Chapter 253: +Song
"Why are you suddenly touching that?"
Camille suddenly asked Otto.
“Huh?”
“Are you planning to smack someone over the head again?”
“Ah.”
It was only then that Otto realized he had been unconsciously touching the awakening poker and quickly came to his senses.
“I'm just jealous, that's all.”
“Huh?”
“I'm the only one, Holy Rel….”
Otto had a sullen and dejected expression on his face.To be honest, it was true that he felt resentful.
Other Lords typically had at least one, and sometimes several.
But this Otto de Scuderia didn't have a single Holy Relic, the most important item for a Lord.
Of course, there were various methods to easily progress through the game as long as the player is willing to do the exhaustive legwork to find them.
Nevertheless, there was a world of difference between having one and not having one at all.
A Holy Relic is an item that serves as a guiding light for a Lord and contains a great deal of power.
The difference between having one and not having one was far greater than one might think.
In some cases, for certain Lords, if they do not secure the Holy Relics featured in the scenario, it becomes completely impossible to proceed with the game.
"Don't you have a few of them?"
Camille soothed Otto.
"That's something I took or obtained!"
“What…?”
“I hate things like self-made success, you know? People are best off being born with a golden spoon in their mouth. Life is a lottery from the moment you’re born.”
"….."
“Like Hard work. Hmm.”
“You're not wrong.”
Camille couldn't deny Otto's words.
To be born with nothing and make something of yourself, or to be born with a strong bloodline and succeed in something with natural talent.
If asked to choose between the two, everyone would choose the latter, no doubt about it.
Who would want to go through all that hassle?
“Very few people are born with natural talent. That's why everyone has to strive to achieve it.”
“That's true.”
Otto agreed with Camille's opinion.
"That's how everyone lives, after all. It's not like those born with advantages don't put in any effort either."
For instance, Elise was born with natural talent, but hadn't she trained with nothing but a sword since childhood?
“Well.”
Otto grinned.
“We've gained a lot too. At this point, it's quite a good deal.”
“That's right.”
“Let's get going.”
“Understood, Your Majesty.”
With that, Otto and his group left Thunder Mountain behind.
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Otto and his group immediately left Thunder Mountain and made their way to the Thunderhoof Clan's territory.
"Please go ahead first, Sir Qasim."
"Yes, Your Highness."
"Guic! Gwiik!”
Qasim and Peng departed on Khamak
“You guys can go for it. We'll follow slowly behind.”
“Chwik! Got it!”
Bagram mounted Chawchaw at Otto's urging.
The orc warriors also mounted their respective wild boars.
– Squeeeek!
Chawchaw, now the leader of the herd of wild boars carrying the orcs, roared loudly and charged forward.
Then something amazing happened.
*Crackle!*
*Bzzzt!*
The electrical current emanating from Chawchaw wrapped around the wild boars carrying the orc warriors.
Following that, the armor of the wild boars carrying the orcs transformed into something more splendid and ornate, with sparks emitting from their eyes.
Chawchaw's power, which enhances the surrounding wild boars, was in action.
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!**Bang!*¹
With Chawchaw in the lead, the boars sprinted off at a terrifying speed.
They were moving at least 1.5 times faster than before, at a speed that would make even the finest of steeds cry.
*Rumbles!*
*THUMP!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
The heavy hoofbeats of those wild boars sounded like thunder.
The clan wasn't called the Thunderhoof Clan for nothing.
“Your Highness?”
Camille frowned at the sight.
"So what about us? We don't have any mounts."
"Do we really need to ride something?"
“What?”
“We can just run.”
“Are you saying we should run all the way to the Thunderhoof Clan?”
"Why? Can't you?"
“…….”
"What are you doing? Start running."
Otto took off running.
“…….”
Camille couldn’t understand why Otto insisted on running when there were perfectly good mounts available, but he ran anyway.
An order is an order.
Even if it doesn’t make sense, following it is the duty of a knight.
The magic swordsmen also followed Otto and Camille, running alongside them.
