Translator: Cinder Translations
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"How terrifying could the orcs be?"
Aldridge and Alvey were somewhat puzzled by McDonald's assertions.
For people living in the heart of human civilization, their feelings toward orcs were a mix of fear and disdain. They feared the orcs due to the common perception of them—strikingly different from humans in appearance, possessing immense strength, displaying a brutal nature, and having a culture steeped in plundering. The latter two reasons were also why humans looked down on them.
Moreover, although individual orcs were powerful, their race was highly fragmented. The tribes on the plains often united and then split apart. When an old chieftain died, it typically led to the disintegration of his tribe. This meant that while the orcs could organize small, elite teams to raid human territory, they often chose to flee when faced with a human army sent to retaliate.
Their weapon-making technology was also quite primitive. Ordinary orcs could only craft weapons from bones, wood, or stone, and it was a great fortune to acquire even a single metal weapon or piece of armor, which would be treated as a family heirloom. In a large-scale military engagement, it often took three to five orc soldiers' lives to take down one well-equipped human soldier—this referred to actual soldiers, not just farmers picking up weapons.
However, over thousands of years of conflict between humans and orcs, the latter had posed significant threats to humanity a few times. When a powerful king arose among them, the previously warring tribes would form alliances. They would abduct human craftsmen as slaves to compensate for their technological shortcomings and even replicate human states by establishing large armies. At the height of their power, orc forces even penetrated into what is now human territory.
But once they were pushed back to the plains, they would immediately revert to their previous disarray. The tribal alliances would crumble, leading to infighting over the scarce resources available for survival on the plains.
The decline of human nations often took more than a hundred years, sometimes just a few decades, whereas the orcish decline could happen in under ten years, from peak to nadir.
Overall, the orcs had been at a disadvantage in their long-standing struggle with humans, only having a few brief moments of glory.
This was also why Aldridge and Alvey had not associated the prophecy with the orcs.
However, McDonald, as a senior officer in the imperial army, did not share this perspective. Compared to the two scholars who enjoyed esoteric knowledge, he was more focused on the present and reality.
"The merchant caravans that have traveled to the plains have brought back some information."
Now, McDonald took on the role of the speaker, while the two White Tower scholars became the listeners.
"As I mentioned earlier, the Zarg clan has established a new royal tent, and this time they are not just abducting human craftsmen; they are engaging in some unbelievable activities."
"Unbelievable activities?"
"The orcs are creating their own writing system. Not only that, they seem to be mimicking human nations by setting up various court offices."
Upon hearing McDonald's account, Aldridge and Alvey exchanged glances and then burst into laughter together.
"Hahaha! This… this is truly unheard of."
Seeing the two scholars so dismissive of what he believed should be taken seriously, McDonald felt a mix of embarrassment and anger.
He extended his right hand and rapped sharply on the table with his knuckles.
"Gentlemen, underestimating an opponent comes with a cost, especially when that opponent has posed a significant threat to humanity in the past. Unlike the mythical tales of the demon-human wars that are hard to verify, the orc invasions are clearly documented in history."
"We apologize, Lord McDonald."
The two scholars struggled to suppress their laughter, and among them, Alvey said, "I just find it particularly amusing to imagine a group of orc men wrapped in animal skins trying to learn arithmetic by counting on their fingers."
"Well, that is indeed a humorous scene, but let's not forget that our human ancestors also started off wrapped in animal skins. As scholars, you should understand this better than I do."
McDonald said with displeasure, "The reality is that the Watcher Legion of the Aldor Kingdom, which has suppressed the orcs for over a hundred years, has not ventured onto the plains to burn orc pastures for years now. They can only hide in the Neron Valley, watching orc cattle and horses run freely across the plains. Moreover, those oasis nations in the desert have reportedly started to pay more attention to the opinions from the vast plains. The influence of the royal tent is no longer confined to the traditional territory of the orcs."
"Hmm!" Upon hearing McDonald's remarks about the orcs, Aldridge furrowed his brow and stroked his beard, realizing he had indeed underestimated them.
"The opinions from the plains? Did I hear you correctly?"
The old marshal frowned and said, "You heard correctly. In fact, the current royal tent does not seem as warlike as before. They send envoys to nearby human nations to discuss trade matters, rather than directly raiding them like in the past. Even if they plan to attack and plunder human territories, they come up with a slew of grandiose reasons, like diplomatic insult or robbery. Sometimes, the orcs even issue challenges to their targets, which seems unbelievable. Furthermore, human merchant caravans entering the plains are now well protected, unlike before when they had to worry constantly about being robbed. According to the merchants, they even encountered human officials of high status within the royal tent, of course, working for the orcs. I'm sure that scholars like you haven't read about such peculiar sights in your books, have you?"
"Over time, the rulers of the oasis nations have begun to see the orcs as negotiable partners. How naive and childish; they have become foolish enough not to see through the pretenses of these barbaric plains tribes."
McDonald spoke in one breath.
"It is indeed remarkable; how could they become more and more like human nations?"
Aldridge stroked his beard, feeling greatly surprised.
"Indeed," his student Alvey added, "these orcs have the potential to become the great enemy of humanity described in the prophecy. These savages can reproduce quickly, and their lifestyle on the plains makes them natural cavalry and hunters. If they gain the organizational capabilities of human nations, they could indeed pose a significant disaster."
"I suddenly thought of an even worse possibility."
Aldridge's expression grew extremely grave.
"What possibility?" Alvey and McDonald turned to him simultaneously.
"What if both the demon race and the orcs come together?"
Aldridge wore a bitter smile on his face.
(End of the Chapter)
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