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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/ralo_ramone on 2024-12-24 20:59:38+00:00.

The orc caravan walked for two days without stopping for rest. The Energy Potion carried me through the first day of marching, but the effect dissipated by the second night. I must’ve collapsed in the middle of the road because when I opened my eyes, I saw I had been loaded into a cart with the wounded. Kara walked by the cart’s side, casting worried glances at me. It was still night, and [Foresight]’s inner clock informed me that only a few hours had passed. 

Thanks to [Invigoration], I needed only four hours of sleep, so I played it cool and resumed walking.

The Teal Moon tribe led the caravan along the hidden road through the western face of the mountain range until we reached the caves. It wasn’t the same entrance that Elincia and I had used back when the Lich’s freezing spell almost turned us into popsicles. My inner GPS told me we were northwest of the hidden valley, while Elincia had guided me through the east. The collapsed passage must have been on the northern side.

With only two narrow entrances to defend, the tribe would be okay if a monster army appeared.

Traversing the cave system took the caravan another day. The caves only allowed one cart to enter at any time, so the rear of the caravan had to wait. Luckily, there were almost no monsters in the area. When we finally reached the inner valley, the camp was already up. 

I noticed a clear partition where the Teal Moon camp started. 

“Together but not united,” I muttered to myself.

Most orcs must’ve been resting inside the tents because the camp seemed empty. As resilient as they were, orcs still needed rest. However, as soon as we exited the cave system, Dassyra and the other two Teal Moon Chieftains approached Wolf. 

“The guests can’t stay—” the third Chieftain, whose name I ignored, started to say.

“I will deal with that later. I need rest.”

“But—”

Wolf’s character drastically changed when he dealt with his chieftains. Any trace of the half-orc boy that crumbled to the pressure of the little ones disappeared. Instead, I saw a stoic leader—and a cunning one.

“A healthy brain requires seven to nine hours of sleep to function properly. Lack of sleep impairs problem-solving, focus, and decision-making, Chieftain Sennay. I will rest now,” Wolf cut him off, wandering into the Teal Moon camp.

The chieftain looked at Wolf with a puzzled expression. It was the same expression I evoked in kids when I used too many technical words in my classes.

“He’s using your confusion spells against the chieftains,” Ilya pointed out.

Wolf played his part to perfection, but he was still in danger. He was young, practically a foreigner for the tribe, and had too much to prove. Still, he did a marvelous job keeping the complaints to a minimum. Once they snowballed, it would be hard to stop them.

I signaled Ginz and the kids to gather around me.

“I need you to look after Wolf while I figure things out with the free orcs. We might have escaped the Lich’s forces for now, but the tension remains high. Wolf is being tested as we speak. One misstep, and he is out,” I whispered. “I want you to accompany him everywhere. I want you to watch his back even when he’s taking a leak.”

Firana giggled, probably thinking about making Wolf’s ‘sprinkle time’ impossible. 

“Who would’ve thought our Wolfie would become such an important figure,” Firana said, hardly hiding her mischievous smile.

Ilya rolled her eyes.

“We saved you from your abusive uncle, and now Wolf is in charge of a band of six hundred orcs. What’s next? Zaon being kidnapped by a dragon?”

Zaon shuddered.

“Please don’t summon Murphy on me.”

“You are talking like Mister Clarke now.”

Zaon blushed.

“Enough banter,” I cut them off. “Go watch over Wolf and tell him I will try to buy the goodwill of the tribes. Tell them to be prepared for news.”

More than anything, Wolf needed allies to stabilize the situation. So far, he had Dassyra’s loyalty, but I couldn’t say the same for Callaid and the chieftain’s men. Even if the warriors from the outer camp weren’t as strong as the Teal Moon warriors, five hundred swords would ease the tension on Wolf’s shoulders.

“Let’s protect our green princess,” Firana said.

“Just don’t let the chieftains hear you calling Wolf that,” Ilya replied.

“What about me?” Ginz asked as the kids walked to the Teal Moon camp.

“I’m going to tempt the elders with guns. Prepare three to give them a taste.”

