Chương 78: A Carefully Mad Orc

"What in the ancestors' names is that?" Dagon unconsciously muttered while watching Karath attack the minotaur. Every swing of the bone axe produced an explosion of flame. That alone was astonishing. Something else frightened Dagon far more.

"Those damned..." BOOM!

"You fraudulent..." BOOM! Karath shouted words in a language Dagon could not understand while swinging the axe. Consumed by resentment from his former life, Karath had unconsciously begun cursing in the language of the world where he had once lived. Dagon knew none of that. From his perspective, the scene was deeply unnatural. Karath's eyes were bloodshot and filled with madness. He screamed incomprehensible words while fire exploded from his weapon.

The terrifying minotaur could not even defend itself before being reduced to torn flesh. Even an orc with an intense desire for combat could not avoid feeling fear before such a sight. The most frightening enemy was not always the one with the most brutal face. It was the one who had clearly lost his mind.

"Haaaa." While Dagon and the Warriorhearts warriors stood stunned, Karath and the Bloodclaw group finally reduced the remaining minotaur to a mangled corpse. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

"Ah." The mad orc who had been attacking with blazing eyes slowly looked around. Then he stared directly at Dagon. The moment their eyes met, Dagon's body flinched. So it had not been a lie. Dagon was not foolish enough to continue believing Karath dishonest after witnessing that battle.

"Brother of the Bloodclaw Tribe, Dagon apologises for yesterday's disrespect." He spoke before Karath could say anything. Orcs understood honour. True honour did not mean concealing one's mistake. It meant acknowledging the wrong and apologising. Dagon was certainly not apologising because he feared retaliation from the madman before him. His legs trembled. That was merely the lingering effect of Kaden's punches. Nothing more.

"We apologise!" Once Dagon bowed, the other Warriorhearts warriors followed and lowered their heads toward Karath.

"Ah, Karath did not care much, so there is no problem." The generously insane warrior smiled lightly, as though their apology concerned nothing important.

"The minotaurs allowed Karath to release all his anger. Krahahaha." Cold sweat flowed down the backs of Dagon and the other Warriorhearts warriors. Had the minotaurs not arrived, would several of them have ended in the same condition? They should perhaps be grateful that the monsters attacked.

"More importantly, Chief Moldin and Brother Dagon, would you come inside and speak with Karath for a moment?"

"W-what kind of conversation?" Surely he did not mean another conversation between bodies. The same thought crossed both Moldin's and Dagon's minds.

"There is something important to discuss. This is not the best place, so we should speak inside the chief's house."

"Ahem. An important matter. Very well. Let us go inside." Moldin recovered quickly enough to maintain the dignity of a chief and moved first.

"Brother Dagon, what are you doing? You should come as well. Krahahaha!" Karath approached and placed an arm around Dagon's shoulders. For reasons Dagon could not understand, he found himself half dragged into the chief's house.

"What did you wish to discuss?" Once the three entered, Moldin asked directly, as expected of an orc. Karath was only half an orc and preferred to guide a conversation gradually.

"When the minotaurs appeared, Karath heard something interesting from Brother Dagon." Dagon looked confused. What had he said?

"He mentioned that strange monsters have been appearing more often near the Warriorhearts settlement."

"Ah." Dagon was surprised that Karath remembered a comment he had muttered in passing. He had believed Karath was merely insane. Apparently, he was meticulously insane.

"Strange creatures that were rarely seen before have also been appearing near the Bloodclaw settlement. It seems something within the forest has changed."

"Ahem. The same has happened to your tribe?"

"Yes. First an ogre appeared, followed by the drake. The drake in particular was a monster far beyond the minotaurs we just killed."

"Hm." Until the previous evening, such a story had been impossible to believe. After witnessing Karath's battle, it now possessed considerable credibility.

"Why are you telling Moldin this?" The chief still did not understand where Karath intended to lead the conversation and asked directly once more.

"Then let the Warriorhearts Tribe join with the Bloodclaw Tribe, Chief Moldin." After laying the necessary foundation, Karath began his proposal.