In the far eastern area of the frontier, there lies a mountain range that borders the wastelands and the Eastern Great Sea of Trees. Nothing appears special about the mountains here other than the river that flows out from it and the danger brought by the local beasts and monsters.

However, if one were to follow the river into one of its branches, one would soon find a large waterfall. Above this said waterfall lies a large village, but if one were to see it closer, they would soon realize that it's actually a fortress... a fortress of steel, wood, and bone...

And in this fortress, lies the largest and most powerful group of bandits that roam the wastes... the Vadar Bandits.

And the leader of this band is Bolgruk, a fierce Half-Orc who came from far west from even beyond the Plains of Death; the savage land of warriors and barbarians, Tyragor.

It is not known what Bolgruk is half of, only that he is a bit smaller and leaner than Orcs in general, and his skin a rust-color instead of the varying shades of green of his kind. But that is where the differences end... he still possesses the strength and ferocity of the other half of his species, and the fact that he is smaller and leaner allowed him to be faster and more agile than most Orcs in general. Bred in the harsh and savage lands of Tyragor while possessing greater potential than his kind, it is surprising why he hasn't stayed and become a Warlord.

The answer is actually quite simple... he was driven out of his tribe...

Shunned for being different and considered weaker due to his size, Bolgruk was left with little choice but to head east out of the savage lands onto the human frontier lands.

Burning with desire to return and prove the elders of his tribe wrong, he became the uncrowned king of the frontier. And now... this king is furious... furious at the unfortunate band who brought back the news of failure... and the death of his most trusted brother...

"What... the... hell... DID YOU SAY!?"

"W-We're not joshing you Chief! T-That thing was a monster! There ain't no way in hell we could've done anythin'!"

"T-That's right! If even boss Doruk couldn't do nuthin, how the hell're we supposed to do somethin'!? It even said to come look for it in Orgo!"

"And that damned village was in cahoots with it! Ain't no way in hell they'd have the stones to dare talk back to us if that thing didn't have their back! You have to avenge us, Chief!"

Doruk's patience was wearing thin... especially with the way they started talking about his brother. That they were seriously forgetting themselves in the heat of their humiliation at the village's hands, did they actually forget who it is they were talking to. This can only be attributed to their unlucky stars...

"... and?... where is Doruk's knife?"

The Orcs actually have a unique magic that ties them to a spiritual weapon that they always possess. Upon their blooding as a warrior, they can use this magic to bind a part of their soul into a weapon. This "Soulbound" weapon becomes a unique magic weapon that can only be wielded efficiently by the soul's owner. The sharpness of the weapon is also determined by the strength of one's soul, but the most unique trait of the weapon is that it will always seek out its owner. Once the owner is killed, it would show signs of rust or decay... unless... it was offered to another as a "gift" from the warrior's soul.

In this case, Doruk's knife was his Soulbound weapon that he earned as he fought alongside his brother. All the bandits here know of their two boss' Soulbound weapons of course, and two of them should know that the knife was already in Camus' hands as it was given to him... but the two men who bore witness completely forgot its importance due to all the blood rushing up to their brains... and this group's next words would become their last...

"Knife? Who cares about some stupid knife, Chief! We've got to get back and get rid of that village while that thing's heading for Orgo!"

"!!"

All the other bandits watching the exchange wore a face of shock. To think that these idiots would forget their place and who they're dealing with...

"Oi! You -"

But before the others could warn them... it was too late...

"Gyaaaaaah!"

"Auuuuugh!"

"Mercy ple- aaaargh!"

"Boss! We we're wrong! Sto- gaaaaaah!"

With several flashes, Bolgruk butchered the remaining survivors of the band mercilessly with his two-handed axe. Heads flew; blood splattered across the walls and floor, and entrails lay strewn on the ground. A gory reminder... that they should never "order around" and put their interests first in front of their Chief...

"Bunch of fools! I should have killed the lot of them the first time! All of you listen up! We ride for Orgo!"

Lost in his rage, Bolgruk started ordering the remaining men to prepare to ride out.

"Whoa there, Chief! Slow down for a bit. Do you have any idea what you're doing?"

But a voice shook him from his thoughts and he shot a look at the entrance to see who would dare question him again.

"! ... So it's you... don't try to stop me! This became personal when my brother was slain! If you get in my way, I would be no less merciful!"

The voice responded without losing its composure. If anything, it actually sounded more amused.

