Praise the Orc! Chapter 39:

Chapter 39 – Honorary Citizen

Under the cover of night, Crockta crossed the wall . Mayor Elsanad’s mansion was quiet .  He walked past the garden and up to the front door . He turned the doorknob, opening the door . A deep darkness blanketed the inside .

Crockta stepped forward .  His footsteps echoed thanks to the structure of the mansion .  His eyes scanned the darkness . The mansion, which was beautiful under the sun, looked creepy in the darkness .

Chobeok .  Chobeok .

He crossed the corridor while looking in the rooms .  None of the doors were locked .  He passed by the deserted ones . Then suddenly, Crockta saw a shape looking at him in the darkness .

“……!”

It was a statue .  The faint moonlight shining through the windows gave him a glimpse of the outline . It was a statue of an elf staring into the air .

Crockta reached out to it . The texture of cold plaster could be felt .  The physical shape looked real, and it seemed like it would move in the darkness .

Crockta slowly turned his gaze to the side . The elf statue was guarding something . The door was firmly closed .  He grabbed the handle, but the door didn’t open .  It was the only locked place that he had discovered in Elsanad’s mansion .

Crockta looked around . It was dark but his eyes could see the shape of everything .  Nothing moved .  There were no indications of any people .  It was eerie .  Crockta gave strength to his hand . He gripped the doorknob tightly . It gradually creaked until it fell off with a low sound . Pieces of the door fell off .

The door opened .  Crockta entered . Then he flinched once again .  In the large room, there were several statues similar to the one at the entrance . They looked so alive that he almost swung his greatsword at them .

Crockta explored inside . In addition to the statues, paintings were hung on the walls . The paintings were expensive pieces of artwork signed by the artist .  It was a room where Elsanad’s aesthetics could be felt .

Crockta wandered through the room and paused in front of a painting .  It was crude compared to the other paintings . However, it was the signed name below that made him stop .

Elwina .  Elsanad’s daughter .

It was a crude work with a human and elf standing side by side . Elwina had tried to draw every detail, despite her lack of skills . It was a painting drawn by a person with a high interest in the human body .

Crockta looked at it for a while before lifting the painting from the wall .  He found it .  There was a recess in the wall where the painting was hanging, with a button inside .

Crockta pressed it .  The floor started to tremble slightly .  Crockta turned his head towards the sound . The bottom of the floor was slowly opening . Slowly, stairs leading downwards were revealed .  They were stairs heading to the basement .

Alsein’s voice telling him to visit Elsanad’s basement popped into Crockta’s head .

It was here . Crockta took one step . It was a small passage for him . One step, two steps, his footsteps echoed as he descended .

He headed downwards for a while before reaching the end of the stairs . There was a door .  Something was beyond it .  Crockta remembered Alsein’s eyes . His eyes had been shaking . What did he know? What was he troubled over?

Crockta opened the door .  Then he took one step .

“……!”

A chill went down his spine .  There were the dark shadows of dozens of people who were looking at Crockta in the darkness .

He lowered the hand that had moved to the handle of his greatsword . His fingers shook .  They didn’t move .

Inside the basement there were people staring blankly at the air, not at Crockta . Crockta’s heart sank as he saw their faces .

The face of Elwina, who greeted visitors at the entrance of Arnin, popped into his head . He later found out that she was Elsanad’s daughter . He thought that she was just a spoiled person .  But that wasn’t it .

In fact, she had a world of her own that she couldn’t communicate with others .  It was a world that could never be tolerated .

Crockta reached for a nearby elf . He felt soft skin, but it was cool and didn’t feel alive .

‘Is this why she’s so obsessed with working as a guard?’

Alsein had said this in passing and Crockta now realized what he meant .  She chose victims that no one would care about if they died . No one would know where and how they had disappeared . Visitors disappeared in droves after visiting Arnin .

Elwina’s goal was those visitors .  Crockta was no exception .

“It is a tragedy . ”

Crockta muttered .  His head dropped as he was surrounded by dozens of stuffed victims .

All of them were beautiful .  A face with beautiful proportions . Dark blue eyes . Unusual hair color or pinkish red lips . The slender legs, elegant shoulders, and long, delicate necks made them victims .

Elwina had stuffed them to maintain their beauty and to keep them forever in her collection .  It was a horrible tragedy .

Crockta closed his eyes .

