I looked at Norkin.

The appearance I had seen a few days ago was unimaginable.

The Orc who struggled against the Protagonist was no more.

He possessed dignity. It was a tremendous dignity.

The gazes of the Chieftains flew towards me.

Old Orcs, like the former Norkin, were also visible.

Grak’s words came to mind.

He said there were three strong Chieftains. Norkin was one of them. Excluding him, there were exactly two.

They were the Great Chieftains Grak spoke of. However, they were not true Great Chieftains like Norkin. Perhaps that’s why their gaze at the Protagonist was filled with longing.

Though they were strong Chieftains, that was merely a matter of skill. The old ones might be respected, but they were not revered.

“Those weak-looking Humans…”

“Is that the one who was the Great Chieftain’s final trial?”

The Orc Chieftains murmured.

But when Norkin raised his arm, they instantly quieted down.

He looked at the Protagonist.

“Are you feeling alright?”

“I’m fine.”

Norkin’s left arm was severed from the shoulder. It was an injury sustained in the Duel. Even though he had become younger, his severed arm did not regenerate.

It was because of the Protagonist.

Orcs don’t hold grudges over injuries sustained in battle, but it was still uncertain. If he incurred Norkin’s wrath, he wouldn’t be able to handle it.

Norkin cupped his left shoulder with his palm.

He had a relieved expression.

“I feel so refreshed. I can chew as much meat as I want, like when I was young. I don’t get tired even when embracing females. The happiest thing is that I can wield an axe. I can roam the Battlefield like in those days. How joyful this is!”

The Chieftains fell silent.

The atmosphere became solemn.

The two old Chieftains sighed. It was a joyful thought, but they seemed sad that they couldn’t become like that themselves.

Norkin, who had been speaking to those around him, stared at this side.

“It’s thanks to you.”

…

“I can live for another three hundred years. Perhaps even longer.”

“What are you going to do now?”

“What do you mean?”

“You got a new life.”

“A new life… that’s right. I got a new life. Thanks to you. I’ve been striving for only that, but I hadn’t thought of this before.”

Norkin stroked his chin, lost in thought.

“After I crush that short Lizard, I will go to war against the Humans again. Perhaps I will take the North and West of the Kingdom.”

“You’re starting a war?”

“Considering the favor you’ve done for me, I won’t be too greedy. If we only take the territory we need to live, I’ll leave them alone.”

His tone suggested he was doing a favor.

It didn’t feel like a bluff. With his skill, he had the ability to lead the Orcs and trample the entire Kingdom.

“Do you have any friends among the Humans?”

“Why do you ask?”

“Your friends are my friends. So I won’t touch them.”

The Great Chieftain considered him a friend.

He had become friends with an incredibly powerful Warrior.

It was reassuring.

If you had a powerful friend, others wouldn’t easily bother you.

Because they knew if they harmed the Protagonist, his powerful friend would come running.

He thought about who to mention.

He called out the name of Count Haines.

Then he said he wouldn’t touch him and would leave him alone. He felt a little relieved. Besides that, he didn’t have any particular connections.

He didn’t ask them to stop the war.

Telling the Orcs not to wage war was like telling them to die. And it didn’t seem like he, who had regained his former body, would stay still.

A big event had occurred because of the Protagonist’s actions in the Duel. If Charlotte found out about this, she probably wouldn’t like it.

As the Protagonist’s complexion worsened, the other person reassured him. It meant they wouldn’t plunder the powerless or anything like that.

He realized that what he wanted was a fight with the strong. The Orcs were the same. Before, they would raid villages for killing intent, but not anymore.

While they were talking, Angelica stepped forward.

Her face was extremely haggard.

She had been trembling all over since she entered This Place and met Norkin. It seemed to be because he looked exactly like the Orcs she saw in her dream.

And now, those same Orcs were talking about starting a war. It was enough to convince her that her dream was a revelation.

“Are you planning to start another war?”

“What if I am?”

“We made a pact with you Orcs. It hasn’t even been a year, and you’re already breaking your promise!”

Norkin turned his head.

“Humans. Is that woman your female?”

“She’s a friend.”

“So she’s your female.”

He didn’t know how a girlfriend became a female.

He didn’t deny it.

If he said no, he felt like his head would be crushed immediately.

“Female. I will overlook your shouting at me for the sake of this Humans. And I don’t care what the Humans shout about.”

“Th-that…”

Angelica fell silent.

Her legs were trembling.

She wouldn’t tremble like this even if she faced a giant Salamander. It seemed she also realized how absurd her opponent was.

“Until the day you die, I will treat you with honor. Though our species may differ, I will treat you as a friend. Your enemy is my enemy, and I will treat your adversaries as my own.”

Norkin stood up and spoke.

“Humans Mage. Now, tell me what you desire. I will give you anything.”

