A Song Dedicated to the Big, Beautiful Green Mass (2)
Vincent and the commanders wore expressions that showed their fright and opposition to seeing me lift an orc-like statue like it was nothing.
There was a chance that problems would arise with the Rangers’ operations if things were to go awry; so, the best course of action was to call the Black Lancers waiting at the garrison to deal with the Orcs.
“Uncle?”
I ignored them and turned my attention to my uncle.
“The Orcs of the Blade’s Edge Mountains are no ordinary orcs. Among them, the tough guys alone are enough to knock away even the most skilled soldier’s enthusiasm.”
I didn’t answer. Vincent just looked at my uncle with a still face.
“Vincent, report the size and power of the confirmed Orcs,” I ordered.
He stared at me with an unreadable expression on his face and immediately laid out the needed information.
“So far we have confirmed the existence of a maximum of 20 heads,” Vincent began, “and the possibility of having Orc Warriors or Orc Shamans thrown into the mix has not been confirmed yet, but the possibility of their existence cannot be ruled out.”
“That’s right,” my uncle said, staring at me. “Are you still confident?”
“Father!”
“Commander!”
There was nothing but silence for a while. That was until it was broken by a shout from the commanders of Winter Castle, my uncle and Vincent included.
“Orc Warrior, Orc Shaman, not a single one of them are easy to face! If it comes to it, you may even have to deal with both!”
“I will bring in the Black Lancers! They would be able to face even twenty Orc Warriors!”
The commanders cheered loudly, confident at the strategy they were brewing.
“If the retreat is blocked, the Rangers may not be able to come back in time! No, maybe you won’t be able to start the operation itself!”
Somehow laughter came out from the words of those who have already made my failures a fact.
“I need about three guides,” I said. Vincent stood and tried to shout, but uncle raised his hand first, signaling him to stop.
“What else do you need?”
“I’ll need to change my knights’ equipment. It looks decent, but it might be too lax. You just have to match it roughly with those from the soldiers of this castle. Oh, and if you have crossbows, lend me some,” I replied.
“That’s not a difficult request,” uncle said considerately.
The leaders of Winter Castle opened their mouths, as if to protest, and glared at uncle and me, alternating between us.
Looking at myself, I felt like a madman searching for an appropriate place to die. And the way uncle looks at me now makes me feel like I am overcome with perplexity over decisions I couldn’t comprehend before.
“Mr. Commander. No, Father!” Vincent jumped up, almost begging for reconsideration.
The price rangers would pay if the operation failed; the political repercussions the Balahard family would face should my security be compromised, and everything else that could go wrong, all seems to weigh heavily on Vincent’s shoulders.
In another world, my words and actions would have been enough to merit applause.
“I will trust and leave it to you,” uncle declared.
Moaning and sighing resonated from all over the council; everyone was terrified of uncle’s words.
I laughed with satisfaction.
Okay, moments like these were why it was worth leaving the royal palace.
* * *
“It’s a movement.”
My harsh words stunned the royal soldiers.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Did you not hear? It’s called mobilization.”
Hans Dek, an officer of the thirtieth infantry sent by the royal family, came before me and asked for an explanation.
“I received a mission to defeat the Orc,” I replied casually, “the number of enemies are twenty, and there may or may not be Orc Warriors or Shamans.”
“Your Highness, we have the Third Legion. Our job is to escort Your Highness.”
“Okay? That’s great. If you want to protect me anyway, you will have to follow me.”
Hans Dek’s eyes dulled at my response.
For many, the situation was difficult to fathom, especially when it came to why the prince was shouting over the Third Legion.
“Okay. The Third Legion will contact you today. Follow along and pick up the equipment, then come and report it to me. Of course, when you come, make sure you’re wearing power equipment.”
I clucked my tongue at Hans Dek and the soldiers who responded reluctantly to my words.
I wanted to send them all back, but I couldn’t. These stupid people were the only troops Father ever gave me, and I needed every last man I could get my hands on if I wanted this to succeed.
My real soldiers, whom the king entrusted to me, were a different story.
Not bad.
Although they showed a modest appearance during the blizzard, they were elites carefully selected by the royal family. And their skills in battles were not something one should take lightly. They were, after all, professional soldiers.
