Chapter 421: The Orc Empire’s Abnormality? Heading to the Snowfield

In the tavern, Ellie’s expression looked a little complicated. The usually simple-minded little wolf-girl now seemed to be carrying worries.

Of course Lin Mo could understand that. For a species as awkwardly positioned as half-orcs, the question of whether they belong with or against humans has always been a hotly debated, unresolved problem.

Although neither side truly accepts this group stuck in the middle...

For example now, in the tavern, when people saw Ellie the half-orc, the surrounding gazes were somewhat odd.

After all, this was a border city, one that had war with the Orc Empire for years.

So the appearance of orcs and half-orcs made everyone unusually sensitive. But since Ellie and Lin Mo didn’t look like ordinary people, they didn’t dare to comment or pick a fight.

Even so, the looks aimed at Ellie were clearly unfriendly.

The rejection and disgust toward orcs and half-orcs had reached a peak in regions with constant conflict.

Seeing Ellie’s tangled nerves, Lin Mo suddenly reached out and took her hand.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing...”

Ellie paused, then smiled and shook her head, “I just feel so lucky.”

She murmured, “Now that I think about it, if I hadn’t met Lin Mo back then, what would my life have been like?”

Hearing her, Lin Mo also froze for a moment, then recalled the events from when he’d first met Ellie.

Thinking it over carefully, it didn’t seem all that long ago, yet his heart felt a strange nostalgia, as if those days were already distant memories.

“Thank you, Lin Mo.”

Ellie rested her head lightly on his shoulder, her soft ears nuzzling his neck, ticklish and pleasantly comfortable.

“There’s no need to thank me...”

Lin Mo let out an embarrassed laugh, “Meeting a beautiful and gentle girl like Ellie is my good fortune too.”

“Mm...”

Ellie said nothing more, only answered softly.

Her voice no longer carried the earlier melancholy and confusion. It turned into a deep relief and calm.

Indeed, from the moment she met Lin Mo, her life had taken a path completely different from other half-orcs.

After spending so much time together, she already knew that, to Lin Mo, whether she was a half-orc didn’t matter at all.

What mattered was that she was herself, she was Ellie.

So she no longer cared about the labels stuck to her, nor the mockery and cold stares. She already had her own home, a warm and complete life.

Many adventurers around watched the scene with curiosity. After all, human-half-orc pairings were still rare, especially in a place like Frost Snow City.

Particularly behind the two stood a girl dressed in a maid outfit.

Regardless of anything else, just from the maid’s looks, attire, and manners, it was obvious she was no ordinary person.

Including this woman, the equipment she wore underneath also wasn’t common goods.

Moreover, the person beside them was wearing a mage’s robe. Across the continent, mages were a scarce and powerful profession, and in the Serea Empire they were even rarer.

Among the three great empires, the Roxez Empire had the most and strongest mages, followed by the Violet Empire. Although the Serea Empire might lead in overall strength, it lagged behind the Violet Empire in mage numbers and power.

In the Serea Empire, physical professions were much more common, especially the warrior class.

Rough statistics suggested nearly half of the Serea Empire’s adventurers were warriors.

That proportion was nothing short of staggering.

Because of this scarcity, mages in the Serea Empire held higher status than in the other two empires.

For that reason, a mage paired with a half-orc formed a striking contrast, all the more so since they acted so intimately...

Ellie had long grown used to these looks and didn’t mind. Lin Mo felt a little annoyed, but this was normal—he couldn’t make trouble for every onlooker. Some changes simply couldn’t be achieved overnight.

They had come to the tavern partly to sample the Serea Empire’s wines. As an empire in the northern border, its climate was cold, and its brewing industry was famously excellent—considered the most skilled of the three empires.

Since they were here, they had to try it.

Another reason was to learn about the border situation.

The war between the Orc Empire and the Serea Empire had never truly stopped; it fluctuated in scale. Normally this had little to do with Lin Mo, but the Dark Tide had grown more active recently. War naturally breeds suffering and death, which easily attracts the Dark Tide.

Although orcs differed from lowly races like goblins, possessing higher intelligence and self-awareness, compared to humans, elves, and dwarves, orcs still tended to be the most straightforward and hot-tempered among humanoid races. Such a temperament made them easier targets for control and manipulation by the Dark Tide.

This was indisputable—don’t forget that at the beginning, the Dark Tide could even control once-divine Titan Giants.

Once the Dark Tide’s intensity reached a certain level, no race could be spared.

But the orc race was especially worrisome.

Especially with the current strength of the Dark Tide... by Lin Mo’s estimate, it had already reached a level capable of controlling orcs.

While he was thinking, the dishes and wine they ordered had been served.

Lin Mo took a sip of the tavern’s wine. Because he had asked for a milder variety, it went down fairly smoothly, but it was still clearly stronger than the wines from the other two empires.

Notably, the Roxez Empire’s wines tended to be light, sweet fruit wines with low alcohol content.

Compared to that, Serea Empire wine was on a completely different level.

Lin Mo didn’t like very strong liquor, but considering the cold climate, the locals preferred potent, warming drinks, which was understandable.

