"Finally, we have come to the Southern Region, bordered partly by the Hell Realm and partly by the Lands of Light, and kept under the control of two Trade Guilds. The Diamond Leaf and Turquoise Leaf Trade Guilds, along with the support they receive from their southern neighbors, are both a threat to our borders and the biggest factors that could hinder our operation.
Based on these reasons, and by her own special request, I am leaving the front to Blood God Nafız."
Tossing her hair that shone blood-red from root to tip, Nafız looked straight into the eyes of those around her. If the decision were solely Bookworm's, perhaps they would have spoken up, but the "by her own request" part tied their tongues.
"You say we will advance from three flanks and simultaneously meet at the gates of the capital, but how the hell are you going to pull this off while dealing with the forces of two Trade Guilds and the Lands of Light all by yourself?"
Only one person, one single person at the head of the table covered with the map of the Homeland of the Mercenaries, would dare to ask this question. While the others couldn't make a peep out of fear for their lives, he was the only one close enough to Nafız to step up and speak.
"Who said I was alone, Mr. Alyon?"
Alyon, whose shadow was larger than a normal human's size, shook his head left and right and spoke after letting out a deep breath.
"Quit screwing around, who else besides the ones in this hall could join the Raider Units?"
Nafız didn't answer the question her friend asked with a raised eyebrow. She waited in silence; as she kept quiet, the atmosphere grew heavy, the beating sounds coming from the orcs' hearts synchronized, and at that moment, she began to speak accompanied by the chimes rising from the stairwell of the tower.
"Right on time! You're about to see the people I'll be fighting alongside!"
As the footsteps drew closer, the excitement spiked. With the cream of the crop of the Orc Empire's forces already here, who could the newcomers be? Fortunately, the wait was shorter than they felt, and the dark figures blocking the light illuminating the stairs from flooding into the hall appeared one by one.
"These guys?"
"No way, it's impossible!"
Although the first reaction came from the Wind of Death, the noise coming from her father didn't just drown her out, it made the entire tower groan.
"Yes, the very same!"
Another member of the family introduced them, waving the sleeves of his purple robe. With their green leather armors, hooded black cloaks, and the staves on their backs, humans were right before their eyes. The one standing on the far right of the ten people lined up in a single file took a step forward and practically roared who they were.
"The Elemental Ten of the Druid forces, at your command!"
Ten Druids of the exact same height and build stood in perfect alignment. Their armors, their staves, their gazes all said one thing: I am ready for war!
"Well, well, well, look who we have here! Aren't these the 'Defend, don't fight' Druids!"
Everyone was stunned, but the noise, like a boiling teapot, came from the exact same spot, the hulking orc to Nafız's right. The Blood God pursed her lips, turned her head the other way, and with a smiling expression, told the Druid who just spoke to continue.
"We are the first Druids in our race to decide to use offensive spells as well. We have set our hearts on this path even at the cost of losing the teachings and even the blessings of our ancestors, and no matter who tries to test us, we can deliver the necessary response in the harshest way possible!"
Alyon, who did not expect such an outburst from the naive druids with their calm temperaments who hesitated to even hurt an ant and chose to roll over no matter what instead of picking a fight, was initially dazed; his not-so-fast-working mind tried to process the data as he scanned the room with blank stares.
"Who do you think you're talking to?"
Minutes passed, and after a silence that could be considered long, the hulking orc warrior finally figured out what was meant.
"Please enlighten us! Exactly who are you, and what is your rank, Mr. Alyon?"
The argument ended with this question. Like everyone else, he too realized that he currently had neither the authority nor any ability to distinguish him from the others.
In the past, he ruled the Orc Steppes, but his grandson proved he could do it much better than him. During the Two-Year Wars, while he lived like a weed with broken self-confidence and lost consciousness, his daughter had taken the helm of the orc army and protected their lands. His son was brilliant, his friend held the title of Blood God, but right now, he was nothing more than an orc named Alyon.
"The meeting is adjourned. Prepare to move out at dawn!"
As Nafız watched the others exit, she grabbed a thick, green arm with her right hand. Neither the map nor food nor wine to drink was left on the long table, but the two friends, two old comrades, remained in their places.
"What the hell is your problem? Like an edgy teenager, one minute you're dead silent, the next you blow up, running your mouth out of nowhere! What's the deal, if you've got a problem, spit it out so we can find a fix!"
A few birds that made the blunder of flying at night circled the tower letting out piercing shrieks, then flew in a straight line until they disappeared from sight. The candles were trying to illuminate the surroundings with their last remaining strength, but to no avail; the darkness had crept all the way to their bottoms, waiting for them to draw their last breaths, and despite half an hour passing, Nafız still hadn't gotten the answer she was waiting for.
"Do whatever the hell you want! I can't deal with your tantrums on top of all this crap!"
The moonlight hiding behind the clouds along with Nafız also abandoned the top floor of the tower; the candles went out one after another, and a pair of bloodshot eyes in the dark slowly closed.
When the sunlight entered through the open window of the tower that had stood in the same spot for thousands of years, Alyon was in the same spot. He opened his eyes with the warmth that wrapped around his back like a quilt and heated his insides, and he stood up as his crystallizing breath mixed into the air.
"You'll all see! You'll learn exactly who Alyon is!"
When the stone steps that started screaming again hours later ended, the hulking orc saw everyone he had been with the night before waiting for him, ready to go. Nafız was at the very front with the ten Druid warriors who had denied their past and embarked on a new path. Right behind her was her daughter, Wind of Death, and the most elite warrior group of the orc society, the Elite Ten.
Her son-in-law, Hammerstriker, was at the very back with her son, Bookworm. The ten orc warriors assigned to escort the three-person group were also ready, and interestingly, all of these individuals were male.
"Girl, aren't you the jealous type! Look at this, I can literally smell the sausage fest from here!"
Nafız couldn't hold back when she saw the all-male crowd at the very back, but the Wind of Death didn't look like she was going to take all the blame.
"I don't have an issue like that at all! He can chase skirts if he wants to, you'll have to take that up with your sister living in Parthenia!"
As the imposing female orc, spinning her double-headed axe two full rotations with a single flick of her wrist, underlined her words, two drops of sweat quietly trickled down her husband's forehead and evaporated on his neck before they dared to hit the ground.
"Look at this little bastard! Bookworm, what is your sister saying?"
"Lies, slander! Cross my heart and hope to die, there's no such thing!"
Although Nafız started laughing at her disciple's initial reaction, she froze after his following words.
"Where the hell did you learn that phrase?"
"Well, master, you used it once to explain that you weren't lying, it stuck in my head from there!"
The Ancestors' Blessing he acquired from the first dungeon was working like a charm. Nafız picked up laughing right where she left off, and with a wave of her hand, three mechanical vehicles meant for transport appeared.
"Consider yourselves lucky! These are Leonardo's latest handy-work; you'll be able to ride all the way to the mountain range without bruising your precious little asses!"