MADWD 103

Episode 103

Ariella had just finished reading Helena’s secret letter.

The fight between the orcs and the Elso Company had been brutal.

Not a single member of the company survived.

The spies Delrek had planted among them were all killed as well.

Delrek had lost his cherished men in the most foolish way, and now he was raging.

But he couldn’t send troops to punish the orcs hiding deep in the mountains.

Since it had been a secret operation, he had no justification to do so.

By now, Delrek must have been close to tearing his hair out in frustration.

“From our point of view, it’s like solving a problem without lifting a finger.”

Ariella’s voice carried a strange tone.

“But we can’t exactly be happy about it.”

“Why not?”

Ludwig tilted his head, and Geruve answered for her.

“Be-cause, now, no guar-an-tee, orcs, won’t, attack, wagons.”

“Exactly.”

Until now, the Southern Company had been able to keep sending wagons and let outsiders visit, only because there was trust that the orcs wouldn’t attack that road.

But now that trust was gone.

This would disrupt trade and reduce the flow of visitors.

Even if we open sea routes soon, we can’t depend on them completely. We still need to secure the land routes.

No one here knew that the orcs attacked only depending on wagon colors.

All they could do was worry.

How to overcome the crisis of losing their only land road?

After thinking for a while, Ariella spoke.

“We need to win over the orc tribe.”

“…What?”

“…!”

Everyone stared in shock.

Cold silence filled the room until—

Bang!

The one who broke it was Ulken.

He slammed the table and shouted.

“Win them over? Are you saying we should side with those beasts now?”

Normally, Richmond would have joked—a beast calling others beasts?—but this time he stayed quiet.

Even Ludwig, who usually supported everything Ariella said, looked displeased.

“You know how many of our soldiers died because of them, don’t you?”

“I know. Of course I know.”

She looked at Ludwig, then at Ulken.

The hatred, no—the burning hatred—the demon realm held against the orcs was still sharp and alive.

“Of course you want revenge. You have every right to say that. You’ve been fighting on the front lines all this time.”

Ariella wasn’t ignoring their sacrifices.

But she still spoke up—for the future of the demon realm.

“But tell me, how would that revenge ever end? Do we need to cut down every last orc hiding in those mountains before it feels enough?”

“T-that…”

Ulken faltered, unable to answer.

“I’m not asking you to forget the sacrifices. I just want us to grow stronger, so strong that no one will ever dare target this land again.”

Her voice stayed calm, her logic clear.

“The economy of the demon realm was just beginning to recover. And now it’s about to take another hit. The cause is the orcs.”

She looked around, meeting each person’s eyes one by one.

“So then, the solution? Let me ask again. Can we wipe out every last orc? Even Delrach wouldn’t attempt that.”

They already knew the orcs’ locations.

But since the orcs didn’t farm, they could easily move whenever they needed.

And the mountains beyond the trade road were their home ground.

If Ludwig led an army, they’d be spotted long before reaching even halfway up.

“You can’t fight a war of extermination in those mountains.”

If the orcs sensed danger, they would scatter and use hit-and-run attacks.

Even if the demons somehow killed the very last orc, the cost would be enormous.

“How would we face Delrach afterward, with our forces so weakened?”

The room fell silent again.

No one had a counterargument.

“If we can’t rip them out by the root, then we need to make that root grow in a way that benefits us.”

Richmond finally spoke.

“Strategically, you’re right. At least in theory. But would the orcs really join hands with us so easily?”

“We won’t know until we try.”

After her explanation, Ludwig and Ulken had no choice but to agree.

Deep in the mountains, in an orc village—

“Chief!”

“What is it this time?”

The chieftain, wrapped in bandages, turned his head.

Not long ago, they had fought against the Elso Company and won.

But even in victory, the chieftain couldn’t rejoice.

Too many orcs had died.

We had the numbers… and still lost so many!

And when they searched the wagons, the result was disappointing.

Instead of the food they desperately needed, they found only perfume pouches, fancy dishes, and silk ribbons.

“Sniff sniff! Chief! What do we even use this smelly trash for?”

“Is this supposed to be a blade? It’s just a tiny piece of metal—what’s it for?”

“And this colored string? It’s soft, not even strong!”

Of course.

Food production in Ludwig’s lands had grown so much that they even had surplus to export.

So the Elso Company had brought luxury goods instead of food.

At this rate, we really will starve to death!

The chieftain’s thoughts were heavy.

That’s when a warrior shouted more news.

“Wait—what did you say? A wolf with just bones left came to our village?”

“No, Chief! At the entrance—there’s a skeleton and a wolf!”

“…What?”

After a few more words of explanation—

The chieftain leapt up in shock.

“You mean a skeleton mage and a lycanthrope have come?!”

The lycanthrope he knew well.

That commander had killed more orcs than anyone else, except the fire-using demon lord.

The chieftain’s blood ran cold.

“Bring me my sword! They’re attacking while we’re weak—those cunning demons!”

So many orcs had already died or were wounded from the last battle.

And now an invasion, through the mountains?

“How did they even reach the village? What were the guards doing?”

If a whole demon army had climbed the mountains, they would have been spotted hours before.

“…Wait.”

The chieftain froze, recalling what his warrior had said.

“You said only a skeleton and a wolf came? No other soldiers?”

“Yes. No demon soldiers at all. Just those two, waiting at the entrance.”

So—they hadn’t come to attack?

The warrior added:

“They say they don’t want to fight. They want to talk!”

The meeting was held on the outskirts of the village.

They couldn’t allow strangers near the women and children inside.

So they brought out every able orc warrior and surrounded the two intruders.

The chieftain stood at the center.

“Grrr…”

Ulken stood with his arms crossed, lips sealed tight.

Even now, he couldn’t believe he had agreed to this.

If Ariella hadn’t warned him before leaving, he would already have bared his claws.

“We have come to deliver our Demon Lord’s message.”

Richmond spoke with his usual easygoing tone.

As he went on, the orc chieftain’s face grew more and more puzzled.

“So you’re saying…”

The chieftain had to repeat it in his head several times.

It was an idea he’d never imagined.

“You want to stop fighting—and make peace?”

Unbelievable.

“How can we trust you?”

“Of course, you can’t suddenly give us your full trust. That’s why we should build it step by step.”

The air stayed tense, but Richmond’s voice stayed relaxed.

They had been chosen as envoys because even if things went wrong, they could escape alive from deep inside enemy territory.

“Empty peace means nothing. Real trust comes only when both sides benefit. If goods can move peacefully between us, that will be the first step toward a real bond.”

Most of the warriors didn’t understand his words, but the chieftain caught the meaning.

“…You want to trade with us?”

“Of course, first we must also receive a true apology. And a promise that such attacks won’t happen again.”

The chieftain shook his head.

“An apology, fine. A promise, maybe. But what would you even buy from us? Orcs don’t farm. We don’t raise animals. That’s impossible here.”

They were raiding for food because they had none.

It was nonsense to think they could trade.

Even in the past, they had bartered goods with the Fedwick Company—so they had little coin left now.

How could trade even work?

Richmond answered calmly.

“Labor.”

“…What?”