The demon fortresses were built for siege. They were all designed to survive for long periods of time inside. Unlike ogre fortresses, whose motto was “short-term decisive battles,” or succubi and harpies, who had wings and didn’t think much about defense, these fortresses were specialized in defensive battles. Humans, who built similar fortresses, would say that it was natural because that’s how a fortress should be, but nonetheless, the fortresses built by the Seven Races Federation had their own characteristics, and the demons’ fortress was notable for its defense.
“I’ve heard rumors too, but it’s just an ordinary fortress, right? Why did Gediguz build it here? Maybe he planned to turn it into the Demon capital after the war ended?”
“Who knows. But there are houses. Maybe he intended to live here.”
Inside the Gije fortress, there were rows of stone houses. Of course, this was normal for a demon fortress. The buildings were arranged in a staggered manner, and the space between them was extremely narrow. Barricades could be built there to create a simple maze and easily slow down the enemy’s advance. The buildings could serve as obstacles for the enemy’s advance too, but it was better to use the houses than just build walls. That’s why the demon fortress could be called a city. Bash had visited them several times and remembered them as advanced, vibrant places full of life, making it hard to believe he was inside one now.
But this Gije fortress was neither full of life nor vibrant. The houses were mostly dark and quiet in the evening, although there were some lights. Though there were signs of people inside the houses, hardly anyone was outside. Even those who passed by occasionally walked with hoods on to hide their faces.
The city was dark and the air was stagnant. Although unlike the succubus nation, there was no sense of imminent doom. But there was something immobile, like mud, and a feeling of resignation mixed with sighs.
“Hm.” Suddenly, a woman passed by Bash and the others. A woman with blue skin and horns on the sides of her head. Her eyes were sharp, and her posture was not bad. Even through her winter clothing, her body was clearly visible and voluptuous. What caught his attention the most was her indescribable aroma, characteristic of demons. For demons, the scent was nothing out of the ordinary, but for orcs, it was the fragrance of a high-quality flower.
The woman snorted. She glanced at Bash, looked away, and walked past him. Bash stopped and looked back at her. The woman also glanced back at him but quickly turned her face away and walked away.
“Look at that. And she didn’t even say anything.”
“That’s right.”
It was unexpected. If it had been during the war, crossing paths with a demon woman like he just did would have earned him a scolding, saying, “Disgusting orc, stay away from me!” or sarcastically saying, “Why is someone from such a humble race like you here? Who told you that you can look at me?” If she had been in a bad mood, she might have even sent him flying using magic. Or in Zell’s case, she might have torn her limb from limb. Some demons treated fairies like vermin.
That’s how the demon race was. Noble and arrogant. High-born and pompous. When they saw someone from a race they deemed inferior, they couldn’t help but abuse them. That’s just how they were.
They walked away without saying a word. Or if you called out to them, they might stop and turn around. But you could be sure that their response wouldn’t be the gentlest.
“This might be what Nazar was referring to.”
“This is very promising!”
What Nazar said. He said that even high-ranking demons would listen to the Orc Hero. They had been skeptical, but when he saw the demon woman pass by without cursing him, he felt that he could believe him. Of course, her not cursing him didn’t mean she had smiled at him.
“Is something wrong?”
“No, it’s just that I didn’t expect her to stay silent.”
“…Demons are no longer as arrogant. We understand our situation.”
The guard said grumpily and continued walking. Bash interpreted that as meaning “even demons wouldn’t be rude to the Orc Hero” and thanked Nazar. Indeed, the prince was right. With this, there might be a chance for him to get a demon woman as his wife. The possibility might be slim, but it was no longer zero. And if the chances of winning were no longer zero, then they should fight. Because Bash was a proud Orc warrior.
“It’s no wonder they lost the war.”
After all, it was the humans who were to be feared. Their ability to assess a situation was nothing short of impressive. Such sentiments were harbored within his words.
“What…?” Upon hearing Bash’s words, the guard gritted his teeth and looked at him. “Are you mocking us?”
“I’m not.”
“That’s right! There’s no way Mister could mock demons! No matter how sarcastically and self-deprecatingly you treat each other, as an orc, there’s no way Mister Bash would mock in such subtle ways! It’s impossible! Not in a million years! Fairies, maybe, but if an orc mocks someone, it’s not done so indirectly! It would be more direct! Are you an idiot!? Shouldn’t you already know that!? And furthermore, the one you’re looking at is none other than Bash, the Orc among Orcs, the Orc Hero!”
“…I see.” The guard’s spirits deflated with Zell’s rapid-fire chatter. He knew it would be foolish to argue with the fairy. The first thing he did was turn to Bash and address the main topic. “Why did you say it’s no wonder we lost the war?”
“Because the demon woman looked just as Nazar said she would.” The guard looked back, but the woman was already gone. He didn’t remember her appearance. He couldn’t even guess it. Demons were usually so arrogant that even if they told him she looked different, he wouldn’t be able to distinguish it from her usual appearance. All he could say was that it wouldn’t be surprising if Nazar had predicted the woman’s appearance. Among demons, Nazar’s name was bigger than Bash had thought. “Let’s go…” But the gate guard finally didn’t say anything in reply, turned around, and continued forward. Unconsciously, his pace was faster than before. It was as if he didn’t want Bash to see the current state of the Demon Nation. As if he was ashamed of himself.
