"Bookworm, there is a message from your master!"
The group, laughing at Hammerstriker's silliness, first paused upon the words they heard, then jumped to their feet simultaneously as if they had agreed upon it.
Their giving such a big reaction in the face of a mail whose content they didn't even know might have been considered weird at another time, but even though they had decided to act completely isolated from each other, why would Nafız have sent them a message?
"Sasha, could you step a little closer?"
When Sasha, with one foot inside and the other on the threshold of the door, did as told, a massive snake appearing out of nowhere coiled over the tent, successfully cutting off its connection with the outside world. The Balsici castle soldiers, already hesitant to approach due to the identity of those inside, started running to get away from the line of sight of the Power Animal intimidating with its forked tongue.
Everyone trusted to capture the Northern Region of the Mercenaries' Lodge was wondering what Nafız said to them, and this waiting of theirs would end before long. Bookworm, transferring his unique poison energy to the mechanical hawk, snatched what he needed, ignoring the melting metals slipping through his hands.
Even if it was a mechanical piece, everyone inside the tent knew what it was; shortly, that voice they were familiar with would reach their ears.
"Bookworm, I have learned that there is a facility in your region conducting ruthless experiments on orcs. Those carrying this out are the forces of the Empire of Machines, and everything is taking place very secretly.
Since engineers are involved, you can guess that high-security measures have been taken. Your mission is to find this place and destroy everyone except the test subjects. When you are done, there will not be a single piece of evidence left that such a facility existed.
Continue to hide your identities for a while longer; you need to take action right after the orc and druid troops that will secure the Balsici Castle arrive. As for the location of the facility, I learned that it is inside the highest mountain on the sea side.
Your priority is to protect yourselves; if there is nothing left to be saved, destroy whatever is there without taking risks!"
When the message ended, the joy, happiness, pride, and all other beautiful feelings brought by the victory won with a thousand and one difficulties disappeared just like Nafız's voice. Gazes involuntarily turned to Master Leonardo; when it came to the Empire of Machines, the most authoritative voice was none other than him.
After holding his face, the size of a spoon, between his two hands, the Master let out a deep breath; it was obvious he had held all the air inside until the message Nafız sent ended. He was aware he gathered the curious gazes of the others on himself, but his gazes were directed at his apprentice, whose matte black limbs were visible even in the dark.
"Please sit, I can guess what questions are going through your minds. Let me start first, if it's not enough, I will explain as much as you want!"
The others were surprised, but Leonardo looked as if he had aged decades in a few seconds; his back bent, his neck sank between his shoulders, and he disappeared into his armchair where he was laughing out loud in the early hours of the day.
"Experimenting or trying to experiment on living beings is not a new situation; whether I was a student, an engineer, an architect, or even a chief architect, this was one of the most important topics spoken behind closed doors.
Some were saying this was against ethical codes, that no matter for what purpose it was done, whatever results it would yield, it was a method that absolutely shouldn't be resorted to. On the other hand, another community, numerous enough not to be underestimated, argued that humans outside the Empire of Machines were lower-class beings, that they had the right to experiment on them, in fact, for these people, orcs were no different from wild creatures."
While there were three members of the Orc Royal Family inside the tent General Alina left behind, only Master Leonardo could say these words. Even though the suddenly released lineage Powers didn't target him or the other humans, many of the items left behind were shattered to pieces.
Master Leonardo had said before he started speaking that he would tell what he knew no matter what; after pausing his words a bit for his orc friends to calm down, he continued with his usual calm tone of voice.
"If the other human civilizations didn't exist, I am sure they would experiment on whatever they could find without even entering such a debate, but they couldn't risk both losing their customers and being attacked on top of it.
What was announced was that experiments would absolutely not be conducted on humans. Within the borders of the Empire of Machines, no living being other than wild creatures was used in research. Despite this, everyone in high positions knew very well that this job was being done in many places on the World of the Six Civilizations.
Previously, human subjects were used in Karsak, the Trade city of the Orc Steppes, and the part of the Wild Swamp under their dominion. As you can guess, some casualties were also given from orcs, but since they were not a power to be feared back then, the production of special weapons for them was in the second, even third plan.
When the city on the Orc Steppes was lost, all connection was cut, and the information there was transferred to the Wild Swamp continent. There, the experimental relationship with the Mercenaries started here; here, just like on the lands of the Mercenaries' Lodge, some scientists continued their research by mingling among the soldiers.
Chief Alyon, you must have definitely seen the death barracks during the conquest of the Wild Swamp. So that what they did wouldn't be blatantly obvious, my murderous compatriots continued their work using these places."
How could Alyon not remember these places? These places, where humans lost their human form and turned into completely different things, and which were almost one in every camp, were so bad that once seen, they could never be erased from the mind again.
Of course, there was someone else who knew very well the places Leonardo called Death Barracks. The young man sitting right on his right had met those places when he was still a child. When he was rescued, his limbs were taken from him, and the others thought this action was only for the satisfaction of twisted pleasures, but the bitter truth had come out years later. Such was its nature; no matter how much you tried to hide it, the truth would eventually come out.
The Master paused once for the orcs, once for his apprentice; when he turned and looked at his face, interestingly, he saw his expression hadn't changed. The old man didn't know whether to be happy or sad about this, for sometimes unspoken anger could be more dangerous than tearing down the heavens and the earth.
"When the Orc Empire took this opportunity from the hands of the murderous scientists too, they retreated underground for a while; using the remaining materials and the new samples they got their hands on through illegal means, they waited for an opportunity to arise.
The fall of the Hell Realm was exactly what saved them from this dead end; the Mercenaries realized they could face the enemy they perhaps feared the most, the one they didn't want to confront. The orcs were breathing down their necks; like everyone on the World of the Six Civilizations, they too knew the Hell Realm would ally with the Orc Empire.
The underground scientists must have acquired this privilege by promising support, and the Four Major Merchant Guilds, in need of the help of the Lands of Light, the only source that could provide them humans, only allowed orcs to be used as subjects in this facility.
A very dangerous mission awaits us; those advocating experimentation on humans and orcs are truly powerful. The Empire of Machines began to stand behind this faction after the biggest threat in the world became the orc warriors.
The biggest revenue is the energy weapons sold with the fear of an orc invasion, defense systems, and weapons of mass destruction suitable for the genetics of the orc race. I can say with fear that news of the production of weapons capable of causing casualties in the millions have reached my ears.
I say let us set out without rushing, planning down to the finest detail, and wipe this filth the Empire of Machines spilled over the face of the earth!"