Chapter 13: Living always leads to death

Asa now found himself admiring Lord Borugan.

From what he could see now, his predictions weren't very accurate. The big-eared monsters hadn't sold the goods they had looted, or rather, they couldn't. Those goods no longer belonged to the big-eared monsters; other orcs had confiscated everything. While this city-state was indeed primarily inhabited by orcs, the core management was supposedly handled by some humans.

As expected, this place did circulate gold and silver coins just like the human realms, and there were dwarves and human merchants trading here. However, none of these merchants were from the Empire; they all hailed from the western countries of the Wild Highlands and the small nations in the southwest of the Empire.

Lord Borugan had also mentioned that this should be a very orderly place. Asa hadn't paid much attention to what this "order" really meant until he entered here and began to understand.

This truly was a gathering place for orcs of various races, with almost all the buildings constructed from massive stones quarried from nearby mountains, lacking any particular style or decoration. Yet, despite the buildings being dozens of times coarser than those in Bracada and being primarily inhabited by orcs, there was not a hint of savagery. Instead, it seemed to emphasize discipline and rules even more than human society. The northern outskirts consisted of several segregated independent living areas, each designated for various races of orcs, such as ogres and werewolves. These areas were entirely managed by the respective races of orcs themselves. In between these residential areas lay the central district of this city-state called "Orford."

In the central square of Orford stood three enormous stone tablets, simply and clearly inscribed with the laws of the city. The large characters were visible even to the dwarves with the poorest eyesight from a distance. The axe-hewn strokes were deep; while not aesthetically pleasing, they showed the meticulousness and rigor expected of legal codes. The regulations were not extensive, pertaining only to the central town of Orford, and bore a striking resemblance to human laws, though in many respects, they seemed more lenient. The provisions were meant solely to maintain order. The most significant difference and the most astonishing aspect was the simplicity of the wording; it only stated what actions were strictly prohibited without detailing any punishments. The gallows nearby served as the sole explanation. There was only one punishment: hanging.

Perhaps due to the shocking nature of such laws, everything in Orford appeared orderly. Despite the presence of orcs everywhere, there was no sense of violence or savagery; these subhumans were mostly busying themselves with their respective tasks.

This was a true city in every sense. Aside from entertainment venues like taverns and casinos, almost everything present in human societies could be found here. What was most surprising was the palpable sense of civilization. Orcs, with the exception of lizardmen, surprisingly spoke some basic human languages, and some could even read. Among them, the half-orcs were particularly notable; these close relatives of the big-eared monsters had intellect comparable to humans, making interactions with them effortless. Many affairs in this city were managed by them.

This was indeed a remarkable order. In previous experiences, orcs had been synonymous with savagery and barbarism, but everything Asa observed here made it seem more appropriate to refer to them with the more academic term, "subhuman."

Under such excellent order, it seemed almost impossible for criminal activities to thrive. This was very unexpected; after the old thief contacted the big-eared monsters, he learned that the goods had already been confiscated by the orcs, reportedly as a privilege for the big-eared monsters to claim a separate living area for themselves. Moreover, the orcs also seemed disinclined to sell the goods back to them. This news immediately stirred up the thieves. They had already been stuck here for several days, unwilling to leave empty-handed but unsure of what to do next.

Asa himself wasn't too worried. He was now quite close to that book. He thought the orcs certainly wouldn't keep those goods forever, and if it came to it, he could just steal them back. His mood was entirely calm, or rather, he just couldn't feel tense.

Elaine was the most active and cheerful among their group. It turned out to be true what she had said at the beginning: they were just here to have some fun. Initially, she cautiously asked other merchants and dwarves for information in the inn, but later, she dragged Asa along to wander around the city. She carried a notebook and pen with her, occasionally taking them out to jot down and sketch the peculiar things she encountered. Because of this, Asa also came to understand the basic situation of this city-state. He had a strong ability to adapt, and with Elaine constantly pulling him around, after spending a few days here, it felt as though he was on a peaceful vacation in a foreign land. The only hassle was that even though he often slept on the floor or on chairs, Elaine still insisted on him taking a bath every day.

Today, the two went to observe the construction projects on the outskirts of the city. A group of ogres and werewolves was hauling materials and constructing houses and various buildings, their immense strength, combined with specially designed tools, made their work efficiency astonishing. The engineers overseeing the operation were usually dwarves or humans. Asa was left dumbfounded; he completely doubted whether he was dreaming. The bloody and violent impressions of orcs he had had just half a year ago were completely incompatible with this peaceful scene.

Just after returning from outside and about to have a meal, a familiar voice rang out from outside the door—it was the old thief Fodolone. "Get out here quickly, something has happened!"

Asa and Elaine hurried outside and saw nearly all the thieves running out behind Fodolone.

