Chapter 2.5

A Peaceful Land of the Orcs (2.5)
After enjoying a superb dessert of strawberry crepes and sipping a richly aromatic, strong black coffee prepared according to her preference, she quietly reflected on her newly appointed sovereign.

Of course, the wise and great King Gustav, being a living being, also had his share of character flaws.

In fact, if one were to list them, their number might surprisingly be considerable.

First and foremost, his impulsiveness.

While this trait endeared him to his people and contributed to major successes like the Dark Elf escape mission, it also led to situations where he would venture off on solitary excursions without consulting anyone. This behavior was a source of daily concern for those around him, raising questions about its appropriateness for a king.

Then, there was his tendency toward verbosity.

Perhaps due to his overflowing intelligence, once engaged, his speeches tended to run long. Furthermore, he disliked being interrupted. If he didn't possess an unusually low-pitched voice rare among the Orc race, individuals like Dineluth, who had long opposed the Orcs, might have found his loquaciousness outright intolerable.

Another issue was his habit of reading newspapers or magazines during meals.

While staying informed about public life was crucial for a king, and the nation’s advanced printing techniques made publications highly readable, Gustav would often become so engrossed that he seemed absent-minded, a practice hardly befitting a monarch.

He was undoubtedly studious, though to an extent that bordered on addiction to the written word.

His royal residence uniquely housed an enormous library, reportedly established at his passionate insistence, boasting an extraordinary collection of books for his exclusive use. He read anything and everything—from sleep-inducing philosophy to children’s picture books. Fluent in multiple languages, he would delve into the military treatises of the neighboring Growal or peruse compilations of Elfynd myths and legends.

His eclectic reading habits were accompanied by a lack of tidiness. Books would pile up on his desk until reprimanded by his aides, only to elicit his annoyance with claims that they were still being read. On the other hand, he would sometimes unexpectedly embark on meticulous classification and organization of the collection, showcasing a capricious streak.

He was also shy and bashful.

Though it added to his charm, he seemed uneasy with public speaking at ceremonies and appeared to agonize in private after being surrounded by cheering citizens during his unannounced outings. It was evident he needed to project more gravitas as a king.

As an Orc, his appetite was prodigious, bordering on excessive.

He consumed mountains of bread, vats of soup, and main courses prepared in quantities sufficient for double that of other races, often asking for seconds. His particular fondness for sweets seemed indulgent to an extreme. Dessert was a must with every meal, followed by an afternoon snack post-nap. Even now, he stirred copious amounts of sugar and cream into what was already a large mug of coffee, raising concerns about his health.

Surprisingly, Gustav was also a picky eater.

Blessed with the keen sense of smell characteristic of Orcs, he disliked foods with distinct aromas, such as celery, cucumbers, and watermelon rinds. However, he rarely voiced his preferences, likely out of consideration for the farmers who produced these foods.

Smoking was another habit of his.

Though Dineluth occasionally enjoyed a thin cigar, Gustav’s consumption far exceeded hers. Whether before meals, after meals, during work, or while reading, he was often seen puffing on his pipe. His pipes were large, befitting his Orcish stature, and produced so much smoke that it sometimes felt like being in the midst of a fire.

Yet, Dineluth found herself secretly amused by his deftness in packing the pipe bowl with his thick, clumsy-looking fingers.

Such was his personality, and even as the purple smoke wafted around him, his administrative work reflected an extraordinary diligence.

However, his perfectionism, combined with his insatiable love for reading, meant that he often delved too deeply into details. He had an incredible memory for the contents of official documents and regulations, often pointing out inconsistencies or errors. Bureaucrats seeking his approval found the process nerve-wracking due to his exacting standards.

But these quirks, while troublesome, were relatively harmless.

As king, Gustav could have indulged in endless luxury or ruled with tyranny. Instead, he governed justly and lived frugally, making these flaws mere trifles.

There was, however, one significant flaw that overshadowed the rest.

No matter how much his aides or advisors urged him, no matter how they reasoned, pleaded, or admonished him, Gustav steadfastly refused to take a wife or consorts.

He had remained unmarried for many years, and not once had he been linked to romantic rumors.

