375 Coming-of-Age Ceremony

At that moment, the human captives exploded in uproar. Only Thales felt puzzled.

'It seems that this orc... is quite famous?'

The commotion continued for a while until the orcs impatiently gave the captives a lesson.

After a few seconds...

"Am I that famous?" the leader of the orcs asked the question in Thales' mind in a low voice and frowned, making the scar on its forehead fold inwards slightly.

Dean sneered.

"A Constellatiate, specifically, the Count of Wind Castle of the Land of Cliffs Region, Hodge Dagestan, put up a bounty for the head of the 'foreign blood'. If I remember correctly, 1,556 Tormond gold coins, accompanied by a lord's manor, and the glory of marrying a lady from the Dagestan Family.

"All because of the Desert War ten years ago. Count Dagestan lost his eldest son, who was also his heir, during an ambush. The boy died on foreign land."

The pure black orc, Kandarll Nushan roared in a deep voice, extended his arms, and held back a Holy Guard who was about to charge forward—the blue-faced orc with the spiked mace.

Kandarll the orc took two harsh pants. Even his gaze when he regarded Dean was no longer the same.

"Still, no one has ever obtained this bounty," it said faintly.

Dean sighed. "No, no one… because you are alive and kicking, your hands and feet are intact..." Dean glanced at the other's wrist and the iron fork that it wielded. "I mean, most of your hands and feet are still intact."

Kandarll pursed its lips, and by the standards of a human, it looked incredibly ferocious.

"And not only are you still hale and hearty, you even joined the Shattered Stone tribe." Dean glanced at the three unique orcs who became restless once Dean recognized Kandarll.

"You have your own Holy Guards, and even have the right to speak with the honor of the Shattered Stone tribe."

"So, have you become their warchief? Or are you simply the warchief of the whole Shattered Stone tribe?" the blue-faced orc whispered, and was about to step forward when he was firmly held back by the white-lipped orc carrying a black bow.

Dean forced out a smile.

"How should we address you? Warchief Kandarll?... Or the Foreign-blooded King?"

Kandarll smiled. It slowly lowered its iron fork and allowed Dean to let his neck relax.

"The Foreign-blooded King? No, I am not."

Kandarll turned to look at all the people around him be they captives or warriors, and whispered, "Only the person who makes the eight tribes submit to him at the same time is eligible to take the Dragon Skeleton Throne. He can only be the true King of the Desert after he unites the orc tribes and even the Barren Bone kin.

"I am just a warchief, not a king." The orc warchief snorted lightly, his words contained profound meaning. "At least I'm not the king for the time being."

At this moment, Mickey, the Barren Bone man among the captives, spat angrily, "Heh, you must be dreaming."

Mickey looked at Kandarll as he knelt on the ground and said coldly, "There is no king in the Great Desert, not in the past, not even now… much less the future."

Old Hammer wanted to hint at him with a glance telling him to back down, but the Mickey obviously ignored him.

"The desert never needed a king, and there is no need for us to come together as one. The desert casts aside and curses every insane madman like you."

Kandarll turned and walked towards Mickey. When it saw the unique war tattoos on his face, its expression changed. "You are a Barren Bone man… but you mix with outsiders?"

Mickey looked at him coldly.

The orc warchief snorted and said, "You are standing on the wrong side, my luma."

Mickey's gaze changed, and he stood up. He gnashed his teeth and said,

"I am not your luma! Six hundred years ago, you were also outsiders, you gray mixed breeds!"

The orcs of the Shattered Stone tribe were not linguists, but they clearly understood what Mickey meant when he said "gray mixed breeds".

The guards behind Mickey kicked him mercilessly and the he crashed onto the ground. The Barren Bone man fell and groaned in pain.

The attackers still had not had enough and were about to continue when—

"Hey, that's enough!" Louisa shouted furiously. "That isn't necessary!"

Kandarll watched Mickey, curled up on the ground, and he shook his head before he stopped the attackers.