“Anything?”

“There is nothing I cannot do. Do you wish to become a noble being? Or do you desire a Humans female? Anything is possible.”

…

He thought about what to say to him. Then, the Shaman’s face came to mind.

“Gulla is being ignored.”

“Gulla?”

“I don’t want him to be ignored.”

“Is that what you wish for?”

Yes.

“You don’t understand what I mean. I can do anything. There is a capital city that will crown you King, and if you want a woman, I will bring her to you even from the ends of the earth. Yet you make such a trivial request?”

The Grand Chieftain asked repeatedly, as if in disbelief.

It meant that the Protagonist’s choice was unexpected, to the point that he had to ask several times.

He nodded.

“What’s the reason?”

“You asked why I appeared in the duel, didn’t you?”

“I did.”

“He asked me to.”

“He asked you?”

“He told me to go to you.”

“Is that true?”

“I had no reason to go to you. If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have fought you.”

…

Norkin’s expression changed. It was a reaction that he hadn’t expected. He kept silent for a long time, then nodded.

“If what you say is true, then even without a request, it would be appropriate to do so. That miracle-like fellow had a change of heart at the end of his life.”

The Grand Chieftain sighed.

It was incomprehensible.

The Shaman that the Protagonist saw was not a miracle-like being. Seeing the opponent speak like this, he couldn’t imagine how much of a scoundrel he must have been in the past.

Thinking that, the Protagonist felt lucky. If he had met the Shaman a little earlier, there was a capital city where the Shaman might not have taught him magic.

Even if he learned Ice Spear, it might have taken a long time. These days, he didn’t even dream about it, so it could have become a very distant possibility.

The Grand Chieftain was also lucky. If the Protagonist hadn’t been indebted to the Shaman, he wouldn’t have fought. In a way, the Shaman played the biggest role.

“Take it.”

He held out the arm that was lying next to him to the Protagonist. It was his left arm, severed in the Duel. An axe was also clutched in the hand.

“I don’t have a hobby of collecting arms, you know?”

“It’s a command to offer it as a tribute to the gods. My arm and axe should be worthy of a proper Blessing.”

“A Blessing?”

“The Goddess of Ice has become too weak to even bestow a proper Blessing. If you offer that, you’ll have some breathing room for a while.”

“Why are you giving me something like this?”

“Hearing your trifling request made me think I should give you something. This is the greatest reward I can offer.”

Norkin made it seem like a great favor.

It seemed he hadn’t intended to give up his severed arm. The Protagonist couldn’t understand what had changed his mind.

Anyway, since he called it the greatest reward, it must be incredible. The Protagonist picked it up and left. There was also a Statue he had received separately in his possession.

“You, you… Are you crazy!?”

As soon as they stepped outside, Millia shouted.

“How could you make such a request! What were you going to do if that Orc hadn’t given you anything extra!”

“I didn’t really think about it.”

“No… I just don’t understand. If it were me, I would have asked the Orc for power.”

“What would you do with borrowed power?”

“I’d kill all those damned bastards who trampled my family! And then I’d live a life of luxury. How about that? Isn’t it amazing?”

“It’s amazing.”

“Go back now and try talking to him again. How about asking him to grant my wish instead? I’ll repay the favor.”

“With what?”

“Well, um… I have nothing to give.”

Millia blushed.

She was implying that if he really wanted it, she’d date him. No matter how he thought about it, she wasn’t old enough to be his grandmother. Even before that, thinking that the Protagonist would fall for such words was simply shameless.

He smelled her.

There was a slightly stranger smell.

Something was flowing between her legs.

“Did you wet yourself?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“But I smell something.”

“Then you wouldn’t wet yourself after seeing that?”

Millia said, her face bright red.

It wasn’t a child who had wet herself.

A grown woman had peed her pants. It was embarrassing.

“From now on, I shouldn’t make an enemy of you.”

“Why?”

“Because scary Orcs will appear.”

Millia was still trembling, as if in fear.

The Protagonist also felt a headache after seeing the Great Chieftains. Even the Protagonist, who could use powerful Magic, felt that way. It was understandable that Millia, a low-level Mage, would wet herself.

Millia headed somewhere.

It seemed she was going to change her clothes.

“Mr. Rael.”

As she left, Angelica’s gaze fell on him. The nun’s expression was very dark.

“I have a small favor to ask.”

“What is it?”

“When the City is in danger of being overrun by Orcs, may I use your name?”

“My name?”

“If you mention your name, they won’t do anything too severe.”

The nun pleaded, clasping her hands together. Her expression was desperate.

The Great Chieftains were an insurmountable force.

They had to beg for mercy.

It seemed like chaos would soon erupt in the King’s nation. It was questionable whether a civil war would break out. Nobles were on the verge of being wiped out because of the orcs.

