Orc Hero Story: Discovery Chronicles - Chapter 74.2

“Anyway, we’ve reached a conclusion.”

“Indeed. Hey, coachman! Take us to the best seafood restaurant around here!”

After that, Bash watched with narrowed eyes as Thunder Sonia and the driver exchanged words like, “Why not go to the originally planned restaurant since all the seafood around here is good? No, I said the best! Huh? Do your parents run the restaurant we’re going to? Idiot, you should have said that earlier! For you, the best restaurant must be that one! Don’t be so modest!”.

To be more specific, Bash was watching this because Thunder Sonia had leaned forward on her knees to talk to the driver, and her small rump was right next to his face.

While watching this, Bash thought to himself that Humans and Elves were truly the best. He had traveled through various countries, the Dwarf, Beastmen, Succubus, and Demon, but returning to his roots felt good, and he truly felt it.

“Thunder Sonia,” Bash suddenly murmured.

“Hmm? What’s up?”

“How many Elves are there in this city?”

Thunder Sonia hesitated for a moment at his words. She considered saying, “Do you know that King Northpole is here?” But she wasn’t the kind of woman who would easily let slip such important information.

“I don’t know. There are probably quite a few, I suppose.”

“I see.”

“Is there something wrong with that?”

“I just want to talk if I see any.”

Thunder Sonia exchanged glances with Nazar. Something seemed suspicious. Both of them, seasoned by long periods on the battlefield, had a hunch. Bash’s words from before had made it seem like he wasn’t an orc at all.

Furthermore, Zell, who was nodding with self-satisfaction next to them, was also acting strangely silent. She seemed to be saying, “I have nothing more to teach you,” with her attitude.

“What are you…”

“Miss Thunder Sonia, please calm down.”

Something was really suspicious. Bash was planning something. But Nazar stopped Thunder Sonia, who was about to continue interrogating him.

“Sir Bash probably wants to talk to a beautiful elf since he’s an orc, right?”

“Exactly. You understand, Nazar.”

Nazar’s words suggested that it would be easier to let things develop naturally rather than ask questions now. Thunder Sonia remembered that she had come at Bash’s request and decided to endure it.

“Well, yes, that’s true. It’s okay to start a conversation. I’ll give you permission. You probably already know, but don’t try to force anyone!”

“Understood. We’ll start with a conversation.”

While Bash’s words emitted an unsettling air, the carriage continued on its way to the planned restaurant.

■

The cuisine was exquisite. The dishes served on the table were crafted from ingredients collected by the restaurant owner, who had worked diligently since morning, anticipating the arrival of important guests. These dishes included rice with abundant shrimp and seafood, a giant grilled fish head, Aqua Pazza made with local vegetables, and bread generously covered with cheese and olives.

Thunder Sonia, in particular, had an overflowing appetite and indulged in all the dishes on the table. She drank alcohol voraciously, engaged in conversation with Zell, and made derogatory comments about almonds and walnuts while praising pistachios, earning disapproving glances from the audience, which lowered her stocks. It seemed like it was only a matter of time before they kicked her out of Nutland.

However, there had been a minor dispute before entering the restaurant. The innkeeper had opened his eyes wide and his face quickly turned angry upon seeing Bash. He began to scowl. If the coachman hadn’t said, “Dad, didn’t you say that if an orc ever came, you’d make them sing with your cooking? Well, I’ve brought one,” he might have uttered some profanities.

The innkeeper, who had been keeping an eye on Bash with his arms crossed near the kitchen entrance, seemed to have calmed his anger when he saw an elf, an orc, humans, and even a fairy dining and conversing happily at the table. He scratched his head and returned to the kitchen.

The delicious food was more than enough to draw out Bash’s heroic stories. Judith and the others listened to many of Bash’s stories from various battlefields, sometimes feeling tense, sometimes pale with fear, and sometimes leaning in to hear more about Sonia and Nazar’s experiences in those battles, saying, “I was there too”. Bash and Sonia’s battle story, in particular, was intense. It combined Bash’s direct narration with Sonia’s keen observations. They praised each other, and the climax, which could be described as a close fight, greatly excited Judith.

“By the way.” In the midst of all these stories, a sudden question arose in Judith’s mind. Over the past year, she had become more knowledgeable about orcs, leading to her question.  “Sir Bash, unlike other orcs, you don’t speak about the women you’ve r̲a̲pe̲d̲.”

The atmosphere froze. Bash, who had been speaking fluently, closed his mouth, and not only that, the surrounding sounds also disappeared. Among the customers, some began to exude a faint aura of anger, as if remembering their pasts. However, the silence was quickly broken. A quick chop on Judith’s head, to be precise, came from Thunder Sonia.

“Idiot! This isn’t the place to discuss these matters! Bash has also been considerate, you know? In fact, he’s been considerate of us all this time from inside the carriage, hasn’t he?”

“Yes…” Prompted by Sonia’s words, Bash nodded. He couldn’t remember being considerate, but he had to agree.

“Oh, um, I see! I’m sorry.”

Judith knew that when orcs boasted, they also talked about the condition of the women they had r̲a̲pe̲d̲. None of that was in Bash’s stories. She had never expected orcs to be considerate of others, but on second thought, Bash had been considerate since they were in the carriage. Not talking about the women he had r̲a̲pe̲d̲ was probably a consideration for her, whose sister had suffered at the hands of orcs, and for the other restaurant customers. However, she didn’t want to hear it, even though she had brought up the topic herself.

“No, it’s okay, really…”

Bash replied in halting words. If Zell hadn’t been busy with the election campaign to become Nutland’s President, she might have started saying something like, “Come to think of it, I’ve never heard Mister talk about that kind of thing either. I’d love to hear it!” and Bash could have found himself in a desperate situation. It was a close call.

“……”

However, he had no intention of continuing such a dangerous conversation. Nevertheless, Bash was an orc. He wouldn’t keep carrying such feelings. If the conversation ended, he would quickly change gears and start acting toward his next goal. And, more importantly, he needed to withdraw from the situation where his virginity might be exposed as soon as possible.

“……”