Translator: Cinder Translations
...
Imar returned to his temporary camp and dove into his tent. Inside, someone was already waiting for him—Old Orc Eugene.
"Oh, welcome back, noble Prince of the Stonemason Clan! I wonder how your mission went?"
Eugene had already guessed the outcome from Imar's expression.
"Hmph!"
Imar grunted heavily but didn't answer immediately. Instead, he walked to a crate, pulled out a bottle, and uncorked it, drinking deeply.
Eugene waited quietly for him.
It wasn't until Imar finished the last gulp that he wiped his mouth.
"The usurper has accepted my challenge!"
Eugene's eyes brightened. "Congratulations, Prince!"
Imar continued, "The old fool is dead!"
His eyes held mixed emotions—sadness and resentment.
"He has joined the embrace of the earth, and the usurper has inherited his power."
"That's sad news," Eugene said, shaking his head. "Please accept my condolences."
"No!" Imar shouted angrily. "This is good! If he were still alive, it would be more troublesome, but now that a complete usurper is sitting in the chief's chair, it's much easier to handle!"
Imar slammed the bottle to the ground, his fists clenched tightly. "I will repay him for every ounce of humiliation! No, I'll repay him double, triple!"
Imar's face twisted in a ferocious expression. "Eugene, from now on, you must call me 'Chief'! The Chief of the Stonemason Clan!"
Eugene bowed solemnly, "I obey your command, great Prince... oh no, great Chief!"
He grinned subtly, his smile barely noticeable, then stood up straight.
"Lavender Valley!" Imar said, staring at Eugene with a serious and cautious expression, as though he were already the true chief.
"I'll confirm again—your men will not have any problems, right?"
Eugene placed a hand on his chest and assured him, "No problems at all! The warriors sent by the King's Tent are all elite, and the terrain of Lavender Valley is flat and accessible, making it ideal for our cavalry."
"Good!"
Imar nodded.
For a moment, Eugene experienced a strange sensation. The Imar before him seemed like a different person—whereas the previous Imar was arrogant, reckless, and unable to hide his emotions, the current Imar was dignified and cautious.
Had he already embraced the role of chief? Interesting.
"Eugene, go rest. I have many things to think about."
Eugene bowed again. "As you wish, Chief Imar."
The old orc left the tent, and one of the orc guards approached him.
"What is it?"
"Lord Eugene, the Great Chieftain sent you a letter."
The guard handed him an envelope.
Eugene knew the Great Abal was leading an army to fight the Gabella people, so the letter was likely to inform him of the latest military updates.
Eugene opened the envelope and pulled out the paper inside.
The envelope and paper were human-made, and the writing was in human script—specifically, Aldor's language.
The Great Chieftain Abal had issued a strict order: senior officers in the King's Tent must be able to read and write human characters.
Of course, he had also instructed the orc shamans and the humans he had recruited to collaborate on creating their own written language for the orcs.
Eugene read the letter from the Great Chieftain and furrowed his brow.
Eugene had learned about the negotiations between Abal and the Gabella people, but he wasn't very satisfied with the results.
The orc army's southern campaign had yielded only a few small human city-states and some wealth, falling far short of Eugene's expectations of seizing a large chunk of land from the Gabella Empire.
Would the Gabella people help the orcs take control of the Neron Corridor?
But in Eugene's view, only tangible gains mattered—who knew if this was just a temporary measure by the Gabella people, like a worthless promissory note in human society? But the situation had already unfolded, and there was no point in complaining.
The old orc thought deeply for a long time, then turned his gaze toward Imar's tent.
Great Chief of the Stonemason Clan, perhaps I can make up for this loss through you.
Two days passed, and the day of the challenge arrived.
"Charge!"
Imar gripped his axe tightly and swung it fiercely at the humanoid target in front of him. The sharp blade sank deep into the wood, and several other targets, already battered and broken, lay nearby.
For the past two days, Imar and his followers had been training relentlessly. Although they had received help from the orcs, it felt as though he had to rely on his own hands to defeat his enemies.
"Chief!"
Eugene quietly appeared beside him.
"What's the matter? Can't you see I'm training hard? Tomorrow's the challenge day!"
"I have a small matter to discuss with you!"
Imar furrowed his brows. This old orc always seemed to pick the worst times to interrupt him.
He wiped the sweat from his forehead and followed Eugene to his tent.
"Why here? Can't we talk outside?" Imar grumbled.
"Actually, what I need to discuss may disappoint you."
"Disappoint?" Imar felt an uneasy premonition.
"Cough, cough!" Eugene put on an apologetic expression. "The King's Tent warriors may not be able to assist you after all."
The old orc's words were like a thunderclap out of nowhere!
Imar was stunned.
"Y-Y-Yu... Eugene! What did you say?"
He thought he must have misheard.
"I said, the King's soldiers may not be able to assist you!"
Eugene confirmed with a somewhat regretful tone.
"Oh no!"
Imar first shouted angrily, but then his voice dropped to a whisper.
"Yu... Eugene! My friend!"
The dignified Stonemason Clan chief disappeared, replaced by the exiled wanderer he once was.
"We made an agreement! You... you can't do this!"
"Yes, we made an agreement! And I regret it deeply! But our original agreement was based on the condition that the Stonemason Clan's territory would provide assistance to the King's army."
Eugene shook his head sadly, as if in deep sorrow.
"That's true!"
Imar raised his voice a little, "As long as I become chief, I will allow the orc army to pass through my territory—not in small groups like before, but a full army!"
"Just imagine, when the humans find a mighty orc army suddenly appearing in their territory, how surprised and terrified they will be!"
Eugene gave him a smile, offering a glimmer of hope.
"Haha, my friend, I knew you were just joking with me!"
"Oh no, my friend."
Eugene crushed the hope Imar had just built up.
"The situation has changed! Dear Imar, the King's army no longer needs your territory!"
"We've found other ways into Aldor! The paths are smoother, faster, more efficient, and more armies can pass through!"
TLN: This dwarf is an idiot, relying on someone else's strength to get the throne, you can lose it just as easily...
(End of the Chapter)
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