hotmtlnovel Chapter 131 : Chapter 131
Chapter 131 : Chapter 131
Whether human or beast, there was nothing more bothersome than getting caught up in a hierarchy fight.It was also quite tiring that once I started getting involved in a fight, there was no knowing where it would end.
In particular, I had nothing to gain from beating the leader among the orcs.
The leader, who was going to die anyway, would be more wary of me, and I would get the half-wit's bothersome reaction, who would be eyeing the leader's position, as a bonus.
Therefore, this meant that the leader's obstinacy made me angry enough to more than offset all this bother.
***
“Kkwe, kkwek……!”
Whether it was entirely uncomfortable because his airway was tightening, the leader clawed at my hand that was gripping his neck with his one remaining arm.
I watched what he was doing without a word.
Whether he realized his struggle was meaningless, his resistance gradually subsided.
“Kkwe, kkwek, I said I have no intention of becoming the leader! Kkwek, if you kill me……!”
“Kkwek, the leader position will disappear.”
Just like the original work, the protagonist would lose the opportunity to grow his power, and then things would get a bit bothersome for me.
Perhaps something more troublesome than putting up with this guy's stubbornness a bit longer might happen.
However, from what I saw, even if I left this guy alone, he seemed likely to die before arriving at the second obstacle.
The difference would be whether the cause was an unfortunate accident, or Ratel's hand disguised as an accident.
“Kkwek, I must have told you already. Kkwek, I do not care who becomes the boss.”
“Kkwe, kkwek, but still, I need to be here so you can find the next boss too…….”
“Kkwek, if what was needed was your living neck, I could have just dragged you around like a living corpse.”
There was also a complacent calculation that if the half-wit could usurp the leader position as I expected, honestly, the fight between the two might end before arriving at the food storage.
“Kkwek……, try it if you can!”
Whether he thought I was bluffing, the leader did not abandon his confident attitude.
Whether it was a human, a monster, or anything else, there was nothing as effective as showing it directly to an individual who was too confident in themselves.
“Kkwek, sure, let's do that.”
I loosened the strength in my hand that was holding his collar.
His huge body sank downward in an instant.
“Kkwek!!!!”
Terrified, he tried to cling to my arm and hang on.
If I were loose enough to allow such a thing, I would not have done this in the first place.
I roughly shook off his touch.
“Kkweeeek!!!”
He fell downward while screaming.
It did not last very long.
Because before he fell enough to pass out, his body got caught on a pillar protruding from the wall.
“Kkwe, kkwek……!”
Having barely survived, he hastily inhaled.
Without taking my eyes off the leader, who was gasping for breath as if he would die soon, I slowly approached him.
“Kkwe, kkwek!! Do not come!!”
Having barely caught his breath, he discovered me approaching and hastily shouted.
“Kkwek, you should say, please do not come.”
“Kkwek!!!”
Having approached right next to the leader, I fixed my gaze on the pillar that was barely supporting his body.
The blood drained from his face as he noticed where my gaze was directed.
“Kkwe, kkwek! Do not do it!! Kkwek, stop!!”
He shouted, still not having come to his senses.
“Kkwek, you failed to guess the correct answer this time too.”
Mumbling, I kicked the pillar, hoping he would find the correct answer soon.
Thud!
The stone pillar shattered into pieces, and his third fall began.
Falling down without even being able to scream this time, his body got caught on a second pillar before long.
I slowly moved back to where he was.
The leader no longer raised his voice anymore.
He only raised his head helplessly and looked at me.
“Kkwek, do you intend to repeat this until we reach the ground…….”
It was not the correct answer this time either, but I decided to answer this level of question.
Because he would also need time to properly grasp his situation.
“Kkwek, it will stop once we arrive. Kkwek, after that, it is a restart.”
“Kkwek, a restart……”
“Kkwek, I mean you have to climb this cliff again once we reach the ground.”
Explaining that it would start all over again after that did not seem particularly necessary.
Seeing that the color that had drained from his face was completely gone.
“Kkwek, u, until when……”
Until when would it continue?
“Kkwek, until you can no longer move.”
