The Automatic Rooting Range Is Too Wide - Chapter 141

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Auto Looting Range Too Wide Episode 141

Episode 141: Military Supplies (1)

Once Mincheol intervened, the battle ended quickly.

The remaining warriors were captured alive, then executed in front of the soldiers.

“Serves them right. These filthy barbarian bastards!”

“Did these idiots with brains no different from dung beetles think they could conquer Tartamartha Castle!”

“Long live Alcamalca! May the South endure forever!”

The executioner waved the severed heads, splattering blood in all directions.

When blood droplets fell on their faces, the soldiers cheered and went wild with excitement.

Mincheol watched this scene with a frown.

‘They’re hardly in a position to call the Northern Orcs barbarians, are they?’

Or perhaps this was the average level of civilization in Aksria.

‘No, then just how serious must the Northern Army be, who the Southern Forces call barbarians?’

As Mincheol cautiously imagined this, he felt goosebumps rising for no reason.

Right after the execution ceremony ended, Mincheol was summoned by the castle lord.

The castle lord was waiting for Mincheol in the meeting hall together with the warriors.

“The hero has returned!”

Alcamalca welcomed Mincheol with a bright smile.

“Sir Mincheol, your performance today was truly magnificent! The sight of the siege tower breaking like rotten wooden planks was spectacular!”

Mincheol felt embarrassed by Alcamalca’s praise.

Having lived an ordinary life until now, he wasn’t accustomed to such excessive compliments.

“That’s not all! You single-handedly defeated a warrior and even helped other warriors!”

Unable to contain her excitement, Alcamalca struck the table with her fist.

Bang-

Even if she was a woman, an orc was still an orc. It sounded like being hit with an iron hammer.

“If it weren’t for you, I would have lost two warriors. Just imagining it is terrible!”

As Mincheol had experienced today, the impact warriors had in war was enormous.

If they hadn’t stopped the Northern warriors, Tartamartha Castle would have suffered tremendous damage from just seven warriors.

“I declare here and now! From now on, no one shall question Sir Mincheol’s performance of warrior duties!”

Alcamalca shouted with force in her voice.

Not a single warrior objected. They all wore expressions showing they were displeased but had no choice but to acknowledge it.

However, exactly two warriors were looking at Mincheol with favorable eyes.

They were the two warriors Mincheol had saved.

But not all warriors agreed with the castle lord’s declaration.

“Ha!”

Kurmakdurumak let out a hollow laugh as if he found it absurd.

Alcamalca frowned and asked him.

“Sir Kurmakdurumak, what’s bothering you now?”

“Everything bothers me!”

Kurmakdurumak shot up from his seat.

“Saved warriors? No, that freak only interfered with honorable warrior combat!”

“You speak of honor? Even when companions were in mortal danger?”

“It was one-on-one combat! The opponent was a fellow warrior! There’s no more glorious battle for a warrior! Whatever the result, a warrior should have humbly accepted it!”

Kurmakdurumak glared at Alcamalca as he spoke.

“Sir Kurmakdurumak, please calm down.”

“We did achieve a splendid victory today, didn’t we.”

Two warriors who couldn’t bear to watch tried to restrain Kurmakdurumak.

They were the warriors who had received help from Mincheol.

“Taking his side because you survived? What thick-skinned warriors you are! Cowards who will be forsaken by Tooshin!”

Ahem-

The warriors cleared their throats awkwardly. It was true that the two had survived thanks to Mincheol.

‘Accept even death for honor? Wow, this guy’s a real stubborn bastard.’

Mincheol clicked his tongue as he looked at Kurmakdurumak.

He was an orc he disliked from beginning to end.

But right now they were in the middle of a war where every warrior was precious.

Above all, Kurmakdurumak held a high position as a warrior and was skilled.

Continuing to earn such dislike wouldn’t be good for Mincheol’s position.

So Mincheol decided to appease Kurmakdurumak appropriately.

“Sir Kurmakdurumak’s words also have merit.”

