Chapter 2: Huzak

“You only have two weeks, but you’ve holed yourself up in an unoccupied house... I’ve been wondering what you’ve been doing, but who would have thought... Master Slowe! Transforming into a monster is impossible! Stop trying to deny reality and claiming that the preparations are done!!!!!”

I want to become smarter than I am now. I want to be faster at running. I want to be stronger. Everyone probably has thought something like this at least once in their life. People dreamed of a bright, hopeful future. Then, one day, they would realize their own limits.

However, this was a world where the impossible could be made possible—a world of magic.

Many mages would willingly use their lives as a bargaining chip to manifest certain spells even in this day and age. The three most common were Resurrection, Flight, and Transformation.

“Unless we are able to do something as extreme as changing our appearances, Charlotte, it’s impossible for us to act freely in Huzak. Especially at your destination, White Castle. It’s deep in Huzak, near the border with the north.”

Charlotte was silent for a moment before she spoke up again. “I could just make a request to the Great Spirit.”

“That spirit is certainly on your side, but they wouldn’t attack monsters just because you want to see White Castle. Remember how they didn’t lift a finger during the horde invasion at Kirsch until the very end?”

“That’s... That might be the case, but...”

Charlotte, you might not know this yet, but that black cat dozing off on the bed... They really aren’t good for anything at all.

“If I were invading Huzak by myself, I could manage, somehow. However, if I needed to constantly watch over a mage who had finally just started to properly manifest spells, it would be a little rough. We’d end up running back here and unable to do a thing like the punchline of a joke. The past few days have been good evidence of that, like when you tried heading into Huzak by yourself. You couldn’t take a single step forward because the monsters across the border scared you silly, right?”

“...Then do you think that you have any chance at success with the spell you’re trying to perform, Master Slowe?”

“I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t think I did.”

Transformation was a grand spell that mages dreamed of achieving. The power to change one’s appearance as they pleased was a miraculous goal that everyone yearned for at least once in their life.

Charlotte had declared with confidence that it was a pipe dream, but I wondered about that. Wasn’t there a mercenary who snuck into Kirsch using a Transformation spell recently? Ah, wait. I see. Back then, Charlotte didn’t see her up close.

“It’s not impossible, Charlotte, meow. If you use that repulsive tool Slowe has, it might be successful, meow.” The Great Spirit finally chimed in.

Charlotte was quite polite when addressing the spirit. “Huh? What do you mean, Great Spirit? Oh, um, you were awake, I see.”

“I was awake, meow. But Slowe, where did you get that from, meow?”

“It’s a secret,” I said.

Well, I did expect that the Great Spirit of Wind would notice the thing I had on me. Calling it repulsive, though? I guess it makes sense, considering how all the other Great Spirits despise the Great Spirit of Darkness, Nanatrij.

“You probably remember the incident with the mercenary in Kirsch, Charlotte. In the end, they announced that she was a master at disguise, but that isn’t the whole truth. All right, and with that, I’ve finished my prep. Charlotte, don’t move at all from your spot, okay?”

“Huh? Um, Master Slowe, I have no idea what you’re getting at...” Charlotte trailed off, then began to talk to herself out loud. “Okay, so Master Slowe has been doing something secretly in an unoccupied house for the past few days, and it turns out that he was drawing a complicated magic circle and the like... So, those were all in preparation for a Transformation spell. But, that’s definitely impossible, and...”

“It isn’t that complicated. Basically, the mercenary No Face relied on a magical artifact to change her appearance. And now, that magical artifact is in my hands.”

I took the bottle I had left on the table and let one drop splash onto the ground. The magic circle pulsed in reaction, and black smoke rose from the ground ominously. Then, the obsidian-black ring on the index finger of my left hand glowed with a dull light.

In exchange for my help in her release, I had borrowed this magical artifact from No Face. The mercenary, who had once been a noble, inherited this treasure from her family during a catastrophe.

“Wh-What’s with this smoke...? Master Slowe, what in the world are you doing?!”

For the past few days, I had shut myself away like a hermit in a room of an abandoned house near our border with Huzak, putting all my efforts into fine-tuning this spell.

The area we were in was practically a treasure box loaded with abandoned houses. Even if some kind of mysterious light seeped out a little, there was no one around to care.

“P-Please explain what’s going on!” Charlotte exclaimed.

“You don’t have to worry, Charlotte, meow. It’s probably okay, meow,” the Great Spirit of Wind said.

“Great Spirit, what do you mean by ‘probably’?!” Charlotte exclaimed.

For this spell, the important thing was to truly believe in what I would become. I’m an orc. I’m not a human. My arms and feet are thick and the color of pale, human skin, and I have a huge nose that looks like it could breathe in a lot of air. Picture it. I am a greasy orc... No, I don’t want that... Okay, a slightly cool...orc... Ugh, no, as long as I become an orc, anything is fine at this point! At any rate, I am an orc!

And of course, Charlotte would become that specific kind of monster. Taking the girl in Huzak right now into consideration...that was definitely the only option!

“Great Spirit! There’s a crazed look in Master Slowe’s eyes. Is this really okay?”

“I think that’s due to his lack of sleep, meow. Now then, I’ll be off.”

“Ah, hey! They ran away!” Charlotte gasped.

Just you wait, Nanatrij’s favorite soldier. I’ll defeat you, no matter how outstanding you are, and I’ll send a message to the boss of the empire.

Once upon a time, the Great Spirit of Darkness secured victory over the elves that ruled over the north and won territory in the area. This capable Great Spirit then established Dustour, a new country of humans in the north. However, lately, the headstrong Nanatrij did as she pleased too often and had become an enemy of the south.

“Charlotte, don’t move! Calm down!” I yelled.

“That’s my line, Master Slowe! Come to your senses!”

Nanatrij...I’ll drive out your minion from Huzak, and I’ll change the future!

●

“I know we’ve become monsters, but who would have thought that we could enter the country so easily...?” I muttered.

We were at the entrance of a forest where light filtered through the canopy of leaves. We were currently taking a break as we looked over the vast field with lime-green grass before us.

Humans generally believed that the current state of Huzak was awful. If a human set foot there, it was said that the infamously cruel and underhanded northern vampires would attack them. However, that was only from the point of view of a human. Since we currently appeared to be monsters, Huzak’s scenery was almost unbelievably peaceful.

Along the borders of the country, the monsters looked like they had a sharp and hungry look in their eyes. Up close, however, those same monsters were just enjoying a leisurely sunbath.

“I mean, if we looked like humans, we probably would have been attacked many times by now, but still...” I trailed off.

Charlotte, meanwhile, seemed shocked into silence due to the fact that Huzak was completely different from what she imagined.

Now then, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to Charlotte about our plan going forward. However, it seemed that she was stunned by the current state of the country, so I supposed I should wait until she had calmed down from that state.

Even as a monster, her face was still just as cute and innocent as before, and I stared absentmindedly at her from the side. Charlotte had been trailing after my now-orc body, but she seemed grumpy the whole time. Well, the clothes of a pixie are...ahem, so I suppose it’s only natural...

“Um... Master Slowe?”

I took a long time to carefully contemplate what would probably happen to this country and arrived at my conclusion. Charlotte would become a lady pixie! But still, that’s... Isn’t it cutting it too close? Is this really okay? Is this really okay-okay?

“Where do you think you are looking?!” Charlotte yelled.

It took a while before I could respond. “Huh?”

Charlotte was trembling, perhaps because she noticed my gaze. “No matter how many times I think about it, this is weird... Why am I wearing that kind of thing underneath these clothes...? Master Slowe, who do you think I am?! I might not seem like it, but t-technically, I’m an almighty princess! I did say that I didn’t expect to be spoiled like a princess, but this is going too far!”

“C-Calm down, Charlotte.” I tried to placate her. “It’s all due to my analysis of the affairs of the monsters in this country, and soon, you’ll definitely agree that it was a good choice to be a pixie! It’s true, I swear, so please believe me!”

“Y-You can’t deceive me! I know that you dog-eared a page in the monster encyclopedia! And I clearly remember the monsters there! I remember how you grumbled and lamented in the past that pixies didn’t appear often in the south! This isn’t the first time, you know! It’s just like how you kept quiet about my secret the whole time! You never tell me important things, do you?!”

Miss Pixie fired off consecutive rounds of disapproval towards my new orc body.

This isn’t good! Charlotte was so quiet for so long because she was concerned about her clothes! And my dog-eared page?! Charlotte, you even paid attention to stuff like that?!

Her grievances towards me, which had probably been stewing and piling up for a long time, now spilled forth and showered over me.

“You should leave it at that, Charlotte, meow. It is better than becoming an orc, meow.”

“I guess, but... Uh. Oh, so you were awake...” Charlotte muttered.

I didn’t expect the Great Spirit of Wind to give me a helping hand. Wait, this spirit... Did they catch on to the fact that I’m spending a lot of mana to maintain our transformations...? I guess it’s definitely possible since they’re technically an oh-so-mighty Great Spirit.

However, this was the only way. It might have been different if I were the only one going, but I didn’t have a choice if I wanted to come with Charlotte. Thanks to our monstrous appearances, we were able to waltz around leisurely. Normally, entering Huzak would be an extremely arduous task.

All right. Charlotte seems to have calmed down, so it’s about time we talk about the main topic.

“Charlotte, we will soon enter the colossal forest of Tob, a territory for monsters. My goal is to investigate the man who attacked Marco, and yours is to return to White Castle. Do I have everything down right?”

“Yes,” Charlotte replied at length.

“Then...for starters, I’ll give you a brief rundown on the current situation in Huzak.”

“A rundown of Huzak, now? This far in?”

“Yes. I also didn’t have full confidence that we wouldn’t be attacked by monsters if we transformed ourselves, so I didn’t explain in detail earlier. Now that we managed to enter safely, though, I want to tell you. So what I am about to say is the true state of Huzak that the public isn’t privy to.”

To start off...people thought that Huzak was ruled by vampires, but even that very assumption was wrong.

I began. “Let’s start with the monsters that attacked your homeland. Your home was attacked by the dungeon master of the A-rank dungeon located in what’s now a territory of Dustour, North Ishlan... That was the Vampire of Gray, Sir Bloody, and he and his clan have already been exterminated. Currently, vampires don’t rule over Huzak, but something else does.”

