Chapter 14: Shadow

Orcs aren't accustomed to a vegetarian diet, and it's said that there's a special training ground for wild beasts here, so meat is scarce and not available for outsiders. The soil in the Wild Highlands is peculiar and cannot produce crops like wheat or soybeans, so Orford also lacks restaurants for humans. Almost all outsiders have to eat the specially prepared food in the inns.

This inn is specifically designed for outsiders in Orford City. The owner is a half-beast who speaks fluent human language. Half-beasts are generally stronger than humans, with pig-like features and two tusks protruding from their mouths, giving them a fierce and somewhat clumsy appearance. However, in terms of intelligence, they are actually the most capable among all the beast races and are nearly indistinguishable from humans.

The body of Single-eye had already been returned and lay quietly in the inn's dining area, covered with a cloth by the half-beast owner to avoid disturbing the guests' appetites.

No one claimed the body; it was the human executioner who led the two arcs to carry him back to the inn. This inn is a subordinate of the city hall, so it was easy to find out that Single-eye was part of their gang.

The other guests had already finished their meals and left. Elaine, who had no appetite after witnessing the hanging, remained in their room upstairs. The thieves were huddled in a corner, eating and discussing their plans with the old thief Fodolone. The food consisted of a mush made from various fruits and tubers unique to the Wild Highlands. While it was somewhat palatable in small bites, consuming more resulted in a strong, greasy aftertaste that seemed to push up into their heads, causing a rough texture that scratched their throats and made them ache. Even when the half-beast owner occasionally added some scraps of beef or mutton, it did little to mitigate the harshness of the meal. The thieves had been eating this for over ten days, and many were feeling increasingly irritable. This was far from the wild revelry they had imagined after hitting the jackpot. But even the angriest of them wouldn't dare kick tables, throw chairs, or start fights in this place. The ever-present sight of ogres and arcs, along with the stone tablets and gallows standing in the square, served as effective deterrents. However, the accumulated frustration had led many to become discontented with the old thief Fodolone, the instigator of their current plan.

In recent days, Fodolone had been actively moving between big-eared monster and the beasts, trying to find a way to communicate and retrieve the stolen goods. He had learned some details about the city's situation: it seemed that the management was human. This was good news because, based on the thieves' experiences, fellow humans were far easier to deal with than the unyielding beasts. Some suggested secretly kidnapping the family members of the humans, while others proposed direct threats and intimidation—these were merely thoughtless suggestions stemming from their professional habits. From Fodolone's expression, it seemed he was pondering his own course of action.

Asa blended himself into the group of thieves, silently eating the mush from his plate. He was the only one who seemed to savor the food.

Just as the meeting was about to conclude, the middle-aged man who had returned the corpse appeared again, accompanied by an orc. He informed them that everyone in their gang was to gather in the central square tomorrow afternoon, as there was something important to announce.

As soon as he left, the thieves began to stir, quickly becoming agitated. The central square was where Single-eye had just been hanged, and his cold body still lay nearby, causing many to feel anger and grief over the loss of their companion. The pent-up rage and frustrations, along with feelings of vulnerability, were all triggered by the ambiguous announcement, igniting hostility. Many drew their weapons, shouting about fighting to the death.

"Damn it! Do they want us to just walk right up and let them hang us? Let's kill them and die together" shouted a robber, waving his knife.

Fodolone quickly tried to calm everyone down, but it only seemed to fan the flames. A few started to yell whether he was in cahoots with the beasts to trick everyone into a trap, similar to how private mining operations captured big-eared monsters as slaves, intending to use them as laborers or feed them like cattle.

"What do you think we should do?" someone asked Asa for his opinion. After all, he was the most qualified criminal here, skilled in combat, and his silence now gave him an air of calm competence.

Asa continued to eat the mush, appearing utterly unbothered by the tense situation. He mumbled between bites, "...I don't know. We'll talk about it tomorrow."

"If we go tomorrow, we might all end up hanged! They already know we're with Single-eye and that we're targeting those goods," the knife-wielding robber exclaimed, the most agitated of the group. "We might as well charge out now and fight!"

"I don't know what will happen tomorrow. But I do know exactly what will happen if we charge out now. Do whatever you want please, but don't say you know me when you get caught" Asa said, finishing his meal, putting down the plate, and walking out. He seemed completely unconcerned about the tense situation.

In such a charged atmosphere, Asa's casual attitude and nonchalant remarks were undoubtedly the most shocking and persuasive. The thieves, seeing someone so composed, began to calm down, and some, thinking critically, said, "If they really want to kill or capture us, they could just bring a few arcs. Why go through the trouble of notifying us first?" So, they ultimately decided to wait and see. The crowd began to praise the young man for his poise, acknowledging that he remained unflustered in the face of such circumstances, a true veteran of high-stakes situations.

