Chương 81: The Forest in Turmoil

"So a herd of Horn Boars attacked your settlement, and just when you had finally dealt with them, an ogre appeared?"

"That is correct. We had already suffered heavy losses fighting the Horn Boars. Our chief decided there was no chance of defeating the ogre, so he sent us here." Orga Bearclaw, a warrior from another tribe near the Bloodclaw settlement, answered Chief Grild with a grief-stricken expression. Karath had never met him before today. The forest truly had descended into chaos. Karath had begun suspecting it after what happened to the Warriorhearts Tribe, but this latest event confirmed it.

Something enormous had changed within the Grimwood Mountains. Whatever it was, no individual tribe could endure it alone.

"It is already late," Grild said.

"You should rest for today. Many of your people look exhausted, and several appear injured."

"Yes, Chief Grild. Travelling with so many people made it difficult to avoid the monsters."

"Understood. You seem to be their representative, so guide your people and help them settle down. Bloodclaw does not abandon its kin. You need not worry."

"Thank you, Chief." Orga looked close to tears, an unusual sight for an orc warrior. Then again, perhaps that reaction was entirely appropriate for an orc. He had failed to protect his tribe and its settlement. What could cause a warrior greater grief? With an expression suggesting he might shed tears of blood, Orga left the chief's house. Grild watched his retreating back with a similarly troubled face.

"Karath, it seems you were right. Something truly is wrong with the forest."

"Yes, Chief."

"Haa." Grild stared at the ceiling, his expression filled with complicated thoughts. After living beside him for more than a decade, Karath felt some sympathy. Grild was hardly accustomed to thinking through complicated problems. There was no reason for him to strain himself so badly that he lost his hair.

"There is no need to worry so deeply, Chief." Karath spoke calmly for the sake of both Grild's peace of mind and the continued survival of his hair.

"Ahem. Have you already considered a solution?"

"Yes." Grild's eyes immediately brightened at Karath's confident answer.

"Before that, however, Karath has one question."

"Ask."

"In addition to the Warriorhearts Tribe Karath brought here and the Bearclaw Tribe that arrived today, is there another tribe close to Bloodclaw?"

"Yes. There is one more. Why do you ask?" Grild looked puzzled.

"Does anyone in our tribe know the route to that settlement? Someone must visit them as quickly as possible."

"Why would you go there?"

"The forest is in chaos. Monsters could attack them at any time and slaughter our kin. Warriorhearts and Bearclaw have also moved here, so even if that tribe attempts to flee, it may travel toward an empty settlement and die." The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

"Ah!" Grild had clearly not considered that possibility.

"When do you intend to depart? In ten days? Or after every Warriorhearts tribesperson has completed the move?"

"Tomorrow."

"What? Then what happens to the remaining Warriorhearts people?"

"Krog can finish that task."

"Why must you move so urgently? Preventing the deaths of our kin is important, but the lives of Bloodclaw's people matter more, Karath!"

"Karath understands." Naturally, he understood. His ultimate goal remained a peaceful and prosperous life for himself and his tribespeople. Although the other orcs were technically of the same race, part of Karath still retained his human sensibilities. His instinctive attachment to unfamiliar tribes was not particularly strong. However, creating a stable society and advancing civilisation required a larger population. If Karath moved too slowly, the remaining tribe might be destroyed.

The opportunity to increase their population all at once would disappear. Of course, sacrificing Bloodclaw lives to achieve that goal would reverse his priorities entirely.

"Karath has already prepared a way to protect our settlement." Before departing for Warriorhearts, he had created a safeguard. It could only be used once, but it would defend the village even in Karath's absence. Kairin's comfortable earthen house usually belonged to her alone. Now Karath and Grild stood inside it.

"Th-this is the protection you mentioned?" Grild stared at the large object Kairin presented with obvious confusion.

"Yes. It contains shamanic power comparable to the technique used against the drake." Karath answered confidently to reassure him. Demonstrating the device would have been preferable, but it was a single-use weapon.

