Chapter 245:
The Holy Relics, which are key items in the Territory Wars, weren't just objects.
The forms of the Holy Relics were incredibly diverse.
They could take the form of a brick, a statue, or even a ship.¹
Additionally, Holy Relics could take the form of animals or even people.
In other words, Relics were not just ordinary objects but referred to anything imbued with mysterious power.
"A-Are you asking to go look for the ChawChaw? Together? Chwik?"
“Yeah.”
Otto nodded.
“He's asleep at the top of Thunder Mountain?”
"B-But. Chwiik."Bagram wore a puzzled expression.
“Thunder Mountain is inaccessible, Chwiik. Reaching halfway up is one thing, but getting to the peak….”
“It’s possible.”
“Chwi?”
“There's a way.”
“Chik, Chwi! Is that really true? Chwik!”
Bagram's eyes widened.
“Is there really a way to get to the top of Thunder Mountain? Chwik!”
“There is.”
Otto nodded.
“Of course, it won’t be easy. But it’s not like there’s no way at all.”
“Chwiik!”
“How about it? Want to give it a try?”
Otto suggested to Bagram.
“Chwiik! Good! If the Chawchaw is up there, of course, I’ll take on the challenge! Chwiik!”
“Okay.”
Otto smiled in satisfaction.
"Then let's go in a few days. We can't go right away, we need some time to prepare."
“Chwi! Got it!”
"But there is a condition."
“Chwi?”
“In exchange for my help in finding ChawChaw, you will form an alliance, no, a blood pact, with us. One that will never betray each other.”
“Chwi!”
Bagram replied in kind.
“We Orcs are a race who never forget a favor. Chik. We already owe you a great gratitude. We are already blood allies. There’s no need to go as far as finding Chaochao for us. Chwik”
“If you truly feel that way, then I’m really grateful.”
“Chwi. It's true. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between the Demon's offspring. Chwik. So, you don’t need to worry about forming a blood alliance. We are already bound by it. Chwik.”
Orcs are a race as committed to loyalty as the Dwarves.
Just like the Dwarves, they never forget a favor once they’ve received it.
No matter who it was from.
“Good.”
Otto smiled brightly.
"Then, from now on, our Lota Kingdom and your Thunderhoof Clan will maintain a good relationship as blood allies."
“Chwi, of course. And.”
Bagram added.
“I, Bagram, the chieftain of the Thunderhoof Clan, acknowledge you, Chwik. Otto de Scuderia, King of the Lota Kingdom, as a friend. Chwik. I may not trust other humans, but I can trust you. Chwik.”
“Let's have a drink.”
Otto extended his cup towards Bagram.
“Chwi. Good.”
Bagram brought his cup to meet the cup that Otto had extended.
Cheers.
*Clink* *Glug* *Glug*
Otto and Bagram downed the beer in their cups in one gulp, celebrating their newfound friendship.
For the first time in hundreds of years, a human and an orc had become friends.
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The next day.
Otto headed south with Bagram and his men.
*TACATA!* *TACATA!* *TACATA!*
Otto and his party heading south were like a rampaging bulldozer.
The reason was simple.
“Snort!”
“Kkiiiieeeg!”
The Thunderhoof Clan tamed giant wild boars known as [Steamboars]¹ and used them as mounts.
The size of these Steamboars was as large as a bison, and their breakthrough power was comparable to that of a tank.
The name "Thunderhoof Clan" was also given because the sound made by the Steamboars when they charged forward was like thunder.
The drawback was that their endurance was quite poor.
Steamboars couldn’t run for more than 30 minutes.
After running for 30 minutes, they needed to rest for at least 5 to 10 minutes, making them unsuitable for long-distance travel.
So, Otto wanted to ride a wyvern instead, but that wasn’t an option.
A few hours ago.
“Chik, Chwik?!”
At Otto's suggestion to ride a wyvern, Bagram’s eyes widened in shock.
"Are you suggesting we ride a wyvern? Chwik?"
“It's faster.”
"Chik. Chwik."
Bagram was sweating profusely and fidgeting nervously.
The same was also the case with his personal guards.
“It’s okay. Just give it a try.”
"Chik. Chwik."
Otto thought the Orcs were just unsettled by the unfamiliarity and proceeded to put them on the wyverns.
But that was a clear mistake.
“Chwik, Chwiiiiiik!”
“CHWIIIIIIIIIK!!!"
The Orcs had an extreme fear of heights.
They vomited, fainted, and even urinated in fear, and within just one minute of the flight, they all were wiped out.
“C-Can we please land? Chwik? Chwiiiik?!”
Even Bagram was trembling all over like a leaf in the wind.
‘Fear of heights must just be a racial trait.'
Otto realized that orcs were inherently afflicted with acrophobia and decided to abandon the flight.
Rather than forcing them onto wyverns and risking an accident, Otto decided it was better to travel by land using the Steamboars.
After traveling for two days, they arrived at the [Bizarre Forest] located in the southern part of the Uruk Plains.
The Bizarre Forest was, true to its name, an extremely Bizarre Forest.
It was like a dungeon teeming with all kinds of malevolent spirits and plant-based monsters.
In the actual game, it also served as a dungeon.
When playing as Bagram, you would hunt and level up in the Bizarre Forest while also farming for items.
Moreover, to reach the top of Thunder Mountain, you had to obtain specific items from the Bizarre Forest.
Otto hadn’t brought Bagram to the Bizarre Forest for no reason.
The Bizarre Forest was an extremely important location for Bagram.
“Chwik. This is a dangerous place.”
As soon as Bagram realized their destination was the Bizarre Forest, he turned to look at Otto.
