The Ogres, owing to their immense stature, excel as combatants. While they typically base their colony-level livelihoods on hunting, when interacting with other races, they readily shift roles and leverage their strength as construction laborers.
Similarly, the Dwarves, who also draw power as their hallmark, specialize in forging iron and intricate craftsmanship. Urban occupational segregation has thus evolved into a clear division: Dwarves dominate blacksmithing, while Ogres claim the field of architecture. Agriculture, fishing, and livestock herding remain the domain of humans and elves.
Though highly suited for manual labor, construction techniques cannot be refined without collective accumulation and collaboration.
Consequently, it is common for each city to host several Ogre-led construction unions.
Given that Ogres are inherently warlike, organizing them in large numbers inevitably imbues these groups with a muscular, mafia-like character.
Ideally, an organization capable of channeling their boundless energy through shared work, events, and guiding principles would thrive. Yet depending on the charisma of their leaders or the stability of their operations, they can sometimes exert detrimental influence on local governance. This remains one of the more challenging aspects for Celesta Mercantile Nation, which prides itself on “tolerance toward races but strictness regarding profit,” making such groups difficult to control outright.
Fortunately, the oasis city of Tark possesses organizations with considerable capacity for management.
Notably, two construction unions hold particularly strong sway: The “Trident,” formed by three-horned Ogres united in purpose; And the “Tower Emblem,” dominated largely by single-horned Ogres.
Both have expanded into finance, brewing, and retail sectors, wielding influence among Tark’s top ten merchant guilds.
With headquarters positioned symmetrically across Central Street, and locked in a perpetual cycle of rivalry over shared business interests, these two factions have become something of a local spectacle—street-corner brawls between their foot soldiers are now considered a hallmark of Tark itself.
It is well known among Tark’s citizens that the Trident’s leader is a woman of prime age.
“Perhaps we should send the younger recruits to search?”
“You know nothing of that Siegfried Becker, do you?”
The Ogre second-in-command nodded respectfully at the female leader.
“The world of soldiers escapes my understanding. I’ve heard rumors of him becoming something akin to a hero in ballads, but…”
The woman smiled broadly, draped a sheer sunshade mantle over her shoulders with a sharp motion.
“Too swift, too capricious, too cunning and deceitful. Sending more men would only prolong the chase. Better for me to go alone.”
“But the younger recruits of Tower Emblem are loose-lashed. If they spot you wandering alone on an alleyway—”
“Enough. I’ve waited ten years already… Do not pursue him. That man is sharp.”
The Trident’s female leader, Rose Alderia, brushed aside her concerned second-in-command and strode decisively toward the estate gates.
Her nature—impulsive, relentless, unyielding once set in motion—is well-suited to leading unruly Ogre men, yet it carries risks far greater than most. The second-in-command clutched his head, silently praying that nothing untoward had occurred. “Still… ‘too swift, too capricious, too cunning and deceitful’… Sounds like the kind of talk one uses about petty scoundrels.”
“Well, well. Quite a crowd for such a man.” Before Siegfried stood a growing throng of single-horned Ogres—roughly twenty strong, judging by their rough work clothes, some with hammers slung at their waists. They were clearly young members of a construction union.
Construction unions often engage in lending and debt collection; it’s not uncommon for them to handle collections alongside their primary duties. So while this development was within expectations, having two or three individuals would be manageable—but twenty? That posed a serious problem. Moreover, being outnumbered where others needed protection was hardly a wise strategy.
“Enough already, sir.”
Ariel tugged Siegfried’s sleeve, her face tense as she whispered urgently.
“They won’t take your life. They’re after your earnings. You’ll be fine… but you might get buried alive.”
“Ah, I see that look of impending burial. Perhaps blowing them away too hastily was a mistake?”
“So hurry and escape. I don’t know where they came from, but if you’re alone, you can outrun them. And leave the southern district as soon as possible.”
Siegfried smiled.
“I don’t really want to set off until you’ll stick around with me.”
“Once the heat dies down, come back to my shop. Two hours for forty coins, and I’ll go along with whatever hobby you’ve got.”
“Aaaah. What a professional attitude.”
Zieg, having shaken it off, pressed forward.
“Forget two hours and forty coins—I want joint management of all my assets.”
”…………”
Ariel made a face of disbelief.
“At your age, getting hot over a cross-species sex worker in one shot? Don’t you think that’s uncool?”
“Just a little. But I’m still a Captain of a Hundred Men, so I make quite a bit.”
“I can’t trust anyone who picks such a cheap inn and checks in from morning.”
“Nothing but a bit of bad luck. Still, meeting someone nice like you makes it lucky, I suppose.”
“I don’t get it.”
Ariel sighed and tried to push Zieg deeper into the back alley.
Zieg gave her ear a gentle tap.
“Hyaan!?”
