Praise the Orc

Chapter 11: Intern Stella

“I haven’t seen the rumored apprentice around,” said the orc standing by Lenox’s side on the training ground.

The orc held a staff with a crystal ball on top and had animal skin draped around his shoulders. He was a sorcerer.

Lenox nodded. “I sent him to Hoyt.”

“Hoyt. Haven’t heard that name in a while. How is he doing?”

“He travels a lot. Heard he became friends with a human.”

“A human...” The sorcerer rubbed his chin. “Nothing good comes out of being involved with humans. Hope the human he calls friend knows honor.”

A few warriors who recognized the sorcerer introduced themselves.

“Tashaquil! Are you alive?”

“Ooh, glad you are here. Bul’tar!”

“Tashaquil, sir!”

Tashaquil smiled and nodded, “Hey, y’all. Is everyone alive?”

Orcrox Fortress had Instructor Lenox, and the village in West Basque had Teacher Tashaquil.

Orc players starting for the first time typically went to Lenox or Tashaquil, who were the two NPCs that guided a player's journey as the hellish orc species. The system in Elder Lord gauged the player’s personality and suggested a path that best suited them.

Then Lenox suddenly glared at a warrior who was sitting on the floor. The warrior immediately got up and began moving again.

“You are still strict,” commented Tashaquil.

“I am treating them as warriors.” Lenox cackled. “By the way, Grant sent me a letter.”

“Grant? Didn’t he become a farmer?”

“Yes.”

“You must be disappointed since you had high expectations for him.”

“Everyone chooses their own path.”

When Yi-An received the mutant hunt quest, the message window said, ‘There might be more depending on your performance...?’

Yi-An and Grom weren’t aware, but the letter that Grant wrote to Lenox was a huge compensation in itself.

Tashaquil waved his staff and issued blessings to the warriors on the training grounds. The warriors gave shouts of gratitude to Tashaquil in return.

“That cold guy wrote a letter? What did it say?”

“He asked how I was doing and wrote in length about the newcomers.”

“That rumored apprentice?”

“Yeah. I told the newcomers to help the orc farmers, and they ended up running into Grant.”

“What did he say?”

“That he will become a good warrior.”

“A good warrior...” Tashaquil became lost in thought. “I have seen numerous warriors. There were some good ones, but not all good warriors go down the same path.” Tashaquil smiled and nodded. “Is that why you sent him to Hoyt?”

“Yeah.”

“Hoyt is a man of honor.”

“Whatever path he takes, as long as he doesn’t lose honor, that’s enough.”

“As expected of you, Lenox.”

At that moment, an orc caught Lenox’s attention.

The orc had fumbled movements and rapid footsteps as if he was in a rush; it was Grom.

Lenox smiled bitterly and said, “There’s another newcomer here.”

“How is he?” Tashaquil asked.

“I don’t expect much from him, but he’s still trying to stay on track,” Lenox replied before he called out to Grom.

Grom ran over at once. He looked nervous upon seeing Tashaquil, who had a presence comparable to that of Lenox.

Tashaquil waved his staff as he greeted Grom, “Are you alive? I’m Tashaquil.”

“Are you alive, sir! Aren’t you the instructor for sorcerers?”

“So you know about me.”

When Grom first joined Elder Lord, he had deliberated between sorcerer and warrior as his options. The system actually recommended Grom to become a sorcerer and advised him to seek Teacher Tashaquil at Basque Village, but Grom chose the path of a warrior instead.

Lenox spoke to Grom, “You did well on the quest to help Grant.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“But I’m still not satisfied. Are you satisfied?”

“N-No, sir!”

“Never be satisfied with the present. I will give you a quest.”

“Just... by myself?”

“Yes.”

Grom had heard Yi-An was on a solo quest. This would be his first quest without Yi-An. Truthfully, most of the things he had achieved as an orc were thanks to Yi-An. If it hadn’t been for him, he would have quit already. Orc was a hell species!

As Grom wondered what his first quest would be, he swallowed nervously.

“Understood.”

“Goblins have been gathering in groups and threatening orcs. Join the warriors in getting rid of them.”

“W-When?”

