Chapter 114 – Harsh March (2)
The day shone brightly. Crockta opened his eyes. His body felt refreshed.
“……!”
Then it hit him. He felt too refreshed. He looked around, unable to see Tiyo and Anor, who slept in the same tent as him.
Crockta ran out.
“Wow. Did you just wake up dot?”
“Crockta is a sleepyhead.”
They had created a griddle and were cooking an unidentified meat on the campfire while laughing. The sun was bright.
“Why…?”
They were supposed to march along the path of the Great Clan once morning came, but morning had already arrived a long time ago. Caska walked forward with a smile.
“Why are you looking like that? I was being considerate towards you.”
“Did you delay it on purpose?”
“Yes.”
“The Great Clan…”
“The great chieftain is wounded. He won’t overdo it for a day or two so you can relax.” She deliberately delayed the march for Crockta.
“The faster we are, the better.”
He looked around. The dark elves were sitting around and enjoying their meals.
Crockta’s face stiffened. “Caska.”
“Why? Are you impressed?”
Crockta realized as he saw her smile. They didn’t know war. They experienced combat, but never war. They didn’t know how important half a day really was. They didn’t know that one hour could determine defeat or victory in a war.
It was a bit hard and their bodies might be tired, but they had never experienced the result of delaying the schedule for a while. A knife was sufficient to kill a person. War was the process of sweeping p people with huge weapons. The wielded blade would never wait for them.
“Have you detected the Great Clan’s movements?”
“The scouts will be coming back soon.”
“You have failed to grasp it yet. We have to start.”
“Crockta.” Caska sighed, “We aren’t the only troops. Even without us, there is a force in every city and the cities are working closely together. Try not to do it alone.”
Her words weren’t wrong. But even so, Crockta’s instincts were telling him that they should move now.
Last night, he had seen the great chieftain’s red eyes. There was no compromise or mercy in them. He didn’t even see justification or ambition. There was just a strong desire to fight, blood lust and extreme aggression. Common sense shouldn’t be applied to him.
Crockta spoke again. “We have to start as soon as possible.”
Caska nodded at Crockta’s determined gaze.
“Okay, okay. But you should eat first.”
Despite her bad mood, she turned Crockta around and prompted him. Crockta felt hungry after hearing Caska’s words. He should eat something as she said, then hopefully it wouldn’t be too late when they started moving.
The anxiety that he felt might just be his overestimation of Calmahart.
***
Behind the tent, Tiyo and Anor were giggling while cooking the meat. Crockta walked up to them.
Tiyo went alert. “Those eyes seem like they desire meat dot.”
Anor chimed in, “If you don’t work then you don’t get to eat.”
“I won’t give it to the slacker who slept until noon dot.”
Tiyo shook some plants. “Well, how about this?”
Then Tiyo grabbed his body and laughed, Anor laughing along with him. The two of them were well suited for each other.
Tiyo said with a smiling face, “It is a joke dot, a joke. Now, take this. We can’t be inhospitable to Crockta dot.”
Then he picked up a small piece of meat. It was so small that it didn’t need to be bitten. Tiyo smiled.
“Crockta, diet dot!”
Then he glanced at Anor and they started giggling again.
“Ahahahat. How funny! Crockta on a diet”
“I’m just worried about the health of my companion dot! Kahahahahat!”
It was like the main character of a movie being annoyed by Extras 1 and 2. Crockta looked at Tiyo and Anor in turn. They were still giggling as they made skewers from branches and barely managed to turn the meat.
“Kilkil, ah hot! The branch is short dot!”
“Be careful. We are running out of twigs.”
“There is meat but no tool…”
Tiyo laughed again, “Well, there is a poor man over there who doesn’t even have meat dot… Huhuhu.”
“That isn’t a good attitude when trying to comfort someone. Hihit.”
“Then why are you laughing dot? Kuk…”
“What about Tiyo? Huhut…”
“The weather is so good that I’m laughing dot! Kuhihihihit!”
“I am just laughing because of the wind. Hihihihit!”
Crockta closed his eyes.
How sad was this? The young man Anor followed them because he trusted the warrior Crockta, only to be tainted by an opportunist called Tiyo. The recently odd man out, who only knew how to swear, was now trying to bully him!
Crockta raised his greatsword, its long shadow covering their heads. Tiyo and Anor flinched.
“D-Don’t tell me…”
“Hey, we were just teasing a bit…haha…”
Crockta’s eyes were sharp like needles. He shouted and swung the greatsword without hesitation.
“……!”
“…Ah!”
The tip of the blade headed towards them. A piece of meat was on top of it. Crockta started using Ogre Slayer as a griddle to cook the meat. The masterpiece of the Golden Anvil Clan seemed greasy as the meat didn’t stick to it, sliding smoothly with every flick of Crockta’s wrist.
Tiyo and Anor watched as he scattered salt on the meat. He wanted a moderate amount of time before turning the meat over. The surface was smooth and the insides lightly cooked. The concentrated juices were caught in the meat.
“……!”
Tiyo and Anor looked down at their branches. The roasted meat was burnt and some leaves were clinging to it, making it look completely unappetizing. However, if they used smaller branches, then the wood would keep breaking.
Crockta cut it with the blade. The perfect steak was shining right in front of them. Tiyo and Anor watched Crockta’s grilling and stared at his meat without realizing that their own cuts were burning.
