The horns of the Ogre tribe are, depending on the tribe, often an important part of their identity. After all, they are a race specialized for combat, so much so that they are called a warlike species. While their massive bodies and developed canine teeth certainly embody what makes them Ogres, it’s no surprise that even those who might disagree would agree that their horns—those horns that seem to symbolize their fighting spirit and aggression—are the true mark of an Ogre. For this reason, Ogres cherish their horns deeply. Since horns are organs that grow, they require constant care. They are shaped, adjusted in length, and even engraved with symbolic patterns depending on the tribe. However, no matter how close they may be, Ogres rarely let others handle this task. It is a matter of pride for Ogres to do it themselves. Though many other races might not care about such efforts, there is actually a trend in horn maintenance. Some Ogres cut their horns so that they split into two prongs, or carve in evenly spaced notches, or even sharpen them so sharply that they could easily pierce skin. Such trends come and go, but to young Ogres, it all looks incredibly cool. “Ah, well, back in my day, I thought it was cool,” is a common excuse from middle-aged Ogres. From a practical standpoint, none of these are particularly advantageous, but the fact that their flashy horns have survived countless battles unscathed makes them look incredibly fierce to hot-blooded youths. Of course, most end up regretting it halfway through and breaking their horns in some unfortunate accident.
Enough of that. Arnie Boyd, a junior soldier (recently turned 19) from the Ogre tribe, is a man with no interest in such flashy horn maintenance. After all, despite being a Dual Horned Ogre, he’s missing one. It was pulled out by the roots for some reason and never grew back. At this point, he’s already pretty uncool by Ogre standards. Still, he had been taking care of the remaining horn, but it snapped a few months ago. Well, it was either that or risking his life to save someone else’s, so he could live with it. But now that it’s grown quite a bit, he’s been wondering what to do about it.
“Hey, Boyd, what are you staring at in that mirror?”
As Arnie was pondering this, his coworker, Greg Lacksman, a junior soldier (a Dwarf) called out to him.
Junior soldiers, to put it simply, are trainees, the lowest rank in the hierarchy. Since Greg and Arnie are both the same age and rank, he doesn’t have to use formal speech with Arnie, but being a Dwarf with his bear-like beard, Greg still found it hard to casually address the younger Arnie.
“Man, staring into a mirror and making all those faces is kinda creepy.”
“Oh, uh, no, it’s about my horn…”
“Ah, your horn?”
The Crossbow Corps of the Northern Legion in Celesta, where Arnie works, has a surprisingly high percentage of Ogres—about 20%—for a support unit.
Naturally, this means there are those who care deeply about horns and are quick to point out just how unique (or pitiful) Arnie’s situation is.
Greg recalled this and made a slightly awkward face. He’s not good at comforting others.
Then, seeing his awkward expression, Arnie panicked.
It’s not that he was bothered about the horn breaking.
“I-it’s just… I’ve been thinking it might be time to shape my horn into a cone…”
“Ah, now that you mention it, it looked like this when it broke.”
Greg made a gap of about 5 centimeters with his fingers. In Arnie’s memory, it was a bit longer, but well, details are details. It’s not like others would remember anyway.
“Well, yeah, something like that. But it’s grown quite a bit now, so maybe it’s time.”
“If you want, I could lend you a sharp knife.”
“No, no, I’ve got the tools for maintenance…”
The real issue was whether he should actually go through with it.
From an appearance standpoint, there’s no reason not to. It’s just the other parts that are the problem.
As for Arnie’s girlfriend, Sylvia MacLean (soon to be 20), she was nearly crushed by a runaway carriage and saved only thanks to Arnie’s heroic rescue attempt. Currently, she wears the horn that broke off Arnie as a necklace.
I was really happy when Sylvia-san was pleased with the gift I gave her, but ever since then, I’ve been using that faint scar on her horn as a reminder to be grateful for our meeting and fate. Or sometimes I’d just use it to tease her about how cheap one of her horns is compared to her beautiful skin. It’s kind of annoying, though, when she turns around and uses it to brag about how much she likes me.
