Chapter 118 : Chapter 118
Chapter 118 : Victory (1)
The Orc's face was peaceful.
It was to the extent that I would have mistaken it for being in a deep sleep if one arm hadn't been cut off.
I examined the section of the cleanly cut arm.
If it cut it off itself, it was quite a wise choice.
It would have succeeded in distracting the Orcs' attention even a little.
But this also meant that the creature's lifespan wasn't long.
It meant that this Orc's body was old enough that it couldn't even regenerate a single hand.
I turned my gaze toward Ratel, who was standing beside me.
“How is it? Do you think it will wake up easily?”
Looking at that state, it seemed like it wouldn't be strange if it passed away right this moment, but still, if it suddenly opened its eyes, it would obviously discover the two humans in front of it and go on a rampage.
Fortunately, Ratel shook his head firmly.
“No, it’s in a state of suspended animation. Although it might be different if a knife were put to its throat.”
Well, there was no need to deliberately hold a knife to it, so it wouldn't matter.
At Ratel’s assertion, I stepped onto the Orc’s body just like that.
And I forced its mouth open and poured half of the Oaks powder I had into its throat.
Even though the scent must have been terrible, the creature was unable to open its eyes until I confirmed the powder passed down its throat and closed its mouth again.
With this much, even if an emergency occurred, it wouldn't regain consciousness for a day.
“I can’t tell if you're cowardly or fearless.”
Ratel said as he followed behind me and stepped onto the opposite knee of the leader Orc.
“Because I'm cowardly, I try all sorts of things. Survival strategies have to be planned double and triple layered.”
“Are you saying your lies are also a survival strategy?”
The guy, whose resentment lasted terribly long, caught my slip of the tongue again.
Geez, how persistent.
“Anyway, this is only a temporary measure. Even if the smell is erased with Oaks grass, it won't last more than a day. We have to steal the holy object before then.”
Ratel frowned at my trick of blatantly changing the subject, but he eventually had no choice but to participate in the conversation since the topic had changed.
Just as I said, we were short on time, and he was the one who wanted power more than anyone right now.
“The problem isn't solved just by bringing the holy object back. According to your words, it means there exists an Orc that should have taken the leader's position after this guy.”
Ratel spoke while gesturing with his chin toward the guy who used to be the leader.
“Seeing as how its neck is still attached perfectly, it seems this guy managed to run away before its leader position could be taken. That is also my wishful thinking.”
“Are you saying it could be a different case?”
“Yeah, because the worst case is when we can't even know the cause.”
I moved a little closer to the sleeping Orc.
And I reached out my hand and felt around the guy’s neck area.
I couldn't see well because there was no light, but I was able to find a hollowed-out wound.
As I traced the wound, clear bite marks were felt.
I let out a sigh of relief.
“It’s correct that it had its neck bitten. It seems it barely preserved its life by sacrificing one arm, but……”
“Are you saying it also seems like that's not the case?”
When I trailed off dubiously, Ratel asked as if wondering what the problem was.
“Would one arm have been enough to lure the Orcs away?”
No matter how much the Orcs' intelligence is low, their numbers wouldn't have been so small as to leave alone a leader running away right in front of them.
“Among them, there might have been a guy who didn't want to eat the head.”
Ratel offered a hypothesis to me while I was contemplating with a furrowed brow.
Although it didn't have much credibility.
“It’s the Orcs' instinct to target the leader's position and eat each other. What reason would there be to refuse instinct and give up the leader's position?”
Ratel, who had been contemplating for a moment at my refutation, opened his mouth.
“They took one bite and the taste was more terrible than expected.”
“……Are you saying that now just to make me laugh?”
To dismiss it as a cold joke, not a single trace of a smile could be found on his face.
“They are creatures that even eat rotten meat just fine, so there's no way such a gourmet would exist.”
“Haven't you thought that their tastes could be diverse?”
“……Let’s just stop talking.”
I didn't want to think more deeply about his nonsense that they must have thrown away the leader after having one sample bite because their food preferences didn't match.
“We found the leader, and now the problem is that the creature's lifespan might run out and it dies before we bring the holy object, or it could be eaten by an Orc other than the one that first bit its neck, which could completely mess up the system.”
Having ignored his words, I stepped away from the Orc and descended to the floor, approaching the entrance of the pit.
As I looked up, the wall that me and Ratel had climbed down and the valley where water should have originally been gushing out entered my sight.
Whatever the reason, we found the leader Orc, we've grasped the terrain to some extent, and this seemed enough to fix the messed-up plan again.
I, who had pulled back my protruding body, turned toward Ratel.
“No.”
I didn't even bring up the words yet, you bastard.
Ratel, who dismissed my opinion before I could even make a sound, continued speaking.
“There has never been a good outcome after letting you run around however you wanted until now.”
“If things had gone according to my will, you should have stolen the holy object from the temple and returned by now.”
A hollow laugh came out because he was so shameless, speaking as if he had obediently followed my will.
“And how do you know what I'm trying to do that you start by opposing?”
“You’re going to make the waterfall flow again. So that you can hide this guy here quietly.”
It was a clean, correct answer.
“Yeah, while I'm luring the river water here, you quickly steal the holy object from the temple.”
“Have you made up your mind that you want to drown?”
Ratel questioned me like a person who had heard the most absurd words in the world.
“There’s nothing to worry about. As you’ve already seen, the river water containing Sierra’s power has no intention of killing me. Even when I first fell into the river, it stopped just+ pulling me inside here.”
