74

I had known it, but the Empire’s territory was vast.

The continent was divided into north and south, and the Empire’s land stretched all the way down to the narrowing section like a constricted waist.

It boasted the largest land area on the continent, north to south combined, so naturally traveling from one end to the other took time. The Empire solved this problem by using railways.

With trains and vehicles as means of transportation, one could traverse almost the entire continent in less than a day. Needless to say, this advantage elevated the Empire to the world’s greatest superpower. Now, unable to enjoy that benefit, I vented my sorrow on a convenient ogre.

(Seriously, if only there were even railway tracks left! Then I could travel so much easier!)

After finishing the ogre—who had become my punching bag—with a one-two punch, I exhaled deeply and sat on a convenient rock.

It was already the third day since I had left the main base. Looking up at the sky was difficult in this dense forest; only faint gaps allowed a view, and the gloom in broad daylight was getting to me a little.

Being in the same environment for too long wasn’t good.

Originally, the southern region of the Empire had lagged behind in development, with many lands rich in nature.

(No, perhaps it’s more accurate to say many areas couldn’t be developed due to geographical reasons?)

Especially the southwest, left almost untouched partly because of its proximity to elven territory, and the presence of a small mountain range meant no need to station troops for defense. As a result, this area had become known as one of the Empire’s prime hunting grounds.

Given the demand, the authorities couldn’t ignore the voices of their citizens and push for development. Instead, they decided, “Let’s just make it a hunting ground,” creating a rare monster-breeding preserve.

In other words, I was traveling almost directly south from the Empire’s western region near the elven lands, moving through this man-made paradise.

Let me be honest:

(There’s no way I could remember such a niche leisure facility!)

It was only upon seeing a decayed sign that I recalled its existence, which confirmed that monster hunting had definitely been a minority hobby.

After all, battles with giant creatures were thrilling enough inside games—said the rather large monster himself.

Anyway, after lowering the ogre—which no longer made a sound—from the tree, I left the area.

Charging straight south would mean encountering who knows how many monsters.

I couldn’t afford to stop and fight each time, so I decided to alter my course southeast.

I wasn’t well-versed in the geography of this area, but I vaguely remembered there being a decently sized city adjacent to farmland.

Given the bad roads that hindered travel speed, reaching that far would likely be my limit for the day.

With that thought, I changed my route, but it took longer than expected to find the ruins of the city; I ended up arriving late at night.

Truly, nothing ever went as planned.

The next morning, I wanted to explore the ruins, so I spent the night under any roof I could find. But calling it a bed was generous; it was so shoddy I hardly slept.

“Mmm, things don’t feel like they’re going well.”

I muttered as I explored the ruins of the nameless city.

And I discovered an unexpected fact.

(Yeah, a lot of stuff has been taken.)

There were traces that tools and supplies had been carried off, and the amount taken was significant judging from the city’s condition.

(If I recall correctly… goblins dominate the north. Orcs dominate the south, right?)

If the information I got from Number 6 was correct, the suspects were undoubtedly orcs.

With orcs’ level of intelligence, they could easily use obvious tools.

Unlike goblins, who only pillaged, orcs were known to have individuals in their groups smart enough to handle production.

(An orc group left alone for 200 years using Imperial resources—this might have gone beyond the level of a mere horde.)

On top of that, the Empire had maintained a large-scale agricultural district.

If the orcs had reused it, it wouldn’t be strange if they’d built an orc kingdom.

If my opponents were goblins, even tens of thousands wouldn’t be a problem, but with orcs… how would it turn out?

(Depends on their scale. And if by some chance any usable Imperial weapons remained, that would be frightening.)

Even high-quality metal tools alone could serve as weapons.

I doubted they could harm this body of mine, but if used for something else, I’d need to be cautious.

“I need to confirm it.”

I growled softly and left the ruins, heading toward where I remembered the farmlands being.

After about two hours of struggling with the rough terrain, I spotted smoke rising in the sky.

Just as the density of the trees began to thin, I made this discovery.

(If it’s a wildfire, give me a break. If orcs are using fire, even worse.)

Fire was the beginning of civilization.

If the orcs were using it, they might have developed some kind of culture.

I felt hesitation at killing intelligent beings, but since they were orcs, I revised my thoughts.

Goblins were like cockroaches on a national scale.

Orcs then were like rats.

Indeed, pest extermination was important.

Orcs abducted people sometimes, since they treated anything bipedal as a means of sexual release—there was no mercy to give them.

But first, I’d observe.

Even with what I already knew, the orc group could have grown to a scale unprecedented in human history.

Until I grasped some understanding of their strength, I had to move stealthily.

Better safe than sorry.

When the numbers reached beyond human experience, you never knew what might happen.

There was even a chance some orc mage had emerged as powerful as an elf.

Aiming for the smoke, I walked cautiously, and when my plan solidified—my view opened up.

It was a farm.

I stood frozen, looking down on it.

One glance revealed the cultivated fields spreading out before me—astonishing.

And orcs were using fire, roasting and eating something.

(BBQ in broad daylight, huh…)

Three orcs surrounded a large iron plate, happily devouring grilled meat and vegetables.

They looked to be enjoying a meal after work in a friendly atmosphere.

They drank water from slightly dirty bottles while eating the roasted food.

Sometimes they argued, “That’s mine,” but the three of them happily ate under the blue sky, grunting and laughing cheerfully.

It was such an ordinary scene that it almost felt mundane, and before I realized it, at my feet lay three enormous rats, blood-soaked and dead.

“I messed up.”

I tilted my head, stuck out my tongue, and tapped my head with my fist in a deliberately cute gesture.

Yeah, I got annoyed for some reason—couldn’t be helped.

(But seriously, to ignore my plan so suddenly and kill them… This emotion control function never works when it matters!)

What’s done was done; I left the corpses and snatched some vegetables before retreating.

Orcs had good noses, so hiding the bodies would be pointless.

Better not to bother in the first place.

Thus, stealth missions were pretty tough here, with even camouflage skills being of limited use.

I pondered, “Maybe I should just go guerrilla-style instead,” when I remembered:

(Oh right, my goal was to observe current Imperial citizens. Forget the orcs, ignore them.)

But this meant I’d have to detour around this farm, possibly running into their dwellings.

Well, I’d just cross that bridge when I came to it, I thought, heading back into the forest and resuming my journey.

As expected—or perhaps predictably—just around sunset, I discovered an orc settlement.

And it was terrifyingly huge. If I wanted to bypass it, I’d probably have to spend the night.

From the hilltop, I could see makeshift huts built from felled trees. The crude, oversized barn-like structures held a massive number of goblins tied up.

The intended use was obvious.

I checked just in case if there were any humans or elves… and of course, there were.

Two completely naked women, chained and motionless.

While I hesitated, wondering, “Should I save them?” I noticed something.

Their chests didn’t rise—they weren’t breathing.

(Too late… This isn’t something to be happy about, but honestly, I’m a little relieved.)

Judging by their condition, those two likely died today.

If I’d arrived earlier, I might have saved them.

But that was all “if.”

All I could do for the dead was kill the orcs, or keep watch to ensure no more women got captured—that was about it.

I considered taking their bodies back, but I was a monster now.

I wasn’t so irrational as to not consider how badly that could be misunderstood.

For now, I had to decide whether to cut through here or detour.

First, I needed intel, so I would gather it while hiding here.

I had to decide before the wind direction turned against me—the recent streak of bad luck was a bit concerning.

And just as I feared during my reconnaissance, an orc stopped, sniffing the air intently as if sensing something.

(Yeah, the wind shifted. Just as I thought. Damn it!)