People in the city released orcs that nobody wanted to the countryside, and a friend notified me to go and pick one up. When I arrived after finishing killing the last pig, there was only a small little pig that nobody wanted left. He was covered in wounds and looked at me with fear. "You don't have anyone to take care of you either? I'll take you with me," I said with compassion, holding the little pig and walking towards the pig slaughterhouse. Suddenly, my arms felt damp, and I realized that I had forgotten that he had already been bitten to death by the orcs in the city.
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
1
I looked down and saw my arms were empty. Sonya was calling my name from the shore, afraid I might do something foolish.
My orc was already dead. The little pig, who was about to build a bond with me, had been brutally killed by a city lady's orc while delivering goods. When I returned to the village, Jayden's body was shattered. He took one last look at me, coughed up blood, and then fell silent.
I sat there all night. He was just an orc that others had rejected; I had no choice in the matter. I shouldn't have cared about him. But the tears wouldn't stop flowing. I didn't even dare to touch his cold body. When he was buried, I couldn't bring myself to watch.
"Jayden, you were the one who insisted on being with me. How could you leave without a word?"
"Why did you break your promise first?"
My questions could never reach him. That night, I went to bed early and had a long dream.
2
"Mistress, if I could build a bond with you, it would be the greatest fortune of my life. One day, I will make you fall in love with me."
His words still echoed in my ears.
Every year, the Orc Deity Tree bore Orc Fruits. When the fruits ripened into orcs, women of age could go and claim them. Once a bond was formed, orcs could only survive by relying on their women. However, the best orcs were always chosen by the city folks first, leaving the rest, often livestock-like, for the villagers.
I didn't mind having a little pig as a partner; it suited my profession. When I went to claim him, the little pig was so scared that he fainted and wet himself in fear. He was truly pitiful. Severely injured by someone and sent to the village, only to be chosen by a pig farmer. It was no wonder he was so terrified that he lost control of his bladder.
I quickly took the little pig to the pond and gently washed him. Since I was also dirty, I joined him in the pond to wash up. After we were clean, I took the still-frightened Jayden to the wooden hut to dry by the fire.
In an instant, the little pig transformed into a human, trembling as he knelt before me.
"Mistress, please spare my life. Don't butcher me..."
I couldn't help but smile with interest.
"How did you get beaten half to death?"
"Uh, I got stepped on by the Great White Tiger when I landed..."
I was surprised and gently lifted the little pig's chin. His face had a youthful charm mixed with cautious timidity.
"Mistress, please don't kill me. I don't have much meat on me. Even if you wanted to eat me, I haven't been fattened up, so my meat wouldn't taste good!"
He made me sound like a heartless butcher. I laughed and waved the wooden token that controls unbonded orcs, and he turned back into a little pig. This token was used by women to control unbonded orcs. I held the little pig in my arms.
"I won't kill you, nor will I build a bond with you. I'm just afraid that if you're thrown back into the mountains, you'll really end up as butchered meat."
He trembled in my arms, his big round eyes stealing a glance at me.
From then on, we were bound by fate. I gave him his freedom, but he chose to stay by my side. Born to a madwoman, I rarely had anyone close to me. Jayden became the light on my solitary path.
"Mistress, Mistress!"
Jayden's joyful voice rang out. I awoke from my dream. The bed beside me was cold, making me uneasy.
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