He was a very, very admirable man. He was a warrior that all the important people in the Seven Races Federation looked up to unconditionally.
So what I am doing… is rather hurting the pride of the Beastmen, of Uncle Leto… Thinking this, Silviana felt the strength leave her body.
“…Sir Bash…”
“Mm?”
Bash seemed to have a happy face. Was he thinking that he could finally return the favor to the person who humiliated him? No, he wouldn’t be that spiteful. He’d probably just try to be a little mean. Silviana couldn’t read his expression, but she could see it.
“I’m sorry. But the truth is, I have deceived you.”
“…Why do you say that?”
“To be honest, as Carrot just said, I was plotting against you, nothing more than using you to get to the point where I could destroy the orcs.”
“…Mm…”
“My reason was revenge… because I thought that the honor of uncle Leto, the Hero, had been shattered on the ground… but I was wrong. You were proud and honored to have fought him. But even when I heard it from your mouth, my feelings did not change, and I let myself be deceived by Carrot’s sweet words and almost made a mistake that could not be undone.” Silviana fell to her knees. She slapped her palms on the ground and shrank until she was smaller than Bash. Like an animal admitting defeat. These actions, these words she once thought she would never do or say in front of an orc, no matter what: “Please, I beg your forgiveness.”
They came easily from her mouth.
“…” Bash looked at his companion, the fairy. He hadn’t expected Silviana to apologize so easily. The fairy whispered in Bash’s ear.
Bash made a small gesture with his head, then looked at Silviana.
“Mm… so will you be my wife?” It must have been a suggestion from that annoying fairy. She still wanted to humiliate Silviana. And even if Bash was okay with it, anyone who had been at her side and witnessed the situation would probably have their blood boiling.
“A liar is not fit to be the wife of a hero. Since this is such an excessive offer, I respectfully decline.”
“…I see… I understand.”
Bash slowly stood up and looked at the sky. His gesture looked as if he was deeply disappointed that he could not make Silviana his wife. But it couldn’t be. Silviana, thinking this, looked up at Bash… and realized.
“…?”
Dead leaves fell from the sky. It was as if fall had come. This red forest, where fresh leaves grew all year long.
“Huh…!”
Silviana stood up involuntarily and looked behind her. As if attracted by her actions, Nazar also followed her gaze.
“…How could I have been such an idiot!”
The three of them looked up to where the Sacred Tree stood. There was a huge tree with lush red leaves. Or so it should be.
The lush leaves were crisp, dry, and beginning to fall. The branches were thinning and beginning to break with a cracking sound. The trunk, which had been full of life, was peeling and cracking vertically, as if its roots had rotted.
“Oh, no…”
The symbol of the Beastmen, the entity that had given them courage throughout their history; the Sacred Tree had withered.
◆
The sudden death of the Sacred Tree caused an uproar at the wedding site. The ceremony was interrupted, and the human prince, Nazar, explained the situation to the soldiers who had come to check on the condition of the Sacred Tree and had confronted Bash, saying that he was the culprit. Nazar told them that there were people planning to resurrect Gediguz, that they had stolen the Sacred Tree’s seeds, and that the tree had withered as a result… and that Bash, the Orc Hero, had saved his and Silviana’s lives when they were nearly killed by those evildoers.
The soldiers were incredulous that he had withheld proper names like Carrot and Poplatica, but apart from that, Silviana’s remorseful confession that she had brought about this situation through her own fault convinced the soldiers that they should report the matter to higher authorities. The two men accompanied her to explain the situation, and Bash was released for the time being.
Upon receiving the report, the higher ranks of the Beastmen took the situation very seriously. The resurrection of the Demon King Gediguz; the return of the abominable war. This was something those who enjoyed today’s peace should avoid. The information would be immediately shared with other countries and a strike force would be organized to prevent the resurrection of Gediguz.
However, a gag order was placed on the presence of those who planned to resurrect the Demon King. The Four Races Alliance of humans, elves, dwarves, and beastmen remained a possibility, but if it spread to the Seven Races Federation, a full-scale uprising could occur. The countries themselves could break the peace treaty. Not all of them were as upright as Bash.
