The girls watched Shin dashed off with incredible speed.

“Yuffa-san, was it?”

“Eh? A-ah yes! What is it?

Emilia suddenly spoke to Yuffa which caused her to be startled. When she noticed who it was, she gave a respectful response.

Yuffa is older than Emilia so her demeanor caused her to smile wryly. She just can’t get use to this kind of treatment from other people. They might have slight age difference but Emilia finds it slightly awkward when an older with the same gender lowers their heads like this. If you were to compare their looks, Yuffa would look like a teacher in her mid-20 while Emilia would be a 3rd-year high school student. And if this is Japan, both would certainly be popular in the whole school each in their own league.

“Can I ask you two to support Tia in the flank? There are still several monsters scattered throughout the village. Thanks to Shin, the monsters around this place have been reduced significantly but we still need to be careful. There might be some still lurking around. Yuffa-san tend the wounded with your heal and Clarisse to support their backs.”

“Got it” x2

Both nodded at Emilia’s instruction while Tanya also joined in with vigor. Yuffa and Clarisse started to walk away but Tanya didn’t move and just stood there. She was looking at Emilia like she’s expecting something.

What does she want? Emilia titled her head.

“Tanya will help too~”

“Kuh-! Erm.. I get it. I get it. Now go to your sister’s side”

“Hehehe~ okay”

Her reaction didn’t escape Emilia’s grasp.

“Cu-“

“mmm?” Tanya heard her mumble as she tilted her head.

“Cu—op~!”

“Muu. What are you doing? We’ll leave you behind if you’ll just stand in there. Oh Emilia-sama, what is it?”

“Eh? Uh erm.. It’s nothing. Go on ahead”

“Yes. Now come one here Tanya-chan. Clarisse-chan went ahead of us. It’s dangerous so don’t ever leave my side, got it?”

“Un~!”

Before Tanya was pulled, she stared at Emilia with a blank look and then suddenly grinned widely as she waved her hand before walking away briskly.

*kyuun*

Kuh. I want to hold her. Emilia muttered and looked away while clinching her fist.

Yuffa and Tanya joined Clarisse who were assisting Tia and some of the female knights who were busy eliminating the remaining orcs within the village.

There were some wounded and were healed by Yuffa.

They were rounding up houses by houses checking each of them if there are some monsters occupying it.

“We are almost done here. That last house uphill will be the last one. Let’s go”

Tia pointed at the house located uphill near the woods which was detached from the other houses. From how it looks, it might be the storehouse in village that resembles like a barn house made out of wood.

As they go nearer the storehouse, Clarisse got a sudden chill from her back. ‘What’s this?’. She grasps her bow tightly unconsciously.

Not knowing what’s causing her to feel cautious, they continued to walk towards it.

The feeling got stronger and stronger that Clarisse was unable to hide her feeling of unease so she called out to Tia.

“Tia-sama, I have a bad feeling about this. I feel like there’s something in there.”

“Ho~ you’re rather perceptive. Clarisse, is it? I know what you mean. As soon as we got close to it, I felt shiver for no reason.”

On a closer look, Clarisse noticed that Tia’s hands were both in the hilt of her two long swords in her waist ready to pull it any second.

About 30 meters away from the storehouse, Tia raised her right hand signaling them to stop. Even without using verbal command, the female knights withdrew their weapons and assumed a fighting stance.

There are 8 female knights excluding Tia. They consist of 4 archers and 4 vanguards equipped with a long sword and a shield as their primary weapon.

The vanguard positioned themselves at the front and slowly marches forward; the archers simultaneously pulls arrow from their quiver and followed after positioning at the back while Tia, Tanya and Clarisse were on the rear.

They were about to open the entrance when suddenly a flash of light obstructed their vision followed by an explosion.

Tia and Clarisse were fast enough to react and avoided the blast. Their reaction looked like it was rehearsed. Tia grabbed Yuffa and pulls her from the side while Clarisse hugged Tanya away from the blast.

Celesta village isn’t that big so the sound of explosion reached Emilia’s ears and turned her attention to her opposite direction in which Tia and the girls where.

The explosion destroyed half of the storehouse.

As the female knights were close to door where the explosion occurred, they were caught by it and got thrown couple of meters away from the blast. Fortunately their shields absorbed most the damage but they we still knocked unconscious.

All the while, one of the archers who slightly managed to take cover from the vanguard only received minor bruises and scratches, the other two archers laid unconscious. As she recovered from her initial shock, she immediately became vigilant and put some distance.

She worried for her vice-captain if she was okay for a moment only to find her totally fine and was tending a little girl. As expected of the vice-captain.

*cough* *cough*

“Are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?”

“Mm~ I’m fine. Thank you”

“I’m glad. Stand back and sit right there okay? We will be fighting over here so it’ll be dangerous.”

“Yes~” Tanya answered and dusted off her clothes.

I’ve been wondering about this for a while. That man, bringing a child to a fight? What is he thinking? Does this kid doesn’t have a family in the kingdom? If that is so, then don’t they even have a relatives or a friend that could be the child’s guardian for a short time? Is he that confident to be able to protect such a kid? Or does he trust us so much that he could leave her with us? Whatever the circumstances there is, I’ll properly confront that man after this.

Tia then called the attention of the still conscious knight with her. Subsequently, she instructed her to grab the fallen girls into safety.

“We will help too.”

Yuffa and Clarisse who

She watched the female knight pulled the unconscious bodies with ease despite them wearing full armor.

As the dust from the half-destroyed storehouse settles, a silhouette of a large build carrying something seemingly like a staff emerges. Towering at almost 9 feet tall and oozing with visible dark aura, it was an Elder Orc [Lv. Unknown].

It has noticeably larger build than an ordinary orc.

