Chapter 28
The forest grows tumultuous.
The mountain birds asleep in the dark night flutter, and at the same time, screams mixed with humans and beasts echo.
At its center.
"Руль борылды."
Red glowing eyes.
Muscles with bulging veins.
A greenskin with a massive frame over two meters tall.
The orc warrior, mounted on a magical beast, looks down at Callias and says something.
Pure white breath stretched out long.
"Әгәр дә сез сугышчы булсагыз, көрәшегыз"
A voice like scraping a wooden plank with a sword.
A low and rough voice is heard continuously.
"Бу җир безнең сугыш кыры булачак"
"My lord... what is that guy saying?"
"He says he wants to fight."
Even though it is a language completely impossible to understand.
It reaches Callias's ears.
Perhaps because of [Bard's Blessing], he could understand the general meaning through the pitch and breathing.
His words were exactly this.
‘The wheel has turned.’
If you too are a warrior, fight me.
This land is our battlefield.
Though the words were simple, the conveyance of meaning was clear and certain.
Boom-!
The orc leaped from the beast's back, holding an axe in both hands, and charged.
Whoosh- Thwack!
"Kyaaah!"
His hand blurred, and he threw the axe in a single breath.
At the same time, one of Emily's attendants was struck by the axe.
The thrown force was so powerful that the sickening sound of a skull bursting struck the eardrums.
‘Fast.’
They say the strength of a single orc warrior equals that of five grown men, and their axe swing is powerful enough to kill three at once; those words were not false.
"Օoh!!"
The orc warrior leaped up.
With powerful leg strength, the massive frame jumped high into the sky and grabbed the axe with both hands.
The axe in his hands had two blades.
A massive double-headed axe.
He brought it down as if to split Callias's head in two.
Crash-!!
"Ugh."
Directly circulating divine power and dodging the orc's axe, a bright red bonfire exploded splendidly before Callias's eyes.
The brightly shining sparks faded along with the charging eyes in an instant, and the figure of the orc warrior rushing in, trampling over it.
"Y-You scoundrel!! Why are there orcs here!? They..."
"This is no time to argue about that. Brans."
"Yes! Yes, sir! My lord!!"
"Take Emily and run."
"W-What about you, my lord...!"
"What he wants is a fight."
A duel to the death.
What he wants is a strong one who can fight him. It was Callias.
"I can't just leave you alone!"
"Lady Emily! You must come this way!"
"Callias the Scoundrel!! Let go of me!"
Shaking off the attendant's hands, Emily comes running over breathlessly.
With a more serious expression, she draws her sword and stands by Callias's side.
"You're in the way."
"The orcs are raiding the entire White Forest anyway. I know too. I'm not a child. I am a Zerban. I'm not a fool who doesn't know that much, so you don't have to explain!"
"So that's your conclusion?"
"I'll deal with the magical beast. If you die anyway, we all die."
Well, it's not a wrong statement.
The wheel has already turned.
The orcs would be spread throughout the White Forest, fighting the knights.
Even if Brans and an attendant took Emily and fled, they wouldn't be able to overcome the mobility of the orcs mounted on magical beasts.
"Бу җир безнең сугыш кыры булачак"
"Saying all sorts of things."
"What did he say?"
The orc saw Emily's spirit and praised her pride highly, saying that though young, she too was a warrior.
In the end, it meant he would kill her.
Callias drew his sword.
A sword with holes punched right through the blade.
It was the Predator Sword - Roas.
"Тылсымлы кылы!!"
"You recognize it."
He looked at Roas and became infuriated.
Probably because it's a demonic sword.
"Emily."
"Yeah."
"Don't step forward first. If possible, watch as quiet as a dead mouse. Unlike me."
Because you have talent.
Step-!
Boom-!
At the impact sound, which couldn't be considered simply a sword and an axe colliding, Emily's body staggered. But that wasn't the end.
Indiscriminate sword strikes continuing in succession.
