Chapter 20.2

Chapter 20.2

“Oh yeah, it’s almost time for the Armament Festival. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever before, so the artisans are really hustling to try and gather the best and fiercest fighters from all over the world.”

“I see.”

The Orc Hero had never heard of this “Armament Festival” before.

But he did have some experience with festivals.

Back when Daemon King Gediguz was still alive and well, there were celebrations every year to keep morale high and allow the soldiers to let loose some of the wartime stresses.

During the Orc Festival, the heads of every clan would lead their men and gather for a great feast.

Then, warriors specially selected from each group would assemble and compete to determine who was the strongest of them all – in a huge fistfight.

Many individuals from other races would also come to participate in the festivities, though they would stay out of the general melee.

Bash guessed this “Armament Festival” would play out similarly.

“Ah, right here, my house is this way.”

Said the girl as she turned and headed down one of the town’s alleys, beyond which laid an intricate network of steep stairs, dimly lit tunnels and winding paths.

This was the kind of Dwarven urban organisation Bash was familiar with.

As the group headed in ever deeper, the hustle and bustle of the crowd became ever more distant, now just a muffled whisper.

The cacophony of iron hitting iron echoed from all around them, though there were very few visible people.

Bash heart danced in anticipation as he admired the top of the girl’s head from his Orcish vantage point.

Some Dwarves could be beautiful.

But this girl far exceeded every single one of Bash’s expectations.

When Breeze had first told him to head over to this Dwarven city, Bash hadn’t thought much of it, looking forward to the food and drink offerings rather than the women.

“Be my warrior.”

Moreover, he definitely did not foresee he would suddenly receive a proposal.

As expected from a Human’s well-informed advice. After all, Breeze hadn’t earned his nickname from being stupid.

Bash was almost embarrassed to have had assumed the worst.

(Zell, I’m really glad we came here.)

(Same here! I never would have though you’d find a wife so fast, mister, and for her to take the initiative herself! Amazing! I was confident that we’d find someone for you pretty quickly, but I’m almost disappointed with how easy this was.)

(It is what it is. Looks like this is how I accomplish my goal.)

(Awww, does that mean that this journey is over? … I wish I could have traveled with you more, mister.)

""

(Hm… me too. This was a fun experience.)

Bash and Zell followed closely after the Dwarven girl, conversing in hushed voices.

“Here we are.”

The girl walked into a small, Dwarf-sized door at the end of the alley.

Given his definitely-not-Dwarf-sized stature, Bash had to crouch to enter.

“Yeah, it’s a little cramped, but feel free to make yourself at home.”

Her home featured a small but well-furnished smithy.

Hammers of all shapes and sizes hung from wall mounted hooks while a stack of firewood laid next to a stout, sturdy anvil.

Though the furnace was unlit, it was obvious from the wear and tear on the equipment that they were well-used.

Looking closely, Bash could notice that the girl’s hands were just as worn as the tools they often held, her fingers callused, and her nails stained black from iron dust.

It was easy to conclude that she ran this workshop – a blacksmith.

However, her occupation was of no concern to the Orc.

“Ah… I was planning on leaving town, but I guess all my preparation was for nothing…”

The girl unstrapped her luggage from her back, dropping it to the ground, and removed her cloak, revealing her bare, muscular, toned arms, typical of Dwarves.

Innately resistant against fire, Dwarves generally did not wear sleeved clothing while working the forge.

Which meant that Bash was treated to an eyeful of the girl’s bare, pale shoulders.

Her skin was stained with soot and burns, as any blacksmith’s worth their salt would be, but to the Orc, it was a flawless and lustrous ivory white.

“!”

When he though about it, the last time he had seen a woman’s bare skin was when he had saved a ragged Judith from the cave bandits.

But unlike Judith, this girl in front of him had taken off her clothes of her own free will.

This is it.

That was the sign he was waiting for.

“Whoa!”

Bash firmly grasped the girl’s shoulders, his large palms wrapping around her petite stature.

""

He could finally say goodbye to the looming horror of becoming a Magic Warrior.

A mix of deep satisfaction and excitement rose up within him as he laughed in delight.

“Wha…? What are you doing?!”

The girl, on the other hand, didn’t look so happy, confused at the Hero’s sudden actions.

But Bash could no longer stop himself, his hands now firmly grabbing the girl’s clothes.

“Wait, wait, eh?! What are you trying to do with my clothes?! Stop!”