"Like I said, calm down and use your head, Chief. I'm not asking you not to have your revenge. Only that you slow down to remember the place that you're actually trying to attack. You don't want to waste all the hard work we've made after all these years do you?"

At these words, Bolgruk stopped his preparations. He narrowed his eyes at the man. He may have calmed, but the fire still burned within.

"Then what are you suggesting I do?"

"It's simple really. Just give me the low-down on the guy you wanna off, then I'll smoke him out for you so you can do whatever you want to him. Knowing my position, you know it won't be hard for me, right?"

Bolgruk became silent and gave it a thought. He hated to admit it, but he was right. Despite having a large bandit camp of over 3000, there's still no way for him to actually force his way into Orgo with its population of over 30-40,000, with over 30% being Adventurers and Guards. The ensuing raid would only result in major casualties for him. At the same time, he still didn't know the identity of his brother's killer other than being a Scalekin. Also, the position of the man he's currently talking with would indeed help him find his prey with no trouble.

"Alright... I'll leave it to you. Find the Scalekin. But you better be sure it's the right one, or you and I will have a "problem." If you can't find him, then know that I'll surely attack the town, regardless of what happens, do you understand?"

"Relax... I got this in the bag. After all, how many Scalekins do you think are actually in town? You do know of their reputation right? All you have to do is simply sit and wait for my word."

The man left, whistling an odd tune as he disappeared into the camp.

"We never did trust that one... but if it means I'll be able to avenge you, brother, then everything else doesn't matter..."

Bolgruk returned to his work as the day resumed its course...

...

...

After several uneventful days on our trek, we’ve finally reached the town of Orgo. I have to say; I’m actually quite excited, as this will be my first time visiting a fantasy town in another world.

And what greeted me after I set foot near the entrance... Was all the guards posted pointing their spears at me and adventurers readying to take me down…

“H-Hold on everyone! Please put your weapons down! It’s ok! He’s friendly!”

Glenn tried hard to get everyone to calm down, but it doesn’t look like it's working. Just as one over zealous mage was about to fire a spell at me, a loud voice suddenly yelled out from the crowd – loud enough to spook everyone there, including the mage.

“Glenn boy! You’re alive! Hahaha! After two weeks with seeing neither hair nor hide of you, everyone coulda swore you were dead!”

A short, stout, and brown-bearded man wearing some fine leathers, an elegant beret, and his beard in some braids with some rings attached to the end appeared before us. There’s nothing for it, this man is in every sense of the word, a Dwarf! Dressed like some merchant no less.

“… ! Mr. Kholdrum! You made it! Haha, it’s great to see you again! I’m glad you managed to get away from those bandits.”

“Ahaha… right you are… you’ll have to forgive me for that, lad. I was dead set against leaving you, but you didn’t move from your spot… after the appearance of that Demon Beast, the others would have none of it…”

Glenn couldn’t help but put up a wry smile afterwards. Apparently, he’s that boy’s former employer who left him behind. After all, looking at it from another point of view, he should have made to run like they did when I appeared. As an Adventurer, it’s your responsibility to take care of yourself when things go south.

“Goodness lad! Is it me or did you just grow an inch bigger in these short few weeks? Also, it seems you’ve brought a friend… ur… he is a friend right?”

“Ahahaha… right, you remember that “Demon Beast” that appeared, sir? Well… he wasn’t a Demon Beast…”

At this cue, I brought down my hood… again… After what happened earlier, I was a bit reluctant in showing my face this time. Well, as long as you keep that mage earlier away from me, then all’s fine. Not that he could actually do anything to me.

“! Oho, a Scalekin! How very rare indeed. Well… this is awkward indeed… I coulda sworn it was a Demon Beast… well, no matter. I’ll just have to retract that Request I put out at the Guild later. Anyways, aren’t you a bit far from home, friend? If I remember correctly, your kind mostly doesn’t like the arid plains of the frontier… save for a few of your species.”

Being a Dwarf Merchant, looks like he’s quite literally made of sturdier stuff than some of these people. He didn’t even bat an eye when he saw my face and even started asking me questions. Also… did he just say he put out a Quest on me!? Oi, you are going to retract it, right!?

“… Let’s just say I’m a bit different from others of my kind… Circumstances and personal history whatnot…”

“Hoho… it seems you speak quite fluently. I see, I see. Oh, right! How rude of me! Please call me Kholdrum. I’m one of the humble merchants based here in Orgo.”

“I am Camus Helmight. You can call me Camus.”