Their sins weighed heavily on him .  Arnin was a beautiful city, but it was an abode where numerous beasts with human faces were tangled together .

A demon sold his people for wealth and power, deceiving his victims with a smile .  The other demon, who stuffed the visitors of the city, strolled among the citizens under the protection of her mother .

All of the citizens believed in and followed them .  It was a terrible mess of deception and evil .  There was no truth anywhere .

Crockta’s hand clenched into a fist, his body starting to uncontrollably shake . The stuffed truths were staring at Crockta .  He raised his eyes .  His eyes met those of an elf child .  The little elf child was smiling .  That smile was stopped forever .

Crockta sighed .

Lenox .  His face popped into Crockta’s head .

‘What would you do?

Would you have an answer for this tragedy?’

Lenox looked at him and smiled . He slowly opened his mouth .  Lenox’s voice echoed . He only said one word to Crockta, but it was enough .

There was always only one answer .

Crockta nodded .

Bul’tar .

 

***

The sun shone in the sky .

Ilya and Mayor Elsanad met again in the square to debate over the controversial issue and to determine who the next mayor would be .  The two mayor candidates . Elsanad and Ilya .  Depending on the outcome of this debate, the future of Arnin would be decided .

“Elsanad, changing the topic is meaningless . You are the culprit . There is clear evidence with this book, yet you would deny your sins until the end?”

“I can’t say anything . It is a fake book, anyone could make that . I could also forge a book and claim that you were behind it . ”

“Do you admit that you would handle things that way? Did you run the city like this? Through forgery and deceit?”

“You use cowardly means . Don’t change the topic . Right now, what you are doing is deception . ”

The conversation was going nowhere . Elsanad countered calmly, but Ilya was excellent at stirring up the citizens .  The crowd split in half and cheered for the politician they were supporting .  Arnin guards were around the stage in case of an emergency .

Ilya and Elsanad continued the debate on the stage .  

Now no one was concerned about the victims .  The story of the elves being trafficked had been forgotten, and the voices of the victims vanished without a trace as no one in Arnin cared for such things .

One orc ran across the square .

“W-What?”

The man who was bumped into turned his head away as he met the orc’s fierce gaze .  The orc had a determined expression on his face .  His greatsword was on his shoulder as he walked towards Elsanad and Ilya .

“Entry isn’t permitted . ”

The guards around the stage blocked him . The orc didn’t go any further . He stood there and looked at the two politicians .  Ilya suddenly noticed his presence and turned his head towards the orc . However, he didn’t care about the orc, and kept criticizing Elsanad . Elsanad’s eyes darkened .

There was no guilt in them .  The orc confirmed this fact and turned towards the citizens .  He saw the faces of the citizens . Interest, tension excitement etc . , all types of emotions were swirling .

However, there wasn’t what he needed most .  It was anger .  No one was truly angry .

The orc felt anger fill his chest as he shouted .

“Everyone──────!”

The orc’s voice rang out in the square .

“Quiet──────!”

An intense cry that shook the eardrums of the listeners .  The shouting of an orc warrior, which hadn’t been heard for a long time in Arnin, shook Arnin Square .

“……!”

A sobering voice! The square became quiet in an instant .  Everyone looked at the orc who was the epicentre of the sound .  The guards didn’t know what to do and just watched him . Ilya and Elsanad, who were making claims on the stage, also quieted down .

All the eyes and ears in the square were focused on the orc .  The orc lifted something up .  A crystal ball was in his thick hands .

Ilya’s face turned pale .

“Now . ”

Crockta declared . Then a human came forward .

It was a human magician, Puri . He had been helped by Crockta on the plains along with Gilliam, so he was now paying back the favor .  Puri raised a hand, his magic power wrapping around the crystal ball .

The crystal ball started shining .  In the air, a giant video appeared .  It was the memory playback magic that could play videos in the crystal ball! It was an expensive item, and the magic required to activate it was difficult . The citizens paid attention to it .

The video that appeared was stabilized .  Someone’s face appeared .  It was Ilya, his face floating in the air . He moved within the crystal ball and spoke . His remarks were reproduced .

-…Yes, I will tell you everything .  I sold the elves together with the people from Thawing Balhae .  I had a deal with them .

Ilya jumped up .

-…And I got tired of them .  I had drained just enough from them .  Those cursed by the stars, did they really think I would deal with them forever? Thank you for your help .

