Savage Ascension: Starting with God-Tier Plunder Ability-Chapter 44: The Orc in the Mountain

The prisoners shouted and struggled, then one staggered and they all fell sideways at once. Since they were connected at the neck, it was very hard to maintain balance. If they’d been tied at the waist, they could’ve maintained balance with strength, but not with their necks.

It was the terror of the mercenaries’ binding method. Even if they tried to run, if they didn’t match their steps, they’d immediately lose balance. And only the mercenaries doing the binding knew this.

"Agh!"

The chief got angry at those who’d fallen.

"Shut up! Who do you think you are to beg to be saved! You’ve been spreading shit inside the village, so you think you can spread it outside too? You foolish brats!"

The chief turned away. The youth association men with him swallowed hard.

’Do we really have to go?’

The chief hit the standing men’s legs with his cane.

"What are you doing? Get back to the village. Tell the families to take out loans and bring them back or whatever."

He walked away without hesitation. Yuval couldn’t let them go.

’Loans? That’s nonsense.’

If they came back, they’d definitely answer with denial. They had thick palisades too.

’This trip is profitable.’

It seemed like it might be a waste, but they’d gotten incredibly valuable bearskins. Meeting a fearless hunter who controlled wolves and trained crows was lucky. The fact that he wanted to learn about the world was lucky too. And Yuval believed that luck would continue.

’Surely not. That’s just a show.’ 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Yuval also noted that with forty men, they hadn’t jeered. Seeing them call the chief "Mountain Master," the chief’s control over the village seemed remarkable.

’This is a group worth negotiating with.’

"Wait. At least hear what the request is before you go."

In the end, Yuval stopped him. His mindset was to have as much dialogue as possible. Village Chief Mountings turned around again.

"Changed your mind about listening?"

"When someone’s talking about giving money to mercenaries, how can we not listen?"

Yuval chuckled in a low bass. The other mercenaries laughed along, going "hehe." Since Merein had a woman’s voice, she just smiled. The villagers’ faces clearly hardened in the torchlight.

’They’re like demons.’

Keireon’s rough laughter sounded the most terrible. All of this was just an act. Mercenaries were damn good at putting on airs. There was even a joke that the best mercenaries were ones who could stop fights with airs alone.

Of course, there were actually places where airs were combat power. For fist mercenaries who handled problems in fairly large cities, airs were indeed combat power.

"In the mountain where the sun sets, visible from the village, there’s an old orc living."

"The request is just to kill one orc?"

Yuval looked at Mountings with a suspicious expression. The chief clicked his tongue.

But the two who’d finished their power struggle started talking.

"Hear me out to the end. It’s not an ordinary old orc, that’s why I’m doing this. How could people beat an orc in the mountains? Everything worth raiding in our Mushroom Mountain Village is in the mountains. We cultivate mushrooms, cut down well-grown trees, and transplant medicinal herbs."

"Starting in spring, we also get tree sap. But since that old orc appeared, it’s gotten difficult. He’s been demanding mountain tax and acting tyrannical for a year now."

"Haven’t you tried hiring mercenaries?"

"We have. Since it’s dealing with an orc in the mountains, the mercenary groups that came weren’t very impressive. The riffraff coming for a few silver coins lost an arm to the orc and ran away with their tails between their legs."

Merein whispered to Yuval.

"Sounds like an orc warrior."

Yuval put his hand to his chin.

"Three silver coins as down payment. Bring us his head and we’ll give you the rest."

He’d offered a down payment. Getting certainty about a suspicious request with money was the basics. The chief nodded.

’They’re dead men anyway.’

"...Fine."

Also, Yuval released all the prisoners.

"Captain?"

"Let them go."

Everyone doubted those words. But Yuval had something he believed in. It was because of the weakness of Mushroom Mountain Village that Village Chief Mountings had mentioned.

’To say something like that himself. He must’ve really wanted to persuade me. That was a mistake.’

His words that everything worth raiding in the village was outside were enough to move Yuval. If they didn’t give the silver coins, in a prolonged battle they’d reluctantly hand over the money. The orc hadn’t collected mountain tax for nothing.

’It’d be a goldmine for bandits.’

They’d clearly avoided trouble well because the village was big. Also, being half a day away from a waypoint for large villages was significant. It meant they were far from bandit hot spots. With forty able-bodied men, small bandits would’ve crossed them off the list early, and sizable bandits wouldn’t even glance at them—an awkward place.

That place was Mushroom Mountain Village.

Mountings was greatly pleased by the words that they’d even release the prisoners right away. It was too big a gain to hide intentionally, and it could definitely stabilize the villagers.

While Mountings appeared to have gained from the conversation on the surface, Yuval, who’d easily obtained a sure safeguard, was smiling inside too.

"What will you do, Mr. Rowan?"

Yuval turned and asked Rowan after confirming the villagers were leaving.

"What do you mean? Aren’t I getting one silver coin just sitting here?"

Yuval raised one corner of his mouth at the cheekiness.

"Since the job changed, if you want a share, you have to join."

"Haha."

Rowan let out an empty laugh like it was absurd, but inside was different.

’A wandering orc...’

His mouth watered. A modern person born in capitalism, whose desires through countless consumer cultures made his vessel fundamentally different from people here. The various abilities gained through black dreams were more intense than any drug.

It felt like leveling up. He could now talk skillfully even when meeting goblins, and if surrounded by a wolf pack, he could turn around and become one of the wolves instead. He could handle weapons he’d never used in practical combat.

"How about two silver coins. I have considerable experience in the mountains."

Yuval shook his head. Even now, they were overstrength. Including Rowan was just for that one-in-ten-thousand chance. Using one silver coin out of eight to add one solid combatant was a decent choice.

’For them not to catch even one orc, even if they were riffraff—he definitely has some skill.’

Yuval’s operational style was to take minimal damage. Their hunts were prepared hunts, and this time they couldn’t do that.

"Alright. I’ll help."

Yuval nodded once.

"We’re thinking of searching the mountain while staying together as much as possible. It might take several days, but what’s important is that he doesn’t know we exist."

The strategy was simple. Move as covertly as possible and slit his throat.

They also obtained additional food supplies from the village. There was no poison—Rowan confirmed that. Rowan had instantly tamed a wild bird and fed it first.

Yuval was impressed. Rowan was useful in many ways.

’The more I see, the more amazing his taming skills are.’

"Who did you learn from?"

"I learned from a goblin. One with all his teeth gone. Old. Living in a cave, it was less than a year of knowing him."

Rowan said that and didn’t say more. It was a very curious story. Of course, it was all lies.