Chương 29: Chapter 28 A Bargain Between Enemies

The human's name was Roberto. He was a mercenary, and a remarkably capable one. After accepting a certain assignment from the guild, Roberto had traveled to the Grimwood Mountains, a place known as a paradise for monsters.

"Damn it." The mission had reduced him to this miserable condition. His leg was broken, and countless smaller wounds covered his body. The downpour several days earlier had filled the hollow where he lay with cold and moisture. He had not eaten anything for four days. Had Roberto not spent more than twenty years strengthening his body, he would have died long ago. Even surviving until now could be considered fortunate. Every one of his companions had died during the battle four days earlier. Rustle.

While Roberto contemplated the pathetic end of his life, a quiet sound came from the nearby undergrowth. Then a young orc appeared inside the hollow. Damn it. Had Roberto been in better condition, the creature would never have posed a problem. He watched the young orc examine him and swallowed his frustration. In his present state, Roberto lacked the strength to move even a single finger. The only thing he could do was direct his killing intent toward the creature and attempt to frighten it away.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. The young orc did not even blink. It calmly examined Roberto before speaking.

"@#$. Your le... broken." Roberto was not especially surprised that a monster had spoken to him. As an experienced mercenary, he knew that several humanoid monsters, including orcs, goblins, and werewolves, could speak crude forms of the human language.

"Leg. Treatment. @#$?" The orc's next words, however, shocked even Roberto. The creature's speech was too clumsy for him to understand with certainty, but its gestures suggested that it was offering to treat him. A monster wanted to heal a human? Roberto had never heard of anything like it. His instincts as a veteran mercenary filled him with suspicion. However, without treatment, he was already certain to die. Whether he trusted the creature or not, he had little to lose.

In the end, Roberto accepted the young orc's offer. Once he gave permission, the orc left the hollow. It returned shortly afterward carrying several objects. What followed was a treatment so painful that it bordered on torture. Despite the agony, Roberto obeyed the young orc's request and did not release a single groan. He bit down so hard that blood seeped from his gums. After completing the treatment, the young orc studied Roberto's face for a moment.

"@#! I will... return." Then it left the hollow. The following day, the young orc truly returned. This time, it carried dry grass and food gathered from somewhere in the forest. Was this orc insane? Roberto had only begun entertaining the thought when the creature spoke again.

"Trade. Want."

"Trade?"

"Language. Teach me." At that point, Roberto became certain. The young orc was completely insane. Karath held out the food he had secretly brought from the settlement. Strictly speaking, it was part of his own meal, which he had saved rather than eaten. He also presented the dry grass he had gathered from a sunny place on the way to the hollow. In exchange, he requested a trade.

Even though this was the first human he had encountered in ten years, Karath had no intention of offering kindness without receiving anything in return. Whatever his previous life might have been, he was now an orc. Humans were supposedly the eternal enemies of his race, although Karath still did not understand why. There was a different reason he had treated the man and returned to negotiate with him. Karath needed to learn more about this world.

The man's clothing and the sword lying in the corner of the hollow had confirmed something important. The primitive hunter-gatherer society existed only within Karath's orc tribe. Human civilization was not primitive in the same way. Therefore, Karath needed knowledge about the wider world and about the humans who lived in it. Knowing both oneself and one's enemy prevented danger in a hundred battles. To learn about humans, Karath first needed to understand their language.

Learning an entirely foreign language normally required years. However, some of their words had already been mutually understandable. If the difference between their languages was merely comparable to an extreme dialect, mastering it might not take nearly as long.