“I used to be under a dark elf once… so I know quite a bit about how ears express emotion. You’re blushing a little, aren’t you?”
“Eeek! Shut up! Humans, don’t get cocky!”
Caught red-handed, Ariel glared with a resentful look.
She was fairly confident in her ability to read women’s expressions.
Zieg lightly embraced such an Ariel, then let go and held her sideways.
“W-what are you doing!?”
“Since I’m in the business, two people burn hotter than one trying to run away alone.”
“What kind of business is that!?”
“Rescuing captive princesses.”
”…Zieg Becker… wait, could you possibly be…!?”
“That’s right, Zieg Becker.”
Zieg leaped. He could easily carry a single woman or scale a one-story roof with ease. Of course, he couldn’t vanish completely from sight even if he ran at full speed, but he was confident he could shake off an ogre’s wide-strided pursuit. “Let’s go!!”
Zieg Becker. His name appeared in bards’ heroic ballads and occasionally became a popular tune. The third surge of popularity came from his great adventure on the Rapal Islands. The second was the drama of rescuing a noble lady imprisoned by thieves. And the first? A tragic love story with an enemy spy.
In the tavern of Queika, a bard turned my terrible breakup into a poem while I was awkwardly trying to drink a beverage I wasn’t even allowed to consume yet. Thanks to that, Celesta became one of the most famous spies in the realm. Well, having an epic sung about me won’t split my face open, and since I always use a pseudonym anyway, it’s not much of a problem. That bard still occasionally hears tales of Sieg’s exploits at Queika and turns them into poems, but he sometimes weaves exaggerations in for dramatic effect and pacing. Ah, the thief who was captured wasn’t a noble princess, but the only daughter of an ogre guildmaster. Their parting wasn’t like what’s sung in the ballads—leaving a kiss beneath the trees before vanishing like a daydream. She turned out cuter than I expected, so halfway through their farewell, I made a move, and seeing her strangely happy eyes brought back unpleasant memories of my first love; half-naked as she was, I threw my loincloth at her face and vanished in a cloud of smoke—a truly despicable ending. I’ll leave that part unspoken to Ariel.
“Hold it right there—!!”
The ogres chased Sieg across rooftops, sprinting through the streets.
But running around was exactly what Sieg wanted.
“I’ve got you… Ugh!!”
An ogre fell straight into a simple pitfall covered by a single thin plank over a water drain.
“Just skittering on the roofs… I can’t take it anymore! Doo-uh?!”
Another ogre leaped onto a roof not built to support their weight and got stuck halfway up with its lower body trapped.
Because it kept looking only upward, it tripped over a taut rope strung between palm trees, stumbled, kicked over a beehive, and ended up in a terrible mess.
In no time, the pursuers were dwindling.
”…Wow, only ogres fell for such elaborate pranks.”
“Well, if I could use instant-death traps, it’d be easy. But even though they’re thugs, setting them off on civilians is just wrong.”
”…Instant-death trap?”
“Gunpowder, blades, vital points, poison—stuff like that. If you distract them with something like that and then strike when they’re caught off guard, it’s super efficient.”
“That sounds scary…”
“We have missions where we have to do things like that.”
He suddenly changed direction, scattering the remaining few ogres completely.
Then, in an inconspicuous alleyway, he gently lowered Ariel down and locked eyes with her before confessing seriously.
“Anyway… I’d like to date you. …Look, I’m a bit distrustful of people. But just now, you saved me a little. It might seem simple on my part, but… I’ve started wanting to spend more time with you.”
Of course, that wasn’t all. There was also the fact that she possessed a willpower reminiscent of Diane, whom he once regarded as his goddess of the heart—a dark elf whose strength shone in her eyes.
There was also the simple, material issue that she felt good to hold.
But for Sieg, who had been drowning in self-loathing, her smile and way of living were enough to make him fall in love at first sight.
“Lies… No one falls in love that easily. You’re not just saying this because you want something free, right?”
Yet Ariel was also distrustful of people.
Or rather, distrustful of men.
She had fallen for someone, been deceived by them, and ended up working as a prostitute.
So when such an impulsive man—one who came as a customer and suddenly confessed his love—did so to her, she couldn’t possibly be genuinely moved.
“Of course, I just want something free.”
“Of course.”
“I want you to date me for free, have Queeka live in my house, and if possible, bear my child.”
”…Aaah!”
However, Sieghard trembles under Ariel’s relentless assault. Fundamentally, dark elves are not strong against loneliness. And Ariel was, in the end, a kind-hearted girl who easily fell for a bad man and ended up drowning in debt.
“I want to kiss you for free, have you rest your head on my knee for free, see me naked in an apron for free, bathe with you for free, and cuddle with you for free! Damn it, isn’t that bad?! I’d rather be a pervert with a girl than grow old like this! I want to dote on each other lovingly! And if possible, with a girl as lovely as you!”
