Chapter 23: The Conqueror’s Golden Banner

It didn't take long for Valkar to find the storage room.

Just as his mother had described, it was a small, dry alcove off the main passage. The air was thick with the earthy, pungent scent of dried flora. Bundles of herbs hung from the low ceiling, their leaves rustling in the faint breeze. Clay pots and stone jars were lined up on a ledge, their contents a mystery.

On the floor sat several woven baskets filled with dried roots and flowers, their colors still surprisingly vibrant despite the passage of years. Valkar recognized a few from Zura's teachings—greenleaf for fever, bitterroot for infection, and sunpetal for pain.

In these Forgotten Lands, these herbs were a treasure beyond gold. Unlike the rest of the world, here even the most common plants have potent magical properties. And because of this property, they rarely die and can last for years without losing their healing properties.

Valkar remembered that in the tribe, the shamans guarded a magical garden day and night. His mother Zura said that inside the garden there were plants and herbs whose age was measured in centuries.

Legends said that these plants came along with the orcs when they were suddenly teleported to these forsaken lands. They were a piece of their old world. And the orcs of today really need to pray day and night in thanks to the gods for granting a little bit of intelligence to their ancestors, so they thought to cultivate these plants and not just store them away.

From that day on, the smart orcs were always the ones caring for and guarding the magical garden. They became shamans.

"This will do."

Valkar grabbed a handful of the bitterroot, some sunpetal, and a few strands of a fibrous moss his mother had called "bone-knit." He then moved deeper into the passage, following the faint, mineral-rich scent of water and the growing warmth in the air. 

The passage opened into a smaller, steam-filled chamber. A natural hot spring bubbled up from a crack in the stone floor, filling a shallow, rocky basin before trickling away into a crevice. The air was humid and thick, smelling of sulfur and minerals.

Valkar knelt, filling a stone bowl he'd found near the entrance with the clear, hot water. The heat felt good on his tired muscles, and for a moment, he simply let the steam soak into his skin, the fire in his loins diminishing slightly in the oppressive humidity.

Back in the main chamber, the fire had grown steadier, casting long, dancing shadows. The bear meat sizzled on the hot stone, its rich aroma filling the cave.

Elara had torn a strip from the hem of her already-ruined gown and was gently wiping the grime from Sylvana's face. The dark-haired elf sat rigidly, her jaw tight, but she didn't push the princess away.

Both women looked up as Valkar's heavy footsteps approached. He placed the stone bowl of steaming water near the fire, then knelt before Sylvana, his massive frame dominating the space between them.

"Leg," he commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument.

"I can do it myself." Sylvana's purple eyes narrowed.

Valkar did not answer. He simply reached out, massive hands gentle but unyielding as he took hold of her calf. She flinched hard, a sharp breath hissing through her teeth, yet she did not pull away. The princess watched with wide, worried eyes, one hand hovering as if she might intervene, but not daring to.

The orc was too scary in her eyes, less scary than before but still scary.

The wound was worse than it had looked in the tunnels. The goblin blade had bitten deep, tearing muscle and leaving a jagged gash that still wept blood. Dirt and dried gore crusted the edges. Valkar poured the hot spring water over it without warning.

"Hiss..." Sylvana arched her back, a strangled cry escaping her lips, but she quickly forced herself to be still.

Valkar had to repeat the process a few more times. He worked quickly, cleaning the cut with careful, efficient strokes.

Once the wound was clean, Valkar took the bitterroot and sunpetal, crushing them between his palms with a few drops of the hot water to form a thick, pungent paste. He applied it directly to the gash. The mixture burned like fire. Sylvana's fingers dug into the bear hide until her knuckles went white. Tears gathered at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

She was a warrior, an elite elven knight, and the personal protector of the princess. She would not show weakness. Not even if it felt like her leg was being ripped apart.

Valkar was completely indifferent to the amount of pain he was inflicting, not because he didn't care, quite the opposite. In his eyes, Sylvana was now his mate. A potential future mother to his children, and Zura made sure to hammer into him that every woman is precious, especially the ones strong enough to carry an orc child.

He must care for her, protect her, and give her the best chance to survive in these lands.

And because of that, he had no intention of letting her die from a leg wound. If she died, well... either he forces himself on the elf princess, or his balls go BOOM!

"Don't put weight on it," he said, tearing a strip from one of the cleaner animal skins and wrapping it tightly around her leg.

"..."

Sylvana stared at the bandage, her breath coming in harsh, shallow gasps. He was… he was treating her. An orc, the same kind that knows nothing more than bloodlust and conquest, was taking care of her, a weak, injured woman.

She stared at him for a long moment, her violet eyes scanning his face not with the same revulsion as before, but with a guarded, wary curiosity.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice trembling.

Valkar did not answer. He simply gave a single, stiff nod and returned to the fire. He flipped the pieces with a stick and judged them done. The meat was a bit blackened, but still juicy.

He portioned the food onto three flat stones and pushed two of them toward the women.

"Eat."

Elara did not need to be told twice. She tore into the meat with both hands, juice running down her chin, a soft sound of pure relief escaping her.

A princess? What princess?!

In the face of hunger, all manners were gone. Plus, she was just a young, rebellious princess who didn't have much time to practice proper etiquette.

Sylvana ate a little slower, a lifetime of noble etiquette fighting the ravenous hunger inside her. But her will only lasted until the first bite of tender, salty meat touched her tongue. Then, manners be damned.

The two elves ate like a pack of starving wolves. It was crude, messy, and the only other person who could judge them was an orc who was also devouring his meat in a similar manner.

For a long while, the only sounds were the crackle of the fire and the quiet noises of eating. Valkar finished his share in a few massive bites, then he stood up and walked slightly deeper into the cave, away from the eyes of the two elves.

Elara saw him leave, but she didn't pay him much attention; she was too focused on her food.

"Princess, where did the orc go?" Sylvana asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he's using the restroom?"

"..."

The two of them continued to eat in silence.

As for Valkar, he stood by the entrance to another tunnel, the one leading to the hot springs, his ember eyes focused on the blue system window that hovered in front of him.

Ding!

...

[Claim Territory Lv1 (Active – Channel)]: Plant your banner (or weapon) into the ground and channel for 15 seconds. Creates a Conquered Zone (radius 100 m, grows with level). While inside your Conquered Zone, you gain the 'Territorial Advantage' buff, enhancing all stats by 10% for allies and reducing 5% for enemies.

Duration: permanent. Can only have one zone active at a time.

You are alerted to any unauthorized entry.

"This land is mine now. Fight me for it."]

...

It was one of the skills he received when he awakened the Conqueror system.

"Now then."

He raised his right hand to activate the skill.

FUSHHH!

Golden flames erupted from his hand like a dragon's breath.

"!!!" Valkar trembled when he saw his right hand engulfed in the golden flame, but surprisingly, the flames were cool to the touch; they didn't burn or harm him.

"What's this?"

The answer came in another form.

FUSHHH

The golden flames began to change shape, like a living thing. What was once a simple flame ball now looked like a giant golden banner all made from fire.

"So this is the banner?"

Slowly, the banner became clear, and Valkar saw how the golden flames were creating the shape of a giant lion. It looked so lifelike; it was beautiful.

"I see. A banner of a conqueror. Good!"

With a quick motion, he thrust the giant flaming banner into the hard ground.

"Claim Territory"