At approximately 150 years old as of Star Calendar 876, Gustav was well into adulthood even by the standards of the long-lived Orc race. Among humans, he would be considered in his late twenties—prime working age.

When questioned about this, his answer was always the same:

“A king of the demon races is not chosen by lineage, as in human society. Instead, one’s prowess determines their selection, as it did for me.”

He apparently answered in this manner.

While his reasoning seemed logical---

It somehow felt like sophistry.

That a child with high aptitude would be born from the king of the demon species was indeed a historical reality rooted in lineage. Additionally, starting a family would surely enrich his life.

Speaking of demon species---

As a whole, they were effectively ageless and immortal, barring severe physical injuries or illnesses that even magical treatments or potions could not mend. Consequently, their birthrate was extraordinarily low.

Take the Elf race, composed entirely of women, for example. Even they had no memory of how they came into being. Within their homeland, revered as sacred ground, newborns were mysteriously discovered as infants in certain locations. This was their peculiar method of birth.

The Orcs’ large population, in contrast, was not due to high fertility but to their unparalleled physical resilience among the demon races, resulting in high survival rates. If a child was born into any family once a decade, it was a cause for jubilant celebration.

Given these facts, one might argue that while marrying late could be an issue, marrying too early was hardly a problem.

There were even moments when the possibility of him being homosexual was considered, but such inclinations were completely outside his realm of interest.

“I have no such preferences. While it is every individual’s freedom and right to possess such inclinations, it does not concern me.”

It was said he had expressed this sentiment in the past.

For the majority of the demon species, who lacked any particular religious beliefs, there was no moral resistance akin to the religious teachings of the Holy Star faith. Hence, individuals with such preferences existed openly, and society was accepting of them. However, his inclinations were evidently different.

He also seemed uninterested in other species.

For instance, there was Dineluth, a member of a species on the brink of extinction with nothing left to offer. She had pledged her life to him as her one true act of gratitude, implicitly suggesting he could do as he pleased with her body if he so desired. Such implications arose because of past wars, during which Orcs were notoriously known for committing such acts against Elves—a history she was all too familiar with.

However, instead of exploiting her, he merely accepted her loyalty and refrained from laying a single finger on her. On the contrary, she was treated with utmost respect as one of his vassals.

He was different.

Utterly alien.

The fundamental source of the unease Dineluth sometimes felt toward Gustav stemmed from his complete divergence from what was considered typical for an Orc.

The only Orc-like trait he exhibited was his appetite during meals.

He neither sought a partner for affection or physical satisfaction, nor was there a single aide or attendant who had witnessed him napping during the siesta hours, a time when even government offices fell silent. More often than not, he was engrossed in reading books.

Despite the numerous improvements brought about by Gustav’s policies, Orcs were inherently a different kind of species.

They were creatures driven by their desires, voracious for food, sleep, and sexual gratification. When exposed to such stimuli, they pursued them without restraint.

Take, for example, the now-outlawed practice of consuming members of their own or other species.

This was the Orcs’ most defining and horrific characteristic, instilling fear in other demon species.

To Humans, this may come as a surprise, but demon species, by nature, were peaceful due to their long lifespans and agelessness. Their reverence for life and profound fear of death made them avoid conflicts.

Orcs, however, were an exception. While their consumption of others stemmed from famine or hunger historically, no other species resorted to eating their own or others under such circumstances.

The closest comparison might be the Great Wolf race, but even they never preyed on their own. In fact, they observed burial rites for their fallen kin.

For Orcs, the act of consuming other species signified their unyielding loyalty to desire and their inability to resist it through self-control.

To uphold the prohibitions, substitutes with similar effects had been introduced.

Gustav actively promoted pork consumption across the Orc nation.

Pigs, capable of being raised on grains, were prolific and efficient livestock. Their meat could be processed into sausages, ham, bacon, and salami, which were both preservable and delicious. However, beyond these practical reasons, pork served as a substitute for the forbidden practice of cannibalism among modern Orcs.

But---

How did he suppress desires such as sexual urges or the need for sleep?

In appearance, he was every bit an Orc.

But within, he was anything but.

This was the crux of the matter.