The castle lord and warriors looked back at Mincheol with bewildered faces.

As if asking why he was taking that side.

“A warrior must never fear death! Death met at the end of honorable combat is nothing short of a blessing for a warrior!”

Kurmakdurumak silently crossed his arms.

As if saying he didn’t like him but would listen to what he had to say for now.

“But I couldn’t bear to watch my companions die. So I decided! Even if it meant sullying my companions’ honor, I would help them!”

Mincheol shouted with heartfelt emotion.

“I know it’s unforgivable! Tooshin might turn away from me too! Everyone might curse me as dishonorable! But, even so…!”

Bang-

Mincheol struck the stone table hard with his fist.

‘Damn, why is this so hard.’

Mincheol held back tears as he spoke.

“Even so, I wanted to protect my companions!”

“…”

There was no change in Kurmakdurumak’s expression.

‘Didn’t it work?’

Mincheol glanced at Kurmakdurumak’s face as he thought.

At that moment.

Suddenly Kurmakdurumak began shedding tears like a broken faucet.

“That decision to bear dishonor for your companions! Truly warrior-like!”

Huh?

Mincheol was momentarily flustered. He accepted it this easily?

“Such spirit that can’t be found in today’s youth! How long has it been since my heart raced like this!”

Suddenly Kurmakdurumak pulled Mincheol into a bear hug with both arms.

“Sir Mincheol, it seems I misunderstood you! You are a warrior among warriors!”

His strength was so great that it felt like his body would be crushed.

Mincheol endured Kurmakdurumak’s embrace while pondering.

‘Just what exactly is a warrior.’

Was it like a ring that could be worn on the nose, ears, or neck – whatever you wanted?

Kurmakdurumak set Mincheol down on the ground while sniffling.

“But thinking about it again, your fighting method was rather underhanded. I recommend you fix that.”

“Fuck, he’s still at it.”

‘I’ll work on improving it going forward.’

Mincheol realized his mistake. He had accidentally said his thoughts and spoken words in reverse.

Kurmakdurumak’s expression changed instantly.

“What did you say?”

“…I meant that since I’m truly dishonorable, you could speak more harshly to me.”

“Uhaha! How bold indeed!”

Kurmakdurumak laughed loudly and patted Mincheol’s back.

Mincheol secretly let out a sigh of relief and accepted Kurmakdurumak’s goodwill.

* * *

After that, a modest banquet was held.

‘Really modest indeed.’

There were only a few roasted rabbits and some roasted crops that looked like corn.

“Uhahaha! You should have seen that bastard’s face back then!”

“Seeing the siege tower collapse really cleared my mind!”

But the warriors didn’t seem dissatisfied at all. They all laughed loudly and chatted away.

‘Do orcs naturally eat small portions?’

Mincheol thought this as he was about to sip his drink… but stopped.

The orc food really didn’t suit his taste.

It was either too salty or too sour.

“Sir Mincheol! Take a big bite!”

Kurmakdurumak said, holding out a rabbit’s hind leg.

Mincheol expressed his gratitude and accepted the hind leg.

The meat was at least decent. Though from a modern person’s perspective, it lacked umami flavor.

While gnawing on the rabbit leg, Mincheol asked Kurmakdurumak.

“By the way, there was a Black Orc in the Northern Army.”

He asked this wondering if they might know its identity.

“…Did you say Black Orc?”

But as soon as he heard the question, Kurmakdurumak’s expression turned serious.

“What about the eye color? Was it red by any chance?”

“Uh… I think it was.”

“Good heavens, I wondered why those northern barbarians suddenly formed an army. To think that thing appeared.”

“Damn, so the rumors from the north were true. This is serious.”

“Disaster will befall the south. Oh Tooshin. Why do you give us such trials?”

The other warriors were the same.

They all lamented as if they had heard something terrible.

“Sir Mincheol, that’s the specter of the Grand Warlord.”

“What? But it definitely had a physical form.”

He had seen it clearly with his own eyes, and even got a message. It couldn’t be a specter.

