Perhaps it was because he sensed a gaze.
Leon, the leader of the expedition, approached Jun.
It was Jun who spoke first.
“Did I meet your expectations?”
“…More than that.”
Leon replied with an expressionless face as always. But Jun could see two emotions within him.
One was surprise, and the other was displeasure.
Not that Leon had expressed any displeasure toward Jun directly.
Seems like he really doesn’t care much for prisoners.
It was simply a feeling born from not getting what he had expected.
Prisoners full of complaints about their commander, and a commander who despised those prisoners and didn’t care for them even a hair on a goblin’s head…
Somehow, it didn’t feel like this mission was going to go smoothly either.
Well, when had any mission ever been easy?
Jun quietly averted his gaze.
He didn’t like the expedition leader’s attitude, but he had no intention of meddling in it right away.
If anything, it would just end with both sides getting upset, and it wasn’t as if the other side was particularly desperate either.
If I really want to get involved properly, the best thing would be to make them desperate first.
He was used to situations like this by now.
With that kind of attitude, sooner or later, problems were bound to arise.
If there aren’t any problems, that’s good in its own way. If problems do come up, I’ll just deal with them when they do.
Realizing that now wasn’t the time to step forward, Jun moved on.
***
Four days passed.
During that time, they had engaged in a total of eleven battles.
The closer they got to the temple, their destination, the more frequent the battles became.
Originally, the expedition should have suffered more damage than expected, but thanks to Eleanor’s efforts, the number of wounded remained small.
Schneider, who had been watching the scene, spoke with a look of great satisfaction.
“Hahaha! Excellent! Braight, is that the statue you read about in the ancient text?”
In the direction Schneider pointed, there stood a statue, crumbling and unable to withstand the passage of time.
It was quite a distance away, and just as Jun thought it was impressive that he recognized it from so far, one of Schneider’s assistants vigorously nodded his head.
“Yes, yes! That’s right! The Ancient Orc Lord, Hargon! It looks exactly as it was described in the ancient text!”
“The temple must be close by. Let’s head over there and take a look!”
The scholars were thrown into a frenzy of excitement over this new discovery.
Leaving behind their commotion, the group soon arrived in front of the half-collapsed statue.
“It’s written in the ancient language.”
Right above the inscription beneath the statue—
When Schneider carefully brushed off the dust, the ancient script came into view.
Under the watchful eyes of the scholars, Jun interpreted and read the inscription.
It was one of the roles assigned to him on this mission.
“It says, ‘On the day of the full moon’s rise, the hero who will end all wars shall return. In honor of the great hero, Hargon’.”
“Write that down immediately, Braight!”
“Understood!”
Jun couldn’t quite grasp why they were making such a fuss over just a short inscription like this.
Is this what it feels like to find the fossil of some ancient creature buried in the ground? But orcs… we just saw them the other day.
If scholars from Earth were to hear this, they’d probably say, “Then why go to a dinosaur museum when there are chickens at a poultry farm?”
“According to the ancient text, the temple should be in the direction the statue is facing.”
At Braight’s words, Schneider turned his head toward the direction the statue was looking.
“Over there, then?”
“I don’t think so.”
“Hmm?”
That was when Jun cut in.
“If you look closely, you’ll see that the statue is tilted. It’s probably the result of the ground collapsing over the long passage of time.”
“Now that you mention it, that makes perfect sense! What a meticulous mage you are!”
Not exactly. He had only said that because the statue was pointing in the opposite direction of the temple in the game.
The tilted statue was just an excuse he had come up with on the spot.
“If we consider the signs of ground collapse, then… the temple should be in that direction.”
“You even have knowledge of geology? Hahaha!”
Jun felt a slight pang of guilt, but without showing it, he turned to his assistant and asked,
“Was there any other clue in the ancient text about the path to the temple? Something like a description of the terrain, for example.”
“Ah… please, give me a moment.”
Braight seemed to think hard for a moment, then snapped his fingers.
“Ah! There was! It clearly said that the temple lies beyond the ‘Ugly Twin Canyon’. Do you see that asymmetrical canyon over there? I’m certain it must be there!”
“Then our next destination is set. Let’s go, everyone!”
From then on, Jun continued guiding the party to the temple, adding a few more pieces of advice along the way.
“As for the interpretation of that inscription, I think it’s worth reconsidering. It’s the same sentence, but depending on how you interpret it, the meaning could end up completely reversed, don’t you think?”
“As for the road this way… do you see this? This is the outer shell of a poisonous ten-step snake. There seems to be a field of poisonous plants ahead. I’d suggest we avoid going that way.”
“How about we circle around this side instead? Judging by the terrain, this route seems better than the other.”
If Jun had possessed any knowledge of human physiology, he might have noticed that Braight’s expression was gradually worsening.
Looks like he’s tired from walking for so long. Well, having a big body doesn’t necessarily mean you have good endurance.
