Chapter 196: The Road to Orcrox (2)

The expedition force entered the heart of Chesswood. They were able to stay in a clearing near the village center.

However, their spirits were low, as jeers followed them wherever they went.

Not a single person in Chesswood welcomed them. Some even went as far as to throw eggs at them.

"Argh! Eggs! That son of a...!"

"Let it go! Let it go!!"

"Do not react to the Chesswood villagers."

Arcran and the commanders calmed the expedition members down.

Ingram, Chesswood's representative, apologized on behalf of his people,

"I’m sorry about all this."

"It's alright."

"Crockta is a hero to our village. As long as you're trying to kill Crockta, you won't be welcomed by us."

Ingram was a robust man. He seemed like he could have been a mercenary or soldier in his younger days.

"Crockta saved our village from near destruction."

"I understand. I'm becoming curious." Arcran nodded.

"What was he like?"

"Crockta, you mean?"

"Yes."

"Hoho, it’d be better for you to not know. Learning more about him might make you want to defy the will of the gods."

"Are you saying that’s how strong he is? Enough to scare me that much?"

"Sure, that, too, but knowing how excellent of a warrior he is, you wouldn't want to be his enemy. Instead, you would probably want to be his friend.”

Ingram smirked, then added, “Though that orc warrior song of his is terrible."

Arcran could see how much Ingram genuinely liked Crockta.

He looked around, feeling the unfriendly stares from the villagers.

Crockta's legacy was everywhere, even in Chesswood. In Maillard, he founded the Rebirth Brothers, and in Chesswood, he was the hero who saved the village.

As expected from the land of bards, Chesswood even had songs praising Crockta. It was a ballad that told of a strong and honest orc who fought against villains attacking the village, eventually calling his friends for help to grasp a glorious victory.

The villagers jeered at the expedition, singing that song. The refrain, particularly catchy, got stuck in the expedition members' heads.

"That orc was more remarkable than I thought,” Adantadore, following behind, shrugged, and commented.

"And our expedition seems more pitiful than anticipated,” Adantadore added as they heard the yelling noises of the disobedient expedition members retaliating toward the villagers.

The volunteer soldiers were angered by the poor treatment that they were receiving from the villagers. If it weren’t for Arcran's stern actions, swinging his sword to make an example out of some of them, a bigger conflict may very well have erupted.

"Adantadore, please manage the soldiers."

Arcran was a knight faithful to the God of War. He didn't hesitate to use his sword when needed.

"You have my permission to take care of them under military discipline if necessary."

If the expedition were to cause trouble against anyone other than Crockta and the orcs, their honor would take a nosedive. That had to be prevented at all costs. They were an expedition force gathered for a divine objective, not some looters who attacked villages.

The kids who met them at the entrance now chased after them, rapping insulting verses.

“Leave Chesswood! We can’t even sleep because of you! You all smell like poo!”

“My tongue is like a spear that stabs! Hope you trip and fall, get a bunch of scabs!”

“You’ll always be chasing Crockta’s tail, I’m a hammer slamming on you like a nail!”

“These rascals...”

Ingram shooed the kids away, and the kids ran away, screaming playfully. He shook his head and then spoke to Arcran.

"If you keep going this way, you'll come across a wide clearing. Spend the day there. If needed, you can even take over the road. I'll make sure the villagers are well informed."

"Thank you for your consideration. And..."

Arcran awkwardly thanked him, then hesitantly asked,

"Would it be alright if I recruit volunteers from the village?"

"Hoho, you’re really going to try that? I can't stop you if that's what you want to do. Go ahead."

Judging by the atmosphere of the village, it felt almost certain that they weren’t going to attract a single person.

But it was always better to try. Arcran gathered the priests from each temple.

"The priests from the temples will recruit volunteers."

"Look around you, do you think anyone will volunteer?"

The priests had already given up, and Arcran's face fell with disappointment.

"Let's at least give it a try."

They visited the villages of Chesswood to recruit volunteers but were only met with jeers.

Since they were priests serving the gods, the villagers refrained from throwing eggs or causing harm, but their looks were filled with hostility.

It was an unfamiliar scene for the priests.

In the end, they returned to the camp without having recruited a single volunteer.

"Things aren’t going according to our plan. First Maillard, now Chesswood."

As Adantadore laughed it off, Arcran frowned.

He had hoped Chesswood would bring a significant number of volunteers, but the result was zero. Not a single soul wanted to join their expedition.

"It's alright. We already have a force significant enough."

The expedition had grown large, and having too many could also pose a problem.

"There are many more cities ahead."

"Right, let's hope for the best."

"And soon, we might receive some good news."

Arcran tried to console himself.

"Once we hear back from the Blacksmiths, our march will gain more momentum. Supplies will be delivered promptly."

* * *

In the meeting room of the Blacksmiths Trading Company’s headquarters, reserved only for the top brass, heated arguments filled the air.

It was a stark contrast to the usual calm atmosphere.

Among them, the one raising their voices the loudest was a woman.

"The lifeblood of a trading company is trust!"

"But this time things are different!"

"What do you mean different? Think about it real hard, Pascal! Crockta is our top-tier member, and he's entrusted us with a vast amount of money. The whole world knows that! We’ve even advertised it! Crockta's red headband has become a best-seller! Plus, do we not have orcs as customers? Numerous orcs use the services of our trading company!"

