Orc Hero Story: Discovery Chronicles

Chapter 71

Orc Hero Story

“First, you mentioned ‘human women,’ but it’s important to change that perception.”

After Bash and Zell asked Druidor to teach them how to get a woman, Druidor inquired in detail about how they had been doing it so far, to which they didn’t understand the meaning of his words.

“What do you mean?”

“Human women are human women, right?”

Druidor gently said to the two of them, who were looking at each other.

“That’s right. You’re correct. Human women are human women, and elf women are elf women. However, when you compare two women of the same race side by side, you’ll see that everything else is entirely different.”

“Now that I think about it, their names and faces are completely different, aren’t they?”

“Yes, that’s true. Their scents are different too.”

“So, are you saying there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to courting women of different races?”

“What!?”

It was a shocking revelation. He was denying their approach up to now from the ground up.

“So, everything we’ve been doing was pointless?”

“No, that’s not true. While it’s true that not everything will work on all women, there are trends. For example, Humans and Elves don’t like dirty individuals, so cleaning your body with water and using perfume to mask and eliminate the smell is quite effective. On the other hand, Dwarves don’t care much about dirt, and beastmen dislike the scent of perfume, so it’s less effective with them.”

“Hmm…”

“Oh, I see. That’s quite useful!”

Zell began jotting down what was being said in a small notepad. Although this notepad would disappear after being soaked in alcohol, the information was firmly etched in her mental notepad. She would never forget it. After all, Zell was known by people as “Zell, the Memorizer” due to her exceptional memory, far superior to regular notepads.

“However, even if I change my perception, what should I do now?” Bash continued to ask. Recognizing that when talking about human women, they weren’t just human women was one thing, but it didn’t mean that human women would automatically open their legs for him.

“You have to get to know the other person.”

“Get to know them?”

“Yes, for example, Sir Bash, try thinking of one of your comrades.”

Upon hearing this, Bash remembered Boulder, the Red Orc who had been his squad leader. He was a man who was often seen as lacking compared to Bash for being his squad leader. However, Bash recognized him as one of the proud orc warrior leaders who had survived until the end of the war.

“What does this person like?”

“…Elven fruit wine.”

“It took you a while. What were you thinking?”

Bash recalled a scene from one of the camps he had been in from his past. He couldn’t remember which battle it was from…

“We were sitting around a campfire as a squad, and Donzoi came over with several large jugs. He said he had found fruit wine made by elves. Everyone was delighted and drank it, but Boulder, in particular, seemed to like it more than the others. After that, every time we captured an enemy base, he would look for that particular wine. So, he really must like it.”

“Oh, I see! That’s right!”

“What was the point of that?”

“So, if you want to make him happy, you can give him Elven fruit wine as a gift, right?

“Ah, I see…? In fact, Boulder would be pleased.”

“The same applies to women. Learn about their preferences and do things that make them happy.”

“Hmm… Things that make them happy, huh? But I tried proposing with a shiny necklace that Elves are supposed to like, and it failed.”

“That was just following a tradition that Elves are supposed to like. Did the person you proposed to really like necklaces? Did you know what she liked and didn’t like?”

“No, I didn’t.”

Bash didn’t know, but having someone of the opposite sex propose to her was one of Thunder Sonia’s favorite things. She wished it would happen every day. She even hoped they would come with a shiny necklace.

“So, does that mean if you get the other person’s favorite things and give them as gifts, you can get married?”

“No, it’s not that simple. You not only have to know their favorite things but also what they dislike, their weaknesses, strengths, and everything else. You must understand the other person and act appropriately every time.”

“So, it’s like in warfare?”

“Hahaha, in a way. As they say, ‘Know the enemy, know yourself, and victory will never escape you, even if you fight a hundred battles.’”

Bash didn’t know those exact words, but he nodded anyway.

“In that case, knowing what the appropriate actions are is crucial. What should I do to potentially take the appropriate actions? What’s the goal?”

If this were a battle, the appropriate actions would aim for victory. What constituted victory could change depending on the battlefield. In an offensive battle, the goal would be to breach the enemy castle or camp, capture the enemy general, or force the enemy to retreat. In a defensive battle, it would be the opposite. Bash was an experienced warrior. At first, he didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, but by the end of the war, he thought for himself and went after the enemy general. The general always managed to escape, and in the end, he eluded him.

“The goal, of course, is to make the other person like you. Not necessarily romantically, but to think that they wouldn’t mind marrying you and having children, that’s the goal.”

“How can you make them think that?” Bash couldn’t imagine humans or elves thinking that way.

“You have to make them understand you too.”

“Understand me?”

“Yes, just as you two used to think of them only as ‘human women’ or ‘elf women’ based on their race, they also think of Sir Bash as an ‘orc.’ Even someone as renowned as Sir Bash, the Orc Hero, is perceived similarly to regular orcs.”

