Chapter 57: All Seeds are Equal
TL Note: To avoid confusion the Hunters Leon recruited will be refered to as recruits while the students from the Academy will be known as cadets.
Like the trainees, the academy cadets were to eat, sleep, and train in the Ten Thousand Gods guild compound.
"Hmph, the cadets' faces must be a sight to behold."
"That's right."
The first batch of recruits at the Ten Thousand Gods Guild Koo Dae-sung and Kim Do-han, now enlisted as regular soldiers, imagined the looks on the cadets' faces when they saw their dinner.
During their training, they had become accustomed to the vicious diet of the Ten Thousand Gods Guild.
Massive amounts of salt and massive amounts of sugar, it was a diet of nothing but salt and calories.
Only the professional soldiers…the first recruits who had been promoted to Man-At-Arms, were able to eat well now, but the memories of those days…were as horrible as the sauce.
The cadets, on the other hand, weren't looking forward to dinner either. They're in the Naju Plains, which is to say, the countryside.
"I see the villagers walking around and they're eating what...."
"Corn and potatoes."
"Or canned herbs from the back mountains."
"Can you eat that?"
For the cadets, most of whom are natives of Seoul and the Seoul metropolitan area this is what it feels like to be rural.
Although there is a gap between the cadets and the recruits neither side thinks about the quality of the food but there is one common feeling: hunger.
The hunger pangs from the day's intense training were bubbling up to a growl.
"Mmm, I could eat all the rice they serve."
"...I agree."
Jae-hyuk and Soo-ho, who were ranked first in the group, had to endure Leon's harsh training while Ha-ri gave them a pitying gaze from the side.
"Well…you better not get your hopes up."
I'm starving, and all I can eat is salt and sugar water. Even in the orphanage, I'd never had a rumbling stomach.
"Hmm, I'm glad there's no shortage of places for everyone to sit."
Leon walked in.
There were a lot of people sitting in the courtyard on roughly laid out seats. It was the kind of scene you might see at a middle school dramatic arts retreat, but Leon didn't mind.
They would have to practice eating here in the rain, so they would have to get used to it.
"Bring the meal."
At Leon's command, the gate to the courtyard opened and the residents entered with dishes. The dish they were serving the second-grade recruits was… needless to say, sugar-salt water.
"Ah~ So this is it."
"I thought it would be different today."
"Let's have some sweet potatoes before bed."
The second-grade recruits, who had gotten used to the Ten Thousand Gods Guild drill, gulped down the sugar-salt water in front of them, and the cadets' expressions twisted as they watched.
"What is that?"
"Water? No, what's in the water?"
"Alas, it's called salt water."
"???"
The cadets' faces twist in disbelief as they realize that they're eating something like that.
"Nu, Nu, what is that?"
Soo-ho asks, wide-eyed, and Ha-ri replies with a dejected expression.
"Salt water. I added sugar."
"...Why?"
"Lord Yappy will explain that part to you in a 'logical' way...!"
At Ha-ri's comment, Yappy came over. The minimalist mechanical spider gives a logical explanation of the sugar-salt-water diet.
-Humans. Can survive on a minimum of nutrients and calories.
"?????"
-Reducing food costs. Increased 'venom' factor. Very efficient.
""?????""
The cadets were stunned by the vicious logic.
"Ooh, we have to eat that stuff too?"
"No way. How can you live on that?"
When the cadets' faces grew heavy, Koo Dae-sung spoke up.
"Hmph, don't get me wrong. After the training period is over, we will give them proper food."
True to his word, the first batch of cadets…now promoted to professional soldiers, are being served proper rice and side dishes.
Kimchi, a staple of the Korean diet, is served with the meal, and meat-based dishes are also distributed. The rice and local crops they are given are all "blessed" and rare.
Aside from the taste, the soldiers were very satisfied with the fact that they were getting stronger and less sick with each meal.
Just get through the training period. For the second-grade recruits, the diet of the first-grade recruits is a hopeful prospect, therefore, they can endure while the cadets now have to become aware of the salt and sugar water in front of them.
"...Do we really have to eat this?"
Even Han Soo-ho, who grew up as an orphan, was stunned by the salt water in front of him, let alone Chen So-yeon, the heir to the largest guild in the country.
He turned to his sister, the one he'd always counted on, but Ha-ri smirked and turned her head away.
"It's easier if you give up."
"...unbearable."
Having said that, this is only the second time Ha-ri has had salt and sugar water.