Then, something astonishing happened.
*Shhh!* *Shhhh!*
Strangely, the surrounding scenery began to change rapidly.
Even though they were running as usual, the actual distance they covered was immense.
As if space itself had been compressed.
*Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!* *Bang!*
So much so that they swiftly overtook the Chawchaw and the wild boars ahead, reducing them to mere dots in the distance.
“W-What the hell.”
Camille couldn’t believe it.
It was unbelievable that they had traveled several kilometers in the blink of an eye, even though they were running at the same speed they did during their typical physical training sessions in the morning.
"What is going on here?"
“How could this happen?”
Otto replied with a smirk.
“It's a Space Manipulation."
“S… Space Manipulation… you mean?”
“Yes.”
"Is it something like warp or teleport?"
"It's a bit different from those concepts. It’s more like compressing space."
“What…?”
"Don’t try to understand it. It’s dangerous."
"….."
“At least it's nice that my mana has increased.”
Thanks to the immense amount of mana he obtained from the Thunder Mountain, Otto can now fully utilize the Trickster's Hand in his arsenal.
He was reluctant to use it because of the mana consumption, but now he can use it on a large scale.
“Space~~~~~ Manipulation~!”
Otto hummed a tune.
“His Majesty the King is using the Shukuchi Technique~~~~”
"….?"
“Here in the east~ there in the west~ Controlling the world to its core~ His Majesty the King~ is coming~”
“What kind of song is that?”
Camille scrunched up his brow.
The song Otto sang was so bizarre and absurd that it was hard to bear listening to it.
“It's a secret.”
Otto didn’t reveal the secret of the song.
“Did you write and compose it yourself?”
“Well, let’s just go with that.”
Otto continued to run while humming the bizarre song, "Your Majesty is using the Shukuchi technique."
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Upon his return, Bagram was greeted with overwhelming support, enthusiasm, and cheers from his clan.
That was entirely natural.
Since their Chieftain Bagram appeared riding the Chawchaw from the clan's legends, the clansmen could not help but recognize him as the second coming of the legend.
"CHHWIIIIIIIIIKK!!!"
“Chiik! Chwiiik!"
"Chiik! Chwik! Chik! Chwiiik!"
The clansmen roared fiercely toward Bagram, showing their absolute support and reverence.
With his appearance on the legendary divine beast Chawchaw, Bagram was considered nothing less than the absolute ruler of the Thunderhoof Clan.
He became a being who could command the absolute support and loyalty of the entire race, more than a clan chief.
This was not only true for the Thunderhoof Clan, but also for the other Clans of the Uruk Plains.
Except for the Raging Wolf Clan, which had a long-standing enmity with the Thunderhoof Clan.
The two clans had been at odds for a long time, and were like water and oil.
Thus, Bagram, riding Chawchaw, was bound to be even more despised by the Raging Wolf Clan.
He became a figure that further provoked hostility and increased vigilance.
‘It can't be helped.'
Otto knew that Bagram would lose the favor of the Raging Wolf Clan if he acquired Chawchaw.
Although there was no goodwill to lose in the first place, the relationship would only become more strained.
‘You gain one thing, you lose another.'
But that wasn’t the important part.
Anyway, the Thunderhoof Clan, led by Bagram, had to face the Raging Wolf Clan.
Why?
Because the Raging Wolves were infested with Orcus, the mutant orcs planted by the Kingdom of Erzsebet.
In fact, it would not have been strange at all to consider the Raging Wolf Clan as part of the Erzsebet Kingdom’s forces.
Incidentally.
“Chieftain! It’s a big problem! Chwik!”
Did someone say that the day you go is a market day?²
Upon his return, Bagram was met with bad news.
"What’s going on? Chwik?"
“Several clans from the Plains have crossed the border and are attacking the humans! Chwiik!”
“What!”
"Bagram was greatly shocked upon receiving the report."
"These foolish idiots! CHWIIIK!"
Bagram shouted angrily, revealing his fury.
