Fantasy's Flower is the Orc?
Orcs have no clue what polite speech even is. Maybe it's because they're such a hierarchy-free bunch, or perhaps their brains just can't wrap around the difference between casual and formal talk. Their language definitely has a system for honorifics—humans and goblins in the orc village use it just fine—but orcs refuse to touch those words with a ten-foot pole.
"Mangod said you'd need it to prepare."
The orc who'd come on an errand from the chieftain's son, Mangod, referred to him by name without a hint of deference, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
"Prepare for what?"
This time, unlike before, I tried to hide my shock at the massive gift and play it cool. Three million chur... wait, how much is that really? I could buy both the tiger woman and the elephant woman from earlier and still have plenty left over...
Doing the math made it feel iffy. No. The dark elf tied to my bed right now had cost 990 chur, and the pretty human woman was 3,500 chur. A plain but healthy woman went for 10,800 chur, and the milk-cow beastkin with the huge tits was 56,700 chur. So with pretty slave girls, I could buy about 1,000 of them. With healthy human women, around 300.
Since I'd only spent money here on slaves, gauging its value was tricky as hell.
"Aren't you preparing for the branch tribe split?"
The orcs dropped the sack in front of my tent and one of them said it like it was obvious. Branch tribe? Splitting the tribe? But why? Suddenly, I remembered the conversation I'd overheard between Mangod and me in the plaza earlier. No way...
Don't jump to conclusions. Dig a little more...
"So Mangod sent it for that."
I didn't really know these orcs. We'd never exchanged a word before, so pressing for details felt awkward. I'd ask the ones who'd at least talked to me tomorrow.
"But damn, Temir Bas! You're the real deal!"
Suddenly, one raised his middle finger at me. What the hell? Why the bird now? They come bearing gifts and then flip me off? Man, they must really look down on me. How the hell has this Temir Bas guy even survived? Is he really Mangod's brother? If so, how does anyone flip off the chieftain's son?
"Hell yeah! Impressive as fuck! Five times, right?"
Another orc chimed in, then raised his middle finger at me too. Huh? But something felt off. There was no mockery on their faces. If anything, they seemed genuinely impressed, praising me. I couldn't read orc body language perfectly, but that's how it hit me.
But if it was praise, why were all three of them flipping me off? Did the middle finger mean something else to them?
"Keep at it."
The orcs nodded and vanished. What the...
I grabbed the sack they'd left and ducked into the tent. Sitting on the bed's edge, I opened it. It was stuffed with gleaming coins. I pulled one out. A round coin, a bit smaller than a 500-won piece, somewhere between gold and silver. The front had a majestic lion's head with an impressive mane. The back was embossed with this world's numeral for 100. So each was worth 100 chur.
Exquisite craftsmanship on both sides—way beyond what orcs could make. Probably currency from some other country. And a whole sack held ten thousand of them...
I grabbed another handful. Orc hands are huge; one fistful was nearly a hundred coins. Enough for ten dark elves like the one behind me...
That made things easy. Tomorrow, I'd hit the slave trader, snag two more hot ones, fuck 'em, and the quest was done. Honestly, orc-body sex had been so damn fun that seeing the end in sight felt a little disappointing.
Right—buy two extras. Use one first, then switch to the other when I got bored. Whatever. I'd figure that out tomorrow. For now, time to enjoy today.
I let the coins cascade back into the sack with a clink-clink, then turned. The dark elf beauty stared at the sack with wide, stunned eyes. She'd been shocked too. Then she asked me,
"What's with all the gold coins? Did you raid some kingdom or something?"
Hmm... so these were gold coins. But the gold content seemed low. By color, generously it'd be 14k at best... Well, even in the real world, gold coins varied by era and country—sometimes with less than half actual gold. Made this feel more realistic, I guess.
"Why? You interested? Want some?"
I reopened the sack and scooped up another handful. Against expectations, she didn't reply. But I caught the flicker of desire in her eyes.
Funny, huh? A slave craving gold. Wait—could slaves even spend money? Maybe save up to buy their own freedom? I knew next to nothing about slavery in this virtual world.
The dark elf beauty stared at me. But her eyes weren't as aggressive as before. Still, her lips stayed sealed. She couldn't bring herself to say she wanted it.
