Anyone with common sense knew that the defenses of the Dark Portal must be extremely strict, so Lothar and Lancer goal from the start was not the Dark Portal, but to first figure out how to approach it. However, when the two truly entered the Orc territory, they fell completely silent, because along the way, they not only saw a large number of Orc tents but also many 'prisons.'
Thick tree branches were nailed together with rusty iron spikes. Several humans or people of strange races were handcuffed and leaned against the prisons, covered in grime. Most of them looked utterly defeated, but the recently captured human soldiers looked slightly better, as they hadn't been captured for long.
Lancer, however, grabbed Lothar, who wanted to go check them out. Although Lothar was a bit puzzled, he obediently let Lancer pull him into a tent. There was no doubt that before entering, Lancer had done a check and only entered after confirming there were no signs of life inside.
As soon as Lothar walked in, he gripped his fist and rubbed his head.
"Apologies."
"Looks like I don't need to say anything."
Lancer did not console Lothar for his apology, as he knew the other party was merely emotional for a moment. As a battle-hardened warrior, Lothar naturally knew that if they had walked over just now, and if they were lucky, and the captured human soldiers didn't alert the Orcs, everything would be fine. But what if they were discovered?
They were on the periphery of the camp. They would likely be able to escape, but it would probably affect their subsequent actions, something neither of them wanted to see.
However, even though he knew he had to watch, Lothar still looked somewhat gloomy. Knowing was one thing, and understanding was another, but seeing all this firsthand still made him feel uncomfortable. After all, Stormwind City had not experienced a 'war' in the true sense for too long. On ordinary days, it was mostly bandit suppression or monster hunting. Fortunately, he was not an ordinary person. After taking a few deep breaths, he gradually calmed down.
"What should we do next?"
Seeing his former subordinates locked up like livestock in cages, Lothar's mind was a bit confused, so he chose to listen to Lancer suggestion first.
"We must make contact with those soldiers. All the knowledge we currently have about the 'Orc race' comes from that Orc female assassin named Garona, and we are completely blind about the specific intelligence of this camp. Only by knowing the specific intelligence can we take the next step. However, the choice of 'target' must be carefully selected..."
Just as Lancer was talking to Lothar, Lancer suddenly stopped speaking. Lothar on the other side immediately tensed all his muscles, and an ice-like long spear began to materialize in his right hand. As the tent flap was pulled open, a figure walked in. Lancer instantly stabbed the spear into the person's throat without hesitation, and Lothar quickly covered the person's mouth and dragged them inside.
The Orc, whose trachea was pierced, was unable to make a sound, but he desperately thrashed his body, trying to shake off Lothar by his side. But just then, the long spear that was inserted into his throat pierced his heart.
"Hoo~!"
Only when the Orc completely stopped moving did Lothar sigh in relief. It was also at this time that he had the presence of mind to observe the 'target' he had just killed.
An Orc with wrinkled skin and gray hair...
He was stunned for a moment. Just then, Lancer walked over, stuffed the body into a bag retrieved at some unknown time, and then took out some strange liquid to sprinkle on the bloodstains on the ground. As the liquid was sprinkled, the smell of blood in the tent gradually faded, and the bloodstains on the ground gradually disappeared.
"We are preparing to change locations."
Although it seemed strange, it was actually quite normal. Real hunting and gaming had some differences, such as cutting materials after hunting a monster, and how to safely transport those materials. Eliminating the smell of blood and covering up bloodstains were the basics of the basics. After all, no one wanted to be ambushed by a group of powerful monsters on the way back.
However, Lancer noticed that Lothar's expression still seemed strange after he spoke.
"What's wrong? Are you uncomfortable?"
"A little..."
Lothar had no regrets about killing the other party, but not regretting did not mean he had no thoughts at all. Although he hadn't spoken to the Orc, the Orc's appearance clearly indicated he was an older Orc. As King Llane's friend and his knight, the education Lothar received since childhood included helping the weak and punishing the strong...
"In reality, there's nothing to be uncomfortable about. Regardless of the enemy's appearance, age, or gender, if they are an enemy and cannot be utilized, then 'death' is the only thing we can grant them."
In his previous life in the Empire, Lancer had killed thousands of people from foreign races, and indirectly, perhaps tens of thousands died by his hands. He struggled with it at first, especially when he saw the children and the elderly, but seeing the raging hatred that never extinguished in their eyes, he clearly realized one thing —————— if he let them go here, these ordinary people would not be able to harm him, but their retaliation would surely lead to the deaths of more innocent people.
So, Lancer chose to follow his command without hesitation —————— granting them the right to 'choose,' but without exception, regardless of gender or age.
"Perhaps it's not appropriate for me to say this, but as 'soldiers,' our hands are bound to be stained with blood. Among them are the justly condemned, but inevitably also the innocent. But as long as we don't regret the choices we make, what difference does it make?"
After Lancer words, Lothar was silent for a while, then smiled bitterly and shook his head.
"I didn't expect to be lectured by you... But you're right. They are invaders, and we must protect this land. That is all there is to it."
"I am actually older than I look. Forget it, let's stop this nonsense. Let's first see if there's anyone you recognize, and see if we can get more information."
Seeing Lothar return to normal, Lancer decisively left the tent with him again...
——————
When the sun rose again, the two groups were scheduled to meet again on the small hill as originally agreed. As soon as Khadgar and Garona returned, they saw Lancer and Lothar leaning against a tree, chewing on jerky.
"Sir Lothar, Mr. Lancer, how is the situation?"
Lothar, chewing on jerky, shook his head helplessly.
"Not good. Lancer and I spent an entire night but couldn't find a way to enter the interior directly. By the way, what about you two?"
Facing Lothar's inquiry, Khadgar also returned a wry smile.
"Apologies, Sir. I couldn't find anything either. Although I understand some of 'Teacher's' magic, a massive, permanent teleportation magic circle like this is not something that can be cracked in two or three days. Even with the preparation I made beforehand, it wasn't enough..."
Since the target was the Dark Portal, Khadgar had naturally prepared in advance, but when he saw the actual object, he realized he had been thinking too simply.
The hill fell silent for a moment.