29 - Chapter 27: Beef Porridge
Although she looked a bit more relaxed now, the female orc still hadn't let her guard down.
"Uh... we've met before, right?"
Even though I knew we couldn't understand each other, I spoke to her out of habit.
Naturally, she didn't answer. Instead, she looked around anxiously, keeping a wary eye on her surroundings.
"Eep...!"
Suddenly, a look of pure terror crossed her face. She curled herself up as small as possible and hid behind a large trash can, which luckily was big enough to completely conceal her massive frame.
"?"
As I tilted my head, wondering what had gotten into her, two women appeared behind me, blocking the entrance to the dead-end alley.
"Hey, kid."
"Yeah?"
I turned around to face them. One look at their faces told me they had lived rough, gritty lives.
Are they from the underground arena?
The underground arena was owned by Ilina's gang. It wasn't run directly by them, but operated more like a subcontracted business.
So when Natalia and the police completely shattered the gang, the arena managed to avoid the worst of the fallout.
Still, given their ties to the syndicate, some aftershocks were inevitable.
Did the pigtailed orc take advantage of the chaos to escape?
While I was piecing things together, the women—looking exhausted to the bone—questioned me.
"Did you see anything weird around here?"
"Something weird?"
"Like an orc, for example."
"Ah, an orc."
I paused, thinking it over.
My first instinct was to just tell them and wash my hands of the whole thing.
But then, I remembered how tightly she had held me. I remembered the softness of her breasts, contrasting with her otherwise muscular frame.
And then, like dominoes, the memory of her smiling as she fed me porridge came rushing back.
In the end, I impulsively shook my head.
"No, not really. Aren't those things usually only found inside dimensional gates anyway?"
"W-well, yeah, but..."
"Ugh, where the hell did she run off to?"
At my answer, the women sighed heavily and grumbled as they left the alley.
Once they were gone, the orc peeked out from behind the trash can. The hostility had completely drained from her eyes.
Even if we couldn't understand each other, she seemed to realize I had just protected her.
So, what do I do with her now?
While I was debating my options, she stumbled to her feet and approached me.
Stopping just a step away, she bent her knees to match my eye level.
Then, she gave me a bright smile.
Ah, it's the same smile from back then.
Still smiling, she reached out and gently patted my head.
As her large, surprisingly soft hand caressed my hair, a strange sense of peace washed over me.
Looking at her up close, though, it was obvious she hadn't eaten a proper meal in days.
I pulled a chocolate bar from my pocket, unwrapped it, and held it out to her.
She accepted it warily and took a bite. Her eyes widened, and she wolfed the rest down in an instant.
I guess she likes it.
Well, a love for sweets transcends age, gender, and even species.
Now for the real problem: how to get this massive orc back to my apartment without anyone noticing.
Fortunately, my dilemma didn't last long. My eyes landed on a nearby manhole cover.
That'll work.
I walked over to the manhole and gestured for her to follow.
I was prepared to leave her behind if she refused, but she followed me without hesitation.
Satisfied, I pried open the heavy cover.
Since words were useless, I didn't bother trying to explain. Instead, I grabbed the ladder embedded in the concrete shaft and began to climb down.
She tilted her head in confusion for a second, then quickly copied me.
We dropped into the sewer. Using our mana-enhanced physical abilities, we leaped and bounded through the tunnels, taking the shortest route home and ignoring the rough terrain.
Once we arrived beneath my neighborhood, I climbed the ladder, pushed open the manhole cover, and scrambled back out to the surface.
I scanned the area. My apartment building was just a short distance away.
Since it was the middle of the day, most people were at work or school, and the streets were empty. Seizing the opportunity, I quickly ushered her inside.
"Phew..."
I let out a long sigh of relief, glad to have smuggled her in without being spotted.
We'd probably been caught on the building's security cameras, but unless a crime was reported, the guards would never bother checking the footage. It would be overwritten in a few days anyway, so I didn't worry about it.
The orc was staring around the living room, clearly fascinated by everything. I guided her to the sofa, made her sit down, and fetched the first-aid kit. Then, I set to work treating the countless shallow cuts and scrapes covering her body, applying antiseptic and bandages.