"So the rumors are true," Dean said in time to draw the attention of the warchief back to him. "You, Kandarll Nushan, an ambitious breed from beyond the desert, wants to unify the desert where the tribes in it are like scattered sand."

The warchief of the Shattered Stone tribe opened its mouth and exposed its sharp teeth.

Dean clicked his tongue and nodded. "No wonder..."

The bald mercenary sighed and said, "It's no wonder that after the Desert War, the famous Black Lion Family in Constellation—the Bozdorf Family of Brave Souls Fort located in the Western Desert Hill—would list you as the highest threat, even more so than the tribes which had escaped to the depths of the Great Desert, and they have been hunting you for six or seven years.

"Compared to the people who treat you as an insignificant desert bandit, they know how dangerous you are, and you're truly worth your value to have become a warchief after disappearing for a few years."

Kandarll snorted lightly.

"Whether it's because of the Bloody Year or the Desert War, your deep hatred of Constellation is as deep as the sea. This is why you would risk looking for the truth. As long as it will upset Constellation, you would be willing to do it, isn't that right?"

Thales frowned. 'This orc is... is Constellation's… sworn enemy?'

Kandarll let out a breath. It looked at Dean and had a bit of admiration in his tone when it next said, "You are not bad, Dean. I will remember you."

Dean sighed slightly. "Listen up, respected foreign blood, Warchief Kandarll. I know about the grudge you hold against Constellation, and I understand your hatred for Constellation… but your opponent is Constellation, those high-ranking human aristocrats and their unparalleled army which has swept through the desert." He shook his head.

"And us? We are just a merchant group who snuck out to make a profit despite the blockade. We are existences that they ostracize and oppress."

Dean looked dark and gloomy as he spoke. "The answer you want? We don't know it. They won't let us know either."

Kandarll looked into Dean's eyes and its gaze stayed fixed on Dean's eyes for a long time.

"No, you do not know." The orc pursed its ferocious lips and said faintly, "And according to my experience, if I want to make you know the truth, you will need some motivation."

Dean raised his eyebrows. "Motivation?"

Kandarll turned around and glanced at the captives coldly. It gritted its teeth and its expression was peculiar. "If you don't know, then you are of no value to me."

The people in the merchant group began to tremble again.

"However, you also took away four of my brave tribesmen's souls and gravely injured two..." Kandarll said faintly, "My warriors are very unsatisfied."

The mercenaries all frowned. The cold gaze of the orcs moved onto them again.

At this moment, a quivering voice arose. "It's them... distinguished and respectful warchief. It's those people who took the battle souls of your noble warriors... It has got nothing to do with us..."

Everyone's eyes turned to one side. The owner of the merchant group, Tormorden, was crying and shivering. He had one of his arms raised to point at the standing Louisa.

Quick Rope opened his mouth in disbelief. "You…!"

Kandarll smiled. "Why does it even matter? Except for the Barren Bone man, all your fates will be decided according to our rules," said the warchief coldly. "The Desert God and our ancestors as our witnesses, your fates will be decided by an important duel. If you win, you live. If you lose, you die."

Tormorden fell back onto the ground. The merchants wailed.

"Hey!" Mickey protested resentfully. "Don't exclude me, you bastard!"

The orc behind him pushed him back into the sand.

Louisa exhaled. "So, we resort to violence to solve the problem? Very well then, the same rules. Give me a sword and an opponent... I will solve the problem."

Kandarll looked at Louisa standing in the cold wind. It nodded slightly, but then shook his head.

"No." The orc leader's voice was deep and low. "The candidate for the duel will be decided by me."

It stepped forward. "I will also make it the most essential and desperate of duels to decide your destiny."

Thales shivered. Kandarll was walking towards him again. 'What?'

Everyone's expression changed.

Louisa's face tensed. "He's only a child!"

Dean frowned. "Stay away from him! At least find someone well-matched in strength to your own."

