Orc Harem Vol 4 Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Overprotective Grandpa

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After hustling on bed right from the morning, we cleaned up our body and arranged our appearance. It was already afternoon when we finished.

I wanted to go back to sleep, but I got lunch invitation. Furthermore the invitation came from someone who I couldn’t possibly refuse, so I obediently went out.

It wasn’t just me who was called. Tita and Kururu, and of course Rurine too were called.

「Ork, you had a lot of fun yesterday weren’t you?」

Tita was looking at me with a reproachful gaze.

That stare gouged deep into my heart because the one doing it was the lovely Tita who was usually always bright and smiling.

「I see, so this was what Tita-san felt……I have decided that I don’t mind the harem but, when a new girl actually join for real, there is this murky feeling in me.」

And then Kururu herself was also making a dejected face. The guilt from that…….

This was the destiny of harem. Girls who fell in love with me would be saddened because of it no matter what.

But, I wouldn’t apologize.

I chose this path. And then I had already told about it to them openly.

That was exactly why, what I should do wasn’t apologizing.

「I made you two felt lonely. I’ll love both Tita and Kururu even more in order to make up for it.」

Yes, what I had to do was to love everyone with my all. That’s all.

「……What should I do Kururu? That made me want to punch Ork a little.」

「Somehow, I can understand Ork-san’s train of thought saying that. Surely he didn’t have any malice when saying that, but still」

It seemed I failed.

Harem was difficult.

But, the two of them smiled and nodded in resignation.

They forgave someone like me. They were really good girls.

That was why I wanted to repay them.

「I’ll make some sweets after so long for the tea time today. As expected from the capital of Forland Kingdom, I obtained an ingredient that I couldn’t obtain even in the commercial city. It looks like I’ll be able to make my trump card.」

The two’s elf ears and fox ears twitched.

Elf and beastman had better hearing than human. Their ears tended to express their attitude.

They were curious and became fidgety.

「Y-you are really hopeless Ork. I’ll let this matter rest for now.」

「It’s not like I’m being tempted by sweets okay……but I’m really looking forward to it.」(Kururu)

The two of them were so easy……wasn’t the case at all. Their attitude was because they were really good girls, so they wanted an excuse to forgive me and jumped on it immediately when I provided one.

However it was undeniable that a part of them also wanted to eat sweets.

I had to give my all to make it.

「I’m interested with the sweets that Ork-niisama is going to make. Can I also eat together with everyone?」

Rurine timidly observed my face and then Tita and Kururu’s expression.

「Obviously you can.」

「Ork has decided that you are also in the harem. That means we are family already.」

「Right. There is nothing to be done with you joining the harem, so let’s get along. Ork-san will lose his vigor if the atmosphere is stiff, and I myself hate that kind of thing.」

「Thank you for your kind words. I want to get along with both of you too, not just with Ork-niisama.」

That must be Rurine’s objective. Rather than sweets, her actual purpose was to break the ice with my harem members.

She understood that it was necessary for here on. Rurine was a clever girl.

「Then, let’s take care of the troublesome work before the tea party……good grief, that person is really a bother.」

I pictured the face of the man who called us.

He was someone cunning to the extreme.

In a sense, he was the strongest person I knew even among all my acquaintances.

◇

WE visited a garden in the palace for the luncheon.

This place was exclusive for royalty. It was a greenhouse that used extremely expensive glass to create it. Inside beautiful flowers bloomed profusely the whole year.

That wasn’t all. The most skilled artists and gardeners in this country arranged the flowers’ positioning perfectly. They decorated the place beautifully by even calculating the aroma of the flowers into the equation.

Anyone who came here for the first time would have their heart stolen by this sight.

This was the most beautiful place in the world, Aurora Garden.

I had heard the rumor about it, but I was overwhelmed when I saw the actual thing.

「Uwaa, amazing. So even among humans there are people who can converse with flowers. The flowers here are happy and shining bright.」

「The flowers are amazing, but the vases decorating the flowers are also amazing. What amazing sense. Unununu, it’s frustrating but, I feel defeated as a blacksmith.」

Tita and Kururu paid attention to two different things. Tita understood the skill of the gardeners because she was an elf who could converse with plants, while the blacksmith Kururu could understand that even every single pot here was artwork of the highest class.

We walked through such garden and found the luncheon’s organizer sitting on a bench under the gazebo in the middle of the garden.

His face was carved with deep wrinkles. His worries and history were engraved in each one of those wrinkles. He wasn’t clad in fierce ki like a first class swordsman, and he didn’t contain overwhelming magic power like a first class magician.