The half-beast owner heard the commotion and came in to ask, "What's happening?"

"We were discussing how to bury our companion's body. We're really heartbroken, so everyone got a bit too excited," Fodolone replied, displaying his adaptability with a sorrowful tone.

The half-orc owner made a curious nasal sound, saying, "There are regulations here; the body must be handled by its own kind to avoid any racial disputes. You can bury it or cremate it; it's up to you. If you find it troublesome, the training ground outside the city will purchase it; meat is in short supply these days, about thirty copper coins."

"Ah, okay, thank you." The old thief nodded in agreement. As soon as the half-orc owner left, he pointed to the corpse of Single-eye and said, "Whoever takes it over there can keep the money." However, no one paid him any mind.

Asa walked out of the inn. He wasn't calm and collected about the situation; instead, his mind was completely filled with more personal and wonderful things, leaving no room for other thoughts to intrude.

He could almost still smell her scent; the wind brushed against his face as if it was the wonderful touch from just a moment ago, and he could still faintly hear her voice in his ears. All his senses lingered on that moment.

Ever since Elaine joined him on his journey, a very subtle and strange feeling had gradually intensified. Without realizing it, he had become accustomed to being with her every day; her voice and smile had naturally become an integral part of his life, and he felt at ease only when he could see and hear her every day.

Just before they had dinner, he had completely and utterly immersed himself in this atmosphere. Thus, he didn't care about anything else, and he couldn't focus on it.

He had never had any experience interacting with the opposite sex. Back in his homeland, not a single girl of his age had ever shown any interest in him, a creature that seemed to only know how to fight and train in the wild all day, never washing or wearing decent clothes. He spent all his time immersed in his dreams and training, living his youth in a way that resembled that of an ascetic, expending all his energy on endless workouts and fights.

He had heard about love between men and women only from the mouths of bards and drunken miners at taverns. The former was too noble and abstract to understand, while the latter was too practical and crude for someone who had never experienced it to grasp. He had never even thought he would go through such things himself. As for the current situation, he was completely clueless about what was happening. He was just naturally immersed in these feelings.

Walking on the streets of Orford felt as if he were in a forest of rocky fortresses. The buildings here seemed to be constructed according to the immense size of ogres, with unrefined edges and considerable height and width. Even if the grandeur was not overwhelming, it was still quite imposing. But in Asa's eyes now, they were undoubtedly the most charming buildings in the world.

It was already afternoon, and everywhere he looked, there were orcs striding by. Most of them were carrying goods or pushing specialized construction tools, occasionally conversing with each other in their native language. From the houses by the street came the sounds of iron clanging and wood being planed, even the sounds of weaving. The city had invited craftsmen from various trades to teach the orcs various manufacturing techniques. This city was full of the vibrant energy of new beginnings.

Asa felt as if he had gained a newborn vitality; even the strange-looking orcs appeared pleasant to him now. He had never experienced such a wonderful feeling; the whole world seemed to change because of her presence.

He arrived at a market not far from the inn. It was a large place primarily for foreign merchants and dwarves to trade their goods. During their time here, they had noticed that more and more people and dwarves from other countries were coming here to conduct trade. The place was filled with an abundance of goods from various surrounding countries. It was almost indistinguishable from the street markets in human society, with the sounds of shouting vendors, haggling, and the clatter of moving goods creating a lively atmosphere. After watching for a while, the green-skinned figures or those covered in hair no longer seemed so out of place; they naturally blended into the peaceful atmosphere of life.

In a corner of the market, a few small orcs were selling some strange and rare products from the Savage Highlands. Asa bought a few fruits unique to the Savage Highlands from a young ogre. This was still a juvenile ogre, but it was even slightly larger than Asa in stature. Although orcs have a slightly shorter lifespan than humans, like all other beasts, they grow rapidly, maturing in just a few years.

Half a year ago, he had witnessed a furry giant paw wielding a weapon, turning its companions into heaps of indistinguishable flesh. The sounds of bones cracking and the sight of blood and guts flying had often surfaced in his dreams, waking him up in fright. There was a time when he thought he couldn't let them die such a tragic death. Yet now, he was buying things from such a paw with a sweet heart, completely devoid of any tension, killing, or hatred. Those emotions had long been pushed out of his mind by the current pleasant feelings.

Returning to the inn's room with the fruits, he found Elaine sitting by the window on a bed made up of a few planks of wood, sorting through her notes in the light. After taking the fruits from Asa, she blushed slightly and smiled sweetly, saying, "Thank you."

Asa realized that he had started to really enjoy seeing her smile. Those dreamy eyes paired with her thin lips on her round face were inherently gentle, as if she was always happy. But it wasn't until he saw the corners of her eyes curve downward and her lips curl upward that he realized this hidden smile was where her true beauty lay.

