Orc Hero Story: Discovery Chronicles

Orc Hero Story

The request reached Houston while he was back in his office after finishing lunch, picking his teeth with a toothpick. The messenger seemed to have arrived in quite a hurry, emanating a strong odor all around, with drool dripping from exhaustion. Houston didn’t mind the dirt; he had seen such sights on the battlefield many times.

That didn’t matter. What was crucial was the message the messenger carried:

“In the Blackhead Territory, there will be an interrogation of Bash, the ‘Orc Hero.’ We would like to ask you, Sir Houston, who is well acquainted with orcs, to assume the role of interrogator.”

The first thing Houston thought upon hearing this was, “This gives me a very bad feeling.” And it wasn’t just a regular bad feeling; it was a “very” bad feeling.

Houston’s intuitions of this kind often turned out to be accurate. Though sometimes he missed the mark, it tended to be right when it counted. Whenever he had a “bad feeling,” it coincided with a crisis and saved his life. Of the ten times he had this feeling in the past, nine were related to Bash’s appearances.

“Sir Bash as the subject of an interrogation? What the hell has happened?”

“Bash, the Orc Hero, has become a crucial witness in an incident at the demon checkpoint. This time, the interrogation will take place in the Blackhead Territory. However, there haven’t been many cases of interrogating orcs. Therefore, we would like to request that the one who knows orcs the best, Sir Houston, known as the ‘Pig Slayer,’ conducts the interrogation. Here is the official letter.”

Houston read the letter. In short, it explained that they had found Bash’s scribbles at the demon country checkpoint, and they wanted to know if he was collaborating with the enemy. Since the interrogation had to be conducted to the Orc Hero himself, Houston, who had defeated him several times, was chosen for the task. In essence, they wanted to extract information from Bash, but as they didn’t understand orcs well, they decided to bring in an expert.

By the way, if it turned out that the Orc Hero Bash was collaborating with the enemy, he should be captured, and they would accept any sacrifice as long as they could do it. Houston couldn’t help but think, “By sacrifice, do they mean sacrificing me?”.

Furthermore, the interrogation would be conducted in front of high-ranking officials from various nations. If they handled the interrogation roughly and angered Bash, it could lead to a greater disaster. It wouldn’t matter much if high-ranking officials from various nations suffered some injuries. It might even be acceptable if Bash were considered an enemy and captured. However, in that case, orcs would inevitably rise up. They would attack and destroy everything around them until they were annihilated. It would be the final blaze of glory for their kind. How many humans and elves would become sacrifices in the process?

In any case, if Bash was truly colluding with the so-called “enemy,” this is how things would unfold. Orcs couldn’t afford to be subtle in such matters. Besides, Bash was an orc among orcs, and he couldn’t tell convincing lies. That’s why the interrogation held some importance. If Bash denied it, then it was the truth.

That’s why Houston believed he could conduct the interrogation peacefully. He wouldn’t underestimate, mock, or provoke Bash; instead, he would calmly interrogate him and extract the necessary information.

However, he couldn’t shake off a feeling of unease.

I understand their reasoning, but do they really see me this way?

Houston knew how others saw him among humans. He was “Houston, the Pig Slayer.” Although he was the man who had a fairer opinion of orcs among humans and even respected Bash, his actual reputation in society was different. He was the man who had killed more orcs than anyone, who hated them the most, and was equally hated by them. It didn’t seem like they wanted to invite someone like that for a peaceful interrogation.

It’s as if they want to provoke Sir Bash…

Someone higher up wanted to provoke Bash this time. Houston didn’t understand what had happened at the demon checkpoint, but someone wanted to blame Bash for it. Or perhaps they wanted to anger Bash, make him lose control, create a problem, and then invade the Orc Nation with a just cause. In any case, when Houston went, he would undoubtedly receive instructions to anger or provoke Bash in some way, and if he didn’t comply, he would face some unpleasant consequences. He might be demoted to an even more trivial position than Krassel’s.

This is no joke. Just when the orcs were finally calm, and this place was becoming peaceful…

“Of course, once you complete the mission, Mr. Houston, we have a glorious future prepared for you!”

Houston wore a bitter expression at those words. He had already rejected such proposals recently.

Lately, there hadn’t been any stray orcs in the Krassel area. The number of them that had appeared in the past year could be counted on one hand. It started when Bash left, and it only kept decreasing. In the last six months, there had been none. It wasn’t that the orcs had gone extinct. Most likely, the Orc King felt that something important had been entrusted to Bash and ordered the entire orc race to support him for now.