The citizens started murmuring again .  The truth that they were arguing over had finally been revealed . Ilya’s ugly remarks followed .

-…Anyway, I will become Arnin’s next mayor .  That’s it .  You can leave quietly .

The eyes of the citizens turned towards Ilya in unison . His face distorted and Elsanad’s face brightened .  She didn’t know who the orc was, but he had given evidence of her innocence . She used this momentum .

A complacent expression appeared on her face .

“Citizens! Have you seen everything? This man tried to discredit me and fool the citizens!” She raised her fist .  “As the mayor of Arnin and a citizen, I will make a formal accusation against the coward Ilya!”

Then she shouted to one of the Arnin guards .

“Guard, take him to jail right now!”

The citizens alternated looking between Elsanad, Ilya, and the orc . They were confused due to the sudden situation .  However, the citizens soon responded to Elsanad’s words .

“That guy!”

“Ilya was the culprit!”

“The mayor is innocent!”

But the video didn’t end there .  The screen jumped and this time a white mansion at night appeared .

It was a building that every citizen in Arnin knew .  The mansion was one of the most beautiful buildings in Arnin .  Elsanad’s home .

The citizens stopped again .

“……?”

The video moved gradually as it followed the eyes of the filmer .

Over the wall and once inside, the person arrived at a room filled with statues and paintings . Elsanad’s mansion continued to be shown . The citizens looked at the screen with confusion over what they were seeing .

Elsanad’s face stiffened as she saw it .

“Stop that right now!”

She tried to run off the stage .  But Ilya grabbed Elsanad’s wrist . He sensed something in her reaction .

On the video, the secret door to the basement opened .  The video started going down .

Elsanad shouted, “Guards! Stop that orc! Stop him!” 

But the video continued without stopping .

“……!”

The terrible truth was revealed .  The citizens were surprised to see the elves and humans inside the room, and were shocked as they understood what it meant .  It was a terrible scene that they had never imagined .

The owner of the video gazed at the stuffed animals for a while . On the screen, the faces of the elves, humans, and a smiling child could be seen . The screen moved along with his eyes .  At first glance, there were more than 20 stuffed people . Everyone looked alive and motionless, like they were still breathing .

There were citizens who stumbled at the scene . The truth was harsh . This demon, who was a  serial killer, was the leader of the city .  The gaze of the person filming moved downwards .

He looked at his feet . The screen displayed the floor .  The murmur of the person filming resonated in the ears of the citizens .

-It is a tragedy .

It was a calm voice . Then the screen showing the floor cut off .

The crystal ball finished its role and broke into pieces .  The video ended, but nobody moved .

Silence .  Everyone in the square had stopped moving .  In that stillness, the orc alone moved .

He turned around . He gazed towards Ilya and Elsanard, the two demons, and said .

“Ilya and Elsanad . ”

They didn’t move .

“With the evidence I just presented, I accuse you . ”

The stunned guards recovered their spirits .  They looked at each other and then started walking towards Ilya and Elsanad .  Now they were horrible criminals .

Elsanad exclaimed, “Don’t make me laugh! This is all fabricated! You might have a pass to enter Arnin, but you aren’t a citizen! Not even a citizen, yet a dirty orc dares accuse me? Impossible!”

It was her last-ditch effort .  

“On the subject of the orc! Who the **** are you listening to? Guards, do you believe an orc over your mayor? Someone who isn’t even a citizen?”

It was Elsanad’s futile struggle to delay her downfall .  Even Ilya stared at Elsanad with disgust in his eyes .  But Elsanad was the mayor . The guards stopped moving the moment they heard her cry . Then they looked at the orc accusing her .

All eyes fell on the orc once again .  But he had a cold expression on his face .

The orc opened his mouth, “Listen up, Elsanad . ”

The orc spoke in a distinctively thick and low voice .  “I am someone who is equal to the citizens of Arnin . ”

His voice rang out through the square .

“All rights enjoyed by the citizens of Arnin are equally applied to me . It is a legitimate right granted for the dedication and merits I have contributed to Arnin, one that nobody can withdraw unless I commit an offense that undermines Arnin’s justice . ”

He pulled something out . His evidence sparkled under the sun .  Everyone’s gaze turned to the proof of identity .

The orc declared, “I am Crockta, the one given an honorary citizenship by Enyanis, the plains administrator . ”