Chapter 171-180 The Sigmund School (Patreon)

Chapter 171

The Sigmund School

By the time Karath opened his eyes after creating the fifth ring, the sky had already begun turning orange.

Late autumn brought shorter days, but he had still spent far longer in meditation than expected.

Mana feels much clearer now.

Perhaps forming the fifth ring had made his body more sensitive to it.

I never realised so much mana flowed through this place.

Whether his heightened sensitivity was responsible or the region genuinely possessed a higher concentration, the mana here felt far denser than beyond the mountain where Lake Village stood.

Compared with the human territories outside the Grimwood Mountains, the difference felt close to threefold.

“You’re awake?”

While Karath sat sensing the mana around him, Berners approached.

“I am. What happened to the human?”

“He looked like he might wake once, sho I gave him a shleeping poison.”

“Well done.”

The man who had intended to use them as experimental subjects had become one himself.

“Did anything happen while I was meditating?”

“Krog fell ashleep after absorbing the mana shtone. A group of monstersh attacked while we were preparing camp, but there wash no unusual shpecimen. Buddy killed their leader, sho we dealt with them eashily.”

“You worked hard. Where is the human you put back to sleep?”

“I’ll take you to him.”

Karath followed Berners to the place where the human mage lay unconscious.

“I have business with this man. Finish preparing the camp with the warriors.”

“Understood!”

After sending Berners away, Karath lifted the sleeping man and carried him toward the undergrowth.

The prisoner was a mage who had even controlled a drake.

Karath needed to wake and interrogate him, but he had no idea what tricks the man might attempt.

It would be safer to put some distance between them and the warriors.

“Silence.”

Once he reached the undergrowth, Karath created a magical barrier that blocked sound from escaping the area.

The spell had not appeared in Renstein’s books.

Karath had developed it by modifying Aero Shield based on the method he once used to block the cockatrices’ sonic attacks.

If the interrogation produced enough noise to attract monsters, it would become troublesome.

“Wake up.”

Karath tapped the man several times, but the sleeping poison was apparently strong enough that he did not stir.

“Water.”

Karath poured cold water directly over his face.

“Guh!”

The man finally jerked upright, coughing out the water that had entered his nose and mouth.

His eyes widened when he saw Karath standing directly before him.

“You’re awake.”

Karath grinned.

To the prisoner, it probably resembled the smile of death itself.

“Who are you people?”

“Wh-what do you mean?”

“Your name, the organisation you belong to, what you are trying to accomplish. Tell me everything you know.”

“I-I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

His voice trembled as he pretended ignorance.

“It seems words will not be enough.”

Karath was about to help him speak more honestly when a strange discomfort brushed against his senses.

It was an incredibly faint movement of mana, one he might barely have noticed before forming the fifth ring.

“It’s already too late!”

The moment Karath detected it, a wave of mana surged from the prisoner and penetrated his mind.

From now on, I am your master.

Dizziness swept through Karath.

The man’s unpleasant voice echoed repeatedly inside his head.

Karath had remained alert in case something happened.

Without hesitation, he circulated mana into his brain.

His mana collided with the foreign energy and struggled against it inside his mind.

Crack!

A sound like breaking glass rang through his head.

“Cough!”

The prisoner coughed blood.

“So this is the kind of magic you use.”

Karath examined him with an expression similar to the one the man had worn when he first discovered the alliance.

“It seems you have already revealed your final trick. You should start telling the truth.”

This time, Karath did not rely upon words alone.

He seized the man’s index finger and tightened his grip.

Crunch.

The fragile body of a human mage could not withstand an orc’s strength.

“AAAAARGH!”

The man screamed as the bones in his finger were crushed into fragments.

Karath had never interrogated or tortured anyone before, so part of him still resisted what he was doing.

The prisoner’s attempt to enslave his mind made the task considerably easier.

“I’ll ask again. Who are you?”

“Th-that is...”

“Too slow.”

“AAAAARGH!”

If the man failed to answer within a second, Karath crushed the next finger.

“I-I am a mage of the Sigmund School!”

After Karath transformed three of his fingers into boneless pieces of flesh, the man finally began giving proper answers.

“Does your school use magic to control other people?”

“Yes!”

“Then why did you come all the way into the Grimwood Mountains, where no humans live?”

“Because humans despise us as black mages. No matter which country we enter, if our identities are exposed, we are marked for death.”

Once he began, the man spoke as though a seal had been removed from his mouth.

“The Sigmund School was originally founded to treat those suffering from illnesses of the mind.”

Mana existed throughout the world.

Naturally, even the brain’s countless activities caused faint movements of mana.

The school’s original purpose, the man explained, had been to compare the mana patterns of healthy minds with those of people suffering from mental illness and use the differences to treat them.

“During that research, we also developed spells that could drive healthy people insane or plant information directly into the subconscious to brainwash them.”

Several corrupt mages had used those spells to manipulate powerful nobles and members of royal families.

Once their actions were discovered, the entire Sigmund School had been condemned across the continent.

After listening to the tragic history of the persecuted school, Karath crushed another finger.

“AAAAARGH!”

The man stared at him through the pain, unable to understand.

“W-why?”

“You tell that story as though you were unfairly persecuted, yet you just tried to brainwash me. How are you any different from those corrupt mages?”

Karath’s former world had possessed countless products of civilisation.

Most had been created to make life more convenient, yet examples of people abusing them were endless.

Dynamite and its inventor were an obvious example.

Whatever purpose had inspired the Sigmund School’s founding, the people before him were clearly using its knowledge for evil.

The man had probably hoped that a moving origin story would earn sympathy.

He had chosen the wrong audience.

“Leave out the useless excuses. You still haven’t explained why you entered the Grimwood Mountains. As long as you avoided using Sigmund magic, no one would have discovered you.”

The man’s eyes widened as though Karath had seen through him.

“Yes. If we refrained from using the school’s magic, no one could identify us. Most members concealed their identities, infiltrated other schools, and learned their magic. We maintained contact and occasionally gathered for secret conferences.”

“Wouldn’t it have been easier to brainwash the mages in those schools?”

“Sigmund magic works easily on ordinary people, but it is almost useless against mages and Aura Users who can manipulate mana.”

“Then why did you use it on me? You clearly saw me cast magic.”

The man looked almost embarrassed.

“Because... you were an orc. I assumed you would be incapable of resisting.”

Karath stared at him.

The man possessed plenty of knowledge but no ability to apply it to reality.

He was the typical sheltered scholar who had studied extensively without ever learning how the world actually worked.

“And I suppose someone eventually discovered your identity.”

“Yes.”

The prisoner continued.

The pressure of living in hiding and conducting secret activities had gradually driven the mind researchers themselves toward madness.

Eventually, one of them proposed entering the Grimwood Mountains and establishing a peaceful life away from human society.

“You could hardly survive here in large numbers. Humans cannot eat monster meat.”

“The toxins in monster flesh are mana that has been altered and contaminated according to the monster’s constitution. Someone capable of manipulating mana can break down or expel that energy, making the meat safe to eat.”

“I see.”

That explained why Roberto had been able to eat monster meat while Jean’s family could not.

