Chương 39: Chapter 38 The Right to Rule

Galon Bloodclaw had accompanied Karath during the ceremony. After completing his duty, he was summoned to the chief's earthen house for a private conversation.

"Krahahaha! You are certain he truly killed that troll alone?" Grild laughed heartily as he questioned him.

"Yes, Chief."

"Krahahaha! The tribe will feast well tonight!" Grild looked thoroughly satisfied. Orcs believed that eating a powerful monster allowed them to inherit some of its strength. The amount of meat mattered, but the strength of the prey carried even greater significance. A troll represented regeneration and survival. To the orcs, few meals could be more nourishing. As the hunter who killed it alone, Karath would receive the most important part, its heart.

Whether Karath actually enjoyed eating hearts did not concern the chief. Naturally, every orc should love them.

"Krahahaha! How did he manage to kill such a terrifying creature?" Galon recalled everything he had witnessed that day. It had truly been Karath's first hunt. Even Karath might struggle during his first attempt. Galon had expected as much. Yet Karath had successfully hunted a deer without any assistance. As his companion, Galon had not been permitted to help. He intended to allow Karath to conduct every hunt alone. Then Karath charged at a troll.

While following him through the forest, Galon reached the site where the troll and Giant Wolf were fighting. The sight immediately filled him with uncertainty. A single orc could not kill a troll. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Even during Grild's prime, when he had been the strongest warrior in the settlement, victory in a one-on-one battle with a troll could not be guaranteed. Karath might currently be the tribe's strongest orc, but this was his first hunt.

He had never fought a troll before. Galon wondered whether he should stop him. Before he could speak, Karath charged the troll as it finished off the Giant Wolf. For the first time in his life, Galon found himself completely unable to decide what to do. According to tribal tradition, he needed to allow Karath to complete the hunt alone. However, a troll was not a creature one orc could defeat. It required several warriors attacking together. Should Galon intervene?

Or should he respect the ceremony and remain still? The two possibilities collided furiously inside his mind. Before Galon reached a decision, Karath moved.

"Die!" Crack! The jagged stone in Karath's hand smashed into the troll's most precious area.

"Ghk." The memory alone caused Galon to release an involuntary groan. He pressed his hands and legs protectively toward the center of his body. Regardless of species, any male could sympathize with such unimaginable pain.

"Why are you doing that?" Grild stared at Galon in confusion.

"Ahem. About the way Karath killed it..." Still sitting in that protective posture, Galon explained the battle.

"A-as expected of Karath." Grild's face turned pale. He also brought his legs tightly together. Karath had displayed extraordinary boldness since childhood, but Grild had never imagined he would use such an unreasonable hunting method. The older chief soon regained control of his expression and posture.

"Something is strange. You said a Giant Wolf was fighting the troll alone?"

"I was about to mention that as well, Chief."

"Hmm. We will need to strengthen the patrols."

"Yes, Chief." Wolves lived in packs. The enormous Giant Wolves of the Grimwood Mountains were no exception. That was why hunting them was even more difficult than hunting trolls. Individually, a Giant Wolf was weaker than a troll. Two ordinary orc warriors could usually defeat one. Since Giant Wolves traveled in packs, however, hunting them often required every warrior in the settlement. A severely injured or diseased wolf could occasionally be abandoned by its pack.

A wolf caring for a pup would not be left behind under normal circumstances. Only one explanation remained. A monster, or a group of monsters, powerful enough to destroy or drive away an entire Giant Wolf pack had appeared nearby. Even the combined warriors of the Bloodclaw Tribe could not guarantee victory against a full pack. If something capable of scattering such creatures had entered the surrounding forest, then the settlement itself could be facing a crisis.

"We will gather everyone this evening and decide what to do about the patrols. Before that, bring Karath here."

"Yes, Chief." Having completed his report, Galon bowed and left the house. A short time later, Karath arrived.

"You summoned me, Chief?"

"Krahahaha! Come inside, Karath." Grild smiled broadly at the sight of the young orc who would carry the tribe's future. The worries created by Galon's report seemed to disappear the moment Karath entered. Grild's legs still moved somewhat closer together.

"What is the matter?" Karath tilted his head, unable to understand why the chief was suddenly sitting so carefully.

"Ahem. I called you here to settle something that has been postponed for far too long." Grild spoke with a dignified voice. He had been considering this matter since Karath was eight or nine years old.

"Karath, as you surely remember, you carry the destiny of becoming the great chief of our tribe." It was time to transfer the position of chief to Karath.

"Then tell me. When do you intend to challenge me?" Leadership of an orc tribe was inherited through battle. The orc who defeated the previous chief became the next chief. Grild therefore questioned Karath with a solemn expression. His hands remained carefully folded over his most vulnerable area.