"What's going on?" Asa quickly followed Fodolone. Over the past few days, Fodolone had been tirelessly negotiating with the orcs about those goods, but it seemed there had been no progress.

"Last night, Single-eye tried to sneak into the storage place to steal something and got caught," Fodolone said. Single-eye was a night thief in their group, known for his agility; it was said that he had even stolen from the palace before. "I had already warned him not to act rashly, but that guy somehow heard there was a batch of jewelry among the goods. So, last night, he sneaked in to try and take some, but… there were two arcs guarding that huge warehouse."

"Arcs?" Asa broke out in a cold sweat. Remembering the life-and-death struggle he had with a arc half a year ago in the Lizard Swamp, he realized there were no hunters more formidable than them. Their senses and combat skills were dozens of times stronger than those of ordinary humans. If he carelessly attempted to steal, there would likely be no good outcome.

"So the Single-eye…"

"Will be executed." Fodolone casually uttered the word.

Next to the three massive stone tablets in the center of the city stood an equally large, specially made gallows. It was constructed from strips of stone and wood, tall and sturdy, standing alongside the stone tablets that bore the laws, showcasing the majesty of death.

A considerable number of beasts were already gathered to watch. Two arcs were holding the bound Single-eye, and surprisingly, a human was leading them. The Single-eye's eyes were covered with a black cloth, and his mouth was gagged, but it was clear he was shouting, his bound hands and feet struggling futilely, appearing pitiful in the grip of the two werewolves.

The leading human was an ordinarily dressed middle-aged man. He stood in front of the gallows and began to loudly announce that the Single-eye had attempted to steal and harm the guards the previous night, stating that this fact had been verified by the notarization council. Then he turned to read the regulations against theft inscribed on the stone tablet. After reading, he signaled for the two arcs to lift Single-eye onto the gallows, placing a rope as thick as a human arm around his neck. Throughout this process, Single-eye struggled in vain, making muffled sounds.

The leader of the execution approached the gallows and pulled a lever, causing the platform beneath the single-eye to suddenly split open, and he fell down instantly.

With the rope tightening, a slight 'clunk' sound could be heard from below. When the two arcs went down to untie him and lift him back up, he was already a silent corpse. The fall had instantly snapped his cervical vertebrae, and in stark contrast to his twisted struggles, his death was clean and quick.

The surrounding beasts had no special reaction; they were far less excited than human spectators watching a public execution. They merely discussed among themselves and dispersed.

Asa felt a tightening on his arm and turned to see Elaine gripping it tightly, her face a little pale as she looked at the moving corpse of Single-eye.

When they returned to the room in the inn, Elaine continued to hold his arm, resting her head on his shoulder. Her face was pale, and her thin lower lip was slightly bitten, revealing a few white teeth. Her brow was tightly furrowed, and her slender eyes seemed to be desperately focused on something, but she appeared flustered.

"Is this your first time seeing someone killed?" Asa asked softly.

"No." Elaine shook her head, and Asa could feel her stiffness against his shoulder. "It's my first time seeing someone I know get killed."

Single-eye had been the closest person to them in the gang of thieves, often coming by to chat with them, occasionally sharing quirky jokes with Asa. When Elaine, who didn't understand, asked questions, he would laugh loudly and proudly.

Asa felt a pang of sorrow and unconsciously tilted his head, resting his face against hers. Elaine moved slightly, but still maintained her position.

Unknowingly, a strange scent permeated Asa's senses. It seemed like a fragrance, but upon closer inspection, it wasn't exactly pleasant. Yet it had a tangible quality that filled every gap in his body. The skin on his cheekbones felt the soft, fine texture of her hair, which seemed to emit a mysterious, indescribable aroma. He gradually lost himself in this subtle sensory enjoyment and stopped thinking altogether.

"I've been afraid of seeing death since I was young," Elaine said, her voice soft and indistinct, almost like she was talking to herself. "I don't want to see either people or animals die. It's terrifying to see a living thing suddenly cease to exist, never to be revived again."

"A few days ago, I admired the laws here. They are so conspicuous and intimidating, and the regulations are well-crafted. In a chaotic world, having strict laws is crucial for a city with mixed races. So they specified the death penalty. But today, I watched someone I knew die below. I know he deserved to die; he deliberately broke the laws here. To maintain order, the laws must be upheld, so he had to die... but I really didn't want to see him die."

"Living always leads to death." Asa replied, feeling a bit hazy.

"I don't want to die," Elaine responded, sounding equally dazed.

It seemed that being immersed in this subtle feeling had awakened a sense of bravery within Asa. He straightened up and looked at her firmly, saying, "I will never let you die."

"Dinner's ready," came the voice of the old thief Fodolone from outside.

For the first time in his life, Asa felt that eating was a very unpleasant thing.