Friend

"A bet? But... what's the stake?"

Malone asked, puzzled by Kaldara's words.

"Hmm... I'll bet a piece of smoked meat, a piece as big as this one right here! How about you, Teron?"

Kaldara stated his wager, then turned to ask Teron Gorefiend.

"As you can see, I am penniless."

Teron Gorefiend spread his hands and said without the slightest hesitation.

"What? Then why are you even betting with me?"

Kaldara felt he was being played for a fool.

"Besides, your smoked meat holds no meaning for me; I have no need to eat."

Teron Gorefiend explained to Kaldara with a serious expression.

"How about this... why don't we... bet a favor?"

Malone interjected, finding the wager rather interesting.

"A favor?"

Kaldara asked, confused.

"That's right, a favor, or rather, a promise. The loser owes the winner a promise. What do you think? It's just a promise; that's something everyone has and can fulfill, right?"

Malone said.

"Fine, let's do that. I bet that Zul'jin can't beat me."

Kaldara was the first to declare his stance.

"I bet that you are no match for Zul'jin."

Teron Gorefiend said curtly.

"Then I..."

Seeing the gazes of both Kaldara and Teron Gorefiend fall upon him, Malone hesitated for a moment.

"Then I'll bet that you and Zul'jin won't end up fighting at all."

Malone said.

"Won't end up fighting?"

Kaldara asked in surprise.

"Yeah."

Malone nodded, saying nothing more.

Regarding the future, Malone couldn't quite remember how much longer the Orcs would linger here.

However, one thing was certain: it wouldn't be long before the Orc army marched north to attack the human kingdoms. Perhaps during this time, Kaldara and Zul'jin might not have a conflict after all.

Malone was just saying it casually anyway. Kaldara and Teron Gorefiend wouldn't make any excessive demands of him, and he would be leaving soon, wouldn't he?

Despite harboring thoughts of welching on the bet, Malone occasionally noticed the way Teron Gorefiend looked at him—it seemed somewhat... strange?

Hmm, perhaps it was just his imagination—after all, Teron Gorefiend was a Death Knight; his facial muscles were stiff, and his expressions might occasionally be uncontrollable.

—Malone thought to himself.

Kaldara didn't seem to take the bet very seriously, as he quickly shifted his attention to Tiffany behind Malone.

"Hey, how much has she eaten?"

When Malone turned to hand another piece of roasted smoked meat to Tiffany, Kaldara asked curiously.

"Stop staring at her, you'll scare her!"

Malone said to Kaldara with dissatisfaction.

"About seven or eight pieces, why? Does it pain you?"

After scolding Kaldara, Malone recalled for a moment and then answered Kaldara's question.

"She's... that big of an eater? A human woman's body is so small; I thought they couldn't eat much."

Kaldara exclaimed.

"What's so strange about that? She hasn't eaten all day."

Malone defended Tiffany, while secretly blaming Kaldara—where did this guy get so many questions?

"Hasn't eaten all day?"

Kaldara exclaimed again.

"Keep your voice down! Fine, I admit it, I forgot to get her something to eat... but that's none of your business, is it?"

Malone said irritably.

"Maicomarlon, it's not that I'm being nosy, but I think this human woman would be better off with me than in your hands."

Kaldara sighed with emotion.

"No, no, don't misunderstand. I don't have any other intentions toward her now; I just feel that, at the very least, if she stays by my side, she can still eat meat, whereas following you, she has to go hungry for an entire day."

Noticing that Malone's expression had become unusually angry due to his previous words, Kaldara hurriedly explained.

"I... I just forgot, didn't I!"

Malone felt his face flush.

"Fine... but according to your logic, if I hadn't brought food tonight... where would you have gone to get her something to eat?"

Kaldara nagged relentlessly.

"I..."

Malone was left speechless.

Malone was not like Kaldara, who knew how to build a fire, nor did he have any kindling on hand; at this hour, there wouldn't be any other Orcs still active, would there?

Rather than going to get food for Tiffany, Malone would ultimately only be able to beg Teron Gorefiend for help.

And Teron Gorefiend would just have to go ask other Orcs for food; it was manageable during the day, but at night... perhaps Tiffany would truly have to go hungry for the night.

"Sigh, you really are pathetic. How about this: from now on, I'll come visit you and Teron often, and I'll bring some food along for you while I'm at it."

Watching Malone's awkward expression, Kaldara sighed with emotion.

"Then... well, thank you."

Malone hadn't expected Kaldara to say such a thing; he was stunned for a moment and answered instinctively.

"What's the big deal? Who says we aren't friends?"

Kaldara said dashingly.

"Fri...ends?"

The word turned over in Malone's mind. He truly hadn't expected that one day, he would become friends with an Orc.

"That's right, friends! You, me, Teron—the three of us are friends."

Kaldara said with a smile.

"Me? No, that's not right. Maicomarlon and I are brothers, the kind of brothers without a blood relation."

Teron Gorefiend hurriedly said.

"It's all the same; that's what friends are."

Kaldara said dismissively.

"How can that be the same?"

Teron Gorefiend retorted.

Soon, Kaldara and Teron Gorefiend began to argue again over exactly what their relationship with Malone should be called.

Watching the two of them making a scene, Malone felt a sense of absurdity in his heart—as a human, he was actually sitting by a campfire with a Blademaster and an Orc Death Knight, eating roasted smoked meat, and calling each other friends.

However, Malone felt there was nothing wrong with that—at least for now.

For a long time, Malone, Kaldara, and Teron Gorefiend conversed with one another. Of course, it was mostly Malone asking questions, Kaldara answering, and Teron Gorefiend only occasionally interjecting a few words.

From his conversation with Kaldara, Malone learned quite a bit of knowledge regarding the Orcs, such as which clans' Orcs were stronger, which clans' Orcs were more cunning, and which clans' female Orcs were more...

Ahem, the following matters made Malone feel somewhat uncomfortable, so he consciously ignored the topic regarding the appearance and "sexiness" of female Orcs.

Soon, that large piece of smoked meat was eaten clean, and Kaldara finally stood up from the side of the campfire.

"I'm heading back. Let's end it here for today; I'll come again tomorrow."

Kaldara said.