The Ugly Orc Strikes Back ~ Reincarnated as the Cruel Crown Prince of a Twisted Doujin Eroge with No Happy Endings, But as an Inexperienced Guy, Cruel Play is a Hopeless Challenge, So I'll Give My Best to Break the Flags and Strive for Survival ~ - Chapter 48: I Don't Understand

Chapter 48: I Don’t Understand

“Well, um… As you know, I’m Ludwig. And, this here is my attendant, Ilse.”

“I’m Ilse.”

After seating himself at a new location, I introduced myself and Ilse to the guy.

Ophelia and the others followed suit with their introductions, one by one. But there was something about him… 

I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere or heard about him before.

With his onyx-like black hair cut into a short bob and emerald eyes, he had a youthful appearance. 

If this were my previous life, he could easily pass for a first-year middle school student.

Despite having already gone through puberty, his voice remained high-pitched, almost as if he hadn’t experienced voice cracking. 

There’s a certain familiarity to this, but I can’t quite place it…

“Ah… I-I…”

It’s finally his turn to introduce himself, yet he seems incredibly hesitant.

I wonder if he dislikes the idea of revealing too much about himself. 

It’s funny, considering I’m known as the “Ugly Orc,” a despised figure all around the world. Damn it.

“Hmm… We have introduced ourselves as well. It seems fitting that you would introduce yourself next, don’t you think?”

“Um, I-I…”

Come on, Ophelia, let’s not pressure him like that. 

See? He’s becoming even more withdrawn.

“Well, um, if you really don’t want to introduce yourself, you don’t have to force it, okay?”

“N-No… It’s just, um, I’ll introduce myself…”

After muttering that with a pained expression, he lifted his face as if he had made up his mind.

“I-I am called ‘Gilbert Irmgard Gabelot’…”

Towards the end, things seemed to fizzle out, but Gilbert… he managed to introduce himself properly… Wait, what!?

“Ah… Mogo…”

Startled, I instinctively suppressed a scream with both hands, barely holding it in. 

B-But, speaking of “Gabelot,” there’s only one, considering my past life and Ludwig’s memories.

A small island nation floating in the sea known as the Central Ocean, located to the south of the western countries.

― A mercantile nation, the “Gabelot Maritime Kingdom.”

I see… No wonder he looked familiar…

In “The Ugly Orc Strikes Back,” the Waldberg Empire aimed to conquer all the western nations, yet there was one country that remained untouched by their invasion. That country was the Gabelot Maritime Kingdom.

The reason being, this Gabelot Maritime Kingdom is the merchant who sells various items to the Waldberg Empire… No, to Ludwig.

Like the provocative sheer nightwear Ilse wore at the night of the ball, or adult items such as electric massagers and pink rotors, despite existing in a world without electricity. 

There’s more, ranging from creating powerful mob units to advance through combat sections, to aphrodisiacs that render heroines incapacitated – truly spanning a wide range.

By the way, regarding monsters, they not only fight as units but also… well, in this kind of fan-made erotic game context… it’s somewhat delicate to describe, but they serve as the seed to birth potent units using heroines as breeding grounds.

Well, this too is a common trope in sadistic fan-made erotic games.

Such a marvelous… cough cough. So, it turns out that Gilbert is the mob who peddles such outrageous items to Ludwig.

In the game, Gilbert’s still image had him wearing a hood, his eerie emerald eyes shining. I remember he was given a high-pitched voice, despite being a mob.

I see… so this guy…

““…””

The five of us, excluding Ilse, stared intently at Gilbert, our brows furrowed. 

Among them, Batista’s gaze, much like the students earlier, doesn’t hide his aversion toward him.

“Everyone, what’s the matter?”

“Hmm… Ludwig, he’s from that Gabelot Maritime Kingdom, isn’t he?”

Ah… is she possibly referring to that backstory?

The precursor to the Gabelot Maritime Kingdom was founded by the greatest pirate of the Central Ocean. Most of the western countries severed diplomatic ties with that nation.

And among the few nations engaged in trade with them are the Waldberg Empire and the two smaller countries currently in conflict, the “D’Artagnia Kingdom” and the “Slime Kingdom.”

The traded goods include weapons, armor, as well as inhumane items like poisons, narcotics, and slaves.

In essence… the Gabelot Maritime Kingdom is the “Merchant of Death.”

Given its pirate origins, it’s only held in contempt by most western nations. 

That’s probably why everyone is wearing such complex expressions.

However…

“Sorry, I can’t quite grasp what Ophelia is trying to say.”

“A-Are you serious? The Gabelot Maritime Kingdom is associated with pirates…”

“And, what does that have to do with him… with Gilbert?”

Interrupting Ophelia’s words, I raised my voice a bit, which is unusual for me. 

Because… I didn’t want her to say something like that.

It’s precisely because Ophelia, aside from Ilse, was the first to see the ‘real me.’

“Ah… S-Sorry. I’ll just go now…”

“No, you can’t go. If that were the case, then I, the ‘Ugly Orc,’ should be the one to leave.”

Stopping Gilbert, who seemed uncomfortable and ready to leave, I picked up my tray. 

Ilse, matching my actions, also picked up her tray and stood up.

“W-Wait!”

“…What?”

I stared at Ophelia, who had called out to me.

“I… I’m sorry, Ludwig is right. I… didn’t see beyond the name ‘Gabelot.’ I…”

“Yes, right… I also got too fixated on the name ‘Gabelot’ and didn’t really see Gilbert himself…”

Both Ophelia and the Sly Saint seemed a bit disheartened, but it appeared they understood what I wanted to convey. That’s a relief.

“Thank goodness. If you all hadn’t stopped me, I would have ended up spending a lonely lunchtime. Right, Gilbert?”

“Ah… Y-Yeah…”

Trying to change the atmosphere intentionally with a playful tone, I started a conversation. 

However, Gilbert’s emerald eyes welled up with large tears, trickling down.

Oh no… Did I make it worse…?

In an indescribable ambiance, we waited for him to stop crying… or so we thought.

“…Louie-sama is truly Louie-sama after all.”

“Huh… What does that mean?”

“Fufu… It means just what it says.”

Looking at me with a delighted expression, Ilse made me feel a bit embarrassed, and I scratched my head.