"Alright, here's the deal. Make me happy today, and I'll give you one."
I flicked a coin with my finger. It spun high into the air, then plink—landed right between her legs.
She said nothing for a moment. But I knew her eyes had followed it from launch to landing.
This was getting fun... What was wrong with me? Seeing women flustered, pissed, or full of hate—it thrilled me like nothing else. Loved it when they dropped the mask and bared their raw desires. Saying it out loud, I sounded like some demon.
Ting! Another coin hit between her legs.
Gulp! She swallowed hard.
"That's a 100-chur gold coin. And I bought you today for 623 chur."
Her eyes left the coin and fixed on me, brimming with hate again. Didn't like being bought and sold like merchandise, I guess.
"So two of those cover a third of your price."
"A pig like you can do math?"
Was she insulting me? Or just shocked? Her eyes gave nothing away.
"What do you say? Wanna try?"
I tossed another coin.
"I'm the third princess of Jemaiti Kingdom. Isn't that a bargain for a night with royalty?"
She asked with sudden poise. If she'd kept that up, I might've bought her as highborn, even if not a princess. But with her eyes shaking over a few coins and her nonstop cursing, no way she came from nobility.
"Looks like you're tempted by the gold."
I tossed another.
With each coin, her eyes gleamed brighter.
"At least ten to make spreading my legs worth it."
Now she was straight-up haggling. A princess? More like a worn-out alley whore.
"How about a little game?"
"Huh?"
"I'll start shoving into you again from now on."
Gulp! This swallow was pure fear—her eyes trembled, nothing like the lust from before.
"Hold your mind together till the end, and you get two gold coins."
She tsked.
"Do it again and hold out? Four—double. Next is eight, then sixteen."
Her eyes widened.
"You... know what happens if it doubles each time?"
"Of course. By the tenth, it's a thousand times. A thousand gold coins. Sound fair for a night with princess?"
"You serious?"
"Yeah. A thousand's nothing. Sack's got ten thousand."
I held up the sack for her to see.
"And if you succeed ten times? Not just gold—I'll free you from slavery. But pass out once? Zero."
The dark elf eyed me with distrust.
"For real, orc?"
First time she called me orc instead of piglet. Huh, interesting.
"Of course. Oh—I'm Temir Bas. What's your name?"
I knew it was Danas Elpina, but not confirmed.
"Marina Elfin."
Close, but not quite. Hmm... fine.
"You mean it? A thousand gold and my freedom—guaranteed?"
"Don't believe me? Your call."
"They say orcs can't lie."
Really? Doubt it. Mangod's eyes today weren't pure at all. These guys were dumb brutes, not innocents.
"But rumors aren't proof. And you're weird—no orc calculates that fast or schemes like you."
Sharp one.
"Fine. Swear on it, and I'll believe."
"Swear... but I put up huge stakes, and you? Nothing. Scale's tipped, no?"
She stared, pondering seriously. Tch... Did she think she could win?
"Sambas..."
Huh? Weird word.
"I know about the treasure hidden in Sambas Mountain. Lose, and it's yours."
"What's that?"
"...A trove holding the world's greatest secrets. Adventurers scour the earth for it."
"Not interested."
"What?"
"Why believe tall tales from your mouth?"
"I swear. Marina Elfin hereby vows: if I lose this bet, I give the orc Temir Bas all I know of Sambas Mountain's treasure."
"How trust a woman lying about her own name? Danas Elpina."
"Ah! How do you—?"
Her face went ghost-white.
"Puhaha!"
I burst out laughing for real. Toying with her terror was pure bliss.
"Whatever. Keep your word or not—I'll keep mine."
I pulled out the slave contract from the trader and showed it. Rip it, and at least legally, no more slave.
"Win, it's yours. The hundred thousand chur in gold's a bonus."
I tucked the contract into the sack as I spoke. Her eyes followed my every move, hungry.
I stashed the sack in the chest under the bed and locked it. Sturdy metal box—fitting for the chieftain's son.
Job done, I climbed onto the bed.
Gulp! Another swallow. Fear this time.
"Let's see you endure."
"Kyaak!"
The dark elf screamed. Even after all this, that monstrous thing piercing her was unbearable.
"Gack! Urk!"
Face like death, but she fought to stay conscious.