Thales frowned and looked at the orc warchief. The pure black orc went in the front of Thales and watched their reactions. It curled up its lips. "Still, you must admit that this solnoir is excellent."

As it spoke, Kandarll bent down and leaned over to seize Thales' right should with its rough left palm, then it shook Thales hard.

Under the opponent's great strength, Thales' head went dizzy and he felt as though the whole world had been turned upside-down.

"He made my eyes sparkle during the battle just now. He doesn't have the other people's abilities and he's small. He isn't even used to moving around in the desert."

While Dean and Louisa protested, Kandarll let go of Thales' shoulders. The latter felt queasy after feeling like the whole world had spun beneath his feet.

"But you have fought very well, solnoir. Every move you made perfectly countered our size and strength, and your response was better than the others'."

'Of course. That was the swordmanship that dealt specifically with orcs.'

Thales sighed to himself, and in his heart, he was anxious. There was a strange look in the orc's eyes as it looked behind it.

Thales followed his gaze… and his heart went cold. The blue-faced orc held its spiked mace and looked at Thales while it ground its teeth tightly.

Warchief Kandarll's tone changed. "It's ironic. When we launched the ambush, we had designated targets. My Holy Guard, Duraman, ordered his luma—his brother Doru—to kill you because you looked the weakest. Duraman thought this order would protect young, rash, and inexperienced Doru."

Thales panicked slightly and trembled. 'Young and rash Doru?'

He remembered the first orc he met. He remembered the moment he used a dagger to make a hole in its neck, and how it had gone berserk after that.

'So… that was…'

The orc warchief sneered. "Unfortunately, Duraman's luck and trickery eventually brought misfortune to Doru. Duraman's luma from the same mother, Doru, who had just come of age recently, died in your hands, solnoir."

Kandarll pointed at the blue-faced orc and It shook its head. "I hope my Holy Guard can learn a lesson: The Desert God is unforgiving."

The blue-faced orc, Duraman, could no longer suppress the anger in its chest. It roared at Thales, "AAAHHH! Freuca!"

Dean's voice rose with dissatisfaction. "No, it was me!" The bald mercenary patted his chest and pointed at Duraman, then protested loudly at the warchief, "Tell him I killed the orc! I killed his luma! Not Wya! Let him come to me!"

Thales stared at them blankly and found that Louisa and Old Hammer had terrified looks on their faces. Only Mickey, who was born and bred in this land, cursed as he struggled on the ground.

'This is bad…'

"No, wise Dean, Duraman told ME. He saw it very clearly..." Kandarll walked around Thales and said coldly, "You are the one who chopped off Doru's head in the end. The person who delivered the fatal blow to the artery of his neck and made him fall to the ground exhausted... is this solnoir."

It pointed at the stunned Thales. "It's you, solnoir. You took away Doru's soul." It looked at the young boy and shook its head slightly. "You are Duraman's freuca."

Thales moved slightly.

'I killed Duraman's younger brother, so I am Duraman's freuca… So, the meaning of freuca is…' His face went pale.

Kandarll lifted its left hand—still whole—and waved at Duraman in the distance, and then said a line Thales could not understand.

*Thud!*

The blue-faced Duraman's mace slammed on the ground. It dragged its heavy weapon, then glared at Thales fiercely while it approached, one step at a time. It walked towards the pale-faced Thales.

Kandarll spoke in a leisurely manner. "For this, my Holy Guard has reminded me many times that he has the right to fight this solnoir to retrieve his luma's soul. He has… the right to have revenge."

Kandarll patted Thales' shoulders. It was so strong that he almost fell, but Thales had no time to mind this. The prince sucked in a sharp breath as he watched Duraman's sturdy body and its frightening weapon.

'What the hell?'

Louisa gritted her teeth and said, "You promised that he could live."

Kandarll patted its own shoulder, its gaze was fierce. "Yes, I promised... He was free from dying in that chaotic battle just now, but I didn't say that he could reject another person issuing him a duel. He cannot be free from someone trying to exact rightful vengeance... and his duel will determine your lives."