Perhaps because research was his profession, the man became increasingly eager to explain everything he knew once he started talking.

The first mages who entered the mountains eventually discovered a method of brainwashing monsters with low intelligence.

For a time, they lived peacefully while using those monsters as servants.

“Then we discovered that countless unusual specimens capable of using mana lived near the centre of the mountains.”

“So you began studying them in hopes of developing brainwashing magic that would work against mages and Aura Users?”

The prisoner looked startled by Karath’s conclusion.

“Y-yes. Unusual specimens are also difficult for ordinary Aura Users or mages to defeat, so we intended to use them to build military power.”

“I see.”

Karath nodded while listening.

As expected.

Treating mental illness had nothing to do with their current purpose.

They wanted control over monsters and humans alike.

Chapter 172

The Limit of Mana

Karath changed his manner.

Rather than continuing to threaten the prisoner openly, he adopted a friendlier tone and asked several additional questions, as though the man’s explanation had impressed him.

He learned that unusual monsters were normally difficult to brainwash because they could manipulate mana.

After extensive research, however, the Sigmund mages discovered that the spells could work if the targets were asleep or severely exhausted.

The same method would probably work against human mages and Aura Users as well.

“And hunting unusual specimens also provides mana stones. Either you successfully brainwash them, or you kill them and take the stones. You benefit either way.”

“That is correct.”

“Then your people must have acquired many mana stones. I assume all of you have reached at least the Fifth Circle.”

“Not necessarily. We use most mana stones for magical research rather than consuming them.”

“I see.”

Karath had been conversing with him in a gentle voice.

Without warning, he seized another finger and crushed it.

“AAAAARGH!”

“You should tell me the truth.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

The prisoner continued pretending ignorance.

Karath broke one more finger.

“Eating too many mana stones will kill you!”

Only after losing another finger did he reveal what he had been hiding.

“Kill you?”

Even Karath, who had crushed the fingers because he sensed something suspicious, had not known such a secret existed.

He had merely noticed several inconsistencies.

If the group possessed many mana stones, surely the prisoner would have consumed at least one or two.

Yet the amount of mana within him did not seem particularly great.

More importantly, he had begun answering questions readily without additional threats, only to hesitate for a second or two when mana stones were mentioned.

“To be precise, every individual has a limit to the amount of mana they can contain. The same applies to humans and monsters. Unless they gain a special insight, exceeding that limit causes the mana to run wild and kills them.”

The information was startling.

Karath’s heart now held enough mana to barely sustain five Circles.

He was also enlarging the mana core near his abdomen.

Even so, he had never experienced the symptoms the prisoner described.

Was the resistance he felt while advancing from the Fourth Circle to the Fifth Circle the beginning of mana instability?

But if so, he had overcome it far too easily.

Did orcs naturally possess a much larger mana capacity?

Or was Karath unusual even among orcs?

He could not yet determine the answer.

At the very least, he would need to exercise greater caution when gathering mana in the future.

Having reached that conclusion, Karath crushed another finger.

“AAAAARGH! W-why?”

“You deliberately hid that information because you hoped I would consume mana stones thoughtlessly and die from mana instability.”

The man’s eyes widened.

“Stop trying to deceive me and continue sharing everything you know.”

After being caught attempting another trick, the prisoner became even more diligent about revealing information.

“Thank you. You have provided many useful answers.”

Once Karath had extracted everything of value, a satisfied smile appeared upon his face.

“Th-then you will spare me?”

Seeing Karath’s pleased expression and remembering how his tone had softened, the man looked hopeful.

“No. But I will give you a painless death.”

Karath filled his fist with aura and crushed the prisoner’s face.

Sparing a man who viewed the alliance as experimental material and possessed brainwashing magic was unthinkable.

He would feel safer travelling with an assassin who openly promised to stab him in the back.

“We will have to deal with the rest of them.”

Karath muttered while looking down at the corpse with its shattered head.

If left alone, the Sigmund School would continue expanding its power through experimentation and brainwashing.

They were also active directly beside the alliance’s territory.

From the Greenskin Alliance’s perspective, they were the most dangerous enemy it had yet encountered.

There was only one problem.

Anyone who was neither an Aura User nor a mage could not safely oppose them.

If Karath attempted to overwhelm them through numbers and the alliance warriors were brainwashed together, the worst possible outcome would unfold.

Karath would be forced to slaughter dozens of his own warriors with his own hands.

Chapter 173

The Rubber Axe Method

The day after Karath extracted information from the Sigmund mage, the expedition gathered the monster materials it had acquired and withdrew toward Lake Village.

Karath knew leaving the mages alone was dangerous, but remaining in the region would not provide a solution.

The alliance lacked the military power to establish a settlement and endure in a land overflowing with large monsters and unusual specimens.

Winter was also approaching.

Trying to survive there without a village or proper heating facilities would be suicide.

Worse, if they forced themselves to remain and the alliance warriors were brainwashed, the outcome would be catastrophic.

“Haa.”

Several days after returning to Lake Village, Karath found himself sighing more often with each passing day.

He had spent that time thinking through the problem alone, but no suitable answer emerged.

Ignoring the damned brainwashing mages and expanding elsewhere made the back of his neck itch with unease.

Attacking them, however, presented numerous difficulties.

Ordinary warriors could not accompany him because of the brainwashing magic.

Yet if Karath brought too few people, they would struggle against the unusual monsters controlled by the Sigmund School.

“Is something troubling you, Grand Chief?”

Krog, who had spent the past several days recovering, finally asked about Karath’s behaviour.

“Actually, the human we captured told me something.”

After considering his response, Karath decided to explain everything honestly.

Krog had awakened mana during the previous battle and might prove useful.

He was also the most rational among the orcs.

Two minds were better than one.

Perhaps Krog could think of a solution Karath had overlooked.

“Brainwashing sounds like an extremely troublesome ability.”

“It is. If we take warriors who cannot use mana, we may only increase the enemy’s numbers.”

“Mana... Mana... Ah!”

Krog muttered to himself for a moment before suddenly exclaiming.

“I am not certain, but I may have thought of something that could help, Grand Chief.”

“Did you come up with a useful tactic?”

“Not a tactic. I may know a way to awaken several more orc warriors.”

“Awaken the orc warriors?”

“It is not guaranteed to work, but I believe it is worth attempting.”

A method to accelerate the awakening of warriors who had made no progress for more than a year.

Did Krog understand something after sensing mana himself?

Karath had been able to perceive mana almost instinctively.

He had no idea what it felt like for someone to awaken that sense later in life.

There was a saying from his former world.

A great athlete did not necessarily become a great coach.

A genius who performed something naturally might fail to understand why others could not do the same.

Karath felt similarly about the orc warriors’ inability to sense mana.

Calling himself a genius felt somewhat embarrassing, but it accurately described the current situation.

“Then I will entrust the matter to you.”

“Understood, Grand Chief.”

“Do you require any assistance?”

“Mmm... Could you make several items like these?”

Krog immediately began explaining what he needed.

“You need that?”

Karath could only stare at him in disbelief.

Krog’s idea had sounded absurd at first.

Still, Karath had decided to trust him, so he agreed to make the requested items.

