CH 99

The orc’s eyes locked with Lucia’s, and it realized that she had one of its cubs beside her.

Oak’s eyes turned red when the baby, who had been searching for it so much, was trapped in a cage with a disastrous appearance.

Kwaaaaah!

The air sharpened from the tremendous momentum. Flesh that was so thick could be felt that made hairs stand on end.

After what seemed like an eternity, the orc moved. 

The ground rumbled with each movement, befitting its massive size.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The orc ran straight for Lucia. The knights and men, realizing what was happening, fired spears and bows, but the orc didn’t flinch.

It sped up even more as it was hit.

There was enough distance to avoid the orcs, but Lucia was frozen in place. 

For the first time in her life, she couldn’t move. As she stood there, shaking and breathing, a tearing voice reached her ears.

“Lucia!”

“Lady Agnes!”

Lucas and Arista on her left, Bern and Celine on her right, calling to her with all their might.

Their faces were as pale as anyones. Lucia’s fingers twitched, and she was able to move.

She sucked in a sharp intake of breath and turned quickly.

But before she could get far, the orc was right behind her.

Kwaaaaaah!

The orc swung an arm as thick as a log.

Without looking back, Lucia felt the pressure from the ground and quickly stomped her foot. The next moment, she stepped on the hem of her dress.

“Argh!”

Whoo!

Lucia’s slender scream was heard with a roar.

“Ah, ahh…….”

She didn’t feel any pain except for her knees and hands from the fall. Lucia shuddered and immediately lifted her head.

Krrrr….…

The orc let out an eerie howl and drooled. Slowly, Lucia rolled her eyes and saw the cage crushed by the orc’s hand.

‘If I hadn’t fallen…….’

She thought she would have been torn like a piece of paper in that hand.

Lucia shuddered even more at the strength of the monster she had just witnessed.

She must run away now. If she runs away in small increments so as not to offend the monster….…

Lucia took a few steps backward, then froze as her eyes locked with the orc.

She knew in her gut that if she moved an inch, she would die at the hands of that orc.

“Lucia, don’t move!”

Arista, running from the distance, yelled at Lucia with all the strength she could muster. She quickly drew her sword and unleashed an auror.

However, it was her first time facing a monster, and she couldn’t move quickly enough.

“We’ll lure it away, and you stay where you are! Do you understand?”

Lucia bit her lower lip hard and barely nodded.

Arista immediately joined the knights in drawing the orcs’ attention.

There was a clash of weapons and people shouting. The orc staggered and looked around at the din.

The orc’s anger grew, and it cried out even louder, stomping around in place, grabbing at the bars of the cage that held its cub and shaking them.

Lucia could only take small steps backward as if she were about to be trampled by the rampaging orc’s paws; any more and the orc would react, making it impossible for her to escape.

“Damn it…! Why isn’t it moving?”

Arista grew increasingly impatient as the orc refused to leave Lucia’s side.

She tried to lure it away, but it just stood in place. The closer she got, the more agile it became. 

It engaged in a tense battle with the people as if it were holding Lucia hostage.

For a monster, it was cunning.

“We’re going to miss both of them!”

To make matters worse, when the humans couldn’t do anything, the orc bent the bars, allowing the baby monster to slip through.

The knights standing by gaped, afraid they’d miss the monster.

Arista, however, saw it as an opportunity.

‘Rather, it’s better to run away with the baby like this. Then it’ll ignore Lucia.’

So far, the orc hadn’t threatened Lucia, only interested in saving its cub. 

It knows that Lucia will not attack.

Arista gestured to the knights and ordered them to be quiet.

In the heavy silence, only the orc who cradled a baby orc in its arms let out a low cry.

Then the knights around it began to stir. The orc flinched at first, but then its eyes widened as the knights cleared a path.

They deliberately let the orc go.

“Don’t attack. Just go there.”

Not sure if it made sense, Arista pointed to the path that led into the forest. The orc bared its teeth again.

After a moment’s hesitation, the orc crouched even lower and took a step forward.

‘That’s it!’

Arista exulted. If the orc would just leave with its cub, Lucia could….…

“Argh!”

Before she could reassure herself, she heard a piercing scream. The orc had grabbed Lucia.

The orc was taller than most tents, and its hands wrapped around Lucia’s waist.

Arista and the knights were on alert, swords drawn.

Kwaaaaah!

The orc screamed around them, holding its young in one hand and Lucia’s waist in the other.

It seemed to be saying that it’ll kill Lucia if they even come close. 

Orc, perhaps mistaken, put Lucia forward. Anyone could tell it was holding a hostage.

“Hmph, hmph…….”

Lucia was in a panic. She was in such a state of terror that she couldn’t shed a tear or scream.

The image of the giant hand around her waist was too vivid. She realized that if the orc gave her any more pressure, her body would burst open.

People were shouting, but Lucia could hear nothing.

‘Uh, what should I do?’

She tried to stay as calm as possible, but no matter how much she racked her brain, she couldn’t come up with a solution.

