The Necromancer's Servant

The journey was meticulously calculated. When the two kodo beasts began foaming at the mouth, Asa finally saw the group waiting for them up ahead.

It seemed reinforcements had arrived during this time, dispatched by Orford. A force of over ten orcs and ogres, along with a dozen large ballistae, had been arranged into formation under Luken's command.

The thunderbirds were generally reluctant to leave the depths of the mountains. Only a dozen giant eagles had barely managed to pursue them, but under the devastating power of the ballista bolts, a few corpses were left behind before the rest retreated.

Once they received the people and goods they were there for, the orcs departed as quickly as possible. Only four kodo beasts remained, and two of them were already on the brink of collapse. As a result, much of the hard-earned ballistae had to be abandoned there. After all, this was still within the range of the Saundfest Mountains, and it was best to leave as soon as possible.

The kodo beasts carried ore and the claws of the beamons, while the orcs and ogres jogged alongside. With their superhuman stamina, traveling the dozens of miles out of the Saundfest Mountains was hardly a challenge.

Thanks to honey water and food, Asa's strength was rapidly recovering. He was now able to move about freely, though not to the extent of running like the orcs. As a result, he was the only one seated atop a kodo beast.

Luken, after ensuring the group was in order, leapt onto the kodo beast and sat next to Asa. Most of the fur on his body had been burned off, leaving his tail nowhere to be seen. He looked peculiar, like a bizarre mix of a hairless dog and a man. In a low voice, he said, "I'm sorry. It was my decision to leave you there."

"No need to apologize," Asa replied with a faint smile. "You didn't even take the ore with you. It's clear that leaving me behind was a last resort."

"In fact, everyone else was against it at the time," Luken admitted. "I repeatedly argued that your injuries couldn't withstand the jolting, and I assured them we'd come back for you. Only then did they agree."

Asa nodded slightly. "I believe you must have a valid reason. Besides, personally, I also believe it was the right choice. Two newborn beamons—Theodorus will be overjoyed to see them."

"If we can successfully tame them, they'll be an unparalleled force for Orford," Luken said, his small eyes gleaming with astonishing light.

Asa nodded again. Over this period, he had come to fully grasp the might of these colossal creatures. Orford's expertise in arming orcs and beasts was unmatched by any other nation. An ogre equipped with custom heavy armor and weapons could have ten times the combat power of one unarmed. From this, it was easy to imagine how formidable two fully armed beamons would be on the battlefield.

Moreover, with such precious combat power, Theodorus would undoubtedly spare no resources to craft them magical resistance armor. Two such beasts could practically level a sizeable army.

"The ore isn't at risk of being lost, and it seemed like you could hold on for a while. But those two newborn beamons were different—if we had left them behind, they would've been doomed within days. So, we had no choice but to leave quickly with them, feeding them honey juice and chewed meat while rushing to get them to Orford. That's why we had to leave you and the ore behind for a few days. Thankfully, the cave still carried the scent of those two adult beamons, which would have kept other wild beasts from daring to approach."

"I already said, I don't mind. You don't need to explain yourself. Your decision was the right one." Asa smiled at the furless orc. "What surprises me is your ability to deduce that the two beamons had just given birth, and to find their nest before the winds picked up—quite impressive."

"It wasn't much," Luken replied, taking a deep breath that bared his fangs. "After all, it was odd for two beamons to appear at the same time. Many solitary creatures only stay together during mating or childbirth. And the sudden appearance of the second beamon naturally indicated the nest wasn't far away."

He paused before continuing, "The moment I saw creatures like beamons, I thought: if they could be tamed like wiverns, the benefit to Orford would be unimaginable."

"You're always thinking from Orford's perspective," Asa said with a nod. "It seems Theodorus didn't misjudge you."

Theodorus had specifically mentioned this orc when entrusting the team to Asa. Though the mention was brief, anyone worth Theodorus's acknowledgment was praised not for brute strength or courage, but for wisdom and judgment.

"That's because it's our city," Luken said quietly, with a slightly bitter smile. "Because of the two little beamons, we had no choice but to abandon Krolin back there as well."

