Chapter 169 : Chapter 169

Chapter 169: Change of Plans

Yes, ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍there was no way Jing would have simply left Ria alone while she was driven this far.

More ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍than anything, if it were Jing, he would not have sent Ria off alone in the first place.

Unless, ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍of course, they had been forcibly separated by a powerful force they could not even resist.

For ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍example, a curse left behind by a certain Imperial Family member from a thousand years ago who was worshiped as a god.

“Does ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍being eaten mean he died?”

Ratel ‍​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍bravely voiced the uneasy assumption that had surfaced in my head.

Ria’s shoulders, still unable to fully steady her breathing, flinched.

Reason slowly returned to Ria’s eyes.

The survival instinct that had forcibly filled them melted away, and tears filled its place.

As if she had used up all the strength she had been clinging to so desperately until now, Ria sank to the floor.

“Ratel, where’s Ran......? Where’s Ran? Something black came out of the sword and swallowed Jing. It told me to find Ran, so, so......”

As Ria incoherently poured out what she had seen, Ratel quietly looked down at her wounds and the sword that had drunk her blood.

Ratel slowly lifted the sword.

At a glance, he looked as if he had not lost his composure.

Of course, what followed next revealed that, far from being composed, he was on the verge of losing his reason.

Before the buds of light beginning to bloom around Ratel could touch Ria, I dragged her back.

The flustered Ria let out a short scream, but soon became too shocked by the sight unfolding before her eyes to resist any further.

A light so powerful it was difficult to look at poured from Ratel’s hand.

Ever since his close battle with Dito, he had been drawing out his power to its absolute limit.

But I already knew what the result of that struggle would be.

His burst of light slowly lost its radiance, like an incandescent bulb with a blown fuse.

I let Ratel grit his teeth and pour strength back into his hand again.

Once, twice. Each time he repeated the act, the light lost more and more of its power.

Ratel likely already knew it was useless.

The current Ratel did not have enough power to destroy the holy object.

And both he and I knew what that meant.

That if he did not want to lose someone precious, he had no choice but to return to the choice he had run away from.

***

After catching her breath, Ria calmly explained everything that had happened outside the island.

How the people from the temple had come with the holy object, how Jing had been eaten by the holy object while they were fleeing them, and how she had borrowed the holy object’s power to swim all the way to the island.

The closer the story came to the present, the paler Ria’s face became.

By the time she finally spoke of what had happened right before she fell into the cave, in other words, when she had been attacked by an orc, the blood had completely drained from her face.

“That orc could speak too. So......”

“Wait. It could speak?”

Ratel, who had been listening to Ria’s explanation with an expressionless face, cut her off.

At his grave expression, Ria nodded without understanding why.

“Yes. It definitely said it smelled like a human to me...... Why do you look like that?”

Ria’s face, which had been calmly explaining what she had seen and heard, grew serious along with Ratel’s.

I probably did not look much different either.

The leader’s position was supposed to pass to only one orc.

That was why I had not doubted the fact that the half-wit had tried to eat the leader’s neck.

Then why had the orc that attacked Ria been able to speak?

Thinking back over the original work, that bastard was undoubtedly the future leader.

The orc who would have met his death at Ratel’s hands.

Did that mean there had been one more leader between the one-armed bastard and the half-wit?

As soon as I finished organizing my thoughts, Ratel, who had set Ria down on the ground, jumped into the water.

He did not know the original work like I did, but he must have properly registered the fact that there was one more bastard who would become leader in between.

“Ratel! Where are you going?!”

Flustered by Ratel’s sudden action, Ria hurriedly tried to rise and follow him.

Though perhaps because her strength had left her, she soon sank back down before getting far.

It seemed her legs had given out.

“Kkwek. Are you all right?”

When I asked instead of approaching rashly, Ria, startled, looked at me with confused eyes.

It would be stranger if she felt nothing about being worried over by an orc she had just met.

“Kkwek. You won’t like it, but if you can’t move, I’ll have no choice but to carry you, Ria. Kkwek. If your condition is that bad, say so now.”

At my urging, which made it clear I could not wait any longer, Ria looked at me with puzzled eyes and nodded for the moment.

“I can move. By the way, for an orc, you’re incredibly kind...... sir......”

