Chapter 18.3

Chapter 18.3

“Oh, if it isn’t Sir Bash!”

Someone called out to the Orc Hero.

As he looked towards the voice, he noticed a Human man and an Elven woman walking towards him.

It was another of his acquaintances, the “Breathless” Breeze.

And the person next to him seemed familiar as well.

Bash could faintly remember her boasting about her loyalty and servitude towards a potential husband… was she the one that boasted she would even fight a dragon to protect her man?

“…It seems you’ve successfully found yourself a match.”

“Yeah, thanks to you.”

Breeze wore a dumb, borderline creepy smile as he patted the Elf’s hips with his hand that was wrapped around her waist.

Her cheeks flushed, but she said nothing.

Seeing as how the Orc Hero’s nose could pick up faint notes of “breeding ground” smells coming from the couple, they must have gone to town on each other last night.

Though he hated to admit it, Bash was jealous.

Marrying an Elf was now utterly impossible for him, after all.

“Well then, sir, what are you planning to do after his?”

“Right… Looks like there’s nothing more for me to do in this town. I have no information on where to go next.”

“Ah, the reason you came here in the first place is gone, isn’t it?”

Now that the Lich had been defeated, the looming threat of an unstoppable Orc zombie invasion has disappeared.

Moreover, Bash had aided the Elven Archmage directly in slaying the zombified Orc General, and thus, the pride of Orcs everywhere had been successfully preserved.

Therefore. Sir Bash’s work here is done.

Breeze inwardly concluded.

“In that case, there’s this rumor I heard…”

“What?”

“Well, I don’t know all the details, but…”

“Tell me.”

“No, really, I don’t know much about it… But I heard that something similar to what happened here is occurring in Do Banga’s Pit, in Dwarf Country.

Something similar.

As soon as Bash heard those words, a single sentence popped up in his mind.

“It seems that interspecies marriage is booming!”

Here, in Elven lands, both the frail-looking man he had just met and Breeze, who was as monetarily destitute as the Orc Hero, had managed to nab themselves a partner.

Bash was now one step closer to marriage, though he had missed his only chance.

His failure was due to him approaching an unreachable opponent in Thunder Sonia, but he had felt a response that he hadn’t back in Human Country.

He had gone one step further – that was how he felt.

Hence, if the circumstances were similar, he may have an even better chance of finding himself a wife.

“Got it! Thanks for the information.”

“Ah, you’re welcome, you’re welcome. Well, it’s going to be pretty tough, I’m sure. But I’m rooting for you! Good luck!”

Breeze left while waving and giving the Orc Hero his best wishes.

“Dwarves?”

“Do Banga’s Pit is straight-up Northwards from here.”

“Then let’s go.”

“Yosh! Yessir! Wherever you go, I’ll follow!”

His quest for a wife within Elf Country had ended in failure.

But Bash, the ever-stoic warrior, quickly put it behind him as he set his eyes – and hopes, on this new clue.

That day, a tremor ran through the Land of Elves.

An absolutely shocking piece of information had come to light.

Had this been Human Country, this news would have made headlines, the newspapers hurriedly printing an extra dedicated issue.

Elves weren’t as culturally prone to rumormongering as Humans but seeing as how this gossip was about their Hero and idol Thunder Sonia, it was a different story.

It spread quickly, from mouth to (long) ear.

The word on the street was…

“Lady Sonia wasn’t raped during the Nightmare of Siwanasi Forest thanks to her gorgeous looks! Her beauty was so overwhelming even Orcs were awakened to true love!”

This information gained momentum at breakneck speeds, and within a few days, it had reached even the most remote regions of the Elven Nation.

Hermits, farmers, and even the deaf had heard of their Lady Sonia’s achievement.

A few days after Bash’s proposal.

“No way… I didn’t realize that Sir Bash’s true objective this whole time was to restore Lady Sonia’s honor…”

Thunder Sonia’s smelly notoriety was quickly fading.

Apparently, it wasn’t due to her aging stench that the Orc hadn’t kidnapped her.

Instead, it was thanks to her scent distracting Bash long enough for reinforcements to arrive that she wasn’t taken away.

In other words, the Elf Hero smelled really, really, really¸ good.

Such rumors began to circulate, and she often found herself surrounded by young Elves trying to catch a whiff of her body odor.

So much so that in her embarrassment and fear of disappointing her people, she even began spritzing perfume on herself before going out.

“Thanks to Sir Bash, all the issues involving Orcs that have been plaguing Siwanasi Forest have been resolved. The zombies have been exterminated, and your honor has been restored, Lady Sonia.”

“Why are you calling me an issue…?! But yes, I’ll have to formally thank the Orc Nation for sending their Hero over and helping us out with the undead. I don’t want the Elves to think I’m shameless!”