Thales's stopped breathing. The captives' expressions were downcast.

"You motherf*cker!" Old Hammer could no longer hold himself back. He swore, "You despicable gray mixed breeds!!"

His protests were, however, quickly crushed by the orcs with their fists.

Kandarll laughed loudly. "Now, do you have enough motivation? Is anyone willing to tell me..."

In face of the mercenaries' unpleasant expressions, it quirked its lips.

"...the reason why Constellation sent troops?"

"Don't!" Louisa protested fiercely, but her shoulders were held firmly by the guards behind her. "It's not fair! He's human, we're human, you can't use orcish rules—"

Kandarll turned around suddenly, and when it spoke, its voice was as loud as thunder.

"Don't forget: You are the losers, and we are the winners, O heroic Louisa! I think this is quite fair."

The dark warchief already seemed fierce, but its expression at that moment was even more savage, and it prevented Louisa from speaking further.

The orcs began to growl, and it was apparent that the scene before them made them very excited. Then, against expectations, Thales raised his head suddenly.

"Wait, if I win the duel..."

The warchief slowly turned around. Its yellow eyes revealed a shrewd look, making Thales stutter for a moment.

"If you win the duel, then firstly, the grudge between you and Duraman will be over. Secondly, in accordance to my promise, you will be freed and may leave."

Thales was struck by a thought; he stared at Duraman's hate-filled face, and thought, 'If I used the Northland Military Sword Style against this opponent as well as the Sin of Hell's River which comes unexpectedly, and even use Nicholas' Twist of Fate… maybe there would be a chance.'

His hopes were shattered when Kandarll's words changed. "However, that will just be the end to your duel against him."

Thales was stunned.

"As one of the three Holy Guards, Duraman once swore his loyalty to me, together with Yaku, and Lusana. They're not just luma, they are even more than that."

There was a cryptic expression on the warchief's face while he pointed at the other two Holy Guards: the quiet Yaku with its black bow, and Lusana with its greatsword and nasty grin.

"So, once you win, Yaku and Lusana will have the right to challenge you in the name of their luma's failure, and you will begin your next duel. They will fight against their new freuca."

Thales—who was thinking about how to win—was stunned for a second. 'Wait. New freuca?!'

"What...?" The dumbfounded boy's eyes widened and he put up two fingers. "After winning one, I have to fight two others?"

Thales turned to Kandarll, and he felt that the warchief's expression at that moment was incredibly smug. There was even a sly look in its eyes. Kandarll sneered.

"In case you win them all..." The tall, strong orc warchief shook its head with sorrow and regret. "Ah, if you defeat the three Holy Guards of the Shattered Stone tribe's warchief, you would achieve something glorious and you will gain the respect of all the orcs in the desert."

The corner of Thales' mouth twitched slightly. "Thank you, and then?"

Kandarll narrowed his eyes. "Then, if you defeat all three—my Holy Guards of whom I see as my limbs and wings—you will become my freuca, the freuca of Kandarll Nushan."

Thales was completely stunned. 'What the f*ck?!'

The warchief spoke languidly. It pointed at Thales and pointed back at itself again. It flicked its expensive fur coat like it was demonstrating its might. "Then you will duel against me."

'It's not just two duels?'

Thales' expression seemed to be frozen and he could not move for a while. He only blinked twice in his shock and bewilderment.

'This is… it's doing this on purpose, right?'

"So this duel is one where you will never lose... What shitty rules... you motherf*cker!!" Louisa could no longer control her anger. She wanted to charge forward, but was suppressed by the orcs behind her.

"Damn!" Old Hammer gnashed his teeth at Quick Rope, who was scared silly beside him. "It wants us to look at this unfair duel, and make us slowly fall apart and sink into despair..."

Kandarll ignored her. It snorted and turned around to look at the disbelieving captives. "Now, is someone willing to tell me why Constellation—"

At that moment, Dean's dark voice travelled into the air.

