Chapter 167 : Chapter 167

Chapter 167: Confession

When ‍​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​​​​‌​‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌‌‌​‌‍the leader opened his eyes, a sneer slipped out at how ridiculous his powerless body was.

He ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍had no idea how many times he had lost consciousness just today.

On ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍top of that, his final memory before losing consciousness was of the half-wit’s face as the bastard scattered something across his face with all his strength.

He ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍had no idea what the bastard had done, but it had happened the moment he got worked up watching the half-wit dodge this way and that along paths he had never seen in his life, and overdid it by springing forward.

Just ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍before he slipped and fell, the one who grabbed the falling leader was the half-wit this time too.

His ‍​‌​‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌‌​‌​​​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‍relief at surviving lasted only a moment. When the leader remembered that the bastard had only kept him alive for the sake of the leader’s position, his mood rapidly crawled along the bottom again.

The leader firmly gripped the half-wit’s hand that had caught his arm.

Except for the fact that the one caught was not the half-wit but himself, it was still true that the bastard had finally stopped running away.

“Kkwek!! You’ve been secretly following me outside all this time?! Kkwek!! And after doing that, you fooled me by pretending you knew nothing?!!”

When the leader barked at him, the half-wit’s eyes shook this way and that.

So he does know he did something wrong?

Satisfied that the bastard showed even the slightest hint of remorse, the leader was about to open his mouth to continue scolding the half-wit.

That was when the half-wit suddenly squeezed both eyes shut.

What is he doing now?

Just as the leader narrowed his eyes, unable to understand what bizarre thing the half-wit was doing this time, the half-wit hurled the thing he had been carefully clutching in his other hand straight into the leader’s face with all his strength.

POP!

With the sound of a small pouch bursting, a terrible smell and powder flew into his nose and mouth.

“Kkwek!! You!! Kkwek!! You little......!!!”

The half-wit’s face, visible through his blurry vision filled with tears and dust, was the leader’s final memory.

Now the bastard had attacked him without even trying to hide it.

He must have looked laughable. Thoroughly, utterly laughable.

Feeling pathetic, the leader laughed again.

Well, this had been a worn-out body he had somehow dragged around with nothing but fighting spirit and greed.

From the moment the half-wit tore into his neck, there had been no reason for him to survive this stubbornly.

If he had not, he would not have been fooled by that bastard for this long.

Thinking of that blank face helped the leader more than he expected.

Perhaps because he was boiling with anger, a little strength began to return to his body.

When he lifted his upper body slightly, his field of vision widened a little.

“Kkwek?”

Thanks to that, his dim eyes settled not far away, looking at him.

It was the half-wit.

“Kkwek!!! What the hell!!!”

The leader, who had used up the strength he had barely regained on shouting again, flopped back down.

Because of that damned bastard, it felt as if his heart had leapt up and dropped down, shortening his lifespan even further.

“K-kwek......!”

The half-wit seemed startled by the fierce reaction too, because he jumped and shuffled backward on his backside.

At the sight of the half-wit’s pathetic behavior after so long, the leader somehow felt the strength drain from him.

“Kkweeeek. You stupid bastard. Don’t sit there. Hurry up and get lost.”

Waving his one remaining arm, the old orc who had once been leader muttered weakly.

Showing weakness did not suit his temperament.

Especially not before the opponent who had made him like this.

If you’re going to kill me, then kill me already. Why are you hovering nearby like this?

“Kkwek. Or at least stop that ridiculous idiot act. Kkwek. You don’t need to act stupid anymore.”

His lifespan was almost gone anyway.

The one-armed orc’s wish was that the bastard would not appear before his eyes during that time, or at least would stay far away.

But the stupid and cowardly bastard did not leave his side.

He was clearly waiting for the leader to grow exhausted enough that he could no longer move.

Clearly watching him die until he could neither resist nor attack.

The leader’s temper, his emotions leaping up and down, caught fire again.

Yes, in the end, the bastard was no different from the others.

No, he was even worse.

If he had coveted the leader’s position from the beginning and drooled over it like those bastards, there would have been no need to feel this filthy.

After pretending to be stupid, pretending to have no greed, the bastard had simply coveted the leader’s position too.

How truly stupid.

“Kkwek. I have no intention of going down quietly.”

The one-armed orc muttered and slowly raised his body.

The half-wit orc, who had been watching that slow movement, flinched.

But perhaps that alone was not enough of a threat, because the half-wit began carefully closing the distance with the one-armed orc.

The one-armed orc clenched his fist tightly.

He had no intention of handing over the leader’s position obediently and dying.

It was too unfair to keep getting fooled by the bastard every time like this.

It is not as if I cannot do it too.

Even if he died when he died, he intended to leave the bastard with a wound that would remain until the day he died.

He intended to injure him so badly that a scar larger than the one left on his neck would remain.

So that every time he saw it, the bastard would regret what he had done to him for the rest of his life......

But that hardened desire for revenge collapsed again before very long.

Because when he thought of the scar left on the half-wit’s neck, memories of the past naturally revived along with it.

The day the half-wit had first been born, the sight of the half-wit thrashing inside the cave in the cliff.

When he remembered the bastard’s state as he painfully vomited blood with his neck pierced through, the anger that had occupied his head strangely began to withdraw little by little.

He did not think he would feel better even if the half-wit ended up looking like that.

Just imagining it made him feel this filthy.

......I’ll hit him just once.

Just that. That much seemed like it would be enough.

Seeing the bastard stamp his feet and cry stupidly again, just that much, seemed like it would satisfy him.

