Rody had some reservations about political marriages, but he had anticipated this outcome before coming. No matter how willing the Orcs were to join forces with humans, they would insist on this point. If Rody had planned to avoid a political marriage, he could have just sent an envoy for negotiations instead of coming in person. His visit was to let the Orc rulers see him in person, to solidify their confidence, ensuring that at the last moment, the Orcs wouldn't betray humans but would honor the alliance.

A political marriage entails shared fortunes and misfortunes, so the Orcs would definitely not relent on this.

Before setting off, Chris had told Rody to agree to any conditions, no matter how ugly or terrifying the Lionheart King's daughter might be. He must endure it, as everything would be reconsidered after the successful counterattack of the human-Orc alliance against the demons. Once humans triumph, significantly impacting the angels' actions in the Seven Clans' territory, the powerful Sea and Dragon Clans would also opportunistically strike, attacking the Winged Tribe.

Such a scenario would make the human counterattack on Hell, Sky City, and the Angelic Realm not just a dream.

Everything was built on the firm cooperation between humans and Orcs.

The initial battles would undoubtedly be tough, a significant test. Without this political marriage, the Orcs might not steadfastly side with humans and could potentially defect to the demons mid-way. So, according to Chris, even if the Orcs hadn't proposed a marriage alliance, she would have suggested it to have Rody marry the Lionheart King's princess.

Lionheart King and the Orc leaders' agreement with Rody's nod was also expected.

Their initiative in proposing the marriage alliance was a kind gesture, avoiding embarrassment for Rody and showing a more humble stance from their side.

"Miraculous son, Rody, my son-in-law, come, sit beside me!" Lionheart King said, embracing Rody heartily upon seeing his acceptance.

"Congratulations, congratulations, Your Majesty!" the Orc rulers and marshal generals all came forward to offer their congratulations.

Rody was slightly worried in his heart, fearing that if Lionheart King's daughter looked like a fierce tiger, it would be disastrous. If he refused to marry her afterward, the alliance would undoubtedly collapse, and it might even spark a new round of bloody conflict between Orcs and humans. But if Lionheart King's daughter really looked like a female tyrannosaur, that would be quite a predicament for him.

While Rody knew that inner beauty was true beauty, he still hoped that the woman sleeping beside him would be beautiful inside and out.

He also hoped his wives would at least somewhat resemble humans and not monsters.

Naga Jia Bao and the mermaid princess Sally, although Jia Bao had six arms and Sally had a fish tail, were beautiful and could magically transform into human girls when they came of age. Rody had no concerns about them. However, Lionheart King's daughter might be different, potentially resembling other Orc women – three meters tall, muscular, with sharp fangs and claws, like a tigress or lioness.

Having a tigress as a mount wouldn't be bad, but sharing a bed with one was quite distressing for Rody.

Not many Orc women were beautiful. However, the half-Orc women like cat girls, rabbit girls, and fox girls were cute and charming. Rody hoped Lionheart King would adopt a half-Orc girl as his daughter and marry her off to him. Otherwise, he would need to figure out how to avoid a three-meter-tall tigress

"Cough, Rody, you know, although this matter has been agreed upon by us superiors, you should also understand that as a parent, I too hope for my daughter's happiness," Lionheart King put on a fatherly demeanor, implying that Rody should not disdain his daughter. Then, changing the subject, he continued, "I absolutely agree with your marital alliance. However, among the Orcs, there's a small custom... You should meet my queen. As a mother, she has always been very concerned about your marriage to the princess!"

"Alright," Rody felt dizzy upon hearing this. It seemed the Orc queen had some reservations about him, a human, and her approval was necessary for the marriage to proceed.

Lionheart King encouraged him, expressing that a man as outstanding as Rody would surely pass the test, but what the test entailed was not mentioned. The various marshals and generals toasted Rody, asking about the war or clarifying doubts about certain battle cases. However, when it came to the crucial test, they all tacitly kept silent.