“Hmm…”

Bash was indeed an orc; there was no mistake about that. But at the same time, he was the Orc Hero. In the orc nation, he received the admiration of all orcs as a hero. Even the Orc King and his lineage held him in high esteem. In other countries, anyone who knew Bash would greet him with due respect.

However, this wasn’t the case during this journey. Especially those who didn’t know Bash among the Four Races Alliance treated him like a regular orc. Those who recognized him as the Orc Hero were few and far between. Bash was an orc, so he didn’t pay much attention to such details. Well, maybe if he were someone else, he might have shouted, “I’m the Orc Hero!” to assert his position.

“That’s right. Looking back, that might have been the case.”

“Sir Bash, you must also be aware of various wonderful and great warriors who stand out among the orcs, right? There must be some magnificent orc warriors among your kind.”

“Yes.”

What came to mind were experienced warriors. Many had died, but some had survived. They were all magnificent orcs.

“What do you think of them?”

“I trust them. I would put my life in their hands.”

“Could you eat with them?”

“Of course.”

He answered yes, but he preferred not to drink with them. Bash couldn’t boast about several things due to certain circumstances. He could only talk about the time he defeated the dragon. In particular, being questioned about his experiences with women was a delicate topic.

“Could you spend time in the same house with them?”

“Yes.”

“Could you raise livestock with them… for example, horses?”

“I’ve never raised horses, so I can’t do that.”

“But what if there were someone among the orcs who knows how to raise horses, and that person is willing to teach you from scratch?”

“In that case, I could.”

Currently, there was no orc who knew how to raise horses that came to Bash’s mind. However, there were several orc beast tamers. The most famous, Boggs, had become a stray orc. Still, if they had asked him to teach someone how to raise bug bears before he became a stray, it would have been an honor. There was no formal system of apprenticeship among the orcs, but it was common for older individuals to teach their skills to the younger ones, and they respected their mentors like parents.

“However, among the orcs, there may be individuals you can’t trust, people whom even someone as impressive as you wouldn’t trust. People you would find completely useless.”

“There are none.”

“Really? What about among the stray orcs? There could be stupid individuals among them, right?”

Upon hearing this, Bash recalled several stray orcs. They combined the inexcusable qualities of weakness and cowardice that were unbecoming of proud orcs. Additionally, they refused to follow the Orc King’s orders and ended up leaving the country.

“Stray are not orcs.”

“Oh, I see. However, they were orcs before becoming stray, right?”

“That’s right.”

“How about this then? Could you do everything together with them? Could you trust them with your back in battle?”josei

“No, I couldn’t.” To Druidor’s words, Bash shook his head. Trusting his back to stray orcs was something he couldn’t do, even if it were someone like Boggs.

“That’s how it is.” Druidor also nodded. “In reality, love is closely related to trust. In order to live together, raise children together, and be willing to die together, you have to know each other well and be known well in return. That’s what leads to inter-species marriage.”

“Hmm… So, have you achieved that?”

Bash responded with a nod full of emotion. Druidor was about to respond, “Exactly,” but then hesitated.

“That was the intention I had, but now, I’m not sure if we really knew each other, if she really knew me…”

“Hmm…”

“However, I believe it was because we were convinced ourselves that we were able to get married.”

“I see.”

The words were something that Bash, as an orc, couldn’t fully comprehend. Did they talk confidently because they knew each other well? What did it mean? But Bash was a warrior. He knew that sometimes things were like that. If someone asked him why he had survived that war, he would proudly recount various stories. “I did this and that, that’s why I survived,” he would say. Every orc told their stories in a similar way.

However, in the end, there might be someone who tilted their head in puzzlement. They wondered why he had survived while others hadn’t. Bash had also often seen those individuals. He had wondered why he was different from them, why he had survived… It was an unsolvable mystery, but for the orcs, it was a mystery they wouldn’t dwell on much, even though every one of them had those questions.

“In any case, the important thing is to get to know the other person.”

“Understood!”

“It’s enlightening! As expected of an Orc Mage!”

Druidor nodded gently in response to Bash and Zell’s answers.

“Well then, let’s end today’s lesson here. We’ll continue after lunch.

“Understood. I’ll go somewhere to hunt.”

“Oh… I appreciate that. I’ll boil some water and make soup.”

And so, Bash and Druidor’s day passed.

■

And so, about five days passed. In the morning, Bash received lessons from Druidor, they hunted in the afternoon, and they shared meals and drinks together at night.

“Well, it might be too direct. Sometimes it’s important to indirectly confirm if the other person has marriage intentions and try to gauge their feelings,” Druidor said.

“Hmm…?” Bash was puzzled. Druidor’s teachings mostly revolved around mental preparation, with very few specific instructions. In essence, Druidor acknowledged that Bash had been heading in the right direction but needed to improve how he deepened his relationships. Though the concrete methods were scarce, Bash listened attentively.