For the next week, Karath produced several pieces of equipment while Krog made his own preparations.

When everything was finally ready, Krog stood facing Kaden.

“Y-you want us to duel while holding these?”

Kaden stared incredulously at the axe in his hands.

Orc duels were ordinarily fought barehanded.

Their tremendous strength meant injuries occasionally occurred even when they used only their fists.

If they fought with axes or other weapons, one or both participants would probably die.

Since orcs treated duelling as a hobby, allowing armed contests would create an astonishing geometric sequence in which the number of warriors halved every day.

That was why they normally used their fists.

Being told to fight with axes naturally left Kaden confused.

“Do not worry. Rubber covers the blade, so being struck will not kill you.”

The axe was relatively safe.

At Krog’s request, Karath had created a weapon that would not kill anyone it struck.

Considering an orc’s strength, it might still break bones.

Karath had never expected to use rubber this way.

During the previous autumn’s expansion, the alliance had acquired more than territory.

After discovering chillies near Stormhowl Village, Karath began paying attention not only to minerals but also to fruits, trees, and vegetables.

They had found wild potatoes, several varieties of fruit, and even rubber trees.

Natural rubber could not reproduce every product made with modern synthetic materials, but it still had many uses.

The alliance had produced rubber footwear.

It had also constructed wagon bodies from iron and wood, fitted them with iron wheels, and covered the wheels with rubber to create something resembling tyres.

Natural rubber was extremely sensitive to temperature and would have been difficult to use properly on its own.

Fortunately, the alliance had discovered sulphur among the minerals in one of its mines.

Mixing natural rubber with sulphur created a far more useful material.

The result remained primitive compared with modern tyres, but it was better than nothing and had modestly improved the alliance’s distribution network.

Strictly speaking, the wagons were not horse-drawn because the alliance had no horses.

They were pulled by orcs.

Orc carts.

The axes held by Kaden and Krog had been coated in hardened rubber made from rubber-tree sap.

Karath had even endured the inconvenience of asking his mother in Blacksmith Village to alter the shape of the axe heads to account for the coating.

The completed weapons had no sharpened edges and were covered in rubber.

They were reasonably safe toys, aside from weighing between twenty and thirty kilograms.

Now Krog and Kaden were about to duel with those terrifying toys.

Karath still had no idea why.

“Kaden, how long are you going to stand there?”

Krog addressed him while Kaden continued holding his weapon awkwardly.

“You are not afraid you might lose, are you?”

At the mild provocation, Kaden’s simple mind reacted exactly as expected.

“Krahahaha! You have grown arrogant, Krog!”

He charged eagerly.

“RAAAAGH!”

Living up to his reputation for straightforward violence, Kaden swung directly at Krog’s head.

Krog calmly watched the attack and evaded.

Whoosh!

As though expecting the dodge, Kaden redirected the weapon and pursued Krog’s movement.

He might have been simple-minded, but he was an orc who loved battle and an accomplished warrior.

His combat instincts were exceptional.

Having spent his childhood receiving lessons in modern fighting techniques from Karath, he was also accustomed to exchanges involving feints and predictions.

He did not consciously calculate several moves ahead like Karath or Krog.

He simply read the battle through instinct.

Krog had also grown up beside Karath.

Boom!

Expecting the follow-up strike, Krog swung his own axe and blocked it.

As he felt the impact, he realised his prediction had been correct.

Kaden’s posture was terrible.

They had repeated the axe-art exercises every morning and evening for an entire year, yet Kaden was using none of those movements during the duel.

From a distance, one axe swing resembled another.

At close range, the subtle differences were obvious.

That was precisely why Krog had chosen to fight him with the training weapons.

Boom!

“Keep your elbow closer!”

Boom!

“Why are your legs spread so wide? Did you boil the Grand Chief’s lessons into soup and drink them?”

He intended to correct Kaden’s posture through an actual fight.

Practising slow axe movements against empty air did not suit impatient orcs.

Krog would therefore teach them through combat.

“Ah.”

Watching the duel, Karath finally understood Krog’s intention.

Damn it.

He had made the same mistake again.

Karath remembered Muhe Lionheart, the creator of the axe art and a former Grand Chief.

Karath had believed he could avoid Muhe’s failure by using a different teaching method.

That had been arrogance.

He had been an idiot to expect hot-tempered orcs to spend every morning and evening obediently performing slow exercises forever.

Judging from Kaden’s movements, he had never practised the axe art beyond the mandatory sessions.

As Karath clicked his tongue at his mistake, the duel continued.

“Shut up, Krog!”

Kaden finally screamed at the relentless criticism.

“Then make me shut up!”

Krog boldly pressed the attack.

Until recently, their abilities had been roughly equal.

Kaden possessed greater strength, while Krog compensated with speed, technique, and his ability to predict exchanges.

Now Krog had learned through the axe art how to swing faster and apply his strength more efficiently.

He no longer lost even in direct contests of power.

Thud!

“You cannot even keep up when I am not using mana!”

Krog’s axe broke through Kaden’s defence and slammed into his side.

Despite being struck by a rubber-coated axe weighing over twenty kilograms and swung by an orc, Kaden did not collapse in pain.

Instead, his eyes turned crimson and he charged Krog like a madman.

That was exactly what Krog wanted.

He had first sensed mana after losing himself to rage.

Correct their posture while making them furious.

That was Krog’s plan.

Using the perfectly legal excuse of helping Kaden awaken, Krog continued beating him several more times.

“Grrrrr!”

Kaden’s eyes reddened further, and foam appeared around his mouth as he charged again.

Thud!

The final blow sent him crashing unconscious to the ground.

He had failed to sense mana.

“Haa.”

Yet despite failing in his stated objective, Krog looked thoroughly refreshed.

Chapter 174

The Warriors’ Favourite Punishment

A strange new trend swept through Lake Village beginning the day after Krog beat Kaden like a dog.

Under the justification of helping orc warriors awaken mana, Krog began taking turns striking everyone with the rubber axes.

Karath also joined him.

There were too many warriors for Krog to handle alone.

They also needed as many awakened orcs as possible before confronting the Sigmund mages.

Those were the reasons.

“Damn you fools!”

Thud!

“How has an entire year passed when your posture still looks like that?”

Thud!

Karath was absolutely not relieving his frustration upon warriors who had discarded a year of axe-art instruction.

“My turn is next!”

“Get in line, bastards!”

What made the situation absurd was that the warriors being beaten were arguing over their place in the queue.

They were not trying to move backward.

They were fighting to go first.

These lunatics truly love fighting.

Karath could only laugh helplessly at the sight.

Because orcs loved combat, fighting a powerful warrior like Karath was effectively a blessing to them.

I focused so heavily upon my own growth and the development of civilisation that I forgot.

It had been a very long time since Karath last duelled or sparred with ordinary orc warriors.

The last contest he clearly remembered was the Grand Chief selection battle two years earlier.

While Karath enthusiastically continued beating warriors with the training axe, another challenger appeared.

“It’sh my turn now!”

Berners stepped into the line.

Karath stared at him.

He wanted to ask why the hobgoblin had joined them.

