I Have a Task Log

Chapter 477: Chapter 476: The Orc Camp

As they advanced, Colin looked toward a fortress in the distance.

These fortresses were built of either brick or stone. Most had only a single wall and a main keep, making them very small strongholds.

A small village lay just outside each of these strongholds.

The villages were surrounded by small fields, and you could faintly make out shepherds tending their flocks.

Colin asked curiously, "Given how few villages there are around here, why are there so many castles? Who built all these fortresses, anyway?"

Albert, clanking forward in his armor, explained, "These fortresses were part of a defensive strategy devised by the first Adventurers who came to settle this land.

They hoped to use these countless small strongholds to slow the Orcs’ advance, wear down their numbers and supplies, and trade space for time, forcing the Orcs to retreat on their own.

The strongholds were supplied by the adjacent villages. And since the soldiers’ families lived in those villages, it ensured they wouldn’t just flee or surrender the moment they saw Orcs approaching."

"It sounds like a solid plan on paper," Colin followed up, "but does it actually work?"

"Hard to say. The Orcs haven’t broken into the Weston Clan’s heartlands in a long time. Even when they do show up, it’s just small warbands coming through the Underground tunnels. They don’t pose a real threat."

"Those little castles look so romantic," Ale chimed in.

"Romantic? That’s a new one," Dorn said. "I thought most young ladies’ idea of romance involved flowers and Gold Coins."

"Mog thinks the food there is gross," the Ogre offered his profound insight. "Only dried meat, hard cheese, and bread. No fresh meat."

Seeing that no one shared her opinion, Ale trotted over to Colin’s side. "Colin, don’t you think those castles are beautiful?"

Colin glanced at the distant castles, dilapidated from a lack of professional upkeep, and considered his words. "They possess a unique artistic beauty."

"They make me think of all sorts of Knights," Ale said, the corners of her mouth twitching into a smile. "Colin, you don’t like being called ’Half-Imperial,’ do you? Why don’t we call you the ’Tulip Knight’ instead?"

Colin’s eye twitched the moment he heard the nickname.

He shot a look at Dorn, but the Dwarf, conveniently forgetting his rivalry with Ale, just lowered his head and played dumb.

"Or how about the ’Lily Knight’?" Ale asked, testing the waters.

’How do I get out of this conversation without hurting Ale’s feelings?’

For a moment, Colin felt that figuring this out was even harder than learning Tier Four Magic...

-----------------

Colin looked down, carefully examining the rock face beneath his feet.

He nudged his toe slightly, and a few small pebbles skittered down the rock face to the ledge below.

Hearing the noise, the Big Hoof Treasure standing on the ledge silently shuffled its hooves further from the edge. Next to it, Mog stared pensively into the distance, lost in thought.

Then, Colin looked up.

The Climbing Rope in his hands stretched all the way to the ledge above. It was knotted at regular intervals, making it relatively easy to grip.

「About three weeks had passed since they’d received the news.」

The group had crossed the vast plains and arrived at the foot of the Sunset Mountain Range. Wolf Castle itself was built next to a pass that connected the eastern and western sides of the range.

To avoid running into Orcs, the group had taken a less-traveled, more difficult route.

After taking a deep breath, Colin reached up and scrambled with his hands and feet onto the ridge above.

"Took you long enough, Colin," Kase said from where he was crouched behind a large boulder.

The rest of the group was crouched behind the boulder as well.

Colin retorted, "I had to stay below to watch your backs. If one of you had fallen without Feather Fall, you’d have been in a world of hurt."

"Thank you, Mr. Colin," Orelia said.

"See, Kase? You could learn a little gratitude from her." After speaking, Colin turned to Albert. "So, are we there?"

"That’s Wolf Castle over there." Albert reached out from behind the boulder and pointed.

Colin peeked out to look.

Wolf Castle was built atop a small hillock.

It was a medium-sized fortress with two layers of walls and a main keep.

The fortress was first surrounded by a moat bristling with spikes. Beyond the moat rose an outer wall nearly ten meters high, connecting a series of tall, circular towers. Swiveling ballistae were mounted on top of the towers.

The wall itself was lined with thick logs and stone blocks for Defense, along with a Giant Crossbow that could be operated by a single person. The main gate featured a classic barbican design.

The layout of the inner wall was largely the same, the only difference being that its towers were armed with catapults instead of ballistae.

The innermost keep was surrounded by infrastructure like a blacksmith shop, stables, and a tanner’s hut. This area also served as the castle’s final line of defense.

But the castle’s grandeur had utterly failed to intimidate the predators at its gates.

A dense sea of Beast Hide tents was pitched outside the castle walls.

Tall, hulking figures clad in Beast Hides wandered between the tents. A single glance was enough to identify them as Orcs from the northwest.

The Orc camp wrapped halfway around the base of the hillock, completely cutting off all paths down the slope.

The entire camp was spread out haphazardly across the rolling slopes. Orcs are not a race known for their ingenuity, so they had virtually no defensive measures; the camp was simply established beyond the range of the castle’s weapons.

Although it looked chaotic, a closer look revealed small goblin tents, pens for Dire Wolves, and the massive tents of Ettins.

The largest object in the entire camp was a massive war chariot cobbled together from wood and metal.

Various ballistae and catapults were mounted on top of the chariot. A thick Siege Hammer jutted from its front, and its surface was plated with heavy iron sheets.

The chariot’s size was staggering; it was clearly a terrifying siege weapon.

Kase asked, "What’s the deal with that giant cart? It looks pretty intimidating."

"You’re a Half-Orc and you don’t even know?" Colin asked in surprise.

"My mother never liked to talk about the past," Kase urged. "Come on, Colin, tell me."

Colin explained, "After a battle, Orcs need to transport their loot, so they build large vehicles for hauling it.

Over time, the Orcs came to believe that the bigger a tribe’s chariot, the stronger the tribe. For an Orc Chief, the chariot is a symbol of the clan’s honor and might—the equivalent of a grand castle in human eyes."

"Huh, so that’s the story," Kase said, stroking his chin thoughtfully.

Colin sighed and turned back to survey the Orc camp. Finally, his gaze locked onto a gigantic Beast Hide tent pitched on the summit of another hillock.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!