Charlotte was at a loss for words. I was glad that she was trying to listen to me with a rational mind, though. Bit by bit...I will tell you what happened in your homeland.

Charlotte finally spoke up. “Is that true?”

“It is. I mean, that isn’t the whole reason for this, but doesn’t Huzak come off completely different from the rumors that the vampires rule here with an iron fist of fear?”

“Why... Why isn’t such important information well-known?”

“It’s because the being that took down the fearsome Vampire of Gray isn’t human.”

“Not...a human? I don’t understand what you’re...”

“It was a monster. A monster hunted down the vampire who defeated a country. The monster who now rules Huzak has been asking for peace with the major countries in the south for a long time. However, no countries have been able to take them up on their offer. She is a monster with a little...no, with very complicated circumstances.”

“What kind of monster could possibly defeat the vampires?”

It was only natural that she would ask this. The vampire’s army had been a disastrous force, able to drive out the humans of Huzak in only a few days. However, they were no longer in this world. In that case, who defeated such beings?

“Have you heard of the pixie that has defied Dustour for a long time now?”

“Wait, you don’t mean...”

“It’s probably the one you’re thinking of, Charlotte. To be more specific, the hero who was born as a pixie, known as the pixie with blue eyes, the Blue Light. The king of monsters who succeeded in joining hands with humans who opposed Dustour... She was the one who destroyed the vampires.”

Everyone knew of her. She was the Demon King of the North, who currently reigned over the powerful monsters of the north and opposed the empire. Even while numerous countries were being swallowed up by the empire’s forceful march, this pixie was the only monster who could fight on even ground with the Three Musketeers of Dustour.

“Apparently, those vampires originally came south because they disagreed with the Demon King of the North, who chose to form an alliance with humans. However, their attack on Huzak probably was an unforgivable act that went against the will of the Demon King of the North, and she couldn’t leave such outrage alone. I hear that the vampires were all decimated in one night.”

“...Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Of course, I intended to tell you. However, the destruction of the vampires happened quite a long time ago, back when you were far from a healthy mental state. You definitely weren’t in a condition where I could talk about your homeland.”

Back then, Charlotte was, well, depressed. I had thought that telling her information about her homeland would be too painful for her at the time. Perhaps remembering that state, a slight gloom cast over Charlotte’s face.

I continued. “Currently, this land is managed by a pixie named Elyas who acts in the interests of the Blue Light. I hear that not all the monsters obey the pixie, but she seems to have quite a strong influence. Elyas has stated that she is willing to return Huzak to the humans immediately, but the countries in the south aren’t able to make a move. They probably think that talking with her would be seen as a declaration of war with Dustour, since they are enemies with the Blue Light.”

Elyas... Thinking about her last moments as they happened in the anime brought a pang of pain to my heart. In the future that would play out in Huzak, Elyas, who realized that a soldier of Dustour had been dispatched there, tried to secure a peace treaty with the humans in the south.

She thought about following in her younger sister Blue Light’s footsteps: to make a group of monsters that could cooperate with humans in the south just like Blue Light did in the north. For her first step, she tried to get familiar with a noble of Daryth and a member of the royal family of Cirquista—Shuya and Alicia. However, they were attacked when she brought the two to White Castle, and...she died, just like that. All too soon.

“I think you were also surprised when you came here as a monster and saw it for yourself. It’s the complete opposite of the rumored rule of the vampires. This peaceful world only exists probably because Elyas willed it so. She probably thought that if the humans wouldn’t move, then she’d change this place into a world that was cozy for monsters to live in.”

Unlike the southern part of the continent, people say that the history of the north was a history of war.

Humans would run away from strong monsters like dragons, but most everyday monsters were beings that were hunted by humans. Because of that, monsters lived in hiding, as if they were being constantly chased by predators. By sheer coincidence, they were able to gain land here where humans feared entering. To the monsters, Huzak was probably like a paradise.

I spun my next words carefully within my mind. “Charlotte, after this, I’m going to head into Tob Forest and gather information from within its depths. For that sake, I intend to act like a real orc. I think that the monsters in this forest know the most about the man I want to learn about, so that’s why I’m doing all this. Charlotte, seeing me take the side of monsters might make you feel uncomfortable, but... I’ll apologize in advance. Sorry.”

Charlotte had an unreadable look on her face. Perhaps she actually wanted to say all kinds of things to me, and there might have been some anger directed at me that was part of that look. Questions like, why have you been silent about the truth of my homeland for so long? Or, you still have things hidden from me, don’t you?

“I understand,” she said after a lengthy pause. “So, there’s a reason why you specifically became an orc.”

“Yes.” I had a big reason why I transformed Charlotte into a pixie. And of course, there was one for why I chose to be an orc too. “I heard this from Marco. In this forest, orcs have banded into a large and powerful gr—”

I was about to explain my reasons to her, when...

We suddenly heard someone shouting in the distance, and we looked at each other with concern. Low, booming voices sounded out in unison with each other. At first, I thought they were humans, but once I listened to them carefully... They were completely different.

“Oiiink! I’m going to die, oink!”

“I don’t wanna die, oink! Someone, please save me, oink!”

They were definitely the voices of my comrades...no, I mean, the voices of actual orcs. I turned my head in the direction of the source. Yep, there they are. A group of orcs was being assaulted by a giant lizard walking on all fours.

That lizard-type monster was one of the most aggressive ones of its kind, the Attack Lizard. It had tough skin, was quite nimble for its size, and its long tongue could dart out quickly to seize enemies that were far from it. If we were going by the gauge of adventurers who challenged dungeon exploration, it was a monster categorized as B-rank, a relatively tough opponent.

“Master Slowe, that is...”

“Yeah. Speak of the devil.”

Just as soon as we had started talking about orcs, we watched the group of them run away from the long, wriggling tongue of the Attack Lizard. This was a fight between monsters, and humans had nothing to do with it. However...

“I want to know what is happening right now in these lands, first and foremost, so I’m going to save them. Right now, I am an orc, and if my comrades are being attacked, I must go help.”

Rooney, the Dustour soldier, was a strong opponent. Defeating him wouldn’t be easy. After all, Shuya was only able to barely defeat him near the end of the anime after he was able to draw out the power of Eldred. I wanted people who could fight alongside me, even if they were orcs.

At the very least, I wanted to force Rooney into a corner, like when a ridiculous number of monsters surrounded him in the anime. Thus, the most important thing to do first was to earn the recognition of the monsters in this country.

From the tall grass, I approached the group of orcs under the assault of the Attack Lizard. In my right hand, I tightly gripped my wand, which was odd for an orc, and...

“Oink oink oink!” I snorted loudly. Time to sprint! The sprint that I often performed for the sake of my weight loss back in Kirsch! I ran with my legs spread far apart, a large distance between each foot as they came down with loud thuds. Get outta my way! A real orc is about to make his way down this path!

“Gyuoooh!!!” The lizard howled.

Whoa! Mister Lizard sure is loud! Up close, it’s bigger than I thought! No matter how many orcs fight it, it probably wouldn’t be enough! However, if I’m on the job...!

A squadron of orcs in a long line formation advanced through the forest in a stream. Among them was a certain orc who had boldly fought the Attack Lizard head-on.

The orc’s body was battered with wounds all over, and this guy had been able to trade blow for blow against the Attack Lizard several times his size. For an orc, his moves in battle were pretty impressive. However, the moment I noticed the red tattoo on the left side of his chest during the battle, I knew why. There was no way a normal orc could fight on even footing with an Attack Lizard. Thus, that guy was definitely an Orc King.

I had approached the crowned orc, that same Orc King, and offered my assistance. Before he spoke up though, I took down the Attack Lizard with my spells. And then, well...there was a huge commotion about the appearance of an orc mage.

“Slobe, the great orc mage! My orc village welcomes you, oink!” The Orc King laughed heartily as he walked at the very front of the squadron. “I’m looking forward to seeing you there, Slobe. The orc village is booming, oiiink!”

I recognized this guy. He was Oinkus, the boss of the orc village where Shuya and Alicia stayed in the anime.

We had chanced upon each other while he was in the middle of bringing orcs from other villages to his own. Apparently, they had been running away from the giant Attack Lizard that had been driven out of Oinkus’s village due to how rowdy it was.

“So, Oinkus... Is it true that an important pixie is going to visit your village soon?” I asked.

“It is, oink!”

I wanted to meet Elyas and form an amicable relationship with her, so heading to the orc village with him was the obvious path for me to take.

Charlotte walked along behind me in her pixie form. She seemed very curious about Elyas, the monster who currently ruled Huzak. The girl cradled the Great Spirit of Wind in her arms, who snored as they slept. The spirit had returned to us from who-knows-where. They really just do whatever they want, huh? Is that really okay, Great Spirit? Show a little vigilance, at least!

“That aside, Slobe.” Oinkus addressed me. “It is rare to see a pair of an orc and a pixie together. Are you two a couple or something, oink?”

Ever since I had used Heal on Oinkus to heal his wounds from the Attack Lizard, he had been determined to bring me, an orc mage, to his village. At first, I was worried that my cover might be blown since I wasn’t a real orc, but it looks like I had been worried for nothing.

Still, please stop, Oinkus! Charlotte and I are currently doing a very delicate balancing act to maintain our fragile relationship. Can’t you sense the awkward air between us? Well, I guess it’s unfair of me to demand this from a monster who doesn’t know our circumstances...

“Oh, we’re just friends,” I said instead.

“I’ve never heard of pixies and orcs being friendly with each other, oink.”

I hesitated. “Stranger things have happened.”

This orc is really friendly and wants to get all chummy, huh... Talking about my relationship with Charlotte, though? The orc has poked quite a complex topic.

Are she and I friends? Retainer and master? Ah, but Charlotte’s a princess. Could... Could we call ourselves friends? I don’t know! I looked over to Charlotte with a plea for help in my eyes, but... Oh, she didn’t notice. Wait, she’s actually super stiff right now! I guess she must be uncomfortable since we’re surrounded by monsters. But the orcs have also been talking to me the whole while, and...

“And why are you two wearing human clothes, oink?”

“Even as monsters, we need to stay fashionable. Otherwise, we’d fall behind the times!” I rambled out an excuse.

“Even so, I think it’s weird for a pixie to wear something like that, oink!”

“Oh, I completely agree with...that...” I trailed off as I felt a pair of eyes drilling holes into my back. “Ah, I’m joking. I’m joking, I swear!”