Rather, Jun looked at Braight with a gaze full of sympathy. After all, Jun himself had once suffered quite a bit due to his own lack of stamina.
However, for Braight, this was a problem that required some serious thought.
The Issus Society only recognized explorations conducted entirely on foot as official academic records, yet Braight had hardly been able to contribute at all during this expedition.
All the credit was going straight to Jun.
On top of that, even Schneider’s attention was now focused on Jun.
“You there, have you ever thought about doing this kind of work for real?”
In truth, exploration was never supposed to be this easy.
One had to repeatedly brush against death on the way, overcoming countless trials and errors to move forward.
In fact, Schneider himself had wandered through the Blackout for many years, having come close to death on more than one occasion.
At some point, a glint of greed began to appear on Schneider’s face.
It was the look of a man who had just discovered a rare talent.
That look in his eyes was uncannily similar to the gaze of a professor who had once tried to convince Jun, back in his university days, to pursue a PhD. And so, Jun immediately turned him down. Upon hearing that, Schneider wore an expression of deep regret.
“What a shame! You’re quite the talented one. But don’t worry. I’ll make sure your name appears on the paper!”
Even then, his expression was like that of a hunter who had set a cunning trap.
***
“Over there! I can see the temple!”
About half a month had passed since their expedition had begun.
At long last, the long-sought temple had finally revealed itself.
But the party couldn’t simply rejoice at the sight.
“The number of orcs is…”
“Would you call that a great village?”
“Looks like it’s a little short of that.”
“Still, there’s no way we can handle that many head-on.”
The three assistants combined their thoughts and opinions.
Before them, at the foot of the hill, stood a grand ancient temple, radiating the glory of a bygone era.
And scattered around that area, the number of orcs living nearby easily reached around two hundred.
“If we mess with even one of them, they’ll probably swarm out like angry bees.”
“Damn it, aren’t we completely screwed here?”
“So it was true when they said working with the Issus Society is either a huge success or total disaster.”
The prisoners murmured among themselves, wearing uneasy expressions.
But Leon immediately silenced them with a sharp command to shut up.
“Hmm… There are far too many orcs. Trying to sneak in… would be difficult.”
Braight offered his opinion.
“Wasn’t there a goblin village nearby? How about using them to stir up a fight?”
“There was a goblin village nearby, but their numbers are small. Besides, they’re probably too afraid of the orcs to make a move.”
At Jun’s response, Schneider let out a regretful sigh.
“I see. I thought this expedition would go a bit more smoothly, but I was wrong. Well, it can’t be helped.”
Were they really going to leave just like this?
As Braight’s expression started to waver anxiously—
“I noticed those guys also send out patrols. How about we take care of the patrols instead?”
Schneider proposed a new direction.
However, proceeding like that might end up taking a considerable amount of time.
If the orcs realized their patrols weren’t returning, they could mobilize in large numbers.
Starting from the level 4 field, it’s normal for a single expedition to take several months, but still…
The end of the season was drawing near.
And besides, there was a much more certain method available. Was there really any need to take that risk?
“Mr. Braight, do you happen to have the original copy of the ancient text you translated?”
“…Yes, I do. But why do you ask?”
Seeing his wary reaction, Jun spoke in a reassuring tone.
“Something about one of the translations you mentioned last time has been bothering me.”
“…Are you saying my translation was wrong?”
“That’s not it. It’s just that… it might hold the key to solving our current problem.”
“Hmm?”
At that, Schneider also showed interest.
“Braight, wouldn’t it be better than wasting time here? More than anyone, I know how hard you’ve been working. Go ahead, show us.”
“….…”
Though he still looked reluctant, in the end, Braight handed Jun the original copy of the ancient book.
“Handle it with care.”
“Yes.”
Having achieved what he came for, Jun immediately began flipping through the book.
The handwriting was extremely crooked, likely written by orcs in the past.
At least it’s not unreadable. And there isn’t much written here either.
The content was simple, and it wasn’t very long.
A god grew angry.
And a curse befell their great tribe.
The orc hero, Hargon, took that curse upon himself.
As a result, Hargon lost his life, and the orcs, blaming one another, waged war.
Thus, the curse of the temple upon which the blue flame descended came to an end… so this is it.
Finding the part he had been searching for, Jun spoke up.
“If you look here, I think we need to focus on this part that says, ‘Thus, the curse of the temple upon which the blue flame descended came to an end’.”
“The blue flame? Is that the way to break through our current situation?”
“Yes.”
In the game, he had only discovered this hidden piece much later on.
Back then, Lee Jung-jun had wasted an enormous amount of time dealing with those two hundred orcs, luring and fighting them little by little, just as Schneider was suggesting now.
That had been the price of not paying attention to the story.
In the game, when blue flames rose from the brazier inside the temple, the orcs, mistaking it for the god’s curse being activated, panicked and scattered in confusion.
