The Price of Defeat
We had successfully repelled all three prongs of Halpas’s legion. The mongrel fodder, Furcas’s Pale Riders, and Shax’s Cockatrice unit. There had certainly been moments of crisis—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say we had risked our lives—but we had emerged victorious nonetheless. We annihilated the mongrel unit, repelled the Pale Riders while hunting down their stragglers, and finally crushed the Cockatrice forces to capture Shax herself. Furthermore, news of victory had rung out from Gremory’s dungeon as well. Amy, who had staged a mutiny against her superior, Gremory, had been forced to her knees by Gremory’s tactical brilliance and the power of her holy energy. If this was the end of the fighting for today, we had perfectly defended against the initial assault of Halpas’s legion.
"I thought I was going to die from the sheer stress."
"It isn't completely over yet. We must keep watch for any follow-up forces from the enemy."
"I have a plan for that. Gremory, let's start by cleaning up your side first."
Our dungeon had the luxury of the first basement floor acting as a breakwater, giving us some breathing room. After repelling them three times, we had even more. Therefore, the priority was to stabilize Gremory’s side, which was effectively our rear.
"Are your current defensive forces enough?"
"Amy’s forces were completely wiped out. There’s no one left to cross over from Amy’s dungeon, but... the very fact that a portal remains open for others to invade is unsettling. What should we do?"
"So, Amy’s army is gone, then..."
I had some lingering concerns, but I wasn't overly worried. Even if someone did come, Galahad was there, so I felt secure.
"Galahad will continue to guard Amy’s side. Gremory, you keep defending your dungeon as well. I will continue to use the troops currently stationed there as your standing army."
"But you’ll mobilize the Orcs again if things get dicey, right?"
"If I need to, I will. But it’s fine. We’re only going to play defense until the portals become bidirectional."
"Hmm, is that so?"
I hadn't been able to say much because I was so preoccupied with defense, but charging blindly into Halpas’s legion wasn't the best move. 'Shax might have been a weakling, but...' Arrogance and complacency are the fastest paths to defeat. The reason I had been able to win against my enemies was that I always assumed they were stronger than me and put every effort into gathering intelligence. Therefore, I had to assume Halpas’s legion was still stronger than us and extract as much information as possible from Shax.
Kkeureureuk.
Just as I was about to move, my stomach let out a hungry growl. Come to think of it, I hadn't properly eaten, drunk, or rested since midnight.
"...They won't come anymore, right?"
"Indeed. Shax said there was no one behind her."
"Then, is there any way they’ll realize Shax has been defeated?"
"They might notice if they check the Affinity Summon and see the Cockatrice unit has been completely registered. However, Halpas won't easily dispatch additional troops. The fact that everyone except Shax is dead is proof that Shax has been taken hostage."
"I suppose so. They won't attack recklessly, right? Can I rest today?"
I needed to rest. Whether it was drinking Ryun’s peach-ade, burying my head in Luna’s breasts, or falling asleep in Shaitan’s arms in a dream, I needed a break. But if I was going to rest, it would be best to fill my stomach, which had been starved by the battle.
"Shaitan. You removed all the Cockatrices on the first basement floor, right?"
"Yes. Except for the 35 that were turned into ghouls, I have gathered them all in one place as you requested."
"Good..."
Cockatrice samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) came to mind, but removing the innards was a hassle, and the water puddle was another issue. The river water was too filled with blood to boil, and it felt gross since it was water Shax had vomited out.
'Should I consider it a reward?'
She hadn't actually vomited the river water, but that was what it looked like. Regardless, boiling anything in that puddle was problematic in many ways.
'And gutting them is too much of a chore.'
How long would it take to slit the bellies of all those Cockatrices and remove the innards? The ghouls and slimes would happily devour them, but I didn't have the time to process them if I wanted to fill my stomach right now.
"...It can't be helped. Shaitan, Gremory, gather the Orcs from the ranch who didn't participate in the battle. Tell them to bring a blade—a saw or a knife—and call them here."
"You look exhausted, are you sure you want to process them now...?"
"Yeah. I’m not going to process the whole thing. I’m just going to cut out what’s edible."
I waved my hand.
"Just for today, let's go with flame-grilled wings and drumsticks, no sauce."
Thus was born our legion’s greatest nutritional snack: Twisted Nether Cockatrice Wing and Drumstick Roast.
Crunch. Crunch.
Shax regained consciousness at the sound of grating chewing. Her mind was hazy, but she quickly grasped her situation.
'Damn it, damn it all.'
Tears welled up in Shax’s eyes. She felt resentful and frustrated that she had failed to perfectly command the Cockatrice unit, even after planning to use summoned river water to neutralize the fire traps and cross the flooded area.
'If only I could turn back time, I wouldn't have to suffer this humiliation.'
But Shax had already lost, and the Orc had forcibly violated her in front of all his soldiers. The fact that they were different species hadn't mattered to the Orc at all, and she had pathetically let out moans while being penetrated by him.
'Should I just kill myself?'
If she were reborn through Halpas’s Affinity Summon, her memories might remain, but her defiled body would return to its original state.
'But I can't do that.'
As his biological daughter, she knew Halpas’s temperament better than anyone. While he gave flowery speeches to boost morale, his underlying contempt and disgust for losers were a humiliation Shax couldn't bear.
'If I mess up, he might not even use the Affinity Summon.'
That meant there was zero chance of resurrection if she died. Shax’s eyes teared up at her predicament.
"Hey, hey. You awake? Let me ask you something."