I peeked behind me. Charlotte glared at me with eyes filled with an emotion darker than the murkiest sewers. Just moments ago, she had followed me nervously while swishing her head around to take in her surroundings. She really has a grudge against me about her clothes, doesn’t she?

Meanwhile, the column of orcs behind us sang together in a big chorus. “Orc mage, maaage!” Wha— Hey! A few dozen orcs are lifting and carrying the Attack Lizard with us. Is it on the menu for dinner tonight or something?

“Just wondering, Oinkus, why are you gathering monsters other than orcs in your village?” I asked.

“Oink. Do you know about the ‘demon,’ Slobe?”

I went quiet.

Oinkus took notice of my silence. “Huh? Slobe, why did you suddenly stop talking, oink?”

“Nah, it’s nothing. A demon, huh... Could you tell me more about them?”

“It’s a human who suddenly came to this country. This human steals the light. If you approach them, you won’t be able to see a thing. To fight that guy, we must overcome the barriers of race and come together as one, oink.”

Hearing that, I went quiet once again. This human that the orcs are wary of... It’s definitely Rooney. I guess the monsters have already noticed his presence at this point in time.

Calling that guy a demon, though... Considering his spells, it’s a rather accurate title. So the orcs are gathering monsters in their village to make a stand against the demon, and they say that they are fighting to drive him out one day. I suppose if you got a title as high as the king, you’d be pretty shrewd even if you’re an orc, huh?

“Slobe is a mage. An orc mage, oink!” The orcs continued to sing in unison.

I listened to their terrible song as we walked. The orcs all snorted as they chanted “Slobe” and made a fuss about it. Looks like the orcs have decided that’s my name, huh? Whenever I heard them call my name with their strange accents, I stifled a laugh.

Something had been bothering me this whole time. I hardened my resolve and asked the Orc King a question. “Hey Oinkus, I’ve been wondering about this for a while, but why is everyone wearing those weird decorations?” Including Oinkus, who wore a crown, the orcs decorated themselves with various accessories. To my knowledge, monsters wouldn’t typically do such a meaningless thing.

“Oink! You have a keen eye, Slobe! This is—” Oinkus began.

A dignified female voice rang out, finishing his sentence. “For the sake of differentiating from each other.”

Those were definitely the words of someone with keener intelligence, a contrast to the slowpoke orcs.

The voice continued. “They’ve managed to gain a peaceful life here for a short while, so these guys started to play around.”

I turned around to find that Charlotte was also looking around restlessly for the source of the voice.

Something patted me on the shoulder twice. I looked to my side. Oinkus, the Orc King who wore a makeshift, handmade crown, pointed to the sky with his left hand. The sky was only a blue canvas layered with white clouds, and nothing more. Is there someone there? I cocked my head up, following Oinkus’s gesture.

“I’ve heard all about you. You’re the one who can use magic despite being an orc, aren’t you?” the woman said.

“Huh. So you came to me, and not the other way around,” I muttered.

She had beautiful wings coming out of her back. Her species loved playing pranks and were odd among monsters for they were born with mana in their bodies. It was said that her kind was only born in the Briar Forest, a place located in the north part of the continent and shrouded in a deep fog. They were sometimes referred to as Flower Fairies as they always wore a beautiful flower somewhere on their bodies.

“Do you need me to introduce myself?” she asked.

Ah... I couldn’t help but feel that this was fate. Always beautiful in an ethereal way and captivating... Someone who acted for the future of the pitiful monsters of the north more than anyone else...

The kind fairy who ruled this country despite being a powerless pixie.

“Slobe! She is—” Oinkus began.

I hesitated for a moment before cutting him off. “I know, Oinkus.”

“Whaaat?! You’re so knowledgeable, Slobe! Just like I thought, you’re a very smart orc, oink!”

“Step aside, Oinkus,” the pixie ordered. “There’s something I’d like to ask that orc.”

“Lady Elyas! This guy is Slobe, an orc mage, oink!” Oinkus exclaimed.

I knew the woman who was currently making a slow descent from the sky. My mind flashed back to that exact moment when she sacrificed her life to save Shuya and Alicia at White Castle. Her eyes pierced me, as sharp as needles. I met her gaze head-on.

And just like that...I was able to come face-to-face with her, the pixie who was fated to die all too soon.

Oinkus introduced her. “Slobe! This is Lady Elyas, the current ruler of this country, oink!”

A cute pixie with a crown of white flowers on her head slowly came down from the sky. With light blonde hair and a slightly harsh glint in her eyes, she flapped her wings as she descended. She reminded me of your typical serious class president character from an anime. But even though her face was quite dignified... No matter how you look at her, she looks like an older human lady cosplaying as the pixie class president!

But no, forget that, she’s the head pixie in charge with light blonde hair, Elyas.

Pixies, also called the fairies of the forest, had pure and innocent-looking faces. However, they also wore clothes that toed the line between sweet and scandalous. I don’t know whether that’s the direct reason for it, but pixies are so popular among monster otakus that they’ve been crowned as one of the two unmatchable species, alongside succubi!

Elyas stared at Oinkus with incredulous eyes. Behind me, Charlotte looked up at Elyas with curiosity written all over her face.

“The Orc King over there doesn’t know how to shut up once he starts, so I’ll ignore him...” Elyas mumbled to herself before continuing. “Going back to what I said earlier, there’s an increasing number of individualistic orcs in the village where these guys live, thanks to the appearance of an odd Orc King interested in human culture. There are even some that try to show their unique character by only wearing a sock on one foot.”

“The Sole-Sock-Orc trend is the epitome of fashion that Oioioinkus cooked up! By the way, I, Oinkus, have a crown because I’m an Orc King! I’m an almighty king, ya know! Ah, that aside, Lady Elyas! Slobe over here was able to take out a giant lizard with a super strong spell earlier, oink!”

The pixie, who finally touched the ground, turned and faced me. “That’s what I want to talk about. Slobe, was it? What in the world is that about? I’ve never heard of an orc that can use magic.”

Pixies were generally quite short, and she was about average height for her race, so she was shorter than my orc self. Still, I really shouldn’t have expected less from a pixie. Her face is unbelievably beautiful and refined, and she even smells nice. I want to try petting her...

“There are a few things I’d like to ask. First off, where did you get that wand from?” she asked.

“I inherited this from my father, Oi Oin,” I said.

Elyas’s eyebrow twitched a few times, and she placed a hand to her temple. “One thing I will never understand is how you orcs come up with names... Um, so then, why did you two come to this country?”

I gave her a brief explanation. I said that the number of adventurers had increased in Daryth, making life difficult for us. We heard rumors that if we came to Huzak, a strong monster from the north would protect us. Then...I told her that we also came to take a look at White Castle, which was famous for its beauty.

Elyas had been nodding along as I spoke. However, the moment White Castle came up, her attitude shifted. “Don’t go near that place. A weird human has shown up and everyone is extremely unsettled. You would probably be killed for just approaching that area. Even I wouldn’t go near there without a plan.”

I see, so it really is the same as in the anime. Elyas’s influence doesn’t reach White Castle. However, I knew that Elyas was trying to form an alliance with the monsters in that area in order to fight Rooney.

As for Rooney, he saw White Castle as a foothold for uniting the continent. He started fierce battles with adventurers in the vicinity, and once he ran out of humans, he set his sights on the monsters living in and around the castle itself.

Oinkus spoke up. “Lady Elyas, I disagree with making those guys our allies, oink.”

“Beggars can’t be choosers in this situation, Oinkus. Though we have the upper hand in numbers, they have quality on their side. If those monsters agree to be our allies willingly, then even that human would...” Elyas trailed off, turning to me. “So, Slobe. Since you’re with Oinkus, I assume you’re heading to the orc village?”

“Yes, Lady Elyas! Slobe is going to become one of us in our village, oink!”

“That’s reassuring... Also, I’ve been curious for a while, but the monster over there is a pixie, right?” Elyas asked.

“Lady Elyas! Apparently, li’l Charlotte and Slobe are a couple! So yeah, that’s how it is, oink!”

“...Huh?” Elyas, who had been glancing Charlotte’s way with curiosity during the conversation, was floored at Oinkus’s words. She bent backward with a snap. She was so shocked that if we were in a manga, she would have a giant “freeze” sound effect plastered all over her.

“I-Is that true?!” Elyas exclaimed.

Charlotte seemed to answer on reflex. “Y-Yes?”

Elyas stood in front of Charlotte and rattled on without a care. “Are you serious? What’s so good about an orc? Why are you wearing clothes even though you’re a pixie? He’s an orc. An orc, you know?!”

Uh... What a harsh reaction. Even if I’m not actually an orc, I’m a little offended!

“Let’s have a heart-to-heart later, Charlotte. It’s also my job to listen to the stories of girls who ran away from home,” Elyas finished.

Pixies, who were also called fairies of the forest, had various tales associated with their race due to how cute they were. One of them was the title of a matchmaking Cupid. When she later interrogated Charlotte, Elyas didn’t show a single ounce of the dignity befitting Huzak’s boss. The woman in charge was nothing other than a grinning fairy who greedily gobbled up gossip about love.

“Slobe! This is my village, oink!”

Shabbily thrown together wooden fences surrounded the orc village. On one side of the village was a grassy plain, and the other exit of the village probably led to a forest. From even outside the fence, I could spot the disorderly gate that had strange, giant bones and feathers on display.

They had probably tried to restore a village that humans had abandoned and expanded it by cutting down trees. Square houses built with layered stones littered the entirety of the village, and orcs ran around the place snorting and chatting noisily. There were many orcs here doing various activities. Some were marching along steadily while carrying lumber. Others were cooking. Orc children were running around. You could really feel the lively, chaotic spirit of this village.

Oh, that’s... I noticed that the orcs were carrying the giant lizard I had defeated earlier into the depths of the village while snorting and panting in unison.

“Slobe! In my orc village, we even have specialist cooks, oink!” Oinkus declared proudly.

“Charlotte... Of course it was your own choice to run away from home in the Briar Forest, but for you to come all the way to the south... How did you do it? Did anything scary happen to you on the way? Are you okay?” Elyas asked.

It was a little surreal to see orcs opening doors and making their way in and out of their homes since they were usually thought of as foolish and clumsy. Oh. That door broke. Orcs are so strong, it’s probably hard for them to control their strength. I guess they can’t help it.