He had either hunted them down one by one across the fields for experience or simply entered the now-empty temple.
The only problem is…
Someone had to sneak into the temple and light the fire.
“The orcs feared fire. Do you remember?”
“Hmm. I remember. They were afraid of your enchantment magic. And those creatures didn’t even use fire at night.”
As expected of a scholar, Braight had a keen eye.
“If blue flames were to suddenly rise from the temple’s brazier, wouldn’t they be startled? If it’s written here like this, I think it could have a real effect.”
“That makes sense. But how do we create blue flames?”
“I have my magic, don’t I?”
Of course, ordinary blue flames wouldn’t scare them.
It had to be the special bluish charcoal found only within the temple.
But there didn’t seem to be any need to explain all that here.
“I think it’s a good idea. But how do we manage to light a fire all the way in there?”
“My comrades and I will take care of that part.”
Using Maya and Jun’s “Fog of Silence”, which allowed them to suppress their presence and blend into their surroundings, it wasn’t a particularly difficult task.
“Then we’ll have to move at night.”
Perhaps thanks to the connection they had built over the past few days, Schneider readily gave his permission.
That night.
The operation was carried out successfully.
“Puru Vada! Puru Vada! Orkutas Du Daruda! Puru Vada!!”
When blue flames suddenly flared up from the temple, the orcs turned pale with fear and fled, abandoning even their own territory.
“They… they really all left…”
Just as one of the assistants muttered in disbelief, the midnight commotion came to an abrupt end as some two hundred orcs vacated the temple in an instant.
“This is almost scary, to be honest.”
Another assistant added that comment.
Everyone made plans, but here in Blackout, countless plans were often swept away by unpredictable variables.
The fact that everything was proceeding so smoothly only made them feel even more uneasy.
Before long, the expedition arrived at the front of the temple, now steeped in an eerie atmosphere.
There, a mage who had ignited blue flames in the brazier stood alongside a woman.
“It looks like we can go inside now.”
“You’re really… extraordinary!”
As if he had witnessed something miraculous, Schneider’s eyes were even welling up with tears.
Now it was Jun who found himself afraid of him.
Judging by the mood, it felt like Schneider might really kidnap them and take them away.
“Losing a talent like this… might actually be the greatest disaster of all…”
Hearing him mutter such things to himself, Jun realized he couldn’t afford to delay any longer.
“Braight, let’s go inside.”
“…Understood.”
Jun illuminated the passage with [Light].
Inside, the traces of long neglect were visible everywhere.
At least the pillars were in relatively decent shape, but the statues and walls bore many cracks and signs of damage.
“Ooh…!”
Even so, Schneider smiled broadly as he watched Braight, who was furiously jotting down notes with a face full of emotion.
Perhaps he wanted to protect Braight’s moment of awe.
Schneider stepped back a little and spoke to Jun.
“He’s a friend who’s supported me for nearly ten years. Since this is the first expedition he’s conducting under his own name, I hope you’ll understand if he comes off a little prickly.”
“Well, sure.”
Jun, who had no particular interest in Braight to begin with, simply nodded along without much thought.
“Hahaha! You really are quite understanding!”
“…Ha, haha.”
If anything, it was Schneider’s praise that Jun found unsettling.
Ironically, the one who saved Jun from this awkwardness was none other than Braight.
“S-Sir Schneider! There are hieroglyphs here!”
“Oh? Where?”
It was the moment when Jun, despite sensing that Braight didn’t like him much, actually felt a bit of fondness toward him.
If it’s hieroglyphs, then it’s not really my area.
Since they weren’t letters, there was no reason for the Ancient Language to react either.
Losing interest in that side of things, Jun turned around.
“Let’s check outside and make sure there aren’t any orcs returning.”
There probably wouldn’t be any problems. But better safe than sorry.
***
There wasn’t any particular event to speak of in this Warfield of Orcutas.
No…. to be precise, there had been, but it was far removed from this point in time.
It was something that happened in the mid-to-late stages of the game anyway. It wasn’t even a hidden piece to begin with.
Other than that, all Jun knew about this field were the monsters that appeared here and the various plants and animals.
“I don’t know… I thought exploration would feel like something grand and extraordinary, but seeing it for myself, it’s really not all that different from what we’ve been doing all along.”
Late at night.
Aiden muttered that from beside him.
“Well, that makes sense. It’s not like we’ve really faced any hardships or anything.”
“Ah.”
Jun figured that the books Aiden had read were probably filled with scenes of extreme situations that would leave your palms sweating.
Originally, just getting into this place would’ve practically required some sort of stealth mission.
But since Jun knew the orcs’ weaknesses so well, there had been no need for any of that hassle.
“You must not have been in the mercenary business for very long.”
A voice spoke up right next to them.
It was a deep, heavy voice, belonging to a large man.
It was Joseph, the leader of Luke’s squad, who had approached and started speaking.
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