Chapter 84: Invitation from Theodorus

The minotaur army was still on its way to Orford, advancing steadily despite the arduous journey. Though the swamp forces had paved the way, traversing the vast marshlands of Tatalia to reach Orford was no short trip. However, the harpies, benefiting from their aerial advantage, had already arrived within a few days.

Their numbers had already been scarce, and the battle of Othello had devastated their ranks further. Apart from their chieftain, Lorelei, only a few dozen warriors had managed to escape the infernal onslaught. Fortunately, some of the elderly, the infirm, and a clutch of several hundred unhatched eggs had remained in the nest. Under Lorelei's leadership, they had all made it safely to Orford.

"Chieftain Lorelei, how do you like this place? I trust we have arranged things well for you?" Lord Borugan asked smugly, gesturing toward the cliffs ahead. This was the shadowed side of a rocky mountain outside Orford, where platforms had been carved into the stone. Nesting materials had been provided, leaving the harpies to organize their new home as they saw fit.

"Not bad, thank you," Chieftain Lorelei nodded.

Lord Borugan grinned widely, his large mouth stretching into an exaggerated smile. With an overly familiar gesture, he patted Lorelei's waist and said, "No need to thank me. It was Lord Theodorus who arranged this for you, and the lizardmen who carved out the space. I'm just the one leading the charge."

The moment his five short, thick fingers brushed against the skin of her waist, Lorelei's body instinctively stiffened. However, her willpower held firm—she resisted the urge to draw the twin blades at her sides and slice that hand off.

Had this happened anywhere else, at any other time, a human foolish enough to make such a move would have ended up in a pile of shredded remains. But this was Orford. While she could sever this dwarf's head with a single strike, the two arc guards standing nearby wouldn't be any slower with their own blades.

Apart from the massive wyverns, the entire city of Orford was an overwhelming sight for these birdlike creatures who rarely left their secluded domain. What shocked them most was the well-equipped, highly disciplined orc warriors—whose organization and structure were, to their surprise, no less rigorous than that of the Church's swordsmen. This realization forced Chieftain Lorelei, who had always been fiercely independent and harbored a deep-seated hatred for humans, to suppress her instinctive disgust while dealing with this dwarf.

"I've already heard about it—you got completely wiped out back in Nigen, didn't you? The Church raided your home, turned everything upside down, and even hit you with a forbidden spell scroll, huh?" Lord Borugan grinned, his voice carrying what he thought was a tone of friendly conversation.

Lorelei's face darkened, and she remained silent.

Borugan, seemingly oblivious to the tension, continued to laugh heartily. "But don't worry! I promise living here will be far more comfortable than in Nigen. I also heard that your leader, Shaman Timmah, is a once-in-a-century genius among the minotaurs. Not just an earth magic prodigy—she's also got an exceptional mind…"

Lorelei couldn't hold back and turned around. "Timmah is the leader of the minotaurs. He has nothing to do with us."

"Aren't the harpies vassals of the minotaurs?" Lord Borugan asked in surprise.

"We are not!" Lorelei screeched.

"Oh, no big deal, no big deal," Borugan chuckled foolishly. "Either way, you're together now. As long as you follow Shaman Timmah, you can't go wrong…"

If we hadn't followed him, would we have ended up like this? Are you deliberately provoking me, you damn dwarf? Lorelei barely held herself back from shouting and clawing at the infuriating little creature. Her teeth ground together audibly.

Harpies were never known for their patience or deep scheming. For Lorelei to suppress her fury to this extent was already an incredible feat.

Yet Lord Borugan kept smiling. His wide, pancake-like face bore an expression of thickheaded cheerfulness, his large ox-like eyes brimming with absurd innocence. "Come now, let's have a good chat. We'll be working together for a long time, so we ought to get to know each other better…"

"You must learn patience and restraint. Do you understand what it means to have foresight?"

That night, when Lorelei met with Shaman Timmah, the priestess spoke to her in a solemn tone. She could see that Lorelei's expression and gaze were different from usual—angry, confused.

This reaction was something Timmah had anticipated. She knew Lorelei's temperament well, and it was clear that such a personality was ill-suited for dealing with other races. In truth, all the creatures of Nigen's underworld—except for the dark elves—lacked much in the way of scheming or calculation. They were crude, wild, and straightforward.

Though Moril's power was the primary reason for the dark elves' dominance, this disparity in cunning was another key factor in why such a physically weaker race could rule over Nigen. Even before coming to Orford, the Shaman had been concerned that the harpies' impulsive and simple-minded nature might cause trouble.