Still, seeing a village where monsters lived was a first for me. Charlotte seemed to share the same sentiment as she also looked around the village with fascination in her eyes.

“I’ll gift you a house too, Slobe! Would you prefer to live together with li’l Charlotte, oink?”

Elyas continued her own conversation. “Charlotte, listen carefully. I wouldn’t say that all humans are our enemies. However, once upon a time, pixies were used to put on shows for humans and we really suffered. Surely you know that too! Wait...Charlotte, are you serious about living with an orc?! Are you really fine with that, as a pixie?!”

All right. I admit it. My heart is overcome with exhilaration right now. This place was where Shuya and Alicia had stayed in the anime, and now I was here too. Though we were a little early, this meant that we would fulfill the roles they had in Huzak in the anime’s timeline.

“Poiiink... A weird cat is chasing me, poiiink...”

I heaved a sigh internally, the magic of the moment broken by Charlotte’s “pet.” I’m having a moment here... The Great Spirit took no time to start playing with the orc children and chasing them. I swear, nothing can chain that spirit down...

Since there were so many orcs here, I had thought that Charlotte might struggle to tell me apart if I didn’t have something to identify me. However, as Elyas said, the orcs in this village were all unique in their own ways. There was an orc that only had a sock on one foot, another orc that had a leaf on their head, an orc that was trying to look cool by holding a twig in their mouth... Did that last one think he was in an old samurai drama or something?

“Slobe! Currently, our village is under an unprecedented threat. The humans that the demon faced are all gone now, and... Well, lately, the demon has started killing monsters for fun, oink. We fear that it’ll be our turn now that the humans are done with, and that he might come to this village as well...”

“Okay, Charlotte. Like what Oinkus just said, there’s a very dangerous human in this country, just like the rest. This human isn’t a soldier from Daryth or Cirquista, nor are they an adventurer. Those humans aren’t a threat to pixies like us at all. A small threat is enough to scare away humans creating havoc in Huzak, but the human we’re talking about this time is different, Charlotte.”

In the past, Huzak used to be a haven for adventurers lacking in morals—a place where they could do anything they wished. Elyas said that they had the most trouble with adventurers from Zenelaus, the Dungeon City. Yet somehow they deemed that this man was more dangerous than those adventurers.

This man was the enemy I must defeat.

“I-It’s not like I’m trying to frighten you or anything!” Elyas stammered. “It’s just that...pixies are already targeted by adventurers since we fetch good money, so... It’s always safer to be overly cautious rather than underprepared.”

Charlotte listened attentively to Elyas, who was a family member of the famous Blue Light. Oddly enough, it seemed that Elyas was the only one she wasn’t scared of.

I sniffed, getting a whiff of a delicious smell. For some reason, the pleasant fragrance of grilling meat was in the air. “Hey, Oinkus,” I muttered. “Don’t tell me, this smell is...”

Up until a little while ago, I had been the blackhearted Piggy Duke who had done whatever I wanted. Even if I might not have looked like myself anymore, my accumulated experience and skills hadn’t gone away. In other words, I was still extreeemely sensitive to the smell of food!

I took a gulp from a misshapen wooden mug filled to the brim with water, then chomped down on the meat. “Yum! This is so good!!!”

There was an area in the village with wooden tables and chairs that looked like an outdoor classroom, and apparently, it was where the orcs dined.

Here, there was a feast of hot, steaming food. Meat and wild plants were generously piled into wooden bowls. Charlotte nodded with admiration at the meal. Considering that she didn’t comment on anything, the wild plants were edible as well. Right now, the meat in my mouth belonged to the Attack Lizard I had taken down earlier. Aaah... Food is the best! I felt energy permeate my entire body and all my organs, giving me vitality.

“We want to eat too, oink... Unfair, oink,” an orc complained.

“’S it really fine for him to drink tha’ much water? It’s precious, oink!” another orc chimed in to complain.

It apparently wasn’t supposed to be mealtime yet and other orcs stared at us enviously. However, the tale of me being an orc mage had spread like wildfire across the village, along with the rumor that I had been the one to take down the giant lizard. Thanks to that, the other orcs seemed placated and figured it was okay. Orcs really are simpleminded, aren’t they?

“Oinkus, is water a precious resource here?” I asked.

“Lately, a huge snake started living in the lake where we usually get our water. Since then, the water has only gotten dirtier and dirtier, so we’ve started going to faraway ponds to get more. But Slobe, you don’t have to worry about those old men, oink.”

Huh, I see. Seems like the monsters of this village are troubled. For the sake of gathering intel, I wanted to get their trust as soon as possible, so I guess I’d give them a hand here. But that wasn’t all. Personally, water was a matter of life and death to me as well. Thus, I stuffed down all my lunch without stopping and stood up.

“Oinkus, bring me to that lake you mentioned.”

●

I came to this land by forcing my way here despite my sister’s objections. My younger sister has a silly title like “Demon King” in the north. I wanted to prove that a normal pixie, even without great power, could also create a peaceful world for monsters. How many years has it been since then, I wonder? Elyas thought.

“Even that Eagle Eye guy wasn’t able to do anything, oink. There’s no way that the orc mage could deal with it,” an orc muttered.

“In the end, Lady Elyas was useless, oink,” another said.

I thought that such a day would come eventually. A monster I couldn’t handle would appear, and my powerlessness will be forced out into the open. I am helpless, unlike my sister in the north. I’m just a normal pixie who’s only a little good at controlling the wind. The moment someone looks down on me, even once...I’m done for.

“Hey, don’t say that! Lady Elyas is sad, oink.”

“He’s not wrong. Like I thought, Lady Elyas is different from the great Demon Lord. If the Demon Lord were here, she’d take care of it in seconds, oink.”

The hydra that had decided to take up residence in the depths of the lake had been a thorn in Elyas’s side for a long time. She wanted to come up with a remarkable solution and be recognized as the leader of Huzak. Such thoughts were certainly a part of it, but there was also a more important reason. If the water supply issue was fixed, monsters could move and settle in the orc village at a faster rate. She wanted to gather as many monsters as she could in the village to prepare for the inevitable standoff with the demon.

The problem was that the hydra only appeared on the surface once every few days. Even if she wanted to hunt it down, she didn’t have any way to attack it while it was underwater, so she was struggling with how to deal with it.

However, the boy... The orc mage confidently declared to leave matters to him, as if it were no big deal. She couldn’t rule it out as big talk; he had already managed to easily defeat a monster that even the Orc King had trouble with.

As for the orc mage, a vast and boundless lake lay before him right now.

Elyas hesitated before she spoke up. “Slobe, what are you planning on doing?”

“‘In for a penny, in for a pound,’ as they say,” he said. “Everyone, please stand back.”

Obeying his request, Elyas and the orcs stepped away. Seeing that, the orc mage simply waved his wand, and that was all.

However, Elyas’s instincts told her that the enormous hydra in the water was mad. “Slobe! What did you—”

“Look, it’s coming out!”

Several pillars of water rose from the lake’s surface all at once. Elyas manifested a wind barrier to protect the crowd. She realized that this was an attack from the hydra hidden in the depths of the lake. Likely, the orc mage Slobe did something to it underwater... Something that was off-putting to the hydra, and he incurred its wrath.

The great coiled hydra lifted its head out of the water. But my bodyguard Eagle Eye isn’t here... Elyas saw a tragic future waiting for her.

The next moment didn’t betray her expectations. Water with a will of its own cut through the air, flying down towards everyone standing near the lake’s bank: the orcs, Elyas, and the orc mage himself.

Nobody could move...except the orc mage, who only put away his wand as if he had finished his job. Then, Elyas felt a chill in the air.

She stared at the scene before her.

The lake was freezing over. The water turned into ice at an unbelievably fast rate, and the future Elyas predicted could no longer happen. Instead, a giant ice sculpture of a hydra was born...and her eyes met with those of the orc mage.

As many orcs let out screams of exhilaration, he spoke to Elyas. “You’re gonna pick a fight with the demon. If you’re having trouble against a mere hydra, you won’t be able to do anything against him.”

Elyas was shocked to her core. “Slobe, just... Just who are you...?”

In the brief moment when the orc mage passed her by, he whispered in a voice so low that only she could hear his next words. “You see, Elyas... I’m an orc mage who came to defeat that demon.”

And this was how the two met. She, a certain pixie who was given special treatment as the sister of the Demon King of the North, the Blue Light. And he, an extraordinarily unusual orc mage.

●

Even when I shut my door, I could still hear the sounds of horseplay filtering into the house. Those guys... Just how long are they planning on continuing with the feast to celebrate defeating the hydra? I’m at my limit, ya know!

Being the savior who solved the village’s water supply issue, I had been placed at the heart of the feast. For the whole time, I had been forced to watch the orcs’ party tricks and listen to their awful songs. I had only just been released from what seemed like an endless bash!

“I’m back, Charlotte...” I muttered.

“Welcome back, Master Slowe. They gave you a huge, warm welcome,” Charlotte commented.

“Welcomed... Was I really? They were just making a big fuss the whole time, so I couldn’t tell. Still, isn’t this village way too dark at night? I doubt that they were even able to make out my face.”

“The orcs...” Charlotte trailed off. “It seems that they are really scared of the person they’re calling a demon. Is that demon the person who attacked Marco, though?”

“Most likely. Wait, thinking about it... Even if they aren’t using fire, I think they’d end up provoking him if they made such an uproar.”

Apparently, the orcs in this village refrained from using fire as much as they could at night so that they wouldn’t attract the attention of the demon visiting Huzak. The orcs were terrified of this lone human. Just being with them for one day was enough for me to tell.

According to Elyas, her subordinate was off monitoring the demon’s every move. He was far away at the moment, so there was no risk of an attack, or so she had said.

“Well, today, the demon isn’t around and their drinking water supply problem was solved, so they’re probably partying as hard as they can. They gave us a decent house too. Gotta thank them for that.”

“I’m really glad they did,” Charlotte said at length. “I braced myself for sleeping out in the open in Huzak as a worst-case scenario.”

The house provided to us was a shabby one near the outskirts of the village. From the looks of it, since Charlotte had been released from the feast earlier than I was, she had cleaned up the place.

“More importantly, Charlotte, Elyas seemed to cling to you the whole time. What did you two talk about?”

