Chapter Two: The Difference Between a Kettle And a Brain (Pt.4)

Today's weather seems to be very good. The hot sun is burning my eyebrows.

"Huh?"

I rolled my blanket up and stood up. Sanson and Karl are sleeping in their blankets. What happened?

Nobody was actually night guarding, all of us went to sleep? But then I saw Iruril, she is sitting next to the extinguishing campfire. Iruril looked at the smoke of the campfire and said:

"You woke up?"

Iruril didn't look at me when she was speaking. I'm scared ans said:

"Ah, you helped us for the night shift, Iruril?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I heard that you couldn't sleep well for several nights because of the Orcs. "

"Ah... Thank you. "

"Am I your friend now, Huchi?"

I suddenly can't understand what she said, and scratched my head, then I remembered the dialogue last night. I suddenly felt very funny and chuckled, then walked to the campfire. When Iruril sits down, she doesn't seem to be taller than me much. Probably because her legs are too long.

"Yes. You are my friend."

"Then will you do something for me?"

Huh? Well, yes. I deliberately whack my palm with my fist to show her, and then said:

"Of course, if you care about me, you won't ask me to do something strange, so-called friends has always been this way, hasn't it?"

Sound a little cunning huh? Iruril looked at me and said:

"Then please go to wash your face."

"...Good."

I went down the cliff we slept on to a small valley to wash my face. Because the altitude is very high, so there are not many trees. In the middle of this plateau, a shallow stream draws a narrow crack on the plateau, calling it a valley is a bit strange. Autumn is deep now, the stream is cold to the point of biting. After I went back to the camping place, Karl and Sanson also woke up. Seeing both of them getting up, Iruril stood up and once again picked up the backpack next to her.

Sanson said hurriedly:

"Eh, you have to leave now?"

"Yes."

"No, why are you leaving so soon... We didn't eat breakfast... Although we don't know where your destination is, if we can travel together, that will be so much better..."

Sanson hurriedly stood up and said. Iruril looked at Sanson with a face without any expression or emotion.

"Travel together? Well, I don't have a horse."

"That why don't you ride with me?"

Iruril looked at Sanson confusedly, and Sanson showed a fainting face because of his words just now. I turned my head and chuckled.

"I don't want to cause you so much trouble."

Sanson because of making a mistake, he couldn't say anything from his mouth now. Iruril slightly nodded to me and Karl, then said:

"I Wish You a Pleasant Journey, Sunlight Always Accompanies Your Ears, Until the Sun Sets."

For this kind of anicent valedictory from Iruril, only Karl has the ability to answer.

"I Wish You a Safe Journey, Returns as if Departs, Beams with Joy."

Then Iruril turned away and left.

She went to touch each of our horses tied to a tree. The horses quietly stood there. Iruril then disappeared in the woods which has no road. We heard the sound of bushes and grass, Iruril's black hair was gone soon. A while later, we saw Iruril far on the hill, after she climbed over the hill, we could no longer see her.

"Why doesn't she walk on the road?"

After Iruril's figure completely disappeared, I said. Karl replied:

"Road is for human. Elves don't build roads."

"They don't build roads?"

Karl smiled and said:

"There is a saying: When an Elf walks in the forest, she becomes a tree; When a Man walks in the forest, he creates a trail. When an Elf looks up at the sky, she becomes a star; When a Man looks up at the sky, he creates constellations. These words illustrate the diversification of elves perfectly."

"Diversification?"

"Staying with an elf, the elf will become like that thing. Staying with a human, that thing will become like human. "

This sentence is really clever. Well, I haven't had such a good sleep for a long time(when you get woke up for the night shift, it's really a grind), and now I can feel that I am full of energy. I said:

"Then if an elf meets a human?"

"The elf will become very like human. So Sanson, your request just now was very rude."

Sanson blushed. He said:

"I, I don't know. In fact, Huchi and I can ride the same horse ..."

※ ※ ※

We kneaded some flour into dough, began to make scones on a pan. In order to keep some for lunch, we used a lot of flour. If there are some milk or eggs, the taste could be much better. But now we are living in the wild, we better not to be so pampered.

Karl only ate a little, I am the type of person who eat until getting tired, Sanson on the other hand is regardless of how much he ate, he won't get tired. When I was making the scones, Sanson was already picking up some of the scones and ate like a glutton.

"Leave me some Okay?"

"You fool. Why would you start eating only after all are toasted?"

Well, that's right. So I began to cook with one hand, and use another hand to grab the scones and eat. But I soon found that this method has a very big problem. That is, no matter how much I've made, there can't be anything left for our lunch.