“Right now!” Lenox pointed behind Grom.

A string of armed soldiers was lined up behind him. They gestured at him with scary faces and grinned widely. It was an intimidating sight.

Grom made a tearful face. “Understood... Ugh...”

Tashaquil laughed at the sight of Grom trudging along tearfully. “Can a guy like that become a warrior?”

“Anyone can become a warrior,” Lenox stated.

“Indeed...” Tashaquil laughed.

“Tashaquil, a warrior is made, not born.”

“You were always a romantic.”

“I just believe.” Lenox grinned. “I believe in the possibility of all orcs.”

***

Yi-An went sightseeing around Anail.

Yi-An had always wanted to leave Orcrox Fortress and meet diverse species once he was recognized as a warrior. He was impressed by Anail’s scenery and its NPCs with their own unique characters. Yi-An saw merchants warmly greeting customers, service corps offering to do anything for money, and even soldiers for hire. Since orcs weren’t common in Anail, Yi-An excitedly bumped fists with other orcs whenever he ran into them.

“Hey, are you alive?”

“Are you alive, sir!”

“Haven’t seen you before, are you a warrior?”

“I’m still an apprentice. Are you a sorcerer?”

“No, no, I’m not. I’m much cooler than a sorcerer. I’m a black mage.”

“Ohhh... It’s my first time seeing an orc black mage.”

“I’m an honorable black mage.”

“I will keep that in mind,” Yi-An responded with a chuckle.

“Glad to meet a warrior. Warriors are the pride of orcs. Become a warrior who knows honor, young lad.”

“Understood. Bul’tar!”

“Bul’tar!”

While the two large orcs exchanged greetings, civilians kept glancing over at them as they weren’t familiar with orcs.

Nevertheless, Yi-An was reminded of his childhood when he went to the marketplace with his parents back when they were alive. He had enjoyed tagging along. He also recalled that the stall owners would give out free food to kids. They always gave him a snack to munch on as he trotted behind his parents.

“Buy some radish! We sell radish! Radish... Huh?” A woman who was holding a radish in each hand discovered Yi-An, and her eyes widened in shock.

“...?” Yi-An looked at her too.

He noticed that there was a small white star at the center of her forehead. She was a player. This was Yi-An’s first time meeting a player aside from Grom.

“Are you a player?” the woman asked.

“Yes.”

“Wow, it’s my first time seeing an orc player. Wooowww!” the woman exclaimed as she gawked at Yi-An.

She looked at him as if he were a spectacle to behold. The woman even extended a hand to touch Yi-An but stopped when she realized she was holding a radish in both of her hands.

“Do you want to buy some radish?”

“I’m good.” Yi-An laughed.

She reluctantly put down the radishes. “It really is my first time seeing an orc player. Have you been doing it for a while?”

“No, it hasn’t been that long. I’m a beginner.”

“I see. You should start over again. I have some friends who tried orcs in the past, but they all quit in the end.”

Yi-An responded with laughter.

“You really seem like an orc,” she commented. nove(l)bi(n.)com

The woman sold various vegetables at her stand. Her sign said, ‘Anail Branch of the Blacksmith Company.’

She puffed up her chest when she saw Yi-An reading the sign. “Ahem, I am actually an intern candidate for the Blacksmith Company.”

“Intern?”

“Don’t look down on interns. The Blacksmith Company is one of the biggest companies in Elder Lord.”

Even in the world of games, there was a preference for large corporations.

“I’m going to become a legend in the business world and appear in Elder Lord Times.

Elder Lord Times was a broadcasting program that featured news and stories of high-rankers in Elder Lord. Before Yi-An began playing Elder Lord, he had seen videos of Elder Lord on this program.

“What’s your occupation?” she asked.

“I’m a warrior, but I’m still an apprentice.”

“Oh, as expected of an orc. So tough.” The woman sighed. “Fighting positions have it so lucky. I have to sell all of this by today...”

Then she glanced at Yi-An. “Are you busy today?”

“I’m not busy, but...”

This was Yi-An’s free time, and Hoyt had suggested that Yi-An go sightseeing around the city.

“Then, can you help me?”

[Stella has proposed a quest.]