Shax bit her lip at the voice of the person entering the cell where she was confined. She tasted the metallic tang of blood in her mouth, and forgetting that she was bound, she kicked out toward the intruder.
"You son of a bitch!"
Clank!
Shax’s legs were shackled with solid iron. Only then could she confirm her posture.
"You, you...!"
Shax was seated against the wall, her arms hoisted high above her head, her legs spread wide to the left and right. Her face flushed red at the sight of herself in a pose that looked like a worn-out whore begging for a man.
"I don't even know if my parents were human or Orc, so calling me a son of a bitch is a bit harsh. You Halpas-loving bastard."
The Orc countered her insult with an even worse one and set down a bowl. In front of Shax lay a piece of unidentifiable meat covered in white cream.
"They say even a dead banshee looks good if she’s well-fed. Just eat it. Let’s talk while you eat."
The Orc pulled on the chain connected to Shax’s wrist shackles. Shax’s head dropped, and she had to bow her head toward the bowl like a bird pecking at feed.
"...You want me to eat like this?"
"Of course. Don't birds peck at their food like this?"
"...I am a Bird-person. I am a demi-human, strictly speaking."
"Is that so? Still, that means you’re half-bird. And since you didn't say you wouldn't eat, that means you’re going to. Just eat."
"......."
As the Orc said, Shax was starving. She trembled with humiliation at receiving mercy from the one who had violated her, but she was satisfied that she could at least cover her chest and belly, and she touched her tongue to the sauce.
"...Lick."
Shax swallowed a piece of meat that had been cut into bite-sized pieces. The Orc was even more dumbfounded by Shax’s behavior of eating the sauce-covered meat without hesitation.
"...Is it good?"
"Decent."
"What would you have done if it were poisoned?"
"I’d rather be poisoned by an enemy than be gang-raped by Orcs."
At Shax’s venomous gaze, the Orc scratched his cheek with an indifferent expression and sat down across from her.
"I want information."
"I’ll give you information if you don't violate me."
"...I like the fast pace of this conversation, but aren't you skipping too many steps?"
"I’m a smart girl."
Shax lifted her head and sneered at the Orc. The few words they had exchanged were already enough to understand the Orc’s nature.
"You’re trying to dig up information about our legion, aren't you? ...I’ll hand it over if you promise not to violate me. Even if a ceasefire is signed and I return to base, I’ll keep what happened in this dungeon a secret."
"And you expect me to believe that?"
"Then what, you want me to shout from the rooftops that I was fucked by a bastard like you? 'Oh, Miss Shax! How did you end up getting pinned down and moaning for a pig-like Orc?' What kind of nonsense are you talking about!"
"...I’m the one who should be asking what kind of nonsense you’re talking about."
"I said that because I knew you’d say it. ...The information I’ll give you is everything about our legion."
"That just means you really hate being eaten by me... that’s a shame."
The Orc was genuinely disappointed.
"Who are you talking about just now?"
"You."
"......."
Shax wanted to spit, but she held it back. If she did something unnecessary, the Orc might lose his mind and violate her again. Being pinned down by an Orc and screaming was enough for one lifetime.
"Hmm... are you feeling resentful because you were beaten without even being able to put up a fight?"
"Isn't that obvious? Was that even a fight?"
"It’s just a man and a woman fighting in bed... at that time, the bed just happened to be the dungeon floor. Then fine. Let’s make a bet."
The Orc made Shax an offer she couldn't refuse.
"If you fight one of our dungeon’s Elves 1-on-1 and win, I won't touch a single hair on your head for four days. And I’ll let you return to your base as soon as the portal direction changes. How about it?"
"...And if I lose?"
"You’re asking about the situation if you win, but you’re assuming you’ll lose? You must be nervous. Don't worry. The Elf is my subordinate. I’ll have her fight only with her hands, no weapons."
"What? Pfft, fine. If that’s the case, I welcome it."
Shax was brimming with confidence. The Orc pulled on the chain, forcing Shax to lift her head.
"Instead, if you lose, you become my slave. Do you understand?"
"...Give me a moment to think."
There was no need to worry. The reason Shax asked for time was to visualize in her head how she would win against the Elf, and the Orc didn't stop her.
'I’ll win.'
She could definitely win. Her defense had weakened because she didn't have her doll suit, but Shax was confident in her victory. If she could recover just a little more mana, she could easily win.
"Then come out."
Click, click!
The Orc freed Shax by crushing the shackles with his foot. He had a look on his face that suggested he had noticed long ago that Shax had used magic to destroy the shackles while they were talking.
'I can win, right?'
Shax suddenly felt anxious. She was sure she could win, but the lingering fear that she might become a slave if she lost began to cloud her mind.
'If I become a slave, he’ll definitely make me do that, too.'
Should she just kill herself? Even Halpas wouldn't refuse to resurrect his own daughter if she died, would he? Shax’s eyes teared up at her situation. If she died, she couldn't guarantee resurrection. If she lived, she would be continually violated by the Orc. Therefore, the only way for Shax to live with her dignity intact was to beat the Elf.
"Anyone, come out! I’ll make you kneel!"
"Oh, sure. Luna!"
"You called?"
Shax despaired at the overwhelming size. Then she pointed at the Dark Elf who had appeared out of nowhere and shouted.
"That’s a Dark Elf!"
"Alright, Luna. Shall we go get some fresh air for a moment?"
"Sure."
Outside the dungeon, the sunlight was shining past its zenith.
"Ta-da, an Elf appears!"
Shax almost fainted at the sight of the pale, exhibitionist Elf, and she was knocked unconscious by a punch that came without warning.
