There Is No World For ■■
Chapter 134: There Is No Disaster For The Protagonist (4)

* * *

Silence filled the chieftain’s tent.

The joy from the recent meal seemed to have vanished like an illusion as all the orcs gathered in the tent wore stern expressions and remained silent.

As the sweet scent of spam lingering in the air faded away, Boldugu, who was fiddling with his tusks, finally spoke up.

“…How are the guests?”

“I have escorted them to their tent.”

“Since one of them is pregnant, take special care. Make sure they have enough fuel, too.”

The fuel he was referring to here was dried animal dung, an important resource in the desert where firewood was scarce. However, the clan didn’t have much left at the moment.

It was barely enough for even the clan members to use.

Perhaps because of this, one of the orcs seated nearby suddenly raised his head and spoke to Boldugu.

“Um… Chieftain, is it really necessary to give them fuel? We don’t even have enough for ourselves… Maybe it would be better to just throw them in a cell…”

However, he couldn’t say anything more as Boldugu glared at him fiercely.

“Since when did it become a tradition of our clan to imprison guests?”

“…”

“Don’t forget. The moment we lose our traditions, we become no different from the beasts of the jungle.”

The moment his words ended, an orc went outside to relay the chieftain’s command.

And just as silence was about to settle again, an orc with a broken right tusk suddenly raised his head.

“Why are you all so hesitant? Let’s just capture them and sell them off!”

“…Gadudu, shut that trap of yours.”

“Chieftain, do you still not get it? This is a golden opportunity the heavens have given to us!”

“Opportunity?”

Regardless of the chieftain’s frown, Gadudu did not try to hide his youthful hot-bloodedness.

“Those Earthians will fetch us an enormous price if we sell them in the city! Not only would it cover the quota demanded by the Wraith, but we should also be able to buy enough spam to last the whole summer and return home!”

“…”

“Honestly, isn’t this concern just a waste of time? What’s so sacred about our so-called tradition? The clan has to survive first before there can be any tradition…!”

“Enough!”

Boldugu yelled, slamming the ground. But far from backing down, Gadudu raised his chin defiantly.

None of the orcs present reprimanded his insolence. In fact, a few of them nodded subtly, seemingly in agreement with him.

Observing this, Boldugu frowned and asked.

“Do you all feel like Gadudu? Do you truly believe that disregarding tradition and selling our guests like savages is the right choice for our clan?”

Sensing the timing was right, some of the orcs who had remained silent all this time spoke up.

“Chieftain, please think about it realistically. If we stick to the original plan of capturing Beastfolk, it’ll take us at least a month. And many of us will probably die.”

“To be fair, slave hunting isn’t one of our traditions either, is it? Until the Wraith retreat, perhaps it’s wiser to prioritize our lives over tradition…”

“Besides, aren’t they vile Earthians? The gods won’t blame us.”

Those presenting opinions were mostly younger orcs, their words and eyes filled with a strong desire to return home as soon as possible.

Boldugu took a deep breath and surveyed the tent.

“…Any other opinions? Does anyone have a different view?”

While the few older orcs wore uncomfortable expressions, even they did not openly oppose the idea.

And the chieftain wasn’t truly expecting an answer either because he himself was wavering.

It was just something he said, just in case…

Unexpectedly, an orc with a prominent scar running across his face raised his hand.

“Balagu? Do you have something to say?”

The orc, called Balagu, looked at the other orcs in the tent before speaking carefully.

“Chieftain and my respected brothers, may I bring a minor issue to your notice?”

“A minor issue?”

“Everyone’s speaking as though we’ve already captured the guests… but is that really the case?”

“…What do you mean?”

“Some of you may have already noticed, but the guests were armed when they arrived. Not with guns, but with a sword and hammer.”

“…A sword and hammer? Those Earthians?”

“Yes, and even to my untrained eye, they seemed to be incredibly high-quality.”

Intrigued by his words, some of the orcs’ gazes shifted.

They hadn’t given it much thought before, but it was indeed strange.

Of all times and circumstances, such Earthians had appeared as the clan’s guests…

“So what are you getting at!”

Just as everyone’s thoughts grew deeper, Gadudu jumped up from his seat and shouted.

“Are you saying we should bow down to a mere pregnant woman and a puny Earthian?”

“I’m simply suggesting that we should heed caution. The two guests might be Superhumans.”

“Be cautious? Balagu, watch your mouth. One more word, and I’ll consider it an insult to the clan’s warriors!”

“…”

Balagu fell silent at the unfair rebuke, and even Boldugu shook his head in frustration.

Undeterred, Gadudu looked at the orcs with pride and declared.

“Brothers, and Chieftain! Let’s just drop this pointless discussion and instead talk about what we’ll buy once we sell those Earthians!”

“What in the world…!”

“In fact, I already ordered the one who left to keep the guests – no, the goods – under watch.”

As soon as Gadudu finished speaking, Boldugu leaped to his feet and roared.

