Chapter 85 – Alive (3)

“What is this, a buffet?”

An orc warrior in steel armor strode forward, causing the dark elves to hurriedly retreat back.

“How fun.”

There were more than 10 orcs, all of which had blood dripping down their sides. It was from the people they had just killed.

“Hiik..!”

Every time they took a step forward, a path opened, like Moses’ miracle of splitting the Red Sea. The orcs stared at the dark elves.

“Isn’t this easy?”

“It seems like everyone is gathered here for us to eat.”

“Somehow, not one of them are looking at us. Kukuk…”

An orc warrior chewed on a piece of bread that was on the table. Then he frowned and spat it out. He wiped his mouth and raised a hand to the shoulder of a dark elf near him.

“Hey.”

“…Yes?”

“Is this tasty?”

“Huh?”

“Will it be tasty if I eat it?”

“That…”

The orc laughed as the dark elf hesitated. Then he grabbed the hair and slammed the dark elf onto the ground.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

“D-Delicious. Delicious,” replied the terrified dark elf.

The other orcs laughed at his appearance. It was a humiliating spectacle.

“Haha, indeed. This is why big ears are my favorite.” The orc kicked the piece of bread he spat out towards the dark elf. “Then eat it.”

“……!”

“Big Ears, you said it was delicious, so you should eat it.”

The dark elf looked at the orc with trembling eyes. The wicked axe came into view. The blood and flesh on it made it obvious that someone had just been slaughtered. The axe was pushed closer to his face. He smelled blood.

“That…”

The moment the dark elf hesitated, the axe struck downwards. The dark elf’s head was destroyed. The skull was split open and bits of the brain were revealed inside. The dark elves gulped at the horrific cruelty. However, the orcs just laughed like this was a game.

“Hahaha, your personality is so urgent!”

“You should at least listen to these guys.”

“That’s right.”

The leader of the orcs walked towards the podium in the hall. “Isn’t there a lot of time left?”

The militia member, who had been explaining how to prepare for battle, was shaking on the stage. The orc grabbed the militia member’s ear and pulled.

“Aaack!”

“If you see that I’m coming, you should leave, you fool.”

He threw the militia member downwards. The ear was torn and blood flowed out. The ear was still held in the orc’s hands.

“Eh? Why didn’t you go as well?” asked the orc as he played with the torn piece of ear.

The laughter of the orcs grew louder. The leader also laughed and threw the ear towards the crowd of dark elves. The dark elves shrieked as blood splashed on them.

The orc stood on the podium.

“This is nice and easy. I am the warrior Karmat and I fight under the banner of the great chieftain. We originally intended to collect all of you as hostages… You knew this beforehand and gathered here. How wonderful. I express my sincere gratitude. Kuhahahat!”

The orcs laughed again. None of the dark elves laughed.

Karmat continued speaking, “I don’t know the situation and you are supposed to wait with us until the signal comes but… In the meantime, we’ll be bored. We can’t kill the precious hostages.”

Karmat touched his chin and looked around at the dark elves. “So I thought of a fun game. How about it, do you want to play?”

“Kulkulkul! Let’s do it!”

“How fun!” replied the orcs.

Karmat grinned and nodded. The scene of a group of people enjoying themselves while the other group were terrified was absurd.

“All in favor! I’ll do it! I’m going to!”

“Yes!”

“……”

“Okay. Let’s start. Um.. first… how about the popular vote? The popular vote.”

Karmat descended from the podium. He gazed at the cowering dark elves in front of him. They all avoided eye contact. “One person. Vote for one person to be killed.”

“……!”

“Isn’t it good? There must be one person that you don’t like. If you decide on one person, we will resolve it. Then you can rest for the remaining time without worrying. Isn’t this too kind?”

Karmat sniggered. He was enjoying this wicked behavior. He liked having the upper hand and being able to tease them psychologically.

The dark elves were all silent. Karmat knew this would be the case when he decided on the game. So he immediately wielded his axe.

“Kyaaaaak!”

“Kuheook!”

It was a random blow towards the crowd of dark elves. One of the dark elves standing in front was cut in half and die, while another standing next to him had the abdomen cut and his guts spilled out. Another person had a shallow wound.

Karmat smiled and declared, “10 seconds.”

He began stamping his foot.

Kung. Kung. Kung.