"Aunt Kairin only needs to insert the jewel she is holding and activate the device." It required the mana stone taken from the drake's body. Karath had considered absorbing the mana within the stone himself, but that presented two problems. The first was efficiency. Even though his ability to absorb mana had improved, he could not take in everything stored within the stone.

Just as he absorbed only part of the mana flowing through nature, drawing energy from the stone would waste much of it compared with using it directly. Karath's current reserves allowed him to cast three or four Third Circle spells consecutively. Even after absorbing the stone, he would probably gain enough for only one Fourth Circle spell, or perhaps two under the most optimistic estimate. The second problem was more important.

Absorbing it personally would accomplish nothing if danger reached the settlement while he was absent. Karath intended to continue developing the village and expanding its territory. That would require him to travel outside the settlement repeatedly. He needed a defensive weapon others could operate without him.

"Karath has already taught Kairin how to use it. Even if Karath and several warriors are absent, this device should protect the village from one major attack." He had envisioned this plan from the moment he discovered the drake bones and the second mana stone. That was why he had forced Kairin through an intensive magical education. The process had been as unreasonable as teaching mathematics and science to a young child merely to introduce programming.

"Then Karath must visit the other tribe quickly. If anything dangerous enough to require that device occurs, Karath will remain in the village afterward and protect it personally."

"Karath, you always prepare for these possibilities before anyone else." Grild looked at him with a complicated expression and released an unusually weary sigh.

"Very well. Go. But return as quickly as possible in case something unexpected happens."

"Yes, Chief." Grild granted permission, and Karath departed the following morning with four Bloodclaw warriors. As he had told the chief, Krog was placed in charge of completing the Warriorhearts migration. The Warriorhearts people were cooperating diligently, so Karath expected no serious problems. Even so, he moved at a rapid pace. Before sunset, the group reached the settlement of the Doubleaxes Tribe. An unusual atmosphere hung over the village.

The population was fairly large, but the tribespeople seemed divided into separate groups. Such divisions were rare within the isolated clan-like society of an orc tribe.

"We are warriors from the Bloodclaw Tribe!" Uncle Galon called out.

"We have urgent words for the chief of Doubleaxes!" Galon had visited during a previous bride search, so he served as the group's guide.

"Have you come for a bride search?" a Doubleaxes warrior asked.

"We came for something more important."

"Ahem. Then follow me. I will take you to the chief." The warrior led them toward the chief's house.

"Krahahaha! Parker Doubleaxes is chief of this settlement." Parker possessed a massive body comparable to Kaden's and looked considerably younger than the chiefs of the other tribes. He appeared to be in his mid or late twenties. He had probably defeated the former chief and claimed the position relatively recently.

"It is an honour to meet you, Chief," Galon said.

"Galon Bloodclaw is a warrior of the Bloodclaw Tribe."

"You said you came with an important message?" At Parker's direct question, Galon turned toward Karath.

"Karath Bloodclaw greets you. He came to deliver words on behalf of Bloodclaw's chief."

"Speak."

"Before that, may Karath ask one question?"

"What do you wish to know?"

"Have unusual monsters appeared in this region recently?"

"Unusual monsters?"

"Creatures far stronger than those normally seen nearby, or monsters that usually travel alone appearing in large groups."

"How did you know?"

"The same has happened near our settlement. The Warriorhearts Tribe experienced it as well. Several days ago, the Bearclaw settlement was destroyed after attacks by Horn Boars and an ogre."

"Damn it. So our settlement is not the only one." Parker's face twisted fiercely.

"The number of monsters surrounding Doubleaxes has increased recently. The Hellsong Tribe was also destroyed by a monster, just as Bearclaw was. Their survivors fled here and are now living within our settlement." That explained why the village seemed divided.

"The Hellsong survivors said the creature looked like an enormous lizard," Parker continued. Karath's attention sharpened.