Praise the Orc! Chapter 128:

Chapter 128 – Northern Law (1)

Crockta got up from his spot .

He came back but there was no one around . Tiyo and Anor’s bed, where they should’ve been lying together, was empty .  The sun seen through the window was already almost overhead .

It was daytime .  This was Spinoa, where the **** battle had occurred .  The city of dark elves had collapsed . Only a few buildings remained, so the survivors slept in tents around the world tree . Then in the daytime, they started rebuilding the village under the blessing of the world tree .

Crockta went out and saw dark elves in the corridor . They were nursing injured soldiers .  They jumped in surprise when they saw Crockta . There was a mix of admiration, awe, gratitude, and fear displayed in their eyes .

Crockta was their friend, but now he was the orc great chieftain .  He had the power to break the north at any time .

Crockta greeted them first, “It is good to see you . ”

“Crockta, you woke up . ”

Only some people knew that Crockta was cursed by the stars, so they thought that he was just resting in bed .  Crockta smiled . He still sported a wicked face, but it looked better when he smiled .

“Have you been well in the meantime?”

“Yes . ”

“……”

There was an ambiguous silence . Crockta nodded and passed by them .  Then their voices were heard from behind, “Thank you very much, Northern Hero Crockta . ”

“I will never forget the grace that saved Spinoa . ”

Crockta stopped in his tracks .  He had seen a lot of ruins . Those who lost everything and became refugees due to the wars .  They had nowhere to go and despair filled their eyes .  The same was true for Spinoa .

Nevertheless, they were thanking him .  Was he really someone who deserved those words? The city was in ruins and he had only protected a fraction of it . He never knew what to say to this .  But Crockta had learned a lot from Elder Lord .  Now he had something to say .  Crockta raised his thumbs towards them and said, “I will ask for meat for dinner . Bul’tar!”

Crockta winked .  The dark elves smiled at his words .

Crockta left the building with powerful steps and felt sober as he once again saw the devastated scenery of Spinoa .  The sun drenched landscape made even the ruins seem beautiful . It wasn’t because of the simple form, but because of the appearance of those sweating to rebuild what they lost .

“They are enthusiastic . ”

There weren’t only dark elves are the restoration sites .  There were orcs .  The northern orcs discovered Crockta and struck their chests as they said, “I greet the great chieftain!”

“Great chieftain!” They shouted .

However, Crockta shook his head . He said he didn’t need such formalities, but they didn’t listen .

“You’ve come, Great Chieftain . ”

“You don’t need to call me that . ”

“The great chieftain is the great chieftain . ”

Surka approached .

He had a high rank in the Great Clan, along with Hammerchwi . Thanks to his advice, Crockta was able to force Calmahart into a one-on-one duel .  He was a person who remembered his honor, even under the madness of ‘Tribulation . ’

“We are in the process of dividing the work sites with the dark elves . ”

“Good job . That’s good . ”

The war ended dramatically as Crockta became the great chieftain .  The red light surrounding the orcs had faded away . Many orcs were ashamed and confused by what they had done .  As the great chieftain, Crockta ordered them to join the dark elves and restore the damage .

However, it wasn’t easy to get rid of the enmity between the two species . They were enemies . Even if they were under the influence of another being, it didn’t change the fact that the orcs had trampled on the families and cities of the dark elves .

So the dark elves and orcs were working separately from each other .

“Ohh! Crockta! You finally showed up dot!”

Tiyo’s voice was heard from the side and interrupted the awkward mood .  Tiyo was helping the dark elves with the restoration work, while black dust covered his face .

“I thought you were trying to get out of work because you didn’t come back for a while . ”

It was the same for Anor .  Anor was helping up by raising some bones . Considering the hearts of those who just finished the war, it was the body of a monster, not a dark elf or orc .  The skeleton ogre was grabbing and lifting rocks .

“Work, go to work Crockta!”

Surka’s eyes widened as Crockta walked forward .

“Why is great chieftain…?”

“Surka . I am Crockta, not the great chieftain!”

Surka nodded at Crockta’s words .  “I understand . ”

“I want to work . ”

Crockta put the greatsword down beside him .  Then he rolled up his sleeves .  Right now, the buildings in Spinoa were being created with the branches of the world tree .  The opportunity to build with divine wood from the world tree wasn’t common . Thanks to the emergency situation, the world tree was trying to rebuild Spinoa, even if it had to exhaust its power .

Crockta carried the thick branches of the world tree like they were nothing . Then he started moving towards a construction site .

“Truly the great chieftain!”

“Ohhhh! The great chieftain is working directly!”

“Follow the great chieftain!”

“From now on, don’t rest!”

The orcs cheered .  For those who only experienced the harsh reign of Calmahart, it was the first time a great chieftain took the initiative to work first .  Once Crockta started to work, the atmosphere among the orcs changed . The northern orcs followed the great chieftain .

As Crockta continued to work, he saw a familiar face .

Hammerchwi .  He was hammering in a nail with his battle hammer .  He swung his hammer with rapid movements before discovering Crockta .

“The great chieftain has come . ”

“Hammerchwi . We meet again . ”

At one time, they had different beliefs and exchanged weapons .  Of course, the result was Crockta’s clean sweep .  Hammerchwi might’ve foreseen this future then .

“How is work? Aren’t you tired at your age?”

“What are you talking about? I am the great Warrior Hammerchwi . This is still a long way to go before I get tired . ”

“A lot of sweat is flowing . ”

Hammerchwi was covered in sweat .  He wiped at his forehead and neck . It was damp .  He laughed and wiped it off with his shirt .