“For example, try asking the other person something like, ‘What do you think about marrying an orc?’”

“I see.”

“Well, ideally, they should respond enthusiastically, saying ‘I’d love to, let’s get married!’, but with humans and elves, you probably won’t get such a response. About ninety percent of them will firmly reject the idea… But there may be rare cases where they respond with something like ‘I’ll consider it’ or ‘It depends on the conditions,’ albeit reluctantly. You should try to find or create those individuals initially.”

“Create? What do you mean?”

“Start by saying, ‘Let’s be friends.’ In other words, instead of immediately talking about marriage, start as friends and gradually get closer.”

“Get closer? What do you mean?”

“Do you have orc friends you’re particularly close to?”

“Yes, like Boulder.”

“Were you close friends from the beginning?”

“No… We weren’t close at first. We came to trust each other by watching each other’s backs in battles.”

“It’s the same principle. Progress in stages, gradually become friends.”

“What should I do then? Go to the battlefield together?”

“I mentioned it on the first day, didn’t I? Get to know the other person, and let them get to know you.”

“It sounds challenging.”

“Don’t worry; I’ll teach you step by step what to do in each case and how to approach it.”

Druidor’s way of speaking was more logical and less orc-like. Thanks to this, Bash and Zell could somewhat understand the conversation. Perhaps it was because Druidor patiently repeated the same conversation from various angles until Bash and Zell understood it. Or perhaps it was because all the conversations ultimately revolved around the guideline of “getting to know the other person and making them know you.”

“Let’s finish here for today.”

“Of course.”

They spent the day receiving lessons while simply passing the time. At noon, when they went out to hunt, Druidor occasionally accompanied Bash and used wind magic to show him where to find prey. In the evenings, as they enjoyed their drinks, Druidor listened to the stories of their journey so far.

Both Druidor and his son seemed very happy. When they brought back a huge storm goat, Druidor proudly showed it to his son, saying, “Look, thanks to Sir Bash, we were able to hunt such a big prey. It’s been a while since we had a feast.” He also listened to Zell’s stories and commented, “The continent is enormous. When you grow up, you should go see it.” His expressions while looking at his son were tender and filled with affection.

Bash had never seen an orc show such expressions, but he didn’t mind. The child, on the other hand, seemed not to fully understand and often tilted his head or laughed.

However, this child was somewhat unsettling, it could be said. Orc children mature quickly. They would stand up and start running before human children and tended to cry or scream loudly.

But this child, despite looking old enough to stand, remained seated in a chair near the fireplace, not moving around the house. Even when he moved, he did so by crawling, not walking. He smiled but didn’t cry or shout. He simply stared at Bash and Zell. At mealtime, for a child of his age, he ate an unusually large amount of meat. Orcs could eat almost anything, including grains, fruits, wood, insects, and bark, so being picky with food wasn’t a big concern.

However, Bash and Zell didn’t pay it much mind. He was the son of an orc mage, so they assumed it might be normal for them. After all, orcs had their individual quirks, and being finicky about food wasn’t a major concern.

Such days came to an abrupt end one day.

■

It happened during a moment when Zell was consulting Druidor about her problems.

“By the way, I’ve been following Mister, thinking I might be useful, but when I see him talking to you, I realize I haven’t been of any help.”

“Hmm. Do you want to be useful to Sir Bash?”

“Yes, that’s right. During the war, Mister saved me many times, and I seriously respect and admire him. I might even want to be his wife someday.”

“I see. So you’re also caught in an impossible interspecies love, huh? That’s both charming and unfortunate. After all, fairies can’t mate with other species.”

“That’s right. So at least I want to be of help in other ways, but things don’t seem to be going well. Is there any good way?”

Among the fairies of her country, Zell, known as “Zell, the Troubled,” was especially delicate and naive. Unusually for fairies, she always seemed to have concerns on her mind.

“Sir Bash must think you’re helping him. It shows in the trust he has in you. But… yes, I see… speaking of that, of being his wife… Well, it’s not impossible, but… hmm, can I really tell you…”

“Is there something? You’re the Orc Mage! What kind of method would it be? Uh… what?”

Zell was the first to notice. There was a presence outside the house. Moreover, it suddenly multiplied. Bash was next to notice.

“Hmm… We’re surrounded.”

When they realized it, they were surrounded just like before. Numerous human presences encircled the house. They advanced, armed with sound-cancellation magic, to set up the siege. Although individually weak, this tactic was a specialty of intelligent humans in group warfare. There were about twenty of them.

“But with this number, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

As if going for a stroll, Bash headed for the door with a sword in hand. Zell also climbed onto his shoulder, preparing for battle by mimicking boxing. She was now thinking only about the championship title. Her weight was perfect, and she was in excellent shape. With these two, they would undoubtedly slaughter everyone outside in an instant.

