Translator: Cinder Translations
...
After Stanford's conversation with the orc named Finn, the initially tense atmosphere became more relaxed.
The members of the exploration team no longer aimed their weapons at the orc caravan, while the orc merchants herded their livestock close to the cave.
The drivers drove wooden stakes into the ground and tied their respective animals to them. They simply patted the camels and horses, and the animals obediently lay down on the grass. Then their owners took out blankets to cover them.
Both the human and orc teams entered the cave while remaining cautious of each other.
The members of the exploration team returned to their previous spots, which were generally close to the entrance and had been warmed by the fire they had earlier lit.
The later-arriving orcs occupied a deeper area of the cave and also lit their own fire.
"How did you come here? It's rare to see humans from the south," one of the orcs approached, tossing a leather pouch to Stanford.
Stanford pulled out the stopper, and the smell of alcohol wafted out.
The two began to chat.
"We came by ship from the sea, hoping to purchase furs to sell back south," Stanford briefly explained, without revealing the true purpose of their mission.
"Oh! Furs, that's good stuff. I know that the noblewomen of your kind love them; it's one of the few things that can coax money from you humans," Finn replied, his voice rough like other orcs, but his eyes gleamed with interest. "However, this is the first time I've met people coming from the sea."
Stanford explained, "Our region is quite remote and has only recently developed maritime trade. Most people sail to the wealthy south, but I'm somewhat unconventional and thought I'd travel north to see what adventures await. I've learned that many obtain furs from the Rocky Mountains—the big mountain to the south, I don't know what you call it—but they usually go east along the mountain before heading north. So, after I got a suitable ship, I thought I'd try sailing west to your orc lands. Oh, I'm from the northwestern coastal area of Aldor."
Finn nodded. "I can tell from your accent; I've interacted with other Northwesterners. My caravan also travels east along the big mountains and then south to trade with humans. By the way, brother, you said you came by sea, so where is your ship? Why are you here, so far from the ocean?"
Stanford shrugged, feigning helplessness. "It hit a reef and sank; we had to travel by land."
Finn patted him on the shoulder in sympathy. "Please accept my condolences for your unfortunate situation."
He thought to himself that this human would probably not make any money and might end up losing quite a bit.
"So, are you heading back south?"
"Yes, I plan to lead my team directly over the Rocky Mountains; after all, our hometown is in northwestern Aldor, and detouring around the Rockies would be too far."
"Cross over that great mountain? Oh my goodness!"
The orc looked incredulous at Stanford's words.
"Do you know why we caravans that travel between the two areas always choose to go around the so-called Rocky Mountains instead of crossing over?"
"Why? It must be because the mountain roads are rugged, the terrain is dangerous, and it's hard to traverse, right?"
Stanford had some doubts himself. Even if the terrain was complex, didn't history develop a path through it? It seemed that only a small section on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains saw occasional small groups of orcs crossing over to Aldor. Historically, orcs had always invaded Aldor in large-scale assaults through the Neron Corridor located in the northeastern part of the kingdom, and there had never been any records of orcs crossing the mountains from the northwest coastal area.
The orc explained, "That's one reason, but the main reason is that it's the dwarves' territory. These stubborn beings harbor hostility toward any intelligent life outside their race."
"Dwarves? You mean the little people?"
Stanford asked, envisioning a short, muscular figure with a big beard. In the northwestern coastal area, such beings only existed in legends.
The orc nodded. "Yes, the dwarves. Human, I must warn you, they are not to be trifled with."
Stanford found it amusing; could they really be more troublesome than the orcs? He kept a straight face. "How so?"
The orc's expression turned serious. "The Rocky Mountains are tightly controlled by the dwarves. Any other races that enter will get lost within, and only a few lucky ones manage to find their way out."
"How do they do that?"
"I'm not sure of the specifics, but there are rumors that this race uses some kind of magical power."
"Magic?" Stanford was astonished.
The orc said, "But I lean toward the idea that the dwarves intentionally make the terrain in the mountains very complicated. You know, this race is rumored to be very skilled in digging and tunneling."
"A mountain of that size isn't a simple job."
"Brother, you should know that these beings have occupied the Rocky Mountains for thousands of years, and there are not many walkable places in the mountains. They just need to modify a few key spots."
"That's true, but how do you know so much? At least in comparison to us, dwarves are almost like mythical creatures. I only heard an old grandfather in my village mention that he saw a dwarf once in his childhood, and I haven't heard of any concrete traces of them since."
The orc shook his head. "It seems they aren't too keen on dealing with you. However, on this side of the mountains, the dwarves occasionally come to the edges to trade with us, like for furs and such. Oh, their craftsmanship is indeed impressive; I'll say it fairly, it's much more exquisite than yours. It's just that they trade too infrequently."
That's a problem!
Stanford fell silent. If what this orc said was true, what would happen to his team?
If it were just a complicated path that was easy to get lost in, perhaps the orc was exaggerating to scare them; there were people in his team skilled in navigation.
But if the dwarves in the mountains had a hostile attitude towards outsiders, would they cut off their path and capture them as slaves or simply kill them to end the matter?
Seeing Stanford deep in thought, Finn continued chatting a bit before returning to his own team.
"Finn!" an older orc with graying fur called his name.
"You've said too much for a group of strangers."
Finn grinned widely, his tusks prominently showing. "Do you know? These humans came from the sea; they are a group of warriors!"
"From the sea?" Several nearby orcs, including the elder, looked astonished.
"That must have been an incredibly dangerous journey," the elder murmured.
"Yes," Finn said, deeply moved. "For us, the sea and the mountains to the south are both forbidden zones."
"That mountain won't be a forbidden zone for long!"
The elder stared at the fire, his eyes shining with a mysterious light.
Outside, the snow continued to fall. As night gradually approached, the two groups of travelers, each with their own thoughts, assigned guards for the night, and most people soon fell asleep.
(End of the Chapter)
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