“Well... I think Miss Elyas assumed that I’m a pixie that ran away from home, and it was really tricky for me to go along with that story.”

Just like how the orcs wouldn’t let me go, Elyas had stuck to Charlotte’s side like glue the whole day. Elyas made the reasonable but wrong assumption that Charlotte had run away from her family in the northern Briar Forest, where pixies lived, to the south, and she looked really worried about Charlotte. From what I heard from my retainer, Elyas had interrogated her for every little detail about what kind of life Charlotte led up until now.

“So what about White Castle?” I asked.

“Miss Elyas said that the castle is occupied by the strongest monsters in Huzak and that even she couldn’t get close...”

The castle Charlotte used to live in was the heart of Huzak, a structure that stood quietly in the forest. That general area was currently a den for particularly territorial monsters, so Elyas’s help was absolutely necessary if we wanted to get near the place.

Elyas was currently trying to make an alliance with the monsters of White Castle to fight against the demon. If we followed her when she went to negotiate, we could probably approach the castle rather easily.

“Now that I know being by Miss Elyas’s side means I have a chance to go... I think I have the motivation to try my best. A question for you, now, Master Slowe. Did you manage to ask about detailed information for your task?”

“I asked the orcs during the feast. They said that recently, there’s been a crazy human massacring Huzak’s monsters. That man is probably the guy who destroyed Marco’s squad. From what I heard, he’s far from normal.”

“Miss Elyas said that because he’s dangerous, her winged bodyguard is constantly monitoring him from the skies. I wonder what they mean when they say he steals light, though...”

“It’s probably a darkness spell. That aside, Charlotte, it looks like you aren’t scared of Elyas?”

“It’s because this isn’t the time for me to be scared! I need to hurry up and return to White Castle, and there are a lot of things I want to look for... Ah, that’s right. Miss Elyas mentioned that starting tomorrow, she’s heading off to settlements near this village. Since she needs everyone’s help to fight the demon, she’s going around and calling for people to gather here.”

“That reminds me. Oinkus, the Orc King, mentioned something along those lines too. Coming together to take down the demon or something.”

“About that... Um... Miss Elyas said that she’s going to teach me lots of stuff, so I think I’m going to go with her starting tomorrow. The Great Spirit will be with me, but I’ll try my best to be careful.”

“If you want to go to White Castle safely, you need to gain Elyas’s trust. I think it’s for the best.”

By their nature, pixies weren’t monsters that excelled at combat. As a result, Elyas always had a few strong monsters by her side as bodyguards, and the monsters in Huzak greatly respected such a pixie. The fact that Elyas stopped by this orc village often was probably one of the big reasons why so many monsters decided to settle here.

Huh, you know, I’m able to talk a lot more easily to Charlotte now than I thought. Maybe...she isn’t angry anymore, perhaps? “Charlotte... Uh, about the fact that I kept my silence about your secret for so long...”

However, it seemed that at that moment, my luck ran out.

“Master Slowe, right now, I can only think about returning to White Castle and nothing else... It feels like I’m deceiving Miss Elyas with this form so I feel a little guilty, but I don’t know how long we can stay here, so...”

I went silent for a moment. “Sorry, you’re right. That isn’t something I should bring up now.”

I’m here to defeat Rooney and change the future. This takes priority over everything else in my eyes right now. Of course, Charlotte also came to Huzak for her own reasons. Compared to how important her homeland is to her, our relationship issues are like a fly you can simply swat away. No, they’re more like a bug you ignore altogether!

“I also have something I must achieve here. Our time in Huzak is short, so let’s both do our best to accomplish our respective g—”

I was cut off by the shouting of an orc outside. “Let’s party all the way into the morning today, oink!”

“Oink! Hell yeah, it’s the arrival of Age of the Orcs!”

“Those guys outside need to learn how to shut up...” I grumbled. Jeez... These orcs really know how to ruin a moment, don’t they?

Even if they snorted while claiming that they didn’t use fire so as to not provoke the demon, making this much noise totally defeated the purpose! However, they seemed to be having fun, so I left them be.

Not only that...but right now, their silly ruckus was something I was thankful for, at the very least.

When I left my house the next morning, I found a pile of unmoving orc corpses on the ground. Well, they had collapsed, but they weren’t actually dead. It seemed that they had all passed out under the influence of alcohol.

Even though other monsters also joined the feast, most of the half-dead bodies on the ground were orcs. They snored loudly as they slept.

Welp, that’s the excitable nature of orcs for you. These guys... I wonder how they’d react if they found out that I’m a human. They might be surprisingly unaffected by... No, that’s not possible. Even orcs wouldn’t be that carefree...

I walked through the village, careful not to step on any of the orc corpses. “Oops, that was a close one.”

Everything had gone without a hitch yesterday. I honestly hadn’t thought that I would be able to come to the orc village during my first day in Huzak.

This was where Shuya and Alicia stayed in the anime. Once I had that thought in mind, the fact that I had actually come to a foreign world felt so real.

“Slobe, you’re up early. Is Charlotte still at home?”

The monster who talked to me was from a race hunted down wildly by humans as exhibits to please the eyes due to their ethereal beauty: a pixie. Because of that, there were practically no sightings of them in the south nowadays.

She came at the perfect time. There was a lot I wanted to talk about with Elyas, but yesterday, she only had eyes for her kin, Charlotte, so I had refrained.

“Yeah, she’s still asleep,” I answered.

“I see. She mentioned that it’s the first time she’s in a place with so many monsters, so she’s probably tired from the feast yesterday.”

Elyas’s guess was likely right on the mark. In the first place, Charlotte didn’t have positive emotions towards monsters. There’s no way she could. Monsters were the ones who had destroyed her homeland, after all.

However, in the case of Elyas... Between her absolutely adorable pixie looks and the fact that Charlotte needed to get chummy with her to go to White Castle, Charlotte had taken the initiative to be friendly.

“Right... She might be tired. I mean, I know you can’t excuse her completely just because of that, but if Charlotte acts weird when an orc talks to her, please forgive her.”

Elyas giggled. “Acting weird, you say?”

How would Charlotte react to this large group of monsters when she wakes up this morning? Though she had implied that she wasn’t affected last night, another day had passed and reality must be sinking in. I didn’t know what she would think. In my opinion, this morning was going to be a critical moment for her.

“From what I saw from you yesterday, Slobe... Even though you’re an orc, you don’t really get carried away easily, do you?”

“You think so?”

“Orcs are monsters who only live in the moment and do whatever comes to their mind, aren’t they? However, you left halfway during the feast last night. It was rather rare.”

Well, I’m a human, so yeah.

She continued. “Hey, there’s something I wanted to ask about Charlotte. May I?”

I hesitated. “Sure.”

“Slobe, where did you meet her? She said that you two met in Daryth, but that’s impossible. A pixie surviving for many years without being found by humans in the south... I can’t even imagine it.”

Pixies were very popular monsters due to their adorable faces. Even when she was deep in thought, there was something endearing about her. Watching her, I couldn’t help a smile crawling onto my face. I knew that Elyas wasn’t doing it on purpose, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to turn down her requests if she made any.

It was also probably because I had a really good impression of her actions in the anime... Thus, I really hoped that a future where Elyas met such a tragic end would never come to pass.

“Slobe, what I’m trying to say is... As long as she’s here, I want to take care of her as much as I can.”

Yesterday, Charlotte had told me that she would follow Elyas around. I didn’t have any objections to that. However, I’ll ask her this just in case. “Why is that?”

“The biggest reason is that we’re of the same race. That’s not all, though... She said that she can’t fly, right? And she can’t use wind magic either. A pixie like her would usually be deemed hopeless and be thrown away immediately. That’s why it’s the first time I’ve seen one who has grown up as much as she has.”

Well, I mean, Charlotte’s a human too, that’s why. I groaned inwardly with guilt. I feel awful since it feels like I’m deceiving her, but...so far, even Elyas, who has a good intuition, doesn’t seem to suspect Charlotte is a human at all.

Elyas continued. “So, thank you. I give you my gratitude as a fellow pixie.”

“You’re thanking me? Why?”

“I’ve never heard of an orc and a pixie as a couple, but...it seems that she’s quite attached to you, Slobe. She probably led a happy life since she was able to be with...you... Ah, Charlotte!”

Charlotte walked out of the house while rubbing her eyes. She seemed pretty shocked when she saw the orcs half-dead from the wine, but she walked around them nimbly to approach us. In her arms, she hugged the Great Spirit of Wind, who also seemed half-conscious. Looks like I was worried for nothing.

I heard Oinkus’s voice. “Slobe, come over for a sec! I’m going to introduce you to everyone that wasn’t there for your introduction yesterday. First, let’s go to Golm the golem’s place, oink!”

“Looks like Oinkus is calling for me. So then, Elyas, please take care of Charlotte,” I said.

“Leave it to me.” Elyas gave a short answer as she softened her expression.

And Elyas, who didn’t know anything about her original future from the anime, kicked the ground to take off like the pixie she was, floated slightly, and finally landed in front of Charlotte’s eyes.

Right now, Elyas and Oinkus were both using their connections to try and draw monsters of different races to the village. When I had first met Oinkus, he had mentioned that the orc village was developing at an extraordinary rate, and I certainly saw that to be true.

“Unless we all come together as one, we can’t win against the demon! We even have an orc mage—the same mage who was able to take down the infamous hydra, oink! ...All right, successful introduction! Now, let’s go to the next one, Slobe!”

However, even from what my general knowledge told me, I had never even heard of monsters from different races gathering and living in one place. It was probably a sign of how far the fear of the demon had spread among the monsters lurking in Huzak. They all knew that if the man ever set his sights on them, they couldn’t fight back with just their own power.

“Hey there! Go back to the lake where you used to be, oink!”

“Oinkus, why are you talking to the pond?” I asked.

“There is an undine, a water nymph, in here. However, since the hydra had stolen its residence, it moved here, oink.”

“Ah, I see. If you want the undine to come out, you have to say something special. Let’s see...”

Races with different lifestyles and cultures were all gathered in the orc village. Thus, fights were bound to break out very often, but monsters like Oinkus would cut in and try to mediate the quarrel.

As for me, being out and about every day meant that I came across many interesting situations. For example, I saved a golem drowning in the river with a wind spell, and then I saved a slime that sunbathed for too long and nearly dried up with a water spell.

