Praise the Orc! Chapter 199:
Chapter 199 – Like a Slave, Like a King (3)
The spires of Orcrox appeared in the distance .
The unidentified elf spoke, “Crockta . ”
It was rare for him to speak first . Crockta stared at him .
“I have one question . ”
“Ask me . ”
The elf stopped . Crockta’s party stopped walking . At that moment, the party felt that this elf would leave soon . It was an unknown feeling . This would probably be the elf’s final question .
“What does this look like?”
The elf raised his hand and a strange thing happened . The dense tree above them started to bow down . The branches of the trees slowly lowered towards them in a courteous gesture, like the trees were living creatures . The mouths of Crockta’s group dropped open .
“Crockta . What do you think of this?”
A sparrow on the branch moved onto the elf’s finger . The trees and sparrow both moved for him .
“That…” Crockta looked at it . It was just a plain sparrow . “A sparrow . ”
“That’s right . A sparrow . ” The elf raised his hand . The sparrow flew off . However, it didn’t fly away and landed on the elf’s shoulders . “It looks and sounds like a sparrow . Maybe it has a yellow beak . The important thing is that at least it isn’t a crow . ”
“That’s right . It certainly isn’t a crow . ”
“Then…” The elf stared straight at Crockta . “If everyone calls this bird a crow, what will you do?”
Crockta looked confused because he didn’t understand the question, “What does that mean…?”
“This bird is clearly not a crow . It doesn’t look like one . But everyone calls this bird a crow . Everyone in the world is saying so except for you . ”
The sparrow once again landed on the elf’s finger . The sparrow turned his head and gazed at Crockta . This elf didn’t have a malicious mentality . Crockta could feel it . Otherwise, this little bird wouldn’t be able to be in the elf’s hands with a calm face .
The elf continued speaking, “The whole world except for you is calling it a crow . If you say this is a sparrow instead of a crow, everyone will turn away from you . Maybe they will tease you for being blind, or call you a liar . No matter how you shout, no one will listen . You will be labeled a maniac . ”
“Ahh…”
“Crockta . Will you still call this bird a sparrow? Or will you turn away and say it is a crow?”
Crockta smiled . It was an easy question .
“Well, if everyone is calling a sparrow a crow… It is a big deal . ”
“I see…”
“But that is it . ” Crockta touched the handle of his greatsword . “Unless a sparrow tells me that it is a crow, I will call a sparrow a sparrow . ”
“……”
“If people were to paint the feathers black and call a sparrow a crow, I will do my utmost to stop them and say that it is a sparrow . ”
Crockta looked at Tiyo, Anor and Zankus . They shrugged . Crockta smiled at the elf .
“A sparrow is a sparrow . ”
The elf shook his head, “Then you will be alone . Nobody will want to be with you . Rather, you will become a strange being . ”
It was a soft voice . Crockta burst out laughing . His laugh rang through the silent forest .
“You are a slave dressed like a king . ”
“……!”
The elf’s eyes widened . No one had ever called him a slave . It was the opposite . He had a power that no one could understand, dressed in gorgeous clothing and was elegant . Now this orc had called him a slave .
“You put on very nice clothes . But rather than your own beliefs, you think about the surroundings and other people . It is the mindset of a slave . If it is so scary, you can call the sparrow a crow-like everybody else . If they say something green is red, they are red . The night will become the day and the earth will be called the sea . If you give yourself up, everything will flow smoothly . ”
“I…”
“However, if you want to be the master of your own mind, pay attention to this . ”
Crockta reached out his hand . The sparrow stared at Crockta and jumped towards his fingers . Crockta gently cradled the sparrow .
“Even if the world is pointing at me in ridicule, I will say that this bird is just a sparrow . ”
The elf looked at Crockta, whose eyes were filled with conviction and an unshakable integrity .
“I see . ” The lines on the elf’s face disappeared as his distressed face gradually softened . He flashed a faint, yet beautiful smile . He declared, “I dressed like a king but thought like a slave . ”
“Yes . ”
“Now that I know, I should dress like a king and act like a king . ”
“Yes . ”
“Thank you for letting me know . ”
The elf stared at Crockta . Then he looked at Zankus, Tiyo, and Anor . He spread open his arms . Then the forest changed .
“……!”
A straight path to Orcrox opened up . The trees shook their bodies and twisted their roots, giving way to Crockta . It was an incredible sight .
“You…” Anor suddenly spoke . There was a look of realization on his face . The elf reached for Anor . Then a branch came down over their heads . As the elf moved his hand, the branch touched Anor’s cheek, as if it was an extension of the elf’s hand .
“You’ve had a hard time coming here . Child . ” The elf looked at each party member one by one . “I saw you and tried to get an answer . An answer that I couldn’t find . However, it wasn’t that I didn’t know the answer . In fact, I was ignoring the answer all along . ”
He looked at Crockta . “Like a slave . ”
Crockta grinned . “Now you seem like a king . ”
“Thank you . ” The elf stepped back . It was time to leave . “I came here as a slave dressed like a king, and will be leaving a king . ”
His body blurred . The vegetation of the forest leaned towards him . The wind bowed to him . The trees leaned down and worshipped him .