“Well then, sir Camus. Please come! I have yet to thank you from saving us from those bandits, and I’d like to do the honor of showing you around. Welcome to Orgo!”

It seems we’re finally getting somewhere. The guards and adventurers have already left earlier when they saw Glenn and Kholdrum’s exchange. Some are still eyeing me suspiciously, but that’s to be expected. At least now we have a merchant to help guide us across town. Glenn would have done just fine, but to have a merchant who prioritizes know-how about trade, people, and information would be a better guide. Glenn seems close to him, so I don’t think he’s the shady type at least.

After paying the guards the toll, we entered the town. I have to say, looking at the town, I can’t help but feel it looks similar to those towns in old western movies. It’s literally the Wild West in a grander scale. Also, the people are unsurprisingly composed mostly of humans, but I also see quite a lot of Beastkins with dog or cat ears, and tails. Some of them are really tall, close to 2m in height, with bull-like horns on their head, or really buff with hair sprouting all over their arms and chest, or the sides of their face. I also see some Dwarves either in Adventurer’s gear or artisan’s clothes. And very rarely, I would see some Elves standing out in their green and brown garbs. This place is a veritable melting pot of varying fantasy races!

Thankfully, I remembered to put my hood back up, as my current face is probably like that of an excited little boy who’s looking around in an amusement park… a little boy with a lizard’s face that is. I can’t help it! Ever since I was reincarnated, all I’ve been stuck with for the last 7 years was a damp dark cave and the decaying undead within a ruined city. Being finally exposed to a fantasy society that has been left to just my imagination up until now, why shouldn’t I go gallivanting around like an excited idiot?

“Erhm… lad… it seems sir Camus is… quite enjoying himself.”

“Ehe… yeah… even I’m not sure at what to say in this situation… I think that’s the fifth stand he’s bought food off of already…”

“Uh huh… well, I suppose it’s fine. I sure hope he has the appetite, since we’ll be having lunch at the Apple Bear Inn. You should know how famous that place is, right?”

“ ! Are you serious Mr. Kholdrum!? The same Apple Bear Inn that’s famous in Orgo for it’s whole roasted Tri-Horned Pig with their special apple sauce!? Gaaah! *slurrrrp* This is bad… I can’t hold the drool anymore.”

“Gyahaha! The very same, lad! I’ve been making reservations for days, and it’s only today that I finally got a seat. You two will join me of course, as it’s my treat. This is thanks for his help back then and to pay you back for leaving you behind, lad.”

After hearing their conversation of food, I stopped my little excursions out of interest. I have to admit, that did sound good. Once I’ve had my fill and finished my business at the Adventurer’s Guild, I’ll continue my little ingredient shopping later.

We arrived at the said inn in no time, and I see that it’s quite homey. I’ve also come to understand why it had its name.

“Welco– Oh! Mr. Kholdrum, it’s good to see you again. We have your reserved spot ready. Would you like to have the usual?”

The one who greeted us with a smile was a charming woman with fair skin, auburn hair and matching eyes wearing a white bandana and an apron. She was beautiful and had a fine figure, but what really sets her aside were the two cute round ears above her head. It seems she’s a Bear Beastkin or Bearkin, as they’re more commonly called.

“Good to see you as well Mrs. Brea! I’ll have two of the usual please! I’ve brought guests today, so please prepare two more seats.”

“Ah, of course Mr. Kholdrum. I’ll have May seat you, so please look forward to it. … Dear! Order for two please! May, please assist the guests!”

As she called to the back, a cute girl of around 14 to15 years of age with short curly hair of the same auburn color, golden pupils, and slight freckles wearing a blouse and shorts appeared out of the doorway with a big smile on her face. Oh and she also has those cute round bear ears.

“Hi everyone! Follow me so I can show you the seats! Oh, Mr. Kholdrum! Will you be eating a lot again?”

“Ohoho! Darling little May, it’s been a while. Quite so, and I’ve also brought along some guests. Please give them a warm welcome as they’re new to town.”

“Yay! New people mean more new customers! Please come this way!”

It seems they’re a family of Bearkin who run an inn that doubles as a restaurant, so it makes sense why it’s called Apple Bear Inn. From the conversation earlier, it seems the Apple is a reference to their special sauce they use for their food.

I lowered my hood since it would be rude, and as I was having small talk with Glenn and Kholdrum, May soon arrived carrying a whole roasted pig the size of a small buggy. It was pretty surreal to see a girl of around a 160 cm in height carrying the roasted body of a pig more than twice her size over her head… either Beastkin are really strong in general, or people out here in the frontier are just that tough. Jeez… I wonder how strong the Adventurer’s are then…

“Here’s your order! Enjoy your – gyaaaaah!”

