I was riding in a carriage with six potential mothers of future heroes.
The reason was that we had received a request from Sorceras, a neighboring magical powerhouse located northeast of Braidea, to exterminate orcs. Braidea is a country ruled by heroes, so it has publicly declared that it will provide assistance to any country that appears to be in real trouble with monsters.
For that reason, I am currently heading to a country with which we haven't even formed an alliance with. Although they are simply called orcs, there are apparently more than 300 of them. Orcs are bipedal monsters with pig heads. They are about one head taller than an adult male, with a thick build befitting the name orc, and are strong enough that it would take three to five average-skilled adventurers to defeat them.
Unlike demons, they do not have particularly tough skin, but they are generally armed and have thick flesh, making it difficult to inflict a fatal blow on them unless you are an exceptionally skilled swordsman. Even a single one is quite troublesome, but the threat increases dramatically when there are multiple of them. They are also quite intelligent, and rarely emerge from the forests where they have an advantage, causing trouble even for magical superpowers with many magic swordsmen.
This is where it seems that the army of Braidea, the country of heroes, comes in.
The foothold is narrow, so a small elite force is needed, and it is easier and cheaper to use me than an army, which is why we were sent. However, I am the only one who actually does the fighting, and my companions only job is to bear my child.
They're just orcs, but their numbers are such that it's much easier for me to charge in alone than to fight while keeping an eye on their safety. In addition, orcs have the habit of breeding through women of other races. I definitely want to avoid fighting in the company of women.
Braidea is a fairly trusted country, but it has few allies. There are two main reasons for this.
First, the surrounding countries know that Braidea would never start a war, so there is no point in making an alliance with us. This is also proof that there are many countries that would like to take Braidea's rich territory if they get the chance. Because it is a country ruled by a hero, it is better than other countries at exterminating monsters and is highly respected, so it is rare for a country to be stupid enough to start a war with it. Of course, this is the second and biggest reason.
It has been three hundred years since my ancestor, the first hero, founded the Kingdom of Braidea, but the fact is that most countries still discriminate against demi-humans. The amount of territory ruled by humans has increased dramatically in the past three hundred years. However, it still doesn't amount to even one-tenth of the world's. Depending on the country, the world's population is at saturation point. As a manpower-strapped Braidea, I'm envious of this, but the reality is that most of these births are not happy ones.
There are probably many reasons for this, but it is not uncommon for orphans to be abandoned at birth in the world. For this reason, the land is small and the people are numerous. Most countries are by no means wealthy. In that limited land, the few demihumans are an ideal target for discrimination. Demihumans have a much longer lifespan than humans, so according to the laws of nature, their numbers are not large. In short, humans rule over demihumans through sheer numbers. Worried about such a world, my ancestor, the first hero, founded the country of Braidea. Whether it's a clan that's lived there since the country's founding or new immigrants, everyone coexists in Braidea. It's not an ideal place that could be called a paradise, but it's certainly a more comfortable place for them than others. At the very least, there is no discrimination here.
The Kingdom of Braidea does not tolerate discrimination against demihumans. Apart from my heretical nation of Braidea, it's not at all uncommon for demihumans to hate humans, and humans to hate demihumans. It's sad, but this is the current state of the world. "Lord Eucharlouch." As I was lost in such thoughts, a voice suddenly called out to me.
Chapter length 1834 characters.
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