I Became the Teacher of a Troll Tribe

Chapter 12: The Envoy (Part 1)

“Just as I suspected something was fishy and started keeping an eye on him, his head suddenly exploded. And while playing a fun little game with a language teacher and the patrol unit, no less.”

Ah, this bastard.

He already knew everything.

“And you wonder why I got interested?”

Morgan flashed a sly grin across his smug face.

“Well, it’s fine if you don’t answer me now. You’ll be seeing a lot of me anyway. You heard, right? The envoy to Iron Jesro.”

“……”

“I came to warn you. We’re both humans, after all, aren’t we? And it’s not just me. There are quite a few eyes on you already. A lot more suspicious things than you might think.”

Morgan tapped the fallen dual blades with his foot.

“Training is all well and good, but take it easy. You wouldn’t want to overdo it and hurt yourself. Let’s stick to our respective duties, shall we?”

With that, he stepped out of my house.

Stick to our respective duties, huh…

Does wrecking someone else’s house count as his duty?

Ugh. When am I even going to clean up this mess?

The thought of having to see this thug every day made me think the envoy mission wouldn’t be an easy one.

***

“Iron Jesro envoy?! Why are you going there, sir?”

“It’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone.”

It was Evelyn.

This would likely be the last meeting before my departure.

“What? You’re leaving the settlement before I do…?”

She looked genuinely envious.

Understandable, given that she spent most of her time cooped up in her lab.

“Still, what’s up with this sudden move? Why reach out to the dwarves instead of the beastfolk? I mean, they probably don’t hate us as much as they hate humans, but they’ve got their grudges too.”

I was wondering the same thing.

The trolls had been thoroughly humiliated by the dwarves’ craftsmanship during the last racial war.

Was this an attempt to recruit them preemptively out of fear?

“I heard they’re planning to send an envoy to the beastfolk soon too. Probably a ‘let’s try both and see what sticks’ mindset.”

“Hmm… but the beastfolk will be cautious. I don’t think they’ll pick a side so easily… What bargaining chip could they possibly have?”

“No idea yet. How’s the war going on the frontlines?”

“Not good. I heard things are getting desperate. Judging by what you’re saying, it sounds like they’re focusing on securing alliances now.”

Hmm…

If this keeps up, the Empire won’t stay quiet either.

The war seemed to be escalating steadily.

Though Zul Dron, being far from the frontlines, remained unaffected for now.

“Perfect timing! I’ve got something for you!”

Evelyn rummaged through her bag and pulled out a box, treating it like a sacred artifact.

Inside was something that resembled a familiar bean sprout-shaped device.

“You… This is, by chance?”

“Ding ding! I present to you, the TrollPods!”

I knew it.

Evelyn’s latest creation, modeled after the famous earbuds from reality.

“Don’t be fooled by its looks—this thing is packed with amazing magi-tech. It’s still just a prototype, but from now on, we’ll use this to stay in touch! See the button here?”

She held up an identical pair of TrollPods, grinning proudly.

If these worked as intended, they’d definitely come in handy.

Who knows what might happen during the envoy mission.

“…Are you sure this is okay? The design is, uh…”

“Oh, someone from that company works at our lab. Pfft.”

Wow.

She was working with some seriously top-tier talent.

No wonder it was an exact replica.

After a brief test of the TrollPods and setting up designated times for communication, I sent Evelyn home earlier than usual.

We’d usually head to the commercial district together, but with the envoy’s departure fast approaching, there was no time for leisure.

‘How many people will be part of the envoy?’

They’d said it wouldn’t be a large group.

Given the sensitive nature of the mission and the need to move discreetly, it made sense to keep the numbers small.

So far, it was me, Toka, and Morgan…

Morgan didn’t look particularly strong, so I wondered if they’d assign any guards to the envoy.

As I packed my new bag with essentials, I lay down to sleep.

Despite my worries, I couldn’t deny I was a little excited.

Leaving Zul Dron for the first time… Maybe I wasn’t so ordinary after all.