“I know.”
“Chwi?”
“There are things we need to find.”
“What is it? Chwik?”
“You'll know once we get there. We need to get to the center of the forest, so let's go.”
“Chwi, Okay.”
Although Otto would have preferred to ride wyverns to the center of the forest, it was impossible.
The Bizarre Forest was covered by dense trees throughout, with some areas having trees intertwined like caves.
Moreover, a strange magical energy flowed throughout the forest, preventing the wyverns from flying properly.
In other words, they had no choice but to cut their way through the forest from the beginning.
Barely 30 minutes into entering the forest, Otto's group was attacked.
*Flap* *Flap*
*Skreeeeee!*
Countless number of vampire bats attacked Otto's group.
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While Otto was carrying out the mission in the Bizarre Forest.
*Rattle* *Shake*
Archduke Wazir was traveling in his carriage.
As a diplomat for the Lota Kingdom, Archduke Wazir began a tour, gradually persuading and winning over the surrounding powers of the Erzsebet Kingdom.
The rationale was clear.
Thanks to the Erzsebet Kingdom's complete defeat and struggles in the trade dispute with the Iota Kingdom, the surrounding powers were quite receptive to Archduke Wazir's persuasion.
Given the Erzebet Kingdom's numerous bullying tactics, the neighboring powers were eager to give the Lota Kingdom a favorable response.
Of course, those neighboring powers had their own agents planted by the Erzsebet Kingdom.
Some were outright traitors, while others adopted a pro-Erzebet stance out of fear.
“Kekeke.”
Reflecting on the events of the past few days, Archduke Wazir almost teared out in laughter.
‘You’ve planted quite a lot, haven’t you, Bathory? Heh, impressive.'
Archduke Wazir knew all too well who the Erzsebet Kingdom's spies were and who had a pro-Erzsebet attitude.
As a master of politics, diplomacy, and administration, Archduke Wazir was fully versed in the ways in which the Erzebet Kingdom manipulated its neighbors.
Why?
The way the Erzsebet Kingdom was currently controlling the surrounding powers was precisely the strategy Archduke Wazir had detailed in a paper he had written in the past.
Bathory had been implementing it in a very effective manner.
To the point where even Wazir had to admire it.
‘She's certainly resourceful. Kekeke'
However, Wazir remained nonchalant and somewhat dismissive of Bathory.
‘Even with great economic power, using such coercive diplomacy while being surrounded on all sides by enemies…'
Just then.
“Hiiiieeee!”
“Heeeeeeee!”
The horses whinnied, and the carriage screeched to a halt.
Archduke Wazir wondered what was going on, so he opened the carriage door and stepped outside.
*Pitter-patter!*
Outside, heavy rain was pouring down, and unidentified knights were surrounding the carriage.
“Hmm.”
Archduke Wazir assessed the situation and wore a look of intrigue.
“What's going on?”
A woman with a massive build for her gender followed Wazir and stepped out of the carriage.
A height exceeding 180 centimeters.
A muscular physique weighing over 100 kilograms.
Although she wasn’t extremely tall, her imposing physique was such that even most men wouldn't dare to challenge her.
"It seems there's a scheming queen who wants this old man to die. Kekeke."
“Is that so?”
The burly woman.
Olive huffed.
"……"
"……"
"……"
The unidentified knights surrounding the carriage silently drew out their iron clubs.
It was an expression of their intent not to use bladed weapons.
Why?
Using edged weapons would make it difficult to disguise the incident as an accident.
“Clubs.”
Olive smiled with a look of disdain and rolled up her sleeves.
"How dare you raise a club in front of a Head maid."
Wazir spoke to Olive.
“Take it easy, be gentle. There's no need to get rough.”
“I understand.”
"Kekeke. Then this old man will wait."
Archduke Wazir said this and then re-entered the carriage, pulled out a cigar from his pocket, and lit it.
“Whew.”
Thick, smoky cigar smoke billowed out.
"It seems you were quite eager. Kekeke—to resort to such foul play. This will only make me more determined to torment you, won’t it? Kekeke."
Meanwhile,
*Rip*
*Snap*
Olive’s top couldn’t withstand the bulging muscles and started tearing in various places.
*Squirm* *Squirm*
Olive’s bulging biceps seemed to writhe as if they were alive.
“'All of you.”
Olive took a step forward.
*Boom!*
Then, a shockwave erupted, as if an earthquake had struck, causing the ground to tremble.
"I’ll fold you in half."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Olive darted forward at bullet-like speed and slammed into the nearest enemy.
The enemy struck by Olive was sent flying far away without even letting out a scream.
They never got up again.
Instant death.
With just a single body slam, they were sent to the afterlife.
"……!"
"……!"
"……!"
The knights who witnessed the scene were shocked out of their wits.
The knight who had been struck down by Olive had his armor dented and crushed.
Even their body was twisted at a grotesque angle, making it hard to distinguish whether this was reality or not.
How could she have hit so hard that a knight clad in plate armor was reduced to such a state with just one blow?
But it was still too early to be shocked.
*Snatch*
Olive grabbed another knight's helmet with one hand and tightened her grip.
The result.
*Crunch* *Squelch*
The helmet crumpled, and eventually, the knight's head burst.
The force of her grip alone had exploded the man's head.
** ** **
TL/N:
1.
Helmut Valdemar's Holy Relic
[Marquis' Resolve] – CH 79
Kerrates Tribe Holy Relic
[Priamos Terracotta] – CH 88
Captain Francis Drake's Holy Relic
[Red Goddess] – Ch 137
2. Ref for Steamboars