Among them, Hans Dek, for example, had a C-class swordsmanship aptitude, possessing characteristics such as [Jesik], [Suseong], and [Infantry Bangjin]. These were honed skills that specialized in group wars.
In addition to that, Hans Dek was also learning archery and various weapon skills. The rest were similar to him.
They were those who could be called fulltime professional soldiers except for one.
I saw the soldier in the back. He was the one whose shoulders I took in a blizzard. He was the only one who did not have any of the characteristics that the other soldiers possessed. Instead, there were the characteristics of [interrogation (探問)] and [disguise (變裝)].
A spy. He must have been sent by the king to watch over any of my actions.
[Joseph].
With his name in my eyes, I woke up.
* * *
Hans Dek and the soldiers abandoned the chain armor characteristic to the royal infantry in favor of leather armor. Covered with unknown fur and cloaks, and armed with swords, small shields and short bows, they looked like they could easily blend in with the Third Legion.
I left them all along with Arwen under the supervision of the Third Legion’s instructor.
For one week until the dispatch, they were asked to familiarize themselves with at least the concept of battle with the Orcs, the mountain march, etc.
Of course, I couldn’t expect them to be on the same level as the Third Legion Rangers in that short a time. Not dropping behind and dying on the spot was enough for now.
Anyways, they would have to learn the qualities they lacked through training and practice.
I turned my head and caught Adelia looking at me. Looking at her face, brimming with anxiety, had triggered the characteristic of [heart medicine] again.
“Tsu.”
She stroked her head, nervously.
“It’s not you, don’t worry.”
Adelia was excluded from this mission. Although she was a promising Sword Expert, her characteristics were still a problem.
Monsters’ methods of killing were different from humans. There is no doubt that Adelia will have an unpleasant reaction on seeing Orcs kill on the battlefield. I don’t know which of the [Butcher] and [War Mania] traits would bloom first, but I doubt I’d be pleased with either result.
Still, she wasn’t conscious enough to distinguish Pia while her traits were open.
Even if you’re lucky enough to survive, your senses will turn to the smell of blood as soon as the first wound is cut and the first body falls.
It was also a problem for her allies to get caught up in it, and an even bigger problem should she run into the mountains and go wild. Losing a genius with an S-class talent on the mountain would not be a very enjoyable experience.
“Niccolo?”
“Marchiadel went out with the commander of the Third Legion this morning.”
Tsu.
Niccolo seemed extra eager to collect data for the book he desperately wanted to complete.
“Your Highness,” Vincent greeted, sounding a bit forced.
He came while I was watching Arwen, and her soldiers followed an instructor from the Third Legion.
“Yes?” was all I could say, a little stunned at his sudden appearance.
From the moment we first met, he didn’t look like someone who had much respect for me. As a result, my tone and attitude were curt.
“Why are you not with His Majesty?” Vincent asked.
But deep inside, I knew that he truly wanted to ask, ‘why am I here playing around in his castle?’
“I don’t have to be,” I said, not wanting to explain myself further to him.
Vincent looked at me, condescendingly as a response.
I let it go, not wanting to start a fight.
Since then, Vincent has often visited me. It didn’t seem like he had anything to say. All he did was watch me, carefully waiting for the moment I would let my guard down and expose my weaknesses.
In his eyes, he saw me as a clown, always fooling around.
None of his suspicions were true.
Just as the swan dances gracefully on the water and rolls fiercely under it, so did I.
I was focusing my energy and sharpening my mind and body for the upcoming battle, for the sword built in my heart may not be enough to cut down the orcs.
* * *
The short week of training was over, and it was finally the day before the dispatch.
“Are you the guide?” I asked as a company of five approached.
Vincent and four men came to the gathering to check the operation and announced that they would be together.
“You may not know, but if this operation fails, there are more disruptions than expected,” Vincent said.
“We won’t fail,” I replied.
“You’re so sure…” He replies, his tone full of doubt for me.
I saw Vincent fluttering. The status window was not visible. That meant that Vincent was at least a triple chain knight.
I looked past Vincent and into the people who stood behind him.
I had asked for three guides, but he brought four.
They were as shabby as the Third Legion Rangers, but I knew they weren’t regular Rangers.
