Chapter 5.2 Tracking

Got absorbed in translating and managed to grind out another part.

Next release coming next week. For real. no jokes this time.

When he woke up, Bash found himself in an unfamiliar room.

[Where am I…?]

As the grogginess wore off, the previous day’s events gradually came back to him.

After the whole ordeal in the prison, he and Judith had agreed to work together to find out the truth about the highway attacks.

However, the sun had already set by that point, so Bash was escorted to a private room in the fort, where he was to stay the night.

[Krassel, huh?]

He breathed a sigh of relief.

At the same time, his mind was preoccupied, ruminating over the contents of his dream.

[Ah, that did come up in our conversations back then, didn’t it…]

It was probably because of Judith, whom he had met yesterday, that he had dreamed about the war.

A woman who came out of the blue.

She had great talent and manners, and her body was toned and well built, most likely from many years of regular sword training.

Her voice was so pleasant to his ears that he just wanted to hear her speak all the time.

And best of all, she was a knight.

Female knights were popular among Orcs.

They were stubborn and had an unyielding spirit. Even when beaten and bruised, they never gave up.

Orcs got off on the idea of forcibly impregnating such noble women, who has the mettle to resist long after being captured.

“If you wanted a bride, it has to be either a knight or a princess!”

Or at least that’s what they said back in his company.

To Bash though, it didn’t really matter whether his wife was a princess or a knight.

From his perspective, it made no difference what the other party did for a living, so long as he could rid himself of his virginity.

However, Judith was the very embodiment of the female knight that every Orc dreamt of.

A part of him couldn’t help but feel energized at the thought of losing his virginity to her.

[Judith, huh…? Ah… I’m so lucky that fate brought us together…]

“Ah! Good morning, mister!”

While Bash was all up in his feelings, Zell, who was sitting on the table grooming her wings, looked at him with a grin.

“You’ve been pretty agitated all morning. Are you already thinking about impregnating that woman?”

“Well, yeah.”

“You know mister, this is the first time I’ve seen your hard-on. It’s pretty impressive!”

“Is that so?”

Bash felt proud hearing that.

For Orcs, there was no shame in being seen with a boner.

On the contrary, it was a symbol of one’s virility and should be actively displayed.

To them, the second most satisfying compliment they could receive was admiration towards their size.

The first, of course, was praise for their strength.

“That Judith girl is definitely a virgin! I’m sure she’ll squeal when you guys get into it!”

Zell said lightheartedly, but she looked a little bashful.

She was looking at Bash, smiling, yet her eyes her darting back and forth.

“But are you sure you’re okay with that girl?”

“What’s the matter?”

“Isn’t she a little too cocky? I mean yeah, she didn’t know who you were and all, but still! She grabbed you, threatened you, and even looked down on you! You know, I’m a pretty forgiving person, but even I got annoyed!”

“That’s what I like about her. She’s got attitude.”

“Do you like strong-willed women, mister?”

“Yes. All orcs do.”

Having said that, yesterday was the first time Bash had been so close or even talked to a resolute woman.

Sure, he’d probably met some before, during the war, but back then it was strictly business – stabby, slashy business.

Incidentally, the idea that a strong-willed woman was positive and a thing to be desired was just information he’d gleaned from the gossip he’d overheard among his Orcish compatriots.

All the Orcs around him always said that they wanted a strong-willed woman.

Bash just sort of followed along, and decided he also wanted a strong-willed woman.

“Hmm, is that so…?”

Zell replied absent-mindedly as she collected the dust that had fallen from her body during the night and put it in a small bottle.

Faerie dust had mysterious magical properties.

If sprinkled on a wound, it would heal the injury, and if dissolved in water and drunk, it would revitalize you, restoring fatigue.

If taken regularly for a few days, it would cure most diseases, and it would even clear up your skin.

It was a so-called panacea.

The Faerie Nation was also actively exporting this dust to the other races, should they want to purchase it.

It was one of the Faerie’s main industries, yet it was also the driving factor behind Faerie trafficking.

Faeries were physically minuscule, and the amount of dust that could be harvested from a single one didn’t amount to much. Furthermore, the dust lost its potency over time, so there was no shortage of Humans trying to poach Faeries in order to secure a source of fresh supply.

“Here you go, mister.”

“Are you sure?”

“It’s thanks for saving my life! Oh, but when you uh… use it, please do it somewhere I can’t see…”

Zell blushed as she handed the bottle over to Bash.

Faeries were rather reluctant to give away their dust to others.

To them, the substance was the same as bodily waste.

Even thought they were a fairly easygoing race, they’d couldn’t help but get disgusted seeing others smearing their excrement on their wounds, and even worse, drinking it.

Incidentally, most of the inhabitants of Faerie Country who weren’t involved in the war have no idea where and how their dust is used.

They’d say, “I heard that Humans use their own poop to grow crops? What a bunch of weirdos, right?” while laughing.

Of course, Zell is a Faerie who had not only survived, but actively contributed to the war effort on the Federation’s side.

Sure, it was embarrassing to some extent, but she’d come to terms with it.

“Alright.”

Bash nodded and took the bottle.

“Thank you. It’s saved my life many times.”

Back when Bash was still a fresh-faced recruit, he’d get injured in nearly every battle. He owed his survival to the Faerie dust’s healing properties.

And even in the latter stages of his participation in the war, when he was skilled enough to get out of every enemy encounter with barely a scratch, he’d drink the dust to replenish his stamina and keep on fighting for days on end.

He’d most likely not need it any time soon.

But to Bash, it was reassuring to have the Faerie dust at his disposition, just in case.

“Okie-dokie, let’s go! We have a knight to seduce!”

“Yosh!”

As soon as they were done getting ready, the pair left the room.