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Chapter 64. The first kiss
Winning or losing a battle was something that could be determined to some extent during its course. The atmosphere started to change when the balance began to leaning one way or the other, towards victory or defeat. People were sensitive to the momentum of their allies and the fear in their enemies. And depending on the atmosphere they perceived, their strength would change. If they believed they were going to lose, they would shrink back in fear of death; if they believed they were going to win, they became more vigorous in their desire to claim the credit.
And that momentum often led directly to victory or defeat. Bash also perceived the trend of battle on many occasions. Of course, there were times when he didn’t, but he could usually tell when the battle seemed winnable. Of course, there were also occasions when he felt like he was going to lose.
“…And then?”
That’s what the woman said when he told her that he had defeated the dragon on the battlefield of the Lemium Highlands. The look of fear she had before speaking disappeared.
What appeared instead was a cold expression. She had her eyes half-closed, lips slightly open, and was looking at Bash with a slight tilt of her head. It was a beautiful face, but her expression was heartrending in another sense.
Bash had seen such expressions before. It was in the land of the orcs. When a warrior boasted about something that was too trivial to be true, the orcs looked at them like that. And then they said, “And then?” As if asking, “What’s the end of your boring story?”
“…”
The words spoken by the woman were exactly the same. He didn’t expect such an indifferent reaction when he told her about how he killed the dragon. He had no idea how the demon woman would react, but he thought he could at least evoke some kind of emotion. He didn’t know if that emotion would be astonishment or rejection.
“So, what happened next? “
Bash was impatient. He wanted to tell her the story about how he killed the dragon to reassure her that she would be safe when the other one came, but he didn’t think she would think he was a braggart.
In orc society, it was considered bad taste to exaggerate beyond belief. Indeed, orcs were known to embellish their boasting. Even if they exaggerated a little, the orcs were gullible and would simply believe it. In any case, most of the time, the one telling the story also believed it, so it wasn’t deceitful.
However, excessive exaggeration made even orcs suspicious. “Eh? Is that really possible?” When they start to suspect, the enthusiasm of those listening to the story quickly cools. If that happens, it will be nothing more than a lie. An orc who tells a lie that does not correspond to their ability is exposed.
Conversely, the fact that they think you are telling a lie, even if you are telling the truth, is evidence that they do not believe in your abilities. For orcs, for whom fighting is supreme, there is no greater humiliation.
“Then the human army rushed us and the close combat began. In the midst of it all, I heard this voice in my ear: ‘The demons’ main camp is being ambushed’, and when I heard that, I…”
Therefore, Bash recounted the story of his battle, following the story from the defeat of the dragon. Starting with his battle with Leto, the Hero, and the fierce battles that led to the end of the war. It was a boastful story that he rarely told. Zell ended up more excited than the other woman, marveling at what she didn’t know and adding to what she did. Hence, it could be said that the boastful story had a very realistic feel to it.
“The end, huh.” But still, the woman’s attitude was cold. “You, all the warriors you killed, they were all honorable warriors.”
A face that showed no emotion, words without intonation to which even an ogre who couldn’t speak well would have put a little more expression. It wasn’t a joke. There was no doubt that she saw Bash’s story as completely inconsequential. “All those warriors you defeated, they were honorable… well, good for you, right? And? What’s the end? Did you wake up then?”
Yes, there was no end to Bash’s story. The greatest climax of the story was missing, the r̲a̲pe̲ of a woman. After the “And?” he couldn’t say anything more. No matter how realistic the boastful story was, it still only scored 50 points. If the death of the dragon was given a perfect score of 50 points, the remaining battles would only give 40 points at most. Thunder Sonia would have given him 48 points.
From the middle, it was difficult for Bash to talk about it. He was more than a little angry that his boasting had met such a cold response. Boasting was supposed to be a way to reaffirm self-confidence, but gradually, he was losing that too. The fact that he was a virgin weighed heavily on him.
This was also the reason why Bash rarely boasted in the orc country. He feared that this would happen.
“Will you really protect your honor?”
“Huh?”
The demon woman’s cold gaze made Bash flinch. The reason they were talking like this was probably because she was obliged by being rescued. If not, she wouldn’t have spoken such emotionless words.
“Hm? Yes, I will defend the honor of the orcs under any circumstances.”
“Would you kill the dragon to protect your honor?”
Otherwise, her gaze wouldn’t be so unfriendly. She wasn’t interested, interested in Bash. She didn’t believe he was worth her disdain.
“Hmm? Yes, I would. I will kill it for your sake.”
“I don’t want to die…”
“Hmm? I see.”
The reason the conversation wasn’t going well was probably that she wasn’t really listening to Bash’s words.