But if it was the protagonist’s friend, it didn’t matter. The nun seemed to have noticed that fact and made a request. When I nodded, her expression brightened.

She said the protagonist had saved countless people.

It wasn’t much comfort.

No matter how I thought about it, engaging in the duel didn’t seem like a good idea.

It felt like a war had started because of the protagonist. It was a great benefit to the protagonist, but others suffered. My heart was uneasy.

I had to believe his promise not to harm the weak.

After receiving confirmation, the nun returned first.

She had to think about what was to come.

I took a step.

First, I returned to the hut where the protagonist had been staying.

On the way, I saw orcs sharpening their axe blades.

I checked inside the hut.

There was nothing in particular to tidy up.

I wrapped Norkin’s arm with cloth and tied it. I carried him on my back. My body felt heavy, as if I was carrying several thick pieces of leather.

I realized I had been here longer than I thought.

It was time to go back. I decided to join the extermination squad and return. Even if I had to pay a small amount of money, that was the right thing to do.

The extermination squad’s encampment was nearby. It was just a small boil in the distance. I could see soldiers loading luggage onto a small carriage.

Millia was nowhere to be seen. It seemed she had gone that way.

As I looked around, someone approached.

It was Grak.

“What’s wrong?”

“I came to see you off one last time. You and I have a connection, you see.”

He asked various questions as he walked.

It was about the duel with Norkin. It seemed like seeing me off was just an excuse, and he had come because he was curious about that. That was typical of Grak.

He gasped when he heard that he had cut down both the Ice Spear and the Golem at once in the end. He said he wanted to be like that someday.

He asked if he could fight him when that time came.

He shook his head in alarm.

It would be troublesome if another Orc like Norkin appeared.

Hearing Grak’s words reminded him that the Protagonist had lost consciousness. He headed to the place where the Duel had taken place. He had to retrieve the Ice Golem.

When he went back to that spot, the scenery was gruesome.

The ground was completely dug up, and all the surrounding trees were cut down.

Grak carefully examined the traces on the ground. He said that he could infer the battle from them.

The Protagonist didn’t understand much even after examining it.

The Golem’s state was indeed terrible.

It was lying on the ground, having lost both its legs, and its ice body had many axe marks. It looked very pitiful.

“You’ve suffered a lot…”

It hadn’t been this bad even when fighting the Salamander, let alone the Troll. If the Ice Golem could speak, it probably would have cursed at the Protagonist.

He cast a spell to create ice.

It didn’t take long, as he seemed to have become a bit more skilled than before. He increased its slightly diminished size and created two legs.

He made the Golem stand up.

However, unlike before, it felt a little sluggish. It wasn’t a big difference, but it seemed to have weakened slightly.

It seemed to be because the power contained in the Magic Stone, which was its power source, had significantly decreased. The mana in the Magic Stone was not infinite.

It was slowly reaching its limit. This was because it had fought strong opponents. A Golem that would normally last ten years without a problem was faltering.

The Golem had indeed overexerted itself to an unbelievable degree.

Considering the guys it fought, it was amazing that it had been fine until now.

He felt that he had to remake it.

During this war, the Protagonist’s skills had improved even more. Since he also had the low-grade Magic Stone obtained from catching the Salamander, he could create an Ice Golem if he carved a Mana Circuit.

When he went to the Capital City and received his reward, he would have plenty of money. It wouldn’t be bad to buy a lot of Lowest Grade Magic Stones and practice.

Carving a Mana Circuit into a Magic Stone was better practice than carving it into a regular stone. Since there was a chance of failure, he had to do it well.

It was luck that I was able to create the Ice Golem last time.

Even if my skills had improved since then, I wasn’t confident I could make a Castle Golem. While I could easily get the lowest-grade magic stones, the lower-grade ones were not easy to acquire.

I scanned the Golem.

It could still be used more.

It seemed like it would be useful for a while longer.

I took the Golem and went back. Grak stared at the Golem. He seemed to find it unbelievable that Norkin had cut it down in one go.

The Protagonist also couldn’t believe it.

His appearance caught my eye.

Orcs grow in size when they receive a Blessing.

I wondered if the Protagonist would also become enormous if he believed in the Warrior’s god.

I was particularly curious if his lower body would grow bigger.

“Grak.”

“What is it?”

“Orcs, when they receive a Blessing, they grow in size, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Does that part also get bigger?”

“That part?”

Grak didn’t understand the meaning of the question at first, then his face hardened as if he had realized something.

“Humans. Do not defile the Blessing.”

He seemed a little angry.

I shut my mouth. I felt sorry for saying something unnecessary.

Grak walked on, then blurted out.

“It does get bigger.”

“How much?”

“About the length of a finger joint.”

Gasp.

