Liam used to praise my silver tongue, often claiming I would have made a successful bard. I had once tricked Tom, the caretaker of the Arena, with my sweet talk, and I had navigated countless other crises through sheer eloquence. It was one of my specialties.
Since I had managed to deceive even the cleverest of humans, I thought handling an Orc would be a walk in the park. However, there was one thing I had overlooked.
“What are you babbling about? You talk too much!”
Common sense does not apply to Orcs.
“Summarize it in one sentence! Any more chatter and I’ll banish you to the Spiritual World!”
Shit.
* * *
Was it even possible to resolve this situation in a single sentence?
No scholar recorded in history could have done it. Not the Great Witch of the Sky Empire, who was said to have mastered ultimate truths, nor the legendary clown of the Free City, who supposedly stopped a war with his brilliant oratory.
“Summarize!”
No matter who you brought here, they would be left speechless before this damn Orc. These green-skinned bastards knew nothing of logic. This blood-boiling race, which resolved everything through struggle, seemed so naive that they looked like easy targets for a scam. But I had overlooked one simple fact.
An Orc would never be scammed.
Why? Because you can’t even hold a proper conversation with them.
“Do you think I’m joking? An Orc does not make empty threats!”
I felt a very real sense of danger as I looked at the Orc Elder pointing his finger at me. My instincts were screaming. The moment he flicked that finger, some mystery I didn’t understand would banish me to the Spiritual World. Of course, I didn’t know exactly what being banished to the Spiritual World entailed. But I could read the emotion in the Orc Elder’s voice.
The moment he flicked his finger, I was fucked.
That much was certain.
So, I racked my brain as fast as I could.
And then…
“I want the sword in the Holy Land. Who do I have to fight to take it?”
In an instant, I succeeded in crafting the exact words the Orc race would want to hear most. Hearing my blunt, unfiltered demand, the Orc Elder paused. He looked at me with a solemn expression. Soon, the corners of his mouth curled upward.
“Straight to the point without any flowery nonsense. I like it!”
The Orc Elder let out a boisterous laugh.
“Yes! The sword of the Holy Land… So you’re a human who came here coveting a sacred relic!”
“That’s right.”
“It is a precious sword to us! But we have no reason to deny it to a human who triumphs in a legitimate struggle! Above all, I like your directness! It’s almost like looking at one of our own Orc warriors!”
I couldn’t tell if that was a compliment or an insult.
I struggled to maintain my composure and forced a smile.
Now that I had completely grasped the Orcs’ way of speaking, there was no need to sugarcoat anything. If you can’t avoid it, enjoy it, right? I decided to go with that.
“So, who do I fight? Just tell me already. The suspense is killing me.”
“Whuhahaha! A human whose blood boils for the struggle!”
The Orc Elder laughed loudly once more. As he did, he slapped his knee.
Crack!
The surrounding atmosphere vibrated. It wasn’t just the air shaking; my Mana Heart surged in response. With a single slap of his knee, he was vibrating the mana of the entire area. Liam’s warning that he could finish me with a flick of a finger was the truth.
Witnessing that terrifyingly powerful vibration, I felt the Orc Elder’s power indirectly. Baring his rugged tusks, the Orc Elder spoke.
“Human! You came to our Holy Land and said you covet our sacred relic! That must mean you wish to take what is ours from our own land!”
“Yes.”
“Then you must follow our ways!”
The Orc Elder’s eyes gleamed. My reflection was cast within his large pupils.
“Human! Undergo the Orc Coming-of-Age Ceremony!”
“Excuse me?”
“If you pass, I will give you the relic you desire! But if you fail, I will dismantle your soul piece by piece and engrave it into the young Orcs!”
The Orc Elder chuckled.
Amidst the echoing, eerie laughter, the Orc Elder’s voice—which had been loud enough to burst eardrums—suddenly dropped to a whisper.
“I like your peculiar soul.”
His voice, though low as if muttering to himself, rang out strangely clearer than before. It didn’t feel like it was entering through my ears; it felt like it was vibrating directly inside my head.
“O descendant of the Great Steel, you already harbor three Steels within your soul. If you cannot overcome this trial, I shall personally tear that Steel soul asunder.”
“…”
“Overcome the trial. Do so, and glory shall follow. Fail, and only despair awaits.”
A wave of dizziness washed over me, as if my entire body were being tossed about. Feeling a surge of nausea, I watched as the Orc Elder glared intensely at me.
“That is the Orc way.”
* * *
The Coming-of-Age Ceremony.
A long-standing tradition of the Orcs and a ritual to be reborn as a true warrior. Orcs who pass the ceremony receive ‘Ancestor Succession,’ where the souls of past ancestors are engraved into them, allowing them to be reborn as far more powerful warriors.
Very little was known to the public about the Orc Coming-of-Age Ceremony. In truth, it was because very few people cared about Orcs. Even learned historians didn’t bother studying them; only eccentric scholars who wanted to be different occasionally researched Orc culture.
Regardless, after hearing the words ‘Coming-of-Age Ceremony,’ I actually felt relieved. I had been deathly nervous that the Orc Elder might suddenly challenge me to a fight himself. They were such an unpredictable race that common sense didn’t apply. I felt like I could even accept it if one of the many Orcs standing there suddenly challenged me to a duel just because they didn’t like my face. I hadn’t been here long, but I was already sick of the Orc race. I wanted to go back to my dear village…
「A Coming-of-Age Ceremony. You’re in for a good experience.」
“Do you know about the Orc Coming-of-Age Ceremony?”