It seemed the Orc queen held significant respect among the people, acting as a great help to Lionheart King in domestic affairs.

Had Rody known this beforehand, he would not have agreed so readily and would have played a bit of Tai Chi to show some resistance. But now it was too late, and he had to brace himself to face the challenge, hoping not to disgrace humanity. If the Orc queen really disapproved of her son-in-law, it would be a huge embarrassment, not only for Rody but for all of humanity.

The Orcs' aesthetic standards are entirely different from humans'. They believe that both men and women should be physically strong and muscular to be considered beautiful.

For example, the concept of a handsome, delicate-faced human man doesn't apply here. Dressing, grooming, and manners are utterly boring to the barbaric Orcs. Orc women would rather prefer an Orc covered in tattoos and scars than the handsomest and most dashing human knight. The reason is simple: they admire warriors who can tear horses apart with their bare hands, not princes on white horses.

Rody, who is incredibly charming among humans, may not be seen in the same light by Orc girls. To them, Rody's physique might seem as unimpressive as a bean sprout.

"Hopefully, the Orc queen won't make me eat a whole cow and then carry a huge rock around the mountains!" Rody thought, quite frustrated.

In Orc marital customs, there indeed was such a practice.

If a princess of a king is to be married and there are many suitors, the Orc king might set a challenge, such as laying out dozens of cows and having the suitors kill and tear them apart with their bare hands, then eating them raw to demonstrate their strength. In Orc eyes, the more one can eat, the more manly it is. Eating steak with a knife and fork on a small plate, as human nobles do, is seen as the most worthless behavior!

A true warrior, of course, swallows the meat raw and bloody, and has an astonishing appetite.

If the suitor can eat everything and then carry several tons of rock forward, the higher he can carry it, the more his strength is proven, and the more favored he becomes.

Rody had no objection to the stone-carrying test; he could carry even the largest stones. However, eating a raw, bloody cow was a bit too much! Seeing that Lionheart King only had half a say in the marriage, Rody despised him in his heart a hundred times, then helplessly followed the Orc female guards out of the palace towards the White Tiger Hall, where the queen resided.

He prayed a thousand times in his heart that the Orc princess Lionheart King wanted to marry off to him wouldn't be like the terrifying Orc female guard leading the way, who was even more horrifying than the violent, soul-capturing demoness Aika. Otherwise, he would have no choice but to consider suicide.

The White Tiger Hall was guarded by dozens of Orc female guards, not one of whom made Rody break out in a cold sweat any less.

As for the Orc Queen, ah, she too was exceptionally tall. Even sitting down, she was certainly much taller than the slender Rody, perhaps by a head or even two. The Queen’s body was even more robust than a barbarian's. Her face was covered with a golden veil, making it hard to see her features clearly, but her eyes were indeed shining tiger eyes, and a purple 'king' character faintly visible on her forehead, exuding an air of majesty.

Rody thought that for this mother-in-law to have a beautiful daughter would require a miracle, otherwise it seemed unlikely.

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"Miraculous boy Rody, I have heard a lot about you. Normally, I wouldn't speak about the marriage of you and the princess, but as a mother, it's my responsibility to choose the best husband for her, to ensure her future happiness!" The Orc Queen clearly stated her stance, indicating that a test for Rody was inevitable.

"Although I'm not very good-looking and not very tall, I do have a sense of responsibility," Rody said, feeling dizzy. He was definitely tall among humans, usually standing out in a crowd, and his appearance was one in a million. But among the Orcs, despite being handsome, he seemed inferior to Orc lads with rugged faces and sharp teeth.

Rody was having a hard time accepting the Orcs' aesthetic standards.

He felt like retreating. If it hadn't been for Chris insisting that he agree to any conditions before departing, he really would have wanted to leave.