Druidor quickly checked outside the window and stepped in front of the door to block Bash’s path.

“Please wait, Sir Bash.”  With a calm expression, he said:  “It seems our guests have arrived.”

Bash furrowed his brow skeptically at those words.

“What do you mean?”

“When Sir Bash first arrived, I used magic to send a letter to Blackhead Territory. After seeing it, they must have come to welcome Sir Bash.”

“What?! Why would you do something like that!?”

Bash and Zell were surprised. Contacting someone in such a short time would be quite challenging even for human magic. However, they had confidence in this Orc Mage. Somehow, he seemed unusually intelligent!

“Or would you prefer to stay here a bit longer? If that’s the case, I can go out and talk to them…”

“No, if that’s the case, I’ll go with them,” said Bash. In the past five days, he felt like he had learned everything he could from Druidor. Now, it was about putting it into practice. After all, time was of the essence.

“Yes, that’s it! Thanks for everything.”

Bash and Zell confidently stepped outside. There were about a dozen soldiers, nervously surrounding the house. The rest were probably hiding in the shadows or in the woods, with bows and magic wands, ready for action.

Among the group surrounding him, there was a knight mounted on a magnificent horse. His armor bore the well-known emblem of the Storm, the first of the Ten Storm Knights. Although the Storm Commander whom Bash had defeated was no longer there. It was probably his successor. When he saw Bash, he raised his voice.

“Stay still! Are you Sir Bash, the ‘Orc Hero’?”

“Yes, I am! I am the ‘Orc Hero,’ Bash!”

“You will come with us to Blackhead Territory! Got it?”

“I understood!”

Bash nodded in response to the straightforward conversation, and the surrounding soldiers visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Then, get on this carriage!”

“Understood!”

And so, Bash once again stepped into a very sturdy-looking carriage with iron bars.

■

The crowd dispersed. The carriage carrying the Orc Hero moved farther away from Lake Smaza.

At the site of the White Mist Fortress, only Druidor and a knight remained. The knight was an impressive figure, adorned with the Storm emblem, riding a splendid horse. He dismounted and approached the Orc Mage.

“We appreciate your help, Sir Sage… is that correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. It was a rather enjoyable time.”

As Druidor spoke, his appearance gradually transformed. His green skin turned a reddish-white, his hair whitened, and a rich beard grew from his chin. In no time, the Orc mage had taken on the form of an elderly human.

“Is that the Disguise magic you used? It’s impressive.”

“Oh, no, it pales in comparison to the true masters of magic.”

“But still, you say it was an enjoyable time? It must be your chance for vengeance for your wife.”

“And for you, as it’s an opportunity to avenge your father, isn’t it? It took a lot of patience to endure the siege with so many people.”

“If we can win with such a number, my father certainly hasn’t lost.”

“That’s right. After all, he killed my wife.”

Both of them laughed for a moment. After the laughter subsided, the knight mounted his horse once more.

“Are you leaving already? How about we have some tea?”

“I have the mission to escort the Orc Hero to Blackhead Territory.”

“I see. You are quite dedicated to your work.”

“Sir Sage, do you not plan to return?”

“I lost my wife in the war. I’ve had enough of fighting. And I don’t want to be manipulated by politics and schemes.”

“I see… That’s regrettable. Well then, I’m off.”

As he was about to turn and leave, the knight suddenly turned back, as if remembering something.

“Oh, right, Sir Sage. I’ve heard rumors of those trying to resurrect the Demon King Gediguz. I can’t imagine anything happening to someone like you, but please, be cautious.”

“Very well, I appreciate your warning.”

The knight departed. Watching him leave, the man referred to as the Sage returned to his house as usual. However, he stopped for a moment and looked up at the sky, in the direction Bash and the others had departed.

“……” Druidor murmured softly. In his words and in his eyes, there was evident hesitation. “Bone. My dear dragon. My longed-for Sawtooth. The dragon with a human name. While talking to Sir Bash, I couldn’t help but long to see you once more.”

Before he realized it, a small red dragon had appeared at Druidor’s feet. The dragon nuzzled his leg, and he gently stroked its head. The dragon cooed sweetly, then flew up into the sky and breathed fire at passing birds. The birds, now smoldering, fell from the sky, and the dragon caught them in mid-air.

There, despite its small size, was the face of a dragon, the ruler of all creatures.

“Look, do you see? Our child has grown quite a bit.”

Druidor squinted his eyes as he watched the scene. When a dragon learns to fly, it’s time for them to leave the nest. This child no longer needed its parents. Druidor’s role was coming to an end.

“So… may I see you again?” He muttered those words softly. But there was no one there to hear the meaning behind them.