“I’m sure no Elf thought any less of you for being smelly. Don’t you think it’s shameless for you to ignore the fact that he restored your honor?”

“I’m not an issue! Geez…”

Sonia exclaimed as she turned to gaze out the window.

Below, she could see the entirety of Siwanasi Forest, the homes and shops spreading outwards from the roots of the great tree.

The serene and peaceful sight of red, fire-resistant tiled roofs sprawling far and wide.

The peace she had been endlessly striving for during the war.

Had she been defeated by the zombies, all of this might have gone up in flames.

When she thought about how much she had to lose, she couldn’t thank Bash enough for his noble actions.

Not to mention her gratitude for the vials of perfume that were sitting on her end table.

“Eh, what the hell… I guess I was suspicious at first, but he turned out to be a fine man! Most Orcs are stupid, and mean, and selfish, and never think about others! But it looks like those who earned the title of Hero are a different breed.”

“Lady Sonia, you’re a breed of your own.”

“Haah?! What does that mean?!”

“But Lady Sonia, don’t you think it’s a bit of a wasted opportunity that you turned down his proposal?”

“Are you stupid?! If I hadn’t refused, everyone would still think that I smell…that I smell ancient!”

“But you’d finally be married.”

Yes, that was right.

Bash’s proposal had entirely wiped out Sonia’s poor reputation.

Instead, she now had a little too much positive renown.

“Thunder Sonia’s chastity is sacred to the Elves and must not be violated by anyone!”

Rumors like this had already begun to spread both domestically and internationally.

It was easy to see that the number of people within Elf Country who would even dare to approach the Elf Hero would decrease even further, and foreigners who had hopes of wooing her would hesitate to even shake her hand while the “protect Lady Sonia” sentiment was prevalent.

It had become evident that the Elves would be whipped up into a fury if anyone dared to make a move on her, and it might even lead to a war breaking out.

Her hopes and dreams of marriage have become even more distant.

To top it off, everyone now knew she was a virgin.

Aconite had even sarcastically pointed out that she “was good at changing diapers, even though she had zero experience.”

“Hmph! Harrrumph! Who would want to marry an Orc?! When their wives get pregnant, they strip her naked and parade them through their village to show her off! Are you sure you want that to happen to me?! Do you not care about me, your precious aunt Thunder Sonia?!”

“I suppose that wouldn’t be easy on your belly, stretch marks and all. And it wouldn’t be great for the baby in your womb either. But the weather is warm all year round over there. Isn’t that great for raising children?”

“That’s not what I meant! I’m saying that it’s shameful for an Elf to…to be exposed like that!”

“Lady Sonia, are you insinuating that it’s disgraceful for an Elf to have lived through such things? Many of our people, your people, have gone through experiences just like those. Saying that it’s shameful… Do you mean what you said? Are you discriminating against those who fought bravely for our country?”

“Huh…? Wait, wait, no! That’s not what I meant! I’m not Orc-shaming any Elf! It’s…it’s just that it’s embarrassing… to be naked in front of so many people… you know? The only person I want to…expose…myself to is my husband…”

Thunder Sonia blushed as she squirmed, rubbing her hands together.

She desperately desired to get married.

But it wasn’t like she could just marry anybody. Her standards were sky-high.

Well, not exactly her standards – she needed someone befitting of her title as the Archmage and Hero of the Elves.

“I’m sure they would have done that if we were still at war, but the treaty forbids acts like that nowadays. Sir Bash seems to be a kind person and acted like a near-perfect gentleman. I’m sure he would have taken good care of you.”

“Don’t be silly!”

Thunder Sonia crossed her arms and turned to face the wall, pouting angrily.

However, she couldn’t completely hide the slight smile on her face.

She recalled her battle with General Baraben.

At first, she was in utter despair, believing that the Orc Hero had come to aid his zombified brethren.

She was ready to die, fully believing that it was all over.

But then Bash spun around and pointed his blade towards the undead pair.

The Elf Hero could still see his back, now forever imprinted in her mind.

His wide, broad, strong, robust and sturdy back.

And she had never felt so safe. So secure. So relieved.

“I won’t let them touch even a hair of yours, starting now. Stay here and watch. Just leave it to me.”

In the long, 1200 years that she had walked this earth, she had seldom heard anyone declaring that they would protect her.

It had been a long time…

It didn’t feel bad to be taken care of; to fight alongside an individual she could fully trust to have her back.

No, it didn’t just not feel bad. It felt good.

There more the Archmage though about it, the more the Orc in her memories looked attractive.

Right now, in the world of her inner thoughts, Bash was flashing a gallant smile, his fangs shining a silvery white.

“Well…well maybe if he insists, I might think about it!”

“Huh.”