And yet his presence swallowed everybody else. His dignity, his charisma was just that immense.

Yes, he was none other than the previous king of Forland, the great man who raised the small Forland Kingdom until it became the continent’s strongest country, the one who ended the great war against the demon king army with its overwhelming difference in battle strength with peace between both sides.

The Wise King Vareo Forland.

For me he was my great grandfather.

「It’s great that you come, Ork. And also my adorable granddaughters.」

And then he easily discarded his dignity and charisma with a pampering grin.

For some reason he was always like this in front of me.

Tita and Kururu froze.

I had been teaching them the common sense of human society.

Forland currency was the currency that was circulated the most in this continent. They knew about Vareo Forland whose face was drawn on the currency’s gold coin.

When teaching history, this man’s name would definitely come out no matter what. He was one of the two people with the most fame in this continent……by the way the other person was the great sage Merlin Enlight.

Such person called them granddaughter with a pampering expression, so it was only natural that they froze.

「Fumu? You two have become Ork’s wives correct? In that case, you two are also my granddaughters now. Why are you two bewildered like that?」

「Geez, great grandfather. That’s no good. Great grandfather is just looking strange when acting normally like that.」

Rurine said very horrible thing with her retort, but what she said was extremely accurate.

It was stranger for the wise king to be normal.

「I see……no, because, even I don’t want to act all pretentiously when in front of my granddaughter. I’m a sweet person when with kids who I like.」

「Great grandfather is always like that. Then there is no choice except having Tita-san and Kururu-san to get used to it. Both of you, great grandfather is this kind of person, so, please interact with him like he is a normal grandpa.」

「Y-yep, I get it.」

「I’ll do my best.」(Kururu)

The two of them somehow replied back while their expression was still twitching.

Without wasting time the wise king Vareo Forland showered Tita and Kururu with questions.

He looked very lively and having a lot of fun. It felt like he had gotten younger by thirty years.

It looked like he was just making a light talk, but through it he was seeing through the essence of his talking partner. He was acting easygoing while inside he was focusing all his concentration to see through every lie.

He was investigating whether they were suitable for me. But I wasn’t worried. There was no way Tita and Kururu would fail his evaluation. ……Or rather, if he said something like these two weren’t suitable for me, I’d snap even if he was my teacher and my great grandfather.

I smiled wryly and took my seat.

And then I opened my mouth at the timing when the rain of questions stopped for the time being.

「Everyone, take a seat. You must be tired to talk while standing like that. Isn’t it fine, Vareo-sensei?」

「Umu, I’m getting too high spirited which is unbefitting for my age. Also Ork, don’t call me sensei, you can call me Hiiojii-chan(great grandfather).」

「No, I’m your great grandson, but I’m your disciple first.」

「That’s true but that make me feel lonely……」

He acted like a lonely old man, but I knew the truth.

His face changed when he taught me kingcraft and became a demon. Being able to do what he taught was something trivial for him. He demanded me to see even further than what he taught and he showed with his action that he would discard any incompetent to put pressure on me.

Incompetent wouldn’t enter the sight of the wise king Vareo Forland. His ability to see through someone’s talent excelled anybody else in this world.

There was no better talent than this as a king. But it created a distortion in him. That distortion became the trigger of the first prince Falta’s crime this time.

Because he was a perfect king, he wouldn’t comprehend the suffering of the incompetent and didn’t know the pain of being ignored.

「What does sensei think about my future wives?」

「Umu, as expected from my great grandson. You chose really good girls. That includes Rurine. I feel the glittering talents inside them. They will surely give birth to excellent children. Yes, those children will make Forland Kingdom even greater and stronger.」

「I can’t guarantee that.」

「Are you doubting my insight with that statement?」

「No, I mean about my children with them. Surely the children who are born will have excellent talents. But, I don’t know whether they will walk the path of king or not. I want them to choose their own path in the future, just like what I’m doing.」

The wise king looked at me with deep reproach hearing my words.

「As I thought, you still won’t become king.」

「If it’s you, you must have determined that I will take action to make Rurine become the king.」

「Is this about how you have the talents but not the qualification to become king that you kept saying since before? About that though, there is no need for you to mind something like that. If an extreme situation ever comes when Ork has to choose between your woman or the people, the country would already be destroyed a long time ago if it’s another king who is in your position. That’s just how vast the difference in strength between you and others. If you keep insisting about something like that, then the other candidates have even more fatal flaws than you.」

「If it’s Rurine then she will be able to do better than me.」

「That’s with the premise that Ork is supporting her from behind the scene right?」

I didn’t answer that question.