The girl shouted, as she hung onto and push away Bash’s arms.

She had some real strength.

Though from the Orc Hero’s point of view, it was no different than holding back a small child, this made him realise that she was rejecting him.

“Hmm? What’s wrong? Is it not a good time?”

“Not a…wha…? What are you even going on about?! Of course, it’s not a good time!”

Apparently, something was wrong.

However, even for a wise warrior like Bash, there were times when he could not back down.

No, he didn’t want to back down. He had come too close to give up now. He could already taste the sweet nectar of a lost virginity.

In a fight, there are moments when you have to play the odds, even if you are hopelessly outnumbered.

After all, she had proposed to him first, and the Hero had agreed.

What came next was, naturally, mating.

It was high time to put an end to his years of shame and worry.

“But you asked me to be your warrior, and I agreed. Am I wrong?”

“Uh…wait…huh? Yes, I did, but…”

The girl could barely respond, stunned at his statement.

However, when she finally took in the situation – the Orc, snorting and heaving in front of her, and her almost naked body, she understood what was going on.

“Ha… so you’re telling me that… these were your intentions the whole time?”

“Yes.”

Bash affirmed honestly, without missing a beat.

As he always did – after all, it was the truth, and he had nothing to be ashamed of.

Mating was the whole purpose behind his travels

“Haha… I’m so stupid…Idiot! Dummy! Stupid!”

Teardrops began to fall from the corner of the girl’s eyes.

“I…hic…I though you Orcs weren’t interested in Dwarven women…”

“You’re an exception.”

“I’m always the exception…! Hic…sorry…ugh, I’m only half Dwarf after all…”

Turning away from the Orcs, the girl shut her eyes tight and bit her lip, as if to strengthen her resolve.

“Alright… I’ll do whatever you want, but in return, just keep your promise to fight for my as my warrior…”

Her tears were now a torrent, streaming down her face, leaving small dark spots on the wooden floor.

“…”

“Do what you want”, she said.

In other words, both parties had reached an agreement – she was consenting to Bash’s sexual advances.

However, her body language said otherwise, as she turned away and bawled her eyes out.

Orcs rarely shed tears themselves, but they could still understand the underlying significance of an individual crying.

Was this really okay?

The Hero, for all his wisdom, couldn’t make head or tails of the situation.

Luckily, he had his trusty sidekick Zell to turn to.

And he did just that, looking up at the Faerie inquisitively.

“…”

Zell was lost in thought for a few seconds, but eventually crossed her arms over her head, making an “X”.

It was a no-go.

[I knew it.]

Bash pulled his hand away, disappointed.

“Forgive me, I was in the wrong.”

“Eh?”

The girl, now suddenly free from the Orc’s embrace, looked up at her nearly aggressor, confusion in her eyes.

“Huh? What?”

“Non-consensual sexual intercourse with another species is strictly forbidden in the name of the Orc King. I thought you had agreed, and I got carried away. Forgive me.”

“Ah…well, I guess it’s fine if you apologise…wait, but you’re an Orc though? I though that Orcs couldn’t control themselv – … ah, it’s because I’m a half-breed, isn’t it…”

Nonetheless, whether or not it was a misunderstanding, Bash had to pursue his objective.

This girl in front of him was definitely beautiful.

And sometimes, warriors had to throw all they weight behind a last ditch effort, even though all hope was seemingly lost.

“Let me ask you once again; would you bear my children?”

A typical Orcish proposal.

The girl’s face turned bright red as she shouted in reply.

“No! I don’t want to have any kids!”

“Ah, I see.”

A flat-out refusal – there could be no confusion this time around, but Bash didn’t let it bother him.

It was to be expected.

From the Land of Humans to the Land of Elves, despite his best efforts and careful preparations, both his proposals were met with failure.

It only made sense for this proposal, prior to which he had made no plans, would end in a loss.

Naturally, he must have made a mistake somewhere along the line, especially in thinking that the girl had proposed to him.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

But this was Dwarf Country.

There were large cultural differences here compared to Human or Elf Country.

Here, polygamy was widely accepted, and even encouraged.

Unlike the fiercely loyal and monogamous Elves, no matter how many women he courted or proposed to, his chances in subsequent attempts would not decrease.

Now it was only a matter of actually finding a woman that suited his tastes.

Bash didn’t exactly feel comfortable in dealing with Dwarven women…

But he trusted in Breeze’s advice – there must be a way for him to get some results here.