The two orcs immediately stood up and took steps backwards. One of them stumbled, nearly falling.
Their pale faces were in shock, their pupils shaking with fear and confusion.
"H-how are you here!?" One of the orcs shouted, attempting to grab his bow.
As soon as he did this, however, Midas grabbed the hilt of his dagger and shot a piercing glance at the orc.
"Stop." The young man said in a cold tone, forcing the orc's hand to freeze before reaching his bow.
It wasn't just because of the young man's order. The bowman also noticed that Midas had not yet taken out his weapon. There might have been no need to fight.
At least, that's what the orc hoped. If Midas was able to take out those other two, these two archers knew they stood no real chance against him.
"Do not brandish your weapons, and I promise to do the same." Midas's words sounded like decrees in the orc's heads.
Even though no guarantee came with the human's words, they weren't going to raise their weapons. Especially not in a state like this.
"W-what do you want from us, if not to kill us?" The crossbow-man orc said in a quiet tone, his eyes still fearful.
"It's simple. I want to send a message. I don't kill messengers... I make them." He walked over to the crossbow-man orc and grabbed the top of its temple.
The orc could only sit back and watch as Midas grabbed a platinum spike coated in a thick purple substance and gouged it into the orc's forehead.
"Argh!" The orc exclaimed in pain.
Midas's eyes did not waver. With a cold look, he dug a mark into the forehead of the orc.
First, he carved a straight line in the center of the orc's forehead. The line led to an arrow pointing upwards. Three poorly-made wings jutted out from the center. To finish it off, Midas put a horizontal line at the base of the arrow.
He had created a symbol that stood for his name. However, the reason as to why it looked how it looked could not be known to those observing him...
By the end, tears had swelled up in the orc's eyes.
"Go to your leader..." Midas left the orc with one last line before turning and facing the bowman.
"Hmm... now what to do with you. I don't need more than one messenger. I also don't want to send an orc home unharmed... that wouldn't be a great look on my part." Midas said, walking over.
The bowman attempted to speak, "W-well, you can have two messengers! The impact will be even greater, I imagine." The orc attempted to desperately bargain.
"Just spare my life! I beg you! You can do anything you want, but let me live!"
With these final words, Midas smiled. He had gotten an idea.
"I know exactly what to do with you, actually." He said, standing before the orc like a looming disaster.
In one swift slash, Midas grabbed his bone dagger and sliced off the orc's right arm.
The arm flew into the air and landed a few feet away as an ear-pericing screech sounded from the orc.
The bowman orc grabbed its amputated shoulder, writhing in pain.
"Go now... be sure to tell your master what happened here accurately." As soon as these words left Midas's lips, the orcs made for a getaway and sprinted into the forest.
Midas glanced at them for a few seconds.
'So that's my symbol then huh...' He said, 'I like it.' He grinned.
Gool and the other goblins jumped out of the bushes.
"Why were they so scared!?" Gool said, confused, "I mean, jeez! Have some fighting spirit!"
Yemo chuckled, "Yeah... but it's Midas after all. He cut down those two orcs back there with ease... I think it was a safe bet for them to oblige peacefully."
"Before we meet up with the main company," Midas said, turning to Yemo, "You will follow them."
Yemo's eyelids flew up with surprise, "Follow them!? Okay... I guess I can manage that."
"Take the ten goblins that came with us with you. Make sure you don't get caught... and relay any information about the next move that the orcs might make back to me. Remember, value your lives. Do not foolishly throw it away for the sake of my validation." Midas said in a stern tone.
Gool was awestruck by this for a moment, 'He's really matured into becoming a leader quite quick. It's like he's done this before. He might be naturally gifted in leading others.' He thought.
"Understood..." Yemo nodded, quickly joining the other ten goblins and heading toward the direction of the fleeing orcs.
"Gool, I'll have you stay with me. It requires a lot of navigational skill to follow orcs back to their stronghold, I'm sure. However, we need that navigational skill to protect the souls of many more in our party." Midas said as he and Gool began their trek back to the main company of goblins.
'Even though that's what I said...' Midas began to think, 'Half the reason I don't want Gool to go is to not put him at risk. Still, if Yemo was not present, I wouldn't trust any other goblin than Gool to lead the spy group.' He thought.
The two joined up with the main goblin company by the end of that day. Their journey forward was a bit slower due to many goblins being injured, but it still continued, starting the very next day.
Their journey went steadily and increased in speed as days passed.
After twenty-one days, all forty-one goblins and Midas had arrived back at his original basecamp at the south of the island.
...
In that time, the two orcs that Midas spared had already long since arrived in the northern mountains.
Currently, Yemo's eyes and ears were perked up and on high alert. He and a couple of other goblins hid behind a large boulder while listening in on a conversation taking place between Dorhal, the commander of the white orc armies, and the two orcs that Midas had spared.
The goblins had followed the orcs into the stronghold. Immediately, the marks of damage they had gored into their skin prompted Dorhal to question everything that had happened.
Now, in isolation, Dorhal received the answers to his inquiries.