A Peaceful Land of the Orcs (6.8)
Orcs aren't those kinds of creatures.
"If your inner self is Human, then it's only natural. Among the Orcs, which are originally nocturnal by nature, you're probably an exception—you don’t get drowsy during the day. That alone is proof. You can read and converse in broad daylight without any issue."
In this country, the midday nap between one and two in the afternoon is a firmly established and important custom.
Even in the midst of a military march, if circumstances allow, it's considered ideal to combine it with a long lunch break and rest during that time.
"And, you have no interest in female Orcs. Literally none."
"......"
"At first, I thought perhaps you just weren’t interested in the opposite sex. But you… this may be a misunderstanding, or even arrogance on my part, but… Gustav, you’re interested in *me*, aren’t you?"
"......"
"Your gaze, your words. The way you’re considerate. After spending this time with you, I’ve come to be sure of it. And my race’s appearance is extremely close to that of Humans."
"... Yeah. I won’t deny I’m drawn to you."
It was the first time Gustav spoke.
"… I see. That’s a relief. Let me say this—I'm honored. At first, I said I would offer my life and body because my race had nothing else to give. But now, I mean it. I truly feel I would be fine giving myself to you."
"… I see."
He rubbed the corners of his eyes.
—Even after all that was said, there's still something this king can't step across.
There's no choice but to go all the way.
"And then, there’s *that* magic itself."
—He can control the weather.
That kind of magic should not exist.
It's entirely alien compared to the magic of this world.
And despite wielding such overwhelming magical power, he claims he can’t use communication or detection spells.
"That incantation you used back then—it didn’t sound like any language of the Euro-Star. It sounded like something from a completely different language family, maybe even another world."
"...... You heard it?"
"Yeah. We have good *ears*."
"... I see. You're right—the structure of that incantation is nothing like anything here—"
"......"
"It resembles the language used by a distant country, far to the east, beyond the Ocean Path—at least, in the context of *this* world."
"... In the context of this world, huh."
"... Yeah. In the context of *this* world."
He had already half-admitted it.
"But I should tell you—that wasn’t a magic incantation at all. It was more like a simple wish. In the place that I remember as my homeland—in my *memories*—it was something we said in moments like that. And in that world, there was no such thing as magic."
Gustav spoke, one word at a time.
In the world he came from…
There were no Demon races, no magic.
There were massive flying metal crafts, far larger than anything the eaglefolk could imagine, capable of carrying huge numbers of people. There were ships that could haul enough supplies to feed the entire city of Orcsen for a whole day. Trains that could cross the Euro-Star in mere hours.
With such scientific and technological products, they had something similar to magic communication in this world—and with it, they could speak with anyone in the world, if they wished.
"Ever since I was a child growing up as an Orc, that phrase was always in my memory. After the Battle of Rosalind, when I recited it, it brought rain—and that’s when I started remembering things from that world. So your deduction is spot on."
"......"
"At first, I thought I was just dreaming. But gradually, the memories of that other world grew clearer. Eventually, I couldn’t tell which one was the dream. Even now, there are moments when I feel that way. This world… in a subtle way, it resembles the other one. The geography, the history."
"... It must’ve been hard."
"Yeah. It was. Looking back, I’ve struggled through a lot. In the world I came from, there were stories about reincarnating into another world—but not myths or legends. Fictional dreams spun by authors. I never imagined such a thing would happen to me."
"... I see."
"I don’t know how I died in that world. I don’t know how I ended up here. I don’t know why I can use magic. I still don’t."
"......"
"But whatever the case, I’ve fought tooth and nail to survive. In those fantasy stories, they make reform and innovation sound so easy. But that was never the case for me—partly because of my lack of talent, but mostly because things just don’t work like that."
"......"
"A hundred years. Yes, it took a hundred years. Things only started going well very recently, at least in my perception. What saved me was that the people who supported me—those who became my closest aides—did so while fully understanding how unusual I was."
"… High General Zebeck, High General Schwerin, and HighGeneral Zieten?"
"Yeah. You're sharp, aren’t you? But also—Advin."
Of course.
No matter how many reforms or innovations he dreamed up, none of it could’ve happened if those around him didn’t follow.
And in Orcsen, the ones who made it happen were likely those three.
Their unity was too strong to be attributed to that miracle spell alone.
—Though Advin was a surprise.
"Advin really surprised me. After the Battle of Rosalind, I fell off a cliff, thanks to the rain I’d summoned myself. That’s when I met him—he saved me."
I can’t believe it.
"When I came to, there was a Great Wolf in front of me. I was terrified. Thought I’d be eaten. But he took one look at me and said, ‘You’re not an Orc, are you?’"
And then he carried Gustav up the cliff.
He brought him to Zebek and Schwerin.
"Advin was the first of his kind to link the Orcs and other races. Schwerin, it seems, searched desperately for me after I fell. But he eventually gave up, heartbroken. I don’t blame him. He was trying to lead many of our kind back to the homeland. Nowadays, we even joke about it."
—You scoundrel!
—Who are you calling a scoundrel! You're going to fall again, you know!
So that bantering had a deeper meaning, after all.
What do you think about this chapter?