"Ngh..."
She flinched as the medicine stung her raw skin, but she didn't pull away. She probably understood the concept of treating wounds, perhaps from using medicinal herbs back home.
Or maybe she'd received basic medical attention during her time in the arena.
Thanks to the first-aid training I'd received at school, I did a pretty neat job. Once I finished, she poked curiously at the white bandages and adhesive strips.
When I draped a blanket over her shoulders, the last of her tension seemed to melt away, and she quickly drifted off to sleep.
With her treated and asleep, I was about to head to my own room to get some rest.
Just then, with a soft creak, my sister's bedroom door cracked open.
Through the gap, I caught sight of her anxious, trembling eyes.
Her darting gaze landed on the sofa, and her eyes widened in sheer shock when she saw the orc.
I wondered if she'd have another panic attack over me bringing a strange woman—and an orc, no less—into the house. But honestly, I wasn't too worried.
Someone suffering from severe social phobia and panic disorder wouldn't dare throw a tantrum in front of a complete stranger.
Sure enough, instead of storming out to scream at me, my sister couldn't even bring herself to step out of her room. She just stood there, trembling.
"Y-you... you're not... doing what I think you're doing, right...?"
"What?"
"D-don't tell me... b-b-bestiality...?"
"I found her on the street. I'm taking care of her, so don't worry about it."
It was true that this orc had raped me before, but I saw no reason to bring that up.
My flat tone left her speechless. After a moment of sheer confusion, she quietly shut the door.
Well, the chances of getting raped in my sleep will probably drop drastically now.
Just for that alone, bringing her home was the right call.
The orc didn't wake up until evening. Once I saw she was awake, I headed to the kitchen to start dinner.
Since she's injured, something easy on the stomach like porridge would be best, right?
Even though orcs had stomachs of steel and could probably digest raw iron.
I filled a pot with water and soaked some rice. After lightly stir-frying the grains, I poured in the water.
I added some pre-cooked, finely minced beef and vegetables, stirring gently as the porridge simmered.
Curled up on the sofa, she watched my every move. As the savory aroma began to fill the air, she got up and wandered into the kitchen.
I pointed to one of the dining chairs. She caught on quickly and sat down.
A few minutes later, the beef and vegetable porridge was ready, topped off with a few drops of fragrant sesame oil.
I ladled the porridge into two bowls, placing the much larger portion in front of her.
Orcs were natural carnivores, but they also ate grains like oats as a staple.
Because of that, the beef porridge seemed to suit her palate perfectly. She scraped her bowl completely clean.
We finished our meal in silence, save for the clinking of spoons. Afterward, I spent some time winding down before heading straight to sleep.
The next morning, I woke up to a mouthwatering aroma drifting into my room.
A delicious smell?
Since there was no logical reason for food to be cooking, my cozy morning haze instantly turned into confusion.
I threw off the covers and hurried out to investigate.
When I reached the kitchen, I found the orc standing by the stove.
She was wearing an apron over her leather bikini armor. At a glance, it looked dangerously close to the 'naked apron' trope.
Even more surprising was that she was actually using the kitchen utensils to cook.
Was she studying me that closely yesterday just to learn how to do this? Her learning ability is insane.
As I stood there in shock, she sensed my presence and turned around.
"Ah!"
Our eyes met, and she beamed. Then, she guided me over and patted the dining chair, just like I had done for her yesterday.
I sat down and waited. A moment later, she set down a bowl of beef porridge—though she had skipped the vegetables.
Come to think of it... how long has it been since someone actually made breakfast for me?
As I sat there lost in thought, she pulled up a chair right next to me.
She scooped up a spoonful of the porridge and held it to my lips.
"Say ahh."
I didn't resist and took a bite. She beamed, looking at me as if I were the most adorable thing in the world.
"It's delicious."
I wasn't just being polite; I meant it.
In a kitchen filled with genuine warmth, a breakfast made just for me tasted incredible.
It was better than any five-star meal.
For some reason, a lump formed in my throat, but I blinked back the tears before she could see.