Chapter 138 – Era of Regret
Time was like running water.
For ancient kingdoms that had perished, after a long time, a historian would pass through the ruined city and say things like 'the old fields were overgrown with barley, and they were rich in rice stalks and millets.'
There were things that people hoped wouldn't change. However, the might of time changed everything. Everything they believed wouldn't change would actually fade someday. A new era wasn't a decline, but a resurrection. Nevertheless, there were those who missed the past and lamented that things weren't the same.
It was the same for Crockta.
He headed towards the 'Where are my Brothers?' pub. At the entrance, there was a refreshing smell that he hadn't expected to exist: a feminine perfume scent mixed with flowers and citrus. The sharpness of the scent's top notes pierced his nose. Clear laughter surrounded him as he entered the pub.
The waitress approached and welcomed, "Hello, how can I help you?"
Crockta raised his head. A young and fresh girl. The menu had all types of dishes nearly listed. There were sets available for a large group of people. There were also couple sets. In the midst of this confusion, Crockta could only gaze desperately at the menu.
This wasn't an illusion. He knew this was the place. This was the 'Where are my Brothers?' pub.
Crockta forcibly opened his mouth and spoke without checking the menu.
“Cream spaghetti.”
The expression of the employee didn't change.
“…And chopsticks."
There was a bright smile. She replied 'Yes' in a cheerful voice and left.
Crockta raised his head. Nobody was laughing at him. Crockta sank wearily into the chair. At the next table, a man and woman burst out laughing. Behind him were some youths that were whispering together.
He didn't know where to look. It was confusing rather than shameful. He felt a mixed sense of insult and betrayal. This was the 'Where are my Brothers?' pub; but it had now turned into a fusion pub with a bright atmosphere that was aimed at young people.
"Here is your cream spaghetti. Please enjoy!"
Crockta accepted the plate of cream spaghetti with chopsticks nearly arranged on the table. There was even a mat to place the chopsticks. But what now? He placed the chopsticks in the cream spaghetti like he was holding a knife. The noodles were like the enemies.
Crockta ate the cream spaghetti. It was delicious, causing him to became sadder.
Suddenly,
'An orc ordering cream spaghetti… This isn't a comedy!'
Crockta raised his head. He looked around but didn't see the owner of the voice. It was a hallucination.
'Isn't that a dish for girls? Kukukuk…'
He continued using his chopsticks as the suppressed memories rose.
'Will he also order strawberry juice and a kiwi parfait? Kelkelkel…!'
These voices were only heard in his head. Instead, silly conversations such as 'Cream spaghetti is delicious,' 'Shall we eat?' and 'Is there a menu like that?' entered his ears.
'The old fields are overgrown with barley, and they were are rich in rice stalks and millets.'
Crockta thought with longing as he chewed on his cream spaghetti. Then he drew an inverted triangle with the last piece of cream spaghetti. He waited.
"Hey, Orc." It was the voice from his memories. Crockta got up from his spot. It was the owner of the 'Where are my Brothers?' and the head of the Information Guild's branch in Maillard.
That man.
The two didn't greet each other. Crockta wanted to blame him, but couldn't open his mouth because of the deep look in the owner's eyes. He could tell that they shared the same feelings.
“Come here.”
He guided Crockta to another place.
***
The interior of the pub was changed, but the secret passage was still there. They walked through a door and entered the basement. There was a table in the room and it gave off the feeling of an interrogation room.
The two sat facing each other. Back here, there were no differences.
“You have become big. It hasn't been so long since I've seen you," the owner said with a mock bow.
Crockta replied in a profound manner, “It has been a long time, long enough for things to change."
The man laughed bitterly. Then he changed the topic.
“Yes, well, didn't you come because of the Thawing Balhae Clan? A group of those who have been cursed by the stars. In the meantime, I've gained enough information. Northern Conqueror Crockta who rebuilt the north."
"How do you know that?"
“A divine message came down to the temples. All the gods whispered your name. Crossing the northern limit line, conquering the north and preventing a terrible war. The hero of the north who killed the crazy chieftain."
Crockta nodded. There would be more gods on the continent apart from the grey god, the world tree or the 'Tribulation' that he killed. The system messages for users were regarded as divine messages for the inhabitants of Elder Lord.
The man pulled out some information.
Crockta read through the contents in turn.
It was as expected. The Thawing Balhae members had joined the Heaven and Earth Clan. The Thawing Balhae's clan leader and Grom, no Hyunchul. He had the new name 'Luin' and was part of the Heaven and Earth Clan. They combined their abilities with the combat capabilities of 'Rommel' Choi Hansung, the so-called genius of war. In the land of the south, he was in touch with the nobles and planning more wars.