“Well, I think sweat is better than blood . ”

That made sense .  Hammerchwi smiled again . Crockta nodded . He tapped Hammerchwi’s shoulder and whisper as he passed by .

“As long as you are alive . Bul’tar . ”

Hammerchwi replied to Crockta’s back .

“The great chieftain as well . Bul’tar!”

Crockta turned at his answer . But Hammerchwi just smiled and continued his hammering .  The orc who crushed many enemies with his terrible hammer, the great warrior of the Great Clan called Hammerchwi .

But he seemed to look better with a work hammer than a combat hammer . The warriors following Hammerchwi listened to his instructions and were busy raising the building .  If he was born on the continent, he might’ve been a great carpenter instead of a warrior .

Like Grant, he might’ve become a craftsman finding his aptitude after being a warrior . Or maybe he would be an orc who never picked up a weapon, a person who worked during the day and drank at night .

“Surka . ”

“Yes . ”

“Does Hammerchwi have children?”

“Yes . It isn’t just one or two . ”

Crockta stared at him . Surka shrugged .

“He has 11 . I heard one was born not too long ago . ”

Crockta nodded . He felt somehow reassured .  “I’m glad . Orcs should be thinking about the future . ”

The orcs in the north also weren’t undamaged . Countless soldiers had died . As the dark elves stabilized, the orcs should take care of themselves .  He didn’t intend to be the great chieftain for long, but he couldn’t help thinking about this .

“Tomorrow, the agreement will be signed . ”

Crockta had climbed to the position of great chieftain, ending the war between the dark elves and orcs .  They were supposed to declare an end to the war, forget the conflicts and sign an agreement to maintain peace . The date was tomorrow .  Of course, one of the subjects of the agreement was Zelkian, leader of the dark elves and agent of the world tree . The other was the great chieftain of the northern orcs, Crockta .

“Surka . ”

“Yes . ”

“Do you want to try fighting me once?”

Surka’s eyes widened . He noticed the look in Crockta’s eyes and nodded .

“I understand . ”

 

***

The two of them stood in a deserted spot .  In the background, there was the distant sound of orcs working as both of them raised their weapons .  The greatsword, Ogre Slayer . A masterpiece of the Golden Anvil Clan .

However, it had sharpened in Crockta’s hands as it cut down many enemies . Unlike the blades that became dull after repeatedly being soaked in the blood and flesh of the enemies, Ogre Slayer was different as it evolved into a greatsword with a completely different atmosphere .

At the beginning, Ogre Slayer was a shining sword . Now it looked like a sword that had gone through all sorts of hardships .  The masterpiece of the Golden Anvil Clan was completed in Crockta’s hands .

“A good sword . It can cause chaos . ”

But Surka’s axe also wasn’t ordinary .  It was ‘Blood Rain,’ the heirloom axe that he received from his father Shiktulla . It was a treasure that swept over numerous high-level enemies in the north .  To Surka, it was the best symbol of a Steel Axe tribe member .

The two forces met .  Their weapons struck each other .  There was a loud sound as the greatsword and axe met . The eerie sound of two weapons clashing drifted along the wind .  They moved around each other like they were wind magicians, skillfully penetrating through any gaps .

Surka was different from Calmahart, as he boasted brilliant axe techniques .

Crockta smiled . This fight had its own charm . Crockta’s speed increased .  The realm of the Pinnacle . Crockta’s greatsword aimed at the enemy, like he had pulled on a line in the world . The axe passed by his cheek while the greatsword narrowly missed the neck . Blood flowed .

He grinned .  Rather than exchanging a few words of respect, they could communicate more by fighting .

Warrior and warrior .  They were fighting .

“What are you fighting for Surka?”

Crockta shouted as he pushed Surka with his shoulder . Surka grinned as he was suddenly off balance .

“To be great chieftain!”

Then he jumped and his axe descended towards Crockta .

Kwaang!

An explosive sound was heard for the first time .

“Kill the great chieftain and become the great chieftain!”

Surka laughed .  An orc of the north . Crockta didn’t hate this look . Orc warriors should be able to laugh while fighting for their lives .

“What about once you become the great chieftain?” Crockta deflected the axe and kicked Surka’s abdomen .  Surka fell down and Ogre Slayer pursued him . He rolled across the ground to avoid it but in the end, Crockta’s greatsword pointed at his neck .

Crockta asked, “What do you want to do once you become the great chieftain?”

Surka struggled against Crockta’s foot on his chest before giving up .  He looked up at Crockta and smiled .

“I will change the Great Clan . ”

“How?”

“To what it used to be!”

Crockta removed his foot and extended a hand . Surka grabbed Crockta’s hand and got up .  He gazed at Crockta and added .  “Then we will become like the orcs of the continent . ”

The land of orc warriors who regarded honor as their lives .  He couldn’t help feeling admiration after Crockta told him about the continent .  Surka wanted to restore the traditions of the continent, just like the old northern orcs .  He wanted to not feel ashamed as he fought, and to know that death wasn’t in vain .  He wanted to restore that spirit .

Surka laughed and added .  “But Crockta is the great chieftain, so I won’t need to become the great chieftain . ”

“Kulkulkul . ”

Crockta laughed . Surka laughed .  After finished the fight, Crockta asked something else .

“Surka . Are you the strongest here except for me?”

“There isn’t a proper ranking but probably . Apart from Calmahart, I’ve never been defeated by anyone . ”

“How dependable . ”