“To be precise, it’s an orc blessed by the Grand Warlord.”

“Like an avatar of Tooshin?”

“Ha! Don’t compare the Grand Warlord’s specter to an avatar of Tooshin!”

Kurmakdurumak shouted angrily.

“The Grand Warlord failed to ascend to godhood! How can you compare an orc blessed by such a being to an avatar!”

“That’s right. So calling it a specter is perfectly fitting.”

From the warriors’ conversation, Mincheol could sense their deep hatred for the north.

But even these warriors couldn’t dismiss the Grand Warlord’s specter lightly.

“To think the Grand Warlord’s specter would appear while I’m still alive…”

“Perhaps we might lose this war.”

“Don’t say such unlucky things! There’s no way our south would lose to the north!”

“But it’s the Grand Warlord’s specter. It’s a monster that even an avatar of Tooshin would find hard to guarantee victory against.”

Mincheol was slightly shocked.

Those proud warriors were talking about defeat.

‘I don’t have to fight that thing, do I?’

He wanted to believe he wouldn’t, but the hidden quest that appeared bothered him too much.

Moreover, considering Mincheol’s track record, there was a high probability he’d have to fight the Grand Warlord’s specter.

“You’re all worrying about nothing.”

Then, Kurmakdurumak spoke firmly to the warriors.

“It’s not confirmed that what Sir Mincheol saw was really the Grand Warlord’s specter.”

“But only orcs blessed by the Grand Warlord have their skin turn black, don’t they?”

“It could be a disguise. The northerners are barbarians who’ll do anything to win. It’s not like there’s no precedent.”

“That’s true, but…”

“Most importantly, if the Grand Warlord’s specter was leading the Northern Army, could the castle still be standing? It would have fallen already.”

At Kurmakdurumak’s words, the warriors’ faces brightened.

‘I thought he was just a stubborn fool. He has more leadership than I expected.’

It wasn’t for nothing that the warriors were so deferential to Kurmakdurumak.

‘Right, as Kurmakdurumak says, it’s probably fake.’

Mincheol had a reason for thinking this.

【’One Who Faced ??’.】

-Effect. Activated when you learn the name of ‘??’.

Even after hearing about the Grand Warlord’s specter, the title’s effect hadn’t unlocked.

‘Even if it really is the Grand Warlord’s specter, I can just escape to reality.’

Mincheol thought comfortably as he gnawed on the rabbit leg.

It was small, so after a couple of bites, only bones remained.

‘I’m hungry.’

He wanted to eat more meat, but there wasn’t much left.

And he couldn’t eat the other food because it didn’t suit his taste.

So Mincheol took out emergency rations from his inventory.

As food popped out of thin air, the warriors’ eyes widened.

“What’s that?”

“I’ve never seen those things before.”

“Try some.”

Mincheol offered biscuits, nuts, jerky, and other items to the orcs.

The warriors’ eyes widened after tasting the food.

“Th-this crispy texture! It’s unbelievable!”

“Sweet, so sweet… to think such gentle sweetness exists…”

“It’s heavenly food! Sir Mincheol really is an avatar of Tooshin!”

“Avatar of Tooshin! Please bless us!”

Watching the warriors making a fuss, Mincheol said in bewilderment.

“No, you can’t misunderstand me as an avatar of Tooshin…”

* * *

And so one day, then two days began to pass.

During this time, the Northern Army never once attacked the castle.

Thanks to this, peaceful times continued.

But Alcamalca’s face grew darker as time passed.

It wasn’t just her. The other warriors’ reactions were similar.

“…This is serious.”

On the third day of continued peace.

Alcamalca muttered while looking down at the Northern Army from the watchtower.

The Northern Army had set up camp outside the castle and was waiting.

“What are you worried about?”

Unable to contain his curiosity, Mincheol asked her.

Being ignorant of military strategy, he didn’t really understand how the situation was unfolding.

“The Northern Army has changed their strategy. Instead of taking the castle by force, they’re waiting for us to open the fortress gate ourselves.”