Actually, if I recalled the voice heard from within the water, I had a strong hunch that wouldn't be all, but I decided to bury such matters for now.
At least until I confirmed what the identity of that voice was.
“This is absurd.”
While I swallowed my thoughts internally, the protagonist guy conveyed his intention to oppose my plan again.
I couldn't see well because it was dark all around, but I could tell without having to check with my eyes.
That he was smiling with a very disdainful expression.
That guy must have definitely caught a disease where he can't smile unless it's a sneer or a smirk.
“I can’t believe even a single word you say. You must be hiding another insidious plan inside that head of yours.”
I was hiding a plan, but I had never thought of it as insidious, so I shrugged my shoulders at Ratel.
“Then what are you going to do? What is your bright and righteous plan that can keep that guy hidden until you return with the holy object.”
“When Jing arrives at the island with the boat, we will all leave the island together while the river isn't moving and bring the holy object. That includes you too.”
Ratel retorted to my sarcasm.
“Are you joking right now? What if something happens to the leader in the meantime? Water is flowing at least a little right now, but if even that stops, it’s only a matter of time before the Orcs find the leader.”
“Couldn't you just throw in all of that Oaks grass of yours or whatever?”
“What a perfectly flawless plan. What are you going to do if you can't bring the holy object before the effect of the grass runs out? No, any number of other variables could arise. Is there a more certain method than just luring the water into the island?”
“…….”
Ratel shut his mouth.
That would be so.
It was a stubbornness he was exerting recklessly.
It was overflowing with flaws, and there would be no other plan to supplement it.
“If you understand, stop being stubborn and prepare to escape the island. It’s not like staying hidden here until you return with the holy object is that pleasant for me either.”
I warned Ratel once more, but I could tell just by looking at his expression.
That he had no intention of listening to my words at all.
It was the moment the thought crossed my mind that it might be better to show him once more the fact that the river water is not a threat to me.
Thud!
The vibration transmitted from above to below cut in and interrupted the string of tension.
Ratel quickly turned his body and checked outside the entrance of the cave.
It wasn't that I wasn't flustered either.
What is it? Was there a guy who caught the scent of the leader?
But it was soon revealed that my prediction was wrong.
Thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud thud!
If those were indeed footsteps, vibrations and roars that seemed to belong to at least over ten creatures began to echo.
“Damn it. The water has dried up completely.”
Ratel, who was checking outside, murmured the cause of this situation along with a curse.
It meant that the water had acted up again while neither he nor I had used any power.
Did something happen outside the island?
I was flustered, but on one side of my mind, another calculation was stealthily raising its head.
Whether it was strange that I was quiet, Ratel glared at me.
“What kind of trick did you pull again?”
The guy who picked me as the cause without even a bit of doubt was full of certainty.
“A trick, I didn't do anything.”
“Then are you saying this is also just an accident that happened by chance?”
I was able to answer Ratel’s sharp question confidently.
“Of course it’s an accident.”
Because this matter was truly an unexpected development.
I also had a complicated head due to the tricky situation.
I couldn't just kill them blindly before finding the next leader candidate.
No, in the first place, if it's that many, even Ratel wouldn't be able to do it without using power...... huh?
The head that was looking for a solution to the sudden situation stopped rotating.
That's right, if it's that number, even Ratel will have no choice but to use Manis.
......Then the river water will try to swallow him again.
......Then it seems I can just secretly use my power this time too without him knowing.
......Since Ratel will be busy fighting the Orcs, the risk of being caught by him like I was on the boat will obviously be significantly low.
I grabbed the shoulder of Ratel, who was checking the situation with a furrowed brow.
Because his inquisitive gaze was pierced into me, I put strength into my eyelids to open my eyes as kindly and uprightly as possible.
“It takes too long to go back the way we came. It was quite a struggle even when coming down.”
I added credibility to my opinion by raising my trembling hand to show him.
“Besides, if we just kill them all, we won't be able to fight to our heart's content in a state where we don't know which guy attacked the leader. So......”
“So, it would be better to be swept away by the water once, whether you cut your hand again or chop off your leg?”
The quick-witted guy recited the words that would come next.
I nodded my head with a determined face.
“Is there another way?”
“…….”
Ratel put his hand into his bag without a word.
***
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
The sight of the guy taking out the rope he used when lowering me down the pit was the posture of a consummate hunter.
A very experienced one at that.
Ratel didn't say yes or no, and it was also instantaneous that I became tightly bound in the rope like a straw raincoat.
To the point where I didn't even feel like resisting before the overwhelming difference in power and the experienced hunter, the guy’s movements were swift and accurate.
Ratel, who set me down like a piece of luggage next to the unconscious leader, turned around.
“……Are you satisfied now?”
Having helplessly had the freedom of my limbs taken away again, I spoke toward the back of the head of the guy who was preparing to leave the cave.
“Stay quiet until I return. Don't pull any foolish tricks.”
With a final warning, the guy left without even looking back.
A hollow laugh came out at the guy’s relentless drive for action.
Fine, go ahead and do whatever you want.
Ratel seemed to have taken his own precautions before leaving so that I couldn't inflict wounds on my own body, but if I transformed my body, untying the rope wasn't even difficult.
However, there was no need to hurry.
Once he starts cutting down Orcs, the Orcs that were scattered throughout the cave will swarm in.
Even if it's Ratel, he won't be able to handle all of those numbers with his bare body.
Just like that time when he used power to save the cabin boy and Ria, I just had to wait for the moment he would inevitably have to use power—meaning, it was a fight I couldn't help but win.