Chapter 6: The Orc Warrior and the Human Intruder

“Hey there. Thanks to you, we’re eating well. Pfft—this is what you hunted, right? Budachi doesn’t have the skills to take down Mishkentul, haha!”

“Pfft, I basically just put a spoon to a ready table. Budachi did all the work.”

“Pfft. Budachi? Huh… he’s got some skills after all.”

I could feel Budachi twitch his ears like he was surprised. Seems like people here think the little orc isn’t very capable.

Well, he risked his life hunting for the village, so this bit of respect is fine. Doesn’t hurt me anyway.

I chewed on the tough meat Black-Masked Man grilled and looked around the orc village.

The place was small, almost like a little hamlet, but it had everything it needed. Wooden fences, a well, huts around a square with a fire burning.

You could tell it was built thoughtfully, using the wisdom of experience. Not a bad village at all.

But why would orcs build a village outside their fortress? When I scouted the forest before being chased by Mishkentul, I saw plenty of orc settlements—but they were supposed to live only in the huge fortress.

“Why don’t you go to the fortress? Some of these orcs look weak. Wouldn’t it be safer there?”

“Go for protection in the fortress? Haha! We were kicked out. We were useless weaklings. This village is for those like us.”

“Kicked out?”

“Yeah, that damn chief. I even risked my arm hunting monsters for the fortress, and all I got was banishment.”

He waved his stubby right arm and scowled.

“Still, we’ve got Great Warrior Hessen! I’m Bud… I’ll become a warrior like him! Heh!”

“Stop, stop. You’ve got a messed-up leg and you want to be a warrior? Even if you tried, you’d end up like me.”

Budachi’s hopeful face fell. He stared at his leg, looking gloomy.

Boom—

A huge vibration shook the ground.

“It’s definitely possible, Budachi. If you’ve got the will, that is.”

“Great Warrior!”

A massive orc, so big that the huts looked tiny, stepped forward. Every breath made his muscles ripple. His sharp tusks and strong expression made him look fierce. He reached out and patted Budachi’s head.

“A true warrior is someone who strengthens their will through hardship. I see the seed of your will.”

“Really?”

“Of course.”

An ideal adult. Protecting a child’s innocence like that.

I thought it would be better to wake him to reality. Innocence in a safe place is pure and beautiful, sure—but in an imperfect world, it’s just a foolish dream.

Eventually, reality hits harder than for ordinary humans, and the shock leaves deeper wounds.

They face reality without time to heal, get hurt again, adapt while still holding onto impossible hopes—and suffer.

Just like I did in the past.

So yeah, stuff like those hypocritical words doesn’t help at all.

Hessen’s voice cut through my thoughts:

“Ahem… our food must be running low. Have the warriors been hunting?”

Behind him, a wooden cart was piled high with game.

“I—I hunted! Budachi, the trainee warrior, went hunting!”

“You went out of the village? I’m sure you were warned not to leave before hunting. Wait… hum?”

A strong wind blew suddenly.

I blinked, and right in front of me, a massive axe and a black greatsword clashed. I could feel the force just from the shockwave.

Chills ran down my neck. I touched my throat to make sure my head was still attached.

Only after confirming I was intact did I grasp the situation.

Unlike when facing Budachi, Hessen’s deadly glare accompanied his axe, which was blocked by Black-Masked Man’s greatsword.

‘If it weren’t for Black-Masked Man, I’d be dead already. Does this guy swing an axe that hard just because I’m human? Doesn’t he care how scary that is for me?!’

Of course not. Dead humans aren’t scary. Weak humans live out of fear.

I muttered curses in my head but didn’t say them aloud.

“Warrior. Why have you come near this village?”

Hessen turned from me and glared at Black-Masked Man, grinding his teeth.

Clang—

The greatsword deflected the axe.

Strength surpassing orcs… I was slowly realizing I couldn’t gauge Black-Masked Man’s true power.

No time for distractions. I had to focus and find a solution.

“Calm down, Great Warrior. We only came to help the starving orcs out of goodwill…”

“Goodwill? Human, are you joking with me?”

“I swear, believe it or not, we really came with good intentions…”

“Ridiculous. Humans lie as easily as they breathe, but you’re saying it without even changing your expression? Unbelievable. Truly untrustworthy race.”

Hessen glared at me, filled with anger. Black-Masked Man shielded me from the orc, radiating a cold, cutting aura.

Even though he’s wary of humans, this seemed extreme. Seems like he distrusts the entire human race. Something must have happened.

Suddenly, I remembered the mission window:

‘Stop the Empire’s invasion…’

Now I understood Hessen’s reaction. He’s in charge of the village’s safety and knows who poses the greatest threat.

A human approaching with “good intentions” could easily be a spy or a threat.

“Servant of the Empire, leave the village while you can.”

Ha… nothing is easy.

Over mountains and hills, I coaxed Budachi to the village, got the distrustful orcs to trust me thanks to the shaman—and now I have to calm the Great Warrior?

The reward for my Red Awakening must be high, given the difficulty.

While I was lost in thought, the atmosphere grew tense. Hessen swung his axe aggressively, ripping through the air. The surrounding orcs got tense too. Black-Masked Man’s stance sharpened.

“Wait. I’ll handle this.”

I put my hand on Black-Masked Man’s shoulder. His cold, sword-like aura instantly calmed, and he nodded.

Strange, uneasy trust. He trusted me enough to come here and protect me, so I had to do the same.

I stepped out from behind him and stood before Great Warrior Hessen.

“Please hear me out and judge me fairly. If, by the end, you still don’t trust me, I’ll leave this village on my own.”

I looked him straight in the eye. Look at that confident face!

Hessen looked at me, the human, suspicious. His shining eyes didn’t inspire any trust.

The sly face of a human who could sell the village out at the first chance made even the little trust I had evaporate.

“Yes. I lied. There was no goodwill… none of that.”

Humans really can’t be trusted. Especially faces like his.

The young soldier orc who became Great Warrior went through countless battles and hardships.

Every time he survived danger, it was thanks to his appearance—honest or cunning, it showed.

‘This one’s got the sly look of a Lizardman chieftain, cunning and deceitful.’

The human, lips pressed, said in a trembling voice:

“But I had no bad intentions. I only came to repay a debt of gratitude.”

“What debt?”

“I really am from the Empire.”

I adjusted my posture and glanced at Hessen. Not easy. No expression change. Maybe easier for me to show my emotions.

“Ha! You… you tricked me!”

“I’m sorry to you, but I had no choice. I needed to deliver important news to this village.”

Sure, “no choice”—all coincidental.

“What important news?”

I baited him, and this suspicious orc bit immediately. If he hears this, he won’t be able to kill me.

“In three days, the Empire will invade this place. I’m a scout, and as soon as I heard, I came running here.”

“Why should we believe that? Why would the Empire help us?”

A fair question. I had my answer ready.

“My father was once saved by a brave orc. Bald as he was, he was righteous and noble. My father always said we owed our lives to him and insisted we repay that debt.”

“What does that have to do with our village? Even if your savior exists, he’d more likely be in the fortress than here.”

“I found him… the only bald orc who’s like a savior.”

“No way…!”

One orc’s eyes went wide. Everyone stared.

Among the orcs with full heads of hair, the only bald orc touched his sunlit scalp and opened his mouth.