As the tenth stomp approached, the dark elves started to panic. Karmat smiled and stomped his foot again. Then he tightened his grip on his axe. The dark elves were shaken. He scanned the faces with his eyes. In the middle of the crowd, one male glared. Karmat laughed and gradually moved his feet.

Then just as he did the eighth stomp,

“Him!”

Someone shouted. Karmat looked in the direction of the loud voice. It was a young male dark elf. Then Karmat followed the direction of the finger.

A dark elf stood with an expression of despair.

“Anor, that brat.”

***

Anor’s eyes widened. He couldn’t believe this.

Nakai’s finger was pointing towards him. Then his name was called. Anor spread open his arms and looked around.

“What…”

But none of the dark elves looked at him. They turned their heads away from Anor with a relieved expression. His blood chilled.

The cursed orc was approaching him. “This is a majority vote. Now, if anyone opposes the murder of this Anor, raise your hand.”

They didn’t move. Karmat’s shoulders shook like he was having fun.

“What? No one is opposing? Anor, how did you manage to live this far? Eh? Your heart must hurt. Are you being bullied? Kulkulkulkul!”

The smell of the orc next to him entered his nose. He laughed as he pushed his face against Anor’s. It was the face of an orc, but unlike Crockta, this face was too ugly.

“Is there really nobody who objects? Do you want to save this friend and vote again?”

The dark elves were silent. Karmat let out a large burst of laughter, “This is funny! Yes, Anor! You should’ve lived a better life!”

Karmat placed an arm around Anor’s shoulder. Then he dragged Anor towards the podium. Anor was led like a cow towards the slaughter. He would die. Anor looked at Nakai. Their eyes met. Nakai avoided his gaze. Anor couldn’t help smiling bitterly.

“You should’ve lived better~,” Karmat sang.

Anor’s head became complicated. He lived well enough. No, he lived the best in this place. This bastard orc.

Karmat pulled Anor in front of the podium. Anor felt lightheaded. He looked at Karmat. He waited for the axe to swing but it wasn’t the end. Karmat walked through the dark elves again.

“……!”

He came back with Nakai, who screamed, but became quiet after being kicked.

“The rules have changed.” The dark elves froze while the orcs cheered. “This guy, he sells someone out from his own village. Right Anor? Right?”

Karmat said with a sweet smile, “So I have decided to mediate between the two of you in the manner of the orcs.”

He handed a dagger to Anor and Nakai. It seemed like something he was carrying around as secondary weapons.

“Fight.” He was proposing a game with their lives on the line. “I’ll give you 20 seconds. If you don’t settle this by then, both of you will die.”

Then he stepped back. Anor looked at Nakai. He was holding a dagger but he didn’t know what to do. Everyone’s gaze was turned towards them.

Kung!

Karmat stomped his feet.

Kung!

The meaning was obvious. Once that sound was heard 20 times, their necks would be cut. How did he want to meet his end? Anor thought it would be better to stand still and die than be played by them.

However, that was just his thoughts.

Nakai charged. The dagger was swung randomly. Nakai also hadn’t learned how to fight properly. The orcs laughed at his moves. But Anor couldn’t laugh when faced with the dagger. The blade swung at him.

“S-Stop!”

Anor cried out as he retreated. Something was felt behind him.

“……!”

He looked back and saw that retreating was blocked by an orc warrior. His expression was like a guard dog. He gestured towards the front.

Anor breathed out as he gazed at Nakai again. For some reason, his forearm was sore. He looked down and saw that it was bleeding.

“Die, hybrid bastard!” Nakai screamed and rushed forward again.

That expression. Something seemed to snap in Anor.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Anor struck out with his dagger. It was a short encounter. Both of them wielded their daggers but they didn’t enter within range of each other. It was because both feared the blade. A knife was a formidable weapon.

Karmat didn’t like this and the stomping of his feet accelerated.

“10 seconds left!”

It seemed like they had fought for a very long time, but it was only 10 seconds. Nakai urgently ran forward. Anor closed his eyes and waved his dagger.

“Ack!”

Jeurereuk.

One person hesitated. It was Anor.

Anor looked down at his arm. Blood poured out. Nakai had cleverly aimed for his arm. As Anor closed his eyes, Nakai had ducked behind him and sliced his arm. Anor couldn’t withstand the pain and dropped the dagger.

Now he was defenseless. The victor was decided.

Nakai headed towards him.

“Hey, Elf. I’ll teach you.” Karmat stood next to Nakai. “Aim for the neck. With a knife, you can kill the enemy just be lightly slashing it. Now, calmly.”