***

The day of departure arrived.

To be precise, it was still the crack of dawn.

“……”

Whether it was due to the secrecy of the operation or my relative insignificance, I only got to see the envoy members when it was time to assemble.

“Jinyu! Isn’t this exciting?”

First, there was Toka.

“Oh~ you’re here, Teacher? When it’s just us, speak in human language, okay? You know the drill.”

And Morgan, the only other human besides me, was there as the envoy’s deputy leader.

“…Krk! Looks like everyone’s here.”

The leader of the envoy was Lockhart, a Swahali from the Rotten Branch Trolls.

A pure-blood Swahali who carried a sword, hinting at some combat capability.

Though, as a troll leading a diplomatic mission, he was probably more than just a seasoned warrior.

Unlike, say, the others standing nearby.

“Human! Long time no see! It’s good to see you here.”

Gromnar.

A former student of mine who had become an advanced warrior of the guard unit.

One of the most diligent students I’d taught, he had graduated quickly.

In terms of combat strength, Gromnar was likely one of the envoy’s most reliable assets.

And then, there was a face that was all too familiar…

“Goooooo!!!”

Stone Grunder.

Now my only remaining tutoring student and the rising star of the Abyssal Stone Troll Tribe.

‘This guy… Every time, his lips are sealed tight.’

Without a word of warning, he’d canceled our tutoring sessions, only to show up as part of the envoy.

He probably never imagined his teacher would join him here.

“As you all know, our envoy’s destination is Iron Jesro. We’ll take a detour to avoid the battlefields as much as possible. Monsters may pose a nuisance, but we have no other choice. The estimated travel time is about a week.”

A week…

With proper mounts, we could’ve gotten there much faster.

But as the leader said, sneaking past battlefields and moving through monster zones meant traveling on foot was the safer option.

“If there are no further questions, we’ll set off immediately. Keep up and don’t fall behind.”

And so, the modest envoy—consisting of a leader, a deputy leader, two combatants, and two interpreters—set off for the dwarven holy land of Iron Jesro.

‘Oh, so this is how it’s portrayed.’

It was my first time stepping outside the settlement since my arrival.

Before becoming a human slave in Arcane Chronicle, I’d been an avid fan of the game, so I couldn’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia.

The rising sun in the east, the cool breeze, the fish swimming faintly in a nearby pond…

Traversing these landscapes, many of which I vaguely recognized, stirred old gaming memories. It felt almost like embarking on a carefree adventure, just as I had back then.

“Stop. A group of monsters is approaching from the front.”

Sching!

Boom!

At Gromnar’s warning, Lockhart and Stone Grunder unsheathed their weapons.

‘Right, there were monsters, weren’t there?’

During an ambush, the rules for the envoy were simple:

Stone Grunder, with his robust frame, would take the vanguard, while Gromnar guarded his rear.

Those of us with limited combat capability—Toka and myself—would remain at the rearmost position alongside the leadership.

If an attack occurred from the back, Lockhart and Morgan would handle it.

“Goooooo!”

As Stone Grunder let out a resounding battle cry, the monsters revealed themselves.

“Grrrr….”

Black fur, blazing eyes, and massive bodies the size of fully grown wolves.

Hellhounds.

Known for their ability to wield fire, they were a nuisance with their elemental attacks and high fire resistance.

‘Seriously? We’re starting with Hellhounds?’

Even in the game, these creatures were tough to deal with early on, so I couldn’t let my guard down.

Who knew how well our combatants would perform against them?

It would’ve been easier if we’d faced something more manageable, like a group of goblins or boars.

‘Getting burned would be a nightmare….’

But it didn’t take long for me to realize all my worries were unnecessary.

Fwoosh!

The moment Gromnar spotted the Hellhounds, he darted past Stone Grunder and into the fray.

Thud!

Slash!

“Keuaaaagh!”

With a single swing of his massive greatsword, he started cutting down the Hellhounds, taking one out with each strike.

Whoosh—

Smash!