“Can’t we just not open it?”

After all, the defending side had the advantage in holding out over the besieging side.

Then Alcamalca let out a long sigh.

“Sir Mincheol wouldn’t know. We’ve been hiding the truth until now. I’ll be honest this time. Tartamartha Castle’s food situation is not good.”

Alcamalca said in a gloomy voice.

“This year, a plague that rots crop roots spread, so we couldn’t properly harvest crops from most of the farmland.”

This was truly the first time he’d heard such a story. There hadn’t even been a hint of it.

“The soldiers always seemed to receive generous rations.”

Tartamartha Castle may not have excelled in other areas, but it had never starved its soldiers.

That’s why he hadn’t even considered the possibility of a food shortage.

“Don’t you know? Nothing is more important to us orcs than meals. We gain strength from what we eat. It’s no exaggeration to say we live to eat.”

Being human, Mincheol had no idea about this, but he listened silently.

“If word got out that our stored military provisions were running low, morale would plummet. We had to prevent the soldiers from losing motivation, especially when the Northern Army was already stronger than us.”

As Alcamalca said, the Northern Army’s forces were formidable.

Even with the overwhelming advantage of having a castle, they were being pushed back significantly.

But what if morale had hit rock bottom due to food problems?

Surely the castle would have fallen before Mincheol could even intervene.

‘So that’s why there was so little food even at the warriors’ banquet.’

Mincheol recalled the recent banquet.

He had thought the food seemed inadequate for a banquet between the castle lord and warriors, but he hadn’t known there were such circumstances.

“Sir Mincheol, you pulled food out of thin air before, didn’t you? Could you supply food to the army using that method?”

Alcamalca asked with hopeful eyes.

“If needed, I could bring out everything I have, but the quantity isn’t much. I can’t feed all the soldiers.”

“I see…”

Alcamalca trailed off gloomily.

‘This wasn’t the obstacle the community told me about.’

Among all the Awakened throughout history, not a single person had reached the sixth save point.

However, there were people who had reached the fifth save point.

So the nature of the next obstacle was known.

‘Originally, I heard it was about withstanding a general offensive.’

Normally, by the time someone reached the fifth save point, Tartamartha Castle should have been in tatters.

After siege ladders, battering rams, siege towers, and even warrior assaults.

The sixth obstacle was supposed to be the Northern Army realizing Tartamartha Castle had no strength left and attempting a general offensive.

But due to Mincheol’s intervention, the Northern Army’s behavior had completely changed.

Instead of attacking, they had switched to starving them out.

‘No wonder this save point was taking unusually long.’

He never expected this kind of obstacle to arise.

While he might handle combat, Mincheol couldn’t solve food problems.

“Did those idiots in the north come up with this strategy?”

“The great famine that struck the south is a well-known story, so how could they not know?”

“Damn it, to think we’d be racking our brains over provisions because of those northern bastards.”

The warriors each spat out curses.

‘Should I give up on the quest at this point?’

He wanted to complete the quest if possible.

It wasn’t just any quest—it was a hidden quest. He had no idea what rewards he might get for clearing it.

But the situation was too dire.

Feeling frustrated, Mincheol looked down below the castle.

The Northern Army happened to be eating as well. White smoke began rising from various spots in their camp.

“Damn bastards. They’re showing off that they have plenty of food.”

“Ha, I never thought I’d live to see the north eating their fill while the south starves.”

Suddenly, Mincheol felt puzzled.

“You said there was an epidemic. But how is the Northern Army maintaining such a large force?”

“It’s not certain, but they say it’s thanks to a new crop discovered in the north.”

“A new crop?”

“It supposedly grows well even in the north’s cold, barren environment and has high yields. It’s recently spread information, so no one knows what kind of crop it is.”

Mincheol looked at the Northern Army again.

As he watched the campfires lit for their meals, something suddenly occurred to him.

‘Couldn’t I just steal the Northern Army’s provisions with Auto Looting?’

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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