Oh right… I forgot my face could actually induce a mass panic here…

I shelved my depression to a corner in my mind and caught the screaming girl who almost fell on her rump with my tail along with the pig. I then gently lifted her to make sure she’s balanced and slowly lowered the tray with the pig.

“Careful now. I heard the Tri-Horned Pig is hard to come by, so it would be a shame if the floor were to have it.”

“I-I’m sorry! I-It’s just that I-I didn’t know you… you were… “

“A Scalekin? It’s fine… I get that a lot.”

I calmed her down while I tried to remain composed throughout this ordeal. She turned red in embarrassment when she realized what she’d almost done, and then her parents soon arrived. Her father was a large bear of a man… no pun intended… but seriously he was huge with hairy forearms, chest hair, and sideburns. He almost looked silly wearing an apron while he had his kind’s signature cute round bear ears.

Her parents also froze when they saw me, but perhaps due to their experience or being professionals, they soon moved to bow in apology towards us for the trouble. They took May with them and I could hear them scolding her for her little outburst.

I sighed as Glenn and Kholdrum smiled wryly. Looks like my looks being an obstacle is a bigger issue than I thought.

Despite the fiasco, I soon enjoyed my meal as I took a bite out of the pig and dipped some of it in the apple sauce. The combination was truly delicious. While the sauce was made from this world’s version of apples, it had a tangy sweet taste that went well with the salty roasted pork. Noting how good it was, Glenn couldn’t help but mouth off his comparison with the Storm Roc meat again.

Upon hearing this, I wasn’t surprised that Kholdrum wanted to ask me about what Glenn meant. Although he was nice, I wasn’t really sure I could trust this merchant yet, but when I thought about it, I found that there wasn’t really much to think about and decided I’ll just deal with it in the future, regardless of what other people may believe. So, I decided to honestly tell him about the Storm Roc parts.

To summarize what happened, he was in such an extreme state of shock that it took Glenn and me around 2 to 3 minutes to try and get the pig he choked on out of his system. After a breather, he then proceeded to ask whether I was willing to let him sell the remaining parts for more profit. Of course he was willing to give me back the amount I’m due on account of our newfound friendship and his merchant’s code of honor, but I told him that I wanted to register as an adventurer first to gain more benefits from the subjugation. He agreed and was actually willing to wait at the Merchant’s Guild until I finished up, so after our meal, Glenn and I headed onto the Adventurer’s Guild to complete the deal.

I was really excited again, but this time I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I’ve read about so many different versions of Adventurer’s Guilds in many fantasy stories, that I couldn’t decide whether to be anxious or excited as to which template it would follow. I know I could ask Glenn for the details, but I didn’t wanna spoil myself. Yeah, it’s a dumb excuse, but what’s anyone gonna do about it?

As I walked into the Guild Hall, all eyes were immediately on Glenn and me… mostly on me. After all, it wouldn’t be surprising to find what I’m pretending to be in one of the Subjugation Quests.

“Oi, look. What’s a lizard doing here?”

“Beats me. Either he’s lost or he thinks he can become one of us. Pretty stupid if you ask me.”

“Ha! I’ll bet he’s here cuz he’s desperate. Poor scaly’s pro’ly a runaway from his bunch!”

No sooner than I arrived, some people already started talking shit behind my back. Well… if backbiting actually counts as being loud and obnoxious then they pretty much nailed it down. They aren’t even remotely trying to hide their hostility. Glenn is also jittery for some reason. Well, he did say he was often bullied while he was here, but I can vouch that he already has the skills of an expert swordsman, so there really shouldn’t be anyone here he should be afraid of.

True to their experience, most of the adventurers soon lost interest as we lined up on the Registration Desk. Soon it was our turn, and the person who greeted me was a beautiful Guild receptionist who had her eyes closed with a smile. She had wavy blond hair in an elegant twisted bun, slightly tanned skin, and a shoulderless buttoned top with short sleeves.

“Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild! How may I – Eeeeeeek!”

Just how many times does this make already… please lady… I don’t know if my heart can take much more of this…

Surprisingly, she managed to compose herself quite quickly as she tidied herself up. Tinged with a bit of red due to embarrassment and sweating slightly, she then proceeded to speak in a businesslike tone.

“Please forgive me for that… it’s just that I have large fear for all kinds of lizards… I mean no offense of course.”