[You will be compensated based on your performance. The starting rate is five silver coins, and you will receive 30% of Stella’s dividends based on your sales performance.]

Stella offered Yi-An a quest!

Yi-An wasn’t aware players could give out quests as well. Yi-An looked at Stella, who returned his gaze with earnest eyes.

“I’m an intern. If the sales aren’t good, I can’t become a full-time employee!”

It was a sad reality.

Yi-An had nothing to do, and it seemed fun, so he nodded. “Okay.”

“Did you see my name on the quest window? I’m Stella. What’s your name?”

“I’m Yi-An.”

“That doesn’t seem like an orc name.”

Thus, Yi-An began helping Stella sell goods at the marketplace.

“Buy some radish! Buy some carrots! We sell cucumbers too!” Stella yelled enthusiastically.

Unlike her soft appearance, she shouted loudly at the top of her lungs, but no one looked back. In the meantime, Yi-An quietly observed how Stella went about doing things.

“Hey, mister! Don’t you need some radish? This is a radish! It’s so tasty! You can boil it, fry it, eat it raw... Anyways, buy it!”

“I don’t need it.”

“Missus over there! Carrot! It’s good for you! It’s good for your eyes and is full of beta-carotene. Babies love it too! Carrots are a hit these days!”

“My kids hate carrots.”

“Hey, pretty lady! Elf lady! Do you like green peppers? Do you want a basket’s worth of peppers?”

“...Get out of my way.”

Yi-An shook his head.

Stella looked at Yi-An with a tearful face. “What? You’re just watching and not doing anything. Don’t you care if I get fired?”

“Do you have to sell them no matter what?”

“Yes, I even went to an interview academy so I could get a job at Blacksmith Company.”

“Academy?”

“Yeah, there are many specialized academies for Elder Lord these days.”

Academies for a game? As expected, in South Korea, any subject could be taught at an academy.

“I spent all of the money from my part-time job to pay for the academy.”

Seeing Stella slouched over reminded Yi-An of his sister Yi-Yoo.

Yi-An sighed and said, “Fine. I will do my best to help you.”

“Hmph, will it make a difference? Will carrots magically turn into beef? Hail the merchant!” Stella began spewing nonsense as if she had given up.

Yi-An put a carrot covered in dirt into Stella’s mouth.

Stella immediately spat out the carrot. “What are you doing?!”

“Stella, keep in mind that a person’s heart is harder to attain the more you reach for it, and 70% of communication is based on non-verbal cues,” said Yi-An with his chest held high, exuding confidence and the air of an honorable orc.

He pushed Stella away and sat in the main seat. Passersby gawked at the sight of the orc sitting at the vegetable stand, staring blankly into space. Yi-An did not say a single word.

A passerby made eye contact with Yi-An.

The man flinched when he looked into Yi-An’s fierce eyes. With his greenish skin, heinous face, jutting tusks, and huge body, Yi-An’s appearance was telling the man to beware.

The man tensed up at Yi-An’s intense gaze. He wondered what was going on and why an orc was at the marketplace. As he was about to look away, he noticed that the orc grabbed something.

Was it a knife? An axe? A hammer? Was the orc planning to use violence because the man had dared to look at him?

The man gulped. Should he run immediately?

At that moment, the orc raised something into the air. It was none other than a radish.

An orc holding a radish was an uncanny sight. Was the orc someone who threw everything around him when he was angry? Would the radish come flying at him? The man tried to avert his gaze when an unbelievable thing happened.

The orc raised the radish to his face and smiled gently.

“...!”

Then the orc asked in a low voice, “Radish?”

“...!”

“Do you need it?”

Did he need radish? He wasn’t sure, but he could tell that the orc had pride in his products and didn’t need to rely on long-winded sales spiels. He was also warmed by the gentle smile on the orc’s face.

As if entranced, he nodded. “I need it.”

There was no need for further words. The man paid, and the orc handed over the radish.

One radish had been sold. Stella could not understand why the man had purchased the radish and the meaning behind it.

Passersby became interested after seeing the man purchase a radish from the orc.

Another man approached the orc and said, “I’ve never seen an orc sell vegetables before. How much for a bag of onions?”