He laughed like he was having a lot of fun as he advised Nakai. Nakai’s trembling hand moved towards Anor’s neck.

Death was near. Anor was keenly aware of it.

“Shit…”

Anor swore for the very first time. Nakai flinched at the wild eyes but he kept staring down at Anor’s neck. The blade approached.

“This dog bastard…”

It wasn’t a big curse word. Nakai called a bastard a dog bastard. A dog bastard who rolled over like a dog.

The moment that Nakai’s blade was about to touch Anor’s neck,

“I am a dog bastard.” Anor stood up and stabbed Nakai’s neck.

Nakai’s eyes widened as he stuttered with a disbelieving expression.

“K-Keok…”

Blood flowed out from where the dagger was stuck in the neck. Anor pulled out the dagger and blood poured out. The dagger in Anor’s hand was the one he had brought from home. He had lost the one given by the orc, but this one still remained. He had killed Nakai with that dagger.

It was his victory. Anor muttered, “Dog bastard…”

The orcs cheered at the unexpected ending. Karmat started clapping.

“Hahahahat! Wow Anor, you dog bastard! You aren’t like a dark elf. Carrying your own knife, what a great person! Kuhahahat! You reversed the situation? Puhahahat!”

He laughed like he was excited by the death. Then he placed an arm around Anor’s shoulder.

“Anor, I like you! I like you! Puhahat…!”

But his laughter didn’t last. He pushed Anor away, who fell down with a loud noise. Karmat’s face distorted like he was a demon.

“This bastard…”

Blood was flowing from his chest. Anor had tried to stab Karmat. Anor got up. He was holding only one dagger. The tip was aimed at the smiling orcs on the edge.

“What, this dog bastard.” Karmat no longer laughed. “You mistook foolishness for bravery.”

He raised his axe. “I will just kill you.”

The enraged orc approached Anor. Anor trembled but he was smiling. He was going to die anyway. He had lived like a fool in the meantime. So finally, he decided not to roll over like a dog.

Karmat raised his axe. The blood on the axe still wasn’t dry. Anor realized that death was close. At that moment,

“Kiaaaaaaah!”

There was a roar from the entrance of the hall. Everyone looked over there. Anor couldn’t believe his eyes.

There. It was Third Dragon.

“Third Dragon?”

He must’ve felt that the situation in Nuridot was unusual and came to find Anor. Third Dragon growled as he discovered the orcs in the hall. Flames blew from his snout.

“Third Dragon! No! Run away!”

The orc warriors were familiar with combat and rushed towards the intruder without hesitation. Axes were swung towards Third Dragon. Third Dragon emitted flames.

“Kuaaaaahhhhh!”

“Oooh!”

The orc warriors survived the flames. A translucent shield was wrapped around their bodies. Karmat laughed.

“How did we come here secretly? Kukukuk.”

An unknown light was coming from Karmat’s hands. A shaman. He was a warrior, but also a shaman. They had been able to sneak into the town thanks to his magic.

Anor screamed as he watched the orcs attack Third Dragon. “Nooooooo!”

However, the law of cause and effect in this world acted in a relentless manner. The orc warriors ruthlessly swung their axes towards Third Dragon. They struck Third Dragon’s body. There was nothing special. Blood splattered from Third Dragon every time the orc warriors wielded their axes. As the assault from the axes continued, Third Dragon died.

That was it.

“Is that a friend of yours? Huh?” Karmat laughed.

Anor looked at him. Of course, Karmat looked disgusting. Anor raised his dagger instead of answering. Nakai’s blood was still dripping from it.

“Hey, are you trying to fight us with that? Puhahat.” Karmat laughed. The orc warriors watched Anor like they were excited. They expected an enjoyable game to unfold.

‘You should be a good elf.’

He remember his mother’s voice.

‘You should be a good elf.’

She always looked sad.

‘I hope you do, but the dark elves’ society probably won’t let you.’

He remembered the words he hadn’t wanted to remember for a long time.

‘If you are in a situation where you can’t live as a good elf anymore, have a strong heart and give up being an elf.’

‘I don’t think I can live as a good elf anymore. Mother. I’m sorry.’

Anor picked up the dagger. Then he put the blade to the long ears that were the symbol of an elf.

‘Cut off your ears and make yourself a bad human.’

Seokeok.

His ears easily fell off. As his ears fell, the forbidden lineage in his blood stretched out, as if it had been waiting for a long time.