At the explanation that it would not end until he died, the leader's hand trembled uncontrollably.
Well, this should be enough for him to grasp the situation.
I raised my foot toward the pillar again.
“Kkwek!! Wait!!”
The leader hastily opened his mouth, but the correct answer did not come out this time either.
When I showed no signs of stopping, he rolled his eyes anxiously.
I moved my leg to break the pillar again.
“Kkwek!! I, I will do whatever you tell me to……!!”
Thud!!
This time, he put forth an answer sufficient to receive a passing mark.
Though unfortunately, he did not make the time limit.
By the time the answer, which was a step too late, reached its conclusion, the pillar supporting his body was already shattered to pieces.
“Kkweeeek!!!”
He screeched and fell down again.
That is why you should have said it quickly.
***
Having approached the leader, who entrusted his body to a pillar again, I decided to explain once more the points he should be mindful of in the future.
Because it did not seem likely that he had taken to heart the details I told him earlier.
“Kkwek, in order to arrive at the food storage, we have to cross one more obstacle after climbing this cliff. Kkwek, although attracting the other orcs who might be inside the cave before that would also be necessary.”
This was the story in case the half-wit was not the leader in the original work that I thought of.
“Kkwek, anyway, there is only one thing you must keep in mind. Kkwek, from now on, you must prioritize my commands over your pride or thoughts.”
“Kkwek, damn it……”
Whether his pride was hurt belatedly as he calmed down, he muttered a curse.
“Kkwek, watch your language a bit too.”
As I added that, the leader raised his head and glared at me.
“Kkwe, kkwek!! What is the reason you are suddenly doing this after staying quiet until now!!”
I quietly looked into his eyes, which were filled with a sense of injustice.
Indeed, from his perspective, it was no different from me suddenly changing my attitude after obediently listening to the stubbornness he displayed until now, so it made sense for him to feel wronged.
“Kkwek, there is no special reason. Kkwek, just……”
“Kkwek, just? Kkwek, you say just?!”
When I slurred the end of my words a bit, whether he was considerably sorrowful, he cut off my words and raised his voice again.
Though he closed his mouth again quickly when I furrowed my brow.
But yes, there was no answer as appropriate as the word 'just'.
The leader's attitude of loathing humans was not particularly new, and there was no reason I could not understand that he tried to make a human, of all things, his scapegoat at the moment of his fall.
Therefore, the reason I took the initiative to do this bothersome thing anew was indeed 'just'.
***
Thanks to the bothersome process of giving a warning to the leader, the leader and I, who came back down the path we had worked hard to crawl up, had to repeat the ridiculous act of climbing the path we came from yet again.
The leader guy kept silent throughout the time we scaled the cliff, putting his promise with me into practice.
It was around the time such a quiet climb was showing its end.
“Kkwek, to that half-wit…… do not speak of it.”
He spoke, breaking the silence he had been steadily maintaining.
Even if the leader guy did not request it like that, I had no intention of showing off the newly established hierarchical relationship to the half-wit from the very beginning.
For whose benefit would I do that, when it would only increase bothersome work anyway.
Not that I had any intention of granting the one-armed guy's request right away either.
Whether he disliked showing such a pride-hurting appearance in front of the only subordinate left to him that much, the leader's
“Kkwek, that is up to my mind.”
“Kkwek, t, then will you do that again in front of the half-wit once we arrive?”
“Kkwek, what did I even do?”
“Kkwek! I am asking if you are going to show that I am weaker than you again like earlier!”
I quietly stared at his face, which looked somewhat anxious.
“’Kkwe, kkwek, w, what is it? Kkwek, not answering quickly?”
Whether he felt anxiety at my silence, his voice trembled a little.
“Kkwek, if necessary. Kkwek, because a more comfortable situation might come by showing off my strength.”
“Kkwek, there should be no need to go as far as doing that in front of that guy.”
Whether he was still drunk on his past glory, he talked stubbornly again.
“Kkwek, that is not for you to decide. Kkwek, abandon any expectation of saving your pride anymore.”
At my firm reply, his face clouded over a little.