Crockta’s hand moved slowly. The perfect steak was entering his mouth. The red juices would flow out when he bit it. The meat entering Crockta’s mouth wasn’t a simple meal, but a feast of flavor!
For Tiyo and Anor, who hadn’t enjoyed proper food due to the long camping, it was a delicacy. The first one to figure out the situation was Tiyo.
“I’m sorry dot…!”
Tiyo bowed humbly.
Crockta looked at Anor. Anor noticed it and succumbed to Crockta’s skills.
“Euh…” He flopped down. “I want to eat steak…”
Crockta stared at the two of them.
In the hopes that they wouldn’t fall prey to this evil path again, Crockta cried out.
“Say my name.”
“……!”
“Who am I?”
Tiyo and Anor raised their heads. Crockta was flashing a benevolent smile at them, like the face of a god in an old mural. They muttered blankly like they realized something, “Crockta…”
‘Yes, I am Crockta.”
Crockta stood up and got the meat from Tiyo and Anor’s side. Three big pieces were placed on Ogre Slayer. The greatsword was placed on the fire.
“A very gracious warrior.”
Tiyo and Anor repented over their behavior as they saw the sizzling meat.
***
“We really arrived,” muttered Warrior Surka.
The great chieftain’s harsh march eventually ended. They grabbed their weapons as they looked at the far-away fortress.
Emeranian. A dark elf city. It was one of the most prosperous places on the outskirts of the dark elf territory. If they broke it down, they could immediately go to key cities like Nameragon and Lorgarch. Beyond them was the world tree.
The moment they set fire to it, their victory would be confirmed. The north would fall and lay the foundations for the continent invasion. The great chieftain would make the whole north a tool for war and directly destroy the areas below them.
What would the world be like after the conquest was over?
Surka tried to let go of the thought.
“This is a city of weak people, garbage, made to be our slaves.”
The great chieftain rose from the sedan. His rough voice rang out. The shaman made a gesture with his hand.
The voice of the great chieftain rang out even further, “Take that place. I will allow you to do whatever you want. Make that place yours. I am giving it all to you.”
His eyes were red. He looked around at the orcs. The orc soldiers were tired but they started to feel excited again.
Surka also felt something unknown burn in his chest. His heart started beating wildly. It was the feeling just before the battle begun. He wanted to feel the weight of the axe in his hand and listen to the weapon. He felt a sense of liberation whenever wielding the axe. He wanted to split the enemy’s head apart.
Fight and win. These two thoughts dominated his head.
“The operation is against those weak bastards.”
The great chieftain descended from the sedan. It staggered for a moment. The slaves flinched but the great chieftain showed no signs of caring. He just calmly wielded the axe. Some of the slaves holding the sedan chair died, the center of gravity collapsed and the rest were crushed by the chair.
The great chieftain jumped up immediately. He placed the weight of his whole body on the sedan. There was a snapping sound as bones were broken. The crushed slaves screamed. Blood flowed from beneath the sedan.
“We can obtain many slaves there.” He laughed, “I will run and break the gate.”
The great chieftain stretched out his hand. A huge gate. It was a solid gate that wouldn’t collapse even when shot several times with a siege weapon.
“I will push them out.” Then he lifted his axe. “Follow me. Slay! This operation will begin.”
The orcs raised their weapons.
The warriors shouted, “The Great Clan’s victory!”
The orc soldiers shouted along, “Victory!”
Surka was swept away by the voice of the great chieftain and the atmosphere here. He shouted along with the warriors, “Death to the enemies of the Great Clan!”
The orcs replied like they had been waiting, “Death!”
It was a signal. The great chieftain started running. The orcs followed him. The harsh march obviously depleted their stamina but the orcs went on a rampage. Everybody ran without a fuss. There was a rain of arrows trying to stop them but they didn’t care.
The great chieftain. They could only see him running. The giant rushed towards the fortress.
“Kuaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
The great chieftain’s body swelled. A red aura surrounded him. It was the speed of a beast. The ground rang as he ran towards the fortress. His goal was the gate.
He raised the axe on his shoulder. It collided with the gate.
Kuaaaaaaang!
One of them was broken. Dust rose. It was broken. Not the great chieftain but the gate.
“These garbage! Kill!”
The great chieftain shouted as he entered. He swung his axe. The severed bodies of the dark elves flew. The great chieftain alone broke the line of defense inside the gate. Like a swarm of ants, the orcs surged inside.
The slaughter began. No one could imagine the explosive and harsh march. In addition, the terrifying breakthrough.
A massacre. That day, Emeranian was eliminated.
***
The news about the fall of Emeranian was conveyed to Caska. The whole unit was amazed.
“We need to go to Nameragon,” she spoke curtly.
Crockta didn’t say anything. Her hometown was wiped out. Caska held herself accountable for the delayed march.
Therefore, Caska’s troops turned towards Nameragon instead of their home. Just yesterday, they had been on their way home. But now everything was gone.
They left their hometown and walked towards Nameragon. She lost everything but her troops lowered their heads and grabbed each other’s shoulders because they lost the same thing.
When the emotions rose, they dropped their heads and cried. They couldn’t stop. They continued to walk. They tried to suppress the cries of the heart with physical pain.
It was a harsh march.