The first time, she saw the first-grade recruits survive on it, so she tried it to see if it would hold up. But then she spit out the salt water with a yelp and had to listen to Leon's scolding.
'You can do it, Han Ha-ri! You're an orphan and you've suffered in the bottom 1% of South Korea!'
No, orphanages are better these days, so maybe 3%?
Ha-ri gulps down her drink, trying to channel her misfortune into willpower.
The moment the salted glass slid down her throat, the extreme saltiness burned her throat.
'Salty…!'
Salty. Too salty. So salty that it burned her throat.
She wondered if she was going to get esophagitis (inflammation of the esophagus) from this but the salty taste was quickly covered by another flavor, the sugar.
'Too sweet!
If the salt made her mouth burn, the sugar made her tongue burn. The problem is that the flavors are jumbled and painful, and the same goes for the other cadets.
Chen So-yeon, who has undergone a harsh training program, and Han Soo-ho, who knows from his orphanage life that to eat is to live drunk the water but Kim Jae-hyuk tilted his glass to the floor to throw it away.
-Cheating detected.
With a snap, the swung steel wire threatens to kill.
"Wee, it's dangerous!"
He protests, but the mechanical spider is relentless. The military commander of the Ten Thousand Gods Guild will not take no for an answer.
When the shocking brine meal is over, Leon stands up.
"Let's digest this and start training."
"What?"
Digesting something just because you ate it…Ha-ri was more curious about Leon's reaction, which was different from the way he was used to.
"…Didn't they receive time to rest after eating?"
It was the basic schedule for the recruits.
Morning training, then a meal. Rest, then training again. Then a meal and then bed.
In other words, after dinner, it was straight to rest and sleep. Unofficially, they were also fed potatoes and sweet potatoes.
"Tsk, tsk, you are not recruits, you are aspiring knights. How could you think that the training of a soldier and a knight is the same?"
"Is that so?"
Leon's gaze flicked to Chief Kim Jin-soo, who was also participating in the exercise as an observer, apparently unaware of the shocking visual of the salt and sugar water.
"I told you to be prepared, did you get it?"
"Uh, that's right, yes, I did! It'll be ready to strike sooner or later...."
"Not soon. Right now."
"...?"
"The second-grade recruits will rest and sleep as they are while Lord Spinner will supervise. Koo Dae-sung, Kim Do-han, and the rest of you will be ready to depart in ten minutes."
"Yes, yes! Understood!"
"As you order, Your Majesty!"
The first class recruits, clearly carrying military flags, ran straight to the weapons storage room and the cadets could only stare after them in bewilderment.
* * * *
To coincide with the cadets' visit, Leon bought a gate pass.
It was an Orc Gate pass that was easy to get since by its nature, the Orc Gate rewards little for the effort.
The most expensive item you can get is the Orc Warrior Heart, which is worth at least 400 million won. The problem is, it's a drop given by the tribe leaders.
There's nothing about him that isn't intimidating, whether it's his blood, his warrior sense, his strength, or his special abilities.
As such, it's usually reserved for A-rank raiders, and given their salaries, Heart of the Warrior isn't even on the expensive end of the spectrum.
The rest are a handful of elemental weapons, and even these are too scarce to be a viable option for killing orcs that are at least B-grade.
As a result, Orc Gates are often bought and sold at a premium.
Such a sale was difficult for the Association to handle, but when Leon stepped forward to buy it, the bidders handed it over.
"Orc Gate."
"Are you okay? Have any of you cleared an Orc Gate before?"
"Chen So-yeon, Kim Jae-hyuk, and Han Soo-ho are probably the only ones...."
The cadets couldn't believe that they had come to attack an Orc Gate.
After being tortured with such a flimsy meal, they had come to the Orc Gate to digest it.
[Quest: A civil war among the orcs is raging. You are a mercenary who has come to join the fray. Help one side to end the civil war and gain the recognition of the Great Chieftain.]
"Are we supposed to take sides?"
"At least one orc tribe is on our side."
The cadets breathe a sigh of relief. Normally, this is a quest that can be safely cleared by using friendly orcs as shields as possible. If you fight wisely, the gate won't be that hard──
"Hah...."
"This…is it?"
"Of course."
However, the soldiers' reactions were quite different. Koo Dae-sung, Kim Do-han, and the other first class recruits had predicted the future.
"????"
Soo-ho was about to ask Ha-ri when he realized something was wrong as a group of orcs approached from across the field.
