Because of the battle, we got the day off from the [Memoir] to rest and recover, since everyone was out of mana and the knights wouldn't give us a potion to replenish it. I still needed to find a team to go with Julian to the city, but I wanted to see the captured orcs first to learn as much as I could from them.

The fort would not support the reinforcements, and since they were not building tents, they would probably return in the same way they arrived after Barion finished talking with his family.

Which meant I didn't have much time.

Finding the orcs was easy. It was a matter of following the sounds of laughter, the angry shouts and the loud mockery. They had been chained on trees, in groups of three to five. To my surprise, the ones who were actually mocking and beating them were the slaves.

"You grey piece of shit!" A slave kicked one I'm the head, "Weren't you showing us your asses?" He took his manhood out of his pants, "Maybe I should impale you with my lance."

They laugh.

It kinda made sense that the slaves were venting their anger on the orcs. Humanity always had a thing about venting its discontent and fears on the weaker. There was a brutally lingering in some dark place inside our minds, like a sleeping beast waiting to wake up.

If I had to be honest about it. I could see the people on earth turning the humans of this world into slaves if it was the other way around. We had done that with ourselves, so why not with others?

And to my utter surprise. Michael and his people were preaching about God to a group of orcs. I didn't blame them for trying, but I really, really doubt the orcs would be interested in the human God from another world. Especially the human God of the humans who were turned into slaves of other humans.

"God is love. God wants all to live a happy and fulfilling life without violence." Michael was telling them, but one of the orcs spat on his face.

"Shut up human scum!"

Michael cleaned himself and smiled. "I am not afraid of you. And I'm not angry at you. You are lost and need guidance."

"Yes! To your ass. Human piece of shit."

"I don't think this is going to work," I told him, getting near his group. Some seemed happy to see me, while others stared at me like I was their personification of Satan.

"Aron!" Michael said and embraced me. I'm always glad to see you."

The orcs tried to break free from their chains, almost moving the trees with them. There had to be some sort of magic on it because metal alone wouldn't be able to hold the angry orcs.

"The human who killed Boss!"

"The trickster!"

"You have no honour! Your piece of shit."

I ignored the orcs. There was no reason to try to prove my innocence to them. Instead, I turned to Michael. "Have you learned something from them?"

"Aside from their God being a bodybuilding orc of four meters, who loves war and bear, and that will punch us to death? No, not all."

One hard and dark laughter got our attention. It belonged to an orc chained alone into a tree. He was slightly taller than the others, with darker skin covered in scars. He had lost his right arm and was blind in his right eye.

Yet, for those who were used to it. He had a deadly and dangerous aura of a professional killer.

"The human who tricked us wants information? Why?"

I went to him and got down to look him in the eyes. "Information is a weapon in the right hand."

"And why? There is nothing more to learn than you all already know about us."

"I'm not from this world."

His grim went from ear to ear, revealing rolls of pointed teets. "Not from this world? What are you?"

"A human, summoned to this world from another to fight in this war."

He laughs.

"What 's so funny?"

He looked around us like he was worried that someone would listen to our conversation. He gestured for me to get closer, which could have been a trap, but I decided it was safe to risk.

"There isn't another world with humans." He whispered. "So, who are you?"

I blinked. That made no sense at all. I was pretty sure there was another world because I was sure I had come from one and had a wife who knew me to prove it. But his serious look told me he was being serious, or that he at least believed in that.

"What you say makes no sense."

"No? Why?"

"The [Memoir]. The cannibals there are human and they aren't from this world."

"Who said they aren't? Those knights? Those humans who told you are from another world." His mouth formed a grim again. "There is only one world for each race. Only one."

"You are lying. You have no reason to tell me that if it was the truth."

"No, I do have. As you said, information is a weapon and you gave me a good one. I'm just rewarding you."

"What is happening here?" A knight asked me, stopping right next to me while holding the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"Nothing Sir, just helping spread God's word to him. What is going to happen to them?"

He kicked me. "Know your place slave."

The orc waited for the knight to get far enough, then he laughed at me. "You are just a slave? That's funny. Have you heard about the God's Pact?"

"No, what 's that?"

"No telling you. Why don't you find it? It will be eye-opening for you. Just be careful, they will probably cut your head if they learn you know about it."

"I will see."

"You fought well for a slave, would love to fight you in the arena one day."

"Arena?"

"Your masters will bring us to their arena to fight and entertain them. Maybe they will let you fight me? Would be fun if you get a [Silver Core]."

"Maybe. Why aren't you angry at me?"

"Me? I'm a simple man. I like to fight and that's all. We fought and we lost, the details don't matter."

"You are odd, but I liked that. Would you like to work with me?"

"Me? An orc working for a human? The end of the world must be near."

"Why not? Better than to live as a gladiator."

He spat on my face. "You are a slave. Dying as a gladiator is better than serving trash."

I cleaned his saliva, almost vomiting from its smell of rotten meat. "I have higher plans." This time I noticed a knight coming near us. "And God sent two stone tablets with his commandments, so we could follow his rules and find a place in heaven."

The knight watched me and the other humans preaching, then moved on. It would be obvious to think they were wary of the orcs, but I had the impression it was us who worried them. But what was the reason? If the orcs had any information they couldn't share with us, then knights wouldn't allow us to talk to them.

"You better leave now human."

