Chapter 38

There is only one orc left. And he would have to face both of us. I see Daniela jump down from the tree in the corner of my eye.

“Asagi, do not let your guard down.”

“Right.”

I answer briskly, keeping my focus on the orc. The important thing was to avoid being hit.

“Oingrraaawrr!!”

The orc howls in front of us. But we would not be overwhelmed by its volume. It was nothing compared to when Beowulf roared. I spread my feet and stood ready to move at any moment, the swords held in front of me. There was a different weight to each sword. The one made of ice was much lighter. So I should use the ice blade to intercept attacks and the steel blade to deal them.

The orc now raised its club in the air. It aimed for my head and swung downward. Of course, such an obvious attacks would never land. My feet dig into the ground before an almost explosive force carries me away from the spot. This fight was going to be one of agility.

With the same momentum, I slide to the side of the orc and slash his sides with one hit of the ice blade. This sword had cut off an orc’s head, so I had no complaints regarding its sharpness. Now the orc was crying with pain as it swung its club madly, not even seeing a target. The heavy weapon noisily cuts the air over my head. I stay in a crouching posture as I vault out like a bullet, it’s the steel sword that next slashes at the orcs ankles.

His foot flies away without much resistance.

“Oigyaahaghhh!!!”

Having lost its balance, the orc rocks back and forth for a moment before falling to the ground. I catch my breath and hold my sword ready. There is a saying about cornered rats attacking cats. You never knew what an enemy would do once it became desperate.

“Asagi, do it!”

I hear Daniela shout from behind me and I nod and take a step forward.

As if hearing my footsteps, the orc suddenly starts to flail around as if it has gone mad. Its club swung recklessly in all directions without thought. I was not going to be able to approach it like this. Well, magic it is then. Thankfully, the orc would not be able to move from where it was.

I stab the steel sword into the ground and hold the ice sword horizontally. Then I imagine that magic is being discharged into it as I point the tip of the blade toward the orc. The trigger is pulled in my brain. The missile of ice fires straight into the orc, entering its forehead.

The shock is so strong that the orc is blown backward and crashes into a tree. There is a loud sound of flapping wings as a flock of birds flies away from the suddenly swaying tree. I apologize to them inwardly, as I sigh and pull the steel sword out of the ground.

“Hahhh…”

“Good work, Asagi.”

She offers her fist which is still gripping her bow, and so I offer my sword-gripping fist in return for a nice bump. Apparently, Daniela really enjoyed these little interactions. So did I, really. It makes us feel like a real team.

“That club was dangerous.”

Yes. The combination of an orc’s power and that club… It is remarkable. There would not be a body left to bury if you let your guard down.”

Yeah… Really, what frightful enemies.

I look down at the fallen orcs. The first with an arrow in its brain. The other lay beheaded. Then the last, with its ankle slashed and a shard of ice stuck in its head. It had only been a minute or two, time-wise, but it had still been an intense fight.

□ □ □ □

We retrieved the fangs from the orcs as proof before returning to the campsite. Unlike the forest wolf fangs, these were thick and long. The wolf fangs were for eating, while these seemed more like weapons.

I looked up at the sky. The clouds had thickened again, making the moons look hazy. It would probably be about two hours until it sank and the sun rose.

“This succession of night attacks is getting tiresome.”

“That is what you can expect from traveling. Can you imagine doing this alone?”

That brings me back to when I had traveled alone. That was really… I didn’t want to sleep in any trees ever again. And while it could save you in a forest inhabited by wolves and goblins, what about orcs? I’m sure they would just knock the tree right over. And while I have yet to see one, if there were ape-like monsters here, then there would be almost no point in sleeping in the trees.

“Daniela. How did you travel when you were alone?”

I ask with sudden curiosity.

“Traveling completely alone is dangerous, and so I have done it only a few times. I try to stay with a caravan of merchants. I can help them as a guard after all. If I have to travel alone, then I will not sleep. I burn no fires and use Presence Detection to its fullest. The tension never ends until the morning welcomes me.”

Uhhh… Sounds like hell…

“Well, perhaps I would be safer if I slept in the trees?”

She stares at me with a mischievous look. I quickly avert my eyes.

□ □ □ □

It was finally morning. We had finished packing everything now and we were making sure that we hadn’t forgotten anything before leaving.

“You good?”

“Aye, I have everything.”

“Great, let’s go then.”

We left the campsite behind us and walked into the forest. The occasional goblin would appear, die and have its weapons stolen. All the while, my allowance money grew and grew.

“Still, this forest seems really huge.”

My head kept turning back as I looked around us. There were clearings here and there, but no actual trails. You would probably get lost very easily if you weren’t paying attention. Now, if only there was a paved path leading us to…

“We should be out of this forest very soon. If nothing happens.”

Daniela says as she puts a hand on her aching shoulder. I too adjust the strap of my bag and continue to walk without resting.

Then suddenly, Presence Detection alerts me.

“Hmm? A monster?”

“No, this is a… a human?”

There was a human-like presence approaching us from the back. Now that I think of it, we hadn’t encountered a single person on this journey up until now. It was probably just a matter of timing. Then perhaps there was nothing odd about bumping into someone here.

“It’s coming at us really fast… Is it really a human?”

Feeling uncomfortable, my hand instinctively goes to the sword on my belt. It was better to always be cautious while on the road.

“No, sense it carefully. There are two are there not?”

I concentrate again. Hmm… there really was something else along with the human.

“What is it?”

“It is a horse.”

Daniela says. I see. So someone was riding a horse through the forest then. But what were they doing here?

“Either an emergency or a bandit…”

Daniela also clutches the pommel of her sword. But would a single person really attack us?

As we stood, ready to defend ourselves, we could hear the strong sound of hooves hitting the ground. Yeah, it was definitely a horse.

Finally, the horse and its rider enter our vision. Now…unless I am mistaken, that person looks familiar. Additionally, if that person was who I thought it was, I wanted to get out of here as soon as possible.

“Daniela.”

“Shhh.”

Daniela says softly as she puts a finger to her lips.

Please listen to me.

“Daniela.”

“What?”

“Let’s run.”

“Why?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

She looks a little annoyed and suspicious.

Let’s run away from here. This was surely bad news.

I frantically look in the direction of the horse. Ahh, see, they were… The person was waving energetically now.

“Asagi!!!”

That overly familiar voice reaches us.

“But why is she…?”

“It’s bound to be something troublesome.”

I sigh with a hand covering half my face. It was too late now.

“Asagi!!! Sorry to keep you waiting!!”

Her high-spirited voice rained down over my head. I move my hand away and look up. There, in the horse’s saddle was Fiona, looking at me with the biggest smile on her face.