“They have pitched camp in front of the castle and are not advancing?”
“Yes, Castellan. It is strange that the monsters have halted their advance when our lord is not even staying in the castle.”
At the report delivered by Acacia, Seros frowned.
Monsters were beings whose instincts drove them forward relentlessly, impossible to restrain.
“This is strange.”
“Aron also looked to be deep in thought.”
“It seems we will only be able to break this situation once our lord returns. How are the castle’s defenses?”
“The head of the family is personally commanding the troops. With even the two elders joining, I do not believe there is any chance of a breach.”
“Even so, we cannot let our guard down. We never know when or where a variable might erge.”
“With Aron there, and the head of the family present as well, I think all we need to do is focus on our assigned duties.”
Seeing Acacia speak so sensibly for once, Seros wore a look of renewed surprise.
“What, did you eat sothing wrong?”
“I have done a lot of thinking since settling in Ragnar, Castellan. And since I am an instructor for the knights, should I not at least maintain so dignity?”
Acacia’s appearance in battle had been far from dignified.
Seeing the man who had been rampaging in excitent suddenly calm down the mont the battle ended, Seros let out a snort of laughter.
“By the way, are you all right with your aura depletion?”
“I am fine. It is a level that will recover if I rest for about a day.”
“It must have been rather severe.”
“It was severe. I have never felt such emotions on any battlefield before.”
Seros shook his head with a fed-up expression.
When pressed down by sheer force, humans usually felt fear, but unlike them, the monsters charged at Seros relentlessly.
“Perhaps that is what makes it different from the battles we have fought until now.”
Murmuring softly, Seros looked up at the sky.
And as ti passed, night gave way and dawn broke.
From the direction of the entrance, the sound of weapons rang out.
Soon after, a familiar voice reached Seros’s ears as he remained tense, prepared for monsters to attack throughout the night.
“Break through! We must enter the Ork Tribe!”
It had been buried beneath the monsters’ roars and the clash of weapons, but he heard it clearly.
Seros sharply turned his head toward Acacia beside him.
“Acacia, it looks like we need to head outside the entrance imdiately.”
“What? What do you an—”
“It is the head of the family’s voice!”
As Seros urgently dashed forward, Acacia followed behind him with a flustered expression.
When Seros and the Special Operations Unit mbers suddenly sprinted fiercely toward the entrance, Yul also issued an order to Yahan.
“Move the warriors imdiately.”
“What do you an, lord?”
“It is the voice of the Ragnar head of the family.”
“Why would soone who should be in the castle—”
“Hurry! Iron, we must move right now!”
Iron, who had been discussing future plans beside Yul, sprang to his feet and gripped his axe.
Due to the sudden variable, even the Orc and Dwarf warriors moved outside the entrance.
“The vanguard will be the Dwarf warriors!”
Unlike the ork warriors, the Dwarves had preserved their stamina.
Of course, they had expended energy rushing from inside the mountain range, but over the single day of rest, they had recovered cleanly.
In contrast, the ork warriors had been fighting fiercely for several days on end, so their stamina could not help but recover slowly.
Iron, who was at the very front, turned his head and issued an order to the ork warriors.
“Orks, move to the rear of the Dwarf warriors.”
Though it was an urgent situation, the warriors did not rush and instead moved while forming a proper formation.
In the anti, Seros, having reacted to Pramo’s voice, passed through the entrance and ca out to where the monsters had pitched their camp.
He could not readily continue speaking at the sight unfolding before his eyes.
“This is…….”
“Castellan, it seems you must hurry.”
“Acacia, we must secure the head of the family’s safety first.”
From the rear, he confird the knights fiercely battling the monsters, as well as Pan and the Saie Elder standing at the forefront and advancing.
Beside them, Seros spotted Pramo narrowly avoiding the monsters’ attacks while swinging his sword, and he dashed forward.
Acacia also sprang forward quickly right after him.
“I will take charge of protecting the head of the family!”