Sanson and I realized that surprisingly, and Karl is looking at us with his deep eyes and smiling.

Sanson is still regretting what he had said.

"I should have just said Huchi'd ride with me..."

"Stop thinking about that, okay? It's already happened, what's the point of regretting? "

I grabbed more flour to knead, and asked them:

"About those Orcs, what are you going to do?"

"We already know where their location is, if we pretend not knowing and just walk over, I will feel very bad."

"So is there any way to solve it? Hey, don't touch! That's for lunch!"

Sanson insisted to pick one more into his mouth, revealed a pleased expression. But Carl looks upset and said:

"No way. We have missions, shouldn't go and risk our lives. This is not something that we can control. After we arrive the capital, I will report this to the defense ministers or influential individuals."

"But what about those people..."

"Although we feel very sorry, the Orcs would not arbitrarily abuse the craftsmen. And craftsmen don't often travel, so it's very difficult for the Orcs to catch more of them too, we can only be patient now, Percival. "

"Gee (Chewing sound), Yes!"

"Please clearly mark their location on the geography book, and write down the signs they said, so that when we reach the capital we can make a complete report."

"Sure!"

After breakfast, we set out. Haven't slept so well for a long time, so I feel really happy. But because we slept till so late, plus we spent so much time on making extra scones, we set out late. I began to whisper that Sanson is the one who makes us late, Sanson replied that we should able to pass through Hudyne Ridge in the afternoon, in the evening we can enter the village to rest, so he told us not to worry. Then he began to mutter again.

"I should have said Huchi'd ride with me..."

"Shut up!"

The place we slept last night looks like the boundary of a forest. When we are down to the lowlands, we gradually entered deep into a forest. Although this is just a mountain road, because it's an extension of the Central Avenue, so the road is smooth and wide. It is very suitable for horses, but because it's a bit steep, in order not to get the horses too tired, we are moving forward with a jogging speed. I've rode for several days, so I also started to get very familiar with horses.

Probably about a hour. We are around the height of rapid streams appear in valleys.

Wocha la la la!

I heard the strange noise, so I looked at Sanson. Sanson said:

"That is the Hudyne River. Because it's a jet stream in the valley, so it sounds loud, right? We have to cross the river."

"Jet stream? We don't cross a jet stream on a horseback, right?"

"Don't be nonsense. There is a bridge."

"Wait a minute! Let me guess. It was Hudyne Ridge, then Hudyne River, so the name of the bridge, should be Hudyne Bridge right?"

"Wrong. The Bridge of Dozen. "

"What? Dozen? What does this mean?"

"I don't know. That's what the geography book says."

So we ran toward the Bridge of Dozen in this confused situation. The closer we get, the louder the sound of rushing water becomes. Now it's even difficult to talk to the person next to you in an ordinary volume.

After a while, the trees which blocked our sight instantly all disappeared. We found a huge cliff appeared in front of us. However, our attention is not on the cliff, but the thing standing in front it, we are all shocked.

Chapter Two: The Difference Between a Kettle And a Brain (Pt.3)

This elf although is not as tall as Sanson, she is at least as tall as Karl. I've never seen such a black hair. The black hair is tied behind her head. The eyes on her white face are also black. She is wearing a white female smock, with a bronze leather coat on it, didn't buckle up the front, so we can see its a white smock inside. She is wearing a leather pants with the same color, but on her left waist there is a very thin estoc, and there is also a dagger near her left thigh. Why does she put two swords on the same side? On the right is ... there is a quiver hung near her right hip. Looking closely, I found a composite bow in her backpack.

This is the first time in my life to see an elf. I observed her appearance thoroughly. Just like what the stories say, indeed, she is really a beautiful woman. However, for my own preference, it would be better if she was smaller. This female elf is tall, slim, her legs are long too. If to use a tree to describe her, she is a cedar. But I like cypress a little bit more. A shorter body, a narrower shoulder, neck better not to be so long too... Ahh, why am I describing the appearance of Jamini. Damn.

Don't know if she noticed that I was immersed in my own imagination, that elf nodded and said:

"My name is Iruril Sereniel. I heard the voices of Orcs, so I came over to have a look."

"I am Sanson Percival. Nice to meet you."

Karl just nodded and said: "I'm Karl." I was thinking something else, so I hurriedly introduced myself. Whenever each of us introduced ourselves, the elf Iruril would gently nod her head. After the introductions, Iruril said:

"So gentlemen, are you human travelers?"