"Are you mercenaries from the outside world? I am an orc warrior from the proud Tusker Clan-"
-Thud!
The orc warrior didn't even finish his sentence before his head was blown off.
A lance that had flown in from nowhere had taken the orc's chin right off the top.
"Huh?"
The cadets couldn't react as they saw the orc's head blown off before their eyes, and neither could the orcs.
In disbelief, they look for the source of the spear. No, they didn't need to look since it had come from the Lionheart King who spewed insults on his pure white steed.
"By whose permission does this filthy beast open its stinking mouth?"
The overwhelming sense of disgust, contempt, and hatred made their skin crawl and the cadets weren't even the targets.
"Stop!"
A voice rings out snapping them out of their reverie as the soldiers reflexively stack their shields and stab their swords.
"Thud!"
"Yi, you cowards!"
The orcs, caught by surprise, fell back, but the cadets were unable to keep up in the rush.
"Now, wait a minute, isn't this a quest where you don't have to kill them?"
"Why, why are they attacking them, someone tell me why!"
But the soldiers didn't hesitate a moment.
"To kill orcs."
"That's a given."
""?????""
[The Greatest Orc Slayer]
◆Effects:
Deal 50% more damage against Orcs.
Fills orcs with fear, confusion, and despair.
Spreads undeserved hatred of Orcs.
Then it happened. The system message flashed before the cadets' eyes but it did not end there.
[Aura of the Lionheart]
◆Effects:
Grants Legion Hardened Assault Defense.
Grants Legion Fortification.
Grants Legion-strengthened Battalion Reinforcement.
Grants Legion Strengthened Valor.
Grants Legion Upgrade Light Armor.
Grants Legion Upgrade Tough Skin.
Grants Legion Upgrade Heavy Strike.
Grants Legion-Enhanced Archaic Empowerment.
Grants Legion Upgrade Ranged Resistance.
Grants Legion Upgrade Keen Gaze.
Grants Legion Improved Anti-Infantry Slaughter.
Grants Legion-enhanced Corruption Resistance.
[Living Demigod]
[War Knight's Favor]
[Grail Guardian]
[Dragon Slayer's Honor]
[Terror of the Evil Species]
[Demon Lord Slayer]
[Greatest Demon Slayer]
[Ranged Abomination]
[Strongest Charger]
"Crazy. What is this?"
As the cadets were shocked by the traits that appeared, Leon spoke up.
"Draw your weapons! Take up positions to the left and right of the soldiers! We'll flank them!"
A few of the cadets fumbled with their horses as Leon barked orders menacingly while he orcs clashed with the soldiers in a fury and their flanks hollowed out.
"Charge!"
Leon ordered the charge while the soldiers as anvils held their ground, the cadets as hammers became shock troops and crashed into the orcs.
The cadets' combat strength might be higher than the soldiers', but they didn't know how to charge as a single mass.
"Ugh…! These guys!"
"Ouch!"
The cadets dug into the flanks, but their breakthrough power was lower than expected. They didn't have enough strength to break through the orcs' massive size and heavy defense.
"We're through!"
The cadets' formation was about to collapse and crumble under the onslaught of orcs but flames scorched the air and swung through the air, dispersing the horde of orcs.
"Ha, Ha-ri!"
Ha-ri grinned awkwardly, having slashed two orcs and burned a third in a single blow.
"Careful, kids, take them down calmly."
At least Ha-ri is used to this insane orc hatred, and she makes up for her lack of impact with her abilities.
'The problem is the cadets on the other side.'
The cadets, flanking the soldiers, have split in two and surrounded the orcs.
There were less than fifty orcs, so they can easily surround them, but unlike this side, where Ha-ri is present on the other side are only cadets.
'His Majesty will not help us, and....'
It was then that from the other side of the orcs Ha-ri was burning, a series of eerie voices rang out.
"You, you little wench!"
"I'll cut you in half with my axe!"
Even in the midst of the bustling clump fight, a single cadet pierced through the space, thrusting her three swords.
Chen So-yeon, the granddaughter of Berserker Chen Jin-soo and the strongest cadet in the academy, was piercing through the orcs' throats.
She's not the only one, Han Soo-ho, a swordsman, and Kim Jae-hyuk, a spearman were also coping with the orcs' momentum.
As graduating seniors in the academy's top class, this was not their first time facing orcs.
"Hmm...."
Leon watched their performance while summoning the Holy Grail to heal the frontline soldiers.
