Chapter 2 (1/2)
Chapter 2. Kidnapped (1)
TL: Warriormonk
Editors : Obelisk
“Ggeeuuk.”
Luke woke up with a soft groan.
“My head…”
Luke tried to cradle his head in response to the pulsing headache, but his body refused to even budge. After waking himself up further, Luke began to scan his surroundings.
“What’s going on? I don’t remember anything after being hit in the back of the head while fighting the Orcs…”
Luke tried to remember what had happened before he got knocked out.
Twenty to thirty Orcs had ambushed the carriage, and Luke had joined the guards in trying to fight them off.
The Orcs had them outnumbered. The guards fell one by one against the Orcs’ formation, and Luke was eventually left alone.
Luke clenched his teeth when he suddenly remembered something.
“Hal, the G.o.dd.a.m.n b.a.s.t.a.r.d…”
Right at the start of the fight, Hal had started s.h.i.+vering uncontrollably and crawled under the carriage to hide.
“I-I am just a cook! I’ve never fought an Orc.”
Luke didn’t even have the chance to shout at Hal. An Orc warrior, extremely skilled with his battle axe, clashed weapons with Luke and oppressed him with an overwhelming pressure.
Even Luke, who had been trained in the sword since childhood, had a hard time dealing with the Orc warrior.
Luke scowled.
“I was only able to barely wound his arm after being pressured for a while.”
That was about the extent of Luke’s resistance. Soon after he wounded the Orc’s arm, he had received a hit to the back of the head by G.o.ds knows what, and pa.s.sed out.
“I wonder why they kept me alive…”
Luke squirmed and examined his body. He was securely tied down to a shoddy wooden chair, made with simple techniques of braiding branches.
“This seems to be a log cabin… The Orc’s hideout?”
Luke’s face paled. He remembered that the troops had been gathering for the final a.s.sault just the day after to exterminate the last of the Orcs.
“f.u.c.k… The Orcs must have moved in order to secure information.”
Luke sighed in a resigned manner when he realized the reason behind the Orcs’ ambush. He was sure to be crudely tortured by the primitive methods of the Orcs.
Luke shook his head, sure that he would draw his last breath as a mangled corpse.
“Who knew I’d end my life like this…”
An abrupt end to his dream of starting a family with Isabelle…
Luke’s eyes sparked with pride as he bit his lips.
“Let them try to make me talk. I will defend my honor as a Centurion of the Hansel Kingdom until my last breath!”
Luke tried to steel himself, but he couldn’t stop the pangs of pain in his heart when he pictured Isabelle. He wished to see her more than life, to whom he had sent monthly letters to for the past five years.
“I won’t be able to close my eyes even in death if I leave her behind…”
It was then that a low voice vibrated from outside the door of the cabin.
“Kuueeekk. Why can’t you close your eyes, human?”
The door opened with a creak, and a st.u.r.dily built Orc walked in.
A head shorter than most humans, but its muscled shoulders put most humans to shame. A deformed race. Luke felt repulsed by the wide open nostril nose and yellow eyes, characteristics unique to the Orc race.
‘Orcs truly have fearsome hearing. I must be careful.’
The Orc scowled as Luke closed his eyes firmly as though there were no further conversation to be had.
“I have something to ask you. Open your eyes, human.”
The Orc’s Common Tongue was surprisingly fluent.
With his eyes closed, it was almost impossible to differentiate his voice from a human’s. The situation, however, was not relaxed enough for him to pay attention to the fluency of the Orc.
“I will not answer no matter what you ask me. Don’t waste your time and just kill me.”
“…..”
The Orc silently stared at Luke, and then nodded his head.
“I will not ask you anything. Open your eyes. Kueeekk.”
Luke opened his eyes carefully at the unexpected words.
The Orc seemed to have spoken the truth, as his hands did not carry any weapons or instruments of torture. Luke couldn’t help but be puzzled.
“Why did you capture me if you were not going to torture me?”
“I will explain. Kueeekkk.”
Luke scowled. The characteristic snuffling of the Orcs was very unpleasant to the ears.
‘Sounds like a pig squealing when it’s being slaughtered.’
Luke held his tongue; a prisoner was not in a position to show discontent.
“Kueeek. I am Kurotan, Great Warrior of the honorable Latilla Tribe.”
Although this was his first exchange of greetings with an Orc ever since he had grown hair, Luke remained calm.
“I am Luke, a soldier of Fort Potellan. Before I was captured by you I-“
Luke was wearing casual clothing that hid his status as an officer. Kurotan was not fooled.
“As I’ve been told, humans lie too well. I know exactly who you are. Kueeek.”
“What are you saying? Why would I lie?”
Luke was about to continue his retort when he stopped cold at Kurotan’s next words.
“Centurion Luke Estaban, from the Estaban Earldom of the central Kingdom. You are retiring after serving five years at Fort Potellan. Kueeek. Did I miss anything?”