「Of course. There is nothing I do not know, young descendant.」
I retorted to Liam’s confident claim.
“You didn’t know that medals were required to register for the Arena, did you?”
「…I know everything about the things that existed in my era.」
“Weren’t there arenas in your time as well, Master?”
「Obsessing over trivialities is a bad habit.」
Looking at Liam acting so shamelessly bold, I thought he was truly remarkable. Did one have to be this thick-skinned to become a Swordmaster? Perhaps one of the characteristics of the Caravan family, which culminated in Steel, was a face as hard as an iron plate.
While I was lost in such useless thoughts, Liam spoke.
「Do not be too complacent. You would do well to be nervous.」
“Should I be nervous?”
「Why were you trying not to be?」
The reason was simple.
“Because I’ve already fought and defeated an Orc who passed the ceremony. Whatever the ceremony entails, if I could beat an Orc who passed it, shouldn’t I be able to pass it too?”
It was simple logic.
But Liam shook his head.
「That is not the case. You only say that because you do not know what the Orcs’ ceremony truly is.」
“…?”
「The Orcs’ Coming-of-Age Ceremony is a trial to verify a warrior’s will to overcome fear and limitations.」
A warrior’s will?
Another vague explanation. When I looked at Liam, he continued.
「Young descendant, what kind of beings have you fought until now?」
“The uninvited guests who came to the estate, the fighters in the Arena, various knights including Petel, the Black Bride Seol-yoon, and the Orcs here.”
「Indeed. You have fought many struggles.」
When listed out, I had won more fights than I realized.
Even I thought so.
「However, in the Coming-of-Age Ceremony you are about to face, you will fight an enemy unlike any you have faced before.」
“What do you mean by that?”
「Young descendant, all the enemies you have faced until now were intelligent beings with reason. Beings who thought with their heads, held weapons, and with whom you could clash swords.」
Liam’s eyes turned toward me.
「This time, you will be fighting a monster.」
“…What?”
「And in your struggle against that monster, you must learn to fight not with reason, but with wildness . Coincidentally, it shares the name of the sword you must devour this time.」
Liam smiled.
「You can look forward to it. It will be a very unique experience.」
* * *
Wildness.
A word meaning a rough nature, as found in the untamed world or within instinct.
It was a word that didn’t seem to fit with swordsmanship. Recalling the memories contained in the blades I had devoured—Needle, Fang, and Twilight—they all handled the sword in a cold, calculated manner. Their lives were sometimes passionate, but in struggle, they were more often cold. I had unconsciously thought that was what it meant to swing a sword.
Doesn’t swinging a sword forged from cold metal require one to become infinitely cold? Isn’t maintaining reason at all times the ultimate truth? This was a value directly linked to my own Doubt. But Liam said wildness was also important. A hot-blooded nature close to the instinct of a beast. Come to think of it, the Orcs all acted wildly and savagely in combat.
Could wildness truly be helpful when it came to the sword?
To be honest, I couldn’t understand it. But among the things that had happened since I picked up a sword, not everything could be understood with the head. There were things I only came to realize after experiencing them.
Perhaps this would be the same.
With that thought, I walked toward the Orc Elder. Amidst the countless Orcs gathered there, I naturally blended into the crowd as if I were an Orc myself, not a human. The Orc Elder bared his tusks and grinned. Chuckling, he placed his hand, which was as large as a pot lid, on my head.
“The Orc Coming-of-Age Ceremony! It proves one’s worth as a warrior!”
“…”
“In this place close to the sky! Human, prove that you are a proud warrior! I, Orc Shaman Sherdic, shall bestow upon you the traditional trial!”
At that moment, the mana I saw around me began to vibrate violently. Simultaneously, my Mana Heart pounded, trying to resist the changes in the environment. It was instinct. The heart of Steel was awakening, trying to protect itself. But the Orc Elder crushed the struggle of my second heart as if mocking it. Strength surged into the Orc Elder’s palm. With that, my surging Mana Heart came to a dead stop.
The Orc Elder whispered.
“Successor of Steel, prove how solid you are by facing an unspeakable horror.”
With that, I was flung back as if pushed by an invisible force. When I closed and opened my eyes, I was floating in the air. It was a strange sensation, like swimming underwater, and when I looked down, I saw my own body. How bizarre. I was looking down at myself? What was this…?
「He has temporarily banished you to the Spiritual World. He has separated your soul from your body.」
Amidst my confusion, Liam’s voice rang out.
However, I could only hear his voice; Liam himself was nowhere to be seen.
「You will not be able to see me in your soul state. The gap between you and me is far too great.」
“…”
「Do not bother looking for me. Prepare for the struggle that is about to begin, young descendant.」
Liam’s voice echoed and hummed.
While I was still struggling to grasp the situation, a heavy thud and a violent vibration erupted from the distance. Turning my head toward the sound, I saw a colossal giant. A giant of such immense proportions that its head was above the clouds and its torso rivaled the size of a mountain.
“What the…”
As I stood there dazed, Liam’s voice rang out.
「That is the trial you must face.」
Thud, thud.
Unrealistic footsteps echoed.
It didn’t sound like footsteps; it felt like a landslide or an earthquake was occurring with every stride.
As my mind began to go blank, overwhelmed by the appearance of this grotesque giant that defied reality, Liam’s voice snapped me back to my senses.
「Draw your sword, young descendant.」
