Who is the strongest warrior in the orc tribe?
Leadership and combat ability are separate matters, so naturally, it would be the Warrior Chief.
Wrong.
The strongest warrior in the orc tribe is the Tribe Chief.
The Warrior Chief is merely the most likely successor to the Tribe Chief’s position.
The title of “greatest orc warrior” refers to the Tribe Chief.
The orcs, a race universally recognized as a warrior people, equated fighting power with leadership!
That’s why Rena sitting on the throne of bones was so exceptional.
Traditionally, the throne of bones was crafted from the bones of all the adversaries the current Tribe Chief had defeated.
It was not just a seat, but a true throne.
It had great symbolic meaning both to the Tribe Chief personally and to the entire tribe.
Seeing Rena sitting on that special throne, flaunting her presence, left the Warrior Chief breathless.
Whether she did it knowingly or not, this act went beyond mere provocation.
It was a direct challenge to bring things to a decisive end.
Naturally, the Tribe Chief could not overlook this.
It would be nonsensical if the greatest orc warrior were to laugh off such a provocation.
Even if they had invited Rena to assist them, failing to retaliate against such an affront would call into question the Tribe Chief’s qualifications.
The veins on the clenched fists of the Tribe Chief stood out prominently.
The size of the fist was absurdly large, almost as big as Rena’s upper body.
A fragile human like her would surely be split in two with a single punch.
Common sense dictated that someone as diminutive as Rena could never match the Tribe Chief.
The Warrior Chief attempted to intervene and prevent the fight.
It was an insolent move.
…
Time seemed to have stopped.
Amid the eerie silence, the only sound was the pounding of heartbeats ringing in their ears.
No one could move a finger.
Her eyes, strange vertical-slit pupils resembling reptiles’, caught the Warrior Chief’s gaze momentarily, causing a ripple through his mind.
It felt as if countless black insects were crawling from his feet, covering his entire body.
They burrowed into every pore and cavity, painting his insides black.
It was an unstoppable torrent of emotion.
Fear, as if time itself wavered and breathing ceased.
“Exposed to Dragon Fear!”
“Abnormal status effects triggered: Confusion, Fear, Anxiety, Helplessness…”
That was no mere monster.
It was a harbinger of death descending upon the Great Forest, a force of nature.
I’m nothing more than a speck of dust compared to her.
Vivid images of a gruesome future flashed through his mind like a panoramic view.
Being crushed and torn apart, blood soaking her sharp teeth, screams echoing in her throat unable to escape…
“You guys, what are you doing?”
Rena’s voice of exasperation snapped the Warrior Chief back from the abyss.
His vision blurred as if emerging from deep water.
Only after several blinks did his focus return.
Breathing… only after consciously recalling it was his breath continued.
“Aren’t you going to fight me? Come on, give it a try.”
Rena extended her fist while making a whistling sound.
The Warrior Chief could not respond to her mocking provocation.
A broken body can be healed, but a broken spirit is incurable.
The image of dragon-like wings overlaying her frail body was permanently imprinted in his mind.
Is this what the presence of a true monster feels like?
He glanced sideways at the Tribe Chief, wondering if he was faring any better.
As expected…
The Tribe Chief was trembling violently.
What started as anger over the stolen throne had turned into sheer terror faced with calamity.
His fists remained clenched not from strength, but from his muscles having frozen.
The Warrior Chief did not look down on him.
Even the fact that the Tribe Chief hadn’t knelt yet proved his extraordinary mettle.
Unlike the Warrior Chief, whose legs had already gone half limp and would have collapsed without Rena’s intervention…
“Are you not going to fight back? Give me an answer already! I’ve been waiting long enough. My patience might run out first if you keep delaying.”
Rena’s urging was unsettling.
Though she called her a monster and feared her power, she had completely misjudged her capabilities.
She was a true monster.
How could she make such an arrogant offer of cooperation?
They should have been begging for mercy instead.
Looking back, their act of kneeling before her was the turning point in their fate.
Though it was more out of her quirky temperament than anything else.
Their apparent respect seemed to have piqued her interest rather than causing offense.
But luck wouldn’t hold twice.
The flicker of interest in her eyes felt like the wick of a candle.
When it burns out completely, their lives would extinguish with it.
The Tribe Chief began explaining urgently through gestures.