Still, he could hardly discriminate against Berners merely because he was a goblin.

Thud!

“Th-thanksh.”

After receiving several blows, Berners rolled across the ground.

“Haa.”

Karath was the one beating the warriors.

Yet watching the endless line of challengers made him feel as though he were the one being punished.

“Wait your turn!”

“You will lose anyway, so why not let me go first? Krahahaha!”

“You will lose too, idiot!”

Did they truly enjoy being hit that much?

Karath felt he might need to consider the preferences of his people more seriously.

Regardless of the orcs’ peculiar tastes, the daily sparring continued without pause from late autumn through the winter.

As spring approached, the first results gradually began to appear.

Chapter 175

Kaden’s Awakening

More than two months had passed since the daily beatings disguised as axe-art training began in late autumn.

Thud!

“Guh!”

As usual, Kaden was being thoroughly beaten by Krog.

Strangely enough, even after two months of training, Krog remained Kaden’s sparring partner every time.

Krog had insisted to Karath that he personally needed to teach Kaden.

“Your elbow is sticking out again!”

Thud!

As a result, Kaden received a beating from Krog every day.

“RAAAAGH!”

Orcs were a race that loved combat.

Fighting a warrior stronger than oneself was enjoyable, although Kaden refused to admit that Krog was stronger than him.

At least, it would have been enjoyable if this had been an ordinary duel.

Krog lectured him throughout every match.

After listening to the same criticism for two straight months, Kaden was nearing madness.

At first, the nagging only made him angry.

However, with the Grand Chief watching, Kaden had tried to follow Krog’s instructions and reproduce the movements taught during their axe-art exercises.

“Too slow!”

Thud!

The more he focused upon his posture, the slower his movements became.

If he paid attention to his form, he moved too slowly and was struck.

If he ignored his form, Krog struck him because his posture was wrong.

In truth, the problem was caused by a misunderstanding shared by Krog and Karath.

The axe art left behind by Muhe Lionheart had been designed around Muhe himself and other orc warriors with average builds.

Kaden, however, possessed exceptional size and strength even among orcs.

Someone who had reached a higher realm of martial skill or aura control might have recognised the problem and developed movements suited specifically to Kaden.

Unfortunately, even Karath, the most accomplished warrior in the alliance, remained only an intermediate Aura User.

He had not yet reached a level where he could notice such subtle issues.

Like the goblins before him, Kaden was trying to force himself into clothing that did not fit.

The hobgoblins had used their communication network to develop something suited to their bodies.

Kaden had no one capable of doing the same for him.

As a result, he was beaten every day for reasons that were only half his fault.

“RAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

Two months of accumulated frustration were more than enough to drive the already impatient Kaden berserk.

“C-calm down!”

Krog, who had been happily striking him, suddenly realised that Kaden’s eyes had completely lost focus.

Kill him.

Kill him.

Kill him.

The last thread of reason had already snapped inside Kaden’s mind.

He surrendered himself to the instincts carved into his blood and swung his axe with everything he possessed, as though facing the greatest enemy of his life.

“Hraaaah!”

BOOM!

Realising Kaden had lost control, Krog drew upon mana to block the attack.

Kaden had abandoned defence, evasion, and any thought of the next exchange.

He had placed everything into a single strike.

It was not an attack Krog could stop without mana.

Boom!

BOOM!

Kaden’s full-strength swings repeatedly collided with Krog’s mana-enhanced axe.

Kill him.

Kill him.

Kill him!

Each time his attack was stopped, the orc blood within Kaden drove him closer to his limit.

Instinct searched for a way to produce an even stronger blow.

His muscles had already reached the limit of the strength they could provide.

Only one source of greater power remained.

The vitality known as mana.

“RAAAAGH!”

BOOM!

Kaden’s next strike suddenly became far more powerful.

Even while using mana, Krog was driven backward.

“W-wait! Brother!”

Realising something had gone wrong, Krog shouted urgently.

“DIE!”

Kaden could no longer hear him.

Karath sighed as he looked down at Kaden sprawled across the ground.

Kaden had awakened mana.

That part was undoubtedly good.

He had not burned through too much of his life force either.

The moment Karath noticed Kaden chasing Krog with completely deranged eyes, he understood something was wrong and knocked him unconscious.

Had Karath reacted later, Kaden might have died.

He would have continued drawing upon his life force while lost in rage until his body dried up from within.

They currently possessed no mana stone for emergency treatment.

If that had happened, Kaden would certainly have died.

The problem was not any severe loss of vitality.

“How does your body feel?”

“Ahem. An injury like this is nothing, Grand Chief.”

“Every muscle in your body is torn.”

Kaden had completely lost control and swung his axe without regard for the proper movements of the axe art.

Every muscle in his body had twisted and ruptured.

He had become a berserker in the truest sense.

Had Kaden not possessed an abnormally powerful body even for an orc, and had Karath not immediately accelerated his recovery with Healing, he might have been permanently crippled.

“S-still, I can sense mana now, Grand Chief!”

Seeing Karath stare at him with disappointment, Kaden proudly attempted to change the subject.

“Yes. I will teach you mana control. For the next month, you will remain in bed and do nothing but gather mana.”

“A whole month? An injury like this will heal in three days!”

Karath silently stared at the protesting Kaden.

Then he lightly pressed one part of his body.

Kaden’s eyes bulged.

“I-it does not hurt at all.”

Only after roughly five seconds did he manage to speak.

“Wipe the blood from your lips before saying that.”

He had bitten down so hard to suppress his scream that his mouth was bleeding.

“If I see you fighting again within the next month, I will expel you from the alliance.”

Kaden’s eyes widened.

The threat had clearly worked.

He lowered his head with a dejected expression.

Seeing the enormous half-ogre sulking made him look strangely pitiful.

“Tell me one thing. Why are you so desperate to move again?”

“I can sense mana now.”

“And?”

“This is my chance to repay Krog for the beatings I suffered over the past two months, Grand Chief.”

“Ah.”

So he wanted to smash Krog’s head.

Karath sighed inwardly.

Perhaps Krog should not have tormented him quite so enthusiastically.

At this rate, the alliance might lose one of its most capable advisers the following month.

Fortunately, Krog’s funeral was not held a month later.

While Kaden lay recovering, Krog continued fighting the other warriors and refining his mana control.

He did not lose easily when Kaden finally challenged him again.

Krog and Kaden were not the only ones to improve.

The other orc warriors gradually became more familiar with the axe art and more skilled with their weapons.

Near the end of winter, two additional orc warriors succeeded in sensing mana.

Chief Parker, whose build closely resembled Kaden’s, also received some advice from him and awakened mana shortly before winter ended.

Karath had no idea what Kaden taught him that caused them to end up in exactly the same condition.

Just thinking about the pair made his head ache.

Like Kaden, Parker suffered ruptures throughout his entire body and was confined to bed.

Karath could not understand why Parker had sought advice from someone who had already destroyed his own muscles.

It was even more incomprehensible that Parker had eagerly followed that advice and nearly crippled himself in the same manner.

Regardless, by the end of winter, the alliance possessed five orc Aura Users besides Karath.

