As the sun rose, everyone woke up and immediately began discussing heading to Dix Village.
“How far is it from here?”
In response to Brian’s question, Yazzak spread out a map and explained.
The wide space was cluttered with blocked roads, but there seemed to be a path leading east from here. Not all roads were paved; many were just compacted dirt.
It seemed Dix Village was still a bit further away. Kimishima vaguely remembered, but at that time, they were chasing after high orcs, making it hard to gauge the actual distance.
As they moved slowly, the village walls came into view in the distance. Although there was still some distance to go, Brian, leading the way, raised his hand to signal everyone to stop.
“Well, I’ll go check out the situation inside.”
“Is that okay?”
At Brian’s suggestion. Yazzak asks apologetically.
“Despite appearances, I’m in the 100’s. Leave it to me.”
“In the 100’s??? That’s amazing…I understand. But don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I know.”
Probably the one with the highest ranking among the melee classes in the group, Brian exuded confidence, so Yazzak decided to trust him. The others also agreed.
“Be careful.”
“Oh, leave it to me.”
Keith called out to Brian. Brian nodded subtly to his two companions to avoid being noticed by the others.
Brian then quietly approached the village.
…
…
The remaining group watched his back silently.
Behind them, Keith and Mike exchanged glances and began to slowly move back.
“Brian-san is so cool, isn’t he?”
“Huh? Wh-what?”
Excitedly, Sakuragi spoke to the two who had tried to slip away from the formation. Taken aback by her sudden enthusiasm, they stumbled in their responses.
“Brian-san looks like an elv, doesn’t he? He’s handsome, and his ranking is amazing! Isn’t he popular?”
“Hey, Miki!”
In the tense atmosphere, Nishina hurriedly interrupted Sakuragi’s carefree chatter.
“Well, isn’t it fine? If Brian-san is an elf, then is your brother a halfling?”
“A h-halfling? No, I’m a Hobbsian.”
“Ah, I see. So, the names are slightly different after all.”
Although the two had tried to discreetly distance themselves from the conversation, they found themselves unable to move because of Sakuragi. The psychological urge to hide their misdeed of trying to sneak away without being noticed, combined with Sakuragi’s carefree questions, made them struggle to respond.
“Have you ever seen a dragon?”
“No, never. I don’t think anyone who’s encountered a dragon would be alive, right?”
“Yeah, dragons hardly ever come near human settlements.”
“Wow, just like Gazelme-san’s Rock Bird, I also wanted to ride a dragon and fly around.”
“Ride a dragon? No way, impossible.”
Probably, during their journey so far, Brian and his companions had kept their distance, making conversation difficult. However, Sakuragi seemed impressed by Brian’s skill in dealing with the monsters. His decision to scout for everyone seemed to have suddenly endeared him to her. The conversation became unstoppable.
Gradually, the two also began to feel a sense of urgency amidst this endless chatter.
“Well, uh, sorry, I need to do something.”
“Oh, I might need to do something too?”
“Alright, alright. Flower picking, is it? Take care.”
Finally finding a reason to break away from the group, they heard a distant rumble.
“W-what’s that?”
“H-hey…”
Eventually, they saw a large group of High Orcs running behind Brian, their demeanor changing ominously. Gazelme was the first to react upon seeing them.
“Darn it, they found us! There’s quite a few. Magic users, suppress them from a distance. Old man, I’m counting on you too!”
“Did you call me ‘old man’?”
“Ah, Spellsess-senpai…”
“Well, fine. I’ll take command.”
“I understand. Miki, join us! Melee fighters, charge in when you see magic fired. Keith! Mike! Stop lurking in the back. You two are veterans!”
“Y-yeah…”
Indeed, he was a man accustomed to leading people as a member of the Dynasty’s magician corps. He gave instructions briskly while surveying the surroundings. Mike and Keith had no choice but to follow suit.
“Amur-san, you’re a mage too, right? I’m counting on you.”
“Y-yeah!”
However, the High Orcs charging forward with loud roars were intimidating. Even the seasoned Amur felt a chill.
Thinking it would be troublesome if they held back, Spellsess took out a small wand from his bag and handed it to Sakuragi.
“No need to hide anymore. You can use magic too. This will boost your power.”
“Wow, it’s a magic wand! Thanks, old man!”
“I’m not an old man!”
Having witnessed Gazelme’s earlier exchange, Sakuragi also referred to Spellsess as “old man”. Despite protesting against being called that, Spellsess couldn’t hide his pleased expression.
“Sorry! They found us!!!”
While they were talking, the High Orcs drew nearer. Thanks to their high rankings, their running speed surpassed that of the High Orcs. Brian dashed ahead, shouting, and leaped into the waiting formation. However, as he attempted to leave the group behind without slowing down, he spotted Keith and Mike holding their swords with apologetic expressions.
――W-why are they here?!
Without understanding what was happening, Brian applied the brakes and halted. He couldn’t just leave his comrades behind in the midst of these High Orcs.
–Darn it. Did they get caught?
Then, he stood beside his comrades, waiting for the right moment to charge forward behind the mages.
(Sorry… I couldn’t leave.)
(Darn it. Remember this later!)
“They’re coming!”
At Gazelme’s shout, the mages began preparing their spells in unison.
“Magnifying Glass!”
Sakuragi activated the magic she had carefully thought of. Above her head, several telescopes began to form. The effect of the wand Spellsess had given her was more than sufficient. The formation proceeded smoother than she had anticipated, and Sakuragi couldn’t help but grin.
Beside her, Amur conjured a huge fireball, while thunderballs formed above Gazelme. Spellsess and Yazzak, without any preparatory motion, focused their magic on their respective wands.
“Fire!”
With various spells booming, the leading High Orcs were blown away. The orcs, too, halted in their tracks due to the overwhelming power. Amidst the rising dust, the leader-like High Orc’s cry echoed, followed by the growls of the other orcs.
However, Gazelme wasn’t one to let a moment of vulnerability pass. With Gazelme’s command, the melee fighters plunged into the now-slowed High Orcs.
In tense faces, Kimishima and Nishina, too, ran alongside the veteran adventurers.