Yi-An gazed deeply at him with blank eyes. “...What are you planning to do with the onions?”

The man rolled his eyes at the unexpected question. “Huh? That... I don’t know. My wife will take care of it.”

This man was a patriarchal guy who knew nothing about cooking.

Yi-An shook his head. “I won’t sell any onions to you.”

It was a boycott!

Everyone’s eyes widened. A merchant that wouldn’t sell goods...? What was this? Did orcs have a quota for onions?

The mysterious orc vegetable seller continued, “Each ingredient has value. Onions are the ultimate vegetable that can be stir-fried, steamed, boiled, and act as the main ingredient or even as a supplement. They are both tasty and nutritious and are like the guardian of a household.”

“Th-Then, why...”

“I will only sell to those who understand the value of the ingredient.”

This seller was arrogantly deciding who deserved his products!

The marketplace was in shock. The orc vegetable seller remained silent with his arms crossed.

The rejected man looked back and forth between the orc and the onions with defeated eyes. “Th-That....”

At that moment, a woman came forward. “Hmph, you don’t know the value of onions because you’ve been dependent on your wife your whole life. It’s embarrassing that you have never cooked before!”

It was a middle-aged woman wearing a headband. She picked up a bag of potatoes and said, “Young orc lad, I will buy a bag of potatoes. What do you think I will make with this?”

“A bag of potatoes...” the orc vegetable seller wondered while rubbing his chin. “Hmm... Potatoes... for your family’s nutrition... How about a potato salad...?”

The middle-aged woman smirked and waved her finger. “Wrong.”

“Then, what will you make...?”

Everyone gaped at her answer.

She said with confidence, “I’m going to make... french fries.”

“Fries...? French fries...?”

“I'm going to fry potatoes in boiling oil until they are perfectly crisp.”

“Fries... oil... They cause high blood pressure and heart attacks and are the enemies of health. They are the culprits of obesity...”

Didn’t parents and the eldery always advise others to boil, not fry?

“Yes, you are right. That’s true. However...” She smiled confidently at the puzzled orc seller. "It's sometimes worth it to trade off your health for the taste of fries."

“...!”

“I’d rather live in the moment than live another day. That’s the value of potatoes to me.”

“!!!”

Big... This woman was big. She was a giant of the gourmet world who walked her own path without succumbing to prejudices and self-righteousness.

The orc rose from his seat in amazement. “...I have learned a lesson.”

“The world is bigger than you think, young orc lad.”

“To you... I will sell not one but three bags of potatoes.”

“With pleasure.” The woman left while carrying three bags of potatoes on her shoulders.

Having witnessed that fateful encounter, passersby began approaching the orc one by one and expressed their intentions and beliefs.

“I will make soup with carrots. I will hide the color of the carrots, so my kids can enjoy a nutritious meal.”

“Give me onions. I will use them as a garnish for a hearty steak. People always applaud the main actor, but the true stars of the stage are the supporting actors who silently perform their parts.”

“I want garlic. I will eat it raw. It is my principle to enjoy the natural taste of ingredients. It represents my attitude to face everything head-on. I will face the world with my bare body!”

It was a success!

The vegetables that were initially sold one by one quickly went out of stock. The orc vegetable seller looked around the empty stand. Everything was sold out! It was a clean slate again.

The store had to be closed.

The orc declared, “Today, after leaving orc territory for the first time and meeting different species at Anail, I wondered whether people truly understood the value of ingredients. I asked myself, ‘Do they seriously reflect on vegetables? Are they pursuing the path of cooking with firm principles?’”

“...”

“I was doubtful. I didn’t think so, but now I have realized I was wrong. I will acknowledge my error in judgment. There are epicureans much greater than me in the world.”

Everyone nodded.

The orc bowed. “This orc has learned a huge lesson from humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes today!”

“Mmm!”

“Ohhh!”

Everyone began clapping at his bold acknowledgment. The legend of the Anail branch of the Blacksmith Company that sold out instantly continued to be talked about even till the present day.

Meanwhile, Stella, who had been watching this whole scene from the beginning to the end, made a face.

“...What the fuck.”