Chapter 34: Light and Darkness (1)

After entering the elf city Arnin, Crockta was not that impressed. Of course, everything was well organized, the scale of the buildings was impressive, and the beautiful elves leaning against the railing of their balcony to smell the leaves of a tree looked like Greek gods. However, Orcrox Fortress did not pale in comparison. Although elf buildings were whiter and reflected the elves’ sense of beauty, the level of infrastructure was similar to that of Orcrox Fortress. Moreover, Crockta was not fond of elves demanding praise and admiration for their city.

“I haven’t seen an orc in a while. What do you think? Isn’t it beautiful compared to your city?” asked the elf.

Crockta gave a half-hearted nod.

“Look, this building is in Bellitran’s latest style. It’s an architectural style popularized by the elf architect Bellitran. The design is revolutionary. Everyone in the capital is raving about it. It emphasizes the volume...”

Crockta cut him off by asking, “Where is Ilya?”

The elf who had been excitedly talking by himself stuck his lips out disapprovingly. “You may be in a hurry, but first, you need to learn more about Arnin...”

“I didn’t come here to play.” Crockta looked around.

In downtown Arnin, there were only two species—elf and human. Elves were the majority, and there was the occasional human. Since most humans were players, every single person looked suspiciously like a Haedong Balhae clan member to him.

“Oh, my. You are in such a hurry. I understand why you came here, but you can’t go around with such a murderous look on your face,” the elf commented.

“...”

“Fine, follow me.” The elf placed his hand on Crockta’s shoulder and guided him somewhere.

After walking past Arnin’s residential area, they entered an alleyway in between buildings. The elf’s footsteps quickened.

Even the interior of the city was lush with vegetation, so it wasn’t easy for Crockta to keep up with the elf. The latter grabbed onto trees and leaped up like a monkey as he led Crockta to a hidden location in the city.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

A forest eventually appeared. This was where Crockta lost track of the elf, so he just ran in the direction the elf had disappeared.

After a while, Crockta found the elf sitting in the center of the forest on a round table made of thick wood.

“This is...?”

“It’s a place filled with memories for me. It’s also a safe place.” The elf grinned. “I’m Ilya.”

“I had my suspicions,” replied Crockta.

“Is that so? Haha. I was surprised when Derek suddenly offered help... but I’m even more surprised that the one he sent is an orc.”

Ilya waved his hand. The magic in the air wavered, and the leaves fluttering toward the ground gathered in his palm. He laid them out individually on the round table.

“We have the same goals, thus we are on the same side,” Ilya said.

“Can you explain in more detail please?” asked Crockta.

“You are trying to get rid of the Haedong Balhae clan, the group made up of those who have received the curse of the stars. I want to get rid of the corrupt powers conspiring with the clan and establish just laws in Arnin.”

“Who are you referring to as corrupt?”

Ilya placed three leaves on the round table and picked up one of them. The leaf had a hole; it had been made by a bug. Ilya placed the hole in front of his blue eye, which Crockta could see through the hole.

“Arnin’s mayor, Elsanad,” Ilya answered.

Crockta nodded. He felt like he could hear Derek’s voice from the time when he said,

“I have planned a few investments based on the assumption that your revenge will succeed.”

Derek was betting on the downfall of Arnin’s mayor. Crockta looked into Ilya’s eyes doubtfully. It was impossible for Derek to be a good person, so it was hard for Crockta to believe that someone in the same boat as him was talking about justice.

Ilya shrugged. “Your job is to strike the Haedong Balhae clan with us. We will take care of the rest, so don’t worry.”

“...Hmm.”

Nevertheless, Crockta wasn’t aiming to be a good person anyway. He was going in for bloodthirsty revenge. Thus, he and Ilya were able to accompany each other until the downfall of their common enemy.

“Understood,” replied Crockta.

“Since you have made up your mind to join us, I will explain in more detail,” Ilya said.

He placed the tips of his fingers on the table, and a sudden wind scattered the leaves he had placed there.