"Don't forget he is just a solnoir! According to the custom of the orcs, you have no right to challenge underage cubs to a duel!"

Kandarll paused slightly. A pensive expression appeared on its face.

"Yes, you are just a solnoir… Solnoirs must defeat an opponent acknowledged by the tribe during their coming-of-age ceremony." Kandarll looked at Thales, and it seemed troubled. "Only then will he become an adult, a warrior who can be engaged in a duel. Before that, you will be exempted from duels."

Louisa breathed a sigh of relief and her struggles became weaker. Thales sighed in relief and cast a grateful look at Dean.

'How lucky—'

However, in the next moment, Warchief Kandarll's expression changed. "Very well!"

Kandarll strode to the spot before Thales and pulled him up! The orc patted his weak shoulders excitedly, making the dizzy Thales sway, unable to keep a firm footing on the ground.

"Solnoir, what is your name?"

'Huh?' Thales's eyes were spinning as he stared at Kandarll, talking to itself. The orc's heavy pats were really astonishing. He swore that if the orcs were to buy and sell things with a merchant and then give a 'friendly' pat on the merchants, then there would probably be no business deals in the world that the orcs would fail.

Thales had yet to register what was going on at the moment, and because of that, he was stunned.

"My name—"

However, Kandarll waved its large hands boldly!

"That doesn't matter, solnoir! I solemnly tell you on this day, in the battle earlier, you defeated the brave warrior who was recognized by the Shattered Stone tribe—Doru!"

'Huh…?' Thales' mouth fell open in his daze.

The orc warchief's face was full of joy and its voice was loud and clear. "According to the custom of the orcs, the moment you defeated Doru, you were no longer a solnoir!"

Due to the vast difference in their body sizes, Kandarll bent down in a comical manner, and then patted the tiny human fiercely with its left palm and right wrist. Its sonorous voice boomed, "Congratulations! You are now an adult!"

At that moment, Louisa and Dean's faces paled, and Mickey's curses came out faster. Old Hammer silently lowered his head and sighed.

Kandarll used its language to announce something to the orcs around it. The orcs all roared in a low voice and beat their chests. Even Duraman, who hated Thales, was no exception.

It turned to Thales, but it deliberately swept its gaze over the surrounding captives. "As the witness to the rite of your coming-of-age ceremony, I, the warchief of the Shattered Stone tribe, am proud to give you a new name: Secca, 'killer'! The killer of your opponent in your coming-of-age ceremony!"

'Sec-secca? Killer?! No, this isn't the point, the point is…' Thales sucked in a sharp breath.

While the humans were filled with terror and panic, and the orcs were beating their chests in excitement, Kandarll's expression became cold and it turned to the savage-looking blue-faced orc. "Now that the secca has just become an adult, you have the right to be challenged to a duel, and you must accept Duraman's challenge… Save your people."

The prince sucked in a deep breath and tried his best to understand the current situation.

"Secca... freuca!" Duraman growled, and it stopped dragging its spiked mace on the ground for a moment.

Thales, the secca who just became an adult, withdrew his stunned gaze from the blue-faced orc and sized-up the rest of his opponents one by one—if he could win against Duraman in the first place. The white-lipped Yaku with its black bow, and the bare-chested Lusana with its greatsword… and the last one—the warchief of the Shattered Stone tribe, the foreign-blooded orc, Kandarll Nushan.

He suddenly felt that orcs, especially this warchief before him, were extremely evil and despicable. They all looked at Thales coldly.

As he sensed the weight of the orc warchief's hands on his shoulders, Thales struggled to maintain balance and heaved a sigh of agony.

"So..."

Kandarll Nushan's lips shifted upwards to reveal a smile that had an unknown meaning, but all warmth was now gone from his face. It gritted its teeth, then, while pressing down on Thales, it gazed coldly at all the captives before him.

"Before the duel begins, before your destiny is decided... Outsiders from Blade Fangs Dune, does anyone want to tell me… what is the reason for Constellation to send their troops into the desert?"