The forest became noisy very quickly.

Mountain birds that had been sleeping under the dark cover of night began crying, and accompanying it, echoed a mixture of men's shouts and the shrieking of beasts.

At the centre of it all –

"Руль борылды."

A red glare.

Muscles with bulging veins at the surface.

A giant green-skinned form, over two meters tall.

The Orc Warrior looked down at Callius from atop his mount and spoke in an unknown language.

His breath left a long stream of pure white in the air.

"Әгәр дә сез сугышчы булсагыз, көрәшегез."

A voice like a piece of wood being scraped with a sword.

Those low, harsh syllables sounded one after another.

"Бу җир безнең сугыш кыры булачак."

"Master… what is that guy saying?"

"Let's fight."

It was a language he didn't understand at all.

Even so, Callius' ears could hear the intent buried within the words.

Perhaps because of [Bard's Blessing], he was able to intuit their general meaning from the pitch of the voice and the pattern of breathing.

They went something like this:

「The Wheel turns.」

「Fight me, if you are also a warrior.」

「This land shall be our battlefield.」

Despite the plain delivery, the meaning was conveyed clearly and with certainty.

Kuung –!

The Orc jumped off the beast's back, and made a hacking motion with the axe he was holding in his hands.

Whiiiik – puk!

"Ahhhhhhh!"

His hands blurred as he threw the axe.

Almost instantaneously, it struck one of Emily's attendants.

The force behind the throw was so strong that a popping sound hit the onlookers' eardrums.

‘Fast.'

It was no lie that an Orc Warrior's strength could equal five human conscripts, and their axes were powerful enough to kill three men at once.

"OOH!!"

The Orc Warrior jumped.

With a powerful thrust from his legs, that giant form jumped high into the sky and grabbed the axe again with both hands.

Two blades jutted out from the axe's spine, and he raised it high.

That huge double-edged axe –

He slammed it down atop Callius' head as if aiming to split him in two.

Kwaaaaang –!!

"Keuk."

Callius, who immediately used his sword to parry and turned to evade that great axe, saw the nearby bonfire suddenly burst into a flash of bright red.

That dazzling brightness, which illuminated the burning eyes of the Orc Warrior for a moment, quickly faded as the fire was savagely trampled on.

"Oh, you bastard!! Why are there Orcs here!? They…"

"This isn't the time to ask questions. Bruns."

"Yes! Yeah! Master!!"

"Take Emily and run."

"I, master…!"

"What he wants is a battle."

A life-threatening battle.

A strong enough enemy – that was what Callius represented to the Orc Warrior.

"I can't leave you here alone!"

"Emily! You must come with us now!"

"Damn it, Callius!! Let go of me!"

Emily shook off the servant's grasp and hurried over.

With a solemn expression, she pulled out her sword and stood next to Callius.

"You'll only be a hindrance."

"The Orcs are raiding all over the White Forest, anyway. I know what this is. I am not a child. I am a Jervain."

"So that's your final decision?"

"I'm going to face the beast. We'll all die anyway If you lose."

Well, that's not wrong.

The Wheel has already turned.

Orcs will spread throughout the White Forest and fight the Knights.

Even if Bruns and the attendant still alive somehow manage to run away with Emily, they will not be able to overcome the mobility advantage of the Orcs riding demonic beasts, so escape was hopeless that way.

"Бу җир безнең сугыш кыры булачак." 「This land shall be our battlefield.」

"You talk too much."

"What?"

The Orc was acknowledging Emily's spirit, that she was a warrior despite being so young, but that pride carried with it a high price.

In the end, it meant she would be killed.

Callius drew his sword.

A sword with holes in its blade.

Predator Sword – Loas.

"Тылсымлы кылы!!" 「Is that magic!!」

"Come find out."

The opponent became furious at the sight of Loas.

Possibly because it was a magic sword.

"Emily."

"Yeah."

"Don't act first. If you can, watch quietly like a mouse. Unlike me…"

You have talent.

Taas –!

Kwaaaaang –!

