The Birth of Ork
At the easternmost edge of Xenuma lay an uninhabited peninsula tucked away in a forgotten corner. Upon arriving in that nameless land, Dahgon immediately took command of the orcs and launched a massive hunt to drive out the sea monsters. The peninsula was dominated by two types of creatures: those with hard shells and others with soft, multi-legged bodies. Both were enormous and powerful, requiring several orcs working together to bring down even a single one.
They advanced by hunting during the day and cooking their kills at night, resting only to push forward again. After endless days of this grueling routine, they finally reached the wide coastline at the peninsula’s tip. Dahgon stood in silence, gazing at the sea glittering under the sunlight with eyes full of complex emotions. Then he turned to the orcs lined up by tribe, all watching him, and roared:
“We orcs will settle here and build a new nation! We will no longer fight humans or struggle day after day just to survive! This place will be the home of our orc kingdom—Ork!”
“Krooooooh! Dahgon! Dahgon!”
“Kraaaah!”
The thunderous cheers of 150,000 orcs shook the earth and made the sea tremble. As I recorded the historic scene with my eyes, I spoke.
“Now my role becomes the most important, doesn’t it?”
“Lady Elisha’s role will be crucial to Ork’s future.”
“Haa… How am I supposed to convince Maria?”
I was certain Cuby and Uriel wouldn’t show much interest, but Maria was the real problem. As Eden’s ruler, she would have to announce Ork’s founding to the international community, persuade them, and secure support—an unimaginable burden. She would surely scold me for turning what could have been a simple matter of bringing orcs who merely wanted coexistence into something this massive.
Even while worrying about that, I poured my efforts into laying the foundations for the orcs. I taught them how to build sturdy stone structures to keep monsters at bay, how to process monster carapaces into weapons and armor, the types of edible seafood and how to prepare them, how to dry and preserve cephalopod monsters, how to clear land for farming and create fertilizer to grow crops, and much more. I worked to help them move beyond a life dependent solely on plunder and hunting.
After roughly a month of essential education, I prepared to return to Eden.
“You’re staying here, Isabel?”
“Yes. The child will be born soon, and someone needs to continue the education they still lack.”
“I see. Understood.”
It would be difficult to bring Isabel along in her heavily pregnant state. Wearing armor fashioned from processed carapace and a crown upon his head, Dahgon supported her as he spoke.
“Female, return safely.”
“Yes, I will. While I’m gone, you must finish the first round of land clearing, understood?”
“Krk. Understood.”
With their send-off, I boarded the vehicle and departed for Eden. On the way back, riding in a car driven by an android, I saw orcs being hunted down by Xenuma soldiers—those who had refused to join Dahgon or coexist with humans. Watching them fall riddled with bullets, I felt an inexplicable bitterness and turned my head away.
Unlike the journey there, the return trip was swift and uninterrupted, allowing me to reach Eden quickly. I sat down with Maria and explained everything that had happened.
“So we’ve established a nation of orcs called Ork on the peninsula.”
“…What?”
“A nation of orcs called Ork…”
“No, that’s not the issue. Well, it is an issue. Anyway, you’re saying a group of over 150,000 orcs has settled near human territory?”
“Technically it’s unclaimed land. Xenuma and Ryuzan are nearby, but that’s all.”
“Haa…”
Maria pressed a hand to her forehead and sighed deeply.
“Even if they’re not right next door, how do you expect humans to calmly accept orcs settling nearby? They’ll be wondering when they’ll be raided.”
“They won’t raid. Ork was founded by orcs who wish to coexist with humans.”
“If they don’t raid, what will they eat? They won’t just starve to death.”
“That’s why we’re teaching them farming, animal husbandry, and how to gather seafood—so they can become self-sufficient.”
“Monsters farming? Whatever. More importantly, what about the issue of kidnapping women? They’re all males. How do you plan to handle that?”
“That’s where Eden’s science and technology come in.”
“What?”
I explained to Maria the method I had devised for supplying women: producing bioroids and sending them to the orcs. It was an idea Elsa and I had come up with, believing that artificially created life forms would reduce backlash from existing humans.