But now, it’s become a symbol of our bond.
I’m torn between wanting to keep it as a reminder and wanting to erase it entirely.
[Sieg]: “Hmm, I see. By the way, is it okay to hit you? With full strength.”
[Arnie]: “If possible, I’d rather you didn’t…”
Greg’s height was like that of a baby compared to Arnie’s massive frame, but with his dwarf power, he could knock Arnie out in one strike.
Feeling the genuine murderous intent lurking behind his friendly smile, Arnie slowly backed away.
[Sieg]: “Well, seriously, if it makes you feel better, you can leave it as it is.”
[Arnie]: “Y-yeah, that’s true… But it’s definitely not a good look.”
However, Arnie also had his own sense of beauty as an Ogre, and he couldn’t help but worry about how others might perceive him.
Honestly, the sight of a broken horn left as it was looked pretty awkward.
Walking around with Sylvia while exposing that scar felt like I was embarrassing her too, which made me feel bad.
[Arnie]: “Hmm… What should I do…?”
[Sieg]: “I doubt anyone but other Ogres would care.”
[Basson]: “Surprisingly, there are quite a few Ogres around here, huh…”
Caught between cultures and loyalties, love and pride.
Consulting Sylvia about it might seem like the right thing to do, but doing so would probably just make her look lonely and let her say something like, “You can cut it off if you want.”
[Arnie]: “Rubbing my stubby horn while I’m thinking about this…”
As Arnie was pondering, the front entrance of the barracks grew a little noisy.
[Sieg]: “Looks like someone’s back.”
[Arnie]: “Seems like it.”
The commotion had become quite frequent over the past few days.
It was because the company commander’s business had granted them an unexpected three-month leave. The end of that leave was approaching, and more and more soldiers were returning to duty.
Even though they were part of a military unit, most of them were single young soldiers, so their sense of camaraderie was strong.
Some even brought back mountains of souvenirs, and the return of each soldier after their first leave had become something of an event.
However, there was something strange about how this commotion started.
[Sieg]: “Hey, Boyd, Rackman! Come here for a sec! And give me a light slap on the cheek! No, not too hard—remember, if you guys go all out, my head could come off!”
[Janjack]: “What are you talking about, Janjack?”
[Basson]: “A forehead tap would work, right?”
[Sieg]: “No, it’s not like I’m assuming that’s the goal… Ah, just come here!”
The two exchanged glances and followed Janjack toward the entrance. Standing there was a massive bull…
No, a bull-like sub-species of Ogre named Kelly Isaac, the squad leader.
Beside—or rather, leaning against—him stood a tall, dignified-looking woman.
[Arnie]: “A woman? She doesn’t look like a civilian…”
[Sieg]: “Her cloak is military issue. Same fabric as what the Anzeros squad uses.”
[Arnie]: “W-wait, she’s too close! Isn’t Isaac too close to her?”
User: “Nah, that’s just Isaac the squad leader being way too big.”
User: “That guy could block the entire entrance by himself.”
User: “No, no, no, I saw him walking over from the other side! That woman was riding on Isaac the squad leader’s shoulder!”
User: “This is officially the most enviable situation for an Ogre.”
Annie, at Sylvia’s request, had been doing this quite a bit and averted her gaze slightly.
Jean-Jacques and Greg noticed it right away and shot her nasty looks.
But anyway…
User: “She seems to be introducing herself. In the entrance hall, to everyone.”
User: “Hey, let’s go hear what she has to say.”
User: “Wait a second!! Don’t abandon the short-legged ones, damn it!”
The three of them stomped over.
User: “Nice to meet you.”
As the woman in the cloak took her Celesta military salute pose, the three of them arrived within earshot.