Because his question was correct.

Rurine also had her own flaw.

「Well, I also can’t force you to take the position. It’s too bad. You displayed a great skill in the commotion this time too. It reminded me of my youth. Good grief, there won’t be any other man who will refuse to become Forland’s king even if you search the whole world.」

「My apologies. But, I swear that as a disciple of the wise king Vareo, I will repay my debt to you without fail by lending my strength to Rurine.」

Rurine was also my woman. It was only natural for me to protect my woman.

「Umu, Rurine, work hard. Also, absolutely don’t let go of Ork no matter what.」

「Yes, of course. There is absolutely no other gentleman who is as perfect as Ork-niisama. I’ll quickly have Ork-niisama’s child and raise him properly so he will want to become the king by his own will.」

「Umu umu, you are really a good child Rurine.」

Outrageous statements flew back and forth just now, but perhaps such conversation was only proper for royalty.

「And, the reason you called us here……it’s not just to take a look at my wives right? Just what have you been doing? You even allowed yourself to be captured intentionally.」

「Hahaha, so you found out.」

I was doubtful right from the start.

About how the wise king Vareo got so easily imprisoned.

My doubt changed into conviction when he returned here this quickly when the incident was over.

「If it’s you, you must have detected the movement of a small fry like Prince Falta from the start. ……If you allowed yourself to be captured instead, there are only two possible reasons for that, you intentionally made Prince Falta ran wild to smoke out the mastermind behind him. Or perhaps you only pretended to be captured while moving secretly behind the scene. It’s either of those two……no, it’s both huh.」

「Indeed. I noticed Falta’s movement and guided Rurine to seek help from Ork in case something happen. If it’s Rurine then surely she will be able to attract Ork. And then if it’s you Ork you will be able to foil the scheme of Falta and that mastermind.」

「And then you will be able to move freely without anyone watching you. Just what were you investigating that you went until that far?」

「About that……unfortunately I don’t have anything to show for it. But, I sensed a suspicious movement. Something preposterous is moving behind the scene. There is no doubt about that.」

「That’s, really vague.」

「It’s pathetic of me……but, don’t you think it’s strange? Ork, you have saved the world three times. Furthermore it happened in such short time.」

By three times he meant my fight against the world tree devouring demon bug with Tita, the god of disaster that I cut down with Kururu’s sword, and then stopping the resumption of war between humans and demon king army that was schemed by one of the four heavenly kings.

Each of those incidents was serious trouble that could lead to the destruction of the world if things went bad.

「Don’t you think that’s strange? Although Ork had foiled them all at the early stage, but what if for example the world tree devouring demon bug managed to devour the world tree and gain even more strength? What if the god of disaster grant the worst wishes one after another? What if a war between humans and demon king army break out?」

「Even just one of them is an incident that might destroy the world.」

「Ork were at the center of them all must be because you have that kind of fate. That’s the kind of existence the hero is.」

I recalled the words that were said by that fairy who never showed herself again until now.

『Hero doesn’t have any obligation or anything at all. But, the fairy king is simply giving power to the person with the fate of encountering the fellow that he absolutely doesn’t like.』

What the fairy king thought as annoying was world destroying events.

It wasn’t that strange for me who was chosen as the hero to confront the danger to the world like this.

But, the incidents happened in succession too quickly.

「If those incidents weren’t a coincidence, then we should consider that there is someone intentionally causing them correct? Ork, is there any point in common among these incidents?」

I recalled each incident.

Then a single hypothesis formed in my head.

「There is someone manipulating things from behind the scene. ……The one who dispelled the seal of the world tree devouring demon bug was an elf who was cajoled by human.」

He was treated coldly in the elf village, then he got flattered at the human city, given pleasure and luxury, and he became their puppet.

「The one who dispelled the seal of the god of disaster was Kururu’s uncle, but, he went off the rails as though he was stirred up by something, he blindly believed that he was the sword priestess and charged headlong through the path of destruction.」

Kururu’s uncle, his state of mind could only be called abnormal.

According to Kururu he was a kind person until several years ago. His relationship with Kururu and her mother was good. But one day he suddenly changed.

「Prince Falta who tried to cause war with the demon races……he was manipulated by one of the demon king army’s four heavenly kings, Khalil of the Golden Crystal tribe. His motive was revenge for his lover whose heart was gouged out, but there are some baffling points. Prince Falta’s lover is giving testimony that she doesn’t know why she begged for a heart of Golden Crystal tribe, and in the first place it’s unknown how did Khalil manage to reach the truth.」

There was also a scene of contrived act from this.

