Savage Ascension: Starting with God-Tier Plunder Ability-Chapter 52: We Can Let Him Take the Lead

"Pretty tired, right? Whew. Huff."

Bedum, who’d grabbed rocks, grabbed bushes, or gripped branches, said while fidgeting with and hiding his trembling hands. But Rowan was carefree.

"No. Is there a separate meeting point? We’re going different ways."

"Toward the village. Even the orc who planned this wouldn’t dare do anything foolish there."

Indeed, when they went that way, the mercenaries were visible.

"Bedum! Why is the guy at the very back so late?"

"If I’m always at the rear, why would I split money with you guys?"

Yuval hugged Bedum. Then he saw Rowan and cleared his throat.

"Fortunately we didn’t miss each other."

"Without Bedum, I would’ve become the orc’s dinner."

It was a place with no fire lit and couldn’t even be called a clearing.

Because of lingering feelings for Sen, Rowan spoke first. It was enough to make him look impatient to the other mercenaries.

’Just like someone from a mountain village.’

’No different from an ignoramus.’

"What did you decide to do? Are we going to rescue Sen?"

"Our plan already went awry, so going back to catch the orc now would be very dangerous."

Rowan felt frustrated. They’d already met an orc clearly skilled in tracking. If they returned like this, they’d regret it bitterly.

He’d smashed Sen, who’d received ranger training. Wandering orc, old orc—regardless, if they killed him, he’d definitely have black dreams. Sen was that capable a scout.

From handling two types of bows to experience gained while mercenarying. Not an opponent to dismiss lightly. Such a young and promising mercenary had died, so his body couldn’t help but heat up, and his heart rushed.

Conversely, the Skull Mercenary Group had an unwilling atmosphere.

Because you only had one life.

"What do you want to do, Captain?"

Yuval pondered. Then he glanced at Rowan and soon sighed.

"If six of us can’t even catch one orc and instead lose a comrade and return to the village, the Mushroom Mountain Village people won’t give us the silver coins either."

Rowan nodded and brought his head closer to Yuval as if leaning in.

"When scary-looking mercenaries ran away with their tails between their legs from one orc, they’ll refuse to give silver coins out of pride alone."

’Money! Mercenaries can never escape that yoke.’

Moreover, the guarantee that Sen could live had already disappeared. If things went well, the headcount would decrease by one, so the silver coins going to each Skull Mercenary Group member would inevitably increase.

Of course, Rowan wasn’t thinking that deeply about it. He just thought of mercenaries’ mentality of seeing everything as money, so he brought up silver coins.

"That makes sense."

Informant Merein reacted most sensitively. When Yuval looked at her, she spread both arms and said:

"Why? It’s eight silver coins, Captain."

Rowan didn’t bother saying one of those coins was his. Because it would look pathetic. Yuval’s eyes turned to Shield-bulk Keireon. Keireon, with a build comparable to Handless Sendabil, shrugged.

He made a subtle expression.

"Well. Money’s important, but it’ll be a fairly experienced orc."

"Still, an old or wandering orc. Sen getting caught might’ve been coincidence."

"It’s possible because it’s fighting in the forest."

At Merein’s words, Yuval added a comment. Bedum nodded and chimed in.

"Avenging Sen wouldn’t be bad either."

About revenge, Keireon spoke up, standing tall.

"That orc won’t die peacefully."

Yuval smacked his lips and said:

"So we’re going one more time after all."

Though he said that, it wasn’t just Merein whose ears perked up at the money talk. Yuval also realized Rowan’s words were very realistic.

’Still, it’s eight silver coins.’

Additionally, Yuval sensed that the orc was an old orc.

From using the weakest Sen, he’d chosen because he couldn’t face all five of them. Too much to face six alone, and now too old to abandon the mountain he’d cultivated.

He’d probably want to end his life on this mountain, the final stop of wandering life where he could go no further.

’If it’s an old orc, he would’ve made that judgment. That’s why he desperately made Sen scream—as a warning to leave.’

He pictured an old orc who even struggled to face mercenaries. It was fairly credible.

Hearing that scream, Yuval and the mercenaries’ thoughts were one.

They had to run.

The only one who bravely headed toward where the sound came from was Rowan alone. In urgent situations, situations where someone was dying, the ethics he’d heard sickeningly for over 18 years and indirect experiences through vivid media seen for over 20 years had to have tremendous effect.

Likewise, the mercenaries were those who’d experienced fighting vividly. To them, their plan getting twisted meant danger to their lives. Running was normal.

Bedum whispered to Yuval.

"Rowan ran like crazy to rescue Sen this time too. I saw it."

Yuval didn’t even nod slightly. Rowan was checking his weapons while focused on the fight with the orc. Meanwhile, the mercenary group, sharing that information, smiled darkly inside.

’We can let him take the lead.’

Without saying anything, he’d take the lead. He’d probably picked up quite a bit about orc slayers from the mountain village. Not seeing the thick blood taste and pile of bones embedded in that honorable name, just thinking it’s a high-ranking name.

’Just like someone from a mountain village.’

"Are you ready? He’ll be an old one."

Even if it was a young one, it didn’t matter. Not all young ones were orc warriors. Among orcs, warrior was a rank.

’From Rowan and the orc’s first clash, we can judge whether the orc is a warrior or not.’

He’d make an excellent shield. Yuval laid groundwork in advance.

"So approaching won’t be easy. Even a young one would fear injuries. Since there are no orc tribes near here, getting injured means death."

He generously shared information about wandering orcs. Rowan listened very carefully. His knowledge of orcs was almost nonexistent, and storytellers who occasionally came with merchants spun pretty shitty tales.

Stories of orc slayers who killed orcs were absurd, with protagonists who sliced through orcs like they had fever and arthritis. Since he couldn’t believe them, the information about wandering orcs Yuval shared made Rowan focus his ears greatly.

"When we approach, he might run on his own. He doesn’t even know how to fight properly. Since he’s an orc expelled from a tribe, you’ll feel like you’re watching a thug who’s just strong."

"How did such a guy catch Sen?"

"Ambush, probably. Thinking of that green skin, it’s possible."

"He might’ve targeted when the youngest was distracted by something else."

The mercenaries unanimously blamed it on Sen. Because they thought that would make Rowan charge at the orc first.

Rowan nodded. Since he had no information about orcs to begin with, he had no choice but to be fooled. Every power fantasy ever? There, orcs were basically XP piñatas for overpowered protagonists with glowing swords.

Lord of the Rings goes without saying.

’Orcs here are also treated like leftovers.’

Of course, they’d be stronger than that. But from what he’d heard about wandering orcs, they were pathetic runaways.