The disappearance of stray orcs in the Krassel area wasn’t an achievement of Houston, but it was still good news for the humans. The road leading to the Siwanasi Forest became safer, and with it, traders thrived, boosting the economy. Count Godofredo, the ruler of Krassel, even considered proposing to Houston to join the Royal Guard.

Houston had rejected that proposal. The Royal Guard, the White Knights of Gainius: They were the highest-ranking knight order in human society, usually reserved for the nobility. But that was in times of war. Now, the order had degenerated into a dumping ground for noble offspring. It was far from being merit-based; instead, it was controlled by the new generation of nobles. Houston saw it as, “With Judith here, I already have enough brats.”

Houston was content with his current life. Just a few years ago, he had been on edge, wondering when the orcs would launch a massive attack on Krassel. However, since he met Bash, he had relaxed a bit. At least for now, as long as Bash didn’t die, orcs wouldn’t make any moves. So he started thinking about life after retirement.

Fortunately, Count Godofredo didn’t get angry when Houston rejected his proposal to join the Royal Guard and offered him a generous reward instead. Thanks to his achievements in the war, Houston could lead a comfortable life even if he retired immediately. Maybe he could have a romance with some noble and get married; those were the fleeting ambitions he had lately.

Well, he thought, maybe I could consider joining the Royal Guard. But he didn’t like the current situation. If he got involved in this suspicious incident, he might end up serving the agenda of that fishy employer. He would be far from a peaceful retirement and could get entangled in power struggles.

What a glorious future. That’s why I don’t want to be a pawn in their political games.

Houston complained inwardly. Usually, if they provoked Bash, orcs would rebel, and the first place they would attack would be Krassel. As the guardian of Krassel, Houston’s stance was more like, “If those above want to do that, I’ll prepare for a preemptive defense here.”

However, needless to say that if Houston went against orders and defended Bash, it could be prevented. It would be more beneficial for both humans and orcs to prepare for defense. In that case, Houston’s future life might not be as bright…

Demons through the front door, succubi through the back, huh? Well, what should I do…

“Sir Bash wouldn’t do something like that! It must be a mistake, or maybe the people at the checkpoint insulted him!” Suddenly, a woman exclaimed, expressing her indignation.

It was Judith. She had been quite idle lately as well. About a year ago, she had dedicated herself to giving speeches to stray orcs about how the “Orc Hero” was a splendid person, but recently, with no more of them appearing, Judith found herself with little work, dealing with drunks and pickpockets.

“……”

Now that he thought about it, since Judith had met Bash, she had started to understand and learn more about the orc race. Although she still felt disgust, her preconceived ideas had disappeared, allowing her to see them with new eyes. She could distinguish between good and bad orcs. After Houston, she might be the second knight with the most knowledge about orcs.

Judith, despite her current situation, actually came from a fairly noble background. Her full name was Judith Hoplons. The Hoplons family was well-acquainted with Count Godofredo, who ruled Krassel, and they were a powerful family with influence, military strength, and achievements. Therefore, her request to be stationed in Krassel was granted. Unlike Houston, who came from a commoner background, Judith had the power to defend herself against political machinations if she got involved in them.

Selling out his subordinates was something he didn’t want to do. But if there was a possibility, he was willing to take the risk, a lesson he had learned on the battlefield.

“Okay,” Houston decided and then clutched his stomach. “Ahh, it hurts! It hurts a lot! My stomach… It seems that the apple I ate earlier was rotten! Oh, so much pain! I can’t go on like this. I’m sorry, Judith, but could you go in my place?”

“Eh?”

“Eh?”

Both the messenger and Judith exclaimed in surprise.

“B-but they made sure to mention that it should be Mr. Houston who comes…”

“Over the past year, Judith has learned about orcs from me. She has encountered many potential stray orcs, pacified them, and returned them to orc territory. Moreover, she knows Sir Bash. I can vouch for her skills! Besides, all I could do would be to run away from Sir Bash!” Houston said, clutching his stomach. “Judith, you too, even if Sir Bash is unjustly suspected, you won’t just stand idly by, will you?”

“Of course not! Sir Bash saved me and opened my eyes. If there’s a chance to repay the favor, I’ll take it!”

“Alright, it’s decided. You can go.”

And so, Judith headed to the Zarico Peninsula.