”…Uu, uu…”
Ariel droops her ears and looks up at Sieghard. It’s an incredibly awkward, brutally honest confession from a scruffy forty-something man with a lazy beard, desperately exposing his innermost thoughts. But… strangely… There’s such compelling force that it makes me feel ashamed of lying to myself.
In truth, Sieghard—who is strong, reliable, tall, and above all, seeks everything in her—is exactly the type Ariel finds appealing. For Ariel, who was forced to cut ties with her family due to overwhelming debt and had her beloved man flee, leaving her alone, that warmth was undeniably charming.
“Uu…!” As she hesitates between resisting his pressure or submitting to it… She notices three horn-like protrusions resembling a crown visible beyond Sieghard’s arms pressed against the walls on either side of her face.
An ogre. She flinches for a moment, but he’s short. Even so, he’s taller than her—nearly 170 cm. For a female ogre, that’s quite petite.
“I finally found you!”
”…Whoa!?”
Sieghard also jumps, looking up to see the ogre who has suddenly appeared beside him. The petite ogre woman tosses aside her cloak and dashes forward. Before Sieghard can get into a fleeing stance, she leaps straight at his chest.
If it were a knife, this would be killing distance. In an instant, their eyes meet.
“Damn you, lowest scum man!!!”
Her uppercut sends Sieghard flying through the air.
”…Ouch… I thought my jaw was broken.”
“That’s actually more of a miracle that it wasn’t. Even with this, I don’t lose to any random youngling in terms of punching power.”
After hovering completely above the rooftops for a moment, she lands safely in an alleyway. Trihorn ogre woman Rose stares at Sieghard with narrowed eyes… and a slightly flushed face.
”…So, who are you… uh, waaaaah!?”
Only after finally confirming Rose’s identity does Sieghard, still sitting on his rear, begin retreating backward like an insect—zakazakaza. It’s quite undignified.
“I seem to have been remembered by you, cowardly man.”
”…O, oh… You… Rose…!!”
“Sieghard Becker. I will never forget the humiliation from that day.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”
He performs a full-body prostration. Truly undignified.
Ariel stood stunned.
“N-n-nothing… what?”
”…Well, it’s awkward to ask, but please don’t press me on that. Look, Rose, just let me take care of them with everything I’ve got—I won’t lay a hand on her.”
“What a noble sentiment. But after pretending to kiss you and throwing your sash around my waist, only to seriously pursue this woman… it leaves quite a bad impression on me.”
“I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!”
Zieg knelt down with a heavy thud.
“What can I do?”
Rose grabbed Zieg by the chest and lifted him up, her face twisted with veins bulging, yet wearing an utterly radiant smile.
“That’s the look of a beast facing its prey,” Zieg thought.
“Oh, uh… Lion, Davis, we’ve got them!”
”!!”
In an instant, Zieg shook off Rose’s grip and moved to shield Ariel’s back alongside her.
At the entrance of the alleyway stood two figures: a lion-beastman and a human man. Behind them emerged a one-horned ogre.
“Pursuers?”
Zieg muttered in a voice too deep to be called anything else, and the human man tilted his head sideways with a sharp kakun sound, breaking into a grin.
“The Tower Emblem’s young ones are causing quite a ruckus. We’re here as their bodyguards… and since I recognize you, it must be Special Lieutenant Zieg Becker?”
”…I’ve seen you before. Might Garen?”
“Did I make an impression?”
“You’d better not have a bad memory if you want to keep your job.”
Zieg clicked his tongue sharply.
The human was Might Garen; the lion-beastman, Lion Rex; and the one-horned ogre… Davis Dagout.
He pulled their names from the military intelligence stored in his mind.
“And there’s even the head of the Trident,” he added.
With another kakun, Mait tilted his head to the opposite side, his smile deepening. The long staff he carried slipped slightly over his shoulder and fell away, revealing a longsword without a guard beneath it.
“What kind of fools are these? You Tower brats sending out some new delinquents…?”
Rose began to raise her fist, but Zieg held her back with his hand.
“Stay behind me as far as possible, along with Ariel.”
“Becker…?”
“They’re all Ace Knights.”
At the Carlos residence.
The midday meal continued without Zieg. Andy was struggling to eat a massive pile of green vegetables, looking utterly miserable.
Diane watched him with a worried expression, yet still smiling warmly. Aurora suddenly spoke up.
“Lord Diane… may I ask you something?”
“Hm?”
“How powerful is Special Lieutenant Becker… really?”
“You’re an Ace Knight yourself. Just play a match casually and figure it out somehow.”
“No, I don’t truly understand that person’s strength.”
