Orc Hero Story: Discovery Chronicles - Chapter 75.1

Orc Hero Story

Late at night, in an ordinary house located in the castle town under the Stormhill Castle, there were three women. One was a beautiful succubus; other was a human woman with her face hidden behind bandages; and the last one was a sinister-looking demon woman exuding a chilling aura. They were Carrot, Poplatica, and the nameless woman.

“Why do you think we’ve been discovered?” asked the human woman, and the succubus replied.

“Well, perhaps we have a mole?”

“In any case, since the last time Aldrya failed with the last artifact, that should have put them on alert…”

“Although it doesn’t quite seem like it…”

The three women pondered deeply, utterly concerned about the current situation.

They had come to the Zarico Peninsula with a handful of operatives for the “Relics”. They had cautiously infiltrated the Blackhead territory, avoiding the enemy’s surveillance network, and had also recruited someone they had been keeping an eye on. Their goal was the last relic, the “Human Scriptures”.

Among their allies was a demon warrior named Aldrya. She had gone alone to the Zarico Peninsula to obtain the “Human Scriptures” and had not returned. She had probably failed.

Aldrya was a formidable warrior. She was also known as the “Dream Demon” and had once been a close collaborator of Gediguz; her existence hidden even among the demon army. Not only her existence but also the special magic she used was shrouded in secrecy. She had the ability to enter someone’s dreams and kill them, causing the person to suddenly disappear in the real world. Probably, only Gediguz knew the exact principles upon which it was based. For Poplatica and the others, Aldrya was one of their trump cards. However, she had not succeeded in her mission.

Therefore, Poplatica and her team proceeded with caution. Nevertheless, they ended up exposed. Although they expected the humans to be on high alert for their attack, foolishly, the entire Zarico Peninsula, and even the Stormhill Castle itself, showed no signs of increased vigilance. If that was the case, even better. They could strike where the guards were relaxed, seize the “Human Scriptures” and leave quickly.

However, things didn’t go as planned. They couldn’t determine the whereabouts of the Human Scriptures. These were deeply connected to human religion and should have been well guarded. Despite that, there was no one with information about where they were located. Even after gathering information in the city, they couldn’t find anyone who claimed to have seen them even once. There was also no information indicating they had been moved. There were people who knew they were in this area, the Zarico Peninsula, but no one knew their exact location.

However, Poplatica and her team knew of their existence. They had information that they were in this region. So they stayed behind to gather information and find some leads. But it seemed they knew nothing. They couldn’t even find a trace of Aldrya, who had disappeared suddenly. They were stranded in the Stormhill castle town.

One day, something happened. One of their operatives was captured. She was one of the women gathering information in the city, a discreet human woman, skilled at hiding. She had been a former member of the human intelligence agency and had been an expert at staying hidden since the war. There shouldn’t have been any reason to suspect her. However, one day, she disappeared. They considered various possibilities, such as her disappearing or dying in an accident, but they remembered a disappearance like that. She had been discovered by the enemy and kidnapped.

They didn’t know where she had been exposed, but it was likely that the enemy had learned of their presence on the Zarico Peninsula.

“What do we do now?”

“We’re in trouble.”

“Maybe we should retreat and regroup? It’s dangerous to stay here.”

The unnamed woman suggested, but Poplatica was in a dilemma. Of course, given the situation, it was advisable to withdraw. Going back to their base, reorganizing their crew with members skilled in information gathering, and devising a new plan would be the right course of action. That would be the best option.

They had once marked this place with a “seal”. If that was the case, using Poplatica’s magic to return wouldn’t be too difficult.

There was frustration due to the lack of results. They were one step away from resurrecting Gediguz. There was no way not to feel anxious.

But Poplatica was no fool, not by a long shot. She knew when to retreat.

“…Very well, I agree. We have no other choice. Let’s go back.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Indeed, without any information so far, there’s nothing more we can do.”

The decision was made quickly. They would retreat before more casualties arose. They would inform their subordinates and prepare for a swift withdrawal. Just as they were about to act on this decision…

“Well, well, ladies, there’s no need to rush like this, is there?”

A voice echoed. From a room where there should have been only three people, a fourth voice emerged.

“…!”

They turned to see a man standing near the entrance. An elderly human. However, he wasn’t a stranger. All three knew who he was.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Sage… What brings you here?”

The Human Sage. He was once known as one of the Humans’ Three Crows, a renowned human hero. He used numerous magic and even controlled dragons, leading in the war. His many titles included “The Sage”, “Druid of the Southern Forest”, “Master of a Thousand Magic”, and “Dragon Tamer”. His real name was Caspar Beckenbauer.

Today, it is known that he belongs to the Beckenbauer family as well as being a member of the nobility. But it wasn’t always the case. Once, he was simply called Caspar, an orphan of war, smart enough to read but nothing more than one of countless foot soldiers. He went to the battlefield with his friends, survived numerous hand-to-hand combat encounters, achieved military accomplishments, learned to read, mastered magic, achieved more military accomplishments, and eventually became a noble. His remarkable feat of participating in the decisive battle of the Lemium Highlands with a dragon, causing chaos among the enemy forces and showing his prowess with overwhelming magic remains famous to this day.

When the war ended, he chose to retire and began a life of seclusion in the forests of the Zarico Peninsula. Few knew why he had chosen this reclusive life.