The era has changed.
Unlike when we were only focused on defending against the demons’ attacks, now the Racial Alliance is uniting and taking an aggressive stance. The Human Kingdom, having secured territory against the demons, is at the forefront.
Even the Dwarf Republic has begun mass-producing Iron Men to hunt down the demons and monsters. The Orcs have been fighting the monsters coming from the north all along. Now, the only ones left are the other races.
Hans was quite pleased with the current situation. Unlike the original story, it means that the demons have weakened enough for them to slowly start fighting back. If all the demons are eliminated, what will happen then…?
Whenever he thought like this, it would suddenly cut off. Hans frowned. He would have to solve this phenomenon directly someday. But for now, there was something more pressing.
In Hans’s hands was a parchment made from beast hide. It was a message he had received before. The letter was written by Yuyoung, the leader of the Twelve Tribes, herself. The content of the letter was very concise.
[Due to the recent aggressive expansion policy of the Orcs, our tribe is experiencing conflicts. I would love to attack the Orcs, but in this situation, war feels like a noose around my neck.]
[Therefore, I am trying to resolve this as peacefully as possible. However, they do not listen to our words at all. If you are willing, I would humbly request that you mediate this matter.]
“Damn those Orc bastards, causing a ruckus again!”
Even Hans couldn’t help but feel his emotions rising. After passing the ridiculous test of the Warrior’s Festival and finally bringing some order, they were starting trouble again.
Of course, the Orc’s power was a useful weapon. If it weren’t for the Orcs, he would have been in trouble dealing with the hordes of monsters coming from the north. But the power of the Twelve Tribes couldn’t be underestimated either.
From a strategic perspective, the strength of the Twelve Tribes could be seen as being more powerful than the Orcs. They had the numerical advantage. But just think about what would happen if these two fought.
Hans sighed. Yes, I have to figure something out. Is there any other way? Furthermore, with the counterattack of the Racial Alliance in progress, he had no intention of halting this momentum.
“Cluna, are you there?”
“Yes, Commander. Did you call for me?”
“I think I need to visit the Twelve Tribes.”
“I see there’s an issue with the Orcs.”
“Right. You know well.”
“I know quite a bit about most matters.”
Cluna was an Elf who had lived for hundreds of years. Given that most other Elves hardly leave the forest, she was an exception who had traveled the continent since her adulthood.
Thanks to this, Hans had received a lot of help from Cluna. However, even she did not know about the Purgatory Workshop. This meant that the Dwarves had secretly created it.
Perhaps the seers had informed them about something. They read the future invasion by the demons and even built ruins that would pose trials for the hero who would come in the future.
‘Could it be that they read my existence? No, let’s put that aside for now.’
“One companion will suffice.”
“Yes, understood. Who will you take?”
“Helia.”
Cluna paused for a moment and looked at him. It was her way of softly protesting. She typically doesn’t directly oppose unless it’s a serious matter. Just like now.
“Still, isn’t Helia a bit too young?”
“Isn’t it true she’s skilled for her age?”
“That may be true, but…”
“And I have my own matters to settle.”
It was true that he felt uneasy about Helia recently. However, he couldn’t continue to turn away from her because of an inexplicable feeling. After all, in the original story, Helia was already a madwoman.
If she felt slighted even a little, she could betray the protagonist and side with the enemy, or in the worst-case scenario, she could cause his death. She was that obsessed with power. She seemed better now, but.
Yet if he kept ignoring her, who knows how a stressed Helia might react? So, perhaps it was an opportunity to clear the air and go together with Helia.
“What has Helia been doing recently?”
“She is honing her swordsmanship.”
“I see, training is a good thing.”
“She mentioned she realized her shortcomings.”
“…Could it be that…?”
At that moment, Hans thought it might be because of him, but shook his head. While he couldn’t be certain, it seemed Helia was indeed under a lot of stress. It would have been a disaster if he had simply sat back and done nothing.
While Orcs and Beastmen were sworn enemies, they were being relatively mild to each other with a common foe right before them. Besides, if the Orcs were thinking rationally, they would understand that opposing the Twelve Tribes would yield no benefits.
Of course, their brains might just be full of thoughts about fighting. However, the Rusted Overlord, the Orc he met previously, was a satisfactory chief.
At least he didn’t try to kill indiscriminately. But if another Orc became the chief instead of him, things would surely get tough. That was what Hans was pondering.
However, just as those thoughts crossed his mind, he heard footsteps rushing down the hallway, and the door swung open. There stood Helia, the girl with red hair. She shouted in an excited voice.
“Did the teacher call for me?!”
“Yeah, so calm down a bit.”
“I-I’m sorry, Teacher! I embarrassed myself.”
Helia, blushing, bowed her head. It seemed she was ashamed of her appearance. Seeing her like that, Hans felt a complicated mix of emotions. She looked like just a cute little girl.
No, wait.
In any case, Helia was the child he had taken in. Thus, as her teacher, he had to take full responsibility. Since becoming a commander, responsibility had taken root in Hans’s heart. He stood up and said.
“Get ready. We’re going to mediate between the Orcs and the Twelve Tribes.”
“Understood! Teacher!”
Helia agreed eagerly.
*
Before long, time passed, and autumn arrived. Perhaps it was because he’d been working hard, flying on a wyvern and taking a stroll in the sky felt like a reward. Hans took a deep breath.
The thin sky air was more special than he expected. Helia was also mesmerized by the autumn scenery from above. Yes, sometimes such leisure is surely necessary.
In fact, Hans came out with a surprisingly light heart. After all, he was only going to mediate. Moreover, the Orcs being friendly towards him added to this. He thought this request would end easier than expected.
At least he thought so. However, Helia and others didn’t seem to think the same way. It was well-known that Orcs and Beastmen didn’t get along.
“But why are the Orcs suddenly expanding?”
“Right?”
“Don’t you know something, Teacher? Please tell me!”
“…Hmm.”
With Helia gazing up at him with shiny eyes, Hans showed a troubled expression. He didn’t know the exact reason either. After all, they were the type to do such things without it being strange.
However, he also couldn’t give such a lame answer to a young child who respected him. To uphold the dignity of a commander and teacher, he tried to craft a response as best he could.
“It seems something has happened to the Orcs.”
“Something?”
“Like the chief has changed. I don’t know the details, but unless something like that happened, it wouldn’t make sense.”
He crafted an answer that sounded plausible while leaving himself a loophole. Thankfully, Helia accepted his words without suspicion. To her, Hans was the truth itself.
Eventually, the wyvern carrying Hans and Helia arrived at the territory of the Twelve Tribes. The location mentioned in the letter was said to be Maple Mountain, known for its splendid scenery among the Rat Clan’s lands.
Initially, he thought it would just be so-so, but seeing it in person, he understood the meaning of breathtaking beauty. After disembarking from the wyvern, Hans and Helia stood in awe, their mouths agape.
“It’s truly beautiful, Teacher.”
“This is my first time seeing such a place.”
“Welcome, Sir Hans. We are glad to have you at Maple Mountain.”
Behind the densely packed waves of maple trees stood Yuyoung, the leader of the Twelve Tribes, already with her attendants. Hans looked at Yuyoung. She bowed her head.
“I am grateful for your invitation to such a place.”
“What are you saying? How could we not offer such hospitality to you, Sir Hans?”
“Now, what exactly is going on?”
“You are quite direct. Very well, to summarize… In that short time, the leader of the Orcs has changed.”
“…….”
Is this real?
Behind him, he felt Helia’s respectful gaze become even heavier.
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