The next day.
“Ahem, my apologies for my conduct yesterday.”
“Not at all. It's quite alright.”
Turanta, now sober, met with them again the next day.
“Hahaha. It was the first time I'd had a drink in decades, so I couldn't control myself.”
“In that case, it's perfectly understandable.”
“Hahahaha.”
“Hahahaha.”
Unlike yesterday, the atmosphere was warm. That is, except for Patrick, who was sitting among them with a sullen expression.
“What are you grinning about? An Orc who drank himself into a stupor.”
“Ahem. It was my first time seeing alcohol in decades, so...”
“Does that mean you should drink until your tongue is twisted right before an important meeting?”
Turanta had nothing to say. But what could he do? The Orc tribe loves alcohol, but they don't have the ability to make it.
They neither farm nor live by gathering. While they might be able to gather tree berries, the Orcs lacked the skill to ferment them into alcohol. If they happened to find something like naturally fermented mead, it was the greatest treasure for the Orcs.
With the chance to drink such alcohol to his heart's content, he must have thought he might as well drink until he dropped dead.
“Ahem, anyway, let's proceed with our conversation. I am Baron Jaycol Schneider, the lord of the Schneider Fief.”
“I am Turanta, Chieftain of the Red Rock Tribe.”
“First, thank you for accepting my son's unreasonable proposal, Chieftain Turanta.”
“... May I ask one thing?”
“Please, speak.”
“Are you truly his biological parent?”
The image of Baron Schneider that Turanta had imagined on his way here was nothing like this. What kind of person would the parent who bore and raised that ferocious, violent, and wicked Patrick be? Wouldn't he be someone several times more wicked and cunning?
He had come here tense with the thought that his tribe might suffer great harm if he wasn't on high alert. Well, he couldn't resist the alcohol and drank himself silly, but still. In any case, the Baron Schneider he saw in person was a completely different man.
How could such a demon come from a man like this? Wasn't he such a good-natured person that this thought naturally came to mind? It was only natural to doubt their parentage.
“Why, that old man…”
“You, stay still.”
Patrick was about to get angry, but Baron Schneider stopped his son first. Then, he looked at Turanta and spoke.
“It seems my son must have made many unreasonable demands.”
“Ahem…”
He couldn't bring himself to say, 'That's not the case.' Orcs are inherently bad liars. Instead, Turanta gave a bitter smile and said.
“Your son is clearly a great warrior. And our tribe is certainly deeply indebted to that great warrior.”
“I've heard about it, but did my son really slay the King Ogre? Perhaps the other Orc warriors played a major role and my son merely assisted…”
“I saw with my own two eyes the great warrior's attack lead the King Ogre to its death. We have brought the King Ogre's corpse, so you can confirm it.”
“Good heavens…”
Baron Schneider looked at his son as if seeing him for the first time. He knew he was strong. Indeed, the term 'sword genius' was a fitting one for his son.
But still, to think he could take down a King Ogre. The word 'genius' wasn't even enough to describe this.
“Ahem. To get to the point, we have come here to share a life in this land, following the words of the great warrior, Patrick Schneider. However…”
Turanta paused for a moment before continuing.
“Unless two conditions are met, we cannot share our lives with you.”
“Two conditions. Please, state them.”
“The first is that the humans must not fear or despise us.”
“I can guarantee that. First, I myself hold no prejudice against the Orc tribe. I will issue a decree to all the fief's residents, forbidding any discrimination against the Orc tribe.”
“What will you do if a human violates that order?”
“Hmm, in that case…”
Patrick, who was sitting beside the momentarily hesitant Baron Schneider, spoke up.
“Disobeying the lord's command like some insolent punk? We'll hang them upside down and beat them to death.”
“Yes. Upside down… Ahem, I will punish them severely. I guarantee this in the name of Jaycol Schneider, the one responsible for this land.”
Baron Schneider briefly glared at his son for interjecting, but he understood that strict adherence to the decree was necessary to accept the Orc tribe. And in truth, it seemed there would be no problem even without it.
'From the perspective of our residents who are plagued by monsters, there will be almost no one who would refuse the addition of Orc warriors.' These were residents who might even accept demons, not just Orcs, if it meant they could be kept safe from monsters. The threat of monsters in the Schneider Fief was that serious a problem.
“I understand. I will trust you, my lord, on that matter. But there is one more issue.”
“Please, speak.”
“It is the question of 'What benefit can we provide each other by being together?'”
“That is…”
Baron Schneider was flustered. He hadn't expected to hear talk of benefits from the mouth of an Orc, a member of the so-called warrior race. Turanta spoke to the flustered Baron Schneider.
“I am not just saying we want to receive something. Tell us also what we can give to you.”
“…Why is that important?”
“A relationship where neither side can do anything for the other cannot be called an equal coexistence. It's just one side taking care of the other.”
“I know that to share a life together as neighbors, it cannot be such a one-sided relationship. Being together means maintaining an equal relationship.”
Baron Schneider nodded at Turanta's words. Thinking about it, he was right. A relationship where one side unilaterally cares for the other can never last long.
At first glance, the idea of providing benefits to each other might sound materialistic. But put differently, providing benefits was the same as becoming a necessary existence to the other party. If one truly looked to the distant future, wasn't preparing for such an equal, symbiotic relationship what was truly necessary?
'Hahaha.
