Following her show of force inside the Grand Bazaar during the daytime, they had come here, all the way to her feet, but this was too much even for them. Even if the Heart of the Sand, located in the westernmost part of the Central Region where they came due to forced exile, was under their dominion, it wasn't even worth mentioning next to a whole region.
"Easy to say, impossible to do! While you are still afraid to show your face, how are you going to give us a whole region?"
Dona Gracia, talking more than he had perhaps the whole evening or even the whole day, might have been late to hide that he was impressed by the big words, but he still had the desire to pressure the ones across from him.
The leaders of the other two factions didn't speak; it was obvious they too could think of nothing else but the question of the man resembling a large pile of shit. Wind of Death let out a deep breath; first, her double-headed axe, which was identified with her, appeared, then she pulled off and threw away the piece of cloth covering her face, and finally, her Lineage Power, Warrior's Wrath, descended like a nightmare upon everyone in the room.
"Are the words of the Commander-in-Chief of the Orc Empire Armies not enough for you?"
Soul Stealer, standing behind her, dropped to one knee despite not being affected by the lineage power, and even if those in the room didn't see, the nine orcs around the building were in the same state as her. The three faction leaders and their subordinates hadn't had the chance to see Wind of Death in person, but her drawings, her weapon, and most importantly, her lineage power known by everyone on the World of the Six Civilizations proved who she was.
"Great Orc Warrior, Hero of the Two-Year Wars, and Commander-in-Chief of the Orc Empire Armies, Wind of Death, I am honored to meet you."
The Chief Engineer of the Heart of the Sand, Clemens Holzmeister, bowed, bending his entire upper body. His son, a step beside him, hadn't shaken off his astonishment; the person he tried to get into a war of words with at noon had turned out to be someone he completely didn't expect.
"Neues, how much longer are you going to wait to pay your respects?"
This was a question, but the engineer intoned it in such a way that it wasn't hard to deduce the meaning 'if you don't do what I say immediately, I will trample you under my feet'.
"There is no need for you to be so angry at the young boy, Clemens. Even I, who have eyes sharp enough to draw the patterns of a flying butterfly from a thousand paces away, was incapable of seeing the supreme mountain right under my nose."
The young engineer was obviously not agile in terms of social skills, but unlike him, Dona Gracia was stringing praise upon praise as if he had never done those questioning attitudes from just a moment ago.
"For someone commanding the armed forces of a power having a say over the Orc Steppes, the Wild Swamp, and the Hell Realm to promise us a dilapidated place like the Central Region is a blessing we can only see in our dreams. Please tell us, what exactly do you want from us?"
The Engineer and the Merchant were already on her side; only the Warrior hadn't shown his colors yet. This situation must have caught Wind of Death's attention too, as before answering Dona Gracia's question, she turned her gazes to the other orc warrior in the room.
"Boss, I believe they address you with this name, what do you say? Are you with us?"
Wind of Death wanted to completely put the Heart of the Sand behind her, and the words of the man holding the military power were very valuable to her. The addressee of her question was calm as always; for someone leading a bunch of maniacs, this was his most striking feature after his green skin.
"What will our position be? If we join you, what will be the status of my men?"
Boss's concern became clear; he was a king here in his small garden, and his men received the best treatment possible, but once they stepped outside, it was uncertain what state they would fall into. What kind of a power was the Orc Empire? With tens of thousands of new members joining their ranks every day, possessing an army of a billion people, they had a say over three continents.
Joining them now without talking about anything was like sailing into an ocean full of whales while being the biggest fish in a small pond. Even if he tried not to show it, Boss's calmness right now came from fear, not wisdom.
"I assumed everyone knew what kind of orcs we are, but I guess this city, isolated from the world, prevented this from happening. My words might take a little long, please take your seats!"
She herself sat down along with her guests too; there was no longer a need for the rags covering her magnificent body, she and Soul Stealer behind her would continue talking in their armors bearing the green orc fist reliefs, the symbol of the Orc Empire, on their chests.
"In the Orc Society we have exalted once again, everyone is treated according to their worth. An orc born just now and those belonging to the group they call the Royal Family, but which means nothing to us, are also bound by this rule.
We give importance to merit; if they are the best for that job, be it an orc, a human, a wild creature, or whatever it may be, the duty is theirs. Only one thing can be more valuable than merit, and that is loyalty. Loyalty is not forgetting the favor done, loyalty is remembering the one who came running when help was needed, loyalty is treating the one in your heart worthy of being there.
Jashua, a little boy living inside the City of Nikonya, is now the King of the Hell Realm. Ainle, a cowardly druid hiding behind an energy shield, is now the leader of his nation. Master Leonardo, while living exiled from his homeland, is now the Head of the Orc Empire Military Academy. Dimitri Balsici, a vagrant merchant wandering the barren lands, is now the man who will be the owner of the Northern Region.
If I say the Central Region will be yours, this place is yours. You configure it commercially, scientifically, and militarily however you want. These are not only my words but the words of the Leader of the Orc Empire, the Khan!"
After what they heard, it was impossible for a question mark to remain in their minds. Wind of Death was the person coming after the Khan in the hierarchy of the Orc Empire, and she was giving both her personal assurance and the assurance of the leader of billions of orcs.
"I and the warriors under my command are with you. Tell us now, what exactly do you want from us?"
Hearing the same question for the second time, Wind of Death leaned back; the three powers of the Heart of the Sand were now with her, and she could start explaining her plans, but there was one more issue that needed to be resolved.
"It's time you brought our last guest!"
These words were not for the six people eagerly awaiting what would come out of her mouth, but for Soul Stealer standing a step behind her. Upon this, the leader of the Elite Ten turned her head for the first time towards the wide window standing behind her, and from within the darkness, two shadows appeared at the head of the table.
They had a sack made of black fabric in their hands; the thing they put inside couldn't stay still. It was obvious its mouth was gagged, it could only grunt, but it didn't stop thrashing its visibly tied limbs.
"Take that out!"
Along with the order, the two members of the Elite Ten emptied the contents of the sack onto the floor and left with an invisible speed just as they came. Gazes were on the guest who joined the long-lasting night meeting at the last moment.
The guest lying face down on the floor struggled a bit but couldn't manage to turn towards the others; Soul Stealer would come to his rescue. She stepped on his head with the sole of her leather boots and brought his face, illuminated by the candlelights, to a position where everyone could see it comfortably.