Ria, who had answered with a suspicious face, trailed off at the end.

As she studied me in confusion, shock slowly appeared on her face.

“C-could you be Ran?”

She noticed it surprisingly well.

Relief spread across Ria’s face when she realized I was not just an orc.

“Kkwek. Yes. Kkwek. But we don’t have time to explain right now. Kkwek. Like I said, we’re going to the place where the orcs are gathered. Kkwek. So steel yourself.”

Ria’s perception, which had figured out who I was from my way of speaking alone, did its job again this time.

Even with a face that said she did not understand, Ria nodded diligently.

“I feel like I won’t be surprised no matter what happens right now.”

That was a very reassuring resolve.

“Kkwek. Then let’s go. Kkwek. This time, you must not sink.”

At my warning, a solemn resolve appeared on Ria’s face.

“Yes. Swimming was manageable as long as I didn’t breathe.”

......She really is all right, isn’t she?

***

Ratel’s group were not the only ones to benefit from the half-wit’s escape.

Because thanks to the slowed current, there was one more orc here who had barely avoided sinking into the water.

“Kkwek......! Cough!!”

The orc vomited out the water that had filled him up to his throat, and before he could even come back to his senses, he swept his sharp eyes over his surroundings.

The wet walls, the dark interior, the fishy smell of water. From the information entering through his five senses, the orc realized that he had been swept back into the cave.

The orc, trembling with rage, stopped short at the unfamiliar pain he felt at the nape of his neck.

As he groped at his neck, his hand felt something sticky.

Even after confirming the sticky green blood on his hand, the orc could not believe it and touched his neck again.

And he had no choice but to accept a chilling fact.

The wound, which should have more than healed by now, had not healed in the slightest.

Swept up in faint fear and fierce rage, the orc sniffed with his nose and frantically looked around.

But he could not find any trace of the long-haired human.

There was nothing more infuriating than losing prey right before one’s eyes.

Furthermore, after being counterattacked by prey he had thought was already caught, the orc could no longer see anything else.

But the only thing the orc could do was face the reality he did not want to admit.

In his current state, he could neither leave the cave by his own strength nor give orders to the other orcs.

The excitement that had risen all the way to the top of his head did not cool merely because he had been submerged in cold water and swept away.

“Kkweeeek!!!”

Unable to control his boiling rage, the orc howled.

This was the second time he had experienced a target he thought only remained to be grasped slipping through his fingers.

And this reminded the orc of his terrible first failure.

His first failure, losing the chance to rise to the leader’s position right before his eyes.

Angered by the memory of defeat and failure that surfaced again, the orc began to thrash.

His body struck the rocks this way and that, small scratches appearing and disappearing repeatedly, but he could not calm his frenzy.

The head of the incomplete orc, who had failed to become leader, was not clear.

His thoughts were slow, his speech was clumsy, and he could not suppress his impulses.

Because his head did not work well, emotions immediately led to action.

This meant the orc’s frenzy continued for quite some time.

“Kkweeeek!!!”

After releasing as much anger as he wanted, the orc’s head slowly regained its temperature.

Yes, he had no time to waste chasing after a human who might be dead or alive.

More important than anything else was regaining the leader’s position.

The other matters could be dealt with afterward.

He would find even the corpse of the human who had escaped and make her pay dearly for stabbing his neck.

Before that, he had to find the root of all this, the enemy who had made him like this.

He had to catch that outrageous bastard who had stolen the chance he had had to seize the leader’s position.

He intended to tear off his limbs and throw them to the other orcs.

Only when he saw the bastard torn to pieces, eaten by the others until not a trace remained, would he be satisfied.

“Kkwek. I’ll k-kill him.”

The orc muttered and moved his feet, constantly sniffing in order to somehow find his direction.

He could not shake the feeling that he was plunging even deeper inside, but he could not stop either.

Because if he did not hurry and find the leader, he might lose the leader’s position just like this.

He did not know exactly what future awaited him if he failed to find the leader’s position like this.

With a head only half awakened, he could no longer live mixed among the other orcs as before.

And because of that, he would have to live the rest of his life amid a sense of alienation from the other orcs.

But his instinct alone screamed at him to hurry and find the leader, to escape this half-formed state.