He was a very, very admirable man. He was a warrior that all the important people in the Seven Races Federation looked up to unconditionally.
So what I am doing… is rather hurting the pride of the Beastmen, of Uncle Leto… Thinking this, Silviana felt the strength leave her body.
“…Sir Bash…”
“Mm?”
Bash seemed to have a happy face. Was he thinking that he could finally return the favor to the person who humiliated him? No, he wouldn’t be that spiteful. He’d probably just try to be a little mean. Silviana couldn’t read his expression, but she could see it.
“I’m sorry. But the truth is, I have deceived you.”
“…Why do you say that?”
“To be honest, as Carrot just said, I was plotting against you, nothing more than using you to get to the point where I could destroy the orcs.”
“…Mm…”
“My reason was revenge… because I thought that the honor of uncle Leto, the Hero, had been shattered on the ground… but I was wrong. You were proud and honored to have fought him. But even when I heard it from your mouth, my feelings did not change, and I let myself be deceived by Carrot’s sweet words and almost made a mistake that could not be undone.” Silviana fell to her knees. She slapped her palms on the ground and shrank until she was smaller than Bash. Like an animal admitting defeat. These actions, these words she once thought she would never do or say in front of an orc, no matter what: “Please, I beg your forgiveness.”
They came easily from her mouth.
“…” Bash looked at his companion, the fairy. He hadn’t expected Silviana to apologize so easily. The fairy whispered in Bash’s ear.
Bash made a small gesture with his head, then looked at Silviana.
“Mm… so will you be my wife?” It must have been a suggestion from that annoying fairy. She still wanted to humiliate Silviana. And even if Bash was okay with it, anyone who had been at her side and witnessed the situation would probably have their blood boiling.
“A liar is not fit to be the wife of a hero. Since this is such an excessive offer, I respectfully decline.”
“…I see… I understand.”
Bash slowly stood up and looked at the sky. His gesture looked as if he was deeply disappointed that he could not make Silviana his wife. But it couldn’t be. Silviana, thinking this, looked up at Bash… and realized.
“…?”
Dead leaves fell from the sky. It was as if fall had come. This red forest, where fresh leaves grew all year long.
“Huh…!”
Silviana stood up involuntarily and looked behind her. As if attracted by her actions, Nazar also followed her gaze.
“…How could I have been such an idiot!”
The three of them looked up to where the Sacred Tree stood. There was a huge tree with lush red leaves. Or so it should be.
The lush leaves were crisp, dry, and beginning to fall. The branches were thinning and beginning to break with a cracking sound. The trunk, which had been full of life, was peeling and cracking vertically, as if its roots had rotted.
“Oh, no…”
The symbol of the Beastmen, the entity that had given them courage throughout their history; the Sacred Tree had withered.
◆
The sudden death of the Sacred Tree caused an uproar at the wedding site. The ceremony was interrupted, and the human prince, Nazar, explained the situation to the soldiers who had come to check on the condition of the Sacred Tree and had confronted Bash, saying that he was the culprit. Nazar told them that there were people planning to resurrect Gediguz, that they had stolen the Sacred Tree’s seeds, and that the tree had withered as a result… and that Bash, the Orc Hero, had saved his and Silviana’s lives when they were nearly killed by those evildoers.
The soldiers were incredulous that he had withheld proper names like Carrot and Poplatica, but apart from that, Silviana’s remorseful confession that she had brought about this situation through her own fault convinced the soldiers that they should report the matter to higher authorities. The two men accompanied her to explain the situation, and Bash was released for the time being.
Upon receiving the report, the higher ranks of the Beastmen took the situation very seriously. The resurrection of the Demon King Gediguz; the return of the abominable war. This was something those who enjoyed today’s peace should avoid. The information would be immediately shared with other countries and a strike force would be organized to prevent the resurrection of Gediguz.
However, a gag order was placed on the presence of those who planned to resurrect the Demon King. The Four Races Alliance of humans, elves, dwarves, and beastmen remained a possibility, but if it spread to the Seven Races Federation, a full-scale uprising could occur. The countries themselves could break the peace treaty. Not all of them were as upright as Bash.