Indeed, the Information Guild had gathered a lot of information while he was in the north. There weren't only one or two documents. There were several hypothetical scenarios of what they would do in the future.
“Too bad."
The man looked up at Crockta's words. “Sorry, is it not enough? It isn't easy to obtain such information.”
"I'm not talking about the information. The information is excellent."
"……"
The man was silent. Crockta wasn't talking about the information. The man knew very well what Crockta was talking about.
“The transaction will continue in the future. Thanks for the information."
"…You're welcome."
They got up from their seats. The Information Guild's branch manager touched his chin and called out to Crockta again. “Wait. I have one more thing.” He placed his hand back in the small hole in the wall. It was the hole where the guild members handed him the materials. Then he handed new documents to Crockta.
"It is a gift."
"A gift?"
“A gift for the orc warrior who saved the continent."
Crockta received the papers. It was a single document with the tag 'Uncertain' on it.
“Uncertain data shouldn't be distributed, but I will show you this specifically. It still isn't clear but I thought you should know."
Crockta's eyes widened. The information was shocking. The Heaven and Earth Clan was preparing for a larger war after sweeping through the north. And their goal…
It was all the orcs on the continent, including Orcrox. The current relationship between humans and orcs weren't good. The reason he chose the greatsword, the greatsword master Leyteno had fought for the orcs in the war, and the remnants of that war still remained.
Now the uncomfortable relationship was like a tradition. They were planning to drive a wedge between the two species to create a bigger war. It wasn't enough to kill Lenox, they wanted to trample on the rest of the orcs.
It was just a 'quest' and 'game content' to them.
Crunch.
Crockta gritted his teeth. There were more reasons to crush them.
“Thank you.”
The owner extended his hand. Crockta shook it. The two of them exchanged a look and came up to the pub.
Once again, it was an unfamiliar landscape. This was the 'Where are my Brothers?' pub that was a front for the Information Guild. But now, it had surpassed its purpose of simple camouflage. In times where business was becoming increasingly difficult, the Information Guild had to renovate while thinking of profit. The pub was now a business, not a camouflage.
It was a decision barely made after some suffering. He knew it with his head. Nevertheless, Crockta couldn't help feeling regret.
"…The pub has changed a lot."
"It can’t be helped. The deficit would've continued otherwise."
Crockta looked at the flirtatious couples and the young men and women whispering together, and admitted that times had changed. It had become too perky. The males full of masculinity would be long gone.
"Hey." Crockta looked at the owner of the Information Guild with sad eyes. “A roasted pig, is it possible to get that here?"
“……!”
“I would like to eat a whole roasted pig…"
The owner's eyes widened. He dropped his head like he couldn't bear looking at Crockta anymore. He hesitated a moment before barely opening his mouth.
"That menu…" He smiled and continued speaking. “I don’t have that dish anymore."
Times had changed. The stories of the real men who ridiculed cream spaghetti, hated fruit juice, and chewed on big pieces of meat were over.
"I see." Crockta nodded. “I will have whiskey. A bottle please."
The owner handed over the whiskey. Crockta paid the price and opened the lid. He took a sip straight from the bottle of whiskey.
“Heol, look at that person…!"
“Oh my, what is this? That orc?"
“He is drinking from the bottle. Aiyah. Isn't that a strong whiskey?"
“Amazing, amazing!"
Crockta laughed.
These young ones. In the past, there was a time when one would be teased if they didn't do this. It was the era of real males.
Crockta started moving. He headed towards the exit of the 'Where are my Brothers?' pub. Looking at the bright faces of the couples coming in, Crockta thought this wasn't too bad either. The men and women smiled as they looked at each other. There was obvious affection in their eyes.
This was also good.
Crockta grabbed the door. He pushed at the cold handle. The door closed behind him. He walked away from the 'Where are my Brothers?' pub. A gust of wind blew through the streets of Maillard and past him.
He suddenly turned his head. He could see the scenery of Maillard. The lights shining, the drunkards on the streets, people heading home to prepare for a lively day tomorrow. Somewhere out there, the men would still be living their lives.
"There is no need for regrets"
'Where are my Brothers?' might've turned into a lively fusion bar but their place in Maillard hadn't completely disappeared. Somewhere in Maillard, the manly men would still be moving.
“I am just a little sad." Crockta raised the whiskey bottle. He didn't drink from it. Crockta tilted it. The whiskey poured out onto the ground.
“For the real men who aren't here anymore."
