Chapter 1.1: A Hero's Departure

Orcs.

An aggressive race with green skin, long tusks protruding out of their mouths, and gifted with strong bodies that are immune to poison and disease.

However, their most remarkable trait is their insatiable sexual appetite.

For Orcs, reproduction is not only a biological imperative, but also a daily pastime.

They fight, they eat, and they rape.

For Orcs, the worth of child birthed from a woman, any woman, is equivalent to the worth of a head taken off an enemy’s shoulders.

To leave many descendants and to lose their life in glorious combat.

That is the path all Orcs seek.

A strong body and powerful fertility.

They have the best of both worlds, but these benefits do not come without their drawbacks.

A single drawback, in fact: Orcs can only be born male. They cannot reproduce within their own race – only with the “help” of another.

During the war, they would capture enemy female soldiers alive and force them to bear their children until their bodies were broken.

“Hey, isn’t that …… the Hero over there?”

Bash.

Even among the battle-crazed Orcs, Bash was an outstanding warrior with incredible power and strength.

He rushed to the battlefield faster than anyone else, remained on the front line long after everyone else had left, and slew more enemies than anyone else.

Many Orcs owed him their lives, and the tides of many battles were turned by his mere presence.

The manner in which he faced and defeated any enemy, no matter how powerful, was the very embodiment of the Orc ideal.

In recognition of his achievements, he was bestowed the title of “Hero”.

Hero.

In other words, a champion among champions.

This title was the greatest of honors, it marked the individual possessing the peak of Orcish strength.

Naturally, this made Bash the object of admiration for most, if not all, Orcs.

“Damn, the Hero is so cool!”

“I’ve always wanted to hear the story of how he defeated the Black Skull …”

After earning his Hero title, Bash had everything he could ever want.

A humongous residence.

Splendid weapons and armor.

More food than he could ever eat.

More privileges than he could ever use.

And the respect and trust of all orcs.

Anything and everything a young orc could want.

“… Oi, I’ll be back in a bit, I’m going to talk to him.”

“You dumbass! Can’t you see he’s having a quiet drink? He doesn’t want to be bothered.”

“Eh, shit… I’m sorry… yeah, you’re right. He’s not the kind of person we should be talking to casually.”

Bash had a problem.

People around him believe he has everything, but in fact there is something he has yet to acquire.

Rather than something to be gained, it would be better put as something that he shouldn’t have and hasn’t been able to get rid of.

Just like an ancient ring that could only be destroyed in the fires of a specific volcano.

“I’m sure you’d love to hear about the heroes, too. I, for one, want to hear stories about my heroes and what they prefer in a woman!”

“The Hero’s taste in women … Humans, maybe?”

“Humans? The Hero? Humans and Elves are a common breed of women, and he must be tired from tasting them so much during the war. Also, it seems that they haven’t even been appearing in the breeding grounds these days.”

“Man, I don’t know… perhaps, the legendary Dragonewts?”

“For a Hero, even breeding with a Dragonewt isn’t too farfetched!”

Sitting alone at the bar, Bash was mulling over his issues over a glass of fire wine.

Just how on earth could he get rid of this thing?

No, if he just wanted to throw it away willy-nilly, he could do it right now.

But here, in Orc Country, Bash attracted a lot of attention.

If he threw it away, word would get around quickly.

And they’ll all know that he had it this whole time.

As an Orc Hero, no, as an orc, he couldn’t let that that fact be known.

If word were to get around that he still owned it, Bash’s pride would be shattered like glass in an instant.

All the respect he had received from his fellow Orcs would immediately turn to ridicule.

Bash’s fragile self-esteem would be torn to shreds, and from the next day on he would have to live the rest of his life wearing a mask to hide his shame… No, he wouldn’t even be able to live.

“I’m going to ask him!”

“Hey, sit down! Don’t be disrespectful.”

“What? What’s disrespectful about asking a man about the best woman he’s ever been with?!”

Bash stood up.

He was just over two meters tall.

Although he was small for an orc, the scars on his body were definite proof that he had fought many battles, and his tight and toned muscles were denser than anyone else’s.

And of course, his stoic demeanor was flawless and his whole body gave off an oppressive aura. He was unapproachable.

He glared at the man who was on his way towards him.

“…”

With a single glare, the Orc stopped.

“I’m sorry, sir! He’s a bit of a dumb, weak, idiot, and I’ve been trying to tell him to not bother you…”

The other man quickly bowed his head.

It is a shameful act for an Orc to bow to another Orc’s glare.

However, this time, the other party was not just any Orc. He was the Hero.

In fact, it would be shameful to NOT bow.

“Hmph.”

Bash snorted.

He walked towards the exit.

“Wow … cool …”

The orcs around him let out a squeal of admiration at the sequence of events.

His presence was overwhelming.

He was truly a strong man.

If an ordinary Orc were to be approached by an admirative young man like Bash had just been, his composure would have broken down and devolved into never-ending bragging.

[What is it, young man, you want to hear my story? Gahaha, take a seat, I’ll tell you all about it. It was during a battle in the plains of Arkansas (?), where I strode bravely towards the horde of incoming enemies and tore them apart one by one. Then one of them said…]

Of course, that’s fine, too.

Machismo and braggadocious behaviors are part of Orcish tradition and values.

What’s wrong with boasting about your achievements on the battlefield?

It was a natural thing to do – the right of the strong who had survived the war.

Or perhaps, if he had been in a bad mood, he would have punched the young man.

“You’re an eyesore! Can’t you see I’m busy drinking here!?”

That’s fine, too.

It was up to the veterans to show to youngsters what it’s like to be a true, fierce warrior.

It’s very likely that this young man would love nothing more than to be “taught a lesson” by Bash.

He may even consider it a lifelong treasured memory and keep it near and dear to his heart.

But what Bash showed him was better than all of that. It transcended common sense.

What he showed was exactly what he meant when he said, “I don’t want to deal with a weak orc like you.

That’s right. This is how a truly strong Orc should be.

This is the true path of the most powerful of warriors.

A Hero shouldn’t even have to look at a small fry like him.

They were drinking in the same space as Bash the Hero.

For the youngsters, that was enough.

Bash’s behavior was just that cool.

It filled their hearts with joy and contentment.

“Damn, I wish I could be like him…”

“Dumbass, you’ll never even come close!”

“I know that! I get it! But man, I really did want to hear about how many women he conquered…”

As he listened to the voices coming from inside the tavern, Bash let out a small sigh.

The thick back of the man on his way home looked smaller than ever. His shoulders slumped, his posture degrading ever so slightly.

His stride was a little shorter, and he even looked somewhat frightened.

Yes, the young man earlier was directly addressing Bash’s concerns. The rude Orc’s question struck at the heart of his issues.

The girls he’d been with?

The best woman he’d ever had?

If he was ever asked those questions, he wouldn’t be sure how to answer

Because of his one and only worry. His singular concern.

The one thing he still hasn’t gotten rid of, even though he had anything any Orc could ever want or need.

It’s…

“I wonder how many women he’s fucked and impregnated. I wonder how many women he’s raped and knocked up in his life…”

[It’s… zero.]

He was a virgin.