Clang.
Unlocked.
Green and the others had been arrested.
As the cold iron cuffs snapped shut, runes pulsed with a faint light, sending a restrictive surge of power into their bodies. Mana-Sealing Handcuffs. This was the most common equipment used to restrain practitioners.
“The quality is a bit low, though,” Green thought, lightly shifting his wrists. Without exerting any real effort, he easily seized control of the cuffs’ internal mechanisms. With a mere thought, the shackles would pop open the next second.
However, he obediently lowered his hands, letting the mana-sealing sensation flow through him.
“Brrr… so cold!”
Andy shivered, his face pale as he lowered his head, pleading piteously, “Officer, spare us! Whatever happened, it must be a misunderstanding!”
Thump.
Under Andy’s superb acting, his “pathetic” appearance completely disarmed the Orc gendarme’s vigilance. The guard shoved the “struggling” old man roughly without a second thought.
“Misunderstanding or not, you’ll find out once we reach the General’s estate.”
Having finished his piece, the gendarme—who knew the root of this farce all too well—glanced casually at Teresa. She still wore a cloak to hide her face, but a spark of greed flickered in the soldier’s eyes.
A beauty, and a human one at that. In the Orc Kingdom, such a find wasn’t just “valuable”; she was a peerless treasure.
“A shame the best goods must always be offered to General Love, our Kingdom’s great hero, for his first use,” the Orc militiaman thought, spitting on the ground and sighing with regret.
“Alright, old man, quit your blubbering.” The gendarme straightened his face and spoke sternly. “If you really feel wronged, you can explain it to the General yourself. If you’re truly innocent, the General will clear your name.”
“The General?” Old Andy blinked “cluelessly” before gasping in “shock.” “You… do you mean the hero of the Orc Kingdom, General Love?”
“Hmph. Is there any other ‘hero’ in this Kingdom besides him?”
While Orcs had always taken pride in their martial prowess, they had historically lost more than they won against the Empire in this era of rapidly advancing magic-tech—until General Love and the Great Shaman joined forces to achieve that world-shaking victory. Consequently, in the last decade, General Love was the only household name recognized as a “Hero” in the entire Orc Kingdom.
“Heavens… to think it’s that General…” Old Andy murmured dejectedly. “We’re truly finished now.”
“Hmph. Getting to see General Love is a stroke of luck for you treacherous humans.”
In the eyes of the Orcs, human practitioners—who were often equal or even inferior in raw strength—were nothing but shameless cowards who used strange tactics and magic-tech to “steal” victories.
Step, step.
And so, escorted by a squad of Orc gendarmes, the “unlucky” smugglers were pitifully herded up the mountainside to a secluded, beautifully quiet manor far from the bustle of the world.
“Huh? Why does the style of this manor look so much like… the Human Empire’s? Specifically, the style favored by the noble lords?”
Green looked around in surprise. Two bronze statues stood at the entrance, leading into a garden bursting with flowers. The luxurious estate was filled with snow-white marble pillars and featured a delicate small fountain.
This décor was a far cry from the “stark and vigorous” or “bold and open” aesthetic worshipped by Orcs. Instead, it overflowed with the intricate, refined, and petite “elegance” of the Empire.
“However…” Green took a closer look. “Nowadays, not just in the Capital, but even among the Great Families on the border, this ‘glittering’ style of flaunting wealth is out of fashion. They’ve started chasing ‘purity’ and ‘returning to nature’.”
Still… this was excellent material for his writing. It was a pity he had to stay in character; he could only jot down the drafts in his mind for now.
“What? Shocked by the grandeur of the General’s residence?”
Noticing Green’s lingering gaze and mistaking it for “adoration,” the Orc gendarme lifted his head proudly, as if he owned the place himself.
“You humans always think our noble warrior race are barbarians who don’t understand culture or art. But in reality, we, the Chosen blessed by the Great God, are the truly civilized ones.”
As if debating with Green, the gendarme expressed his understanding of civilization and savagery with great solemnity.
“Of course, of course!” Andy said flatteringly. “Compared to a great warrior like you, we humans naturally count for nothing…”
“Hmph.”
Giving a bored glance to the pathetic merchant who was so busy sucking up that it wasn’t even fun to bully him anymore, the gendarme opened the gate and signaled his men. “Lock these two men up and wait for the General’s orders. As for this… this young lady.”
Though technically a slave, human slaves—especially those with technical knowledge or striking beauty—actually held a status higher than a common Orc due to their high price. To the Orc elite, these “slaves” were far more valuable than their own common kinsmen.
Consequently, the gendarme’s tone toward this “slave” was actually somewhat polite. “Please come with me to meet the General.”
Teresa, who had rehearsed various scripts with Andy countless times, took a deep breath. She lowered her head slightly and said, “Please, sirs… please don’t hurt my boss and…”
She stole a quick glance at Green, continuing her assigned “role.” “And my elder brother. I’ll do anything.”
So this kid is her brother? The Orc gendarme looked deeply at Green and nodded to his subordinates.
“Very well. As long as you are obedient, the General will not only spare them but might even grant them rewards.” The gendarme agreed instantly; he had seen this plot play out a thousand times.
“Fine. I will go with you to see General Love.”
Teresa naturally injected a sense of grim resolve into her voice, as if she were embracing death. Under the gazes of Green and Andy, she followed the gendarme into the depths of the manor.
The plan was a success.
Green peered curiously toward the grand building in the distance, anticipating the next scene of his scripted drama.
“Whether my Bard level can break through again depends on this.”
If it weren’t for the sake of completing his Life Simulation tasks and maximizing his Bard level, Green wouldn’t have bothered with such a roundabout method.
General Love’s Bedroom.
“Wine! Wine! Where is my wine?!”
The former war hero, his face flushed red, roared incessantly. “Staff Officer! Get your ass over here!”
The Orc staff officer, who had recently conspired with the Half-Orc to frame Andy, came running in. “Apologies, General! I was just processing that batch of confiscated magic-tech…”
Slap!
“Can’t you leave that to the subordinates?” The drunken hero delivered a stinging slap to the officer’s face. “I don’t care how you do it—get me that limited-edition vintage from the Imperial Royal Winery right now!”
“But… but…” The staff officer broke into a cold sweat. How was he supposed to find a wine that was rare even in the Human Empire in the middle of the night?
“General, the lady you requested is here.”
At that moment, the gendarme arrived with Teresa.
Saved! The staff officer thought.
“Lady? What…” The drunken General Love looked at the officer before remembering the situation. “Oh, the rare human slave. Hehehe… It’s been a long time since I’ve tasted a human.”
The General looked eagerly toward the beautiful figure standing behind the gendarme.
Gasp!
In an instant, the Orc General’s breath hitched.
“Holy mother of…” General Love muttered to himself. “I hit the jackpot. I thought being squeezed out of the Capital by the Great Shaman and the King was a raw deal, but now it seems there are some perks after all.”
It seemed the female magician’s prophecy wasn’t right about everything.
At the thought of why he had been exiled from the Capital, the hero’s face darkened for a moment.
Hmph. I’ll let this human slave help me blow off some steam!
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