Translator: Cinder Translations
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Alvey was born into a noble family from Gabella. He entered the Imperial Capital's Scholar Tower at a young age to study, and through his talent and knowledge, he was promoted step by step, eventually becoming second only to his senior, Aldridge, in the Scholar Tower. He also became an extremely important strategist in the Gabella court.
Being sold into slavery by a heartless merchant caravan to an orc tribe was undoubtedly a great shame for Alvey. To make matters worse, he had already broken ties with the rulers of Gabella and could not rely on them to redeem him. Furthermore, if Gabella were to find out about his situation, it was more likely they would send assassins rather than emissaries.
Alvey spent some time slowly savoring the burning sense of shame in his chest. For someone of his age and experience, such intense emotional turmoil was rare.
"Alright! Honorable Shaman Otasi, I agree to your terms. I am willing to serve Chief Abal for three years in exchange for my freedom, but I require a certain degree of liberty!"
"Of course, respected scholar," Otasi replied, seeming somewhat surprised but quickly turning to joy. A well-known and truly talented member of the Scholar Tower was like a windfall for the king's camp.
Alvey then requested, "My bodyguard, Marek, must also have the same freedom as I."
"Of course! That is only reasonable!" Otasi nodded.
Thus, Alvey stayed with the orcs and was appointed as Otasi's advisor.
Clearly, Otasi didn't have Alvey stay with him for free. Soon, Alvey was assigned a task—organizing the legal code of the Gabella Empire.
"We plan to refer to the codes of various nations on the continent to create a legal code suitable for the orcs," Alvey was shocked to learn from Otasi.
These grasslands barbarians, who not long ago had no written language and resolved everything with sheer strength, were now planning to create their own legal code.
Soon, Alvey discovered that his earlier belief that the orcs had no written language was incorrect. Otasi showed him the orcish script.
Although it was still rudimentary and shallow, Alvey could see that their writing system already had a solid framework, and with time, it could develop into something as refined as human writing.
Not only that, but shocking events continued to unfold one after another. Over time, Alvey realized that the orcs had indeed begun to model a bureaucratic system after humans, with finance ministers, civil ministers, foreign ministers, and a series of bureaucrats overseeing specific affairs, along with their various subordinates.
Alvey had heard about this from Marshal McDonald before, but experiencing it firsthand was still hard to believe.
Alvey felt a great sense of danger. The orcs, once a scattered and disorganized force, could never have posed a real threat to the human world despite their powerful combat abilities and swift cavalry, as long as there was no unifying system to bind them together.
But now, they had such a system—one that could truly unite the orcs: the chief's camp.
In addition to the shock, Alvey also felt discomfort. He realized that he was not the only human serving the Great Chief. The king's camp's bureaucratic system included many other humans.
"We welcome all those who wish to realize their value to come. Here, everyone can find a position that suits them," Otasi said proudly to Alvey. "Fallen nobles, second sons with no inheritance, unsuccessful officials, and even desperate prisoners. You may see them as the dregs of society, but to us, they are just people who haven't been placed in the right position. Once they are, they will unleash tremendous energy."
Otasi's words made Alvey wary. The orcs continuously drew nutrients from the human world to grow stronger.
Thus, Alvey was trapped within the orc tribe, and Marek was released to return to his side and continue serving as his bodyguard.
Alvey and Marek enjoyed a certain degree of freedom, able to walk between tents, talk to anyone, learn anything, and teach anything, as if they were natural members of the orc tribe. Alvey even wore a shamanic ornament given by Otasi, which had a great deterrent effect on ordinary orcs. Every orc who saw it would look at Alvey with reverence.
However, whenever Alvey tried to leave the tribe or walk too far, orcs on horseback would quickly catch up to him and "convince" him to return.
Clearly, Otasi had sent people to keep an eye on Alvey. It was during these moments that Alvey would remember his "slave" status, and the long-lost sense of shame would resurface.
Finally, one foggy morning, Alvey and his bodyguard Marek disappeared into the thick morning mist. By then, it had been six months since they were captured.
In fact, the two had been looking for an opportunity—a chance to escape the orc tribe safely. This was not an easy task. Even though Alvey and Marek were excellent riders, once they left on horseback, they could not escape the orcs' pursuit. Orcs had exceptional vision, even at night, unlike many humans who struggled to see in the dark.
Unless there was some event that could obstruct the orcs' sight, the thick fog that arrived that morning was just what they needed.
The night before the fog, Alvey, with some meteorological knowledge, had sensed its arrival. The knowledge from the Scholar Tower's top scholars finally proved useful. Alvey quietly informed Marek to prepare.
The sky did not disappoint them. Before the sun rose, the fog they had hoped for arrived, obscuring the grasslands where the tribe was located. Even those with sharp vision could see little.
In Alvey's view, the sudden fog seemed tailor-made for their situation. Having stayed up all night, they immediately took action, mounting their prepared horses and charging into the fog without looking back.
No one pursued them. Perhaps no one had noticed their escape, or perhaps the pursuers had lost track of them in the fog.
Guided by Marek's remarkable sense of direction, the two raced westward, whipping their horses and fleeing as fast as they could.
(End of the Chapter)
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