Chapter 63.2
“I prepared to die in a hole in the ground. I was facing the Great Elven Archmage, but I was alone, and my enemy had friends on the other side. From outside the hole, I could see the lights of magic flickering, as well as the furious voice of the elf. I knew they would soon find me, and the elf would quickly heal her wounds, restore her magical powers, and hunt me down. But then a miracle happened. A fairy came to rescue me in the midst of the firestorm.”
“Yes, that’s me!”
Bash’s story didn’t end there. It went on and on. Eye urged him to continue. Every time Bash tried to finish his story, Eye would say, “And then?” or “What happened next?” and wouldn’t let him finish.
“And then, after healing my wounds with Zell’s powder, I broke through the elves’ siege just in time and escaped.”
Bash’s boasting was not as extravagant as Orc Boasting. Orc Boasting was essentially a form of exaggeration. It was a common narrative technique to exaggerate one’s own achievements and belittle the opponent. Orcs made themselves appear more grand by referring to small lizards as “giant dragons” or calling hard-fought victories after clumsy brawls “easy,” or declaring the female soldiers they acquired as the “most beautiful women of all time.”
But Bash didn’t need to do that. Bash had already defeated a huge dragon or those hailed as heroes in many countries. While they may not have been the most epic battles, they were still formidable enemies that could hunt down a warrior like Bash. Speaking the truth made Bash seem even more impressive than he already was. There was no way to improve upon his general boasting techniques.
Furthermore, Bash didn’t have any “episode where he acquired a woman” to reinforce his boasting. Therefore, when Bash spoke, he naturally focused on other things. In other words, the content of the battles.
“It is a great honor for me to have fought and survived Thunder Sonia.”
And Bash always ended his story with these words. The deep emotion and pride in his voice sent shivers down the hearts of those who listened. Pride and honor. That was more than enough to make one realize how important it was to the orc race. His stories may not have been enough for orcs, but… that didn’t matter to the dragoness, Eye.