When Batu swept his eyes over the region that turned into a battlefield, he saw what happened; they could still engage in a war with the enemy, but this time no one could know how many people from his army could survive. Moreover, inside one of the transport-purpose vehicles that didn't transform into a weapon, ten orcs were waiting ready; with a single word, the Golden Army warriors could come face to face with death.
"Even though it is understood at a single glance that these are hastily gathered people, it is obvious that some groups among them have been together for a long time. Positioning them as separate units and placing assault-purpose mechanical vehicles in the gaps formed between them and the others was a good idea; if I have as many toys as these in the future, I can try it too!"
When Batu stated one of the basic principles of the formation called Battle Formation One, Boss's eye shone. As their powers grew, as they began to turn into an army, they had started working to be used in the war they would enter, and the order he managed to establish after months of effort was easily understood by this man.
His large eyes, consisting of brown rings surrounding a large black sphere, were not only beautiful but also possessed high functionality. Even though he had a mischievous, even idle air, it was clear he at least had knowledge regarding military matters.
"Even if you two lower your weapons, instead of talking under the desert heat, we could rest in the coolness of the mechanical vehicle until our destination!"
Wind of Death waved her right hand, a breath later a transport-purpose mechanical twice the size of the vehicles the Sand Army possessed appeared. When its door opened, the cold air trying to escape from inside hit their faces, and Batu, placing his two broad machetes on his back, had taken his place by the window two breaths later.
Boss and finally Wind of Death followed him. When the door closed, the others understood there was no room for them inside; they had no choice but to advance together with the army that started moving again.
While the outside was hot enough to vaporize the sweat coming out of your body within seconds during the day, at night you could think you came to the Glacial Region of the Orc Steppes. The Desolate Realm was a massive desert, the Sand Army was ready for these changes, and you could understand this from the tents they pitched when darkness fell within a few hours.
Only, some changes had occurred in the routine repeated every night. Previously, since a hundred people resided in every tent, pitching a hundred and twenty tents was sufficient, but this time the number was almost close to two hundred. The Golden Army were the new owners of these tents; everyone except those remaining outside for the watch had taken shelter inside the living spaces produced specially for the journey.
Contrary to the accommodation layout of the Hell Realm Army, the tents weren't positioned as intertwined circles. They possessed some extras they didn't have, and the most important of these were the energy weapons they placed at the four corners.
While the nine barrels on the vehicles putting their heads together intimidated the threat elements to come from outside, the matte black walls rising to human height, starting one step behind them, surrounded the four sides of the camp.
Then the tents were lined up at equal intervals according to the order of importance within the army, and in the middle of the four-cornered camp area was the place the command echelon used. In one of these, three people were watching the map laid out before them and completely covering the floor. It was certain that at least two of them gave their attention to it.
They had handled the job of eating, but Batu, who rapidly finished the plate containing only the fruits on the Wild Swamp and the Orc Steppes every time, had his eye on the servant who would enter inside to ask for a new one.
"The state of a person who has seen deprivation is truly different. When I came to the Heart of the Sand, these fruits were on the table, but this old-fashioned orc hadn't popped even one into his mouth before I tasted them first."
When Wind of Death took a jab, the servant entered the tent, and Batu, as if he heard none of what was said, tossed the empty plate and demanded they bring a new one.
"I am not such a picky person. You see a beating, run; you find food, eat! I live this way and I'm quite peachy!"
Even though his skin, which couldn't manage to preserve its whiteness, didn't look too worn out, it was obvious it had turned to leather inwardly. Words that would ignite the fuse of a huge fight if said to Boss were light enough to be eaten as dessert for the man named Batu.
"Since this friend's eye won't be satisfied, we better start talking about the upcoming war. He slept all day anyway seeing the cool place; at least while we caught him with his eyes open, maybe he'll say something useful!"
"Did you get beaten by your father a lot when you were little? Well, who your father is, is unknown, but…"
Batu, mumbling a few words in his mouth remaining empty, was reaching for one of the renewed fruits when a hand grabbed his wrist. When he turned his face covered with his long hair in that direction, he saw Wind of Death's wrist-thick teeth.
"We didn't gather here to listen to the reflections of your childhood traumas, your hand better start working as much as your mouth!"
When Wind of Death let go of his arm, Batu, passing it through a minor examination, grunted after taking the fruit plate in front of him as if someone was going to snatch it.
"We get it, your father is Alyon!"
Looking from the outside, he was a man who did banditry in the region of the Emerald Leaf Merchant Guild with the five thousand people he gathered on his own and hadn't been caught for years, but what the orcs inside the tent saw were completely different things.
"Alright, let's start with a little geography lesson then. Let's see how accurate this massive map of yours is, holy shit what is this?"
Even though the map covered the entire floor of the tent, it was obviously Batu's first look at it, and love at first sight mentioned in legends must be something like this.
"I want this, this map must be mine!"
Batu, tossing the fruit plate he waited for like waiting for his longed-for lover to a corner, dove headfirst onto the map of the Central Region of the Mercenaries' Lodge. He was wandering on his all fours like a cockroach; when he saw a detail that caught his attention, he closed one eye and focused.
Under the gazes of the two orcs, accompanied by weird movements and making sounds at least as interesting as them, he devoured the map for about ten minutes. If it weren't for Wind of Death's cough, perhaps he could continue this until the first lights of the morning, but when forced to return to his place, he looked as if he was satisfied.
"The thing told to me when I was just a little boy was that orcs were wild creatures capable of speaking; they ate, drank, bred, and worked in mines for us to make money. Now, while in front of this map, I can feel the power of the Orc Empire to my bones.
I wonder if the Emerald Leaf Merchant Guild has a map as detailed as this in its hands? I highly doubt it, not only them but no merchant guild can risk affording the manpower required to bring out something this detailed!"
When he completed his words, his eyes didn't leave the map, he kept wandering from corner to corner of it in a hypnotized way.
"If you liked it so much, I can give you a copy of it with your three main hideouts marked on it too!"
When Wind of Death completed her words, she became the target of the large brown eyes; it was as if there was a child opposite her trying to get angry but afraid of losing something he wanted very much if he did so.
"If nothing related to the war is going to be discussed, I am withdrawing to rest, there is a long road before us and an enemy we don't know when they will appear before us!"
Boss had said his last words, stood up, and headed towards the exit by stepping on the map of the Central Region, but when he came to a point, what he would hear would nail him to where he was.
"Why do we need to cross a long road anyway? I think it will be much more logical to stay where you are and wait for the Emerald Leaf Guild to come to us!"
This time the other two people inside the tent along with Batu focused on a point on the map too. When Boss lifted his right foot, he saw a stream, and when he took a step back, a place with five letters greeted him. Mohacs!