That was not their only gain.

Through his winter research, Karath had also learned to cast Fifth Circle magic.

He spent the days sparring with the orc warriors, but devoted the rest of his time to studying magic.

There was no expansion work during winter, so he returned to the final books written by Renstein, which covered Fifth Circle spells.

Absorbing the drake’s mana stone had allowed Karath to form the Fifth Circle, but possessing enough mana and knowing how to cast the spells were separate matters.

Fortunately, he had already reread the theories several times while still at the Fourth Circle and understood much of their foundation.

After three and a half months of practice, he could cast approximately three Fifth Circle spells with preparation times ranging from thirty seconds to one minute.

This might be enough to fight those mages.

It would be difficult alone.

Now, however, there were five awakened orc warriors, several hobgoblins, and Buddy.

They could not bring every powerful fighter without leaving the alliance defenceless, but Karath believed their current strength gave them a reasonable chance of victory.

Chapter 176

The Hunt for Black Mages

After deciding to confront the black mages, Karath spent a month preparing the new expedition.

Chief Parker needed roughly that long to recover from the full-body muscle ruptures caused by his awakening, so Karath used the time to reorganise and prepare equipment.

His first task was forging weapons and armour from the drake and Twin-Headed Ogre materials gathered during the previous expedition.

The Twin-Headed Ogre’s bones were even tougher than those of the drake.

They might have possessed durability comparable to Silvertusk.

Karath used those bones to create axes for the five orc warriors who had awakened mana.

“I can no longer tell whether I am a Grand Chief or a sculptor.”

The bones were so durable that ordinary tools could barely cut them.

As he had done with the drake bones, Karath used a modified Wind Cutter.

Even then, he had to pour far more mana into the spell to shave away each small section.

He also created armour from the Twin-Headed Ogre’s hide and the drake’s scales.

While Karath forged equipment and waited for Parker to recover, the hobgoblins summoned for the expedition arrived at Lake Village.

“Grand Chief, all the hobgoblinsh you summoned have arrived.”

“It ish an honour to meet you, Grand Chief!”

“Thank you for calling ush!”

Four hobgoblins stood before him.

All the awakened orc warriors already lived in Lake Village, but apart from Berners, the hobgoblins were scattered throughout the alliance’s territory.

Karath had summoned only four additional hobgoblins.

He could not bring every one of them without weakening the alliance’s defences.

Their value went beyond their combat power as Aura Users.

If every hobgoblin joined the expedition, the alliance’s entire communications network would collapse.

“These weapons were prepared for the hobgoblins participating in the expedition. Use them whenever you need to draw upon aura.”

Karath distributed five identical bows among Berners and the four new arrivals.

They had been crafted from minotaur horns and the tendons of the Twin-Headed Ogre.

An ordinary goblin would struggle even to draw the strings.

With aura, however, the hobgoblins could use them properly.

The strength required to wield the bows ensured equally exceptional power.

“When you encounter an enemy strong enough to require aura, use these bows. For ordinary battles, continue using your current weapons.”

“Understood!”

“Thanksh, Grand Chief!”

The five hobgoblins looked as delighted as recruits receiving their first proper weapons.

Berners appeared especially pleased.

He had probably felt envious when Karath distributed equipment to the orc warriors several days earlier.

“Grand Chief?”

While Karath handed out the gifts, an orc who had travelled to Lake Village with the hobgoblins approached with an expectant expression.

It was Kairin, who now effectively served as the chief of the alliance’s shamans.

“What is it, Kairin?”

“Did you prepare anything for me?”

“Krahahaha. Of course.”

Karath grinned and handed her a booklet he had prepared in advance.

“This contains my personal research into Third Circle magic.”

“Ah... Thank you.”

Despite receiving the gift, Kairin looked distinctly disappointed.

“What? Tell me if you dislike it. You can return to Root and resume making paper and books instead.”

“No! It is perfect!”

She shouted with such intensity that she nearly had a fit.

Kairin might not have become a warrior because she was a woman, but she still possessed the hot blood of an orc.

Even that blood feared the grinding wheels of engineering labour.

“I have been too busy to properly supervise the shamans’ magic. During this expedition, I will help you master Third Circle spells.”

“Thank you.”

Kairin answered with a smile that was visibly forced.

The fact that an orc could produce such an expression proved that the world was changing.

Karath had not summoned her merely to teach magic, especially when the expedition was preparing to enter territory controlled by black mages.

She could cast only a few Third Circle spells, but she also possessed the shamanic technique she had used since her time with the Bloodclaw Tribe.

It was the technique Karath had refined into Healing.

The expedition had to remain small and elite.

Kairin would serve as its healer while learning more magic along the way.

Several days later, an expedition consisting of twelve people and one wolf departed through Lake Village’s gate.

There were six orc warriors including Karath, five hobgoblins including Berners, Kairin, and Buddy.

With the residents and warriors of Lake Village singing “Morning of Battle” behind them, the group crossed the mountain and headed once more toward the centre of the Grimwood Mountains.

“Are we travelling directly to their stronghold?” Krog asked quietly.

They had passed the summit where the wyvern nests once stood and were descending toward the inner region.

“Not directly. We do not know its exact location, and defeating them in a frontal battle would be difficult.”

The captured mage had given Karath a rough description of the stronghold’s location.

However, spoken directions were not enough to identify a place none of them had ever visited.

They would need to search the inner mountains for terrain matching his description.

“Are those black mages truly so numerous?”

“There are twenty-three. Around thirty entered the mountains originally, but that is how many remain.”

“Nearly twice our number.”

“That is only the mages. Once you include the unusual monsters they control, attacking directly would be suicide.”

“Then what is your plan?”

“While searching for their stronghold, we will locate and eliminate them one at a time. Just as we captured the mage during the previous expedition.”

“Understood.”

It would be a long and difficult campaign.

Once enough of their members disappeared, the Sigmund mages would realise something was wrong and begin travelling in groups, making the task even harder.

For now, however, this was their best strategy.

After entering the central mountains, the expedition avoided combat whenever possible.

Frequent battles risked leaving traces that might expose them.

Unlike the previous expedition, they now travelled with a small elite group, so moving without leaving obvious signs was considerably easier.

On the second day after re-entering the inner mountains, they spotted two members of the Silver Wolf Tribe fighting monsters beyond the undergrowth.

“It’s those two from before.”

“No. Look closely. Their faces are slightly different.”

“Wolves all look the same.”

“Tsk. That is why you still cannot ride one.”

Karath silenced Krog and Kaden’s bickering with a sharp gesture.

“Look carefully behind the monsters they are fighting.”

A robed figure was hiding there.

It was almost certainly one of the black mages they had come to hunt.

Chapter 177

The Mage Behind the Monsters

“We will circle through the undergrowth while they hold the monster’s attention. The hobgoblins will remain here and keep the mage in their sights. If he attempts to move, shoot him dead.”

Keeping his voice as low as possible, Karath quickly issued his instructions before leading the orc warriors around through the bushes.

“GWEEEEK!”

“Haaah!”

Meanwhile, the two Silver Wolf warriors continued their perilous battle against an enormous monster that appeared to be an unusual specimen.