"The dietary habits of humans and Orcs are a bit different. We can skip the raw tearing and eating of meat. Rody, please sit down, have some food, drink a few cups," the Orc Queen said. Of course, her words were not that simple; this was clearly the beginning of the test.

The Orc female guards placed a roasted goat and five large cups of strong liquor in front of Rody. It seemed the Orc Queen was giving Rody some face, not pushing him too hard, otherwise, she would have brought a cow instead of a goat. Rody had a good appetite, but consuming an entire roasted goat alone was challenging. However, he wouldn't actually eat it all.

He ate only a small portion, stashing the rest in his storage ring.

The five large cups of liquor were nothing for Rody. He drank them in one go, thinking he had passed the first challenge and wondering where the stone for carrying was. But as soon as he put down the cup, the Orc female guards laughed, and two fox girls began to sing, bringing another five cups of liquor. Rody was confused; was there something wrong with the way he drank?

With doubts, Rody finished another five cups of strong liquor.

Alcohol had no effect on Rody, but his stomach was uncomfortably full. Luckily, the cunning Rody had a secret technique to dissipate the alcohol, otherwise, he would have turned into a big-bellied frog.

As the two fox girls sang and danced again, seemingly part of some ritual or test, the Orc female guards brought another five cups of strong liquor...

Rody cursed this bizarre custom internally and quickly finished the liquor, not waiting for the female guards to leave, and placed his cup back on the tray. If the fox girls started singing and dancing again, Rody was determined to quit; this wasn't a test of a man's drinking capacity but his temper. Just as Rody was about to lose his temper, the Orc female guards and fox girls retreated. Perhaps he had passed the test?

Was it about placing the cup back on the tray?

Rody thought hard but couldn't figure it out.

"Good drinking capacity!" The Orc Queen clapped lightly. Those fifteen cups of strong liquor would have made even the toughest Orc warrior dizzy, but Rody remained unfazed. Although the Queen seemed to know Rody was using some tricks, she didn't delve into it, as invisible tactics were considered skillful. She nodded, indicating that Rody had passed the test.

...

"No more, if I drink again, I'll throw up!" Rody said with a slight smile, standing up and bowing, "Respected Queen, may I ask where is the stone I need to move?"

"A miraculous boy like you who can open mountains with wisdom, how can he not move a stone? No need to move stones, please wait here for a moment, I'll go see the princess," said the Orc Queen as she stood up. Indeed, she was as tall as Lionheart King, though slightly smaller in build. Despite her feminine features, Rody suspected she couldn't possibly have a delicate daughter, feeling a profound sadness in his heart.

This visit to the Orc Empire was also a sacrifice for the entirety of humanity.

Rody hoped he wouldn’t break his ribs when embracing the princess... The more he thought about it, the more pessimistic he became. After waiting for a long time and the Orc Queen still not appearing, he felt the need to relieve himself, lest he face trouble during their conversation later.

Despite some communication barriers, Rody still called over an Orc female guard to ask for a restroom.

"Come with me," the Orc female guard, who understood a bit of the human common language, led Rody to a small room by the side door of a side hall, pointing to a large water jar for him to relieve himself. Rody, of course, didn't hesitate, and once the guard left, he relieved himself copiously and comfortably, coming out to find the guard thoughtfully providing a basin of water for him to wash his hands.

Upon returning to the main hall, Rody found the Orc Queen back in her seat and was startled, wondering if he shouldn't have relieved himself.

As he was internally regretting, the Orc Queen spoke.

"I was always worried that as a human man, you couldn't fulfill the princess's needs or make her happy. But, judging by the urgency and strength of your urine and the masculine scent, we can deduce that you are a strong man with a man's proud endowments. Therefore, I agree to marry my princess to you," the Orc Queen said directly. Rody suddenly realized that everything he had done was meant to make him go urinate.

"Why didn't you say so earlier..." Rody was sweating profusely.

