Chapter 131 The Unfortunate Orcs
The moon was hidden by clouds tonight, much like the hearts of the orc slaves, enveloped in darkness with no light in sight.
Leading the way were the bandits, over a hundred strong men. Their torches crackled as they illuminated the path ahead.
To the four hundred orc slaves, this road seemed to lead straight to hell, with the riders appearing as ravenous demons.
The slaves trudged on and were burdened by their loads, while the bandits, who were lacking horses, rode in the carts, forcing the orcs to carry their belongings.
They claimed it was to conserve energy, but in reality, it was a way to exploit the orcs' strength.
If they were to journey on foot through the night and arrive at Hyratos exhaustively, it certainly would not bode well for the endeavor of plundering.
The Orc slaves with astounding strength, it surely should to carry some loot. Thus, the bandits have employed such a remarkably convenient and shamelessly justified excuse.
"Hurry up, all of you walk quickly!"
The bandits on the cart shouted, their words laced with contempt. "Move it, or you won't be moving at all!"
Seated comfortably in the carts, the bandits taunted at orcs. "Faster! Once we reach Hyratos, you'll be free!"
The bandits chuckled, their eyes filled with malice. These orc slaves would be the perfect scapegoats. Once they had plundered Hyratos and left with their spoils, the orcs would be abandoned, left to face Hyratos' wrath alone.
Many of the orc slaves had grown numb, their only focus on putting one foot in front of the other. They were grateful for the meager food they received.
The rest have simply not engaged in such comprehensive thoughts, let alone perceived that they are destined to become scapegoats, ruthlessly discarded.
Among the slaves, there was a figure in tattered clothing. Her head was swathed in coarse linen, her figure obscured under a big fur clothing. Draped in filth, her countenance remained indistinguishable and uncertain about her gender. Her face was obscured, with only a pair of sorrowful purple eyes visible.
She carried three bags of wheat, more than the others. But she seemed to bear the weight effortlessly.
"Today is the third day since I was captured, and still no chance to escape. Bad luck!" Tess cursed in a low voice.
Tess clenched her fists, her slender hands revealing the tension within her. She had found the deep meaning of those words. This time, it augured more of sinister omens than propitious outcomes.
"Am I destined to be unlucky?"
Tess thought of her recent misfortunes, her heart filled with resentment. Since she left Azure Peak Range, her fate had been perpetually caught between the throes of enslavement and the journey toward it.
"If it weren't for my disguise and the stench of the orcish garments, I might have ended up in the clutches of the nobles."
"I can't be rude! Or else I'll be beaten by my sister."
Tess spat on the ground, lost in her thoughts. It seemed unlikely that she would ever see her elder sister again.
Could it truly be that she was an orc graced by the ill-fated touch of the gods of misfortune?
Prompted by her curiosity to the human realm, or perhaps it was sheer starvation. Tess forgot her elder sister's past admonitions. Disguised as a man in pilfered beastkin garb. As for the original owner of the stolen attire, it indeed belonged to her elder sister.
Tess, disguised as a man, had left the tribe, believing the words of a passing merchant. She had been promised work and food, but instead, she found herself sold into slavery. She observed the merchant jauntily sauntered away, pockets jingling with a few coppers.
At the time, Tess naively expressed her gratitude to the itinerant merchant. After all, that evening, she had savored a bowl of wheat porridge. Although it was small in quantity, it satisfied her hunger.
Reflecting upon those moments now, Tess wished she could turn back the times and severely reprimand her past innocent self for her foolishness.
Thanking those who had sold her off, which was really naivety and stupidity.
Regardless, the merchant was brutally killed right before her eyes because of an affront to a nobleman.
Possibly due to her successfully masquerading as a male, owing to the overwhelming smell of the beastkin garb, Tess's identity remained undisclosed. Deemed as a man, she was sold into labor, surviving each day on just barely sufficient sustenance and toiling until exhaustion.
Eventually, Tess reached her limit and decided she couldn't keep up with the hard labor. She felt she was knocking on death's door. Conveniently, a tremendous downpour occurred that particular evening, presenting her with the perfect opportunity for escape. Using her considerable strength, she rendered the guard unconscious.
Displaying audacious bravery rather than fleeing immediately, she infiltrated the buyer's house. She made a clean sweep of the kitchen, leaving no morsels behind. Following this, she hoisted the unconscious buyer onto a tree branch before stealthily departing from the premises.
Now, branded as a slave, Tess faced a harsh reality. She was once again deceived, this time by an orc.
Similarly enticed by the lure of a full meal. Tess considered that, while humans had deceived her in the past, the orc of her kind would not betray her.
Despite her skepticism, Tess fell into the trap once more, becoming a slave in the mines. Forced to work with crude tools, she toiled endlessly, her spirit on the verge of breaking.
After a mining accident, Tess saw her chance and escaped, determined to never be enslaved again.
However, her freedom was short-lived. Tess was captured once more, this time for a different reason.
Tess remembered the night she had been caught, and a surge of anger welled up within her. She had been so hungry that night that she had sought refuge in a house and stolen food to eat.
Tess slept in the stranger's kitchen.
The next day, Tess woke up to find herself bound, now a member of a group of over four hundred slaves.
Among them was the family that had captured her, now enslaved themselves. Little did they know, they had unwittingly added Tess to their slaves.
The family that had provided shelter had tragically fallen victim to murderous brigands just the previous day, a result of a chaotic altercation.
Tess, with no visible orcish features, was mistaken for a human slave. She pondered why those who had enslaved her had not realized she was a female orc.
"This time, I won't trust anyone."
Tess vowed silently for the third time. She had lost her faith in the world, and her heart filled with bitterness and distrust.