“Why are they messing with humans! Chwik! Don't they know that we Orcs were driven out to the Uruk Plains by humans! Chwik! If they start a war, humans from all over the continent might try to exterminate us!!!”
The wise Bagram knew all too well how the Orc race could survive.
He knew that provoking the humans could wipe the Orc off the face of the earth, and he was furious at the other Clans for their rash decision to wage war.
“The Raging Wolf Clan is reportedly preparing for war as well! Chwiik!”
“……!”
“Chief! It’s an emergency! Chwiik!”
“Damn it….”
Upon returning as the owner of Chawchaw and hearing the thunderous news, Bagram gritted his teeth.
Since the situation in the Uruk Plains had changed so suddenly, Bagram was unable to figure out how to respond.
Meanwhile, Otto beside him barely bats an eye.
“Waaa. It looks like King Bathory is a bit pissed off.”
Otto knew the reason why the orcs had crossed the plains and invaded human territory all too well.
‘A sign of pressure on the neighboring kingdoms, a warning to them not to dare to speak out when they have no power. She's using the orcs to force the rebellious neighboring kingdoms to crawl back into her fold.'
Otto had a clear understanding of Bathory's course of action.
It wasn’t the first time Bathory had used the Orcs to erode the strength of neighboring kingdoms.
Thirty years ago.
Because the first thing Bathory did upon ascending to the throne was to use the Orcs to ravage the neighboring kingdoms.
That being said…….
‘Oh my, thank goodness.'
Otto also knew the detailed methods of countering Bathory's actions.
How to overcome this situation.
How to give Bathory a counterpunch.
There was nothing Otto didn't know.
Unless there was an unforeseen variable.
“Don't panic.”
Otto advised Bagram.
“The solution is simple. So, just calm down and keep it together.”
“Chwiik?”
“If you handle things well, Bagram, there won’t be a war between humans and Orcs.”
“Chwiik?”
“Humans….”
From Otto’s mouth came a truly shocking statement, one that was unimaginable from the Orcs' perspective.
“Help us. This is the chance. It's an opportunity for the two races to pave the way for a peaceful reconciliation.”
“Chik! Chwiik!”
Bagram was greatly astonished by Otto's words.
Orcs helping humans.
Considering the relationship between humans and Orcs, it was indeed an utterly absurd statement.
How deep was the Orcs' hatred and distrust towards humans?
From the Orcs' perspective, it was nearly impossible to help humans with a sane mind.
But Otto’s thinking was different.
“That's the way for the Orcs to survive and the best way for humans and Orcs to coexist.”
“Ch-Chwiik! But the clan folk….”
“They'll follow.”
Otto shook his head.
“You are now the new master of Chawchaw, a mount that only the first Chieftain was capable of riding, and you have his axe, and it's safe to say that your authority is the strongest in the history of the Thunderhoof Clan.”
“……!”
“Right now, the clan members would drown themselves if you asked them to do so.”
Otto's words were true.
With Chawchaw and Astra's Axe in hand, Bagram's leadership was absolute.
Given the current situation, it was clear that the tribespeople would follow Bagram’s words to help the humans without any objections.
“How about it?”
Otto asked Bagram.
“Can you do it?”
“Chwik.”
Bagram hesitated.
No matter how much Bagram had become friends with Otto, helping humans as an Orc was not an easy task for him.
After a long period of contemplation, Bagram finally spoke.
“Okay. Chwik.”
Bagram made his decision.
“I will help the humans. Chwiik.”
“I knew you would say that.”
A smile appeared on Otto’s face.
Bagram was a wise and sagacious,³ yet brave Orc chieftain.
He had no doubt that Bagram would be willing to help the humans.
** ** **
TL/N:
1. Reason why they are called Thunderhoof Clan is because of their Steamboar mounts when running full speed the sound they make is like Thunder.
2. This proverb is often used to highlight the irony of bad timing and can be applied in various contexts where plans are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances
3. sagacious – having or showing keen mental discernment and good judgment; shrewd.
4. Shukuchi Song