Reincarnated as an Ork, and the System Wants Me to Be a Doctor?!

The air inside the Broken Fang Inn was thick with the scent of spilled ale and the lingering smoke of cheap torches. The night had settled into a slow, lazy rhythm, with only a handful of drunkards still clinging to their cups.

Reza, stepping out of the inn, nearly collided with Druth, who was hauling a completely inebriated Lorin over his shoulder.

"Wassup, big greenie?" she said, smirking as she adjusted the dagger at her belt.

Druth, caught completely off guard, turned a shade darker. "Ah… ah—" he stammered, struggling to form words.

Reza rolled her eyes, amused. "Never mind. I gotta go. Later."

She gave him a half-hearted wave and slipped into the shadows of the street, vanishing before he could think of a response.

Druth stood there, debating for a moment whether to chase after her. His gut twisted in indecision, but he shook his head. Too late now.

With a sigh, he carried Lorin inside and dumped him into a chair. The drunkard let out a half-conscious groan, his head lolling to the side.

Ghaz was already descending the stairs when he spotted them.

"Why was she here?" Druth asked, nudging a tankard of water toward Lorin.

"Came to warn me about the Iron Bone Orcs," Ghaz replied, taking a seat.

Druth took a swig of ale. "So, are we joining them?"

"I am," Ghaz answered.

Druth lowered his drink. "What do you mean, I?"

"I can't decide for you," Ghaz said simply.

Druth scoffed. "We shared the same scraps, fought the same fights. You think I'd just let you run off alone?"

Ghaz nodded. "Then we do this together."

They spent the next hour hammering out details. If they were going to work with the Iron Bone Orcs, they had to make sure it wasn't just grunt work.

"The clinic," Ghaz said. "We get them to fund it—medicine, supplies, a place to operate and arrange a meetup with Velga Ironband."

Druth scratched his chin. "You think Gorrak will agree?"

"He needs healers. We need resources. It's a fair trade."

Lorin, despite being half-drunk, lazily raised a finger. "Y'know," he slurred, "if you get a proper contract written, they can't just toss you aside. Iron Bone or not, business is business."

Ghaz glanced at him. "You're surprisingly useful for someone who can barely sit straight."

Lorin grinned. "It's a gift."

As they finalized their plans, the door swung open again.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

A knight strode in, clad in blackened steel armor. The torchlight caught the indigo insignia on his chestplate—the mark of Brethus City.

His movements were sharp, deliberate, his gauntleted hand resting on his sword's pommel. The inn quieted as his gaze swept the room before locking onto Lorin.

"Young master," the knight said, his voice cold. "The lord has sent for you."

Lorin groaned, rubbing his temples. "Oh, for the love of—can't you see I'm enjoying my night?"

The knight didn't move. "Your presence is required. Now."

Lorin waved a hand dismissively. "Tell him I'm dead. Should be easier for everyone involved."

The knight's jaw tensed. "Then we will take you by force."

Druth stood, muscles tensing. "You'll have to go through me first."

Ghaz sighed, already sensing where this was going. "Through us," he corrected.

The knight tilted his head slightly. "So be it."

The knight moved first—fast, faster than a man in full plate should have been. His sword flashed, and Druth barely had time to raise his arm before the flat of the blade slammed into him, sending him skidding backward.

Ghaz reacted instantly, mana surging through his veins as he activated Breath of the World. His senses sharpened. His movements became fluid.

He thrust out a palm—fire flared in his hand, forming into a crackling sphere of flame.

Fireball.

The knight turned, catching the glow at the last second. He pivoted just in time as Ghaz launched the spell, forcing him to raise his sword as the fireball detonated against his blade.

The explosion sent embers scattering, the heat rippling through the air.

But when the flames cleared—

The knight was unscathed.

His sword, gleaming with a faint aura, had absorbed the brunt of the magic.

Ghaz narrowed his eyes. Enchanted.

The knight lunged.

Ghaz barely dodged. A streak of silver cut through the air where his head had been moments before. He countered immediately—his fingers curled, mana shifting—

A sphere of water formed in his palm.

Water Ball.

He launched it at the knight's exposed side.

The knight turned, raising his gauntlet to intercept. The water struck, exploding on impact, the force sending him stumbling backward. His armor dripped as the liquid seeped into the joints.

Druth, seizing the moment, charged. His fist collided with the knight's chestplate, denting the steel.

The knight coughed but retaliated immediately.

His gauntlet lashed out, catching Druth's arm—

Then, with brutal efficiency, he twisted.

A sickening crack filled the air.

Druth roared in pain, his arm dislocating at the elbow as he was slammed into the ground.

Ghaz's breath hitched. He surged forward, mana flooding his limbs, preparing another spell—

But the knight was already moving.

In a blink, his blade was at Ghaz's throat.

The healer froze. Too fast. Too skilled.

The knight pressed the edge against his skin. "Stand down."

Ghaz clenched his fists but knew he had lost.

The knight turned to Lorin, who had barely moved from his seat.

"You will come with me," the knight said. "Or I will take you broken."

Lorin's lazy smirk faltered. He exhaled sharply, his eyes flicking toward Druth's broken arm and Ghaz's pinned stance.

For all his drunken bravado—Lorin wasn't stupid.

He sighed, raising a hand. "Fine," he muttered. "I'll come. Just let me settle my damn bill first."

The knight said nothing. He simply stepped back, allowing Lorin to toss a few coins onto the counter.

Then, without another word, Lorin turned and followed him out of the inn.

Ghaz and Druth remained on the floor, battered and breathless.

Druth groaned. "Who the hell is he?"

Ghaz wiped blood from the corner of his mouth, his mind racing.

But now? He needed to know.