Callias's sword looked like dozens, and the orc's axe facing it was the same. Accordingly, shockwaves and eardrum-shattering noise struck the entire body.
However, even if Emily staggered once, she didn't take her eyes off.
The young Zerban opened her eyes wide as if engraving everything.
The young ash-gray didn't miss the flowing petals fluttering within the violent battle.
* * *
Crunch!
Orfin, who trampled the head of the magical beast, shook off the blood smeared on his sword.
Looking to his side, Kilavan was looking at his bracelet and tapping it with his index finger, tap tap, tap tap tap.
Every time he did, the bracelet sparkled.
Like some kind of signal.
Orfin's eyes narrowed for a moment.
"Lord Kilavan."
"Hmm, Orfin. How is the situation?"
"You must flee immediately. I thought the magical beasts' movements were strange, and it was an orc raid."
An orc raid.
An ominous sign.
Usually, they don't have a history of launching surprise attacks with such large-scale tactics. Yet to launch a preemptive strike so rashly.
Leaving them alone was not an option.
They had to return to the castle immediately, report the facts, and launch a massive counterattack.
Only then would the spirit and prestige of the North stand upright.
"Hmm, I see."
But for some reason, Kilavan's expression was only calm.
As one who inherited the blood of Zerban, he should naturally be furious at the orc raid.
Due to their attack, the knights hunting magical beasts in the White Forest died in large numbers, and those remaining were still fighting.
Even while having this conversation, the blood of the North was soaking the snowy field.
‘Why so...’
But why is he so calm?
Beyond calm, to Orfin, he even looked leisurely.
"I think you should issue a retreat order immediately and return to the castle."
"Why is that?"
"The situation is subtle. The appearance of orcs at this time is somewhat suspicious."
Orcs have never appeared during the hunting tournament where the forest grows noisy.
Even if they did, it was mostly the case of one or two with a strong competitive spirit appearing.
It was safe to say this kind of strategic surprise attack was a first.
"Hmm..."
Kilavan stared at only the bracelet for a long time.
To be exact, it was the bizarre gemstone embedded in the center of the bracelet.
‘An artifact... Is he thinking of contacting the Count?’
However, such thoughts of Orfin faded when Kilavan opened his mouth.
"First, we leave the forest."
"To go to the castle..."
"No, we don't go to the castle. We take shelter for a while."
"..."
"The current situation is an abnormal event, and their purpose is not clear. It is uncertain whether their surprise attack reaching us now is a one-off, or whether a long-term battlefield will unfold. So it's not too late to move after taking shelter for a while and observing their movements."
"Then..."
"Jeyvarsh has the Zerbans. You don't need to worry, Orfin."
"But!"
Thud! Kilavan kicked Orfin's shin.
"Ugh!"
"It is a wartime situation now. As the next head of Zerban, I hold full authority. Disobedience of orders is immediate execution."
Orfin didn't open his mouth anymore.
He just tried hard to pretend he didn't hear the sound of the bracelet Kilavan was wearing vibrating at regular intervals.
* * *
Screech! Boom!
"көңүлдүү!!"
"Like a wild boar."
The attacks are endlessly monotonous.
But each and every one of his strikes shook the ground and rattled Callias.
Added to his innate physical specs, the charging recklessness of not avoiding attacks made him difficult for Callias to deal with.
Silver Flower Sword Style.
The swordsmanship he handles is the Quick Sword and the Illusion Sword.
A fast sword focused on speed and a sword that deceives the opponent's eyes with flashy techniques.
Originally, the Silver Flower Sword Style itself was a sword style created to face opponents stronger than oneself, so it was natural.
However, Callias realized as he faced the orc.
‘It doesn't work well.’
It doesn't work on them.
The reason lies in their disposition.
The orcs are berserkers who feel no fear of taking sword strikes.
The instinct of those who don't fear death is a killing strike focused only on raising the axe to kill the opponent.
It was a combat method that didn't care for itself.