The situation had not been part of Karath’s plan, but their struggle provided the distraction his group needed.

Hidden by the undergrowth, the orcs approached the black mage without being detected.

Karath waited until they had reached his rear.

Then he gave the signal.

Attack.

The orc warriors spread out to surround the man before charging from every direction.

“Orcs? Here?”

The black mage had been absorbed in watching the battle between the monster and the wolffolk.

Their sudden appearance left him visibly confused.

His surprise lasted only a moment.

“How troublesome.”

Just like the previous black mage, this one looked down upon orcs.

Karath sensed a faint wave of mana gathering around the hand the man extended toward them.

“Raise your aura! He is using brainwashing magic!”

The charging warriors activated their aura at Karath’s warning.

“Cough!”

The spell failed against their defences.

Like the mage Karath had previously interrogated, this man coughed blood from the backlash.

“H-how?”

The black mage stared at them, unable to understand what had happened.

“That is none of your concern.”

Karath had no obligation to explain.

He closed the remaining distance and punched the man directly in the face.

The physically fragile mage lost consciousness after a single blow.

“GWEEEEK!”

The moment its master collapsed, the brainwashed monster released a furious shriek.

Ignoring the wounds inflicted by the two Silver Wolf warriors, it rolled its eyes back and charged toward Karath’s group.

It did not seem to have noticed them through the undergrowth.

Rather, it appeared to be rushing toward its fallen master.

“Berners!”

The moment Karath shouted, the waiting hobgoblins fired at the monster’s back.

Thud!

Thud!

The arrows, launched from the special bows Karath had provided and strengthened with aura, pierced deeply through the creature’s hide.

Their power was incomparable to that of the goblins Karath had first met years ago.

Whatever kind of brainwashing the monster had endured, it continued charging despite the arrows embedded in its back.

“Let’s go!”

Karath mounted Buddy and urged him forward to meet it.

“Awooo!”

Buddy howled and charged.

The five awakened orc warriors, including Krog and Kaden, followed close behind.

There were six orc Aura Users counting Karath, along with Buddy and five hobgoblin Aura Users providing ranged support.

A group of unusual monsters might have threatened them.

A single one could not.

“Groooar...”

Thud.

Arrows covered the creature’s body.

Axes and Buddy’s claws had torn wounds across every part of it.

The monster endured only briefly before releasing its final cry and collapsing.

“Why are orcs here?”

“Could they be the ones Wyg and Palto mentioned?”

The two Silver Wolf warriors spoke to each other once the battle ended.

“We are,” Karath said, joining their conversation without hesitation. “We came here last autumn.”

“We assumed you had left when you did not appear during the winter.”

“We left and then returned.”

“This is not a suitable place for orcs. You would be wise to turn back.”

The pair sounded mildly annoyed, but they did not openly insult him.

At least they could hold a proper conversation, unlike Wyg.

Karath pointed toward the unconscious black mage.

“We had no choice but to return because of people like him.”

The Silver Wolf warriors looked toward the prisoner.

“These humans brainwash the monsters of the mountains and control them. We cannot ignore such people after learning they exist.”

“Mmm. But because they command monsters, they will be difficult for orcs and goblins to oppose.”

Karath laughed softly.

“Can you still say that after watching us fight?”

“Mmm. That is a fair point.”

They acknowledged his answer without argument.

“From what we saw before, your tribe also appears to be fighting these humans. Why not form a temporary alliance with us?”

That was the real reason Karath had joined their conversation.

Including the two from last autumn and the pair standing here now, the Silver Wolf Tribe possessed at least four Aura Users.

Such strength would be extremely helpful against the black mages.

“The humans are our only target. Once they have been eliminated, we intend to leave this region.”

Karath planned to return after the alliance grew strong enough to establish settlements in the central mountains, but there was no need to mention that.

“Did Palto not already explain? We want nothing to do with anyone, whether human, orc, or goblin.”

“According to the information we obtained, more than twenty of these mages remain. If you include the monsters they have enslaved, your tribe may not be capable of defeating them alone.”

Karath did not know the true extent of the Silver Wolf Tribe’s strength.

He decided to probe them anyway.

“If we cannot overcome them ourselves, then that will simply be our fate.”

Karath stared at the speaker.

What was that strangely religious answer supposed to mean?

“More importantly, we have no desire to ally with someone as discourteous as you.”

“Discourteous? What do you mean?”

Karath, the leader of the alliance, had spoken respectfully throughout the conversation.

He had not threatened them either.

When he questioned them with genuine confusion, the pair frowned and pointed toward him with fingers resembling a wolf’s claws.

Karath glanced down.

Did they dislike being forced to look up at him?

More precisely, were they offended because he remained seated upon Buddy?

“My apologies. I did not consider that looking up at me might be uncomfortable.”

Karath offered a reasonable apology and dismounted.

That was not what they meant.

“We do not care what you choose to sit upon.”

“If only the creature beneath you were not that silver-furred beast.”

They were offended by the sight of an orc riding a wolf, a creature resembling their own kind and perhaps even a distant relative.

“I failed to consider that. I sincerely apologise.”

Once they explained it, Karath understood why the sight might have upset them.

“Humans, orcs, and goblins are all the same. We have no intention of associating with those who act however they please.”

The apology came too late.

Their anger had already taken root.

One of them turned toward Buddy.

“You are no different. Why does a descendant of the proud silver beasts live as an orc’s slave?”

The warrior was speaking directly to Buddy.

Karath wondered whether the man was entirely sane.

“Woof! Woof!”

Buddy, unusually intelligent even among unusual specimens, barked back with a thoroughly indifferent expression.

“What did you say?”

The expressions of both Silver Wolf warriors twisted.

Karath’s eyes narrowed.

Had they actually understood Buddy’s answer?

“You may follow him because he raised you from childhood. That much is understandable!”

“But allowing an orc to ride upon your back can only be called slavery!”

“As a descendant of the proud silver beasts, cast off the orc’s chains and return to nature!”

While Karath and the others watched in disbelief, the two warriors earnestly attempted to persuade Buddy.

“Grrr.”

Buddy answered with a bored growl.

The expressions of the two men darkened even further.

Karath cautiously addressed them.

“What did Buddy say?”

After hearing them repeatedly call him a proud silver beast, Karath almost felt guilty using the simple name Buddy.

Still, he had always wondered what it would be like to hold a proper conversation with the wolf.

The warriors remained silent for a moment.

Then one of them suppressed his anger and answered.

“He said, ‘I do not listen to anyone weaker than me.’”

Karath stared at Buddy.

So that was the kind of creature he was.

Karath would need to make certain he never became weaker than him.

Considering Buddy’s rate of growth, becoming the target of the wolf’s complete disregard might not be far away.

Chapter 178

The Beast of Legend

“We can endure that foolish child’s disrespect, but correcting a young one’s misguided thoughts is the responsibility of adults.”

“It appears the child requires instruction.”

The two Silver Wolf warriors exchanged strange remarks.

“Instruction?”

“He claimed he would not listen to those weaker than himself. We need only prove our strength. I will challenge him.”

Karath stared at the speaker.

What kind of nonsense was this?