Whenever this type of thing happened, it reminded me of being at Kirsch, solving the troubles of the people there with my magic. Using spells to heal rough hands, fixing a broken magic sculpture... Back then, Charlotte and I had worked very hard as a pair to fix my terrible reputation.

“Whoa, awesome! The hermit undine really came out, oink!”

“Oinkus, to tell the truth, my knowledge isn’t just average at all,” I said smugly.

Hmm... I wonder what everyone in Daryth is doing. Are there students helping out with the reconstruction of the campus? I heard that they pay pretty well, and earth mages would be especially helpful for construction... Ah, people like Tina might be helping out.

Apparently, Professor Loco Moco’s one of the people in charge of reconstruction plans, so he’s probably busy every single day. Valjean’s probably at home. At the end of the day, I know he cherishes his family a lot. However... Yeah, those two are the ones I’m the most curious about.

“Theeere you are, the rumored orc mage! Please cast a Heal on me, guoooh!” A monster howled in my direction.

“The orc mage is super famous! A lot of monsters just piled in here and are asking to be healed, oink!” Oinkus yelled.

I was appalled. “What? Wait, where in the world did that rumor come from?”

But of course, I’m curious about Shuya and Alicia. In the anime, the two made use of the long holidays to go to the Dungeon City Zenelaus in the Freedom Union. Shuya quietly made a plan to cut across Huzak as a shortcut, and he actually managed to go through with his plan.

However, now that I had come to this place, I knew one thing for sure: Huzak was currently too dangerous. Shuya, don’t come here. I beg you, don’t come here. Forcing your way through Huzak to Zenelaus... Anyone who tries that must have a death wish!

“Orc King, that demon destroyed the kobold clan from what I hear, oink! The survivors are requesting entrance into this orc village, oink!” an orc reported.

“We’ve always argued with each other, but we should all help each other in times of need. Let’s take them in. Okay, let’s make new houses. Call the golems here, oink!” Oinkus ordered.

Wow, there’s no sign of the influx of monsters stopping at all. Most of the monsters are taking a liking to the village and deciding to settle here too.

The flow of time felt slow in the orc village, and the monsters here were gentle and calm. For those that had survived the harsh north, this place was probably like a paradise with few outside enemies, but... Something’s still off. The monsters that are gathered in this village are obviously way more numerous than in the anime! I mean, it’s helpful that so many monsters are gathered in this village. I definitely don’t wanna fight a strong guy like Rooney one-on-one.

At the very least, I want there to be a lot of monsters around so they could pressure him, so I suppose this is working in my favor, but hmm...

“Hey, Oinkus,” I called out. “We’ve already done enough for today. Isn’t it about time to head back?”

“Not yet! We’ll go all the way to the finish today, oink!”

At this rate, we’ll probably get back late at night again. I heaved a sigh inwardly. Looks like I won’t have any time to talk to Charlotte today either.

Elyas had kept true to her word and brought Charlotte to all kinds of places, so it was common for Charlotte and me to only see each other again late at night.

Speaking of Elyas, the ruler of Huzak... She had requested permission to be the one in charge of Huzak from her little sister, the Demon King of the North. Though she had faced objections from her sister, she was stubborn and had come to this country anyway. The Blue Light had given Elyas several robust monsters and asked that she at least bring them around as her bodyguards.

Right now, Elyas was making plans to gather all the monsters she could in the orc village. The Orc King protecting the village agreed with Elyas, so everything was going smoothly.

I paused. “Oinkus, I see something in the sky. Wait, is that...a griffin?”

“We call it Eagle Eye. It’s the monster who protects Lady Elyas, oink.”

Ah, I see. That’s the one who monitors the demon at all times, Eagle Eye. With a stern and seemingly hard-to-please face, the monster fixed its gaze in one spot from its position in the skies. Is it able to monitor the demon’s every movement perfectly from up there or something? That can’t be. If it is, just how good are its eyes?!

“Slobe, the Eagle Eye is very prideful, so I’d advise against talking to it, oink. A dragon ignored it, and then it tried to ambush the demon from the skies a while ago, but it got counterattacked. Ever since that happened, it has been on edge. Whenever it sees me talking with Lady Elyas, it gets mad at me, screeching that a lowly orc shouldn’t dare, oink...”

Oh, so it’s one of those who discriminate against orcs. That’s a trait pretty common among strong monsters. The general impression of orcs is that they are excessively numerous but weak. It’s pitiful, but you can’t argue against the truth.

“Wait, it attacked the demon?” I asked. “If I remember right, hasn’t Elyas temporarily banned attacks against him?”

“She has. But that guy definitely did it to try and look cool in front of Lady Elyas, oink.”

“Oinkus...” I said slowly. “Did you tease that griffin?”

Oinkus didn’t reply, and that was more than enough for me. “So you did tease them... Of course it’d be mad at you.”

I see... Even a griffin doesn’t stand a chance against Rooney, huh? I asked Oinkus for more details. Apparently, Eagle Eye, the griffin in the skies, hadn’t even been able to get one hit in. But it won’t be a problem. I know how that soldier fights, and I also know what that guy would prioritize when driven into a corner.

That’s why...I need more of them. Gather in the orc village, monsters of Huzak. More and more of you, so that I can force him into a tight spot.

●

While such thoughts went through the boy’s head...

Like every other day, the former princess of Huzak was exhausted yet again today, and she opened the door of their run-down house on the outskirts of the village. After she closed it behind her, she let out a sigh. Feeling relieved of her burdens, she collapsed onto the bed. Before her was the Great Spirit of Wind in a tiny body. Though they were assigned to be her bodyguard, they had never actually acted on their position a single time.

“Charlotte, you look tired again today, meow.”

“Of course I am, in this kind of environment. I’m exhausted.” Every single day, she was surrounded by so many orcs and had to spend her time with monsters. Her reaction was only natural.

Taking on the form of a monster herself, she had been able to return to her homeland of Huzak. Then, by a stroke of luck, she had been able to meet the monster that ruled over it, and she had been able to gain the information she wanted. The kind pixie gladly told Charlotte everything she wanted to know. Little by little, she was growing used to life here, and she was surprised by her own feelings.

“Great Spirit, have you grown used to being here yet?” she asked.

“It’s fun. Chasing orc brats around is fun, meow.”

Charlotte was silent for a moment before speaking up carefully. “You are too carefree.”

Having been in Huzak for a short while now, she understood why Slowe had chosen to change her into a pixie. However, she hadn’t been able to see him lately. She knew that he had been going around with the Orc King until late in the night to persuade stubborn monsters to join them. However, unlike her, he seemed to be having lots of fun since he transformed into an orc. Even though he’s a human, he’s becoming friends with monsters. Doesn’t he consider the possibility of what might happen when they find out?

Charlotte sighed. “Great Spirit, please bring me to White Castle. If you would just help me a little, I wouldn’t have to go through all this trouble...”

“Charlotte... There’s no longer anyone left in White Castle, meow...”

Charlotte took a while before she could answer the spirit. “I know that.”

“Then why? Why do you want to go there, meow?”

This pet of hers was always like this. They had been by her side for a long time, but they never lifted a paw to take action for her sake. The one who always faced Charlotte’s foes for her was him. She knew that. She knew that. After all, he was the person she was the most grateful to.

However, that was all the more reason why... He could have just told me earlier about his secret!

“I’m...keeping that a secret from you, Great Spirit!”

“So stingy, meow.”

Charlotte lay on the bed and closed her eyes. It was her way of getting back at her friend, who had pretended they couldn’t talk all this time.

Then, there was only silence left in the room.

That evening, Charlotte dreamed for the first time in a while.

She dreamed of the past—of happy times here in Huzak, much unlike the present where she could find neither hide nor hair of humans no matter where she walked.

Her father was there, as well as her mother, and she didn’t have a care in the world. Unlike now, she had never wondered what happiness was back then, and she had never worried about having warm bedding and food.

She hadn’t dreamed of her homeland for many years, and these dreams made her so nostalgic that it took her by surprise... Because she was able to remember those halcyon days for the first time in a long time, she couldn’t help a smile from crawling onto her face.

After she had come back to Huzak, she once again was forced to face the reality that her homeland had disappeared. However, there was still one reason why she aimed to go to White Castle, despite it being void of people.

I want to tell him my honest feelings. Would he be happy if I gave that to him?

●

I returned to the orc village sometime after midnight. When I finally entered my house, I found Charlotte deep asleep as always, lying on her bed without making a sound.

Every day, an extremely anxious Charlotte spent time with Elyas and her bodyguard monsters. If anything were to happen to her, the Great Spirit of Wind by her side would probably protect her with everything they had.

Even then, being with monsters around the clock was probably suffocating. I’d had a similar experience myself today; my heart had skipped a beat as the monsters had started talking about a black dragon that had apparently gone around and razed these lands.

Perhaps because of that, whenever Charlotte came back home, she always immediately collapsed into bed and tried her best to recover her stamina.

I stared at her quietly. Despite all that, her sleeping face looks so peaceful. Just what kind of dream is she having? She’s in a place where she can’t relax, so I hope that she can have as happy of a dream as possible.

I muttered to myself, “That reminds me... A little while ago, Elyas did say that Charlotte was very curious and inquisitive.”

According to her, pixies were generally cowardly and didn’t take initiative to interact with monsters from other races. Yet Charlotte was the one who began to talk to Elyas’s bodyguards first, and she continued working in earnest to fit in. Elyas had smiled at that, saying that she shouldn’t have expected anything less from a girl who had run away from home, but...

Why is Charlotte trying that hard? Is it because she wants to go to White Castle? That place is her home and where she grew up, I get that. Like her, I sometimes reminisce about my memories back in the Denning lands too... But right now, that place is nothing more than a ruin.

What in the world is driving Charlotte to go so far? On the night we came to this orc village, she said that there was something she wanted to find in White Castle, but...

“She probably wouldn’t tell me,” I mused. “From what I know, she even keeps it a secret from the Great Spirit.”

We had left the capital and come to Huzak all by ourselves. I’d thought that we might be able to be together in the evenings at least, but it seemed that the only thing in Charlotte’s head was going to White Castle...

If everything keeps going smoothly and Charlotte does get to go there, what will she do? Aim to restore Huzak, maybe? She is royalty. Maybe she has a noble aim that I can’t even try to imagine? ...She probably does. At the end of the day, she is a princess, after all...

