The Red Boar Chieftain
"A human in armor during such a sensitive time..."
An orc who looked particularly massive even from afar, draped in ornate leather garb. His voice rang out crystal clear, as if he were right beside them, despite the distance of what must have been over a hundred meters. Tiny and Garen's faces hardened at the sound.
Before they could even respond, the orc strode toward them with massive steps, and soon he loomed before them. Slightly smaller orc warriors fanned out to his left and right. His long brown hair was braided with six red knots—proof that he was a powerful Challenger-grade orc warrior with the right to take six wives. In the orc tribes, where strength ruled above all, he stood at the absolute pinnacle.
In other words...
"...Chieftain?"
Garen's voice came out heavy.
"Grukgrlv?"
"Grukgrlvydfd vrsh?"
The orcs' gazes locked onto the outsiders, murmurs rippling through them. Caught off guard by the arrival of such a high-ranking orc, Garen shot Tiny a glance before stepping forward.
"We are travelers who accepted a warrior's challenge. We've merely stopped here on our way to our destination, so there's no need to concern yourself with us."
In his outstretched hand, he held the token of the Red Boar tribe—a clear gesture that he had no desire to stir trouble. The chieftain orc, who had been glaring at them, blinked in slight surprise. But his reaction wasn't what they'd hoped.
"Oh? Narn's token? You defeated Patrol Captain Narn? Impressive..."
His voice rose, blending with his ferocious features to make the air even more tense.
Impressive? Tiny frowned, his hand drifting toward Stamp, but Garen flashed a bright smile as if oblivious to the mood.
"Ah! Haha, you mean that valiant female warrior? She fell to my friend here. A splendid duel it was."
It sounded like it might fan the flames of hostility, but the orc merely bared his long tusks in a grin.
"To beat Narn with such a small frame—truly astonishing."
Unlike his grim expression, there was no malice in his admiring tone. Naturally, Tiny recalled the warrior's challenge they'd faced before arriving.
She was no slouch, that orc woman.
Smaller and more agile than the males, with tusks that didn't protrude as much. Aside from her green skin, she could almost pass for human. But female orcs were far more flexible, and the elite among them matched male warriors in combat prowess. The one who'd fought Tiny had a lean, toned body that could easily overpower an average human man. Wielding what looked like a three-meter bone spear, she'd charged ferociously atop a red boar. Beyond her early Expert-level mana, her savage spearmanship and acrobatic pig-riding—no, pig-mounting—skills had been on full display. Her unique techniques had even drawn Tiny into the fray a bit.
"For a mere Blader-grade human to best her... remarkable."
If "her" referred to the orc woman he'd fought, then this orc was marveling that Tiny—nearly Blader-grade—had defeated her, an Expert. But to orc warriors, especially the strong ones, that was only natural.
Orcs are stronger than humans. Unless one was superhuman, they could crush a whole rank lower. That was their common sense.
Warrior's challenges forbade killing the opponent, and inflicting serious injury made you an enemy of the entire tribe. They knew it was an unfair custom, forcing them to hold back one or two moves.
Amid it all, Tiny fixated not on the meaning of the words, but the chieftain's phrasing.
Remarkable?
The nagging word made him glance at Garen, who shook his head subtly—don't interfere; leave it to me. They'd agreed before setting out: unless it jeopardized their goal, they'd follow his lead in orc territory.
Fine. Tiny held his silence again.
"Narn is our tribe's prodigy, unmatched among her peers. She's devoted herself to martial arts without even taking her first husband... The rumors weren't exaggerated."
Garen's expression turned awkward.
In orc society, which prized combat prowess, both men and women could take additional mates based on rank. But as a human knight from a monogamous culture—polygamy allowed only for men—Garen found the phrasing uncomfortable.
And that wasn't the only oddity.
Rumors?
Garen glanced at Tiny, who nodded faintly.
They know me.
Tiny's eyes narrowed as he gripped Stamp's handle. Garen clapped his shoulder firmly and smiled at the orc again.
"Sir Tiny here is hailed as one of the Empire's top geniuses. A prodigy knight dubbed the Radiant Knight at a young age. The one who repelled the calamity—surely you've heard the tales? If so, you'll agree her defeat is no shame."
Garen openly praised Tiny to gauge the orc's reaction. But...
"Indeed, only someone like that could best Narn. Then, care to show me your skills?"
The chieftain's words veered in an unexpected direction.
This is... Tiny furrowed his brow again, but before he could speak, reactions erupted from behind the chieftain.
"Batar, sir!"
"Now's not the time...!"
"Silence!!"
Dismissing his subordinates, Batar—the orc chieftain—flashed that savage grin at Garen and Tiny.
"How can a warrior pass up a strong foe? Seeing human powerhouses after so long has my blood boiling. If it's no offense, I challenge you to a duel. What say you, human knights?"
Garen looked helplessly at Tiny.
Better than refusing hospitality and complicating things.