He poured out all of the whiskey. A tribute to the past. He recalled the beautiful time and the manly men.
He drank towards a bygone era.
Praise the Orc:
Current schedule: There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.
Chapter 139 – Papillon (1)
“There is nothing eternal in the world," Crockta muttered. He knew that the world would change one day, but he couldn't help being in a bittersweet mood. "The world and the people will change."
He turned away from 'Where are my Brothers?' and towards his accommodations. He bought some cheap beer from the street stalls and slowly sipped on it. Then he whistled and staggered through the back alleys.
"Mister is right," someone said. Crockta turned his head and saw a drunk man with flushed cheeks blowing his nose.
“There is nothing eternal in the world.”
Crockta's intoxicated eyes looked at him. There was a star on his forehead and decent clothing. A high-level user who couldn't be ignored. Perhaps he was even more than that. Crockta had already become too strong, so all users seemed low level to him.
He approached Crockta. “Mister Orc, were you betrayed by someone?"
"Betrayal…"
He thought the Information Guild would maintain that wonderful atmosphere. He never doubted that the pub would be a shelter for men. But in the end, the pub's deficit had continued. Now there were no traces of the old days.
However, it couldn't be called a betrayal. Life was unpredictable. He wasn't betrayed. He just passed through a section of his life. He wasn't a child disappointed because his expectations were betrayed. He was an adult who knew how to view the world in a calm manner.
"Did someone betray you?" Crockta asked instead of replying. He waited. Drunk people often talked to strangers because they were looking for someone to listen to them.
"Yes. I was betrayed," the man replied. "When I was laughing, people laughed with me. However, when I fell into hell, nobody would be around me."
Crockta nodded. It was a familiar story of an ordinary person's regrets…
“I thought she would pick me up if I fell, but she kicked me away. A false love."
Oh, a story of a broken heart. Crockta sighed.
“Color is empty, a person with no…" The man bowed his head and murmured something. “And I can't hate her…"
"Be strong." Crockta wanted to comfort him but he didn't know what to say. So he said the most common but nonsensical things possible to someone suffering from a broken heart. "There are many females in the world."
Even Crockta thought it was ridiculous. The man laughed and stumbled, losing his balance and falling against the wall.
“Ah, I feel like becoming drunk."
“I think you are already drunk enough."
"Do you want a drink?" The man asked.
Tiyo and Anor would be sleeping in the inn by now. Crockta considered for a moment before nodding.
“That would be nice.”
He wouldn't fall asleep easily anyway, since he was drunk. When visiting the 'Where are my Brothers?' pub, he thought he would drink all night with the men there. However, there was no longer a place for him, so he decided to drink with this man.
The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder in the darkness of the alley.
The man was surprisingly sober.
***
"Kuooooh…"
Crockta groaned as he opened his eyes. It was a strange ceiling. There was a rough ceiling and exposed concrete walls. He raised his body and recalled yesterday's memories. He remembered drinking with a man that he met. But what happened after that? It was hazy.
He drank a lot of alcohol. After that, he didn't remember clearly until he opened his eyes in this place.
It was a strange prison.
"……"
Crockta calmly sat on the bed. Steel bars were blocking his way.
Crockta touched his chin. Bare hands. His precious Ogre Slayer couldn't be seen. The Demon's Mouth was still on his waist, but apart from that, everything that could be a weapon had disappeared.
He closed his eyes and searched for the final memory. He continued drinking with the mysterious man. The man had talked about his old lover, how pretty and cool she was, then showed off the typical drunken behavior at her abandonment.
Crockta had listened to his sorrows while drinking. Then the man invited him. It was late to return to his accommodations. He should go back with the man and drink some more.
Crockta followed him. After that, he couldn't remember well.
“I’m an intelligent oak. Now, let's think about this." Crockta muttered. Talking helped to organize his thoughts. "Did he approach me yesterday to deceive me?"
No. His attitude was the truth. It wasn't possible to for all of that to be acting. The man had repeatedly called out to the old lover who left him, then vomited before reminiscing again. It was the stubbornness of someone who really had their heart broken.
“Then was I kidnapped on the way to the man's house?"
He looked through his memories. In his faint memories, there was a scene where he and the man bumped glasses together. It was in a room. The man said that although he lost his woman, he was glad to have such a wonderful orc brother.
It was clear they had reached his house. Then something happened after that. A surprise attack. Or…
Crockta approached the bars. He adjusted his angle to view as much of the surroundings as possible. There was the shaking of a shadow in the hallway. A guard was over there. Crockta opened his mouth.
"You over there!" Crockta shouted. “I just woke up so explain this! Cough!"