“Buddy is no different from family to me. You have no right to speak of educating him however you please.”

“Can someone incapable of even conversing with him truly claim to be his family?”

Karath momentarily found himself without an answer.

“Grr.”

Buddy glanced toward Karath before stepping forward.

His expression seemed to tell Karath to trust him.

Seeing that look made Karath realise his concern was unnecessary.

Apart from Karath himself, Buddy might already be the strongest member of the Greenskin Alliance.

Karath should not be worried about the wolf.

He should be worried about the two men challenging him.

“Woof!”

“Very well! I accept your challenge!”

Buddy barked lightly.

One of the Silver Wolf warriors immediately charged.

The battle between the wolffolk warrior and the wolf began.

The warrior moved much like a wolf himself.

With aura strengthening his body, his speed was considerable.

He may not surpass an orc in strength, but he is faster.

If Karath compared them to game characters, orcs were built around strength while the wolffolk specialised in agility.

Several other orc warriors had now awakened mana.

Even so, any one of them would probably struggle against this opponent.

Unfortunately for the Silver Wolf warrior, he was not facing an orc.

“Guh!”

The wolffolk merely imitated a wolf’s movements.

Buddy moved like an actual wolf.

“What?”

More importantly, Buddy was himself an unusual specimen capable of manipulating mana.

“Woof!”

Buddy effortlessly avoided several attacks before swinging a front paw directly at the warrior’s face.

“Guh!”

The man managed to raise his arms and block, proving he was a genuine Aura User.

Thud!

The difference in strength still hurled him backward.

He was slower than Buddy.

He was weaker than Buddy.

Only one possible result remained.

Thud!

Thud!

He was beaten like a dog.

A wolf was currently beating a wolf-man like a dog.

Though the Silver Wolf Tribe hated being called wolf-men.

“Woof!”

After thoroughly defeating the warrior, Buddy stood over him with an arrogant expression and barked once.

At least he had shown restraint.

The man’s body was covered in bruises, but Buddy had not torn him with his claws or fangs.

“Guh.”

“How can he possibly be this strong?”

The defeated warrior groaned and slowly rose.

His companion stared at Buddy in astonishment.

“Descendant of the proud silver beasts, you still appear young. How old are you?”

“Woof?”

Buddy tilted his head at the unexpected question.

Were they attempting to suppress him with seniority after losing the fight?

Karath had never expected to witness such old-fashioned behaviour here.

“Woof! Woof!”

“What? You have lived only slightly more than three years?”

Instead of launching into a speech about respecting one’s elders, both men reacted with genuine shock.

“To possess such strength after only three years...”

“Yes. This child may be the one spoken of in the ancient legend!”

Karath tilted his head as he listened.

A legend?

What legend?

Chapter 179

The Hidden Village

“But we cannot be certain yet.”

“We should tell the chief.”

The two Silver Wolf warriors continued speaking while Karath tried to understand what they meant.

“Bringing the chief all the way here from the village would be dangerous.”

“Asking them to remain here is no safer. The human’s companions may come looking for him.”

“Ahem.”

Karath cleared his throat and entered their conversation.

“I do not know the details, but if you wish to take Buddy to your village, you may do so.”

“Oh!”

“You would permit that?”

“On the condition that we accompany him.”

Karath established the boundary clearly.

The two men asked for a moment to discuss it and moved a short distance into the undergrowth.

Buddy, acting as though none of this had anything to do with him, scratched his head with a hind leg and released a long yawn.

“We will invite all of you into the village.”

“But you must behave with the greatest possible courtesy. Our village does not ordinarily admit members of other races.”

“Understood.”

Once the decision was made, the expedition followed the Silver Wolf warriors through the forest.

“We are almost there.”

They travelled for quite some time through enormous trees and dense vegetation before reaching a low mountain.

“Come this way.”

The two guides led them along its slope.

A cave?

A narrow entrance appeared ahead, barely wide enough for two orcs to enter side by side.

“This is the place.”

Karath followed the men inside.

Had they built their village within a cave?

If so, perhaps the Silver Wolf Tribe was much smaller than he had imagined.

“Oh.”

The moment Karath passed through the narrow entrance, he realised that assumption had been wrong.

A vast cavern opened beyond the passage.

Numerous houses had been constructed across its floor, and many wolffolk moved between them.

Small openings had been made throughout the cavern ceiling, allowing sunlight to pour inside.

More surprisingly, vegetables were being cultivated in the exact places touched by that light.

A broad pool of water also occupied one section of the cavern.

Perhaps it had formed through erosion caused by rainwater, or perhaps water entered through the openings above.

Either way, the villagers appeared to use it as a well.

It was an entire settlement built inside a mountain cave.

Perhaps because of the enclosed and sheltered environment, the village possessed a quiet, peaceful atmosphere that contradicted every savage image the term wolffolk might inspire.

Unfortunately, Karath’s expedition immediately disrupted that tranquillity.

The villagers who had been moving quietly through the settlement all turned toward the strangers.

“Doltz. Ruker. What were you thinking, bringing outsiders into this place?”

Several wolffolk approached the two guides.

“We have something to report to the chief.”

“Please summon him.”

Doltz and Ruker remained calm despite the attention gathering around them.

“You!”

A familiar voice suddenly cried out.

Wyg, the Silver Wolf warrior who had provoked Karath during their previous encounter and ended up looking like a beaten stray, pointed at him in horror.

“How dare you come here!”

He looked ready to charge again.

“Wyg, do not act recklessly.”

“Tsk, tsk. When will you learn to control that temper?”

The rebukes of the surrounding wolffolk made him hesitate.

Is he their version of Kaden?

Wyg appeared to occupy a position similar to Kaden or Chief Parker within the alliance.

He was an accomplished fighter, but impatient, short-sighted, and frequently scolded by his elders.

Despite Wyg being restrained, a tense silence remained between the villagers and Karath’s group.

“You said you had something to tell me?”

An elderly wolffolk man emerged through the crowd.

He was probably the chief of the Silver Wolf Tribe.

“Yes, Chief.”

“We need to speak with you about the legend.”

Doltz and Ruker stepped forward.

“The legend... Are you referring to that child?”

The chief pointed toward Buddy beside Karath.

He appeared to understand the situation almost immediately.

“Yes, Chief.”

“Before coming here, we encountered them and witnessed something extraordinary.”

Doltz and Ruker briefly explained what had happened.

“You are saying that a child only three years old defeated you, Doltz?”

“That is correct, Chief.”

“And since he was born in the wild, he could not have received proper instruction. That is indeed extraordinary talent.”

“That is why we brought them here despite the discourtesy. We apologise, Chief.”

“You did well. When faced with something you do not understand, asking one who may know is wiser than making a decision through ignorance. You have both matured.”

“It is thanks to your teachings.”

Karath silently watched their exchange.

There was something strangely religious about these people.

They reminded him of monks living in a temple upon a secluded mountain, or ancient hermits who spoke of living in harmony with nature.

“You must be the Grand Chief leading these people.”

“I am. Karath Bloodclaw, Grand Chief of the Greenskin Alliance.”