“We Elves live a long time, you know? Not to mention I’m quite literally immortal. It wouldn’t be that long, in the grand scheme of things… and when it comes to that… maybe just at night, and if we’re both on the same page, and if it’s only him and I… I don’t suppose it would cause that many issues for the world, right? Just so long as I’m not dragged around the city naked… And also, if I become the Orc Hero’s wife, I can build friendly diplomatic relations with the Orcs! Yeah! It’s all for the sake of the Elves. Yes, yes, it can’t be helped if it benefits the Elves, right? Yeah!”

Aconite shrugged as he listened.

He was intimately familiar with his aunt’s attitude.

Sometimes, she would stubbornly refuse, but inwardly, her feelings said otherwise.

She simply couldn’t say yes and follow her own selfish desires without justifying her decision using a couple of external factors.

“So? So? Where is he? Where’s Bash? Not that I’m agreeing to his proposal or anything, but I think we should thank him once again, don’t you think? I’ll be acting as the representative of the Elves this time! Yeah!”

“He left the day after you rejected him, Lady Sonia.”

“Huh? Wait, really?”

“Did you think he would stick around and chase after you?”

“Uh…n…nuuh-uh…”

“Aren’t you asking for a little too much? Did you forget that he’s the Orc Hero? He’s a man that must have conquered a veritable mountain of women. Not to mention that he once decisively defeated you, Lady Sonia.”

“Guh…nu…”

Truthfully, Bash had conquered many things, but none of those were women.

Though nobody knew this.

Of course, being the Orc Hero, everyone naturally assumed he had captured and raped countless women during the war.

The only reason the other species weren’t actively spiteful about this was thanks to the Orc Nation being sanctioned, and the fact that they had so far abided by the terms of the treaty.

There was peace now, and it was time to let bygones be bygones and be relatively tolerant of other cultures.

That being said, Thunder Sonia’s face was now bright red.

She didn’t think that she was that perfect of a woman, but when it was directly pointed out how full of herself she was and how hard she was to deal with – by her own family at that, she couldn’t help but get upset.

“I…I…I…”

“…?”

Thunder Sonia shouted.

“I’m going on a journey!”

“Eh?”

“A journey! I can’t stay in this country anymore! I’m leaving and I’m going to find myself a good man somewhere where the rumors haven’t reached!”

“…Haaaah…”

“You can’t stop me! Don’t even try! I’m leaving right now! I swear I am!”

“…”

Aconite took a serious look at the Elf Hero, who had suddenly announced she was going on a trip.

He knew for a fact that she would sometimes blurt out strange statements.

She didn’t mean what she said but would still yell it out with gusto.

This was most likely another one of her fits.

Aconite reflected for a second… and laughed.

He wouldn’t go along with her this time.

“I won’t stop you, Lady Sonia.”

“I don’t want to hear it! You can’t keep m – … wait, you’re not going to stop me?”

“Of course not! You’ve done so much for the Elves already. We’ve been relying on you too much. It’s high time for you to live a life of ease and comfort, without any worries. But I know how much you take your responsibilities to heart, and if you stay here, you’d end up involving yourself in the nation’s issues and carrying all of our burdens by yourself. I think it’s a wonderful idea for you to take a vacation in another country for a while and enjoy this hard-earned peace.”

“…”

Thunder Sonia kept her mouth shut.

She fully believed her nephew would insist on her staying.

There was so much work to do, after all.

“No…but…ummm… well, if you say so. But… are you sure you’ll be alright? Even without me?”

“Of course. Please leave the rest to me. No, not just me, but all of us Elves. We’ll take charge and be responsible for protecting our country!”

“Ah…okay…”

Faced with such a clear, steadfast declaration, the Elf Hero couldn’t bring herself to reveal that it was just a spur-of-the-moment remark. That she didn’t really mean it.

“Yeah…okay…well, I’ll be off then.”

“Please take care, Lady Sonia.”

And so, Thunder Sonia embarked on her journey, setting off on her own quest to find a spouse.

Though she would rather call it a world tour, or a vacation.

Meanwhile, Bash was steadily making his way North.

Across the streams, between the trees, through the bushes, he resolutely moved towards his next objective.

He had received a hint from Breeze that might lead him towards his next goal.

Apparently, the situation in the Dwarven Mine City of Do Banga’s Pit was similar to that of Siwanasi Forest.

Dwarven women were not exactly the favorites for an Orcish palate.

Bash was definitely not as fond of them as he was of Human or Elven women.

But following Houston’s advice, he was able to meet such a beautiful Elf.

The Orc Hero thus put his trust in Breeze’s words, believing that his next encounter might be the one.

“This attempt was a failure, but it’s time to get back on track. I’ll do my best again next time!”

“Yosh!”

And so, Bash continued his journey.

Accompanied by his loyal Faerie companion.