Emily staggered at the booming shockwave of a sword and an axe colliding. However, that was not the end.

A series of sweeping sword attacks followed.

Callius' sword appeared like dozens instead of one, and the Orc's axe that opposed it was the same. As they struck each other, shockwaves kept erupting and the continuous noise rattled her body.

However, Emily, even when she stumbled, did not once take her eyes off the duel.

The young Jervain opened her eyes wide as if engraving every single detail into her mind.

Those young gray eyes did not once lose sight of the violent battle, nor of the petals dancing in the air.

Kwajik!

Orphin, after crushing a beast's head by trampling on it, wiped the blood off her sword.

Looking to the side, she saw Callavan observing his bracelet and occasionally touching it with his index finger.

Each time, the bracelet sparkled.

As if it was a signal.

Orphin's eyes narrowed for a moment.

"Master Callavan."

"Um, Orphin. How's the situation?"

"We have to evade, and quickly. I told you the beasts were behaving strangely, but it's actually an attack by the Orcs."

Attack by the Orcs.

This was an unusual omen.

Historically, they weren't usually the type to use such a large-scale tactic for launching a surprise attack. Above all, why make a pre-emptive attack in such haste?

It couldn't be ignored.

They had to return to the castle immediately to report the truth, then start a counterattack across the whole front.

Only such immediate action could restore the spirit and status of the North.

"Well, true enough."

But for some reason, Callavan's expression was still calm.

As the successor of Jervain's bloodline, he should have been furious at the Orcs.

Many of the Knights hunting the beasts in the White Forest died due to the attack, and those who remained were still fighting.

Even as this conversation continued, the blood of the North was dying the snow read.

‘Why are you…'

Even then, why are you so calm?

Not only calm, Orphin thought he even looked relaxed.

"I think you should give the order to evacuate and return to the castle."

"Why?"

"The situation is strange. The appearance of Orcs at this time is quite suspicious."

Orcs had never appeared during the hunting contest when the forest was noisy.

Even if they did, it was just one or two, those with a strong lust for battle and victory.

It could be safely said that this was the first strategic surprise attack on their part.

"Hmm…."

Callavan kept looking at the bracelet for a long time.

To be precise, at a strange jewel embedded in the middle of the bracelet.

‘Artifact… to contact the Count?'

However, Orphin's thoughts came to a halt as Callavan spoke.

"First of all, we're leaving the forest."

"So we're retreating to the castle…"

"No, not to the castle. We'll be taking shelter somewhere else for a while."

"…"

"The current situation is abnormal, and it's not clear what their purpose is. It's unknown if this surprise attack is a one-off, or if they've planned for a long battle. It won't too late to move once we gather more information."

"Then…"

"Jervain remains in Jevarsch. You don't have to worry about it, Orphin."

"However!"

Puk! Callavan kicked Orphin in the shin.

"Ouch!"

"It's a wartime situation right now. I, the next head of Jervain, have the ultimate authority in the field. Disobedience of orders will be immediately punished."

Orphin didn't speak anymore.

She just pretended not to hear the sound of the bracelet Callavan was wearing, vibrating at regular intervals.

Kkigigigigig! Kwaaaaang!

"көңүлдүү!!" 「How fun!!」

"You're like a wild boar."

The attack pattern was infinitely monotonous.

However, each mighty blow shook the earth, and rattled Callius' bones.

In addition to the natural physical qualities, that reckless disregard to not avoid attacks at all, made the opponent difficult to deal with for Callius.

Silver Flower Wave Sword.

The sword art used the styles of the quick sword and the phantom sword.

A fast sword focused on speed, and a sword that deceived its opponents with dazzling technique.

In the first place, the Silver Flower Wave Sword itself was naturally a swordsmanship that was created to deal with stronger opponents.

However, Callius realized the moment he faced the Orc.

‘Not very compatible.'

It didn't work well against these guys.

The reason lay in their temperament.

Orcs are berserkers by their very nature, and they are never afraid of being struck by the enemy's sword.

Unafraid of death, their instincts focus only on killing their opponents with one swing of an axe.