"And what about him…" Asa finally remembered the other injured ogre who had been unconscious like him.

"We couldn't even find his remains," Luken said, his wolfish face and voice laced with a peculiar sadness. "He was too heavy. We couldn't move him to the beamon nest before the winds came. We could only hide him in a crevice near the cliff and hope for the best. But when Alkin and his group returned, there was nothing to be found."

Asa fell silent. They had worked so hard to bring him to the valley's mouth, but they couldn't truly bring him out. After a moment of hesitation, Asa asked, "Abandoning him for the two young beamons—did Veer have no objection to that?"

Krolin and Veer were the closest of the four ogres who had entered the Saundfest Mountains, and they had fought side by side until the end. The bonds between orcs of the same kind were usually far stronger than those of humans.

"No," Luken replied. "The situation left no choice. Veer understood that Krolin's value to Orford could never compare to that of the two beamons."

Asa sighed. Only now did he truly grasp the meaning behind Luken's earlier words: our city. He asked, "You said earlier that they didn't agree to leave me behind. Did they really think I was more valuable than a beamon?"

"You're a friend of Lord Theodorus. Since he entrusted you to lead us, they could never let you die," Luken said matter-of-factly, then flashed an odd smile. "Though, if you ask me, weighing the pros and cons, I still think you're less important than a beamon."

Because of Asa's significant identity, Theodorus hadn't told the orcs exactly who he was. Instead, he had simply referred to Asa as a friend, which was explanation enough for them.

Asa sighed again, unsure whether he should feel grateful or deeply moved by the orcs' loyalty.

Luken's wolfish eyes shone with an intelligence more commonly seen in humans. After a moment of hesitation, he softly asked Asa, "May I ask you a question?"

Asa nodded. "Go ahead."

Luken studied Asa's plain, unremarkable face, the kind that would disappear into any crowd, before slowly asking, "Why do you always wear a mask?"

Asa blinked his equally plain-looking eyes, locking away the sharp flashes of light within them. With a kind and gentle smile, he responded, "And how do you know I'm wearing a mask?"

Though Asa couldn't see it himself, he was certain that his expression was flawless—devoid of any hostility or unease that the orc might detect. The mask he wore was a magical creation handcrafted by Sandru. Its craftsmanship was so extraordinary that it required the wearer to possess necromancy skills to use it flexibly, a testament to its intricate design.

Thanks to Sandru's deep understanding of the human body, the mask could replicate even the subtlest muscle movements to produce lifelike expressions. Made from necromantically treated human skin and muscles, it wasn't only breathable but could even sweat, blending seamlessly with the surrounding skin tone. Asa had once seen Sandru wear such a mask, and he had been utterly unable to detect anything amiss.

This question struck a nerve, touching upon Asa's most sensitive secret. He instinctively grew wary, but fortunately, the heavy footsteps of the kodo beast and Luken's low voice ensured that Alkin and the other orcs jogging nearby didn't turn their heads. It seemed they couldn't overhear the conversation.

Luken explained, "Because the scent on your face is always slightly weaker than the rest of your body, like someone covering their face with cloth. Also, when you were unconscious and weak, I detected a faint magical aura on your face, one that didn't align with your body. So I assume you're wearing a strangely crafted magical mask."

Asa didn't respond immediately. Instead, he studied Luken for a while before suddenly asking, "I remember you used the magic scroll I dropped."

"Yes," Luken confirmed with a nod.

"Not everyone can use a magic scroll. Whether it's a mage or even a low-level apprentice, one must at least have some understanding of magical techniques," Asa said, his eyes fixed on the orc's face. "I never expected an orc to be able to use a magic scroll."

Luken remained silent.

"And the scroll for Fireball Explosion is one of the most dangerous among magic scrolls. I've heard of cases where it incinerated the mage using it, cooking them alive. Yet after you used it, all it did was burn off your fur. That's not something that can be chalked up to luck. High-quality scrolls like these are never sloppily made, so it's unlikely to have been a faulty or weak product."

