The orcish populace was renowned for their strength and fearlessness, yet in this instance, even they cowered before Bruger. He had become a tyrant, transforming the once vibrant city of Grunthree into a place of dread. The people despised this new reality but were powerless, forced to obey due to his immense might and mercilessness. The inhabitants of Grunthree knew that an arrow aimed at Bruger signaled an assassination attempt, one that had failed and would exact a heavy toll on them all. To be caught in his path meant certain slaughter; thus, their only option was to flee.
They scattered in all directions, away from the epicenter. Left, right, forward—everyone dispersed in a panic, leaving the heart of the city deserted. Bruger, though irritated by their reaction, had no choice but to tolerate it until he identified the culprits. He glanced at his general, Okurnion, who was diligently attempting to uncover the identity of the archer.
Amidst the chaos, Takagi and Shelur sought refuge behind a stack of wooden crates, while on the opposite side of the bustling street, Hanz and Muk concealed themselves in a similar manner.
"Ah, damn it, there goes any hope of devising a plan..." Takagi muttered, cautiously peering over the crates to avoid being struck by a fleeing orc.
Shelur, overwhelmed with regret, began to tear up.
"I'm sorry... everything is my fault. If I hadn't suppressed my emotions, none of this would have happened." Shelur struggled to contain her tears, her vulnerability evident.
"Hey, it's okay. What matters now is that you saved that boy's life. Don't dwell on it. Be strong, because we have to confront that monster before he goes on a rampage. Our situation isn't ideal, but we can't let that stop us," Takagi reassured her.
As they observed the scene, Takagi was taken aback by the number of guards surrounding the center. There were roughly a hundred of them, and in the midst of it all were the two real threats.
Time passed quicker than Takagi or Shelur had anticipated. Shelur managed to regain her composure, her tears dried, and her courage reignited.
"Shelur," Takagi began.
"How big of an ego does this guy have?" Takagi remarked.
"Ego? I'd say he embodies it. I've never seen anyone carry themselves with such arrogance," replied Shelur.
"I have an incredibly stupid idea... but hear me out. I want you, Hanz, and that boy to run away from here," Takagi said.
"What!? Are you crazy? I'm not leaving you here!" Shelur protested.
"Why not?" Takagi questioned.
"That's ridiculous!" Shelur exclaimed.
"I've been thinking about it. If we flee and hide, we'll never catch him off guard because he'll be expecting an attack. Plus, that boy will be killed. However, if I confront him alone, you all can live and plan further. If things get too dangerous, you can flee into the forest," Takagi explained.
"No! That's a terrible plan! You'll die!" Shelur objected.
"I really hope I don't die! What will happen if I do? But there's no other option. I won't choose to save myself over saving that poor boy's life. He still has many years ahead of him. I, however, have lived a long life, and if I'm lucky, maybe I'll get another shot at reincarnation... right?" Takagi nervously contemplated.
"Yes?"
"I have a plan."
"A plan?" Shelur questioned.
The last person had run past, and Takagi could finally see Hanz and Muk on the other side of the street. He gestured for silence, holding his finger to his lips.
"This is stupid, this is stupid, this is stupid..." he kept repeating to himself.
With no time to waste, he moved slowly away from the center, intending to turn the corner and exit onto another street to create a chance for escape.
"Wait, you're serious? Takagi, no! You're going to die!" Shelur protested.
"There's no other choice. Wait for me to distract them, then you both make a silent run for it," Takagi instructed.
"Ahhh!" The boy in Bruger's grasp cried out in pain, prompting Takagi to act more swiftly. He peeked around to get a better view. All the guards remained vigilant, prepared for any sign of trouble.
Bruger stood in the center, gripping the boy by his hair. "Show yourselves! Or this boy's throat will be slit. You know I'm capable of it!" he threatened.
"He doesn't know how many of us there are. That's our advantage, but it's time to move," Takagi thought to himself. He turned and began to crawl slowly away, careful not to make a sound.
"Takagi, no! You'll die!" Shelur pleaded.
"Do me a favor, don't help me. If you're serious about taking this guy down, think of a solid plan and don't act on your impulses," Takagi whispered to Shelur.
He signaled to Hanz to stay with Shelur, and Hanz nodded in response. Although Hanz's emotions were unreadable, Takagi suspected he was slightly scared. Muk, on the other hand, was visibly trembling, making no effort to conceal his fear.
Takagi continued to move slowly through the street until he was entirely out of view.
"This is stupid, this is stupid," Takagi repeated in his mind as he turned a corner and began to sprint, determined not to waste any time. Along the way, he stumbled upon a shop with its doors open but deserted. No orcs were nearby; the streets were eerily quiet, although they had not been bustling with noise before. He entered the shop and spotted a low-quality bow, which he promptly took and slung over his head. He then turned another corner, continuing without further delay.