“By setting their ovulation cycles arbitrarily before sending them, we can also control birth rates. On top of that, if we perform the dairy cow procedure, it’ll help secure food supplies as well.”
“It’s a decent method, but what does Eden gain from it? We’re not doing charity work for free.”
“It proves that Eden actively supports coexistence with other species and that such coexistence is possible. It will help change human perceptions of Abaddon symbiosis.”
“…You thought this through well. You’ve become quite cunning.”
Despite her words, Maria’s expression was approving.
“Yes. If even orcs, who have long been hostile to humans, can coexist with them, it will greatly shift attitudes toward Abaddon. It’s worth Eden taking some losses.”
“And it’s not entirely a loss. Look at this.”
I took a lump of rock from my spatial pouch and placed it on the table. Maria looked puzzled at the ordinary-looking black stone resting on the white surface.
“What’s so special about this rock?”
“It looks like ordinary stone, but it isn’t. If you break it like this…”
I gripped it and applied force, splitting the rock in two to reveal what lay inside. Unlike the rocky exterior, the interior was filled with various rare minerals.
“Gold, silver, magnesium, and more. It’s a mass of metal formed from concentrated natural mineral components. Extremely high purity.”
“Where did you get this?”
“From the seabed off Ork’s coast. These metal lumps are scattered across the ocean floor like ordinary rocks.”
The first orc to discover them had been gathering seaweed. Most orcs had paid them no mind, assuming they were just rocks, but one had collected some to decorate his newly built house. When the stone accidentally split and revealed its glittering interior, the orc found it fascinating and brought it to Dahgon, bringing the discovery to light. Upon hearing the news, I dove into the sea myself and confirmed that every single rock on the seabed was one of these metal lumps.
“They’re literally as common as pebbles in the waters off Ork. For Eden, which lacks underground mineral resources, this creates a reliable supply route.”
“And we don’t even have to dig mines or mountains—just dive in and pick them up? That’s huge.”
As expected, Maria’s eyes began to sparkle at the sight of the metal lump.
“Well? Feeling more inclined to support Ork now?”
“Fine. Let’s work out the details.”
With Maria’s approval finally granted, we began formulating a plan to introduce Ork to the international community. With Eden’s active support and advocacy, the orc nation founded by orcs was revealed to the world. Thanks to Eden’s proactive diplomacy championing the independence and coexistence of other species, combined with the peninsula’s status as unclaimed territory between Xenuma and Ryuzan, Ork was eventually recognized as a legitimate nation—though not without difficulty. The complex international situation played a major role: Xenuma was too preoccupied with eliminating monster remnants and orc stragglers to pay much attention, while Ryuzan was distracted by tensions with the People’s Republic of Tarykin.
Only Kensus sent an envoy to verify the potential threat Ork posed. After visiting and witnessing orcs farming, building homes, and living without hostility toward humans, the Kensus delegation acknowledged the possibility of coexistence and recognized the nation’s existence.
Thus, with human recognition secured, a group of bioroid women—masterpieces created through the collaboration of Elisa, Elsa, and the Abaddon Queens—arrived in Ork along with various supplies needed for nation-building.
“Dahgon, I’m back.”
“Krk. Welcome. Female.”
“You’ve arrived?”
“Isabel was well too, I hope? Oh, is that child…?”
Standing beside Dahgon was Isabel, wearing a crown, holding the hand of a child with green skin and a human-like appearance. The child, staring at me with wide blue eyes, had a cute face resembling Isabel’s.
“Yes. Mine and Dahgon’s child. A new generation—an ork.”
“Really does look similar to a human. The fangs aren’t that large either.”
“Hoho, cute, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. Adorable.”
Contrary to my expectation that green skin would look strange on a human face, it suited the child remarkably well. Wait—hadn’t it only been two months since birth at most?
“It’s only been about two months, right? It’s already walking?”
“Where would the orcs’ superior physical abilities and growth rate go? It eats a lot and grows quickly.”
“Mama, mama.”
“Yes, yes. Let’s have milk.”
As the child tugged at Isabel’s hand and whined, she lifted it with effort and offered her breast. Dahgon, supporting the child with a baby carrier as it suckled vigorously, spoke.