“I hope to see you again . The boy in the north wanted to say thank you . Crockta . ”
Then the elf whispered . There was no sound . His whisper wasn’t towards them . Anor’s eyes widened . Crockta, Zankus, and Tiyo didn’t hear it . All elves in the world heard the whisper .
***
“The elves’ world tree has withdrawn from the war . ”
“What?”
“I don’t know why . The elves have started to leave . ”
“What is going on?”
“Those who came of their own will are still left, but the elves who came because of the divine message are returning home . More than half the elves are gone . ”
“……”
Adandator frowned before starting to laugh . “How interesting . ”
Aklan sighed . The elves heard the whisper of the world tree .
‘The orcs aren’t colluding with the grey god, and they aren’t evil . Crockta is a hero . ’
However, the other gods were different . Another divine message came down, encouraging the followers to believe them . They even blamed the world tree for poor judgment . This wasn’t the behaviour of the gods he knew . It was remarkably like a human’s behaviour .
“Arnin won’t turn out well . ”
“I guess so . ”
They reached the city of elves, Arnin . After receiving this news, Arnin was unlikely to give support .
“Try it once . ”
But the result was as they expected . No, it was worse than that .
Aklan sat in Mayor Ennis’ office and felt a strange mood again .
“Do you see this vest?”
“Yes . ”
“An orc used to wear it, also known as the first captain of the Plains Rescue Team, which is a landmark and the pride of Arnin . He created the rescue team . ”
There was no need to ask who he was .
“Crockta . ”
“That’s right . He because an honorary citizen of Arnin and revealed the killers and mayor who used a false mask to mock the citizens . ”
Crockta’s story was told in the textbooks at Arnin’s schools . He was an honorary citizen who represents Arnin .
“Above all, the world tree is stopping the elves from participating . ”
“……”
“It will be useless to propose the agenda to Congress . ”
“I understand . Thank you . ”
Eggs might be thrown at them, like Chesswood .
“I don’t know how the situation with the gods turned out like this, but I will tell you as a person who met Crockta, not the mayor . Crockta isn’t such an orc . ”
“……”
“I didn’t even know who he was then . He was just a plains officer . However, he helped the humans and elves with the triters on the plains . Despite being an orc, he is a light in the darkness . ”
“Light…”
“He illuminates the surroundings . I wouldn’t be the mayor if it wasn’t for him . The travelers would still be losing their lives . They would die from the triters and that wicked girl . ”
Aklan nodded . “I understand . ”
“You can stay for a day to recruit volunteers . But please think about what I said . ”
“Yes . ”
He left without any results . Arnin was a beautiful city . Aklan was heading to the expedition’s camp when he suddenly stopped at Arnin’s square . A monument stood there . It was a monument to honor the day when Elsanad, Elwina and Ilya, the demons of Arnin, were expelled . It wrote about the honorary citizen Crockta, who came as a traveler but left as Arnin’s hero .
“I am an honorary citizen!”
“I am the best citizen!”
“You just threw trash on the floor! I will accuse you!”
Children played around, pretending to be honorary citizens . Aklan stared up at the sky and muttered, “I don’t know . ”
He shook his head and returned to the expedition’s camp . The expedition was camping outside Arnin .
“There was no result . I’m sorry . ”
“It was expected . ”
“Thanks for the hard work . ”
He came back with nothing, but Adandator and the expedition leaders nodded because it was already expected . Now they didn’t have any great expectations towards the elves . Some elves volunteered but there weren’t many due to the world tree .
“How about stopping by Quantes?”
“Gnomes don’t believe in the gods…”
“Let’s just give it a try . Anyway, the elves are gone so we need to fill up the numbers . Quantes is on the way to Orcrox . ”
“Okay . ”
Aklan was silent during the meeting of leaders .
***
The next day, they headed towards Quantes . Shortly before leaving Arnin, they could see the famous Arnin Plains Rescue Team and the triters .
In the midst of it was a rock .
“This?”
Aklan stopped . Letters were carved onto the rock .
[A warrior doesn’t attack unarmed people . ]
It was a rock written by Crockta . Aklan never met him before, but he couldn’t help feeling familiar with Crockta . He knew that Crockta was a great warrior .
“What are you doing? Let’s go quickly . ”
People shouted from behind Aklan .
“Ah, I’m sorry . ”
Aklan held the reins . The march continued . Aklan turned and squinted at the rock, but he could no longer see it due to the army . Aklan looked at Adandator beside him . He saw the leaders, nobles and numerous expedition forces . Their faces was stiff . It might be because Orcrox was getting closer .
Aklan closed his eyes . He couldn’t stop here . They had already come so far . It didn’t matter what type of person Crockta was anymore . All the gods called him a villain . It was enough . The people had gathered here for the extermination of Crockta and the orcs . They were overflowing with willpower .
The decision wasn’t made by him, but the enormous crowd . He erased Maillard, Chesswood and Arnin from his head . The vacancy was filled with the divine message, expedition army and the hatred of the random crowd .
Aklan opened his eyes . It was a short moment of worry . He returned to being Aklan, a pious warrior of the war **** .
‘War God… Please bless our way . ’
The horses, who started running the race, couldn’t stop .