“In the past, Mayor Elsanad and I used to be friends. We were best friends.” Ilya stared off to somewhere far away as if reminiscing the past. “We once aimed to develop Arnin and make it into a place where everyone would be happy. We were young then. I provided financial and emotional support so she could become a mayor, but she began to change after having a taste of authority. She is no longer the Elsanad I used to know.”

“How is that related to the Haedong Balhae clan?”

“She is conspiring with the accursed Haedong Balhae clan and... participating in elf trafficking and urban renovation.”

“...”

“The ones you are determined to kill have become Elsanad’s loyal dogs and are eating right out of her lap. Let me show you.”

Ilya waved his hand in the air, then two elves walked out from the bushes. Crockta had sensed their presence earlier, so he was not surprised.

“They are my friends who share the same goals as me,” Ilya stated.

“Nice to meet you,” said Crockta.

“Welcome,” the elves greeted him.

It was apparent from their gazes that they were unfamiliar with orcs.

Crockta greeted them solemnly, “Are you alive? I am orc Crockta.”

Ilya explained, “This is the orcs’ way of greeting. It’s good to remember it.”

Then Ilya, the elves, and Crockta departed from the forest and headed in the opposite direction of where they’d entered from.

Outside the forest, Crockta frowned at what he saw. The sight contrasted heavily with the flamboyance of Arnin he had seen earlier. Here, crumbling buildings, makeshift houses, and shacks were barely holding up. These were the slums of Arnin, and they resembled the back alleys of Anail.

“If what I showed you earlier is the sunny side of Arnin, this is the dark side. No one pays attention to this side,” remarked Ilya.

Suddenly, they heard a disturbance from afar.

“Shhh,” Ilya whispered and put a finger to his lips.

They skirted through shaded areas to approach the source of the disturbance.

“...!” Crockta’s eyes widened.

A group of humans was kidnapping an elf outside an old house. They gagged the elf with a towel and tied her up so she wouldn’t be able to resist. Then they surveyed their surroundings and ran away while carrying her. The elf tried to resist by twisting her body, but she was unable to overcome the strength of the several men.

An abduction was being committed in broad daylight.

“Oh, God!” Crockta exclaimed.

He tried to run out to save the abducted elf, but Ilya grabbed hold of him. While trying to hold Crockta down, Ilya’s body shook. He looked surprised when he felt Crockta’s arm tremble.

“Calm down,” said Ilya.

“After seeing that...!”

“I know where they are going.”

“...!”

“They are just small fry. Catching them will only alert the head. We have to wipe all of them out at the same time.”

As the kidnappers and the abducted elf disappeared, Crockta took deep breaths to calm his anger.

“You have a strong sense of justice. I’m surprised,” Ilya remarked.

“...”

“Please endure it a little longer. We also want to rescue that elf immediately, but numerous elves, including children and men, have disappeared in that same manner. We need to rescue them as well.”

“Does Arnin not have a police or security force?”

“We do, but they don’t come to this area. It’s abandoned land.”

“...”

“They disappear one by one just like that, and affluent elves’ summer homes are built where their homes used to be,” Ilya said and then pointed into the distance.

Looking in the direction of Ilya’s finger, Crockta saw new buildings being erected in several locations. Elves and human workers were sweating as they built mansions. The large buildings being constructed looked out of place amid the crumbling houses.

Crockta asked, “What happens to those who are kidnapped?”

“It’s either one or the other. They either become sold as slaves or have to sell their bodies. It’s the worst,” Ilya explained.

He then extended his arm and put it around Crockta’s shoulders.

“We feel the same way you do,” he said knowingly.

After looking around the slums for a while, they returned in the direction they had come from and headed downtown. It was a splendid city that was at odds with what they had just seen. The sight of the elves walking down the street with smiles on their faces looked like a well-taken photo, but this scenery no longer looked beautiful to Crockta.

“I will show you the inn where you will be staying temporarily,” said Ilya.

“When will you be carrying out the plan?” asked Crockta.

“Tomorrow, but if things go smoothly, tonight,” he replied.

Crockta nodded.

“We know that orc warriors are strong, but the enemy cannot be underestimated. Please make your preparations.”

Illya then led Crockta to his lodging. It was a small inn at the corner of downtown Arnin, and Ilya said the owner of the inn was a long-time friend of his.