Seeing everyone around smile awkwardly and return the salute, the three quickly slapped their left chests with their fists.
User: “Hey, what’s going on?”
When Jean-Jacques asked the nearby soldier, she smiled faintly and repeated what she had said before the soldier could speak.
User: “Please take care of those who follow me as well. I have transferred here today from the Third Infantry Regiment of the Celesta Western Legion. My name is Rine Mikagami, a regular soldier. My role will be as a foot soldier and escort.”
User: “Ah… um, Mikagami-san is technically an Ace Knight. Also, she’s a wolf beastman, and, well… she’s the granddaughter of that old man from my hometown who’s been like family to me for a while.”
Kelly desperately tried to explain in a way that wouldn’t cause trouble.
Rine gracefully removed her hair ornament and shook out her ears, which had been pressed down.
User: “I joined because I admire Isaac the squad leader. Please take good care of me from now on.”
User: “Hey, R… Mikagami-san…”
User: “Don’t push yourself too hard. …That’s what I just explained, right, Kelly-san?”
User: “Well, um…”
The look she gave Kelly was full of trust, and Kelly’s flustered, suspicious behavior was evident.
The roughly 40 soldiers gathered in the entrance hall all seemed to understand at almost the same time.
User: “Yeah, yeah. Nice to meet you, Mikagami-san.”
Then, as a representative, Bit Williams (a human who burned with jealousy and was 28 years old), also a squad leader like Kelly, stepped forward with a sly smile.
User: “And Isaac. I know it’s bad after your long journey, but we’re really fired up for some intense training.”
User: “Ah, uh… Williams…”
User: “Of course you’ll lead the way, Isaac. As a soldier of Celesta.”
User: “Calm down. Hold on. Let’s stay rational as soldiers of Celesta.”
User: “Yeah, yeah. No one’s lost their rationality yet.”
”…………”
Even though there was nearly a two-foot height difference, the bull slowly backed away.
“Guh……”
“Yeah, yeah, so you’re getting that into training, huh? Good attitude. You’ve got what it takes to be a future centurion.”
“IYO! Acting Centurion Assistant!”
“You’re shining bright!”
The soldiers cheered as they hurriedly headed toward the armory.
Meanwhile, several of them had already returned and began cranking up the crossbows with nostalgic smiles.
With a full grin, Bit declared to Kelly:
“Would you rather take cover behind a shield or run away empty-handed?”
“What kind of two-choice is that?!”
“It’s better to hurry! I’ve got my weapon ready since I was just doing target practice earlier.”
[Guh…… Ugh…… Waaaaah!!]
Kelly ran for her life toward the armory.
[Captain]: “Alright, everyone chase him! Shoot when he grabs a shield!”
[Yes!!]
The crossbow corps chased after him with delight.
[Bit]: “Wait… hold on, what are you doing to Kelly-san?!”
[Captain]: “It’s fine, it’s fine.”
The only remaining member of the Anzeros Squad (the escort infantry unit), Hank Bronson, grabbed her shoulder firmly and stopped her.
[Captain]: “This is a ritual.”
“A ritual…?”
“Yeah. …You know, since there’s no centurion or Anzeros captain right now…”
“What does that have to do with it?!”
While they were still having an incomprehensible conversation, the crossbow training exercise targeting Kelly had already begun.
[Kelly]: “Owaaaah!! D-don’t you idiots mean business?!”
[Captain]: “Sorry, Captain Isaac! It hurts my heart, but this is for training! Die.”
“We’re not doing this just because we want to! Drop dead!”
“I’ll let you go back to your village and find a pretty girlfriend, but don’t think you can just waltz in here and act all proud and then walk away scot-free! I’m sorry!”
“Don’t swear at me with such awkward grammar!!”
The so-called shield they were using was, for some reason, the super-heavy shield lying around the armory. It could technically deflect crossbows at close range, but Kelly’s massive frame wouldn’t fit behind it.