After that, he thought he could die by the bastard’s hand.

With a face that did not even dream the leader had downgraded his cruel revenge to a trivial head flick, the half-wit slowly closed the distance with the leader.

The one-armed orc watched as the half-wit approached.

At last, the bastard came close enough to touch if he reached out.

Tap.

The one-armed orc stared blankly at the human food that had fallen in front of him.

It took some time for the leader, who had been thinking blankly, to accept that what the bastard had given him was neither an attack nor a defense, but merely one piece of biscuit.

It seemed it would take even longer to understand the intent behind it.

The one-armed orc, who did not have enough patience left to wait for that, glared fiercely up at the half-wit.

“......Kkwek. What is this?”

Are you giving this to me so I choke to death?

At the leader’s question, the half-wit’s eyes rolled inside his eyelids.

Because he could not understand the bastard’s intent at all, and because he had no strength in his body, the leader silently watched what the half-wit did.

The wait was not long.

At last, the half-wit exhaled once through his nose with a solemn expression, as if he had made a great decision.

Then the half-wit’s mouth slowly opened.

“K-kwek. F-food.”

The leader’s eyes widened at the stammering answer.

Yes, an answer.

The half-wit was speaking.

***

At the sight of the half-wit stammering his words, anger rose from deep inside the leader’s chest all the way to the top of his head.

The leader knew.

That he was the one who had answered that unlucky human, saying he was not angry about the half-wit’s betrayal.

It was an answer that had slipped out without deep thought, but it had not been bravado or anything else.

At that moment, he had truly felt that it did not matter even if the bastard had fooled him.

Perhaps at the time, because he had thought death was right before his eyes, a special feeling that nothing else mattered had acted on him.

However, knowing in his head that the half-wit had betrayed him, and having the clear proof of it shoved before his eyes, stirred up anger on a completely different level.

The leader’s body, as if it had swallowed the mysterious elixir called rage, forgot its pain and sprang to its feet.

“Kkwek!! You......! You......! Why did you......!”

The sentence the leader could not bring himself to finish contained many meanings.

So it really was your doing, how could you do that, and most of all, food? Why do you still have only that much intelligence even after becoming able to speak?

Food? What kind of stupid answer is that?

In truth, no matter how intelligent an answer the half-wit had given here, the leader would have been furious, but he had no reason left to judge something like that.

Because his emotions had been hurt too badly.

“Kkwek. That’s not what I’m asking! Kkweeeek. I’m asking why you threw this here!”

In the end, the only sentence that regained its proper shape was the final question.

“K-kwek. O-obviously, I gave it to you so you could eat.”

The half-wit still spoke as if he could not understand the question.

And he increased the leader’s anger by rummaging around and laying out the prey he had brought from the food storage.

At that sight, the memory that rose in the one-armed orc’s head was from the not-so-distant past.

The bastard’s strange face as he looked at him when he could no longer properly catch even a single fish.

And the shame that made his face burn again.

“Kkweeeek!!! What is this!! Are you mocking me right now?!”

The one-armed orc, remembering the intense emotion that had given him such humiliation, shouted.

In the past, it would have been anger enough for him to charge immediately, but the current one-armed orc did not have that kind of strength left.

He also knew that even if he attacked right now, he would not be able to defeat the bastard.

But even at his angry shout, the half-wit did not get angry or charge at the leader.

He only blinked both eyes.

“Kkwek. Th-there’s nothing to mock you about, so wh-what am I supposed to mock?”

The bastard, speaking as if he could not understand in the slightest, once again pushed the biscuit he had hidden away from Ratel toward the one-armed orc.

To be precise, because he was afraid of being hit, he nudged it forward with his foot.

After placing the biscuit one span closer, the half-wit watched the one-armed orc’s reaction again.

“Kkwek. Th-the leader is good at hunting. Kkwek. If you eat and g-get your strength back, you’ll be good at it again.”

The bastard, having regained a little confidence because no shout or scolding returned this time, slowly pushed the biscuit toward the leader again.

The leader now looked past things like human food, toward the clumsy-looking half-wit’s face and his eyes full of expectation.

The leader’s anger slowly settled, and a pain like being stabbed by a blunt arrowhead began deep inside his chest.

The sensation between pain and aching that began deep inside him soon spread through his whole body.

“Kkwek. If you f-forgot, I can t-teach you again too.”

The leader vaguely realized what filled the eyes of the half-wit, who was drawing an impossible future.

It was affection far beyond his capacity.

At that moment, the aching pain that had been creeping through his whole body exploded all at once, and the shock struck the leader’s head.

“Kkwek. You’ll remember quickly. Kkwek. Th-the leader is good at everything.”

The stammering words somehow became hard to listen to, so the leader avoided the half-wit’s gaze.

“......Kkwek. You idiot. I can’t hunt anymore.”

“Kkwek. Wh-why? Kkwek. Because your arm hasn’t healed? Kkwek. That will h-heal quickly too if you eat well.”

“Kkwek. You idiot. No matter how well I eat, this won’t heal. Kkwek. I’m not going to heal anymore.”

For the first time, a long conversation continued between him and the bastard.

The leader learned for the first time that there were so many things one came to know if one could exchange words.

For example, the assumption that this half-wit bastard looked down on him could never have been established in the first place.

Because the bastard seemed not to know from the very beginning that the leader was in a state where he could never become strong again.

It felt as if all his strength was draining away.

As if the sharp thorns surrounding his body had lain themselves down.

At the same time, deep relief filled his chest.

As though something he had been searching for since long ago had returned.