His throat was dry. The scent of alcohol was coming from his mouth. He must've drunken a lot of alcohol yesterday. The man was fine.
The sound of footsteps neared. Crockta returned to the bed and sat down. He didn't know the situation but he had to seem relaxed in front of the opponent. Rather, he wanted to rebuke the opponent.
“Your steps are slow."
Of course, he actually was very calm. This was interesting. Anyway, right now he was Crockta, the warrior who rose to the Hero rank. The great chieftain of the north. This situation was too lacking to be hard for him.
“I’m sorry.”
“……!”
But this time, Crockta was surprised. He was completely off the mark. The person standing in front of him. It was the man he was drinking with last night, the one who called him brother and blamed his ex-lover. He stood outside the cell with a group of users.
"It is regrettable." Then the man opened his mouth.
It was a face without any expression. A cool and businesslike attitude. What was the truth behind this man? Crockta grinned. The man had performed as a weak and drunk person, but his eyes were rather cold.
He examined Crockta before nodding. “It was a great coincidence."
“Did you forget your girlfriend?"
"……"
Crockta's words pierced him but he didn't shake.
“You are Crockta." So that's what happened. Crockta guessed the situation. “Northern Conqueror Crockta was drinking in an alley. That reputation is in vain."
Now he wasn't anonymous like he used to be. There were all sorts of videos about him, and his fame had risen due to the system messages about the NPC who helped Shakan open the north and the one who killed the crazy chieftain.
Kenzo didn't know Crockta's name, but he was an unusual case.
“If I hadn't memorized your face as a clan member, I would've thought you were just a drunk orc."
“You know it is me, but you are locking me up?"
"Of course."
The fact that they imprisoned him despite knowing he was Crockta meant one thing. They were users with a hostile relationship to him.
"I caught you as a warning to those ridiculous Rehabilitation Brothers."
The Rehabilitation Brothers was a group begun by Crockta. He enlightened three users and after becoming a new person overnight due to Crockta's efforts, they tried to change the world of Elder Lord.
So this was a clan that they didn't have a good relationship with. And speaking of hostile clans, he had one as well.
“Anyone who is a target of the Heaven and Earth Clan will eventually become like this." The Heaven and Earth Clan, the self-proclaimed strongest clan, used their armed forces to sweep away any disobedience. “I should return to the introductions. "I am Edgar, responsible for the Maillard branch of the Heaven and Earth Clan."
“What? I thought you were Edgar, the woman whiner?"
"……"
The expressions of the clan members standing beside Edgar changed. It seemed like they had never seen Edgar like that. Edgar's face distorted before he regained his composure.
“It is meaningless to talk about this with an NPC like you. You will be executed as soon as possible, just wait. I will send your neck to your rehabilitated friends."
Crockta shrugged and asked. “NPC? What does that mean?” The people who are cursed by the stars always call us NPCs."
"There is no need to know. You are just a fake. It doesn't matter if you die."
“No caring if I die. How terrible."
Crockta got up from the bed and headed to the bars. The clan members stepped back, but Edgar stayed in his spot and gazed straight at Crockta. Crockta looked down at him and laughed.
“As you said, I am Crockta. Do you think you can afford to hold Northern Conqueror Crockta?"
"……"
“These bars are nothing."
Crockta grabbed the bars with both hands. Then he used his strength. His muscles swelled. The faces of the clan members turned speculative. Crockta gradually started forcing open the bars.
Overwhelming power! Crockta bent the steel bars with his great strength. Due to his strength, he managed to widen the bars by one centimeter. Truly, a monstrous orc warrior.
"….Oooooup!"
Crockta used more strength. He used all his power but only managed to spread it open 0.5 centimeters more. The fearsome Crockta had opened the bars by 1.5 centimeters!
“T-T-This is my limit. Are you surprised?"
Crockta rubbed his hands against his thighs and asked. Edgar nodded and acknowledged his strength. “Amazing. This bars were strengthened with magic, so that not even an ogre can open it. I will acknowledge your power."
“If I try harder, I can open it another two centimeters, so treat me politely if you don't want me to exit."
“Be careful, these steel bars are precious. Please be patient." A clan member whispered something in Edgar's ear. He nodded. “Something has happened. Then, I'll see you later."
Edgar and the Heaven and Earth members walked away.
Crockta stood in front of the bars until their shadows completely disappeared. Then Crockta sat down again on the bed.
He muttered in a low voice, "If only I had a blade…"
Praise the Orc:
Current schedule: There will now be 14 chapters a week, meaning two chapters every day.