If he had the power of a Titan or a demigod, Malone could take Tiffany wherever he wanted right now, instead of making promises that even he himself wasn't sure he could keep.
"I promise," Malone said.
"If one day you fall into the hands of those Orcs, and I have no way to save you..." As he said those words, Malone felt his heart bleed.
Yet he forced himself to continue, speaking each word slowly and clearly. He wanted to remember this heart-wrenching feeling, then devote his life to preventing such a thing from happening.
"I'll kill you, Miss Tiffany. I won't let those Orcs defile you." After saying this, Malone bit his lip hard, and the faint taste of blood spread through his mouth.
For some reason, Tiffany seemed relieved to receive this unusual promise from Malone.
A beautiful smile bloomed across her face. "Then it's a promise, Mr. Malone! But please, make sure it doesn't hurt too much!"
Looking at Tiffany's smiling face, Malone felt a pang of sorrow.
Malone was afraid of dying. Otherwise, he wouldn't have chosen to grow old alone in the mountains just to avoid the possibility of being hunted down by the Bronze Dragon.
But at that very moment, Malone seemed to understand why, in the history he knew, so many people had sacrificed their lives for loyalty, for honor, and for the future of their people and the world.
Malone didn't know how a knight felt when pledging allegiance to his lord, but he suddenly realized that in everyone's life, there were some people and some things worth protecting with their life.
"Then, Mr. Malone, can you let go of my foot now?" Tiffany asked with a smile.
"Oh... oh..." Malone hurriedly tried to lift Tiffany's leg off his knee, but someone stopped him.
Teron Gorefiend pressed a hand against Malone's shoulder. "What are you doing, Maicomarlon?"
"Let her go!" Malone was quite unhappy with Teron Gorefiend's actions. He was already being mistaken for a "perverted lecher" just because he kept holding the girl's foot. Did this guy want people to misunderstand him even more?
"Actually, the way you have her now is pretty good," Teron Gorefiend said. "Keeping that injured leg elevated will help it heal."
"Is... is that so?" Malone stopped moving. What Teron Gorefiend said made sense. He remembered that in the hospitals on Earth, patients with broken legs had them suspended high up.
"What's wrong, Mr. Malone?" Tiffany asked curiously. She had seen the terrifying-looking gentleman stop Mr. Malone, and then the two of them began speaking in a language she couldn't understand.
"He... he said keeping your leg elevated like this will help it heal," Malone stammered.
Of course, Malone didn't forget to put the blame on Teron Gorefiend. He didn't want to be mistaken for someone who liked holding Tiffany's foot. Only a real pervert would do that!
"Is... is that so?" Tiffany eyed Malone suspiciously. His evasive gaze made her think something was amiss.
"Yes..." Malone replied quietly.
"All right!" Tiffany readily agreed. "If it'll help my foot heal faster, let's do that! But..."
"What is it?" Malone asked.
"My foot... it's dirty..." Tiffany said shyly. Her shoes had come off while she struggled when the Orcs captured her, so she had walked barefoot the whole way. The tops and soles of her feet were covered in dust.
"That's all right. I don't mind the dirt." Malone put on the expression of a dedicated worker.
"I... I mean... shouldn't we wash it first?" Tiffany looked at Malone strangely. If it was dirty, couldn't they just wash it?
"Oh, right, yes, that's a good idea..." Malone nodded repeatedly, cursing himself for not thinking of it.
"Teron, ahem... could you get some water? And bring over that wooden basin you used as a mirror for me last night, too?" Malone ordered Teron Gorefiend.
"All right..." Teron Gorefiend nodded, looking rather unwilling.
"But, Maicomarlon, what you're asking for will take quite a while... If anyone comes looking for trouble while I'm gone, make sure you run!" Teron Gorefiend cautioned Malone anxiously.
"Run? What are you talking about, Teron?" Malone replied, eyes wide. "How could I run? Who would protect Miss Tiffany?"
"Tch..." Teron Gorefiend had already reached the entrance to the shelter. He curled his lip in disdain.
"Just let this human woman fend for herself!" With that, Teron Gorefiend left the shelter.
"Teron... If he weren't an Orc, he'd actually be a pretty good guy," Malone muttered, contradicting himself.
"Mr. Malone... was that the Orcs' language you were speaking just now?" Tiffany asked curiously.
"Mm... yes." Malone hesitated, but then figured there was no reason to hide it, so he admitted it.
"But, Mr. Malone, why do you know how to speak the Orcs' language?" Tiffany asked, utterly puzzled. "Who taught you? Was it an Orc?"
"Well..." Malone didn't know how to answer, so he could only nod vaguely.
"Oh..." Tiffany lowered her head and fell silent for a long while.
"Then, Mr. Malone, do you know where the Orcs came from?" Tiffany suddenly looked up and asked him.
"The Orcs?" Malone glanced at Tiffany, unsure why she would ask such a question.
"Yes, Mr. Malone." Tiffany blinked as she spoke. "When the Orcs first invaded, people in Stormwind also speculated about where they came from, but no one could ever give a clear answer..."
"Mr. Malone, you seem to be... fairly familiar with these Orcs. If anyone knows where they came from, and why they attacked us, it should be you, right?"
Tiffany was right. When news of the Orc invasion first reached Stormwind, it had stirred up some discussion.
Although the sons and daughters of nobles had never imagined that the Orcs might one day conquer Stormwind, those whose relatives served in the army could always get their hands on the latest reports and then show off what they knew in their social circles.
Still, no one could explain what the Orcs were, why they had appeared so suddenly, or why nobody had ever heard of or seen them before.
Some said that evil mages had summoned the Orcs to take revenge on the humans who had offended them. Others said the Orcs had crawled up from underground and were servants of an evil god.
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