“Simon!”
The knights drew their swords in unison.
The orc growled as it pulled the unconscious Simon into its arms.
Gone was the pleading demeanor it had shown just moments before.
The creature gripped Simon’s neck tightly and shouted something unintelligible.
“What’s it saying?”
“Simon!”
“We have to save him!”
Jaime remained calm. He motioned behind the knights.
“Kory.”
A small figure cloaked in a hood stepped forward. His gait was uneven, as if he had some kind of disability.
Bowing his head to Jaime, he spoke.
“If you release him, it says it will spare the human’s life.”
It seemed he understood the orc’s language.
Yuri studied Simon closely.
“Isn’t he already dead?”
Kory spoke to the orc again.
The orc slapped Simon’s cheek.
“Ugh…”
Simon’s body twitched.
He wasn’t dead.
Yuri exhaled in relief.
“Thanks to the helmet, he survived. You owe me your life.”
Though outwardly composed, Yuri clicked his tongue inwardly. He hadn’t expected Simon to be taken hostage so carelessly.
If they faced the orc in this state, it wouldn’t be long before Simon became just another nameless skeleton on the steppe.
Feeling renewed gratitude toward Jaime, Yuri glanced back.
“Are you just going to stand there?”
At the edge of Yuri’s gaze stood Hernando, eyes wide.
“Me?”
“Yes.”
“You have to speak.”
“I am.”
“Right. Understood.”
As the humans conversed, the orc stamped its foot impatiently, urging Kory on. It was a crude form of intimidation.
Suddenly, the orc’s voice cut off.
Simon’s body dropped to the ground.
The orc froze like a statue.
“Now.”
Hernando used magic to halt the orc.
Yuri stepped forward, grabbed Simon’s ankle, and dragged him along.
“Thanks, Hernando.”
“No problem. It won’t last long.”
True to his word, the orc soon began moving again.
“Grrrrr!”
A furious roar shook the underground chamber. The orc picked up the sword Simon had dropped and glared at Yuri and Jaime.
Yuri nodded toward a young knight standing nearby.
“Your name?”
The knight blinked, then set his jaw and stepped forward.
“Guinness.”
“Guinness. Think you can handle this?”
“Yes.”
“Go ahead.”
He summoned his mana method, his movements becoming lighter. He charged the orc, swinging his sword.
Clang!
He was pushed back.
Despite using mana, he lost in a raw clash of strength.
The orc pressed the attack relentlessly. Guinness dodged nimbly but was forced to retreat repeatedly due to the power gap.
“Ugh!”
Though struggling at first, Guinness gradually adapted to the orc’s movements. Spotting an opening, he slashed the orc’s thigh.
But the orc didn’t stay still. It swung a fist, striking Guinness.
Blows exchanged back and forth.
They fought fiercely without pause.
Yuri turned to Jaime.
“Give them some advice, Sir Jaime.”
“Advice, huh…”
Jaime watched the fight and said,
“Think of it not as fighting a human, but a beast. It’s different from exchanging sword strikes with another man…”
Perhaps irritated by the orc’s resistance, the knight summoned a blue sword aura.
The orc stepped back, gauging the distance. It seemed to understand human tactics.
After a few exchanges, Guinness launched a decisive attack.
He targeted an opening and sliced the orc’s arm. The sword, wrapped in energy, easily cut through flesh.
Blood gushed, but the orc retaliated with its other arm, striking Guinness.
Guinness fell to the ground, unable to rise—likely dazed.
“Orcs don’t care about injuries. They learn tactics as they fight. Unless you strike the heart or neck, don’t rush in. Handle them slowly, like hunting prey.”
The orc lunged at Guinness again, but Yuri stepped in front. The orc growled, halting in place.
“Your Highness!”
Raymond called out.
Yuri waved him off, then helped Guinness to his feet.
“Can you stand, Guinness?”
“Yes, yes, Your Highness…”
“Go rest.”
“But Your Highness…”
“Don’t worry about me.”
He sent Guinness away.
The orc clutched its wounded arm and glared at Yuri but didn’t attack again.
“Jaime, is this orc ordinary?”
“No.”
Jaime shook his head.
“Though it looks small, it’s experienced. Stronger than most orcs. Let’s call it a veteran.”
Yuri looked at Calcio, who shrugged with both hands raised.
“I see.”
The orc remained rooted in place, pinned down by Yuri’s presence.
Only Jaime nearby seemed to notice.
He looked at Yuri with new eyes.
Yuri called for the interpreter.
“Kory, right?”
The lone figure lowered his head.
“Yes, yes…”
“Tell that orc what I say.”
“Yes.”
“How many humans have you killed so far?”
Kory hesitated.
Yuri gestured sharply, and Kory asked the orc in a trembling voice.
The orc’s face twisted—whether in anger or laughter, it was hard to tell.
But the corners of its mouth pulled up to its ears, suggesting a grin.
The orc barked at Kory, then looked at Yuri and continued.
“The orc says… that’s…”
“Tell me.”
“Two…”
“Two?”
Not as many as expected. The knights exhaled slowly as Kory went on.
“Two warriors—soldiers, that is…”
Everyone stared.
“Five men…”
The mood darkened.
Kory shrank back but finished.
“Four women, and three children…”
Anger spread like wildfire. The knights’ eyes hardened with deadly intent.
The orc laughed its strange laugh, sounding like a drumbeat.
“That one…”
Several knights stepped forward, eager to execute the orc on the spot.
Yuri stopped them.
“Enough.”
“Your Highness, after hearing that…”
“This is a rare chance Jaime gave us. We can’t waste it on revenge.”
“It’s not revenge…”
“It’s just one orc.”
Yuri draped his arms over two knights’ shoulders and looked each of the others in the eye.