Han Ha-ri was by far the dominant force, she was practically covering half the damage of the right flank by herself.
She's been criticized for her lack of finesse, but in a skirmish like this, she's an absolute force to be reckoned with.
"Now! Take care of the burned orcs!"
She's got talent, after all. If taught well the God of War and Flame will be pleased.
On the other side, Chen So-yeon, Kim Jae-hyuk, and Han Soo-ho were the big guns.
The three of them have experience hunting orcs, and they're good at it. Han Soo-ho uses his shield to deflect the orcs' attacks, while Kim Jae-hyuk mows them down with his weapon advantage that makes up for their height difference.
"The others, on the other hand, are ordinary."
Those four were exceptional, and the rest could not be said to be good enough.
The soldiers, barely C-rank, were holding the orcs' attention and couldn't make a single flanking attack.
If it weren't for their natural physical prowess and a few standouts along with Leon massive buffs, the flankers would have been crushed by the besieging troops.
The battle ended in an easy victory and Leon ordered the already exhausted cadets to rest and prepare for the next battle.
"Your Majesty...."
Chen So-yeon approached, breathing evenly, as if she hadn't broken a sweat in the single battle.
"I allow questions."
"Why… Why did you attack the orcs? The quest is clearly to help one of their sides."
"We do not spare orcs. Not a single one."
"What?"
Leon decided it was better to declare it in front of everyone than to explain it to just one person.
"Remember. Orcs are green-skinned beasts.
These beasts may speak the language of men, discussing honor and glory, but their honor and glory are nothing more than the violence of vain beasts.
Have you seen them build a civilization, have you seen them choose conversation over savage violence?"
In the thousands of years of history of the Lionheart Kingdom Leon has learned one truth.
Orcs are talking beasts.
"They are just beasts that have taken on the guise of a man and covet the honor of warriors."
Despicable. These trashy beasts dare to discuss honor and glory that only an honorable race can discuss.
"You must be resolute in your resolve, these beasts are not worthy of existence. They're just filthy parasites who should not live."
On modern Earth, orcs are not treated well, to say the least since their brutality and violence make them unacceptable to civilized society.
But in a world where political correctness guarantees the human rights of orcs, no one has ever expressed such extreme disgust as Leon.
"Smash those disgusting molars and stinking spatulas. There should be no hesitation in slaughtering the beasts!
The only good orc is a dead orc.
There is no need for cowardice in hunting beasts. All that is needed is killing and righteous indignation. Only murderous intent to destroy them!"
[Greatest Orc Slayer] spreads righteous hatred of orcs.
* * * *
Under the overwhelming charisma of Leon, the orcs at the Orc Gate were slaughtered, one by one.
He slaughtered them nonstop until there were no more orcs left at the gate, and the profits were far greater than the original expectations.
"Wow, three Warrior Hearts and a Spirit Weapon…How much for the Spirit Stones?"
The profit was close to 1.2 billion units and while the individual earnings would be unreasonable for an A-rank raider, the Hunters here are C-rank and cadets who haven't even graduated from the Academy.
Kim Jae-hyuk looked at the pile of loot and calculated his share.
"There are 96 Hunters, so even if we're being conservative, we're looking at six million won per head."
"I've never caught so many orcs before...."
"Soo-ho, you've made some money. Are you going to send it to the orphanage?"
"Half."
The heart of an orc warrior is an item that can fetch half a billion won at auction so the profit would be even higher.
With that, the cadets were told to clear the orc gate and collect their allowances, and they approached Yappy, the financial controller, with excited faces.
They weren't used to having an AI machine calculate their earnings, but they figured that a machine would be honest.
-Deposit completed.
"Oh, that's fast, did you calculate it in advance?"
"The Orc Warrior's Heart hasn't even been sold yet… eh?"
After checking their accounts on their smartphones, the two were dumbfounded by the amount of money they had received.
"Excuse me, Mr. Yappy, I think you made a mistake in my deposit."
-No mistake about my math skills.
"No, no, why is there only 700,000 won in the account? Shouldn't there be at least 6 million won?!"
-Kim Jae-hyuk. Battle video analysis. 700,000 won.
"Uh… You set the bar a little high. No, but why is only 700,000 won in my account!"
-Taxes
"What?"
The cadets who had received their allowances came to ask, and they got the same answer from Yappy.
-We took it in advance to save you the trouble.
The cadets were stunned by the vicious tax structure.
Novel Ended
thank you very much to all the Readers who followed me !!
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