Meanwhile, Stone Grunder’s dual axes spun through the air, smashing into any Hellhounds that strayed from the pack.

Stab!

When a Hellhound lunged at Gromnar, flames spewing from its mouth, he calmly drove his sword into its maw, extinguishing the threat instantly.

In less than a minute, they had dispatched all ten Hellhounds.

“Top-tier warriors of the guard unit really are something else,” Morgan said, clearly impressed.

Lockhart, the leader, also seemed quietly satisfied.

It felt awkward claiming any credit, but it was hard not to feel a sense of pride as their former teacher.

Even Toka, who had hidden behind me the moment the monsters appeared, visibly relaxed after witnessing the overwhelming strength of our combatants.

“Let’s keep moving.”

They really were impressive.

It’s true—people shine brightest when they excel at their craft.

We encountered a few more small skirmishes throughout the day, but each time, our “twin engines” handled the threats without breaking a sweat.

By nightfall, we reached our first campsite.

After determining the watch order among everyone except Lockhart, who was exempt, we set up temporary shelters.

The first watch fell to Morgan and me.

‘Great. Just my luck.’

It felt like being a fresh recruit stuck on night duty with the unit’s biggest troublemaker.

Morgan greeted me with his usual smug grin, clearly enjoying my discomfort.

“Told you we’d be seeing a lot of each other. Let’s have a nice chat in our native tongue, shall we?”

Yeah, right.

The envoy’s official language was Trollish.

“As expected of a teacher—you’re all about rules and principles. Guess you’re dead set on not being polite, huh?”

Damn right.

After the mess you made of my house, I didn’t get a wink of sleep before work.

“Don’t you see the others trying to rest? Keep it down.”

I didn’t bother hiding my irritation.

It didn’t matter if he was the deputy leader or a Swahali—I could say what needed to be said.

That was one Trollish cultural practice I actually liked.

“Ha! If this were the Empire, I’d….” Morgan trailed off with a wistful sigh. “You know, Jinyu, I heard you were a teacher back on Earth, teaching languages?”

“Thorough investigation, I see. That’s correct.”

But Earth?

What a strange way to phrase it.

“What’s with that face? Oh, I get it. You’re wondering what I did, right? Well, it’s a bit different. Unlike you, I was born and raised here. People like you—we call you Earthlings.”

Ah, I see.

It sounded fancy, but he was essentially calling me an NPC in his world.

“It’s so unfair, though, isn’t it? Take abilities, for example. People here can spend their whole lives trying and still struggle to gain even one decent ability. But Earthlings like you always seem to have plenty.”

“Maybe that’s because you guys kill the ones who don’t.”

I couldn’t help but recall the desperate faces of those whose status windows flashed as they died.

They couldn’t have been the only ones.

“Kruk! That’s fair. But you’ve got it wrong. When Earthlings are found by the Empire, they’re usually spared. Your unlucky friends just happened to show up when we were occupying the area. Trolls are a bit sensitive about Earthlings… They had a bad experience once.”

He was probably referring to Kim Nam-cheol, but I feigned ignorance.

A fellow Korean and a multifaceted ability user, Nam-cheol was the greatest traitor in the world’s lore.

I couldn’t help but notice a few unsettling similarities between him and myself.

“…I don’t quite understand. What do you mean by ‘found’? And what about the occupation?”

“You’re still pretty green, huh? Hmm, where should I even start explaining….”

“Let’s start with you. How did you end up joining the trolls?”

“Alright, well, to answer that, you need to understand the Empire first. Wait a second.”

Morgan suddenly paused and pulled a dagger from his belt.

What was this lunatic doing now?

“I’ve been sensing rats watching us for a while. Looks like they think we’re on their side, just because it’s the two of us.”

“Huh? What are you talking ab—”

“Watch closely. This is how I feel about my homeland.”

Whip—!

The dagger flew from Morgan’s hand, disappearing into the bushes.

“Guaaahhh—!”

A scream erupted from the darkness.

“You crazy bastard! Kill them all!”

Figures emerged from the shadows—humans.