A fighting method that cares not a jot for your own life.

This is why they are called savage barbarians.

So, Callius was a little troubled.

The axe was comparable in grade to the Predator Sword – Loas, and the skill of the wielder was enough to stand proud among the Orc Warriors.

The technique looked flawless even in just this brief battle, and to strike those dense muscles felt like kicking a stone.

Orc.

In other novels and games, they were treated as trash mobs, but this was not at all the case in the Pilgrim's Path.

Warriors with physical abilities and pride superior to humans.

A heteromorph race that wanders the battlefield like deathless immortals in service to the Axe God, Kun-Ta.

Such were the Orcs.

"Ugh!"

Chaeeng!

Chiiiiiig!

Callius, as he was being pushed back, shrugged and retreated.

‘I can't let the fight draw out.'

Even if they were in the middle of a fight right now, other Orcs might arrive any time.

Time was not on his side.

He had to win the duel in a flash.

The Six Peak Flowers technique was blooming in his Elixir Field.

As the first peak unfolded like a rising sun, the pure divine power spread throughout his body.

With each step, his momentum accelerated.

Taat! Taat! Paang!

"үлдүү!!" 「Die!!」

The Orc Warrior's axe hacked down overhead, accompanied by a joyous roar.

Naturally, Callius also drew Loas and unleashed a single sword strike.

Kwaaaaang –!

The Orc Warrior's axe struck Loas down.

Even so, a flash of embarrassment spread on the face that had been smiling full of joy.

Loas was only the bait.

In Callius' left hand, Life Sword – Lucen was held in reverse.

Chwaaaak!

Leaving Loas to drop to the ground, Callius swung Lucen and cut off one of his opponent's legs. Then the sword straightened and arrived at the Orc's neck.

"мыкты."

「Great.」

There was no fear in the eyes of the Orc who said so.

All there was, was regret.

"You too."

Seuk.

Callius stretched out his hand against the fallen Orc's carcass.

However, only for a while.

His gaze stopped in the air.

[Fatalite's Wheel]

<Reward> [F]-???

"It doesn't change if you catch just one."

It was pretty hard, though.

Callius looked at the Orc Warrior's corpse, reached out his hand again, but then retracted it.

‘I need to save my energy.'

No matter how powerful the bracelet is, you never know what will happen.

There's nothing wrong with being careful.

And the swords I have are enough.

"Damn! Don't be so uppity!"

Callius, who had been sheathing Lucen and Loas, stopped.

"I don't have the time to rest."

The beast tamed by the Orc Warrior was roaring, baring its teeth.

Callius, raising Loas again, moved towards Emily, who had been confronting the beast.

Kuuung –!

After defeating the beast without too much difficulty, the quest window changed.

The count of the beasts caught was also being measured.

From now on, every single action he would take inside the forest would be taken into account for determining the final grade of the quest.

"Damn. What is that swordsmanship?"

"You don't need to know."

"…"

Ignoring her cheeks bulged in a pout, Callius slowly expanded his aura sense by operating a peak flower.

‘It's dangerous, but…'

You need to fight, as much as possible.

If you don't, some useless reward will come out.

This quest will only ever come once.

There are many ways to increase the reward level, but the easiest and most efficient way –

You can't just miss this opportunity.

Having made up his mind, Callius walked straight into the woods.

"Ma-, master! Where are you going!"

"Where are you going! Are you crazy!? Why are you going! If you want to die, go die alone!"

It sounded as if he was walking towards his own death, but he did not stop.

He walked towards the source of the screams as if natural.

"They treat you like the worst trash of all nobles, and you're going to save them!?"

Callius stopped at that and said to Emily, who was looking angry for some reason.

"I'm not a noble."

He could do anything for his sword.

"I'm just a Pilgrim."

Editor's Notes:

The Orcs' words are usually not translated in the raws, but we have added a translation for the readers. Mostly they speak Kyrgyz/Tatar.

Who knows if kicking people on the shin is a Jervain habit? Callius, then Callavan… poor Orphin,