Chapter 9.1: Proposal

Here it is folks, the last WN chapter of Vol.1. After this comes the LN Epilogue and Side-Story.

Big thanks to my regular Chad Orc-san and Prognar for their generous Ko-Fi contributions!

After the battle, Bash and the team members that could still walk explored the cave and fond what appeared to be stolen goods.

The recovered loot matched the list that Judith had made from gathering information from the merchant guilds.

From this, it could be finally concluded that these “bugbear bandits” and the highway robbers were one and the same.

Furthermore, with this proof, they could also round up all the trading companies that the brigands used to fence their goods.

This case…

…was closed.

Carrying out the evidence, Bash and the others left the cave.

“It’s so bright…”

As they left the shade of the forest, the sunlight shone brightly upon them.

It was dawn.

Bash squinted as he looked around.

The soldiers battered and bruised, but they would live. They Faerie dust had healed any fatal injuries, though they still couldn’t walk without lending each other a shoulder.

Judith was a little depressed as she looked at the men.

Her beautiful white skin and clear blond hair were smeared with dirt and blood.

Her eyes were swollen, and tear trails were still visible on her cheeks.

However, she seemed happy and relieved.

And Bash thought every part of her looked beautiful, despite her ragged appearance.

“…”

Judith suddenly looked back at Bash, as if she had noticed his gaze.

Yet, she didn’t say anything. She just pouted and turned away.

Were it just a day ago, she would have cursed him out without question. She would have aggressively glared back.

But right now, she even looked somewhat embarrassed.

“Mister! Mister!”

As he was staring at Judith, Zell whispered in Bash’s ear.

(Listen Mister, if you make a move right now, she might really fall for you!)

(…Is that so?)

(You saved her while she was in trouble! She even got to see how big you were! I’m not 100% sure this is going to work, but you won’t get a better chance than this one!)

A chance…

Hearing this, Bash remembered how vulnerable and filthy Judith looked back in the cave.

Her pale, white skin…

Her supple, bare breast…

Her tears, gently streaming down her face…

His breathing became ragged, his nose turning upwards, preparing to snort.

He’d put up with all this trouble, for all this time.

He’d been told he wouldn’t be able to get with a Human woman by just demanding it, so he applied perfume, he listened to her in silence, and even held back his lust in front of her naked form…

All his efforts had led to this very moment.

This was do or die.

He could finally obtain this female knight.

Bash clenched his fist and fired up his spirit.

“Judith!”

Bash spoke out, his tone raspy due to the snorting.

“…What is it?”

Judith turned around, looking slightly embarrassed.

Noticing Bash’s uncontrollable snorting, her face contorted in slight disgust.

The Hero grabbed Judith by the shoulders, unconcerned about her reaction.

And said.

“Would you bear my children?”

A standard Orcish proposal.

“…!”

Judith’s eyes widened.

For a moment, a hint of anger flashed across her face.

But it quickly disappeared, her expression softening.

She emotionlessly stared at Bash for a few seconds, and then laughed.

[Alright, this is good!]

Thought Bash.

But just as the Orc was about to get lost in his delight, Judith said.

“You don’t need to test me. I won’t misunderstand you anymore. “Non-consensual sexual intercourse with another species is strictly forbidden in the name of the Orc King”, right?”

She replied with neither a yes, nor a no.

Bash’s excited nose came to a standstill, retreating and sputtering out.

Bewildered and confused, Bash asked his brilliant assistant, Mr. Brain, for his opinion.

[Mr. Brain, what does she mean by that? Yes? No?]

[Hmm…]

Mr. Brain crossed his arms and mulled over the meaning of Judith’s words.

Yes?

No?

In Bash’s miniscule brain, a gremlin bearing the word “Yes” and another gremlin bearing the word “No” began to duke it out.

It was a fierce fight, as fists and feet flew through the air, but in the end, there could only be a single victor.

Seeing the results, Mr. Brain looked disappointed.

[Hmm… I suppose it was a roundabout way to put it, but this means we were rejected, right?]

Within the arena of Bash’s mind, the “No” gremlin had it’s hand raised by the referee, and blew a kiss to the crowd.

It was a close, nail-biting, edge-of-your-seat victory.

[So, I was rejected…that’s a no, huh…]

[That’s right]

[Then, what should I do next?]

[Remember what the Faerie said: It’s courtesy to give up gracefully and move on to the next woman if you’re rejected. If you keep chasing after her, she might perceive it as a non-consensual sexual act]

[Nuu…is that so…?]

Apparently, it didn’t work out.

[Well, it is what it is.]

However, Bash was not too discouraged.

In war, no matter how much effort Bash put in on his own, a loss was still a loss.

Getting an opportunity different from victory. There are times when you didn’t win.

And that’s okay.

If he were to get depressed every time he lost, he wouldn’t have survived on the battlefield.

A strong warrior is a man who can pick himself up and move on to the next fight.

[But…]

Still, Bash had some regrets.

After all, this was his first battle.

He wanted to have something to show for his efforts. To stand out a bit more.

Sure, it wasn’t healthy for recruits to be impatient for results, but…

“I’m sorry to hear that… I liked you.”

“Haha, you’re very good at flattery, for an Orc. What is there to like about a woman who humiliated you as much as she wished, and then proceeded to get caught by the enemy, cry her eyes out, and then saved?”

“Your face.”

“Haha!”

Judith laughed.

She thought he was joking.

“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Judith said as she brushed her disheveled hair.

From Bash’s perspective, it wasn’t flattery. He was just stating the facts. Even now, just seeing her run her fingers through her hair was making him smile.

Judith, completely oblivious to Bash’s thoughts, said.

“Anyway, thank you for your help. If you hadn’t come along, I would have ended up like my older sister.”

“You have a sister?”

“Yes. She was taken prisoner by Orcs, and raped until there was nothing left of her originally joyful spirit…”

“Muu…”