His limbs trembled with fear like aspen leaves.
*
Ah, my neck hurts.
Rena massaged her stiff neck.
Due to the difference in height, the Tribe Chief had promptly sat down, though his eyes were still above hers.
It seemed inappropriate to comment further.
Though it would’ve been uncomfortable for him to bend over.
…Should I have made him kneel?
He’d likely have done so after that eye contact incident.
Since the staring contest, the Tribe Chief had completely lost his spirit.
Even the leader of the tribe lacked the proper vigor.
Come to think of it, the head warrior had shown the same qualities.
Despite being a good fighter, he retreated from conflict.
Do orcs in this world dislike fighting?
“Um, have you finished explaining?”
While she had been lost in thought, the Tribe Chief’s explanation had concluded.
Though her distracted listening might have seemed rude, Rena had an excuse.
The Tribe Chief wasn’t a good explainer.
He was the type who kept rambling on with unnecessary details when a simple conclusion would suffice.
Rena’s wandering thoughts were her way of staying awake through the ordeal.
“Let’s summarize. Raise your hand if you spot any mistakes.”
The explanation was too long for modern people who prefer concise summaries.
Rena attempted to outline the key points based on her understanding.
“Recently, the disturbances were caused by enemies invading your territory, forcing you into fights.”
Nod.
“You tried to resolve things through dialogue, but the enemies were too aggressive, leaving you no choice but to keep fighting.”
Nod.
“Finally, it seems you’ll have to settle this once and for all, so you called me for reinforcements before the final battle?”
A hesitant nod.
Though the Tribe Chief’s response was a bit delayed, Rena decided to overlook it.
After all, they were animals.
As a three-line summary, it was a bit lengthy, so she assumed they needed time to process.
“Okay.”
She had been only half-listening, worried she might have missed something crucial.
Fortunately, it seemed she had grasped the essentials.
Phew, what a relief.
Why did they complicate something so simple with such verbosity?
“Yes.”
Rena contemplated.
Had the orcs truly been honest?
Perhaps they were sincere in their recount without any deceit.
However, making judgments based solely on one side’s account was prone to accusations of bias.
Technically, the orcs could have been the real instigators or aggressors in this conflict.
That’s why judges command both social authority and high salaries.
They have the responsibility to consider all circumstances and deliver impartial and prudent verdicts.
“Alright, I’ll help you.”
Since Rena wasn’t a legal professional, she readily agreed.
Who cares about determining who’s good or bad among animals?
It would be a waste of time.
It’s more efficient to solve the problem quickly rather than linger on such matters.
However, the Tribe Chief couldn’t believe Rena’s straightforward response.
“Are you serious? Yes, I am.”
The Tribe Chief’s concerns and doubts were somewhat justified.
Rena’s concise summary was accurate in key points but omitted much detail.
The group at war with the CalmWind Orc Tribe were the SilverScale Lizardmen.
Simply put, they were bipedal lizards.
Though they didn’t inhabit the Great Forest as extensively as orcs, they were still formidable monsters.
Their armor-like scales, weapon-wielding intelligence, and venomous bodies made them dangerous.
However, the Great Forest was home to far more bizarre creatures.
What truly warranted caution was their backing.
The SilverScale Lizardmen served as outriders for a Great Forest dominator-class monster!
Of course, dominator-class monsters aren’t foolish enough to get involved in mere skirmishes between underlings.
But when has catastrophe ever followed expected patterns?
Dominator-class monsters were living disasters.
In truth, hiring Rena was an extremely perilous request that considered even the possibility of dominator-class monster involvement.
This was the real reason the Tribe Chief wanted Rena involved – to share responsibility.
After all, it would be less lonely to fail together than alone.
“On the contrary, is this task really that dangerous?”
Rena asked nonchalantly.
Unlike vague assumptions dismissing the possibility of dominator-class monster appearances, her attitude bordered on indifference.
If things took a bad turn, she’d simply leave.
Running away is an excellent strategy – one of the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
Does the shame of wounds on one’s back equate to life’s disgrace?
According to Rena, that’s merely the pampered complaint of someone who’s never experienced the wild.
In the wild, survival comes first.
Self-respect serves no practical purpose.
Most importantly, there was no reason for Rena to feel any shame.
She had no intention of sharing fate with the orcs.