Similar to Vincent’s case, I couldn’t see the status window of the first one. The other two were double chain users. But only one was a real ranger. Two double chains, two knights believed to be triple chains or possibly even higher, and a ranger should be useful when we finally deal with the Orcs.
I pretended not to know the strength they kept hidden under their exterior.
The meeting concluded with a rundown of the routes to take and the roles each one had to fulfill. Vincent and his men left, and the only people left were Arwen and my soldiers.
“Well.”
Hans Dek’s expression wasn’t good. The expressions of the other soldiers were similar.
He still looked way too tense for someone about to face powerful monsters.
I did nothing to console them. The first actual battle for any soldier would always be mired with fear. A few light words would never be enough to rid them of this.
Instead, I urged them to go back and rest. The soldiers would surely need all the energy they could muster for the fight that awaits us on the morrow.
* * *
The next day, Hans Dek and his soldiers met again, and their eyes were bleak. No matter how much they pretended, it was obvious that they had not slept last night.
“Tsu.”
This is why I wondered if I would be able to climb the mountain properly.
“I wish you luck,” uncle said. But whether it was to Vincent or me, it wasn’t clear.
“Please come back safely,” Adelia prayed, following us up to the gates before vanishing amidst the crowd.
We were standing on a pure white snowfield.
“You have to walk with as much energy as possible,” reminded the ranger in snowshoes, as he looked back at us.
Arwen, Hans Dek, and the soldiers nodded with sloppy faces.
A ranger named Pilsen was competent enough to be chosen as a guide. He guided us swiftly towards the mouth of the mountain range.
We walked a day and a half before we reached the mouth of the mountain range.
Gulp. I heard someone swallowing loudly, and I couldn’t blame whoever it was.
As I turned my head, I saw the faces of everyone hardened by the expedition. I did not know who swallowed. It might as well have been the same for everyone who froze due to excessive tension.
I let out a long breath.
“If you are tense, your hands and feet harden and they become dull,” Vincent popped in and gave me some advice, “so please calm your mind.”
It was ridiculous.
I wasn’t nervous at all. But somehow, Vincent had the impression I was. I feel better now than ever. I could even hum.
The energy of the monsters in the mountain range was driving me crazy. But I held back my excitement and motioned to the Ranger Pilsen. Noticing my signal, Pilsen began to move forward.
Sniff. His nose was wide open, taking in the cold and frozen air of the mountains.
I did the same, and before long, a faint but foul odor caught my attention.
It was dirty and disgusting, but oddly, it was also the one I missed.
It was the unique smell of an Orc—of a battle waiting to happen.
I drew my sword, Arwen followed with hers. Soldiers, including Hans Dek, took out crossbows and bows.
The ranger, who was looking down the lighthouse from the front, beckoned to us.
With silent footsteps, I leaned down next to the ranger and looked down.
There were Orcs there; creatures with their heads inside the corpse of a giant reindeer, and Aguagudae.
They were horrible monsters who clamored while holding the ends of the bright red guts of their victim; monsters, who ate the flesh of a reindeer that fell on the floor.
It was the ugliest and most primitive of sights.
Tuk.
Vincent struck my shoulder.
Instead of answering him, I quietly raised my hand.
Without disturbing the monsters below, we quickly ran through everyone’s role. Those with bows and crossbows prepared their arrows.
But before we could launch a sneak attack, a foreign noise leaked out. At that moment, Orcs stopped quarreling and tuned in their primal instincts to any danger that might be lurking nearby.
Crere.
The Orcs were looking around with an uncomfortable sound. One of them raised its head towards the castle.
It smeared bright red blood on its chin and looked around with blood-red eyes. Its flesh was colored differently than the other Orcs.
It was an Orc Warrior.
The Orc Warrior pinned its gaze at me. Its appearance was so heinous that ordinary humans would be paralyzed just by meeting its gaze.
Only
Hello, long time no see. It had been such a long time since I was faced with the thrill of battle.
I laughed happily.
A light beam exploded from the eyes of the Orc Warrior.
“Ah ah ah ah!”
The Orc Warrior roared.
“Shoot.”
I got up from my seat and caught it.
The longing of four hundred years that had been suppressed since entering the mountain range, was released at that moment.
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