"Are you telling me to learn from those treacherous, deceitful humans?" Lorelei looked at Shaman Timmah with an odd expression.

"We are no longer in Nigen. The environment has changed, and so must we. We must learn to adapt."

Timmah's voice was calm but firm. "I know you've always looked down on the hypocrisy and cunning of humans, but I must tell you—this is not a sign of weakness or disgrace, but rather a skill, a form of strength."

The Shaman rarely spoke at length, and he had never instructed anyone in this manner before. By nature, minotaurs were not inclined to share their thoughts or wisdom with others. Yet now, he spoke like a patient teacher guiding a student.

The harpies, though greatly diminished in number, were his only true allies at present.

"To achieve long-term goals, one must restrain impulsive actions, relinquish what should be abandoned, and control their emotions. This is a skill—one far greater and more useful than physical strength. It is an essential ability for those who wish to accomplish great things. Despising so-called 'cowardly deceit' while taking pride in one's so-called 'pure blood and valor'—that is merely the excuse of the weak, a self-righteous justification for failure."

Lorelei's expression twisted slightly. She gave the Minotaur Chief—a longtime companion—a peculiar look before sighing and nodding. "I understand."

Shaman Timmah exhaled slowly, nodding in return. He had few cards left to play, and each one had to be used wisely. "Right now, Theodorus needs us, which is why we have a place in Orford. But in their eyes, we are mere tools. We are outsiders, after all. That is why we must remain united."

"Theodorus certainly does not fully trust us, and I suspect he even harbors intentions of completely assimilating our two tribes. That is why, as the leaders of our people, we must be especially cautious. No matter what happens in the future, we should stay together as much as possible."

Shaman Timmah let out a heavy sigh and extended his broad hand, gently patting the much smaller shoulder of the Harpy Chieftain. "I know that our current predicament is my fault. Please forgive me."

"You..." Lorelei's expression turned strange. Perhaps she had never seen this ally display such warmth and humility before. The strength of the Harpies and Minotaurs was vastly unequal. Though they were called allies, it had always been Timmah who gave the orders.

"The situation is difficult now, which makes it all the more important that we stay united and support each other." His expression was genuinely sincere.

"Oh... alright... of course." Lorelei seemed flustered and a little overwhelmed.

Shaman Timmah was pleased—her reaction meant that his words had truly touched her heart.

"Our two tribes cannot stand independently—we must rely on Orford. Under such circumstances, the spiritual faith and cohesion of our people are the most crucial factors in ensuring that we are not swallowed up by Orford. That is why our identities hold great significance. Theodorus will surely realize this as well, which makes me worry that he may eventually make a move against us. Fortunately, with war between the Church and Orford imminent, he does not dare to act against us just yet. But regardless, we must be extremely cautious. We cannot afford to show even the slightest sign of defiance, nor give them any excuse to take action against us."

"What we need is time—to gradually familiarize ourselves with this city. If we can gain the full acceptance of the orcs here and slowly establish our own status and influence, then we will have a chance. Remember, both humans and orcs have short lifespans... and Theodorus is already old."

The chief of the Minotaur patiently explained, guiding and slowly imparting to Lorelei the things she didn't originally understand or was not skilled at. The Harpy Queen listened carefully, occasionally showing a thoughtful or confused expression. The Shaman was not impatient; he knew that Lorelei was not unintelligent. Her lack of experience with schemes and strategy was not a major issue—she just lacked practice.

As long as she started to get used to this way of thinking, gradually, she would figure it out and adapt, becoming more adept at it over time. This process of growth was like that of an inexperienced youth—once they have gone through something, the rest follows naturally, as their inherent desires will guide them.

The next morning, two orcs brought news from Theodorus: the Lord of the City invited them to visit the farmland on the edge of the swamp.

Riding on the wyverns, the two quickly arrived at the swamp's edge, where they saw an orderly, vast forest bordering the swamp. However, it was strange that there were no orcs working in the fields. Theodorus was waiting alone.

After a brief exchange of greetings, Theodorus smiled at them and said, "Actually, the main purpose of your visit today is to meet someone. Please, follow me."

After a moment's hesitation, Shaman Timmah followed Theodorus into the swamp's woods. It wasn't long before they came upon a person.

It was a dead body. The head was battered beyond recognition, and there were multiple wounds on the body. Numerous flies were crawling over it.