“Gadudu! Have you finally lost your mind?”

Gadudu’s actions had technically disregarded the chieftain’s authority, which came as a shock to the other orcs as well.

“Chieftain, please come to your senses! I wouldn’t have done this if it wasn’t necessary!”

“You fool! How could you start trouble without confirming whether the visitors are ordinary guests, nobles, or pestilences¹?

“Even if they’re nobles, we can still sell them as slaves! And if they’re pestilences, we can just kill them—!”

At that moment…

Thump!

An impact of unknown origin shook the ground.

* * *

All the orcs turned their heads towards the entrance of the tent.

“What was that sound?”

And just as Boldugu wondered aloud, the sound resounded again — thump!

Could this be what the footsteps of a giant from mythology sounded like?

This time, the ground beneath the tent’s carpet shook, causing the orcs to stagger, losing their balance.

“Wh-what in the world is that? An earthquake?”

“How can there be an earthquake in the Demon Domain?! Don’t be foolish! Get outside and investi—”

Just as Boldugu was bellowing his orders, a scream from outside the tent interrupted him.

- *Aaargh!!*

- Call… for… cough!

- Fight ba—!

They were unmistakable orc screams.

With each tremor, the cries grew louder, only to be cut off by the sound of the tent collapsing.

Everything took place in an instant.

“Everyone, get out now! Find out what’s happening!”

As the orcs scrambled to their feet to investigate the situation outside, someone burst through the entrance.

More accurately, the door shattered as someone threw an orc straight through it.

With a loud crash, the door was destroyed, and the orc rolled across the tent’s floor.

Boldugu rushed over to see who it was— it was the same orc he had sent to escort the guests earlier.

“Could it be…?”

Equally bewildered, the orcs looked outside as a figure emerged through the desert dust— a girl with black hair.

“The meal wasn’t bad, but your hospitality leaves much to be desired.”

Wielding a massive hammer that was nearly as big as a dwarf, she said that while piercing blue eyes scanned the orcs.

“…Is it because you’re slave traders?”

Only one orc here was able to sense mana, but the others instinctively gripped their weapons.

Because they could all feel it — this girl was no ordinary person; she was a Superhuman.

Even with all the deadly glares fixed on her, the girl smirked.

“Ah, right. He did say you guys don’t speak to a taken woman.”

“…”

“But honestly, you all should be grateful that it’s just me here. If it were Yeomyeong… no, if my husband had come instead, he’d probably just kill you all. No question asked. So, that’s why I decided to come in his place.”

Her tone was plain, devoid of any mockery, yet Gadudu could no longer contain his rage.

“You ungrateful Earthian!!!”

Drawing a dagger from his belt, he charged at the girl.

There was nothing skillful or tactical about his attack. He simply threw himself forward, roaring as he dived at her with brute force.

Such a reckless rush might have been deadly if she had been an ordinary girl as the orc’s sturdy body was a weapon in and of itself.

But the girl was a Superhuman who could wield mana, and her foot moved even faster than Gadudu’s dagger.

Crack!

A flawless spinning kick connected with Gadudu’s jaw.

Following a near-perfect execution of the Flying Kick technique, Gadudu’s body was lifted off the ground, soaring through the air before crashing into a tent pole with a resounding crack.

Gadudu couldn’t get up. Judging by the small convulsions, it didn’t seem like he was dead, but anyone could tell that he wouldn’t be getting up anytime soon.

“So, does anyone else want to take me on?”

A heavy silence descended over the tent once again.

One of the clan’s top warriors had been taken out not by a weapon, but a single kick.

It was an unreal sight. Not some Imperial Knight or a Count Palatine from the slum city— but a young girl had done this. How did this happen?

Yet, no matter how unbelievable it may seem, reality was reality.

The orcs of the clan steeled themselves, gathering around Boldugu looking determined.

The girl also raised her hammer, ready for a deadly clash amidst this tense moment.

However, just then, Balagu, who had remained silent all this time, stepped forward.

“Honored guest, I offer my sincere apologies on behalf of my clan.”

The girl, however, didn’t lower her hammer, even as she watched him bow deeply.

“Apologies? For what? For serving me and my husband wine laced with a sedative? For chaining us up to sell us as slaves? Or for throwing us in a mobile prison? What are you apologizing for?”

“…”

“Well… if you give me what I want, I might just let it slide.”

Balagu glanced briefly at Boldugu and the others.

The chieftain’s silent gaze was asking him to resolve this in any way possible, and Balagu nodded in understanding.

“Then please tell us what you desire. If we can earn your forgiveness for our offense, we’ll give you whatever you wish.”

“Really? Then…”

Perhaps moved by his sincerity, the girl’s expression softened a little.

After thinking for a moment, she tightened her grip on her hammer and made her demand.

“Hand over everything you’ve got.”

Footnotes

1. 1. A type of ghost believed to spread epidemics in folklore.

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