“……Kkwek, if it is words, I will listen well. Kkwek, I even followed quietly just like your words said……. Kkwek, because I will listen well if it is your words in the future too, do not tell the half-wit!”
Whether being humiliated in front of the half-wit hurt his pride that much, the leader's speech became fast.
“Kkwek, so…… do not speak of it.”
When I gave no answer, his voice gradually crawled inward.
“Kkwek, but isn't that something you naturally ought to keep?”
At my question of what he would do if he did not listen to my words, despair spread across the leader's face.
I looked at the high ground that was one step away, then lowered my head again.
There were few opportunities to get what I wanted as much as the moment an opponent revealed their desperation.
Right now, having separated a bit from Ratel, I might be able to hear the information I wanted from him.
”Kkwek, then explain what that ‘promise’ is.”
Whether he had not expected my demand in the slightest, the eyes of the leader looking up at me dilated widely.
“Kkwek, you say humans always do nothing but lie. Kkwek, explain it. Kkwek, is that something that came from your experience?”
Whether it originated from the starting point of a very old rift between humans and orcs that I did not know of.
“Kkwe, kkwek, that is……”
He slurred the end of his words as if it was difficult to answer.
“……Kkwek, that, I cannot speak of.”
For someone who took a long time idling, moving his mouth several times, it was a disappointing answer.
“Kkwek, you have practically broken your promise to listen well already.”
Therefore, this was no different from saying that I also had no reason to grant his favor.
Having understood this, the leader's expression sank.
Whether he did so or not, having reached the edge of the cliff, I pulled my body upward to where Ratel and the half-wit would be waiting.
***
“Kkwek!!!”
Whether staying alone with Ratel was considerably painful, the half-wit ran over with a bright face as soon as he discovered the leader and me who had crawled up the cliff.
“Kkwek!! Get lost!!”
Whether feelings remained regarding the matter of going up above in violation of his command, the leader let out a shriek.
Due to that, the half-wit, who retreated again, rolled his eyes and stepped backward.
At the same time, the leader, who made a loud noise without realizing it, faltered and read my countenance.
Even though he was the one who asked to keep it a secret from the half-wit, he was giving away all sorts of obvious signs all by himself.
Ratel narrowed his eyes at the subtle change in atmosphere between the leader and me.
“What happened below.”
At Ratel's question, I felt the leader looking at me with a tense face.
“Kkwek, there was a bit of negotiation.”
At my casual reply, the leader's gaze pierced my profile.
Did you think I would go around bragging here that you are my subordinate from now on.
Even if I did such a thing, there was not much to gain.
I did not want to draw the half-wit's attention either, and above all, just imagining how much Ratel, who was a terminal patient with a case of paranoia more severe than the leader guy, would badger me again was bothersome.
“Kkwek, boss, should we start heading out soon?”
“Kkwek, boss, you mean me?”
When I asked the guy who was blankly gazing at me, the leader asked back in startle.
“Kkwek, where else is a boss here besides you?”
When I asked while narrowing my eyes, the leader finally gathered his wits and hastily nodded his head.
“Kkwe, kkwek, right, since I am the boss……. Kkwek, because we have to arrive even a moment sooner, we depart again! Kkwek, you keep a close eye on that human guy again!”
Although his voice cracked a bit, the leader commanded the half-wit in an arrogant voice similar to before.
Although the face of the half-wit, who suddenly became responsible for Ratel, turned pale, the leader turned his body without minding.
As I casually followed behind the leader, who came to stand at the vanguard again, he glanced back and read my countenance.
Why don't you just go ahead and advertise that something happened below.
“Kkwek, there is nothing to worry about.”
“Kkwek, what does that mean?”
When I spoke with a sigh, he asked back, thoroughly startled.
“Kkwek, there is no need to think about it too deeply. Kkwek, because you can just play the part of the boss like now until you die.”
“Kkwek, play the part of the boss continuously?”
“Kkwek, yeah. Kkwek, I told you. Kkwek, I have no interest in positions and such.”
Passing by the guy who was blankly staring at me, I added.
“Kkwek, you will never have the boss position you love so much stolen by me. Kkwek, until you die.”