For a long time, Grakka reread her father's letter over and over again. Every day, she sat alone and went through those same lines, hoping that everything was nothing more than a nightmare from which she would eventually awaken.
Until one day, she stood up with a smile on her face.
It wasn't a genuine smile, but a false expression she had begun using to hide her pain. From that moment on, Grakka returned to acting as she had before, concealing her feelings behind that mask.
"I will fulfill your wish and become strong, Father."
From then on, she devoted herself intensely to training, preparing to enter Astrong Academy. When she finally secured a place, she was assigned directly to Class A. There, she met an elf who caught her attention because of his dedication to training. It took only a little observation for her to realize how hard he worked, and that was precisely what led her to approach him.
'He sleeps ten hours a day, yet he still trains a lot.'
Grakka possessed a special ability to observe people. Thanks to the years she had spent watching her father, she could evaluate someone's effort through their musculature and the aura their body exuded. It wasn't a unique ability or any kind of magic, but a special characteristic of her eyes, developed through her experience and perception.
'He's the one who trains the most in Class A. Having a companion like him is something my father would approve of, isn't it?'
The two remained friends even after being defeated by Elowyn for the first time. For Grakka, having to submit to a human like Lan had been humiliating, but neither of them had the strength to change that situation.
That changed when a new group of students appeared.
It was during that time that Grakka met Enrico and noticed something she had never seen in anyone else. That human trained harder than her own father had throughout his entire life. In fact, he seemed to work harder than anyone she had ever met.
'He only sleeps five hours a day? And sometimes even four? What kind of human is he?'
She observed Enrico's body from a distance, noticing the absurd aura it exuded.
The first time she saw Enrico, he faced several opponents with astonishing ease, as if he already knew all their movements. Grakka knew her father had trained harder than most orcs, but she also knew that after spending so many hours pushing himself, even the most dedicated warriors needed to rest and allow their bodies to recover.
Enrico, on the other hand, seemed determined to continually surpass his own limits.
'What a crazy human... It would be nice to have a friend like that.'
For orcs, the word "friend" had a special meaning. It wasn't something they offered to just anyone, but a demonstration of respect for someone whose determination they admired. Above a friend was a best friend, someone to whom they would entrust their backs during battle. And above both was a soul brother, someone they would fight for until the very end without hesitation.
There was also the concept of a battle soulmate, generally reserved for an orc's husband or wife, someone with whom they would share not only their life but also the path of battle.
By approaching Enrico and his companions, Grakka ended up meeting several people she came to consider friends. She was certain she would make even more friends while staying by their side.
It was a shame that her elven friend was still so indecisive between Elowyn and Enrico.
'Well, it's a shame, but one day he'll choose Enrico.'
Grakka turned her attention back to the present and realized that Enrico had been watching her for some time.
"How long are you planning to pretend you're asleep?"
"You noticed, my friend Enrico? I should have waited a little longer, hahaha!"
She had only wanted to rest for a few more minutes. After all, she was certain Enrico would try to face the minotaur again as soon as he regained his strength.
Grakka sat down in front of the campfire and looked at the food Enrico had prepared. Her stomach immediately growled, betraying her hunger.
"Go ahead and take some. I made enough for both of us."
"Thank you for the meal!"
She picked up a piece of pork and began devouring it while Enrico did the same. Both of them were starving after everything they had been through, and it was better to recover their strength before trying to face Asterion again.
Grakka observed the creature's bodies scattered around the area.
"Judging by the Nartheis corpses on the ground, it looks like you made quite a mess."
"I had to do that to prevent them from joining the boss. I eliminated all the Nartheis and the second-phase boss while you were still unconscious."
"You brought me to such a dangerous place?"
"It was quite easy, so you really weren't in danger."
Enrico already knew that phase's weakness. To complete it, all he had to do was take the item he was looking for on Kai's behalf from the boss's altar. As soon as the item was removed, the creature would disappear, bringing that stage of the dungeon to an end.
"You're very reliable, my friend Enrico."
"Yes, I'm quite reliable, even to people who wear masks."
Grakka stopped eating just as she was about to finish the piece of meat. She looked at Enrico in surprise, but soon changed her expression to one of confusion, as if she didn't understand what he meant.
"I don't understand, my friend..."
"If you keep going like this, you'll never be able to complete your path."
Grakka lowered her head.
At that moment, she noticed something frightening in Enrico's gaze. His eyes seemed capable of seeing right through her, reaching the feelings she had spent so many years trying to hide. It was as if he had managed to pierce her mask without any difficulty.
"Well, I'm only saying this in case you really want to complete your path."
"What do you mean? Of course I do!"
"Really? I'm sorry, but to me, you have the eyes of an orc who has already died but continues walking. Anyway, I won't force you to do anything."
Enrico finished eating and stood up, calmly walking toward the door.
Grakka remained seated, confused. She didn't know whether he had noticed her true nature from their very first meeting or whether she had made some mistake that allowed him to discover everything. Before leaving, Enrico looked at her with a serene expression.
"Grakka, I'll only ask you one thing. Stay in this room until you've made a decision. If you prefer, you can remain here even afterward if you don't want to leave."
Grakka immediately wanted to stand up.
"Wait! You're not thinking of facing the boss alone, are you? If that's the case, let me..."
"I'm sorry, but fighting alongside someone who doesn't show their full potential is dangerous. I don't want to watch another person die before my eyes without being able to accomplish what they wanted. Two lives like that are already enough for me."
Enrico maintained a serene expression as he said those words.
"And enjoy my food. You deserve it."
He then gave a slight wave and left, leaving Grakka alone in front of the campfire, still holding the piece of meat in her hands.
She didn't know how to react to someone who had managed to see through her mask so easily.
"Father... What should I do?"
Outside, Enrico placed his hand on his shoulder and used his magic to heal the remaining injuries. He hadn't bothered treating the last wounds earlier because they were minor, and he had preferred to wait until he had recovered enough mana to face Asterion at full strength. Besides, since the minotaur had left the labyrinth, its power should have decreased.
'I hope she makes the right choice. I might need her help.'
[If she's a true orc, she'll make the right choice.]
Enrico began following the trail of destruction Asterion had left during the pursuit. It wouldn't be difficult to find the minotaur, as the creature had destroyed so many walls and sections of the terrain that it had practically left a marked path wherever it went.
"I'll use everything I've got."
Enrico held his fire arrow and picked up a piece of metal he found on the ground. He concentrated mana into it, preparing it to serve as a shield during the confrontation.
The battle would be difficult, but he was determined to face the enemy alone.
'Even if she shows up... I need to defeat him alone if I want to become stronger.'
[Could you stop putting so much pressure on yourself?]
Enrico was about to respond when he heard an explosion in the distance. He immediately turned his head toward the sound and began running.
That noise could mean someone had started a battle.
'Have they arrived? If so, I need to hurry!'
Activating Charged Impulse, Enrico shot forward at high speed, determined to arrive in time to help his companions.