"Actually, this is the only true Orc custom. We Orcs need to ensure our offspring's excellence and strong reproductive capabilities, so parents must find a suitable husband for their daughters. The acts of tearing raw meat and moving stones were just superficial tests. For everything you have done before, both His Majesty and I apologize, but Rody, please understand our feelings as parents! We sincerely hope that you and Martina will be a happy couple!" the Orc Queen said, nodding happily.

"Martina..." Rody finally knew the name of his fiancée.

"Now, it’s none of our parents' business. Martina is in the back; go find her yourself! Oh yes, miraculous boy Rody, in front of her, you must truly drink her under the table to show your affection. Martina's 'Princess Blood Red Dress,' is not the liquor from before, but a potent wine that's been buried underground since her birth, only recently unearthed. I hope you won't pass out before her, haha!" The Orc Queen evidently noticed Rody's tricks but didn't point them out, seemingly having already chosen him as her son-in-law.

After the Orc Queen left, Rody asked the Orc female guard to lead him to the back hall.

It seemed there was one last challenge to overcome.

Rody thought, if he got the princess drunk and she slept through the night, he could make an early excuse to leave the next day and sneak back to the human continent. That way, the alliance would be settled, and he wouldn't have to face the Orc princess every day. If Martina insisted on following him, he would head to the front lines, attacking Philek, confronting the human temple forces, and later the demon armies, the Winged Tribe, and the heavenly realms. The war seemed endless, but with the army as his home, life wouldn't be too hard, except for the lost opportunities to sneak back and meet his women.

"The princess is inside, please enter!" The Orc female guards filed out and closed the door heavily, as if worried Rody might run away.

"..." Rody was genuinely worried that he might be knocked over by the dinosaur-like princess.

The back hall was enormous, with no princess in sight.

A staircase led to the second floor, where the rich aroma of wine suggested that Princess Martina was waiting upstairs to compete in drinking with him.

Rody thought that since things had come to this, rather than being overthrown by her, he might as well overthrow her first. If he could get her drunk, so everyone could sleep peacefully through the night, that would be ideal. Steeling his heart, he went upstairs to a smaller hall.

The hall was warm, heated by a blazing fireplace.

The floor was covered with white fur rugs, and around fifty jars of 'Princess Blood Red Dress' were arranged, making Rody's scalp tingle.

Was this for drinking or bathing? Rody was dizzy at the sight. To genuinely drink Princess Martina under the table seemed a daunting task. After inspecting the fifty jars of wine, Rody decided to see what the princess looked like. If she was a muscular, tattoo-covered, ferocious female dinosaur, he might as well knock her out with a punch.

In the hall, a woman held a blood-flower long-handled axe, its blade five times wider than a regular axe, making Rody shudder with fear.

It was over; Princess Martina was a formidable warrior with the blood-flower axe. The likelihood of her overpowering him had just increased by ten percent!

Rody steadied himself and saw Princess Martina, tall and slender, probably a bit taller than himself. Her muscles were slightly pronounced, giving her a very athletic appearance, nothing like a typical human woman. She had inherited her parents' robust physique, but fortunately, she only looked athletic, not unattractive. Rody almost wanted to thank the gods; Princess Martina didn't look like an Orc, more like a human.

In terms of attire, Martina, like all Orc women, was boldly dressed with only two belts wrapped around her chest, barely containing her ample bosom. Rody thought something was off about his perception, wondering if the alcohol was affecting him... Martina's lower body was covered by a short leather skirt, unable to hide her strong thighs and long calves.

Rody swallowed, admiring her long legs. They weren't dinosaur-like at all. Was he hallucinating?

Martina stood sideways to Rody, making it easy for him to notice her small lion-like tail, along with her fiery red hair, creating a striking visual impact. As long as her face wasn’t dinosaur-like, Martina's hot figure could score over ninety points.

"Just don't be a negative score, I'm not asking for extreme beauty, just not negative," Rody prayed as Princess Martina turned to look at him.