“Thank you for bringing the females.”
“It’s nothing. They’re actually artificial humans. They look no different from real humans on the outside.”
“As long as they can relieve sexual desire, it’s fine.”
Dahgon said this and headed toward the clearing where the bioroids had gathered.
“Lady Elisha, please follow him.”
“What about Isabel?”
“I’ll feed the child and put it to sleep.”
“Understood.”
Leaving Isabel holding the child behind, I followed Dahgon. The clearing was already filled with orcs who had heard the news and come to gawk at the bioroids. The bioroids, each granted a random personality, chatted among themselves while stealing glances at the orcs. When Dahgon appeared, the orcs fell silent and bowed their heads in unison—a more impressive sight than I had imagined.
After sweeping his gaze over the bioroids and orcs, Dahgon spoke.
“These females have come for coexistence with the orcs. Do not treat them carelessly. Show them proper care.”
“Dagunta!”
“Dagunta!”
Shouting “Dagunta”—meaning they would obey—the orcs bowed and slowly approached the women. The bioroids had been pre-programmed with basic knowledge of the orc language and a favorable impression of orcs, so they mingled without resistance, chatting and growing closer.
“We’re still in mass production, so we could only bring ten thousand this first shipment. More will be sent once they’re ready.”
“Krk. Tell them thank you.”
“It’s an exchange for the sake of future relations. We’ve also brought seeds and farming tools, so please distribute them.”
“Understood.”
After discussing future matters with Dahgon, I left the now-noisy clearing. Having embraced human civilization, Ork began to develop at an astonishing pace. The orcs who took the arriving bioroids as wives threw themselves into productive activities with great enthusiasm. Combined with their physical strength and stamina far surpassing humans, the speed of land clearing and construction was tremendous.
Isabel’s child, Saranti, grew rapidly and had become a mischievous toddler who wandered about playing on her own, while Isabel was pregnant with her second child. As promised, I had also received a genetic map from Isabel and conceived Dahgon’s child.
“Krk. Don’t overexert yourself.”
“I’m not overexerting. My body is specialized as a mother, so this much is nothing.”
After spending the day teaching the orcs various things while heavily pregnant, Dahgon came to find me, looking worried.
“Your belly is growing too quickly.”
“It’s because of the essence. The fetus grows fast.”
Since my body could nurture a human baby to full term in just one month, an ork baby with even faster growth developed at a terrifying speed. Becoming full-term within a week of conception was enough to make an uninformed Dahgon worry.
“It’s growing healthily, so don’t worry and focus on your work.”
“Krk. Understood.”
After Dahgon left, I entered my room in Ork’s royal palace to find Isabel already waiting.
“Isabel? What’s the matter?”
“I came to see Queen Elisha. Hohoho.”
“Hearing that from the official queen Isabel just sounds like teasing.”
For various reasons, I was treated as an unofficial queen, while Isabel had become the official one. As the first human in Ork and the wife of King Dahgon, she had become a famous figure even in human society.
“I’m not teasing. I’m simply stating facts. After all, Lady Elisha was Dahgon’s first female.”
“Oh, enough. You didn’t come here just to joke around. What is it?”
Seated in the chair my tail had thoughtfully brought over, I asked, and Isabel—who had been absently stroking her belly out of habit—spoke carefully.
“There are humans who want to come to Ork.”
“Huh? Why would they want to come to Ork?”
“Well, you know… people with a very specific preference for orcs.”
“Ah, right.”
That was true. Such women existed. I had only ever heard rumors and never really considered them.
“Hmm… Well, if they want to come, let them. More women are always better anyway.”
“It’s not just women. There are men too.”
“What? Why would men want to come to Ork?”
“I suspect they have… twisted preferences.”
Whoa. A rather unpleasant image flashed through my mind, and I quickly shut the thought down.
“…Exclude the men. We’ll only accept women.”
“I thought so. Even if they’re a different species, men with men is a bit…”
“I have no intention of judging anyone’s sexual preferences, but I don’t want to see it myself.”
And so, the matter of human immigration to Ork that Isabel had brought was settled.