Especially now that a blush had appeared on her face, she looked even more beautiful and charming, captivating Asa to the point that he felt he might faint. He vaguely understood that the blush was meant for him. He felt as if he could die right there in that gaze and flush.

Elaine, eating the fruit while looking at her notes, said, "Hey, have you noticed anything strange here over the past few days?"

"What strange things?" Asa didn't feel anything odd at all.

"Don't you think the orderly manner here is completely at odds with the impression orcs used to give?" She continued, "You know, hundreds of humans used to be killed and eaten by orcs every year in this wasteland on the western side of the empire. But now they are actually building cities like humans, learning to manufacture things, trading with humans, and even have their own laws and systems. You saw it today; the officials here are humans. Who on earth could gather these originally barbaric and unruly orcs and govern them so well? And why are they doing this? Don't you find these things curious? Don't you want to know why?"

"Not curious." Asa had never been interested in such matters.

Elaine made a face at him. "I knew you'd think this is stupid. Let me tell you."

"You should know that the Savage Highlands is located in the very center of the continent. Because of the impassable natural barriers of the Saundfest Mountain Range to the north, the Lizard Swamp, and the deserts to the south, the Savage Highlands have become an important trade route for surrounding countries. In fact, after the imperial army exterminated the orc tribes here, someone proposed building a city on it. Constructing a city in such a location as a market would greatly benefit the commercial economy of surrounding countries, and this city would undoubtedly thrive on commerce. However, that plan ultimately could not be implemented. The Savage Highlands originally lacked resources, and building a city out of thin air in such a place far from any human civilization was far too difficult. More importantly, this wasteland is surrounded by several countries; no one wanted others to build a city in what was originally a public area, as it could serve as a military offensive platform at any moment. So even though the empire is the strongest among these nations, they could not risk inciting public anger."

"Only the orcs, who were already familiar with the living environment here, could build a city in such a short time. However, they have never been united and lacked any technology, so someone must be leading them. The merchants and craftsmen we saw in the city over the past few days are all from surrounding countries. This place has not been established for long; why are there so many merchants from other countries trading here? Even if the location is good and trade is convenient, we must remember that these are dangerous orcs. The answer is simple: this place was originally funded and built by them. It's less likely these neighboring countries which have always had conflicts would secretly cooperate on such matters. Then it's more likely that it's a grassroots effort; it must be merchant associations."

A merchant association is a grassroots organization similar to an adventurers' guild, formed by merchants to earn more money for their common interests. Since there is rarely anything more powerful than 'money,' this type of association, despite being a grassroots organization, wields considerable influence and can even affect politics. Because of the national political system, the empire does not have such a thing like merchant association. So several major families controlled them and monopolize the vast majority of commercial trade.

"I'm sure my guess is right, absolutely!" Her delicate eyebrows knitted together, and her vague eyes sparkled with glimmers of light. Her delicate nose wrinkled slightly, and her cheeks flushed a bit; this was entirely the expression of a navigator discovering a new continent.

"No wonder they wanted to keep the construction of this city a secret from the empire. For the military, which has long been focused on exterminating orcs, it is naturally unacceptable. For those nobles, such a conveniently located marketplace would impact their monopolized commercial interests. But how could they really keep it from the empire? Although the empire has always paid little attention to the grassroots merchant associations of these neighboring countries, such a large-scale operation should have leaked out somehow. Did the military not send troops for reconnaissance? Is someone providing cover for them…"

Asa stood up straight and took a deep breath. All the fragmented memories and questions in his mind were pieced together by her detailed explanation. He finally understood what was going on.

However, even knowing this didn't mean much. It was just a moment of realization, and he felt a mix of admiration for the duke's tactics and indignation at being deceived, which also stirred some sympathy for the soldiers who had tragically died on the mountains. But he didn't care about the duke's intentions or what he was trying to do.as long as it had nothing to do with him, that was enough.

"What's wrong? Did my reasoning scare you?" Elaine looked at him smugly.

"I realized you remind me of someone," Asa suddenly lowered his head and scrutinized her face.

Elaine's face flushed slightly, her eyebrows raised, and her eyes widened as she asked, "Who?"

Asa said, "That local official from Bracada, the one with a head like a pumpkin, called Lord Borugan."

Elaine burst into laughter, playfully pinching Asa and saying half-jokingly and half-annoyed, "You're so annoying; I'm being serious here."

"I'm serious too. You two really resemble each other. You both think so clearly; I actually admire both of you a bit," Asa said, pretending to be very serious.

"Go to hell, you look like a pumpkin yourself." Elaine reached out to hit him, and he blocked her. Their palms touched, causing a flutter in his heart, but as he recalled the duke, he felt an inexplicable shadow pass over his heart.