Karl said:

"Yes. Don't know whether Miss Sereniel understands human affairs much or not, we're on the way to the capital to visit the king. This is for reporting an affair happened in where we live."

"I see."

"So is Miss Sereniel also a traveler?"

"Please call me Iruril. I am a traveler."

Then Sanson said hurriedly:

"Ah... That... Please take a seat. Oi, Huchi, fill some water in the kettle. "

Well, fine. My sleepiness has totally disappeared anyway, it's good to have some tea. Iruril sat down after saying some thank you words. Well, it seems that sometimes elves can be quite cheeky too. I took out a cup and said:

"Excuse me, you had been watching us since the beginning?"

"Yes."

"So you wanted to help us? Then I am glad to offer this tea to you."

"You said who I wanted to help?"

Huh? I suddenly can't answer. Iruril is an elf, not a human. She doesn't seem to have any reason to help human. My words were actually based on my own perception, so Iruril seemed to be accusing me of it. But I've already said it, I must go on.

"You are more similar to us, right?"

"Similar... If Gnolls fight with Orcs, Mr Nedval, which side will you help?"

Ah, I suddenly feel that if I get the wrong answer, I will be tricked miserably. If I say that I won't help both sides, then Iruril must answer so is she. I hope Karl and Sanson help me to answer, and I turned and looked at them, but Karl is just watching us with great interest, and doesn't seem to be trying to help me, Sanson has been staring at the face of Iruril . Damn! How can this man be like this? Intertwined with the hometown girl, just left for a few days, actually became like this!

I put some tea into the kettle, began to say while washing the cups:

"If that's the case... Uh! I don't know, for me there is a line. Inside the line it's friend, outside the line it's unrelated to me. And please call me Huchi. "

"Then what is the line, Huchi?"

"It's whether she cares about me or not. Orcs and Gnolls won't care about me, so I won't help both sides."

Iruril made a pondering face.

"Well, if I don't care about you, then I'm unrelated to you?"

"It's true in the current situation. Although we may become friends, you didn't help us, so we are still unrelated."

I handed the cup to her. Iruril who got the cup has very slender fingers. I also gave Karl a cup, Sanson punched my shoulder then took the cup. After Sanson took the cup, he began to stare at Iruril again. This guy will definitely screw up something.

Iruril is holding the cup with both hands, seems to be feeling the temperature of the cup. She moved her lips towards the cup and said:

"Then Huchi gave me this cup of tea, which means that you care about me. So I should treat you as a friend?"

Oh! It is too tough.

"If Miss Sereniel's heart has the same line as I do, it is possible."

"Please call me Iruril. So, seems even you think that I am an unrelated person, but in order to become friend with me, you offered me a hand."

"Well, isn't that the way to survive?"

"That if you offer your hand to the Gnolls or Orcs, then you would probably become friend with them too."

"Ah, ah, well, do you think when I offer my hand to them, they will definitely accept me as a friend?"

"Do you think that you gave me a cup of tea, then I'll treat you as my friend?"

"... I have no idea."

Even if I passed this question, don't know what she'll say next to make things difficult.

So in my first impression, I wrote down "Elf is absurd, a race which keeps teasing human.", and then began to drink the tea. Because my stomach is now warmed up, I feel a bit dozing.

A white face is presented behind Iruril's black hair, in the background of night it makes people feel strange. Her face is white and transparent, so it's difficult to focus your eyes to have a clear look at her. Karl then said:

"I don't know how you think, but your dialogue impressed me a lot."

Karl, as if listened to a conversation between me and Iruril representing the human race and the elf race, so he quietly observed in the perspective of a third party. That should be very interesting. Iruril whispered:

"It's very difficult to understand human."

"Because human is one of the few races which can follow Uphinel and Helkanes at the same time."

Iruril raised her head and looked at the night sky.

"I... I am not familiar with humans. In the past hundred and twenty years, I kept meeting humans, but now I still can't understand. Probably because of this, so my rank is still the same."

Wow, 120 years old! Elves seem to get old very slowly. But if I had lived for a hundred and twenty years, I could probably even understand slime. "You are a wriggling slime. You wriggle is very charming...."

Strange? Anyway, lived for so long, why can't she understand human? I finished the tea, covered myself with a blanket.

"(Yawn.) Children should sleep early. Sanson, sleepy?"

"No! Not at all. I'm fine."

I knew he would reply like that. I looked at Karl, he nodded.

"Then I'll sleep first. Wake me up for my night guard shift... (Yawn.)"