As soon as we departed, the elders from the outer camp invited me to the central tent on their side of the camp. For the past two days, I’ve been talking on and off with the chieftains and elders of the tribes. As pragmatic as orcs were, they were also curious. It almost felt like a job interview, with the caveat that I had already gotten the job.

I told them about child psychology, group behavior, leadership, early education, the common good, and everything else I’d learned at university. I told them about how different things were in practice. No book had taught me how to follow the individual lives of hundreds of kids year after year, about all the improvisation, about knowing when to pull and when to push. I even made it sound like I was a guy who knew exactly what was going on. 

It was unclear if they were satisfied with my answers. My life was the opposite of the orc warrior experience. 

The elders guided me into the main tent with Kara and Pyrrah as my escort. Hallas decided that assisting an orc meeting was below him, so he went to scout the valley. He was more worried about the Warden’s Tree than petty politics. 

Kara opened the beaded curtain that acted as a door, and I entered the elder’s tent. 

The tent was made of thin fabric that let the light through. In the center was an elongated fire pit, like a Viking great hall. On each side of the fire pit was a low table with a dozen cushion-seats each. Elders and chieftains took their places on the floor until only the head was empty.

Elder Kormak, the old orc who had supported me from the beginning, signaled for me to sit. I obeyed, but despite my place of honor, I couldn’t help but feel anxious. Kara sat to my right, slightly behind me, and Pyrrah to my left.

Elder Kormak asked for silence. He had been the one who had talked with me the most, so naturally, I had also inquired about his life. He led the most prominent tribe in the outer camp, the Falling Leaves. Over the years, he had gained renown among the northern tribes due to his martial prowess and wisdom. He liked to joke, saying age had shrunk him, but he was still above six feet tall. He never liked the idea of a fortified city, as permanent settlements attracted monsters, and he was reluctant to join Umolo’s pact.

Time proved Kormak right, but the old orc was still a riddle for me. I could tell he was smart.

“Let’s continue our conversation, Warchief Clarke,” Elder Kormak said. “I think we were talking about tradition.”

The elders and chieftains fell silent, and I couldn’t help but feel that this was a test.

“Tradition helps people not to stumble upon the same rock twice,” I said.

A few orcs agreed. Others remained indifferent.

“Tradition can also force people to stumble upon the same rock over and over again, or worse, tradition might be blind to the new rocks on the way,” Kormak replied with a smile. “Even a fool can see that times change. An observant person can see the direction of the changes. But only a smart leader can determine the optimal way to steer the carriage.”

It wasn’t hard to guess where the conversation was going. I was able to set a defense for the camp, but the orcs wanted to know if I could ensure the tribe’s future survival.

I decided to push back.

“So, the Greyfangs decided to change the nomadic tradition and build Umolo, but they are idiots for doing it?”

“Tradition must evolve, yes, but Umolo was a stupid idea,” Kormak shrugged.

“And appointing a foreign System user as your Warchief is a smart idea?”

Kormak shrugged again.

“We’ve noticed things. Since your arrival, the Teal Moon warriors started killing Ghouls like mice. So I say getting you on our side was a brilliant idea.”

I nodded. The more I talked to Kormar, the more I understood the orc mind. Orcs had a sole moral imperative: survive. What helped them survive was considered good, and what endangered the tribe was considered wrong. Their tradition was to have no tradition other than actions and ideas that helped their people thrive in the Farlands.

Appointing a foreigner as a Warchief wasn’t out of the question.

Elder Kormark spoke again.

“Don’t get me wrong. A decade ago, we wouldn’t have let a System user anywhere near our tribe… but things had changed. Monsters are more vicious, and surges are more common than ever. If you want to survive, you must move fast,” he said. “So, Warchief, where are we going now?”

The council examined my reaction, trying to determine whether I was about to have a brilliant or stupid idea. I felt Elder Kormak had driven me into a corner, but I couldn’t tell why.

“I have a lot of ideas that probably can’t be done,” I replied.

Kormak must’ve misunderstood my words because he shook his head.

“Fortifications are useless against the most powerful monsters. They might give the illusion of safety but are mouse traps in the end.”

As cool as a star fortress was, I wasn’t planning to build one. The problem of the small tribes was their lack of unity. Not even the strongest wall could keep the Lich and his army outside. Howev…

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