Aurora said, gripping her hands together and then spreading them wide. “As a swordsman, they lack many offensive techniques; their attack power seems questionable. Yet when they enter a defensive stance or release their sword… it is in those moments that I feel the unfathomable depth of their capability. Their evasion leaves no room for waste, and their movement efficiency surpasses even my brother, who is a Master Knight. Moreover, sometimes I find it perplexing where their killing intent originates. I often think: if this person were to employ any means whatsoever, not limited to swords…”
“Well, certainly, that guy is hard to read… but at least keeping a serious version of him in check would be difficult even for a Master Knight.”
“Is it really that bad?”
“A few years ago, Overnight said, ‘You can block the dragon’s fire, but you cannot stop Siegfried Becker.’”
”…Overnight!? W-which one?”
“The iron one. The lightning one agreed as well.”
”…What does that mean?”
Diane muttered to herself, though it wasn’t a topic for mealtime conversation. “That man—if told to kill in a thousand different ways, he’d probably be able to do it. While fire might be blocked by examining magic, runes, and materials, there’s no way to seal Becker’s killing methods… If he becomes an enemy, he could be more terrifying than a Master Knight.”
“Well then.”
Siegfried straightened his spine sharply, wiping the smile from his lips.
A burnt scent began to drift around him—the aura of a battlefield.
Maito tilted his head backward with a crack, grinned widely, and drew his sword.
“Special Forces Captain Becker. Since I joined the army, I’ve wanted to kill you.”
“So? I’d rather not. I don’t want unnecessary deaths.”
Leon, the lion-beastman, opened his mouth.
“You’re arrogant.”
“No, no, no. Because if we fight to the death, one of us will die!”
Even Davis, the single-horned warrior, muttered softly.
“One or two deaths wouldn’t matter…”
“One or two?”
Siegfried looked at the three of them with an expression full of pity.
“Because you’re the ones who’ll die.”
The three fell silent instantly.
“How about it?”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s three against one. If we win, you become a Master Knight…?”
Without a word, Siegfried drew his knife—a mere 15 centimeters long, a laughably small weapon.
Then he crouched low.
As the three Ace Knights bristled with killing intent and lunged forward… at that very moment, Maito, leading the charge, stumbled and fell.
“Wha—!?”
“Hold on!?”
Leon followed, taking a fall. Oil had pooled at his feet.
Davis leaped over the two of them, only for a needle to pierce his face.
”!?”
Davis immediately somersaulted onto the ground and went still.
“If poisons and oil are allowed in matches, then I truly am a Master Knight.”
He drove needles into the fallen Ace Knights with a snap, snap.
“H-humbug… that’s cheap…”
“If you show me even a momentary opening, I could kill you seven times over.”
In a cold voice, he snatched Maito’s sword and smashed it.
“Besides, I’m the type who can’t rest until I’ve gained the upper hand from the start… it’s a lesson life taught me.”
Truly, in an instant.
Before Ariel and Rose could grasp what had happened, three Ace Knights lay defeated.
”…It was anesthesia. I value the people of this nation.”
Rose and Ariel exchanged relieved smiles as Sieg waved his hands with a goofy grin.
”…Well, it’s Sieg Becker. I wasn’t worried in the first place.”
“Sieg-san…”
The scene shifted, and Sieg turned his attention back to the two of them.
Just then, Rose suddenly pressed a wrapped bundle into Sieg’s hands.
“I’ve been waiting for this opportunity for a long time… it’s a present.”
”…What is it?”
“Open it. Let me be clear: this isn’t out of gratitude or obligation.”
“H-huh?”
When Sieg unwrapped it, inside lay a Jewel Knife.
“Ever since then, I’ve wanted to own a treasure that matches yours. After much effort, I finally got my hands on one. It wouldn’t do for you not to have it.”
”…Ah, I see…”
Sieg began to weep softly.
“Thank you, Rose—!! Though I don’t quite understand why, I love you too, damn it!!”
“S-so… that’s good to hear.”
Then, while still crying, he gently stroked the Jewel Knife against his scruffy beard before suddenly deciding on something.
He handed it directly to Ariel.
”…Huh?”
“If I sold this, it’d fetch a huge price… you’re in debt, right? If you could pay off your debts with it… then, maybe you’d consider being with me…?”
”…”
“Sieg Becker…”
Rose shook her head, trembling.
Ariel hesitantly considered whether to accept it… and ultimately, she did. Zieg felt tears of blood well up in his heart. That’s fine, he thought. I’ll get a girlfriend too.
”…Yes. Understood.”
A blush suddenly colored Ariel’s cheeks.
“F-forgive my inadequacy, but please take care of me…”
(…Wait?)
It felt like something had been skipped over.
Then Rose erupted.
”…You didn’t realize that this gift, meant as a proposal from one person, was being used to propose to someone else? You absolute bastard—!!”
”…Ah, ah-ah!?”
In this colony, the free transfer of blades holds special meaning.
(TBC)