“… None taken. May I register myself with the Guild?”

“Of course! Simply fill up this form, and place your hand over the Registration Crystal. The fee is ten Rugal. But before we begin, I highly recommend listening to my explanations or reading up on the Guild’s rules and policies included in the form. How would you like to proceed?”

“… I’ll read up on the information, thank you.”

It seems she also preferred this as I managed to catch her sigh of relief. Apparently, she really is afraid of lizards, and with her sweating all over the place and avoiding eye contact, it’s probably taking her all just talking with me.

As I was finishing up, I suddenly heard another commotion on the side. This time however, it involved my young friend.

“Glenn! Y-You… you’re alive!”

A girl, apparently another Guild staff on account of her similar attire with the receptionist, saw Glenn and rushed at him. She looked similar in age to Glenn and slightly shorter. She had short straight shoulder length platinum blond hair and was really slender, and her movement was fey and elegant. This image of mine was probably enhanced by the fact she had short pointed ears, almost like an Elf’s but shorter.

As she rushed at Glenn, she soon motioned into a big hug and started crying on his chest. Hehe… I see… so that's why he was so jittery. It looks like my young friend’s a man after all.

“Ah haha… It’s ok, Lanfa, I’m fine, see! You don’t have to cry. Um… do you mind letting go now? Uh… everyone’s staring…”

Or not… looks like he’s one of those dense idiots who couldn’t read the atmosphere. And it seems I’ve hit the mark with the girl’s next reaction as she looked up at him with angry eyes… or more like a tiger that’s found her prey… then gripped him by the shoulders and started shaking him like a bug in a cage.

“You… IDIOT! Do you have any idea how worried sick I was!? All those years of hard work would have gone to waste if you bit the dust! Do you know how many strings I had to pull just so you could join that stupid escort quest!? Why I oughta…”

Yeah… I don’t see this ending soon and I really don’t wanna get involved with this lover’s spat, so as soon as I finished with the form and paid the fee, I snuck out of the Guild as best I can. Seems like the process will be done by tomorrow, so it looks like I got some free time on my hands.

What should I do next you ask? Why, hit the brothels of course! … Come on, it’s not like no one didn’t expect this. I’m still a guy after all, and I believe it’s high time I started gathering “that” sort of experience. There’s no chance in hell I’ll be able to find a decent girl with my looks for now, so the next best thing is to buy that skinship even for a little while!

It was already close to evening, so in my excitement, I went straight for the red light district, as I made sure to remember when I checked the town maps. Little did I know, that the pain I’ll soon be made to experience, opened my eyes to the harsh reality…

“Eeeeeeeeeek!”

“Nooooooooo!”

“Please! Don’t eat me!”

“Have mercy! I don’t have anything left! Please not my body!”

“Aaaaaaaaaah!”

That’s right… apparently I underestimated how much the Scalekins were actually feared. Not a single one of the girls from any of the brothels were willing to spend the night with me… not human, beastkin, heck not even a dwarf… It was a harsh truth… One that cut me really deep…

For the first time, I actually cursed at the Old Voice for his choice in giving me this body. If I’m already this feared in the eyes of these people who lived in the frontier and were even used to the mixing of races, then what hope do I have in the other towns as I gradually head towards the capital?

In my heart, I felt a terrible pain… pain at the realization that I may likely never fulfill not one, but two of my dreams. If I had known of this, I’d never have agreed to go into town… I honestly thought that the people here were accepting thanks to Glenn’s village, but it turns out they were just an exception of the minority…

Yeah it’s stupid… to break down like this just because not even a whore would take me. But how would you feel that now that you have a chance of a new life, the only girls that would probably sleep with you are the scaly kind!? Based on their reaction, the scalekin females all probably look like snakes or lizards! Though it doesn’t count here, I’m seriously not into that kind of fetish!

By the time I noticed after the depression swept over, I found myself surrounded in liquor bottles. It seems I was actually at a bar drinking my life away. I don’t know how many hours I’ve been here, but it seems the bartender’s the sort who didn’t seem to mind as I was actually rambling on about my misfortune. Heh… what luck…

After what I’ve just been through, little did I know that my luck was about to make a 180 right after I heard a lovely husky voice call out to me.

“Hey, scaly friend, mind sharing some of your drink?”

After what I’ve been through today, I was already suspicious, but despite the experience I still somewhat found myself attracted to this voice that sounded like an angel's to my ears. I only hope that it IS an “angel”…