From Rody's experience over many lifetimes, many girls looked like fairies from behind, beauties from the side, but the front view could make one want to commit suicide...

Rody hoped Princess Martina would be at least bearable to look at, not asking for her to be exceptionally beautiful.

Just don't shatter my heart.

With immense tension, Rody felt like a year had passed in the second Martina turned to face him.

"What are you looking at? You seem unhappy. What's wrong with me? How am I less than your women? Is it just because I'm one centimeter taller than you? It's not like I can't stop wearing shoes to let you be taller, alright?" When Martina turned to face him, Rody was stunned. Martina was the blood-flower axe warrior who had once chased him and Chris.

Not only was she quite attractive, but she also had a certain wild charm when angry, stirring something in Rody's heart.

How could it be her? Right... Rody remembered that Martina had indeed said she was Lionheart King's daughter, called Martina, and arrogantly claimed herself as a female war goddess. He was too focused on escaping to remember this, but now that he recalled, Rody felt he had been unnecessarily frightened and silently chided himself for his folly.

"Ah, how many daughters does Lionheart King have?" Rody wondered if Martina was not born to the Queen but perhaps Lionheart King's daughter with a human woman.

"Seventeen, and I am the seventeenth. What do you mean? Do you want to marry them all? Let me tell you, besides me, no one would like a cunning human guy like you! Mother just told me that you barely passed the test. Come on, let's drink to determine the winner. If you outdrink me, I will listen to you from now on. But if you lose, you'll have to listen to me!" Martina, holding the blood-flower axe as if it were a delicate grass, casually tossed it, hanging it on a distant wall.

"Little guy, I can handle you!" Rody thought that he might not be able to predict the outcome in arm-wrestling with Martina, but afraid of her in a drinking contest?

"Are you not convinced?" Martina hated Rody's sly smile, knowing he was up to no good and couldn’t help but get annoyed.

"Do you prefer a literary or a martial way of drinking?" Rody approached Martina, observing her. Seeing that she was slightly avoiding his gaze, he knew she was somewhat nervous and laughed heartily.

"What's a literary or martial way of drinking? You humans really have a lot of tricks! Hmph, tell me, what is literary drinking?" The princess was intrigued by the novelty.

"Literary drinking, of course, is not about mindlessly guzzling like a madman!" Rody gestured for her to sit down, taking a seat opposite her with a slight smile. "Here's how it goes: I state a fact you don't believe but can prove to be true, then you drink. Conversely, you say something I don't know, then I drink."

"No, you're full of bookish knowledge, I won't compete with you in that. Let's change it!" The princess had self-awareness but didn't want to give up on the concept of literary drinking.

"I'll tell a joke, and if I make you laugh, you drink... You can't tell jokes? Poor thing! Can't even bring joy to others. Wait, don't get violent! Here's the deal: I tell a joke, and if you don't laugh, I drink," Rody proposed, and Martina agreed, determined not to laugh and make Rody drink like a big-bellied frog.

Rody told ten jokes, all quite funny, but the princess stubbornly held back her laughter, making Rody drink.

Ten cups were nothing to Rody.

The real battle between men and women had just begun, and ten cups were just the start. As long as the princess became interested in the jokes, there were hundreds, even thousands more to come. The real winner would be whoever laughed last.

"Not funny, not one bit! Tell another one!" Although the princess said this, she eagerly urged him to tell the next joke.

"Don't rush, let me drink first!" The worst was Rody's smile; even now, while he was supposed to be drinking as a penalty, he smiled so sweetly, making the princess's heart melt. She almost didn't want to force him or thought of grabbing the cup to drink it for him. Or maybe he could cheat; why was he being so serious now? He was a scoundrel, so why so stubborn now?

"Wait, I'll drink later. Tell the joke first, please make me laugh. My mouth is dry; I want to drink too!" The princess made an excuse, her earlier eagerness to make Rody drink into oblivion long gone.