“The rest of our kind, you see?”
Though their kin were dying, they remained silent. They knew stepping forward now meant death.
“They’re all the same. Out on the steppe, there are far worse.”
Yuri tapped one knight’s cheek.
“This is training. We’ll face orcs countless times ahead. So hold back your anger.”
Then he pushed the knight forward.
“Now, practice how to kill orcs more effectively.”
Yuri’s voice carried weight. The atmosphere grew heavy.
The knight faced the orc calmly.
After the first orc fell, Jaime opened another cage. The orcs stopped resisting, but when Jaime inflicted pain, they went wild again.
In this chaotic scene, the knights felt the orcs’ true power.
They killed seven orcs in total.
Yuri said,
“Many of you have never faced orcs before. If you thought of them as mere border bandits, you now know better. Be sure to thank Sir Jaime. Without him, many here would have died on the steppe long ago.”
Still, the knights’ expressions were grim.
They had essentially experimented on helpless prisoners.
They wiped sweat from their brows, staring down at their bloodstained clothes with conflicted looks.
Jaime stepped forward.
“You’re not feeling good about this, I understand.”
The knights looked at Jaime differently now.
He was the one defending the border against these orcs. Their gaze was more than respect—it was something inscrutable.
“So, for your sake, I’ll show you one more thing.”
He tapped Calcio’s arm.
“Count?”
“Going upstairs.”
“Huh?”
Calcio scratched the back of his head, as if questioning the need.
“Lead the way.”
“Yes, sir.”
The underground prison door closed behind them.
They climbed the stairs and stopped before the floor they had passed earlier. Another iron door barred the way.
“This is it.”
The knights were tense.
Jaime smiled faintly and inserted the key into the lock.
The door creaked open.
It was too dark to see inside.
Jaime strode in confidently, torch in hand. The darkness receded.
A wall blocked their path, with a barred iron gate in the center.
“Aren’t there orcs in here?”
Jaime shook his head at the questioning knight.
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“Better to see for yourself. This way.”
He beckoned the knight forward.
The knight hesitated briefly, then stepped closer, peering inside the barred enclosure.
“I can’t see anything…”
Suddenly, Jaime grabbed the knight by the collar and pressed him right up against the bars.
“Sir, the count?”
“Look closely.”
Jaime pressed the knight down from behind and shoved the torch through the iron bars.
The door wasn’t very large, and the view inside was blocked by their backs.
The knight tilted his head forward, as if he’d spotted something.
Then, moments later, he let out a scream and convulsed violently.
“Ughhhhhh…!”
But Jaime didn’t release him.
The knight grabbed onto Jaime’s sleeve, struggling desperately. Jaime hesitated for a beat, then finally let go.
The knight stumbled backward like he was fleeing, burying his head against the wall and retching.
Jaime’s hoarse chuckle and the knight’s gagging echoed through the underground chamber.
Everyone swallowed hard.
“What on earth…?”
No one dared step forward. What could they have seen to provoke such a reaction?
Breaking the silence, Yuri stepped forward.
“The prince wouldn’t want to see something like that.”
“Perhaps.”
In truth, Yuri had a rough idea of what lay inside.
In his past life, he had sought death on the most dangerous front lines, even venturing deep into orc territory.
“Sir.”
Yuri peered inside.
“Why keep these things here?”
“Does it trouble you?”
“No. I’m just curious.”
Jaime smiled faintly.
“Even creatures like these can be useful at times.”
The cell was filled with grotesque beings that defied description.
Only a few strands of hair clung to their heads, hanging limply. Their oddly twisted eyes lacked any pattern. Instead of noses, they had holes oozing pus. Their jagged teeth clattered erratically.
Their bodies were either dwarfed or asymmetrical, as if malformed bones were bursting through their skin in chaotic bulges.
But the most repulsive thing was that, despite their hideous forms, there was unmistakably a trace of humanity within them.
Half-orcs.
Born of orc and human blood, their very existence was a curse.
What connection between the two races had allowed such abominations to come into being?
“They’re half human, so they’re given a chance.”
“How merciful.”
Yuri turned away.
“Everyone, take a look.”
One by one, the knights peered inside, shocked not only by the monstrous appearances but also by the fact that hybrids could be born between humans and orcs.
“My God…”
Few knew much about half-orcs. Most avoided mentioning them, and in reality, they were rare.
Jaime spoke.
“They don’t come about easily.”
He scanned the cell as if familiar with the sight, then withdrew the torch.
“But to have this many… what does that mean?”
Jaime passed Yuri and grinned at the other knights.
“You said it was excessive, but we were only imitating.”
“Imitating?”
“Orcs have their own kind of ‘us’ too.”
Jaime didn’t elaborate, but everyone understood. The hot-blooded ones pounded the walls, cursing.
“You’re the ones who’ll have to deal with those things.”
The knights fell silent.
Jaime looked back at them.
“Consider this a warning.”
His gaze then settled on Yuri. His gray eyes were calm and unwavering.
Yuri asked him,
“Sir Jaime, do you hate orcs?”
He smiled faintly, the scars and wrinkles twisting his expression.
“Yes.”
Everyone has an arch-enemy. If Yuri’s was the empire, Jaime’s was the orcs.
Yuri placed a hand over his chest in gratitude.
“Thanks to your kindness today, more orcs will bleed. I guarantee it.”
“Is that so?”
Jaime blinked. The torchlight reflected in his pupils, casting a brief red glow.
“Thank you.”
He bowed deeply.
After a moment of mutual respect, Jaime straightened and looked back into the cell.
Throughout this grim display, he hadn’t once flinched. What had he seen in his battles against orcs?
It was said Jaime had recovered his son’s body from an orc village.
Is that terrible scene still etched in his eyes?