The Disappearance of the Orc and Red Bear
"Captain! Are you really, really gonna just sit here and wait?!"
Goju was squawking right next to me, but I kept my eyes shut, arms crossed, sitting cross-legged without a word. He must've been frustrated as hell watching me just plant myself there, silently waiting for Silveryia.
"Captain! Screw that promise! Just break it! Why the fuck are you stressing over some deal with a human bitch?!"
Then Goju stomped over to that knight of Silveryia's—Kandor or whatever, gagged and trussed up tight like a hog—and jabbed a finger at him, screeching away.
"Forget the damn promise! Just lop this human's head off and charge up the peak! Why sit here waiting to die, Captain?!"
"...If I die, I die. I ain't gonna act like some slimy human and lie my ass off. I'm an orc, sure, but I staked my name and honor on that bet with her. Whatever comes, I gotta take it like a man, right?"
"Captain!"
"Goju... even if I'm an orc, you think I'd stoop to lying like a pathetic human? We're monsters, yeah, but let's go out with some goddamn style."
Plus, it ain't like I've lost the bet yet! At my words, Goju snorted disgustingly and plopped down next to me.
"Captain...!"
"Hey, wipe that snot, you filthy bastard."
"...I figured you didn't need to point that out!"
Just like that, Goju—insisting he'd witness the bet's outcome right by my side—sat there with me, both of us staring at the cave mouth.
One day, another day, day after endless day... how many days did we wait for Silveryia to show?
"-Messenger! Messenger! Red Bear! Red Bear! Receive the Demon King's decree!"
Silveryia never came. Instead, a tiny Whisper—the Demon King's messenger bird—flapped its wings furiously into the cave.
In the end, I couldn't wait for Silveryia anymore. Things had changed.
Me and my 400 lunatics had been holed up on this peak because of a direct order from the Demon King himself. That gave us cover—no other unit could bitch at us, and the humans weren't attacking, so we'd been having a relatively peaceful time.
But now...
"The northwest front's collapsed all the way back, and the Demon King Castle's on the brink of falling? What kinda bullshit is this?"
A retreat order came down from command.
Word was, the human alliance had summoned a hero from another world, and this hero was insanely strong. The northwest line got steamrolled, and now the castle was about to fall.
For the record, this wasn't some brave knight like Silveryia—this was a legendary hero, straight out of myths.
"I thought I was the protagonist of this world, but nah, fuck me."
I hurriedly sent out scouts for intel. Turns out, this hero swings her holy sword once, and mountains split; Demon King troops get cleaved like they're made of butter.
At first, I figured it was exaggerated bullshit like with Silveryia, so I dug for more. Nope—turns out a black-haired, badass human woman with a gleaming sword was mowing everyone down. Felt like a web novel cheat hero had actually descended.
Why? 'Cause even if time's flown by, it's been barely two weeks max.
Two weeks! Sure, the Demon King Army was at a disadvantage, but we're talking massive numbers—nothing like my ragtag 400 maniacs.
Yet in just two weeks, those swarms of troops got annihilated to the point where they're sending panic messages that the castle's in danger? You think that makes sense?
This meant some absurd, impossible entity had truly come to this world.
Bet or no bet, it was the Demon King's command. I decided on a full retreat.
But since I still had that wager with Silveryia, I turned to her bound subordinate, Kandor.
"We'll pull back this time out of necessity, but tell your captain the 'bet' ain't over—I'll be waiting."
"What? What the hell does that—argh!"
This knight prick talked short and rude, like the asshole he was. I smashed his jaw with a backhand, knocking him out cold, then rallied my troops.
"Alright, you lot—head home."
I'm going to the Demon King Castle alone.
_________________
Why disband my crew now after all the bitching about wanting discharge? And why go solo? You're wondering, right!
"It's obvious we've already lost! No need to rush in and die fighting!"
With a blatant cheat hero popping up, by the time I reach the castle, the Demon King'll probably be dead or dying—if my guess is right.
So I told my troops, who were glaring at me like a traitor:
"You idiots! We got no way to fight back right now! Charging in means we just die like dogs! You wanna go out like that?!"
No response. Obviously. These guys wanna live free, enjoy life—ain't no one itching for a nameless dog death on some historical battlefield.
Still, to the grumbling bunch, I said:
"I ain't got the power yet to keep you all alive! But hang in there! No matter how long, I'll find you somehow!"
"-Captain? You don't mean...?"
My thick-headed minions eyed me, catching on to what I meant.
To seal the deal, I reached for Goju. He tossed me a massive tomahawk like he'd been waiting.
It slapped perfectly into my grip. I raised it high and bellowed—just like that scene from my past life!
"We will not be slaves!!"
"-Waaaaaaah!!!"
"-Captain! Captain! Captain!"
As they chanted my name, I dropped one last line.
"We will become the masters of this world."
A puny orc declaring betrayal of the Demon King and conquest of the world—my men roared like the heavens would split.
I shouted back:
"Until that day, hide in the shadows where no one sees! We're not running—we're advancing for the future where we crush the humans! Go!"
With that, my troops scattered every which way off the peak—flying, rolling, burrowing, whatever suited their races.
While they fled, I bolted straight for the Demon King Castle.
Why solo? Like I said—simple. I'm going to loot treasure.
Honestly, I didn't give a shit if the Demon King lived or died. Hell, I hoped he was still kicking for now.
Why? If he's already toast, the human alliance swarming the castle will snatch every last treasure.
Non-Demon King Army humans looting Demon King Castle? That shit makes my gut twist.
Plus, after years of service, I ain't discharging empty-handed!
So if it's time to "retire," I'm grabbing my severance myself—racing to the castle for it.
Days of nonstop running over mountains and rivers, I finally hit the Demon King Castle. Good—they were still holding.
Humans blasting magic at the walls, climbing ladders—a total clusterfuck melee.
"Looks like the Demon King's still alive, huh?"
Tough bastard. Demon King Castles are always perched on sheer cliffs in every story—easy to defend, one path in.
That's why it hadn't fallen yet. But problem: that's my only way in too...
Whatever. I smashed through whatever was in my path—humans, elves, dwarves, didn't matter—caving skulls with my axe for a bloody grand entrance.
Slipping past the awestruck guards' eyes, I ransacked every corner, pocketing rare treasures.
Fight? Why bother? Got a death wish?
Having looted the treasury clean, I figured it was time to bail—
"Ascalon!!!"
A woman's voice boomed. The castle shook like a tree ripped up by a typhoon—foundations left, everything else blasted away. I got shredded by the holy sword's storm, flung far off.
Cheat hero bitch, for real.
That was my last thought before blacking out.