Setting down his cup, Lin Mo sampled the dishes. He had to admit the flavors were good. Although different from the Violet and Roxez empires—the Serea cuisine lacked their diversity and subtlety and was relatively simple—the plainness had its charm.

Compared to the other two empires, Serea’s dishes were more rustic: simple ingredients, but generous portions.

Lin Mo didn’t dislike it, so after eating and drinking for a while, he put down his chopsticks, picked up an unopened jug from the table, and walked over to a nearby table of adventurers.

The adventurers at that table saw Lin Mo approaching and their faces tightened with some panic.

They, like most adventurers in the tavern, had stared at Lin Mo for a while, so it was natural they felt guilty and worried he might be coming over to cause trouble.

“B-brother, is there something you need?” the leader asked nervously.

“Nothing.”

Lin Mo shook his head, sat in the empty seat beside them, “I just wanted to ask you something. Consider this bottle of wine a gift.”

The man breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly asked, “Big brother mage, what do you want to know?”

Although they didn’t know Lin Mo’s exact identity or strength, his appearance alone signaled someone they couldn’t mess with. When facing someone of that level, politeness was the safest approach.

“I want to ask about the situation over at the Orc Empire recently...”

Asking this directly of the Serea Empire’s officials would be awkward; it was military business, and official channels would only offer a series of statistics. Those numbers were accurate, but sometimes statistics don’t fully reflect reality.

Accounts from nearby adventurers, however, were closer to the populace’s perspective and could reveal different angles.

“Ah...”

The adventurer in front of him looked like he understood, “Big brother, you’re from elsewhere, right? Recently the Orc Empire has been acting up. There have been more frequent clashes at the front than before. I heard the empire’s army has suffered heavier losses than usual...”

Lin Mo nodded, “When you were out adventuring, did you encounter anything unusual?”

This was what Lin Mo most wanted to know—the perspective the empire’s official reports couldn’t provide.

“When adventuring... what do you mean exactly?”

“Anything different from normal. That includes orc-related matters, but is not limited to them.”

The adventurer hesitated, thinking carefully, “Well... we haven’t personally met anything strange during our runs. But I did hear that a few adventurers, while on missions, encountered orcs who had fled from the Orc Empire. Those orcs claimed something major had happened inside the empire recently.”

“Something major?”

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow; this might be critical information.

But the adventurer shrugged helplessly, “I only heard it secondhand, I don’t know the specifics. The orcs who fled were low-ranking; they wouldn’t know what happened at the higher levels. It’s all hearsay—rumors and speculation. Whether it’s true or not, I can’t say.”

“Mm.”

Lin Mo nodded. Although it was disappointing, as the adventurer said, what they could hear were ultimately unverified rumors.

Simply knowing that something might be going on in the Orc Empire was already important intelligence.

With that, Lin Mo took a Crystal Coin from his Portable Space and placed it on the table.

“Thanks.”

He waved and left.

The adventurers stared wide-eyed at the translucent Crystal Coin on the table.

They were not exactly low-tier adventurers—especially the leader, who was a Bronze-rank adventurer—but even so, 100 Gold Coins was a large sum to them.

And laid before them was not 100 Gold Coins but one Crystal Coin. Though equivalent in value, the significance was completely different.

Crystal Coins were extremely rare currency; possessing one signified status. Someone who could casually give away a Crystal Coin had to be a person of much higher standing.

We should be grateful that person didn’t hold our earlier gawking against us.

From a distance, other adventurers who had seen the scene also let out a collective intake of breath.

Lin Mo paid them no mind. Having tasted Serea Empire food and wine and learned the information he wanted, it was time to leave.

The Adventurers' Association people should arrive soon.

Lin Mo didn’t intend to directly involve himself in Orc Empire–Serea Empire affairs for now. Although he already had considerable influence, his personal strength hadn’t truly reached the top.

Moreover, his influence was largely confined to human society. The Serea Empire might consider his proposals, but the Orc Empire was different.

They had always stood opposed to humans and enthusiastically waged war to seize human lands.

Communicating with them and making them listen or cooperate was not easy.

Before that could happen, Lin Mo needed far greater power.

So for the moment, it was better to head to the Endless Snowfield and adventure—explore that mysterious SS-rank Secret Realm, formally reach Heroic Realm by universal promotion, and only then act.

Just as Lin Mo expected, when he strolled back to the lodging prepared for him in Frost Snow City, the Adventurers' Association team had already arrived.

No long discussion—without delay they set off in the direction of the Endless Snowfield.

On the way, Lin Mo exchanged a few simple words with the people assigned to escort him to the Secret Realm.

The Association’s contingent was a small team. Most Adventurers' Association staff were former adventurers, and when performing missions they tended to act in their original adventurer habits—moving in small teams.

This team totaled five members, the standard composition of one warrior, one knight, one mage, one ranger, and one assassin.

As for priests... that profession was still too rare; the majority of adventurer squads did not include one.

During the journey they also briefed Lin Mo on some information about the Endless Snowfield...