For a moment, the script shifted dramatically with the orcs’ sudden change in attitude towards Grom and Gu Erdan, making me realize the urgency of the situation. As Grom’s older brother, Gu Erdan was indeed much smarter than the impulsive Grom, but he still didn’t fully grasp the current predicament.
Expressing my stance too hastily would not only be ineffective with these excited orcs, but it could also entangle my own position! Especially in this meeting, where a “great shaman” we had previously offended was in charge!
“Gu Erdan, from the very beginning, you two brothers have been opposed. Is it because you listened to the words of the outsiders?”
The orc hierarchy was already clearly defined, and naturally, this led to a strong sense of exclusion. The great shaman’s deliberate suspicion put Gu Erdan in a passive position!
“That’s not true! We were originally against reckless conflict! As for them, they were the ones who warned us when they came to the tribe…”
In such a troublesome situation, a lengthy explanation would be hard for the already irritable orcs to tolerate!
“Enough! Gu Erdan! Who wants to listen to your womanly prattle!”
I saw the bull-headed warrior named Kael Bloodhoof stomp his hoof on the ground and stand up, his massive frame nearly blocking out half of the open tent above.
“Last time it was your loose lips, and this time it’s still your loose lips! These two humans are behind it all! I see you are clearly being incited by the outsiders, losing the dignity of a highborn orc, and becoming someone else’s lapdog!”
Orcs cherished the “glory and dignity of being highborn orcs” as their creed, and I knew this well. When this was called into question, I doubted any orc could endure it.
Even Gu Erdan was momentarily blinded by anger, and as for the other red-skinned brute, I didn’t even need to think about his reaction.
This time, Gu Erdan was a beat slow in stopping Grom’s actions. How could the hot-headed Grom tolerate such provocation? He immediately stood up and growled fiercely at the bull-headed warrior.
“How dare you question our honor as orcs, Kael Bloodhoof! Bet on the dignity of a highborn orc warrior, do you believe I can break each of your hooves one by one!?”
“If you can, then come and try!” The bull-headed warrior was also a hothead, “I’ll pull your fangs out and feed them to wild dogs!”
The atmosphere was tense, swords drawn and ready. Although this conflict among the orcs wouldn’t lead to my death script, I was acutely aware of the consequences if Grom and that bull-headed warrior really came to blows.
I couldn’t let Grom and Gu Erdan’s positions worsen; otherwise, my and Ke Fei Er’s objectives would go up in smoke. While I could imagine the dangerous scripts I would face directly confronting these irritable orcs, right now… it was up to me to resolve this!
“Grom, don’t fight him!”
I immediately spoke up, “Fighting is what the guilty do! But are we in the wrong now? The one in the wrong is that bull, because he can’t find a reason to refute us, so he can only provoke and resolve it with his fists! He’ll drag your IQ down with him and then defeat you with his vast experience!”
Though Grom’s tendency to fight at the slightest disagreement wasn’t exactly wise…
Grom slapped his forehead, suddenly enlightened, and huffed, stopping his advance. As for the bull-headed warrior, he huffed and puffed, glaring at me in fury. At this point, I had nothing to hold back; I had to tell these orcs the truth, especially to silence that great shaman.
“Great shaman of the orcs, have you ever considered that if what was being incited was truly an ‘orc warrior,’ would he be allowed to enter the elves’ territory when he escaped from here? The orcs who chased after him were shot back by the elves; why would he be allowed in?”
The great shaman was eager to retort, pulling off his hat and shouting with a flushed face, “Because he’s a spy!”
“Just because he’s a spy means he would be stopped! A spy should be someone no one recognizes; if even the elven soldiers guarding the border know him, then what the hell is he doing as a spy!”
My words left the orcs before me momentarily speechless, but even after saying all this, I couldn’t feel pleased. More importantly, there was no time for that.
“And there are more doubts about this matter. How could Grom, with his stamina, possibly outrun an orc? So, the figure you described as some subhuman or even a beast, fleeing in a panic towards the elves, is more plausible! Because he is not a true or
—
Intellectually beaten by me—no, perhaps it should be said that his inner ambitions were thwarted by me—this great wizard could no longer sit still. Although he was quite a thoughtful and scheming orc, once provoked, his reactions were as simple, straightforward, and troublesome as I had expected.
“Human, don’t think that just because you babble nonsense in the presence of the esteemed orc warriors, you can act recklessly. This is the Austro-Hungarian tribe; you bring your human rhetoric here… are you looking for trouble?”
“Wanting to take matters into your own hands and provoke the elves right now is what I’d call looking for trouble.” I pointed to the massive shadow beside me that represented the great chieftain, “Your tribe’s great chieftain hasn’t even spoken yet, has he?”
“You! When the great chieftain is absent, it is I, the great wizard, who…”
“I’m not in a hurry to make you do anything; it’s you, great wizard, who seems quite anxious.”
At this point, I had no intention of leaving him any leeway. I decisively thwarted his thoughts to bring this matter to a close!
“Are you eager to clash with the elves because you have your own agenda?”
“Cunning, deceitful human!”
The furious great wizard lunged at me, and the script had already informed me of his current thought: “desperate to silence me after being exposed.”
From the very beginning, when I prepared to explain on behalf of the two orc brothers, I had anticipated this outcome. As for the conflict now? Hmph!
Give them ten times the courage, and they still couldn’t harm me in the slightest!
In the next moment, Kephiel beside me kicked the table in front of us, which crashed with a bang into the face of the great wizard who was charging at me with claws bared! This orc couldn’t possibly think that Kephiel and I had no coordination and dared to expose lies here, could he?
—