I fell silent.

Even the Great Spirit of Wind was dozing without a care in the world, making strange sounds as they snored.

I sighed and mumbled to myself. “Hear me out once in a while too, okay? Even I have things I worry about, ya know...?”

Haaah, I’m hungry. I suppose I’ll ask Oinkus and grab something to munch on for now.

I took one step outside my house into a village overflowing with monsters sleeping on the bare ground without a cushion in sight. Like I thought, monsters other than orcs have visibly increased compared to before. The reason behind that... Well, one thing probably plays a big part.

“Slobe!” An orc came up to me along with several others. “Cast that glowing spell on this thing I picked up in the woods, oink!”

I enchanted the accessories the orcs brought to me with a light spell. Once I did that, the items started glowing faintly in reaction to the darkness. A light this faint probably wouldn’t provoke that demon who’s out there somewhere.

“I’m tired today, so I’ll leave the rest for tomorrow, ’kay?” I muttered.

Perhaps due to the influence of the demon who stole light, the fear of darkness was widespread in the orc village. The small light I provided had sent the monsters here over the moon. Seeing this dim light, even more monsters had started gathering here.

“It’s a beautiful light, Slobe,” Elyas said.

“Elyas,” I said at length. “You’re still awake? It’s really late right now.”

“Thanks for worrying about me. But what you want to ask about isn’t me, it’s about Charlotte, isn’t it?”

I hesitated. “You can tell?”

“I’ll have you know she’s doing great. And that’s the truth.”

“I’m glad to hear that. But Elyas, I am also worried about your health, ya know.”

Elyas giggled. “Thanks.”

The orc village had obtained a few light sources now, and it had come to be overflowing with all kinds of monsters from all kinds of races. However, this pixie was definitely still special to me above everyone else. This kind woman was the ruler of Huzak, even though she didn’t look the part at all.

Talking to Elyas was important. Asking about Charlotte’s everyday life was important too, but... Right now, the best source of information about the demon lying in wait was Elyas.

“I’ve wanted to ask this for a while, but...are you quarreling with Charlotte at the moment?”

I stammered, “Wh-Wha—”

“Is it true? Are you two fighting? Am I asking something weird?”

“Wh...Why... May I ask why you think we are...?”

“I’ve almost never seen you two actually together, that’s why. You also often come to me and ask about Charlotte, so I thought you two might not be talking much at home.”

She’s allllllways sleeping, that’s why! And you keep bringing Charlotte all over the place and tiring her out! I wanted to shout that out loud, but I forced the urge down.

In the daytime, I had been spending my time near the orc village doing odd jobs and tackling problems that people approached me with.

The tension between Charlotte and me was still hanging overhead, unresolved. That was all because our schedules didn’t overlap at all.

“Not only that, but you both feel distant from each other. It’s as if you’re both trying to be considerate and end up being too reserved with the other one.”

“It...It’s not like it matters to you, Elyas,” I stammered.

“Oh really? I wonder about that.” Elyas seemed to be having the time of her life for some reason.

She didn’t have her usual serious air about her, unlike when she acted regally as the ruler of this land. Surely this is her natural self. Pixies are monsters that love gossip and rumors, after all.

She continued. “Also, Slobe. What you said after you defeated the hydra at the lake... Were you serious?”

I paused. “Did I say something back then?”

“You declared to me that you’d defeat the demon. That man is a human whom even the Eagle Eye deemed undefeatable, you know that? Eagle Eye is a griffin that used to lead groups of monsters in the north. It belongs to a class of monster that normally wouldn’t be assigned to be a mere bodyguard of mine. And that exact same Eagle Eye was the one who said that it’s impossible to defeat the demon.”

“Elyas, I’m serious about it.”

“I think you’re a very strong mage, but it’s unreasonable. It’s better to give up on that.”

One single human was enough to thrust this many monsters into the darkest crevices of fear, and he was the “demon” that had appeared in Huzak. Everyone here lived with that anxiety. Apparently, their instincts as monsters told them that it was all for naught...and that it was impossible to win against that human.

I really, reeeally get where they’re coming from. This was an event that Shuya was meant to lose in the anime, after all. Rooney was a character that an awakened Shuya was meant to defeat, but not anytime before that happened.

“I want you to keep this between the two of us, but I did come to this country to defeat that demon,” I declared.

My words were so insolent that Elyas couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. “Then, to lessen your burden, I guess I’ll work hard and try to get you two to make up!”

I knew that she always kept an eye out for monsters that wanted to pick a fight with the demon, and she stopped them before they started unnecessary battles. I also knew that she was quietly trying to negotiate an alliance with the monsters gathered in White Castle.

“Ah, that reminds me... Charlotte said that she wanted a wand, of all things. A pixie asking for a wand is bizarre, isn’t it? But she seemed deadly serious about it. Oh dear, Slobe, why are you suddenly making such a weird face?”

I had an epiphany. “That’s it!”

Back when we were in the capital’s castle, I had briefly thought about a plan to lighten up Charlotte’s mood with a present. At the time, I had given up because I didn’t know what kind of thing would make her happy, but... Oh! I’m an idiot! I saw her working so hard for such a long time at Kirsch and I still didn’t think of it!

Without thinking, I took the pixie’s hands in mine. “Elyas! Thank you!”

“Huh? Did I say something weird?”

“No! Elyas, the wand! That’s it! Why hadn’t I realized that up until now?!”

“Uh, yeah. Did you have a eureka moment or something?”

“I did! I can’t just stand around here now. I gotta think about where that might be!”

As a mage, I had a personal wand. And now that Charlotte had fully awakened as a mage, she also needed a splendid wand of her own. She was a royal princess, after all. Charlotte was the most familiar girl to me, over both Alicia and Princess Carina. I knew her well, so I was sure that she would definitely be happy about it.

After all, that thing is in White Castle, isn’t it? It was such a brilliant idea. I felt my elation take over me, and...

“I’m tired, but if there’s anyone who wants that light spell, I’ll do it for you now! First come, first served. Ten people only!” I declared.

And then, well... Suddenly, the orcs that were supposedly asleep started charging in my direction all at once.

●

Huzak’s neighboring countries hadn’t noticed at all, but...

Due to a certain human that the orcs called the “demon who steals light,” spirits were low among the monsters of Huzak.

Today was yet another day filled with noise and chatter in the orc village, but the village’s recent growth could only be called abnormal. On top of that, due to one single monster, the village had also suddenly started regaining light in the evenings.

“The night has become so bright lately. It isn’t scary anymore, oink.”

“Oink! So many monsters. So fun, oink.”

Normally, monsters of different races living in one place would be out of the question. The only exceptions would be in dungeons, where monsters aimed to evolve in the midst of bloodbaths with each other or gather under a defining and overwhelmingly charismatic leader like the Blue Light.

An orc hummed to himself. “The orc village is so lively, oink.”

“Goblins are sneaking peeks over here from outside the village, oink!”

What made this even more strange was that the place where these monsters had gathered was in an orc village, of all places. Orcs were made fun of as the lowest of the low by all other monsters.

Even when Elyas had previously asked for their cooperation, the monsters had never come together as one. It took a real and apparent threat like the demon to appear for this to come true. No one would say it out loud, but they were probably all anxious.

Somewhere out past the borders of the village was a human slaughterer who even murdered his own kin. Countless monsters boasting their power challenged the man, but they were all beaten at their own game.

“Oh, ew! Even gremlins are here. I hate them. I’m gonna chase them away, oink.”

“Hey, don’t be mean! Everyone is our friend, oink.”

“Right, oink!” an orc nodded, snorting.

Were the monsters gathering here out of fear of the demon? That was probably part of it, but the actual reason at the core was different, and they all knew it. It was due to a certain orc newcomer whose exciting appearance was like a shining comet flying over the land of Huzak.

There were many rumors about him. One said that he wore human-style clothes. Another claimed that he was a mage. Some rumors even said that he defeated a hydra that had monopolized a lake. Another one said he was so smart that it was hard to believe he was an orc.

And yet another said...that he came to this country to defeat the demon.

Who in the world is this orc mage? many wondered. Curiosity was what led some monsters, who hadn’t expressed any interest in the idea up until now, to gather in the orc village one after another.

“It’s gotten real lively here lately. This is way faster than I expected,” Elyas muttered.

Today, like every other day as of late, Elyas found herself grinning at how the orc village was flourishing.

“But...” she continued, pondering. “I’m just a normal pixie... Would I be able to protect this place like how my sister does?”

In the north, whenever pixies snuck out of the boring forest and entered human settlements, they faced tragic fates. Being hunted down without restraint, placed as objects for viewing, or being used as exhibitions... Due to that history, the pixies had avoided the attention of humans and lived on in the backwoods of nature for a long time.

Elyas continued to mutter under her breath. “If I can’t even lead this number of monsters, I have no right to call myself her older sister.”

She thought back to when a pixie born as a hero made a speech to all of her kin, asking that they venture into the outside world once more.

Before her overwhelming charisma, many monsters had bowed their heads. The headless warrior in full plate armor had dedicated their sword and loyalty, while a crimson dragon had offered their inferno. She had crushed the Dustour troops that had thrust the north into the deepest pits of terror, and even humans had gone down onto their hands and knees before her overflowing brilliance.

Since then, the Blue Light had been revered as the Demon King of the North. And her sister, Elyas, promised that she would build a base where humans and monsters could cooperate in the lands of Huzak. There was no way she could run away from this country just because a single dangerous human had shown up.

A silhouette descended gracefully from the sky, disrupting her thoughts. “Lady Elyas.” It was a monster with wings made for flight, said to have eyes that could survey far into the horizon—a griffin.

This griffin was a bodyguard that the fairy with blue eyes had assigned to Elyas. It had a special air about it, one that didn’t fit in among the other monsters in Huzak. To put it simply, it felt strong, and very much so.

“Eagle Eye,” Elyas addressed. “Did something happen?”

“Lady Elyas, the demon is advancing in the direction of the Freedom Union. However...he has noticed my presence.”

Elyas took a moment to digest its statement. “No way. You’re monitoring him from quite a distance, right?”