The orc diligently moved his feet.

How long had he wandered through the endless cave?

Far in the distance of the half-formed orc’s vision, a faint figure appeared.

“Kkwek!!”

Excited by a form that did not look like an orc, the orc ran toward it without thinking deeply.

It was an action born from the savage instinct to grab anything, human or otherwise, and fill his stomach.

The unidentified figure stood in place as if waiting for him.

However, the distance between it and the orc would not narrow easily.

Just when he felt he had barely caught up, once he came back to his senses, it had opened the distance again and was shimmering far away.

Thoroughly irritated, the orc forgot even the fact that he had lost his way and moved his feet as the figure led him.

Without knowing whether it was a hand of salvation, or a shove into the abyss.

***

Ria’s swimming truly looked like watching a marine creature.

What made her seem unlike a human was not only the forceful movements of her arms and legs cutting through the water.

It was Ria’s way of breathing, never rising above the water as if she had gills.

Her powerful desire to escape a state of oxygen deficiency dramatically increased her swimming speed.

To the point that she overtook me when I tried to stop her because I thought she might die at this rate.

Thanks to Ria’s life-risking swimming, we were able to reach the entrance to the food storage faster than expected.

“Guhk!! Cough!!”

As soon as she came up above the water and entered the passage, Ria inhaled roughly.

“......Kkwek. The next time you learn to swim, you should learn how to breathe first. Kkwek. If you do that in the sea too, you really will die.”

“You mean that endlessly spread-out water, right? I read about it in a book. If it’s that big, couldn’t we just take a boat?”

Ria smiled weakly while catching her breath.

“Kkwek. Just remember that when we first crossed this river, we were on a boat too.”

At my point, Ria’s face, which had still held a trace of joking, turned serious.

“......Would Jing teach me how to swim too?”

“Kkwek. He probably would teach you, but you should brace yourself. Kkwek. You know what Jing’s training is like, Ria.”

“Haha, that’s true. I’ll be wondering, how am I supposed to copy that? and then at some point, when I come back to my senses, I find myself moving exactly as Jing told me to.”

The small laugh that escaped Ria did not last very long.

I probably was not much different.

Because both Ria and I knew that we were trying to calm our anxiety by imagining a future where Jing was alive.

“......We should hurry. We can’t leave Ratel alone to face the orcs.”

Perhaps unable to bear the sinking atmosphere, Ria quickly rose to her feet.

I agreed that we had to rejoin Ratel quickly too, so I rose after her.

Though the reason I was hurrying was not because I was worried Ratel would be defeated by the orcs.

“Kkwek. Ria, what we need to be wary of is not the orcs. Kkwek. Once we arrive, there should be a place where something like black mist has gathered. Kkwek. First, stay as far away from that as possible......”

As I urgently relayed the warnings I had not had time to mention because we had rushed here, I suddenly realized that I could not hear footsteps following behind me.

When I turned back, Ria was standing in place with a blank expression.

Ria’s gaze was fixed on her right leg.

What? Did she injure herself somewhere?

“Kkwek. What is it? Kkwek. Did you hurt your leg?”

At my question, Ria finally seemed to come back to her senses and snapped her head up.

“Ah, no. I don’t think so.”

With that ambiguous answer, Ria moved her feet.

Thinking she might have forgotten her injury because she was startled, I examined Ria’s leg, but just as she had said, it looked fine.

Well, if there had been something wrong with her leg, she would not have been able to swim so quickly underwater.

After confirming that there was nothing wrong with Ria’s steps, I turned and hurried onward.

Ria had said that as soon as she attacked the orc, she was swept up by the river and pushed inside.

Together with the third orc she had said could speak.

If the flooding of the water had merely been a natural phenomenon, I would not have felt this uneasy. The problem was that until now, the river water bearing Sierra’s will had always moved with a purpose.

There was no way the third orc being swept down here with Ria was an accidental coincidence.

What Sierra’s power wanted was the fulfillment of the contract. Among the conditions needed for that was a perfect leader.

That meant there was a high chance the third orc had also arrived where the leader and the half-wit were.

Ratel would probably have to make a decision between them.

We had to arrive before the bastard made a rash judgment.