Before things spiraled out of control, securing Pramo’s safety was the priority.
If Pramo were to be injured or sothing were to happen to him, Seros would not be able to face Kyle.
Soon, Acacia kicked off the ground and flew into the air.
Stepping on the monsters’ heads as he moved toward where Pramo was, he manifested his aura.
Pu-eok!
After piercing through a goblin that charged at Pramo and landing, Acacia swung his short spear and blocked the monsters approaching Pramo.
“Why have you co when you should be in the castle?”
“Hoo…… I judged that only Ragnar could support the Ork Tribe.”
Pramo panted roughly.
He had broken through nearly ten thousand monsters to get here, but even more monsters had caused their forces to beco trapped.
Just as he was struggling, the appearance of Acacia opened a path for him to breathe.
And the sa was true for Elder Pan, who had been watching over Pramo all along.
“Thank you for coming, Sir Acacia.”
“It is nothing, Elder. May I escort the head of the family?”
“I ask that you do so.”
At those words, Acacia sought Pramo’s understanding as he looked toward his exhausted state.
“Please endure it for a mont.”
Acacia lifted Pramo and slung him over his shoulder, then lightly launched himself forward.
At the sight of Acacia breaking through the monsters while carrying Pramo, Seros and the Special Operations Unit mbers moved swiftly.
Their priority was to create a path so Acacia could move without hindrance.
Just then, a woman rapidly approached Acacia’s side.
“I will clear the path, Sir Acacia.”
“Bianca!”
“Do not look back and advance.”
Bianca, the strongest in the Special Operations Unit after Acacia, stepped forward before him, gripping a longsword in her right hand and a dagger in her left.
“……Thank you, Bianca.”
“It is nothing. If we were to lose the head of the family here, that person would grieve.”
Watching her retreating figure, Acacia soon shook his head.
In truth, the real one was not Duke Luna, but Bianca.
A woman who could do anything for Ian Kailers.
So fanatical that she had even abandoned the position of Vice-Commander of the Imperial Knight Order to enter the Special Operations Unit just to stay by Kyle’s side.
That Bianca scattered her frost-sharp, cold blue long hair and radiated an intense light as she stood to clear a path for Acacia.
At that sight, Acacia swallowed his dry saliva without realizing it.
‘……One of the Twelve Swords. Wind Blade.’
It was one of the twelve sword techniques the Tylers Empire boasted, passed down exclusively within the Imperial Knight Order.
A dual-sword technique, and a sword art transmitted to the Vice-Commander of the Imperial Knight Order.
As transparent aura radiated in all directions, the monsters collapsed without even knowing why.
After cutting down the monsters with swift strikes too fast to be seen, Bianca slightly turned her head.
“What are you doing? Hurry up.”
Only then did Acacia snap out of his daze, having been staring blankly at Bianca’s dazzling swordsmanship, and begin moving his feet.
After confirming his figure running toward the Ork Settlent, Bianca swung her sword repeatedly with a cold expression.
anwhile, Elder Pan, who had drawn close, called out to her loudly as she swept across the battlefield.
“Sir Bianca!”
“Elder Pan, please command the troops and follow behind the head of the family.”
“Understood.”
With Bianca’s exploits, those who had protected Pramo’s safety resud the battle.
Akun, who had been fighting the monsters at the very front, also raised the veins in his neck and shouted, bolstered by her performance.
“Knights, make as much of a path as possible! We must join up with the Ork Tribe no matter what!”
The forces Pramo had led numbered a total of ten thousand.
A host of ten thousand charged toward the monsters, and before long, the Dwarf and ork warriors also poured out in droves.
The monsters that had been pressing in around Ragnar’s forces instead found themselves being attacked from both sides.
Among them, Iron, who was charging at the very front, raised his axe emitting Blade high overhead.
“Wipe them all out!”
“Waaahhh!”
Though they numbered only three hundred, at Iron’s shout, the Dwarf warriors pushed into the monsters’ rear without a shred of fear.
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