"Fine, wait for me in the arena. I will give you a fight worthy of a tale."

"Há! That I want to see."

I nodded and left him alone. It would have been great if I could get him to work for me, but I could understand him. I could always try to put him under the slave spell, but I hater had people I could count on and not mindless peons.

Which also raised a question: Why not turn them into slaves? If humanity could boost their ranks by capturing their enemies, this war would turn in their favour. Unless it only worked on humans.

I hated how the questions and doubts were only piling up.

"You look distressed, what did he tell you?"

"I can't answer right now. Too many knights."

"Let's go to my church. There will be no one there."

I agreed to it and we went there, making small stops so no one would think we were up to something. I told him all the orc had said, which made Michael stare at a wall for a while.

"Do you believe in him?"

"That we are not humans? No, I know I am."

"So do I, but we know that does not mean he is wrong."

Now he got me. "What do you mean?"

"Realistically, what do we know about this world? Nothing except what we were told, which can be a lie." He closed his eyes and breathed very slowly. "I have this lingering feeling inside me that there is something wrong here."

He did have a point. "Could they not be humans?"

"It crossed my mind, but I doubt the orcs would still call them humans. They would know what we are."

"Right, that orc never implied the knights were not human… Could… Are we still on earth? At a different time?"

He looked at me like I was crazy, then blinked and seemed to consider it. "Like in those fantasy stories? Maybe, who knows?"

"We are going nowhere with this. You should try to learn about that God Pact since it can be easier for a priest."

"Maybe if I had access to a temple."

"If things didn't change. Julian has to go to the city and I'm to bring some slaves with him. You could come with us."

"Count me in, but what is the plan? With or without the truth, we are still slaves."

"Nothing will ever change for the better or the worse if we remain ignorant. That's all for now." I sighed, remembering the details of my deal with Justin. "Forget it, you can't go with me."

"Why?"

"I have to build a team to go with me to the city, and they will have to work for me. You can't do that."

He held his chin and mouth with a hand, thinking. "I want to go, but I don't want to take missions and kill people. But I have a few people in mind that could work for you."

"Fine, just one thing. Because I don't like to lie. I will be able to control them with the slave spell, not that I pretend to."

He got pale. "Really? How, but better yet, why?"

"A has a deal that I can't talk because of another spell. Nothing bad though can even be beneficial for our kind in the long run. But for it to work I have to make the knights and nobles trust me."

"Which would require you to prove you're more on their side than ours?"

"More or less like that."

"People will hate you. Some already do, you know that, right?"

"Of course, and I don't care, I have to do what I have to do."

"Are you sure you are doing the right thing?"

"Of course, no, but there isn't much we can all do! We are slaves and we have to get what we can. If they are going to use me, I'm going to use them."

He waved his head to the sides. "I consider you my friend, and you saved me. So, I won't judge you. But you are walking on thin ice, and must be careful."

"I know, anyway. Will your people be alright with it? I can probably get them some benefits like food or a warm bed."

"We are almost at the point where I can see people killing each other for a meal. So I think they will." He sighed, frustrated. "Give me an hour or two, I need to find them."

"Fine, don't worry. Oh, by the way, I only need you to find me 4 people. I already have one in mind."

"Sure." Michael left to find the people.

I stretched my body. "You can come in now."

Alana jumped inside the building from a window to my right. "Oh darling, since when have you noticed it?"

"I could feel your murdering intent from miles away. Which means someone here wants me dead."

"You know how this works, no hard feelings." She smiled, drawing two daggers from her back. She was slim and had long limbs, which meant she could move and strike fast.

But I had no plan of fighting her.

"I can give you a better offer."

"I doubt." She took a fighting stance, holding one dagger closer to her body for protection and another slightly above her chest.

"I can, and are you sure you want to fight me? I know you know who I am."

Her gaze narrowed. Despite her bravado, it was clear she was not sure she could kill me one on one.

"You are out of mana. And I'm full of it, they thought I was inside the [Memoir] so I could save mine from the battle."

"What are they offering you? Food, a warm bed? Riches? A life outside this shit?"

"This and much more" She took the initiative and attacked me. Her first attack was aimed at my head, but I knew it would be faint. She wanted me to avoid or block it to attack with the other dagger.

I held her arm, and then the next one as she attacked me. Then headbutt her face, breaking her nose. I let go of her arms, making her almost fall back. She held her ground, with blood falling over her face and chest.

"You are better than the rumours, sweet. A shame she grabbed you first."

"Leave my wife out of this mess." I raised my fists taking a boxing stance. "I can give one thing no one else can."

"Yeah?" She disappeared, either getting invisible or teleporting. There were a few places she could strike me to secure a certain kill, the question was which one she would go for.

"We can be free from the spell, kinda."

I felt a cold blade against the back of my neck. "How?"

"There is a hierarchy in the spell. Someone from a higher hierarchy can nullify the control of others below."

"That would mean at least one person can control us."

"One is better than everyone."

She withdrew the dagger, but I still didn't turn to face her. Any wrong move could still mean my death. "Darling, if you are lying to me, I will make Vanessa suffer."

"You won't because I'm not lying."

She put her blade against the front part of my neck and her lips over my right ear.

"Then darling, I'm all yours to use."

"Prove it to me." I turned to her and matched her gaze. "Who hired you?"

She smiled.

"Rodriguez."