Tiny sighed inwardly and nodded. A lingering unease remained, but an orc chieftain wouldn't betray them after all this talk. The Empire branded them barbarians, but they were true warriors who staked their lives on honor and might. The warrior's challenge custom stemmed from that very ethos.
"...We have a schedule and can't spare more than a day. Is that acceptable?"
"Hm, a pity, but unavoidable. Very well. I invite you to my home."
And so, the two found themselves unexpectedly guests in the Red Boar chieftain's dwelling.
* * *
Thankfully, Batar wasn't some reckless brute.
"Here, I've specially ordered dishes to suit human tastes. You may not know, but orc meat cuisine boasts flavors unmatched by human fare. Eat your fill."
The massive tent seemed larger than most mansions. At Batar's clap, slender orc women began serving food.
First to catch the eye was a slab of meat the size of a man's head—perhaps from one of their boars. Tossed in an unknown sauce, its savory aroma alone drew Tiny and Garen in.
Next came the servers themselves. Save for the slight tusks peeking from their upper lips, they looked like tall, beautiful green-skinned human women.
The green skin is a bit unusual, but...
Tiny, uninterested in women due to his upbringing and trauma with his sister—even in his past life—barely registered it. Garen, however, averted his eyes to the ceiling at their bold attire, comparatively revealing to humans.
Suddenly struck by a thought, he grabbed Tiny's shoulder.
"Just in case: don't get handsy with the servers. In orc society, those who serve guests food are usually..."
"I know. The wives."
Of course, if the head were female, it would be the husbands.
"...You knew that too?"
"Yeah, incidentally. A friend told me a lot."
As he answered, Tiny suddenly missed Zerik's burly face. Then Batar clapped again, and the wives lined up beside him. Between their arms and sides, bumpy green heads popped out one by one.
Babies?
Tiny little ones—dwarfed by their massive parents—numbered ten. The moment the orc babies wiped drool from their mouths...
"Now! With guests here, let's eat! Dig in!"
Batar clapped once more, and the babies charged the food with a collective wail.
Crunch crunch.
"Kyaa!"
Slurp slurp.
"Kyruk."
Gulp.
"Kihiing!"
Amid adorable noises, the table's bounty vanished at lightspeed.
Garen, as if expecting it, smiled naturally, carved one hunk from his massive portion, and slid it all to a baby before him.
"Kyaa?"
"Eat up, little one."
Despite the species difference, humanity was humanity. The babies—miniature versions of their fierce parents—were utterly cute. Though their voracious appetites screamed pure orc.
Crunch munch.
Slosh slosh.
Garen watched with fond yet slightly daunted eyes, then turned to Tiny as if just remembering.
"This is how orcs host guests. Sharing a meal with the family means you're true friends..."
He meant to explain orc etiquette late, but froze mid-turn with an awkward look.
Chomp chomp chomp.
Crunch crunch.
"Whoa, this is delicious. Ebi, back off! This is mine!"
Munch munch.
Slurp slurp.
Tiny tore into a boar-sized hunk, ignoring the two babies' resentful glares.
"Hm..."
Pricked by their stares, Tiny scratched his head and portioned some untouched meat to the babies on his lap.
"...Let's share."
"Kyaa?"
And so...
Munch munch.
"Kihiing!"
Slurp slurp.
"Tasty, right?"
"Kyaa!"
Slurp slurp slurp.
"You guys eat like this every day?"
"Kyruk."
"Lucky."
Crunch crunch.
They understand him?!
To Garen's disbelief, Tiny bantered with the babies like family. But for the skin color, he'd pass for a pint-sized orc.
Is this rude or not?
As Garen gaped...
"Uahaha! You eat well, friend. Wives, sorry, but more food?"
Batar burst into bewildered laughter; the wives smiled silently and rose.
Garen didn't know all orc etiquette, but ordering the host's family during a meal was surely impolite.
Why is he doing that!
Embarrassed, Garen covered his face.
"Wow, the food's amazing. Slurp slurp. If it's no trouble, chomp chomp, three more of these, munch, should be enough... slurp."
That's totally rude!
Tiny, etiquette be damned, casually reordered and kept devouring.
"Buuuurp!"
A belch followed his feast. Garen shot him a glare, but Tiny just grinned.
Showing you've eaten your fill is orc politeness.
Knowing that, he shoveled in a dessert plate of lamb despite being stuffed.
"Are you a beast...?"
He ignored the groan beside him. The food was good, and eating a lot was essential for him anyway.
Crack crunch.
Inside, bones realigned and muscles swelled in real time.
Didn't fully refuel on the rushed trip; now I can recover properly.
The cow he'd eaten en route wasn't enough. His body, depleted at the palace, was finally mending fully.
Satisfied, he smiled naturally. Batar grinned from the head seat and cut to the chase.
"I've hosted you well, so I'm proud. Post-meal exercise should be fine, yes? Radiant Knight Tiny 'Morse'."
The orc warrior's grand welcome was far from over.