He felt like he understood why the Orcs tried so hard to receive the Blessing. The Blessing could be received multiple times. If its length and thickness increased each time, it would be tremendous.

Grak returned to where the Orcs were staying.

The protagonist also turned his back towards the Extermination Squad.

That’s when it happened.

The ground shook.

In the distance, people screamed and a carriage toppled over. The Orcs all rushed out and knelt. The protagonist also lost his balance and fell to his knees.

“Ohh…!!”

Grak was no different.

He was strong, so he endured a little longer.

He knelt but didn’t bow his head. Still, he seemed unable to control the trembling throughout his body.

The Orcs all looked in one direction.

It was the direction of the Mountain Range.

Everyone bowed their heads with their palms on the ground.

As if worshipping a god.

While even the Chieftains knelt, only Norkin, who had appeared at some point, stood tall and glared at the Mountain Range.

“The Shop Owner of the Mountain Range is flying away.”

“Shop Owner?”

“Look closely. Humans will never see that sight in their entire lives.”

Norkin pointed a thick finger at the Mountain Range.

Then the Mountain Range stirred and spread its wings.

It wasn’t the Mountain Range.

It was a monster. An unbelievably huge monster.

“What in the world is that?”

“A Dragon.”

“Dragon…?”

“That is the Great Being that swept away thirty tribes with a single swing of its tail and drove us out of the Mountain Range.”

An astounding fact came out of Norkin’s mouth. It was the reason the Orcs went to war.

The Dragon spread its wings, let out a cry, and then flew off into the distance, heading towards the Capital City.

I watched the sight.

It was a breathtaking sight. I was dazed for a long time. I only got into the Carriage once the commotion had settled down.

I looked at where the Orcs were.

I hoped the Shaman didn’t die alone. I thought Norkin would ensure that if he had any decency. Thinking that made me feel a little better.

Millia was next to me.

She seemed to have wet herself again.

The smell still lingered.

This time, I didn’t say much. The giant figure flying in the sky lingered in my mind throughout the journey.

My mind was blank.

I wondered if everything would be trampled if I went to the Capital City. I had to go there first. I had to see what was happening.

Millia also spoke.

It was an old fairy tale she had read in the Archives before her family fell. In that fairy tale, Dragons were said to be exceptional Mages.

They sometimes appeared in human form. The story said they did it for amusement. It didn’t quite sink in, but one thing stuck with me.

It would be incredible if I could learn Magic from a Dragon. The Magic they used might be different from the Magic humans used.

When night fell, I took out the Statue.

I called the Goddess’s name.

It was to offer sacrifices.

“My beloved worshipper! You’ve finally found me!”

Skadi fussed with delight.

The Goddess said she had been asleep due to a lack of power. She sobbed as if she was upset about it. My head already started to ache.

“But why did you look for me? You haven’t already recovered the Statue, have you?”

Yes.

Really? Then let’s go to the place I told you about right now! If I regain my power, I’ll become incredibly strong. It’ll be good for you too.

Before that, could you take a look at this?

He showed her Norkin’s arm.

Then the Goddess’s voice rose sharply.

Gasp! This is!

I’m going to offer this.

Wh-where on earth did you get this? This isn’t something you should have obtained.

He placed the Goddess’s Statue in front of her and told her everything that had happened. The Goddess listened silently, then made a fuss, demanding that Norkin’s arm be offered immediately.

Heh heh…

The Goddess let out a laugh. She seemed delighted just thinking about it.

Just that! Just that, and I’ll be able to breathe again. Offer it to me right now!

What about me?

You?

No reward?

What’s that? And isn’t it natural for the Protagonist to offer tribute to the god he believes in? Even though I seem to watch over you without you realizing it.

The Goddess grumbled that young people nowadays don’t appreciate favors.

…

Why, why are you looking at me like that? Is it okay to give me such a disrespectful look? I’m the Goddess!

…

Don’t look at me like that! I’ll give you something too! What do you want? My thanks should be enough, right? I don’t say these words easily.

“Let’s just forget about it.”

He wrapped Norkin’s arm in cloth.

The Statue screamed.

“W-wait! Yes, I’ll give you something good!”

“Something good?”

“I’ll bestow a Blessing upon you. A proper Blessing.”

Norkin’s words came to mind.

If he sacrificed his arm, he could receive a proper Blessing.

That’s what he had said.

It wasn’t a Blessing that only made him stronger for a moment, like before.

A proper Blessing.

It meant he would become permanently stronger, like the Orcs.

He wondered how strong he could become.

The Goddess urged him to offer it immediately. He performed the ritual as she instructed. The process of offering the sacrifice was easy.

All he had to do was extend Norkin’s arm and say, “I offer it.”

Then, the sacrifice disappeared, and power flowed into the Protagonist.

He trembled.

It was a far greater change than he had expected.