Divine Kingship

Chapter 542 The Black-Haired Demon, Rand, the Orc's Nemesis

If you ask a nobleman what qualifications are needed to become a general, his answer will likely reflect his noble lineage.

For a general, noble bloodlines may indeed be indispensable.

If you ask Rand, he believes there are many things to mention.

Instill confidence in the soldiers, keep them calm in their judgments, be thoroughly familiar with the science of war, and... a little bit of spirituality.

Rand believed that a qualified general needed many qualities, but these were not the main point. The most important thing, of course, was... to bring victory.

As long as you can consistently bring victory, your flaws and shortcomings can be tolerated.

Conversely, even if someone possesses many desirable qualities, they cannot be considered truly qualified if they consistently suffer defeats.

Rand always brings victory.

Many forces hostile to Rand are well aware of the trouble that Rand has brought.

Moreover, this feeling only intensifies with each encounter with Rand.

The orcs already knew who the commander of the knightly order they had encountered after the landing battle in the Kingdom of Takagi was.

Black hair is not very common in this world, and Rand's appearance is quite distinctive, so when Rand roared to warn them, the orcs still found him.

"That Rand has indeed come," sighed the elderly but still strong orc chieftain.

Orcs were originally a tribal society, but due to their defeat in the war against humans, they have now been forced to unite.

To the orcs, Rand is more terrifying than the demons of Purgatory or the ancient vampire Grand Duke Vladimir.

When the Infernal Transformation occurred, the orcs gained terrifying power. They thought they could destroy the Northern Union, change the balance of power between orcs and humans, and thus rule over humans to produce food and other resources for them.

Then reality gave them a harsh blow.

The perfectly planned landing operation failed. Tens of thousands of infernal orcs were stopped by a knightly order of a few thousand, and the orc hero who had the potential to become king died in that battle.

Now, the orcs had executed a near-perfect plan, but before the altars could be delivered to the front lines, they were destroyed by ice spears raining down from the sky. The few altars that could be transported to the front lines and serve their purpose in this northern defense zone were also exposed within just a few days.

The orcs were determined to defeat humanity, but unfortunately, the huge sacrifices they made did not bring them the rewards they deserved.

Due to the scarcity of altars, the sacrifice proceeded slowly, and after only a few days, the humans launched a full-scale attack without hesitation.

The orc chieftain was almost certain that Rand was behind the humans' swift reaction.

Rand's observation skills were too sharp. In such a chaotic battlefield, he was able to notice the edge of an altar that was exposed when a siege engine overturned, and then made such a decisive judgment.

If it weren't for a traitor among the humans, the orcs' desperate gamble might have truly failed.

“Let’s try to kill Rand,” the orc chieftain sighed. “This is not an order.”

In the eyes of the orcs, Rand was an undisputed strongman. They didn't know why Rand rarely fought personally, but his achievements were undeniable.

The orcs knew that Rand, clad in steel armor, had defeated the infernal orc hero.

That was an orc hero who was about to become king, and even such an orc hero could not defeat Rand.

It's clear that Rand is either close to being a king, or he is already a king.

The king is not invincible, but with the current strength of the orcs, it would be very difficult to kill Rand, who is protected by many layers. In the eyes of the orcs, the only thing that Rand is worth criticizing is his cowardice.

Despite possessing strength approaching that of a king or even a king, he still hides behind the crowd and refuses to fight personally.

At this moment, the infernal vampire orc, whose body already bore obvious signs of frostbite, pointed his giant hammer directly at Rand and roared, "Coward, come down and fight!"

Rand chuckled dismissively: "You think you're worthy?"

In orcish custom, such a duel might be unavoidable, but Rand was unaffected.

Rand didn't mind fighting alongside his soldiers, but at this moment, choosing to continue observing the enemy's weaknesses from the city walls was clearly the more correct option.

No one would consider it cowardly for Rand not to duel this infernal vampire orc with near-king-like strength.

Rand's voice wasn't loud, and at such a distance from the battlefield, it wasn't loud enough for this infernal vampire orc to hear. However, with his near-king-like excellent eyesight, he could still see Rand's disdain.

He grabbed a spear from the side and fired it straight at Rand.

