NOVEL NEXT Chapter 29: (1)
“Huh?”
“Kueeek!”
Confusion spread across their faces. They were looking at the lifeless body of their own Lord.
“Please… run away.”
Kaiyan could barely stand, and the excruciating pain in his back was about to make him collapse at any moment.
If the orcs started seeking revenge and swarmed toward him…
Gulp.
Suppressing his fear, Kaiyan forcefully held onto his tightly shut eyes and glared at them. He tried to make it seem to them that he was still fine and if they charged at him, he would kill them.
“Kueeek!”
“Chweeek!”
Did his bluff work, or were the senior knight’s words really true?
The orc creatures, who had momentarily stopped to assess the situation, hesitated and started retreating, pushing aside their bewildered kins.
“…I’m alive. I really made it.”
The underlings fled while their king died at the hands of a human.
Orcs are truly disloyal creatures. So, thank you.
“Hu… hu! I won’t do something like this again.”
As the tension subsided, Kaiyan sat down on the ground, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
He wanted to laugh triumphantly, but the pain radiating from his back was no joke. Moreover, his stamina was depleted.
If even one of those numerous orcs had charged at him…
“…I don’t even want to imagine it.”
Kaiyan shook his head, trying to banish the horrific images from his mind.
“Haah… It really hurts a lot. And it seems to be getting worse.”
As the tension eased, the throbbing pain intensified.
Since the impact was significant when he fell, he had a rough idea, but it seemed like a bone might be fractured.
In a way, it was fortunate that only the bone was broken considering the speed and height of the fall. If he had landed a little more improperly, it would have been his skull that shattered.
“Ugh! I should… get a potion… Wait. I don’t feel like I’m about to die right now…”
When he was about to take out a potion from his storage, the losses he had suffered in the recent battle flashed through his mind.
Kaiyan spent G on toys, risked his life, and gained the fear of flying in the sky. And now, should he even use a potion? There was nothing to gain by defeating the Orc Lord.
“…Let’s not use it. There’s no need to use my potions.”
Of course, he didn’t intend to leave the wound as it is.
He simply meant that he wouldn’t use his own potion. He would find another way to treat the injury.
“If Tarien has a conscience, he will either give me a potion or apply healing magic. It shouldn’t be too difficult for a noble.”
That method was to take advantage of Tarien.
Even though that arrogant Tarien might be an idiot, if he had even a sliver of conscience, he would give him at least one potion in return for his sacrifice.
After all, he would benefit the most from defeating the Orc Lord.
“It would be even better if he gives me something else, like this sword…”
While he was gazing absentmindedly at the beautiful sword he had raised, instead of the noise of the orcs fleeing, he heard the voices of people.
“Get out of the way! Haaap!”
“It’s around here! Just break through without caring about those fleeing bastards!”
“Hey! Over there! He’s here!”
“They came so fast.”
He inwardly cursed the sluggish actions of the knights when a shadow appeared above his head, casting darkness over his vision.
“Are you alright?”
“Kaiyan! Are you okay?”
Two people, looking full of concern, rushed to him and asked about his well-being.
Witnessing their worried expressions, or rather, their deeply moved expressions, stirred something within him.
“Uncle Jeff… and sir knight.”
While the other knights were probably occupied with examining the Orc Lord’s corpse, these two came rushing to him as if disregarding that fact.
Although it was understandable for Uncle Jeff, the senior knight’s behavior was somewhat surprising. He knew that the senior knight had some favorable impression of him, but he had never thought that his sincerity towards an ordinary soldier like himself would be so genuine.
“I thought it was just a simple amusement…”
But now, seeing this sight…
“Ha…”
It seemed that he might develop a familial fondness for the senior knight.
“Haha! It’s truly amazing that I, Tarien, defeated the Orc Lord! Tarien, the one who killed the Orc Lord!”
As Kaiyan watched Uncle Jeff and the senior knight, feeling strangely unsettled, he closed his eyes, and a loud voice resounded in his ears.
The owner of the voice was the brash commander, Tarien.
As Kaiyan turned his head in that direction, he saw the guy gazing at the lifeless body of the Orc Lord with glittering eyes, as if it were an enormous treasure.
‘His eyes are sparkling with greed.’
“Congratulations! It’s truly an amazing achievement!”
“Congratulations, Tarien-nim! It’s the first time a special forces commander single-handedly defeated an Orc Lord!”
The knights were all scrambling to praise Tarien as if they were late to the party.
The Orc Lord that Kaiyan had laboriously defeated had suddenly become Tarien’s kill.
Not that he had any complaints. From the beginning, Kaiyan knew that Tarien would take the credit for defeating the Orc Lord.
“Kahaha! This kind of achievement…”
Tarien raised the head of the Orc Lord, wearing a proud expression as he held it up high.
“With this, I secure my position as the successor! Immediately report this fact to the commander! Inform them that Tarien de Cheniavin has killed the Orc Lord!”
“Yes, Tarien-nim!”
A knight received the head of the Orc Lord from Tarien and hurriedly ran towards the main camp.
Watching his satisfied smile, Tarien slowly approached me, lying on the ground.
“Kaiyan, well done! I will reward you generously!”
“Ugh… Thank you.”
“Haha, I, Tarien, have defeated the Orc Lord! Isn’t it an incredible feat? Or don’t you think so?”
“Yes…”
Tarien, flaunted his achievements in front of Kaiyan, who was injured and risked his life to kill the Orc Lord.
If he wasn’t a noble, Kaiyan would have immediately gotten up and punched him in the face.