I drilled into the blanket. Karl continued to chat with that elf woman called Iruril. Sanson next to them is having his piercing eyes, staring at Iruril's lips. The dignity of our village is totally ruined by him! Karl said:

"I don't have confidence to understand Elf too."

"Oh?"

I didn't hear what Karl said next. I've gone into sleep.

Chapter Two: The Difference Between a Kettle And a Brain (Pt.2)

Anyway, looked at the behavior of these guys, my heart will not have a single thought of pardon or mercy anymore.

"You bastards! Do you know who I am? I am a candler maker. I am going to use your body fat to make candles!"

Hearing my warning full of professionalism, Sanson barely smiled. But the Orcs' reaction is very strange.

"Oink, you say you are a candle maker?"

"Yes. I've never heard of any place on this whole continent where candles are made of Orcs fat, then I'll be the first person! I should put my name on them too. The Nedval Orcs Candles!"

The Orcs suddenly started to discuss with each other excitedly. Then one guy said:

"Then, oink! That person should be taken alive."

"Wha.... What?

What is this nonsense? I didn't know whether to laugh or cry and looked at Sanson, but Sanson also put on a surprised face. Then Karl interjected.

"You two... Where do you think the Orcs get these weapons, why are there armors for them to wear? They capture human artisans, force them to make these. So they like people who have techniques."

"Huh?"

"Orcs' brains are too small, they can't learn. So they will capture skillful artisans to help them. They like blacksmiths the most.. Candle makers like you are not bad too. Although they don't like candlelight, for the captured people to work in the Orc caves, candles are necessary."

Sanson made a dumbfounding face, said:

"Hey, I'm the son of a blacksmith, so I am good at blacksmith that sort of things. What are you going to do?"

The Orcs are panic now. They started discussing around again.

"Oink! That human old man! How about you? Oink! You seem to know much about us, Oink Oink! You have a lot of knowledge?"

"Me? I like reading, I would also like to be a writer and write something, but for you, I can also be treated as a pharmacist."

The Orcs are completely excited now.

"That, oink, oink! Capture them all!"

Then Sanson laughed.

"Then we are so grateful. So when we fight with you, we don't have to worry about dying, right?"

Then I said coldly:

"Our opinion is a little bit different from yours. We will only capture a few of you. We have to rescue the captured people inside your caves."

Hearing what I said, sparks broke out from the eyes of Sanson.

"Yes! You bastards, I won't let you run!"

Sanson didn't even finish his words, began rushing forward. The scared Orcs raised their weapons, but because their arms are relatively short, so the machetes they use are smaller than human's. But the problem is that their height are too short. Sanson hastily fended off those swords slashing to his thigh. I watched this scene, and then looked around.

"Ah, ahhhhhhhh -!"

The Orcs almost had their eyes jumped out. I lifted a rock which is as large as the size of an Orc, I raised the rock high above my head and said:

"Shall we play the game of throwing stones?"

"That, that's not a candle maker! Oink, that's not a human!"

I mercilessly threw the rock. Bang bang bang! Orcs are actually so agile! Almost like a hare. But there is still one of them who had a bad luck, fell over in front of the rock. I was a little scared, so I tightly closed my eyes, but that moment my hind-brain suddenly felt a chill, so I had to open my eyes again. And I saw the scene clearly.

"Well, it is really cruel. Who actually did such a thing."

The Orcs are now crazily rushing over. Because their attacks are so low, so Sanson is angry, and lowered his upper body even more, then did a circle slash with his long sword. Sanson upper body together with the length of his arm, combined with the length of his sword, is indeed much longer than the Orcs' machetes. Now I should also charge.

"Sideway Unaware Slash!"

My move this time, became turning sideway. Such a slash, I easily rotated three times. Although my waist feel less pain, there is still a side effect of dizziness. The livid faces of the Orcs are now more blue, that look is really interesting. Surprisingly, I rotated three times and I didn't even hit one single guy, but cut down a few trees nearby. I purposely ignored Sanson's accusatory eyes, picked up a wood and began to throw.

"I meant to cut this!"

"Don't be so exaggerating... Huchi. Even Orcs won't believe you."

Anway, judging from my OPG and Sanson's fencing, we are not something that Orcs can capture alive. The Orcs with discouraged faces are trying to escape, but this is definitely not allowed. I rushed over and grabbed one of the guys' neck. This guy is struggling and shouting, wanted to attack me in the face, but because I gave its stomach several punches, disgusting saliva is out-flowing from its mouth and it's fainted.

The other Orcs fled, we took out a rope and tied up the captured Orc. Sanson said:

"Well, Karl, if these guys caught some people, although I think searching the caves, and rescuing those people is a better idea right..."