Rand, however, remained calm and fearless. The last time he faced a near-king orc, he was nailed to the kingdom's walls, and indeed, that was no pleasant experience.

But this time...

The spear only flew a short distance before being covered by the chilling frost, and then shattered like beautiful snowflakes.

Hilarious! My brother-in-law is still alive, and he wants to kill me?

Rand was emboldened.

And retaliate.

[God took it]

The infernal vampire orc hero, who was hurling his spear, fell into a brief and eerie stillness.

That amount of time was enough for Berlan to deliver another devastating blow.

The orc hero's body was covered in frost-colored cracks, injuries that would prevent him from fighting for much longer.

Berlan's icy blue gaze was cold; the battle was about to end.

But soon, the orc's giant hammer emitted a dazzling light.

Berlan didn't take it seriously.

Once you reach the highest level of professional, you'll have some trump cards up your sleeve, and it's quite normal for someone approaching the King level to have some divine artifacts.

Berlan's current level of development was not achieved overnight. She has seen many powerful people and many methods, but so what?

All she needs to do is destroy it.

The giant hammer churned the air like a whirlpool in the ocean, sending countless dust particles, broken weapons, and the two combatants flying through the air.

Then, it came to an abrupt end.

A beautiful, ethereal ice flower, completely out of the realm of the battlefield's blood and stench, bloomed from the body of the infernal vampire orc.

Then it ended.

The world is full of all sorts of strange abilities, but for the White King Berlan, the only one that is truly effective is Rand's bizarre ability.

Or perhaps only Rand could use his strange powers on her and escape unscathed?

Berlan watched the battlefield, where, as the humans launched their all-out offensive, the orcs, even with their ability to transform into Infernal, were already in retreat.

Berlan returned to the city wall and looked at Rand: "Looks like it's over. Should we give chase?"

"I thought the orcs would fight to the death," Rand said, arms crossed. He remembered orcs as brave and skilled warriors, but they hadn't chosen to fight to the death? "Let's send some knights to hunt them down, then we'll take a group to the Wisteria Kingdom." The orcs retreated too easily.

Normally, it would be normal for troops to withdraw at this level of war intensity, but this is not normal.

For the orcs, this is now a battle for the survival of their race.

Rand always saw things very clearly.

Since it was a battle for survival, and the orcs knew very well that even if they retreated, the humans would not let them go.

So retreating and collapsing after such a small loss seems a bit unbelievable.

Maintaining a calm and rational mind on the battlefield allows for easy analysis of many things.

Rand, on the other hand, is able to remain calm, at least when those around him are not threatened.

And of course, Rand had not forgotten the Wisteria Kingdom, and he was certain that something was happening there.

After giving some instructions, the White King Berlan set off for the Wisteria Kingdom with Ellie and Rand.

At least for now, Rand's judgment is the same as that of the White King, Berlan.

Rand also gave some instructions, especially to have the guards keep an eye on the thirteenth son of the Black Brown Marquis, to make sure nothing happened to him. The Black Brown Marquis had finally found a decent heir, and he couldn't afford to have any problems.

……

The orc leader's gaze was deep and unfathomable at this moment.

They have failed on their end, but at least they have delayed things for a while. If the Wisteria Kingdom completes its plan, then overall they haven't completely failed.

But the thought that Rand might have figured something out made the orc leader frown.

Orcs and humans are mortal enemies, irreconcilable enemies.

Orcs dislike farming and would enslave humans if they defeated them, but humans currently show no sign of accepting the orcs' surrender.

Humans only wish for the orcs to be wiped out.

The orc leader believed that his side had done everything in terms of strategy and determination, but the humans on the other side were so calm and astute that it was disgusting.

"What do we do next?" Several tribal chieftains rode giant wolves to the orc leader. "The warriors are too weak to fight anymore. The White King did not pursue, but many human knights have caught up."

The White King didn't chase after us; he's probably off to deal with something else.

The orc leader sighed, then ordered: "Human defenses are not as impenetrable everywhere as they are here. Gather some warriors to intercept the Wisteria Kingdom. If we fail, the history of the orcs may truly come to an end."

"Yes." The tribal chiefs riding giant wolves accepted the order.