This man is a far more outstanding leader than I am.' Although Baron Schneider believed he had no prejudice against Orcs, he couldn't help but feel a bitter taste in his mouth upon acknowledging that Turanta, an Orc, was a better leader than he was. He wasn't jealous of the other's superiority.
But he couldn't help but feel shame and regret for his own shortcomings. Just then, Patrick cut in.
“It seems I should step in for this part… Father. Is that alright?”
“You?”
“Since I'm the one who pushed for this, I believe it's right for me to handle the details.”
'Besides, my gullible father is too weak in these matters.' At Patrick's words, Baron Schneider nodded and said.
“Alright. You take the lead.”
“Yes. Thank you. Then, Chieftain Turanta.”
Patrick grinned at Turanta. His expression was like that of a gambler contemplating how to fleece a sucker who had just joined the game.
“First, what we want from you is safety. There are quite a lot of monsters around our fief. Just dealing with those monsters would be a great benefit for us.”
“I know that. But, great warrior. In that case, what should the Orcs of the Red Rock Tribe receive?”
“Well. If what we receive is safety, then what you receive… how about civilization?”
“Civilization?”
“Yes. We will build safe houses for you to live in, so you can leave behind your life in leather tents.”
“Residences… In truth, we don't have much need for them.”
“It's better than having nothing.”
“That's true, but…”
“And it's not just residences. We can also supply you with iron weapons.”
“Iron weapons are too light. We have no need for them.”
“You will need them soon.”
“Hm?”
“No, well, that's a separate matter. And there's more we can offer besides that. For instance, the superior food culture of humans.”
“Food culture? Food?”
“Yes. The human food you ate at the banquet yesterday, wasn't the taste distinctly different from when you just roast it over a fire?”
“Ummm…”
“Moreover, alcohol is also a respectable part of food culture.”
“Alcohol?”
At this word, Turanta's eyes lit up.
Alcohol.
The treasure that the Orc tribe loved so much, but could never obtain after their exchanges with the outside world ceased. They could be provided with that alcohol. Along with the delicious food of humans as a bonus.
Patrick grinned and said.
“How about it? Is this a mutually beneficial relationship?”
“Hmm, it is sufficiently beneficial.”
“Shall we draw up a contract then?”
“Let's do it!”
Seeing Turanta's enthusiastic response, Patrick pulled out a contract from his bosom as if he had been waiting. He even brought out an ink pad and said.
“Now, first, Chieftain, please put your thumbprint here…”
Thump!
“And my father. Please stamp your seal. Here, right here.”
“Wait, let me read it first…”
“Tsk. What's this talk of reading it? You're not being decisive. You're supposed to stamp contracts without reading them.”
“Isn't that the logic of a swindler?”
“Trust your son. Come on. Let's press the seal firmly here. Firmly right here.”
“Hey, you brat!”
In the end, Patrick personally grabbed his father's wrist and firmly pressed the family seal, which was made into a ring. And as he tucked the contract into his bosom, he said.
“There. With this, the alliance between the Red Rock Tribe and our House of Schneider is concluded.”
And Patrick grinned and said.
“Let's get along veeery well from now on. Very well!”
Seeing that smile, Baron Schneider and Turanta simultaneously had the same thought. 'Why do I feel uneasy?' 'Why do I feel uneasy?'
A few days later An official decree was issued to the residents in the lord's name.
“From now on, we're going to live together with the Red Rock Orc tribe?”
“What? With the Orc tribe?”
“Will it be alright? I wonder if it'll be okay.”
At first, the residents were somewhat anxious. But when they learned that the one promoting this was the Young Lord, Patrick, public opinion changed in an instant.
“Ah, it's something the young master is doing.”
“Then it must be a good thing. It'll turn out well.”
“You're right. Let's cooperate actively.”
“Right. Right.”
The residents of the Schneider Fief were now sending such blind support to Patrick that they would join in even if he said, 'Let's dance naked for three nights and four days.' Thus, most of the residents agreed to live with the Orcs, and before long, they learned the benefits of having the Orc tribe with them.
“Ooh, look over there.”
“It's the Orc warriors. What did they catch?”
“Looks like an Owl Bear? They caught a big one.”
“Hahaha. The Orc warriors are strong indeed. I thought there was no one in our fief who could catch such a big creature besides the young master.”
The Orc tribe patrolled a wide area around the fief, subjugating monsters. In truth, for the Orc tribe, monster subjugation was both hunting for sustenance and training for battle, something they naturally had to do. But as they did so, the lives of the residents became much more stable.
Patrick had patrolled diligently before, but there were limits to patrolling alone. But when the Orcs stepped up, the effect was clear. It became difficult to find even a single Goblin or Kobold in the forests around the fief.
The monsters caught by the Orc tribe were brought to the fief and diligently butchered. The meat went to the Orcs, and the parts that seemed valuable, like leather or claws, went to the humans. And in exchange for those byproducts, the humans provided the Orcs with various goods.
Mostly basic seasonings like salt and sugar, and a few convenient daily necessities. And they took a lot of alcohol, in particular. They didn't need expensive alcohol.
What the Orcs wanted was the cheapest and strongest kind of cheap liquor. They would even frown and refuse fine wines or distilled spirits if offered. In any case, it was a trade where the desires of both sides matched well.
As this relationship continued, the residents also adapted quickly to the Orcs.