“I am Hargan, chief of the Silver Wolf Tribe. With your permission, may I speak with the descendant of the silver beasts?”

Karath looked toward Buddy before nodding.

“You may.”

“You have my thanks.”

Chief Hargan approached Buddy and spoke in the gentle voice of a kindly old grandfather.

“To have been born in the wild and developed such strength on your own. You have done very well.”

“Woof! Woof!”

“Yes, yes. It must have been difficult. You must have suffered greatly.”

“Grrr.”

“Oh? The orc Grand Chief over there helped you?”

“Woof! Woof!”

“Hohoho. So that is what happened.”

The conversation flowed naturally, as though between an intelligent child and his grandfather.

“My child, our tribe has passed down an ancient legend.”

“Woof?”

“It says that one day, when a great crisis comes upon the tribe, a descendant with fur that shines brighter than silver will appear and protect us. That legendary child will possess enough strength to tear apart the very sky.”

Hargan spoke like an old man sharing a bedtime story with his grandchild.

So that was the legend.

Now that Karath had heard it, he found it somewhat disappointing.

It was the kind of hopeful prophecy that could exist among any people.

For orcs, it might have said that one day, the strongest and most handsome orc would appear and restore their race.

“Woof. Woof.”

Unlike Karath, Buddy showed genuine interest.

“Woof! Woof!”

“Hohoho. You want me to move aside for a moment? Very well. I do not know what you intend to show us, but go ahead.”

Hargan stepped away from Buddy.

“Awooo!”

Buddy raised his head and howled.

Mana throughout the cavern began to stir.

“Ohhh.”

The surrounding Silver Wolf villagers sensed it as well and stared at him in wonder.

Wooooom.

Water began forming around Buddy’s mouth as he drew in mana.

Unlike during the battle against the drake, he did not immediately release it as breath.

Wooooom.

The water circled his body in a slow dance.

Carried by currents of wind, it swept across his fur and absorbed the dirt accumulated during several days of camping.

He can control wind as well as water?

The flowing water followed the wind around him.

As it cleaned away every trace of dust and mud, Buddy’s coat regained its magnificent silver brilliance.

“Awooo!”

After completing his purification, Buddy howled again.

The water circling him rushed back toward his jaws.

Rooooar!

The compressed torrent shot upward and struck a corner of the cavern ceiling.

BOOM!

“Ohhh!”

The attack blasted a new opening through the rock.

This breath differed from the one Buddy had used against the drake.

Perhaps he had trained in secret throughout the winter.

Rather than spreading widely, the water was continuously compressed by the wind he controlled.

It resembled the water-jet cutting spell Karath had used during his first battle against a drake.

Could Buddy have copied him?

Perhaps the wolf had learned to use water breath by remembering what Karath had done.

Before he could consider the possibility further, the cavern erupted with cries of astonishment.

“Ohhhhh!”

“He must be the child of the legend, Chief!”

The Silver Wolf villagers stared at Buddy’s performance with open reverence.

Karath felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Wait.

This is exactly what I used to do.

Whenever Karath absorbed another orc tribe into the alliance, he often displayed magic to overwhelm them with awe.

Now Buddy had performed an equally dramatic display before the Silver Wolf Tribe.

“How much of Karath are you planning to imitate, Buddy?”

There was an old saying that a dog studying at a school for three years would learn to recite poetry.

Buddy had apparently learned to imitate a Grand Chief instead.

Chapter 180

The Name of a Legend

After Buddy received the recognition of Chief Hargan and the Silver Wolf villagers, the expedition was treated as honoured guests.

More precisely, the villagers’ attitude toward Karath became extremely respectful.

“Until now, our village believed the child of the legend would be a gifted youth born among our own people. We never imagined he would come to us from outside.”

“I see.”

“Yet that may be precisely why he fulfils the prophecy. The legend clearly states that the descendant will ‘come to us.’”

Hargan smiled like a grandfather gazing at a beloved grandchild.

“Thank you for raising the child who will one day protect the Silver Wolf Tribe.”

Buddy had apparently spoken well of Karath.

The chief now looked at him with remarkable warmth.

“Krahahaha. It was only natural.”

Karath did not know what was natural about it.

He had never imagined that raising a wolf would one day cause an entire tribe to welcome him like royalty.

The only one who suffered from this new situation was Wyg.

Whenever he directed even a slightly disrespectful glance toward Karath, every Silver Wolf villager nearby stared at him as though preparing to tear him apart.

That reaction demonstrated Buddy’s immense status within the village.

“L-look at the brilliance of his fur.”

“Hohoho. I have cultivated my mind for more than thirty years, yet I still cannot resist reaching out to touch it.”

The villagers approached as though entranced and gently stroked Buddy’s newly cleaned silver coat.

“The prophecy was true!”

“The humans disturbed the forest, so he came to save us!”

Some even bowed before Buddy and celebrated with tears in their eyes.

This is practically a religion.

They were not merely admiring Buddy.

They were worshipping him.

“Is this how other races see the way orcs and goblins treat Karath?”

When he considered it carefully, their behaviour was not especially different from the reverence many alliance members showed him.

Still, because the object of their worship was not a human or an orc but an animal, the scene felt like something from a comedy.

Then again, the orcs had worshipped their ancestors.

There was little reason to consider the Silver Wolf Tribe strange for worshipping a wolf.

Perhaps it was simply the difference between shamanism and totemism.

Then again, since the wolffolk themselves belonged to the wolf family, perhaps this was also shamanism rather than totemism.

The more Karath tried to understand it, the more his head began to ache.

Giving up seemed easier.

“Grand Chief of the orcs, may I ask you one question?”

Chief Hargan addressed him again.

At last, they could discuss an alliance.

Their relationship had become friendly thanks to Buddy, so it was time to return to the real reason Karath had entered the village.

“Ask whatever you wish.”

“Hohoho. After speaking with the great child, I learned that his name is Buddy.”

The chief’s words were not what Karath expected.

“May I ask what the name ‘Buddy’ means?”

Karath’s thoughts went blank.

In his former language, the wolf’s original name simply meant white dog.

But Buddy was silver now.

More importantly, he was a wolf rather than a dog.

These people were worshipping him as the legendary saviour of their tribe.

How would they react if they discovered Karath had originally named their sacred beast something equivalent to White Dog?

It would be no different from someone naming Karath Brown Human.

Forget an alliance.

That would guarantee war.

Regardless of Karath’s personal feelings, the fate of both the Greenskin Alliance and the Silver Wolf Tribe might depend upon his next answer.

What should Karath say?

His mind began spinning at full speed in search of an escape.

Thump.

Thump.

The strain was so intense that he began hearing a pounding inside his head.

“Hm?”

No.

The noise was not inside his head.

“A monster appears to be approaching,” Hargan said.

Heavy impacts and vibrations travelled through the cavern wall.

Whatever was outside was not merely passing nearby.

The blows shaking the cavern grew more violent with every moment.

BOOM!

The wall beside the entrance collapsed.

“Hahaha! So this is where you were hiding, wolf-men!”

“No wonder we could never find you.”

Beyond the cloud of dust created by the shattered stone, a group of black mages appeared with monsters gathered around them.