If she screamed or struggled, the orc would throw her or tear her apart, and if she stayed still, it’d drag her away and she’d never get back there.

Lucia squeezed her eyes shut as her thoughts turned to the worst possible outcome.

‘Herwin……!’

Tudududud-!

Just then, she heard the faint sound of small hooves. The orc must have felt it because its grip on Lucia tightened.

“Ugh!”

Hee-hee-hee!

The sound of the hoofbeats grew closer and closer, indicating that the horse was right behind them. 

She wanted to turn around, but Lucia had no time for that.

All she could do was struggle to free herself from the orc’s grip on her waist.

Ouch!

Then, to Lucia’s annoyance, the orc began to roar and rampage.

Needless to say, Lucia was even more terrified.

“Help, help…….”

Squeak!

Lucia’s voice rattled for a moment, but then something snapped and she fell to the ground. The hand holding her waist felt like it had been released.

Lucia, who was falling without knowing why, was soon able to feel the familiar musk scent with warm warmth.

Dumbfounded, she looked up. Herwin’s face was right in front of her.

His face was sweaty and frighteningly emotional.

“Her…….”

“Close your eyes.”

Lucia hadn’t even finished saying Herwin’s name when he spoke it.

Less than a second later, she heard an orc howl.

Kwah! Kwah! Kwah! 

It was a little different from the previous screams. It sounded like it was writhing in pain.

However, Lucia was closing her eyes, so she couldn’t understand why.

“Hold on tight so you don’t fall.”

The voice said in her ear. Lucia nodded and threw her arms around Herwin’s neck with all her might.

She felt Herwin’s strong arms around her waist. For a moment, she sensed that something was going to happen, and then she felt her body collapse.

The monster’s screams grew more agonizing as it gurgled.

Krek-

Soon the orc’s sounds grew quieter and quieter until finally, it stopped screaming.

She wanted to see what happened, but she didn’t have the courage.

She felt like she was still being held by the orc, and her body trembled uncontrollably.

“Ha, ha, ha…….”

She choked on her breath as fear overtook her.

“……hya.”

“Ha, ha…….”

The image of the orc twisting the bars of the cage with one hand came back to her vividly.

“Lucia!”

“Haah……!”

Lucia’s eyes snapped open at the familiar voice in her ear. The scenes in her head faded away and she could see Herwin’s face.

“Herwin…….”

“It’s okay now, it’s all over.”

Herwin smiled gently and wiped the sweat from Lucia’s face. Lucia, trembling like a thorn, stared at Herwin’s face.

“Is it…is it over?”

“Yes, it’s over. I’m sorry I came so late.”

His words brought a rush of relief.

Lucia suddenly realized that Herwin had completely defeated the orc.

Reflexively, Lucia turned her head. But before she could turn, Herwin covered her eyes.

“Don’t look, it’s not for you to see.”

Lucia’s eyes caught sight of long fingers, which hastily covered her eyes for her sanity, but it was too late.

Lucia had already seen the remains of the orc.

She hadn’t seen all of it, but she could tell that the orc and its young had died a horrible death. 

The foul, horrible scent of blood stung her nostrils. Surely the orc’s green blood had been spilled on the grass.

Her stomach churned and felt nauseated. She could see why people were so afraid of monsters, and why Herwin had so firmly warned her to be wary of them.

It lasted less than ten minutes, but it was the scariest thing she’d ever experienced in her life-no, in her entire life.

“Herwin……!”

Lucia instinctively sought sanctuary. Something clattered and Herwin wrapped his other hand around her back, holding her tightly.

“Herwin…….”

“Yeah.”

“I’m so scared.”

“Yeah. You held up well.”

The tension in Lucia’s body slowly eased with the loving touch on her back and the soothing voice in her ear.

“Lucia! Lucia!”

She heard a voice calling her name. However, Lucia was barely conscious of the sudden release of tension.

“Herwin, I…….”

“Shhh, you don’t have to say anything. I’ll be right here with you.”

She slept soundly.

The words were magical. Lucia’s consciousness faded, as if someone had come and said something to her.

At the end of her blurry vision, she saw a pair of sweet red eyes, and her body went limp.

Hearing her colorful breathing, Herwin held her steady.

“Lucia! Is Lucia okay?”

“Lucia!”

Lucas, Arista, Bern, and others who knew Lucia quickly gathered around her.

Those who still didn’t realize Lucia was asleep came over with scolding voices, but-

“……….”

They all stopped dead in their tracks at the sight of the red auror rising from Herwin’s body.

Herwin didn’t say much. His eyes, however, were no longer the kindly ones he had shown Lucia, and his flesh had a chilling quality that sent chills down their spine.

Get out of the way.

The look in his eyes was enough to make his intentions clear. The others, including Arista and Lucas, took a few hesitant steps back. 

They could now see the orc’s corpse just around the corner.

“Ugh……!”

They couldn’t help but frown at the sight of the remains. 

Everyone was stunned to realize that a single man had taken down an orc that could not be hit by arrows or spears.