“Yes. However, I am afraid to report that this is the truth.” The griffin hesitated before speaking again. “I understand that my proposal is insolent, but if you called for our king—”

Elyas cut them off. “Eagle Eye. If she came here to Huzak, the witch of the Three Musketeers would follow hot on her heels. The Great Four of the South won’t take that lying down either. The precarious equilibrium would tilt, and this country would turn into a battlefield once again.”

“That is a rather soft thing to say,” Eagle Eye said slowly. “Lady Elyas, if you continue staying here in Huzak with how things are, you will die with the orcs.”

“Of course. Eagle Eye, you’ve explained it thoroughly to me, so I understand your opinion. You’re telling me to cast away this village, and by extension Huzak, and to run back to her protection, right?”

“My job is simply to protect you, Lady Elyas. I believe that everything I said is correct.”

“I understand very well what you want to say. Please continue to monitor him as always.”

Eagle Eye went quiet for a moment before speaking again with a somber tone. “Understood. You will end up regretting this choice, however.”

The griffin took off into the vast skies once more. Elyas heaved a deep, heavy sigh as she waved to the monster.

Unsettling topics weren’t her cup of tea. However, she had promised that she would protect these lands in the stead of her sister, who had reclaimed them from the vampire’s clutches. I can’t just throw in the towel due to such trivial difficulties.

Elyas decided to push those thoughts out of her mind and she stared at her kin, who had been practicing flight. “So, Charlotte, have you already finished your flying practice for today?”

Charlotte was an oddball pixie who couldn’t fly, couldn’t control the wind, and had apparently been with the orc mage ever since she had gone south. Elyas wanted to know how they had ended up together and what their relationship was, but Charlotte would never tell her anything. There was only one fact that Charlotte had told Elyas...and that was that the two had been together for a long, long time.

“Charlotte...?” Elyas called out to her again when there was no answer.

At first, Elyas had felt there was something off about Charlotte. Whenever monsters other than Elyas approached the runaway girl, she would visibly shrink with fear. When asked directly, Charlotte would answer that something terrifying had happened to her in the past. The way she talked about her past seemed to be mixed with a hint of trauma, so Elyas did not ask her to elaborate. Charlotte’s reactions were especially extreme against monsters like Eagle Eye: ones that had wings.

“Ah, so that’s how it is,” Elyas muttered, shaking her head. “I swear, this girl...”

However, over time, Charlotte seemed to have adapted, and she had become very eager to learn about what had happened in Huzak and all about its current state. Thus, Elyas was happy to explain it to her.

The vampire’s army had already been hunted down, and White Castle, where Huzak’s royal family used to live, had been taken over by monsters who played an active role in that effort. Even Elyas couldn’t approach the area thoughtlessly. After Charlotte learned of it all... She seems to have cheered up a little, Elyas thought.

“If you’re that curious about what Slobe is doing, you can just go over there,” Elyas said, exasperated.

“I-It’s not like I’m curious about him or anything!” Charlotte stammered.

“Is that so? You couldn’t concentrate on your practice though.”

“You have the wrong idea, Miss Elyas!”

And well, as for how Charlotte was faring lately... The moment Elyas took her eyes off Charlotte, she’d always find the girl doing this. She would become deaf to Elyas’s words and her eyes would always be trained on him. By now, everyone in the orc village was obsessed with him too. Even right at this very moment, a large crowd of orcs had gathered around him, making a snorting fuss.

“Oh really. You’re going to say that? You’re reeeally going to say that?”

“Wh-What’s with that...that look on your face...?”

“I happen to know that you two are actually quarreling. Let me guess, it’s probably because you’re being unfairly childish and stubborn, isn’t it?”

“I’m not being childish! Or stubborn!”

“Really? After you ran away from home, weren’t you completely reliant on Slobe the whole time?”

“I repeat, I didn’t run away from home!”

Whenever night fell, the boy would come to Elyas in secret and ask about Charlotte. He did that without fail every single night. Anyone would realize it if they saw him going that far to check on her. The one who had saved Charlotte from the horrible things that she hinted at in her past... It was him. Yet Charlotte is still putting on this aloof act!

“I think it’s about time you forgive him, don’t you? Your quarrel wasn’t about anything big, right?” Elyas asked.

“It is a big thing to me! It’s not something I can forgive so easily!” In Charlotte’s eyes, she had been deceived for a long time about her real identity.

However...Elyas had long realized that there was more to it. One day, when Charlotte and Elyas had returned to the orc village after sunset, having done their duties that day, they realized that he had returned earlier than they had.

This was very rare. Most of the time, the orc mage would be outside the village with the Orc King all the way into the night. Seeing him in the village before her, Charlotte’s eyes sparkled as she hurried his way, and...stopped in her tracks as if a sudden realization struck her.

Though Charlotte had been looking down at the ground, she had probably forgotten all about their fight in that brief moment. There aren’t many monsters whose changes in emotions are that easy to read, at least not as much as hers, Elyas thought.

“Charlotte, you actually forgave him a long time ago, didn’t you?”

The girl dragged her feet before finally replying. “You’ve got it wrong, Miss Elyas.”

“I don’t know when exactly you two started fighting, but I bet that you spent such a long time being stubborn that you don’t know what to do now.”

“There’s...no way that’s the case,” Charlotte whispered weakly.

Her feelings are surprisingly obvious. She might deny it, but anyone could tell as long as they stayed by her side long enough. Even when Slobe was teaching me magic, she actually wanted to be near us but she couldn’t bring herself to approach. She’s very clumsy with her own emotions. And that orc mage is veeerrry oblivious as well.

Elyas sighed. “Just like I thought! In that case, why not try leaving it to me?”

What a difficult girl. A pixie falling in love with an orc... It’s probably a first, even if you combed through our entire history. Well, they do say that the more troublesome a kid is, the cuter they are, and that’s not wrong. Thinking that, Elyas walked away from Charlotte...

...And she walked towards the boy who had come to this nature-filled land where a slightly elevated mountain range surrounded a giant forest. She walked up to the boy who had told Elyas and Elyas alone that he had come to Huzak to defeat the demon.

This was a brief moment of peace and respite. Or rather it was supposed to be, but the griffin took a sudden nosedive towards Elyas even though it was supposed to have returned to monitoring the demon.

Elyas felt an ominous premonition. Whenever her instincts reacted like this, something heavy was bound to happen. “Eagle Eye, what is it?”

“Lady Elyas... The Lupus werewolf clan of White Castle has arrived,” the griffin spat.

●

At that time, I just so happened to have returned to the orc village with Oinkus to eat lunch.

In our usual dining place under the blue skies, I eagerly bit into the pork lined up on display. In Huzak, animals that would typically be kept as livestock were plentiful within the forest.

Suddenly, I was interrupted by a thought. Wouldn’t this count as cannibalism for orcs? I looked around. The orcs didn’t seem to care at all as they gobbled the meat down.

One of my mottos was to take my time and savor my food as much as I could during meals, but I sensed something that sent a chill down my spine and had to look up from my meal. A commotion started breaking out within the orc village, but I couldn’t ignore my nagging stomach and resumed eating. And then, I heard a familiar and nostalgic voice.

“Master Slobe! Why are you enjoying a leisurely meal at a time like this?!”

“Charlotte?” I hesitated before continuing. “Well, you see, I have a personal rule that dictates I must concentrate on food during meals at least, so... More importantly, everyone seems worked up and is making a fuss about something. Did something happen?”

“Something did happen, and something big at that!” Charlotte exclaimed. “A subjugation squad formed in White Castle to defeat the demon. They came here and they’re currently talking with Miss Elyas!”

“Huh.” I cocked an eyebrow. “Now that is news to me. But since I’m an orc, I probably can’t join in on such an important meeting.”

“That might be the case, but still! Hurry up and finish your meal! You’re the only one who’s enjoying food without a care at the moment, Master Slobe!”

“Ah, those guys coming in our direction must be from the subjugation squad,” I muttered.

“Huh?!”

“Take a look over there.”

A squad of monsters walked across the orc village in succession as the griffin flew in the skies above them. Looks like the griffin is going to lead them to the demon. Still, from the looks of them, that must be a group of werewolves. I heard that there were several factions residing around White Castle, and the three most famous ones were the demons, the Lupus werewolf clan, and the band of sword demons known as the Sword Ashes. I see that one of those decided to come out.

It’s the first time I’ve seen them too, but they look ferocious. They’re humanoid wolves equipped with fearsome swords, and they’re probably very experienced in combat. Each and every one of them is armed to the teeth, and the werewolf that seems like the leader is a head above the rest in terms of how burly he looks. In terms of muscle and build, these werewolves would be a good match even against the cyclops that attacked Kirsch Mage Institute.

One of them came up to me. “Heya, orc. Aren’t you that orc mage who’s rumored to have come to defeat the demon?”

But, well, it seemed that there was a guy among the werewolves who was way gaudier than the dungeon master who attacked Kirsch. I knew that monsters could have distinct personalities, but I really didn’t want to be associated with this guy. I kept my silence, but this guy just rattled on and on.

“Lately, humans have pretty much stopped coming here at all, so I’ve been starving. So...we’ll end that guy. Too bad for you, orc mage, but you won’t be a part of it. We’re going to defeat the human you guys are soooooo scared of. Ya really should thank us for that, ya know?” The werewolf talked at me with a threatening voice and cackled as they left.

Belligerent and ruthless was the name of their game and the group was in high spirits, probably imagining the slaughter of the demon. Laughing like fierce beasts the whole time, the assassins from White Castle left the orc village. They must have great confidence in their abilities. They’re weird guys, but then again, the world of monsters is a place where power rules above all else. This peaceful orc village is an exception, not the norm.

“Oink. Don’t cry just because they took your lunch, oink,” one orc comforted another.

“If they would defeat the demon for us, just one small lunch doesn’t matter, oink,” the orc replied.

The orcs looked at the group with slight admiration in their eyes. They probably thought that the werewolves just might have a chance to defeat the soldier.

However, a few days later...

It was night, long after the sun had set below the horizon. The haughty-looking griffin returned to the village and the orcs all began to talk noisily.

The griffin only came to the village when it had a report for Elyas that something had happened in the forest, and from what I could gather from the chatter, it was never a good sign. To be frank, I knew that the griffin would visit, bringing news of the total destruction of the Lupus clan, but...

“The demon has companions,” the griffin said. “Two human children are with the demon.”

The other news it told Elyas struck me speechless.