In every single case, there was an unseen mastermind behind the perpetrator.

That was what my hunch was telling me.

「I also have the same opinion. Every single one of these cases is suspicious. I investigated to determine the true identity of that mastermind while making Ork as bait in the open, but I got no result……I’ll continue my investigation even from now on. You who have the fate of confronting this world’s enemy have to be careful……if there is really something like a mastermind behind all these, he has definitely set his sight on you after you got in his way three times.」

That too was logical.

There was no way the mastermind would just ignore me after I got in his way every time.

It was basic to first remove the obstacles in the way in order to raise the chance of success.

「I’ll take care of anything that come my way.」

「I called you here Ork to give you that warning……also, about my reason of calling these lovely ladies here. All of you will be in danger if you stay together with Ork. You will be targeted by something that might destroy the world. You will be in even more danger than Ork himself.」

A sharp glint of a king’s gaze pierced the three.

「Ork is strong, absurdly so, someone who can win against him can be counted with the fingers on one hand with leftover still. If I want to defeat someone like that even then, I’ll aim for his weakness. In other words, it’s you ladies. It will still be better if there is only risk of death waiting. If it’s me, in order to lure out Ork and create an advantageous situation to face him, I’ll make you ladies go through experiences that are even more painful than death.」

Unfortunately, I also couldn’t deny this.

Aiming at the opponent’s weakness was also the basic.

It would be stupid to expect someone who was trying to destroy the world to have good conscience.

「Are you perhaps, telling us to break up with Ork?」

「Fumu, is that how my words sounds to you?」

The one there wasn’t a good natured grandpa anymore.

It was the wise king Vareo who had survived through countless scenes of carnages.

「I’ll stay together with Ork. From the beginning this is a life that Ork saved……besides, I love Ork. I love him far, far more than Ojii-san can imagine. And above all else, I believe that if it’s Ork then he will protect me.」

「Me too. Besides, I still love him even though he is someone who proclaim that he is going to cheat with a lot of woman-, I won’t part with Ork-san just from this much! I won’t separate from Ork-san.」

「No wonder that Ork-niisama fall in love at the first sight with the two of you. Fufuh, great grandfather, even I will stay together with Ork-niisama. I’m a royalty. What you warned us just now is something that I have resolved myself for since I was born.」

My women were told of the danger ahead and put under the pressure of the wise king. Even so they said that they loved me and would stay with me.

No good, I was going to cry.

And then my son below was also shedding a bit of tear just now.

……No, this was a moving scene but, when they were exploding with loveliness like this, it was simply instinct that I wanted to embrace them.

「Fuhahahah, they are all good women. Ork’s eyes in looking for woman are also first class. I’m pleased. That’s right, let’s hold a grand wedding ceremony. Let’s perform the most grand and lavish wedding ceremony in the world under the name of the wise king.」

The female factions raised their voices shrilly in excitement.

Tita and Kururu too were actually yearning for a wedding ceremony. They wouldn’t say it directly but, I knew that sometimes they would watch that kind of event enviously.

I knew about it but…….

「Allow me to politely refuse.」

Gazes of criticism were focused on me.

「Why is that?」

「I decided that I’ll hold the wedding ceremony with all my women after my harem is completed. I want to treat all my women equally.」

Their gazes were painful. Really painful. But, I couldn’t give up on this.

「Ork, you are still going to search for more woman.」

「Actually I was holding hope that Ork-san might feel satisfied already with Rurine-san joining as the third.」

「As expected from Ork-niisama. Even though it’s already really hard to have three women, you are still going to increase your harem’s size.」

By the way Rurine’s words just now were filled with sarcastic nuance.

……Three people were enough. Most people would think that. But, I was different.

I would become the harem king-! BAM!

「I pray that it will be completed while I’m still alive. Then, that’s all I want to say. After this let’s have a lunch together with everyone going kyaa kyaa ufufufu with me.」

「Isn’t there another way to express your wish to have fun with your grandchildren other than that?」

「I’m a loving grandpa with my grandchildren after all.」

The wise king Vareo laughed in extreme delight after that.

It couldn’t be helped, let’s accompany this lonely old man a little.

Despite everything, chatting with him would be very beneficial. A nonchalant sentence from him was packed full with deep teaching and knowledge.

And most of all, boasting about my wives wasn’t something that I hated doing.

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