"I also agree. But first we have to confirm that we have enough time."

Ah, thinking carefully, it's now October. We started at the end of September.

"Time should be enough. From here to the capital we need about 17 days. Coming back would account for 25 days. So a round-trip is 42 days. Of course there could actually be a difference between a few days, but it should be around one month and a half . "

Karl frowned.

"Then it's really a bit... If you want have a meeting with His Majesty, but also take the opportunity to visit the Huritchell Family, time is probably like this. A month and a half."

Sanson and I think that we are just going over there to see a few people, discuss a few things, so we can't understand why a month and a half wouldn't be enough, but only because we don't know the situation in the capital as well as the royal etiquette, so we can only remain silent. Karl's face eased down, he said:

"Wake it up. I'll interrogate it. If the time is not enough, we can make up our journey at night."

Karl made a kind expression, Sanson also seems happy and smiled. I laughed, and then slapped the Orc's face several times. It opened its eyes to look around about its situation, then fell into horror.

Karl lifted its head up and said:


"Just like what you've heard, I have a bit understanding about you guys. If you go back like this, you would be killed by your leader right? The leader will chop your head off and play around, if he gets tired of it then he will throw it away. "

The Orc seems to think it is a matter of course, so it doesn't look shocked, but Sanson and I both look surprised. Karl went on and said:

"If you don't tell us where your caves are, then we'll take you back to your leader."

Sanson and I are looking at each other. This sentence is really baffling! We thought Karl was kidding.

"Oink! Go through that mountain and go down about three hundred cubits, oink! Vine-covered crevices, oink! There are two fallen trees on both sides, that's a sign. Oink! There are totally around a hundred and fifty of us! '

"Really?! Thank you."

Karl untied the rope, it immediately began to flee. Karl looked at our faces and shrugged.

"My brothers, now you understand why they need to capture human craftsmen."


"But... But it's too over."

Sanson's cheek muscles are twitching, while thinking how ridiculous this thing is, and I chuckled. Karl touched his chin, then frowned again.

"However one hundred and fifty is indeed too much... I am curious how such a number can live here. Do they get enough income from robberies around this Hudyne Ridge? Ah, Sanson, is there any fortress or large-scale village around?"

Sanson took out a thick geography book, went next to the fire, pointed on the map:

"Yes, some distance away, there is a place named Elounda Fort. But it's quite far away. Four days away from here. Besides that there are only a few small territories. I guess they loot these small villages to live."

"If there are fortresses or metropolis nearby, they wouldn't be able to form such a large-scale group."

Karl made a worried face, we are now all bothered.

On the geography book Sanson showed us, Elounda Fort this fortress is in the south, exactly perpendicular to the east where we are going to. If we want to go there, it will not only waste too much time,  the fortress would also be unlikely to send any troops to clear the Orcs. We have no rank, it's not possible to ask the garrison to do something not in their duty.

I opened my mouth and yawned, then said my opinion.

"(Hmm----mf) Gee. Don't they sleep during the day?"


"I think so."

"Then we run into the cave during the day, then save the people quickly, how about that?"

"That's too dangerous. Impossible, Nedval. You are saying that we have to stealth among one hundred and fifty Orcs in a dark cave, to find humans, and get them out? And even Orcs should also have sentinels, shouldn't they?"

At this time, a loud and clear voice came from the woods.

"It's really a stupid plan."

"Huh?"

Sanson and I hurriedly raised our weapons. Although that's a voice of human, additionally a voice of woman, I know a lot of monsters would give a woman's voice. Anyway, because it's night, so we have to be careful. Sanson shouted:

"If you are a human, please come out!"

The voice from the woods answered.

"If I'm a human, I can refuse others' requests, right?"

Sanson is surprised and widened his mouth, looking at me with confusion in his eyes. Well, that doesn't matter! I made an impatient face to Sanson, and then shouted at the woods:

"If you don't come out, then you are a Goblin with constipation, an Orc with athlete's foot, a Werewolf with hemorrhoids!"

I am indeed a frank man. This can be proved from the face of Sanson which now looks like he's never seen such a person in his lifetime. The voice in the forest said after a moment:

"... To avoid such unpleasant speculations,  I should come out."

After a while, under the firelight there is a woman with slender body and long ears. Her ears look like elves' ears. I tilted my head and whispered to Sanson:

"Hey, that woman's ears are as long as an elf's, aren't they?"

Sanson felt strange and looked at me, then said to the woman:

"Are you the race of forest?"

... Really an elf.