The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 43 A Beautiful Defeat
Shyvana looked at the black snake first.

She could see clearly from the watchtower that this human's martial arts skills far surpassed those of anyone she had ever seen.

That's why she deliberately chose to stand by and watch.

I want to see if he can take Barbaya's life before the [Sky Turtle] arrives.

Unfortunately, this human was helpless against magic.

This bought Barbaya time, allowing her to successfully ask for help.

She couldn't let the old prophet die in front of her people.

but……

Now that Barbaya has been captured, it is enough to interrupt the upward trend of her supporters.

If I were to solve this myself, it would be 'humanity that Barbaya couldn't solve'.

It seems to be a way to solidify one's authority.

Her considerations were influenced by the art of making friends, but ultimately stemmed from her laziness in thinking too much.

Who cares if she can win or not?
Let's fight first and talk later.

Orcs are savage, yet they are very fond of certain ritualistic behaviors.

Gladiators and survivors are skills they must master from childhood, when they can use a wooden stick or a crude knife.

Children who cannot withstand the fighting will be expelled from the main body of the tribe.

Even to become a chief, one must compete and win through fair battles.

Want to prove yourself? Let's have a fight.

Eager to prioritize childbirth? Let's have a fight.

Bored out of your mind? Let's have a fight.

Sivana reached out and shook hands.

The giant axe that had landed on the orc's back seemed to be summoned, swirling back into her palm.

With a loud crash, Shyvana stomped the axe blade into the ground.
"Then come and defeat me—"

I won. Hand over the old man in your hands, and all your lives.

I lost. Stay or leave, it's up to you!

Since the goal was to reclaim Barbaya, he needed to prove to his people that he was far more reliable than the old prophet.

Then she absolutely cannot lose.

Tang Qi took two steps back and pointed at the black snake, who was holding a knife.
"My men are more than enough to deal with you."

"Then what use are you to me?"

Shyvana hated cowards, so she scoffed.

"I can command him, that's enough."

Black Snake frowned and turned his head away.

Tang Qi ignored his sidelong glance and gestured for Kuru to cover the old goblin's ears on his hand.

He whispered a warning:
"Remember what I said—whether you win or not, you have to lose gracefully, understand?"

"Why did you lose?"

"Expecting orcs to keep their promises? You might as well expect Kuru to call out his ancestors to help us."

Tang Qi glanced around at the fierce and warlike beastmen.

"Winning or losing isn't that important."

You defeated her, making this chief lose face in front of her people. Do you think she'll let us off the hook in her anger?
I suspect that this tribe made a deal with some important figures in Longjin City to get to this forest.

This shows that she is at least capable of communication.

By capturing mercenaries and adventurers instead of killing them outright, she proved that she did not adhere to the principle of extermination.

If you can fight her back and forth, and then at the last second you pull back a move, you'll narrowly escape defeat.

The onlookers might not realize it, but she certainly knows you're deliberately trying to make her look good.
"At that time, we'll have an excellent hostage, so we won't have to worry about not being able to negotiate."

The black snake gave him a strange look:
"These are also taught at the academy?"

"Of course, 'Urasan's 1001 Praises'."

"Which book did you not write this time?"

"This teaching material really exists."

It must be said that Tang Qi also felt that his mentor, Ulasang, did not possess much real talent or knowledge.

But the teaching materials he compiled could indeed serve as a model for flattering nobles. "Orcs aren't nobles; doing this will only humiliate her," Black Serpent said, somewhat skeptical.

Tang Qi said, "Didn't you hear what this old goblin shouted earlier—'The people will remember how you treated me.'"

I think she cared more about what her people thought of her than about her own glory.

Or rather, she was more concerned with the stability of her position.

Tang Qi patted him on the shoulder.

"In short, let's lose gracefully."

Don't pretend to trust me.

"I trust you."

"Ok?"

Black Snake turned around and saw that Tang Qi had already put away his usual smiling face.

He was surprisingly serious:
“You are someone who came from the great desert, I believe you can lead me away from here.”

Black Snake felt somewhat uneasy, brushed Tang Qi aside with his shoulder, and sneered:
"Hey, you don't actually believe a villain, do you?"

He won't make any promises.

This thing has always been deadly.

On his adventures, he had heard many people say similar things—

A pastor once mentioned that after he finished this job, he would go back and marry the woman he loved.

Hey, he ended up dying in the ruins in the blink of an eye, and his body couldn't even be retrieved.

Besides, why should he insist on taking this poet away from here?

If things really go wrong, these orcs won't be able to stop me.

The reason I still care about him now is entirely because I still cherish that ability to see through illusions—

Since the orcs' destination is Starplum Town, he needs to go back as soon as possible to warn them to take refuge.

"What a spectacular loss! Do you think I'm some kind of circus performer?"

Too lazy to pay attention to the poet behind him, Black Snake rotated his wrist, estimating how much energy he had left.

Shyvana hoisted the giant axe, which was as tall as a person, onto her shoulder and stepped forward.

The war cries of the orcs echoed in unison through the forest.
"Hoo, ha!"

"Hoo, ha!"

"Hoo, ha!"

It even drew out the tribal children from the huts and tents on the back of the tortoise in the sky.

They lay sprawled on the rickety wooden planks, their eyes filled with hope for the gladiatorial contest.

It seems some goblins have placed bets, but without exception, every member of the tribe has staked their bets on their chieftain—

The reason she was able to serve as the leader, rather than a mobile womb, was not because the tribe revered matriarchy.

Shyvana couldn't stand the human's dawdling manner. She had only had the axe on her shoulder for a few seconds when, seeing that he had no intention of making the first move, she simply shouted.

Dragging its giant axe, it charged forward with a sudden burst of speed, like a running tiger or leopard, leaping more than ten feet in an instant.

He swung his giant axe, the bloodstains on its surface still wet, drawing a dark red crescent moon before his eyes.

The axe handle was extremely long, and Black Snake understood that simply retreating wouldn't create enough distance between them.

He bent over and lifted himself up, the axe blade whistling past just above his waist and abdomen.

But Shyvana's attacks didn't stop. Seeing that her giant axe had missed its mark, she used the centripetal force to spin around and swing the axe again.

Unable to dodge in time, the black snake leaped with one hand on the ground, barely avoiding the scarlet axe blade.

As she leaped into the air, she flicked her wrist, the blade concealing its sharpness in the darkness, and sliced ​​across her forearm, splattering a spray of blood.

Orcs have tough skin and high tolerance.

This tiny wound didn't even cause Shyvana any pain.

She didn't let up; she strained her arms and used the momentum of the two rotating wheels to slash upwards.

The wind blades swung out "whoosh" past, like the low roar of a wild bear, stirring up the damp mud and sand beneath their feet!
Black Snake twisted his foot and turned half his body to the side, narrowly avoiding the axe blade.

Turn your right hand over so the blade is facing down and place it in front of your left ear.

Taking advantage of Shyvana's inability to dissipate her strength, she gripped the giant axe and raised her arms high.

He manipulated the tip of the knife and thrust it directly towards her right eye!
(End of this chapter)