"Wait," the orc leader said.

The chiefs looked at their leader again.

"I'll lead the team myself this time."

"Yes," the orc tribal chiefs replied again.

……

The young and older knights who had been discussing Rand in the defensive line also participated in the pursuit.

The young knight asked, "Should we exterminate all the orcs?"

“Of course, we must kill all the orcs,” the older knight said matter-of-factly.

“Oh,” the young knight replied.

"What, do you think that slaughtering the weak is not in the honor of a knight?" The older knight said sarcastically as he rode his horse and observed the direction the orcs were retreating.

“Yes.” The young knight admitted that the older knight had guessed his thoughts.

For a knight, integrity and loyalty are considered moral standards. In theory, not wielding a sword against the unarmed weak is also a moral standard. Of course, this does not apply when looting, and villagers are not considered human beings.

Of course, there will still be some young knights who frequently read knight novels, and some morals that older knights find difficult to understand.

These morals may not be a bad thing in some situations, and the young knight did not intend to disobey orders. The older knight was even willing to explain: "If you have ever experienced having your relatives killed by orcs, having your property plundered, or even witnessing children being devoured, you will not have any pity for orcs."

"You should be grateful that our general has such good judgment, able to accurately identify the orcs' main attack direction and make deployments every time. Otherwise, you would have experienced despair in many ways," the older knight explained.

The young knight swung his sword, beheading an orc who had caught up with him. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Is it because of that Duke Rand?"

The young knight heard Rand's roar reminding the orcs of the hidden location of the altar while he was fighting.

He didn't know how Rand, who was far above the city walls, had so keenly discovered the altar hidden beneath the siege equipment, but indeed, if Lord Rand hadn't discovered it, the orcs' plot might very well have succeeded.

This battle was easier than any other war the young knight had ever faced. In the past, he would have struggled against weaker enemies, but this time, facing the powerful Infernal Beastmen, the pressure of the battle was less than he had imagined.

It seems that Duke Land is indeed a very capable general.

This made the young knight both admire and envy her. As for why he was jealous, it was naturally because he still couldn't forget the jewel of the White Kingdom, or rather, many knights and young nobles of the Northern Alliance had had feelings for Ellie Carant.

……

Rand, who had already set off for the Wisteria Kingdom, was naturally unaware that his Lady Ellie had so many admirers. The challengers he had encountered in the White Kingdom were all that Rand knew.

Ellie is beautiful. If she has a cold expression, she has some of the icy temperament of her sister Berlan. However, because she has always been well taken care of by Rand's side, her baby fat makes her look cute.

It wasn't that Rand couldn't appreciate Ellie's beauty; it's just that they'd been married for almost ten years, and Rand had long since taken Ellie's beauty for granted.

In fact, if Ms. Berlan had revealed her true identity and appeared as a woman, she might have had even more admirers, but Berlan was unwilling to do so.

“You might get a new title,” Ellie teased Rand as she rode her flying bull-horse in its land-based mode. “Like, the Orc Exterminator.”

“Then I look forward to the great White King bestowing this title upon me,” Rand teased the serious Berlan beside him.

Berlan was somewhat helpless. She really didn't have the same sense of humor as Ellie and Rand, but she didn't dislike Rand's occasional use of her hometown dialect and jokes: "If you want a title, wait until the war is over."

Rand scratched his head, then pondered how to explain that he didn't actually want the title.

Honestly, when you encounter an enemy, it feels weird to announce yourself first, like a Wind Chaser or an Orc Exterminator.

Just as the group, accompanied by a large number of knights from the White Kingdom, was traveling on the road to the Wisteria Kingdom, a magical carrier pigeon arrived before King Bolan of the White Kingdom.

Berlan took the letter from the magic carrier pigeon, quickly scanned it, and then his expression darkened.

“It seems we guessed correctly,” Berlan said. “The Wisteria Kingdom has begun to completely side with Purgatory and Grand Duke Vladimir, and a large number of Purgatory-transformed humans have appeared on the border of the Wisteria Kingdom.”

“What an incredible country,” Rand commented.

"What is defying the heavens?" Berlan asked.

“He’s just not mentally sound,” Rand explained.

(End of this chapter)