NOVEL NEXT Chapter 109
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When Hans announced that he would be participating in the Warrior’s Festival, his unit members, surprisingly, didn’t vehemently object.
Was it because they didn’t know much about the Warrior’s Festival? Or was there another reason?
In any case, Hans wanted to kill yesterday’s self for thinking it had gone well. The very next day, as he was about to leave with the orcs, all of his unit members were waiting at the entrance.
Naturally dumbfounded, Hans tried to assert his authority as Commander with a sharp rebuke, but unfortunately, this time, he couldn’t do as he pleased.
“Commander, you decided this without even consulting us.”
“…”
“And such a dangerous event as the Warrior’s Festival, too. Right?”
“…”
Although she was speaking softly and calmly, her aura was chilling, almost ghostly.Cluna smiled sweetly as she pointedly questioned the Commander, and Hans, unable to say anything, was shot down. The other unit members didn’t say anything, but it was clear that most of them shared Cluna’s thoughts.
Certainly, it was wrong to decide without saying a word to the others, but from Hans’s perspective, this was the best option. If he had told them in advance, they would have all opposed it.
“What are those? Your mates?”
“Mates? What nonsense are you suddenly spouting?”
“Hmm, brave warrior. Takes many women.”
“…”
Looking at the Rusty Tyrant, who suddenly appeared behind him, arms crossed and nodding, Hans wore a dumbfounded expression.
Then, the unit members in front of him spoke up one by one.
“Mates…?! I-I’m not ready yet…!!”
“Orcs have good eyes.”
“M-Maybe orcs aren’t such a bad race after all…?”
“…”
I wish they would all just go away.
There was a brief commotion, but the departure itself wasn’t delayed. Hans strongly opposed leaving Lionheart Fortress empty, but he crumbled at Helia’s single sentence.
“We can always get another fortress. But if we lose you, Teacher, we become nothing.”
“That’s…”
“Teacher, we were able to come this far thanks to you. Please… don’t forget that.”
How could he object when she spoke like that?
He had even received confirmation directly from the Human Kingdom that they would protect Lionheart Fortress.
Human King, how dare you betray me?!
Hans lamented inwardly, but he had no choice but to allow them to accompany him.
Surprisingly, Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, didn’t think badly of it. Rather, he praised Hans greatly and seemed pleased.
“Drinks alcohol. Takes women. Fights for his life. Truly, a model warrior.”
‘What is he saying?’
Dezra’s words truly represented the orcish values, but unfortunately, Hans wasn’t in a situation to accept them.
After finishing all preparations, they departed immediately.
The orcs lived in the extreme northern land, a land called Aberka. Surprisingly, for a polar region, it wasn’t lacking in game.
Hans, feeling puzzled, asked a question.
“Do that many animals and plants live there?”
“Simple. Monsters. Can eat.”
“…”
“Taste bad. Like dwarves. Beastmen. Most delicious.”
A vein bulged on Bayard’s forehead as she walked beside the horse Hans was riding. He finally understood why the 12 Tribes had such a bad relationship with the orcs.
If it weren’t for the demons, the 12 Tribes and the orcs would have probably fought until one side was completely annihilated. But Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, had to prevent that.
At least until all the demons were subjugated…
Wait a minute. Why was he so obsessed with subjugating demons?
Hans felt a sense of dissonance. Of course, subjugating demons was important.
But there seemed to be another reason as well.
It was the usual sense of dissonance. However, it had grown larger than before, as if someone was subtly adjusting the limits. Hans shook off the feeling for now.
Solving the problem in front of him was the priority.
Hans silently raised his head and saw them a short distance from Lionheart Fortress, they had huge wings.
They had fur on their heads and were gnashing their large, sharp teeth. The reason Hans didn’t draw his sword was that no one around him was showing hostility.
“Aberka. Far from here. Ride horses. Half a year, or more than a year.”
“Is it that far?”
“Distance is one thing. But the road is the worst. For elves, it’s faster to run through the forest.”
“So, we fly. Wyverns.”
He understood why they had to fly. But one big question remained. If his memory was correct, wyverns were also a type of monster.
Was it really okay to ride them?
To put it simply, Hans’s worries were unfounded. The ride on the wyverns controlled by the orcs was incredibly smooth, beyond imagination. The scenery from the sky was more beautiful than he could have imagined.
To sum up his current feeling, it was like riding a horse through the blue sky. Except for the fact that he was hugging a green orc from behind.
“I want to ride alone next time.”
“Hahaha! Yes! Wyverns are exhilarating!”
“No, that’s not what I meant.”
Dezra replied with a hearty laugh.
This put Hans in a difficult position. Hugging a green monster was disgusting enough, but if he let go of his arms, he was afraid he might be blown away by the wind right in front of him.
As he was stuck in this dilemma, Dezra, who was laughing loudly in front, said to Hans,
“There it is. That’s Aberka.”
“That’s a snow-capped mountain.”
“Hmm! Cold weather gear. Sufficient?”
“Thanks to you.”
The cold weather gear the orcs provided looked a bit rough, but its performance was certain. Otherwise, he would have frozen to death.
Dezra kindly continued his explanation.
“Orcs are resistant to cold. But Aberka’s cold… even orcs can’t endure it. Deadly.”
“Is that so?”
“So, Warrior’s Festival. Be careful.”
“What?”
There was one important fact that hadn’t been mentioned. Orcs were violent and savage. They didn’t even communicate with their own kind, let alone other races.
That synergy was in full effect right now with the Warrior’s Festival, the method was very simple. Just come out of Aberka’s arctic forest alive. Even if it took years.
But there were no guides for the forest. The moment you entered, guides and challengers alike were all eaten. Therefore, the orcs thought, Let’s just drop them into the forest from the sky.
He was willing to bet that more than 40% of the challengers died from the fall. In any case, even Hans, the Commander of the Royal Knights, was no exception. And this was the result.
“Aaaaagh?!”
Hans, suddenly skydiving in mid-air, couldn’t help but scream. Even for him, sudden skydiving in mid-air was definitely not a matter of keeping a poker face.
However, the reason he could still think in such a situation was thanks to the valuable experience he had gained fighting for his life.
Whether he fell to his death or died in battle, it was all the same.
‘Time Stop?! No, no! Even with Time Stop, I’ll die! Time Acceleration?! You want me to die faster?! Are you crazy?!’
In the end, there was only one option Hans could choose in this situation. It was Time Deceleration. It was a small comfort that deceleration had a weaker penalty compared to acceleration.
But he couldn’t use it now. The headache from using Time Deceleration wasn’t an ordinary headache. It was like someone was splitting his head open with an axe and poking his brain with needles.
It was only better compared to Time Acceleration. The penalty of Time Deceleration was also significant. But if he used it too late, he could be seriously injured or even die.
‘Now!’
But actually, that wasn’t a big problem for Hans.
Until now, in situations where he could easily lose his life or be seriously injured, Hans had risked his life and used his ability to get this far.
That meant that the proficiency related to his ability had greatly improved without him knowing. Compared to the battlefield where he could lose his life in a split second, this was nothing.
Thanks to using Time Deceleration on himself for about two seconds, Hans was able to land safely on a tree with a thick trunk.
He breathed a sigh of relief and raised his head.
He could see the wyverns flying away beyond the sky.
It couldn’t be helped.
He hadn’t expected it to start already, but… should he quickly resolve this?
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[Translator Notes]
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