[Kelly]: “Ow! I got hit! I got hit, damn it!!”
Even so, Kelly managed to escape.
[Captain]: ”…What kind of squad is this place?”
“Welcome to the friendliest unit in the Northern Legion.”
It sounded like a joke, but it was probably true.
Nighttime.
After the commotion of the day had settled down, everyone gathered in the mess hall for dinner, and Kelly and Lina, the newly paired couple, began teasing each other about how they met and what they liked about each other.
“It’s kind of a celebration, you know. For our comrades.”
”…When I started dating Sylvia-san, having both the centurion and Anzeros decanus here was a big help…”
“Haha, well, if it wasn’t Isaac, we wouldn’t have been able to pull off something like that.”
Sitting a little distance away, Kelly and Lina looked at each other with a mix of anger and happiness while Arnie secretly wiped cold sweat from his brow and breathed a sigh of relief.
Yeah. Everyone’s scary.
“But…”
Now Kelly has a girlfriend too.
That means there’s no reason for him to be cold about love-related advice anymore.
And Kelly, even if he’s an ogre, shares the same understanding about horns.
“Alright.”
After finishing the chunk of spiced meat (a hearty dish for ogres with big appetites) that had been served, Arnie followed Kelly, who had already stood up from the table.
“Horns?”
“Just trim them, right?”
As expected, both Kelly and Lina tilted their heads in confusion.
“No, but… I don’t want to cut off something that’s a part of our memories.”
“You’re such a romantic, Boyd.”
Kelly laughed heartily, while Lina smiled and nodded.
Kelly, who was rather blunt but caring, and Lina, who was quiet but reliable. Standing side by side like this, they almost looked like the perfect couple.
“It’s fine to be romantic, but… well, Sylvia-san and I are from different races, so… I don’t want to lose anything that could bring us closer.”
“I see… But you two are so lovey-dovey, you should have a bit more confidence in yourselves.”
“Physical things are nice, but if you’re too focused on them, the woman might feel insecure. ‘The memories are cherished, but my love isn’t?’”
“Oh, I see…”
“So, why not make it into something new? Like, trimming your horns in a cool way could become a new memory for the two of you.”
”…I-I think… this is good.”
Click-click, click-click.
Using Arnie’s favorite small knife (though to humans, it looked more like a cleaver) and a file, Sylvia carefully shaped the horns.
“Ah, don’t round off the tip too much, okay? That’s how you’d trim a child’s horn.”
“Yes, ma’am. …Hey, why are you letting me do this?”
“Well… I guess…”
“An Ogre’s horn is important. It carries pride in its form. That’s why I don’t let others touch it.” “To hand it over to someone else… well, in our colony, but… it’s also one of the more serious acts of affection.” ”…Hey, Kelly-san. Could you… let me trim it too?” “Huh? …Oh, yeah… damn it, you’ve started acting all clingy.”
“My pride is that Sylvia-san came to like me… If the horn is the form of pride, then the horn trimmed by Sylvia-san’s hands is what I’m most proud of right now.” ”…You’re so cheesy.” “Well, I learned that line from Isaac, the squad leader.” “No… I’m happy.”
“So, I’ll take the right horn—”
“Kate!?”
“Then I’ll take the left one…”
“I’d be fine with having both my horns trimmed by Kelly-nii-chan and Onee-san instead of just one…♪”
”…Horn-trimming… gulp…”
“Hey, wait!”
“Haha, Isaac. What a coincidence.”
“W-Williams!?”
“And who’s this lookalike of the official soldier from the mirror over there making such inappropriate remarks?”
“No, calm down. Let’s talk it out. First off, this kid has trouble with standard Japanese.”
“Yeah, yeah… Let’s go ask where that ‘horn-trimming’ dialect is from in the barracks while we work up a sweat.”
“Wait! Listen to me!”
The side story featuring Isaac is also heavily intertwined with this one.
I’ll post that one soon too.