Luken nodded again, still silent.

"The most critical point," Asa continued, "is that I've never heard of an orc capable of detecting magical auras by scent. Theodorus must not know this about you either, or he would have mentioned it to me—saying that there's an orc in the group with a notable understanding of magic."

Asa's gaze now betrayed his rising wariness. He had assumed that the group consisted of orcs who were entirely ignorant of magic, which was why he had dared to use necromancy so freely in the Saundfest Mountains. While his wanted poster hadn't yet circulated in Orford, a city relatively isolated from broader affairs, this orc might recognize his magic for what it was. Once Luken learned of the bounty later, it wouldn't take much to connect the dots and identify Asa's true identity.

A figure with an unusual background, who clearly knew too much—killing Luken here was a viable option. Asa subtly gathered his magical energy, his hand inching toward his back. Even if it wasn't feasible to strike now, they still had over half a month left on the journey to Orford—ample time.

After a long silence, Luken pursed his lips, a gesture that made his face resemble a dog scolded and struck by a stick. He nodded and admitted, "Yes. I do understand some magic, though I haven't told anyone about it. That's because I'm different from my kin. I… was raised by a human alchemist."

Asa's eyes lit up with understanding, and he nodded. "That explains why you're so fluent in speech."

Luken's voice carried a strange mix of bitterness and nostalgia as he began his story. "When I was very young, my tribe was annihilated by the Alrasian army. During the chaos, I was knocked unconscious, and when I woke up, I found myself with an old alchemist. According to him, he had purchased me at a high price from the army because he needed the brain and heart of a young orc for an alchemical experiment. However, he never managed to gather the other necessary materials, so I ended up surviving.

"At first, he kept me like a guard dog. But one day, he discovered I had learned to speak his language. He was so surprised that he decided to train me as half an apprentice, half an assistant. Having an orc as an assistant was unique across the entire continent. My master lived in seclusion in a forest, focused on his alchemy, and rarely interacted with others. Because he often spoke to me, I gradually picked up knowledge, including a bit of magic. Living surrounded by magical artifacts, I developed a keen sense for them—that's how I noticed the mask on your face."

Asa nodded slightly. Sandru likely hadn't considered the possibility of fooling an orc's nose when crafting the mask. "How did you end up in Orford later on?"

"About two years ago, someone reported my master to the church for practicing dark magic. The church and the army came for him. The moment they saw me, they immediately declared me—the evil orc—proof of his witchcraft. My master was killed on the spot. In the chaos, I used a low-quality teleportation scroll he had acquired somewhere. I was lucky—I didn't get teleported into solid rock but instead appeared a kilometer above a forest on the Alrasia border. The fall broke one of my legs.

"I tried to cautiously approach humans after that, but no matter how careful or sincere I was, the outcome was always the same: military pursuit. That's when I realized there was no place for me in human society, only death. So, I fled desperately toward the savage highlands, only to find Alrasian forces hunting orcs there as well. I don't even know how long I wandered in that desperate state. Just when I thought I was losing my mind, I finally met others like me—orc survivors who had been taken in by Lord Theodorus."

Luken let out a long sigh. Even through his peculiar tone, the deep emotion in his voice was unmistakable. "I never thought I'd see another of my kind in this lifetime. I almost broke down when it happened."

"From then on, I followed Lord Theodorus and helped him build Orford. He is truly an incredible leader. To take orcs—who were hunted and scattered like stray dogs—and allow us to stand on our own, to have our own home, our own nation… You, as a human, can't possibly understand what that feels like. Orford isn't just a country or a homeland for us." Luken's voice trembled slightly, yet it was filled with resolve and passion. "It's everything."

He smiled bitterly. "I never told my kind or Lord Theodorus about my past or my magic abilities. I just said my tribe had been destroyed. I didn't want them to see me as an outsider." He paused and chuckled dryly. "But I guess keeping it hidden isn't an option anymore."

"It doesn't seem like it'll be a big issue," Asa murmured, studying Luken thoughtfully.