"Your majesty"
The orc king walked in, making everyone feel dreadful. Although he tried to conceal his aura, the smell of blood and slaughter still lingers in the air.
The orc king is unlike any other king, he didn't exclude dignity or honor but instead death and carnage.
Being the king of the orcs is not like being an elder or a great elder. It wasn't won by a vote or inheritance but it was earned through strength. To be crowned as king one must prove himself in battle. He didn't need to know politics nor be good at talking, he only had to have the strength to kill anyone who stood on his path, and that includes the war scions of his generation.
To the orcs, to be the king means to be the strongest.
The elders swallow a mouthful of saliva, even though they are the one that requested the audience of the king they still can't help but feel fear in his presence. They all knew that no matter what position they might have it doesn't mean anything in front of the king, one wrong move and they are dead.
The great elder led the orc king to his seat.
The orc king continued walking without paying attention to Barktus.
Barktus looked at the orc king, he already knew that with his master status there is no way that the orc king would make a move to harm him.
The orc king and Mongul go way back and know each other even before the orc king is nothing but a weak Ombakti. He had served under Mongul brigade and had laid waste at Alfheim as part of the Demon King army.
They were like brothers and Mongul staying for this long is a big proof of that bond because with the latter temperament there is no way he would stay in one place.
What worries Barktus is the one walking behind the orc king, the great shaman. From the start, he doesn't have a good impression of the latter and it was for a good reason as he knew long ago that the other party is strictly aiming for his life.
The position of a shaman is unique even among the orcs. It was neither won through strength, inheritance, or majority. To be a shaman you have to be chosen.
Chosen by the God Python. All shamans are born special and believe to be the purest blood among the orcs. In every one million orcs there is only be one that would have the quality of a shaman.
Orcs are known to be a brute race that relies solely on strength and this is true except for the shaman who has a natural gift in controlling mana. A great shaman is believed to be comparable to a sage or a high elf.
The great shaman glares at Barktus as he passes him by.
Being a pure-blooded orc he despises the existence of Barktus who came from the unholy union of humans and orc. He feels sick every time he sees him and wants him dead as much as everyone else in the room or maybe even more. But he knows that he cannot lay a finger on him, not openly. Mongul is one of the existences that even his God Python fears.
He can only bite his finger as he watches Barktus walk among their race like cancer, hoping that somehow the latter would make a mistake and die.
'Is this idiotic old orc not getting tired of bothering me?' Barktus thought to himself.
The orcs might see shamans in high regards but to Barktus they're nothing but a bunch of snake loving idiots. He might have never seen the one they called Python before but it doesn't matter to him whether it was real or a fake. What he believed in is his strength.
He didn't want his life to be in the hands of anybody else but himself.
The great shaman gives the great elder a meaningful look and both of them smile.
"Let's begin," The orc king said, feeling uninterested.
The great elder bow. "As you wish your majesty"
He then walks in front and said "We are here today to discuss the trial of Barktus, one of our war scion"
"Oh?" The orc king's interest is piqued.
He did see Barktus as he walked in but through his big brother's instruction, he never really paid attention to him. Among all the orcs, he might be the only one that knows the real reason why his big brother Mongul kept someone like Barktus despite everyone's dissatisfaction.
Seeing the change in the King expression the elder quickly added. "After getting approval of the great warrior Mongul we proceed to the trial."
'Oh, these idiots' The orc king smirks. If not for the adverse effect it might have, he would've already killed every single one of these old fogies the first second he ascended the throne. He is already aware of their corruption and their hunger for power that is slowly poisoning their kingdom long before he was the king.
'I guess I have to thank big brother soon' Based on the time they spent together serving under his wings, the orc king already had an idea of what his big brother was planning.
At this moment Barktus open his mouth "Your majesty, if I may speak a few words"
"You may not! how dare you a criminal speak to the king" One of the Elder said.
"Ohhh! I didn't know, we had a new king" Barktus smirk
"You fu-" Halfway the older words he stops. He found his whole body started shaking, he looked at where the king was sitting and found the other party staring at him.
Seeing the mood of the king substantially changed, the great shaman interjected. "Sit down and let the king speak" His mana spread out forming something physical like a hand pressing the elder to his seat.
'These idiots! Is it that hard to just shut up and listen' The shaman cursed inwardly.
"I'll allow it"
"Thank you, your majesty," Barktus said politely.
He then looked at the great elder and raised his middle finger.
"Fuck you!"'