This was the reason they were called barbarians.
Thus, Callias was a bit troubled.
The orc's axe was of such a high grade that it was comparable to the Predator Sword-Roas, and the skill of the one swinging it was not ashamed to be called a warrior.
The double-headed axe didn't have a single scratch even after a short fierce battle, and his dense muscles felt like kicking a rock.
Orcs.
In other novels or games, they might be treated as mob monsters, but here on the Pilgrim's Path, it was not like that at all.
Warriors with physical abilities and pride superior to humans.
A different race that roams the battlefield, risking death, serving the Axe God, Kun-Ta.
That was the Orc.
"Heup!"
Clang!
Screeeech!
Pushed back, Callias shrank his body and stepped forward again.
‘Fighting for a long time won't be good.’
Even while fighting like this, more orcs would be flocking.
Time is not on my side.
I must decide the match at once.
The Manhwa Bongyuk in the lower abdomen blooms.
The bloomed single peak blossoms, and high-purity divine power spreads throughout the body.
With every step taken, acceleration gradually builds up.
Step! Step! Bang!
"үлдүү!!"
The axe of the orc warrior shouting as if enjoying it soars above his head.
As if it was what he wanted, Callias also draws Roas and strikes with a single sword.
Boom-!
The orc warrior's axe strikes down on Roas.
Bewilderment spreads across the face of the guy who was smiling full of ecstasy.
Roas is the bait.
In Callias's left hand, the Famous Sword - Luchen was held in a reverse grip.
Slash!
Letting go of Roas and drawing Luchen to cut the orc's leg, Callias soon straightened his sword and brought it to the guy's neck.
"мыкты"
Excellent.
There was no such thing as fear in the eyes of the orc calling it so.
There was only relief.
"You too."
Slice.
Callias reached out his hand toward the corpse of the fallen orc.
But that was only for a moment.
His gaze stopped in midair.
[Fatalite's Wheel.]
-Avoid the fate of death flowing from destiny.
-Survive.
-Stop the orc raid.
-Number of Orcs Killed: 1
-???
"It doesn't change with just catching one."
Even though I worked pretty hard.
Callias looked at the corpse of the orc warrior and reached out his hand, then pulled it back again.
‘There is a need to conserve divine power.’
No matter how much divine power is built into the bracelet, I don't know what situation will appear.
Being careful can't be bad.
And because I have enough swords.
"Scoundrel! Don't space out!"
Callias's movement of putting away Luchen and Roas stopped.
"No time to rest."
The magical beast tamed by the orc warrior growled and bared its teeth.
Callias, who straightened Roas, stood by Emily who was confronting the magical beast, and immediately entered the battle.
Thump-!
As he defeated the magical beast without much difficulty, the quest window changed.
-Number of Orcs Killed: 1
-Number of Magical Beasts Killed: 1
-???
When he caught the magical beast, the beast was also measured.
Every single action of mine in the forest right now is being measured for the quest's grade.
"Scoundrel. What is that swordsmanship?"
"You don't need to know."
"……."
Ignoring her bulging cheeks, Callias operated the Manhwa Bongyuk and slowly expanded his energy sense.
‘It's dangerous, but...’
I must go through as many battles as possible.
Otherwise, even if I receive a reward, I'll receive something I don't even need.
The quest is only once.
There are several ways to raise the reward grade, but I know an easier and more efficient method.
I can't just miss this opportunity.
Callias, having made up his mind, walked straight into the forest.
"M-My lord! Where are you going!"
"Where are you going! Are you crazy!? Why are you going! If you want to die, die alone!"
It was the same principle as going to die on his own two feet, but he didn't stop.
He walked as if it was natural toward the direction where screams were heard.
"A scoundrel, acting like a noble, trying to go save them!?"
Callias, who stopped only then, spoke to Emily, who was angry for some reason.
"I am not a noble."
One who can do anything for his sword.
"I am merely a pilgrim."