It’s carrying a black spear-like staff with ringlets on each side and wore a tattered black robe and a necklace made out of human skulls adorning its neck.

A-are you serious! Why is this thing here? How is this possible?! Moreover, it’s overflowing with dark energy! S-so, this might be one who’s leading this band of orc, huh? Tia uttered in her mind as she stares with wide eyes at the unbelievable thing right in front of her.

A hint of fear is clearly visible in her eyes.

For the record, an Elder Orc isn’t an unusual or a rare monster for Tia to have this kind of reaction. What made her in shock was the place it’s currently in.

An Elder Orc is a type of mini-boss different from other monster and is known for their unique difference in level depending on the location where they are found. In this world, there are different types of monster in each region and continent. For example, a rabid rabbit can be found only in the outskirts of Elijah Kingdom. Each map resides different monsters and are never the same.

But an Elder Orc is one of the few exceptions.

They are found in almost every dungeon in every country but with different levels. However, in the demon continent, they roam everywhere together with other monsters and are of significantly higher level than an ordinary Elder Orc found in the dungeon.

Any adventurer or a party that isn’t an S-class or higher that would foolishly challenges even a single Elder Orc or any other monsters in that continent would surely perish in an instant.

The dark miasma covering the entire demon continent serves as a mana pool of dark energy that causes mutation on every monster living there.

All the while, the Elder Orc was only standing there seemingly observing its surroundings.

It then turns its attention to the direction of Clarisse and Yuffa who were silently pulling the unconscious girls into safety.

Lightning starts to appear at the tip of its staff. It raised its arms that is holding the staff and then turns its whole body towards Clarisse and Yuffa.

This isn’t good. We can’t leave these girls here. But if this goes on, Yuffa and I will be also be caught on the attack too. Clarisse who thought of that made a decision in her mid.

“Yuffa-san, I’ll draw its attention away. At that time, you have to get those girls into safety.”

“I-I can’t do that! It’s dangerous. I’m not knowledgeable about monsters but looking at that black aura surrounding it, It’s clearly isn’t your ordinary orc. That’s why we will just have to pull them fast as far as we-“

“I know but I’m afraid it isn’t possible. There’s no time. It will fire at any moment. Please Yuffa-san”

“But-“

“Trust me on this. I have confidence in my agility-- it’s coming!”

Yuffa who was not prepared nearly jumped and dragged the girls one by one.

“Hey hey hey~ I’m here you ugly pig!l Look at this way! ”

Tia who watched and understood what Clarisse was trying to do, decided to ran towards the back of the enemy seemingly flanking it as she brandish her sword.

Whistling sounds were produced by each arrow penetrating the air as it hurls straight towards its target. 1.. 2.. 3.. 4.. A total of 4 arrows were fired in rapid succession. [Successive Shot]

Clarisse used her mastery of the weapon that she had been perfecting for years.

It didn’t only serve as a distraction but also filled with the intent to kill her opponent as her arrows were enhanced with magic.

The Elder Orc immediately stopped casting its lightning magic as it surrounded itself with [wind barrier]. Three arrows were knocked off by the wind but 1 arrow slips past through and pierced its shoulders.

However the momentum was greatly reduced by the wind barrier so it didn’t have any significant damage.

It’s acted as if some fly just landed on its shoulder; it only looked at Clarisse and grinned without even pulling the arrow out as if mocking her.

‘Kuh’

She had little hope that her attack could at least deal damage the enemy. But looking at it seemingly unscathed, made her grit her teeth in frustration.

For now, Clarisse successfully achieved her goal to get its attention. Perhaps even too successful she might even regret it. Its full attention is now on her and she felt a sudden pressure causing her stomach to churn up. The black aura oozing from its body seemed darker than before.

‘This is not good. If this goes on, I might be done here. But I can’t afford to die, not here, not now.. I still have my family waiting for me!”

Her eyes were directed towards the Elder Orc. To be precise, she was looking at someone behind it.

Their eyes met and nodded. Even without verbal communication, it’s as though they knew each other full well before this ordeal. In their minds they knew what to do.

Clarisse noticed something about the enemy and wanted to try something. In order for her to that, she must wait for her enemy to attack.

The enemy cancelled its wind barrier and traces of electricity started to emit from the Elder Orc staff.

This was the cue she had been waiting for.

‘There is nothing to lose in trying here then might as well try.’

Faster than the Orc’s casting speed, Clarisse once again attack with her [Successive Shot]. It’s not as though the Elder Orc is slow at attacking but compared to the bow that doesn’t need casting, Clarisse obviously has the upper hand in terms of speed.

The Elder Orc then cancelled its channeling skill and re-casted its wind barrier and deflected the arrows.

‘Bingo!’

A smile suddenly formed in Clarisse’s face.

She then called the person behind the Elder Orc who was waiting for the turn to attack.

“I found its weakness! As I thought, it can’t attack and defend at the same time. If I keep on attacking, it will be compelled to cast its barrier and cannot do anything. At that time, it’s your turn Tia-sama. It should be weak to melee attack. And I’ll switch to my daggers too our distance to it will be on arm’s length. I’ll start now”

“Impressive. Don’t be worried about your arrows hitting me. Just fire as you will. Here I come!”

Clarisse immediately started firing unstoppable volley of arrows while advancing towards the Elder Orc and at the same time, Tia readied her sword and dashed off matching Clarisse’s speed in order for them to reach their enemy at the same time.

When the distance was close enough to reach their enemy by hand, Clarisse put away her bow and pulled two daggers in her waist, and Tia raised her sword to slash her enemy.

Their weapon were about to tear the flesh off of the Elder Orc’s body when it muttered words only the two of them can hear.

“Kukuku.. Humans.. Foolish ..”

“Wha--?”

Without giving time to react, the Elder Orc unleashed a huge burst of dark energy.