The owner was initially surprised to see his guest was an orc, but he nodded approvingly upon hearing Ilya’s explanation and welcomed Crockta.

The inn owner said, “It’s my first time having an orc as a guest. Hahaha, so big and dependable. Elves don’t have this. Hahahaha!”

Even though the inn owner was an elf, he had a lean, muscular body. Ilya said the inn owner was one of the few muscular and macho elves.

“Hey, do you lift weights? How much do you weigh? You lift three times your weight, right? Hahah!” asked the inn owner excitedly.

“...”

“Let’s exercise together next time. Haha!”

Ilya paid the room fee and left.

Crockta put down his things and came out of the inn to have a brief look around Arnin. However, the rare sighting of an orc drew the elves’ attention, so Crockta tried to ignore their gazes as he walked past them and ended up in the fountain in the center of downtown.

“Let me ask you something,” said Crockta toward a young man sitting at the fountain.

The young man was a human and seemed to be in deep thought as he was staring off into empty space. He made a surprised face once he discovered Crockta.

“Woah, an orc! What do you need?” the man replied.

“What is the mayor, Elsanad, like?” Crockta asked.

“Elsanad? She’s a great mayor. She is the one who made Arnin a prosperous city.”

“Is that so?”

“I hope she is elected for a second term as well. It’s almost election time. I will cast a vote as a citizen of Arnin.”

Crockta nodded.

“Does she have any problems?” he asked.

“Problems... I heard she was concerned about her daughter because she doesn’t listen to her. Why? Are you trying to acquire citizenship?”

“Yeah, something like that.”

“Haha, Arnin is a nice city to live in. Welcome,” said the man warmly.

“I will think about it, but I’m curious... What were you so deep in thought about?”

“Ah... To be honest...” the young man began. He hesitated for a moment before saying, “There is someone I love... but I’m not sure what to do... I want to confess my feelings... What do you think about confessing in a public square? She will be touched, right?”

“...”

“I’m planning a surprise event for her. I will make a heart out of candles and serenade her from inside the heart. I will sing to her in front of a large crowd and publicly ask her out...”

Crockta shook his head. “Cut it out.”

“...Huh?”

“Listen to me.”

“T-Then...”

“Rather than hundreds of fancy events, a simple and genuine confession will better convey your feelings,” Crockta advised.

“Ah...”

“It’s better to confess your feelings when the two of you are alone.”

Crockta felt relieved as he had just saved the young man’s life. He rose from his spot after giving out sound advice, but he noticed something that had been bothering him. Crockta turned around and found there was an elf watching him from the crowd. Noticing Crockta’s gaze, the elf gave an embarrassed smile and approached Crockta. It was Ilya.

“Have you been following me?” Crockta asked.

“Yes, but please understand. We can’t trust you immediately even though you were sent by Derek,” said Ilya.

After letting out a few awkward dry coughs, Ilya put his arm around Crockta’s shoulders.

Then he lowered his voice and said, “I heard you talking to that young man.”

“...”

“Like him, the citizens of Arnin are being deceived. They all believe the mayor is a woman of character. The truth is... what we saw—the horrid truth.”

Ilya and Crockta left the fountain and walked shoulder to shoulder. After they walked for a bit, the two elves they had seen in the forest earlier appeared.

They whispered to Ilya, “The date and time have been scheduled. Tonight at dawn, let’s carry out the deed.”

“...”

“We will visit the inn at midnight. See you then. Please be prepared,” they said to Crockta.

Crockta nodded.

Ilya rubbed his lips for a second and then said, “I can vividly recall your anger at the evil we saw earlier. We have been waiting for someone like you who has a strong sense of justice.”

He grinned and added, “We need someone like you in Arnin. You have come to the right place.”

Then Ilya disappeared into the crowd with his friends.

Crockta repeated what Ilya had said over and over in his head.

Justice... It was inaccurate to call what Crockta had a sense of justice. He had definitely been furious at the scene, but it wasn’t because he was just.

As Crockta looked in the direction that Ilya had disappeared, his expression became gloomy.

The reason was that Crockta wasn’t just; he was just logical.