Meanwhile, Bruger grew increasingly frustrated with the silence. He screamed for the last time, demanding the attacker to reveal themselves. He assumed that whoever attacked him would stick around, especially since it was clear that the boy's life mattered to them. Despite this assumption, he remained clueless about the attacker's identity or if they were part of a larger force. The boy's cries increased in intensity, and Bruger's patience wore thin.
"Shut up, you stupid brat!" Bruger shouted, delivering a punch to the boy's cheek, careful not to kill him but to keep him alive as bait for his enemy.
From a distance, a pale man emerged from an alleyway, neither hiding nor showing fear. However, Takagi, the pale man, was trembling with fear, despite maintaining a façade of confidence.
"This is stupid!" Takagi thought, trying to maintain his confident walk.
"There! That's our guy!" Okurnion announced, fixing his sword to a stance.
"Could be. He does have a bow... a human bold enough to walk alone through this city?" Bruger added, assuming Takagi's race based on his skin color.
"You know, humans are cocky, always believing they're the smartest race," Okurnion remarked.
"No... he's an elf. Look at his ears," Bruger pointed out, indicating Takagi's prominently pointed elf ears.
"An elf? You think he's here for..." Okurnion began, only to be interrupted.
"No, I doubt it, but it's a possibility. He is dressed rather well. Maybe an adventurer?" Bruger interjected.
"Maybe," Okurnion replied, adjusting his blade.
All the guards remained poised in their positions, maintaining their circular formation. Breaking formation would leave an opening, but more importantly, Bruger had made his orders clear: "Stay in the circular position." He did not need to explain further; anyone who questioned or acted against his orders would be killed on sight for incompetence.
"Hmm, he has a spear but hasn't drawn it yet. Does he want to talk, after attacking me?" Bruger pondered as the confident elf approached the line of guards.
Once Takagi was too close to ignore, he halted.
"Hm," Bruger smirked, letting out a slight chuckle. "Let him through."
As Bruger commanded, the guards shifted slightly, creating an opening for Takagi to confidently proceed.
"You... you have some nerve. How dare you shoot an arrow at my face and then boldly face me without unsheathing your weapon!" Bruger shouted towards Takagi, who stood on the other side of the well.
"What should I say?" Takagi nervously thought, aware that Bruger would likely see his sweating. He remained silent for an entire minute.
"...you know, you're either bold or a complete idiot for ignoring me!" Bruger grew angrier and snapped, pulling out his sword and swinging it toward the small boy who knelt, awaiting his fate.
"Wait!" Takagi interjected.
"Ah, so you can speak!" Bruger said, stopping just short of killing the boy.
"Yes," the boy replied.
"Well? Is that all you're going to say?" Bruger demanded.
"I have a proposal. Care to listen?" the boy asked.
"A proposal? What makes you think I will listen to what you have to say? Ha, you are out of your puny mind. The only reason you aren't dead right now is because I was intrigued by your audaciousness. Maybe I'll just kill thi..." Bruger hesitated.
"I was sent here... to assess your strength as a leader," Takagi lied, improvising as his reactions were unexpected. Perhaps Takagi wasn't as experienced in talking to people as he had thought.
"Assess my strength? By who? Who sent you, elf?" Bruger demanded.
"Wait, did it work? No? Maybe, but I have to continue the lie!" Takagi scrambled within his head.
"Actually, it's part of your assessment not to know," Takagi replied, sounding professional and bold, with no mutters or mumbles in his responses.
"Bullshit! ...Well, what exactly does strength mean?" Bruger asked, curious.
Takagi thought long and hard. His original goal was to feed Bruger's ego and challenge him one-on-one, so Takagi could get the chance to take him down on an even playing field. Although his plan had not gone directly as planned, he still planned to rely on his intrigue. "Is he this gullible?" Takagi thought.
"You and I have to fight without interruption from anyone, to the death. If you die, then you weren't meant to rule over these people," Takagi proposed.
"What? That's ridiculous! Who sent you? Answer me, elf!" Bruger demanded.
"You know who. I won't say his name, but if you don't know who I'm talking about, you insult him dearly. And trust me, he hears everything you say," Takagi replied, his lie intentionally vague to make Bruger question himself and keep him guessing. It was a gamble Takagi was nervous to take.
"What?!" Bruger exclaimed, clearly taken aback.
Bruger thought long and hard about what Takagi had said. A flashback entered his mind.
"Bruger, well done. I think I'm going to leave the next city we raid in your hands. You've proven worthy to be tested for your strength," a man had told him.
Bruger and this man stood at the foot of a hill, watching a small town burn as orc people ran and screamed for their lives, hunted by an army of orc warriors.
The man who had spoken those words to Bruger was none other than the leader, or in better words, the tyrant King of the new kingdom, Azuk Smolg.
Bruger rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "It can't be. How does he know about what he said to me that day?" Bruger wondered.
For some odd reason, Bruger, being a smart orc, was fooled by an overconfident, firm, and fearless elf. However, in reality, Takagi's knees trembled ever so slightly in fear.