Chapter 301

Rudra looked at the Valiant Village. It was absolute chaos. Three hundred massive, hyper-muscular gorgeous Orcs were running around. They were flexing at each other while eating the giant slabs of [Beauty Meat] that Rudra just cooked for the other Orcs as well.

Rudra had exactly three days. He needed to figure out a routine that would actually impress a Goddess. He also needed to execute his plan to finally recruit Iris.

That left a massive problem. Three hundred muscle-bound Orcs needed to pack up and move to Stormbreak.

Rudra told himself he simply didn't have the time to organize the transfer. It definitely wasn't because he absolutely hated dealing with logistics and paperwork.

He decided to call for help.

"[Knight Summon: Winfred]," Rudra said.

A pillar of blinding white light crashed into the center of the muddy square.

The light faded. Winfred stepped out.

The Sage Knight Captain was fully geared. His polished silver armor gleamed. His sword in right hand and his spear in left hand were drawn and held at the ready. His sharp eyes scanned the surroundings to prepare for the possible enemy.

Instead, he saw three hundred half-naked yet extremely beautiful orcs.

Winfred froze.

A group of Orc warriors stood ten feet away from him. They were eating pieces of beautifully cooked steaks—which Winfred immediately recognized as his Lord's cooking—while striking odd, synchronized poses to show off their muscles. 

Winfred lowered his weapons a little.

He stared at the Chief of these Orcs, who was noticeably more majestic than the others. The ten-foot-tall Orc was currently holding a relaxed side-chest pose. The Chief's green skin glowed with vibrant health. His jawline was sharp enough to cut glass. His facial features were perfectly symmetrical. 

Winfred blinked.

He was a perfectly normal man. He grew up in the heart of the Empire. He had met and killed quite a few Orcs himself. From the few that he encountered, he could summarize that they were hideous,with crooked tusks, warts, and foul breath. 

But Winfred realized, with a profound sense of confusion, that these green-skinned warriors were objectively more handsome than the elite high nobles of the imperial capital.

Winfred slowly put away his weapons.

He slowly rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Winfred had seen quite a few weird and absurd scenes since he started his new Lord. He had talked to a giant divine beast, worked with an undead lich, and watched a Sword Saint farm fields. He thought he had seen it all and would never be surprised again. 

His Lord never failed to surpass his expectations.

Winfred pinched the bridge of his nose. He let out a long, deeply exasperated sigh. Being a vassal to the Duke of Stormbreak was terrible for his blood pressure. His Lord was a magnet for absolute absurdity.

Winfred let go of his nose. The exasperation left his face. He shifted smoothly back into a more composed look.

Rudra walked over and patted his knight on the shoulder.

"I need you to coordinate their migration," Rudra said. "We have exactly three days before they transport to Stormbreak. I need you to get a full inventory of everything that can be moved. Also, interview them. Find out what fields they want to work in—production or combat—based on their skills and personal opinions. Get their explicit consent for their placements. They are our new citizens."

Winfred let go of his nose. The exasperation left his face. He shifted smoothly back into a composed, professional look. 

"Understood, my Lord," Winfred said. He pulled a thick leather ledger and a quill from his inventory.

He walked directly up to the Valiant Chief to begin the logistical sorting.

Rudra watched Winfred immediately start organizing the chaotic village. He nodded in satisfaction. The man was worth his weight in gold.

Rudra turned away from the crowd. He walked over to a fallen log near the edge of the camp.

Iris was sitting there.

She was standing near the edge of the square, staring at the golden SSS-Rank quest window floating in front of her face. 

"Forced quests are a pain," Rudra said, leaning casually on his staff. "Sorry you got dragged into it." 

"It is fine," Iris said quite coldly, though Rudra was starting to think that this was her base mood.

"Just think of it as a very weird escort mission," Rudra offered.

Iris just stared at him.

Rudra laughed. "Alright, fine. But we have three days to kill. I need to figure out whatever talent I'm supposed to show off, and you still need a permanent fix for those guns."

"You already patched the barrels," Iris pointed out.

"I put a band-aid on a terrible piece of alchemy engineering," Rudra corrected. "I told you back there that I'd create a gun that wouldn't melt in your hands. I meant it."

He held out his hand.

"Join Genesis," Rudra said. "Give me a proper blueprint and the raw materials. I'll synthesize your new weapons right now. Consider it your signing bonus."

Iris looked at his empty hand. She let out a quiet breath. 

She reached into her inventory and pulled a thick roll of parchment and a heavy leather pouch of refined metals.

She placed both into his open hand.

"Make two of them," Iris said.

[Player 'Iris' has joined the Genesis Guild.] 

Rudra took the blueprint. He unrolled it and immediately learned it through his [Endless Learning] class trait.

"Give me a day," Rudra said.