Chapter 45: Loyalty Or Trickery?
Things were becoming a lot more complex because Borg was revealed to belong to the same clan as Byung, but there was an unknown factor in this.
There was no reason for Borg to remain free if his sister was exiled and basically sentenced to death.
The fact that his tribe had become extinct yet he was allowed to wander suggested a deeper implication.
The night had come once again, but Murkfang was still missing—he was nowhere to be found.
This was strange enough for Gribnox to finally take notice. He had initially suspected the orcs, but they were with him all day, so that possibility was ruled out.
Gribnox was actually being called to lead, a responsibility he could no longer escape, though he had no desire to carry it.
He clicked his tongue in irritation—this was unlike Murkfang, who never disappeared for so long without informing him of his whereabouts.
Only then did Gribnox realize Byung was also absent, but Borkle quickly filled him in on the current situation.
Gribnox didn’t approve of this plan and immediately ordered them to bring Byung and Maui back to the mines.
It would be foolish to keep them away when Byung could accomplish so much more there.
Gribnox wasn’t ashamed to admit Byung could step in for him, leading the goblins in ways he couldn’t.
Byung was clearly leagues above them in intellect, and Gribnox knew there was a chance he could bring them closer to achieving what they all desired—having as many women as they could muster.
It wasn’t lost on him that Murkfang must have caught on, hence the preferential treatment.
But there was something nobody else knew about Murkfang, and this was what troubled Gribnox.
He knew Murkfang like the back of his hand, including the side he kept hidden from the world.
Gribnox began organizing a search party despite the lateness of the hour.
He knew that if Murkfang had disappeared, there was a high chance it was against his will.
-
Byung lay on the bed with Maui, sensing a shift in her demeanor. She looked far more anxious than before, as though she now considered him something more than just a goblin.
She lay with his head resting on her soft breasts—his makeshift pillow—since the hard surface beneath her body wouldn’t make for a comfortable bed.
"Maui, is something wrong?" Byung asked. He often checked on her, so she no longer took offense to it.
"Can I be honest with you?" Maui’s voice was shaky, and Byung knew whatever she was about to say must be important. And there was a chance his reaction to hearing this would determine if she continued or not.
He nodded reassuringly without saying a word. Information was everything in this world.
"I’ve been lying to you ever since I got here," Maui admitted but this wasn’t news, everyone lies about something after all.
However, before Byung could ponder on what to say, a cyan screen appeared in front of him. It was his system.
[Ding!]
[Update in loyalty status!]
[Moderate >>> High!]
Byung knew this was good—he must have won her over during their time together, since he didn’t treat her like a mere flesh light.
To Byung, females were females—orc, human, or elf—it made no difference.
Maui struggled to understand why she trusted him. This was her mission, and the words she was about to speak might very well betray it.
It had to do with his origin, and Maui found it strange that the orcs had lied about his death. There was only one person with the power to orchestrate such a deception.
It had to be Kragg.
Kragg must have hidden the truth from the orcs for a single reason: to become the sole power in the Western Province.
"You have?" Byung questioned. He already suspected the orcs might have ulterior motives, so this wasn’t entirely a surprise.
"I came here to kill you," Maui confessed outright, knowing full well the repercussions. Byung had every right to kill her on the spot.
When she saw his small hand reach toward her, Maui closed her eyes, bracing for the blow.
Instead, she felt his fingers ruffle her hair.
"I know," Byung said calmly.
Maui recoiled in shock. There was no way he could have known something like that.
"You’re lying!" she denied.
"Of course I don’t know! I’m just saying this to be cool! I’ve been sleeping with my would-be killer!" Byung’s inner monologue was in shambles, but outwardly he stayed composed.
"I know a lot more than you think," he bluffed. Given all she had seen him build and create, there was little she could say to oppose him.
The bluff worked. Maui’s belief in him grew stronger.
"I-I see," she stuttered—the first time Byung had heard her stutter.
"Is she becoming more feminine?" he wondered, recognizing that this orc must be a tremendous force on the battlefield.
Byung resolved to restore her to that role. Now that she had sworn loyalty to him, he could help her return to the warrior she truly was.
"Maui, you’re not just a female to me. I see you as so much more," Byung said, repeating lines he remembered from the media and movies of his past life.
Maui leaned closer, intrigued by his words. The air between them changed instantly.
"What am I to you?" she asked, though it sounded rhetorical.
Byung hesitated, worried about saying the wrong thing, but her increased loyalty gave him confidence.
"You’re everything I wish to be," he muttered.
A wide smile spread across her face. It was the highest form of compliment—not about her body, but about everything else she had to offer.
Still, Byung couldn’t ignore the revelation that the orcs wanted him dead. If Maui had been sent, then others would follow.
It didn’t make sense that she would throw everything away. Sex alone couldn’t explain it, and the orcs stood to gain far more from his death.
There had to be another reason. And Byung knew he had to figure it out quickly.