"But the profits from trading with the expedition would be enormous. It would bring in a fortune!"

"Prioritize our customers' trust over immediate profits! That is our principle! What do you think would happen if we trade with the expedition? What would our customers think? That we're just some trash group who'd sell out other customers for money?"

"Isn't that a bit harsh?"

"Are you saying that I’m wrong? Our customers trust us. Orc customers! Crockta! They all traded with us because they trusted us! The cash turnover from orcs is also significant! This would be a betrayal to them!"

"Orcs will be gone soon anyway!"

"How can you be sure of that? Even if that happens, history will remember that the Blacksmiths betrayed their customers!"

"You really..."

"Do the rest of you have the same opinion as Pascal here?"

The woman sharply turned her head.

"What do you think, mister chairman?"

Blacksmith, the chairman of the Blacksmiths Trading Company, who had been watching the argument unfold, smiled.

"Hohoho."

Indeed, she was an executive he had promoted through special appointment.

Initially, she was given an insignificant position. Due to her being cursed by the stars, she was almost seen as a demerit to the company. However, she showed exceptional performance, starting with selling out all vegetables in Anail and later becoming the top salesperson in the trading company.

Stella. The youngest yet most innovative executive at Blacksmiths.

"Hohohoho, the great Stella finally wants to know what I think."

"Ultimately, what matters most is the chairman's opinion, hehe."

"No need to lie to me."

Blacksmith laughed out loud again.

Being innovative meant having a different way of thinking than others. Yet, she did not forget the principles of Blacksmith. She was based. Among the numerous talents from across the continent under him, it was rare to find someone who balanced innovation with foundational principles.

Blacksmith's doctrine was that those who lose their foundation can never achieve greatness.

Yet, Stella possessed it.

The foundation.

As the chairman mulled over Stella's words, he spoke again, "Prioritize our customers' trust over immediate profits..."

He looked at Stella and smiled.

"Thank you for reminding me of something I had momentarily forgotten, Stella."

"Don’t mention it, sir. Every employee of Blacksmith should know it since the chairman himself has been proving it with his actions."

"Knowing and practicing are different matters. Those who show remarkable performances like you often forget that fact. They believe they are not being watched."

Some of the executives winced at the chairman's words.

They were the executives who had committed dishonest acts for the sake of Blacksmith's profits, which had allowed them to rise to their executive positions.

However, the chairman knew everything all along.

The chairman continued, "I agree with Stella’s thoughts for now. Trading with the expedition force would indeed generate tremendous profit. It would solidify our position as the continent's leading trading company on a new level and it will also allow us to compensate for the losses incurred from being overshadowed by the Thomson Trading Company recently. However..."

He looked around at the executives.

"After what Stella just said, I wonder, what's the meaning of achieving first place that way?"

“......”

"Haven't I always said? When in doubt, return to the basics. And our foundation has always been right there."

Blacksmith pointed behind him.

A large frame hung there, bearing the motto that had brought the Blacksmiths Trading Company to its current standing.

The executives all fell silent at the sight.

Every Blacksmith branch had this motto framed and displayed.

「Customer trust is heavier than life.」

Since his youth, when Blacksmith founded the trading company, he had never broken a promise.

Even when a clerical error by an employee led to losses that could have shaken the entire company, he upheld the contract and fulfilled the order.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

He opened branches in remote villages where profit wasn’t a thing and he simply endured the losses without retracting them, because those were promises.

Although the company had grown too large for Blacksmith to manage all of the branches himself as before, this principle was one he personally taught to every employee.

"We might incur losses now. But the world will remember that our trading company never harms our clients. Even if the orcs vanish from this war, their names will remain in our ledgers. How could we open and face our ledgers again if we aid the expedition?"

Stella's face brightened. The executives nodded. The chairman's decision was clear.

"Remember. Our company's mission is not to generate profit," Blacksmith always said, as if it was a habit.

"What is our mission?" He asked his executives.

The executives responded in unison, "To benefit the world through commerce."

"Right, that is exactly it."

Blacksmith stood up.

"When I was young, I really wanted to eat fish. Because I lived in a mountain village, I grew up without any. We only had minnows... But then, traders started visiting our village, and I could always have the fish I liked."

It was the story behind the founding of the company that every Blacksmith employee knew.

"Thanks to that, our village enjoyed not just fish but also medicines, rare goods, and new foods. There are still many young Blacksmiths in the world. My friends, won’t you join me in being true merchants who benefit people, not war racketeers seeking profit from conflict?"

"We understand."

"We will always remember, chairman."

"We will follow your lead."

In the Blacksmiths Trading Company, Blacksmith's word was the law. Even executives who opposed Stella at first quickly changed their stance.

Stella bowed deeply. Blacksmith smiled as if she was his clever granddaughter.

"Then send the reply. Let them know that regrettably, we cannot accept the trade."

Thus, Blacksmiths Trading Company’s response was decided. They would refuse the expedition force's trade request.

"Then they'll probably try to deal with Thomson Trading Company," one executive commented.

Thomson was an emerging threat to Blacksmith. They were active within Anail at first but were now expanding rapidly across the continent.

"I see, that sounds quite likely. I wonder what that Thomson will do, hohoho."