Legend Chapter 38
A fierce fight. The fight against the Orcs led by the Orc King could be called as such.
Scorching Wind, led by Milein, said that they would only be able to hold off 5 Orcs, but with the luck that the Orcs were surprised by Rei's sudden attack, they were able to beat all 5 Orcs with three people.
As for Rei, he didn't have a chance to use his best skill, fire magic, and was only able to fight the proud Orc King with his Death Scythe, decapitating him.
The person who pushed their superiority most in this fight would have been Set. Should you call the the dignity of an A rank monster, his fight against the Orc Archer was a complete victory.
「Haa, haa, haa...」
In front of the corpses of the Orcs, Milein was breathing roughly. Continuously a.s.sisting using recovery magic as well as attacking, Sulunin had almost used up his magic power and sat down on the ground.
The most energetic person in Scorching Wind was surprisingly the newbie, Excel. Although she was sweating a lot, she was wary of the surroundings and wasn't breathing roughly.
However, this was due to the roles in their party. Milein, who was the party leader of Scorching Wind, was the sole person responsible for the vanguard, Sulunin used magic to attack, recover and support, because of this, Excel's main role was to restrain the enemy.
「Well, we won. I think I said that we'd do our best to hold out against 5, but.」
「Haa, haa, haa...fuu. Well about that, even if you say Rei is strong, a G rank adventurer fighting evenly with an Orc King...fighting...that reminds me, he didn't even receive a single wound from fighting the B rank Orc King head on. Seriously, maybe he'll reach S rank in future. Well, anyway. At the very least, your rank can contend with an Orc King, even though I'm ashamed to say, we as a C rank party can't even defeat ordinary Orcs. ...Ah I'm tired. Anyway, I'm tired. Terribly tired. I don't even want to take another step.」
To Milein's words, Sulunin agreed by nodding.
「With this, we'll will become a famous party for a while. That's why I say we should actively promote ourselves.」
「...About that.」
While wary of the surroundings, Excel nodded with a faint smile.
The moment Rei was going to say something.
『UOOOOOOooooooo~!』
A cry from the east of the village could be heard.
「It seems the fight has been decided there.」
It was so, the undeniable roar of victory could be heard now. It wasn't possible to mishear the voices mixed with jubilation.
「It seems so. Well, because the Orc King came here, I guess they were discarded p.a.w.ns for their escape after all.」
「Even if they were sacrificed as p.a.w.ns, as expected, they were only able to survive in the village because of the Orc King.」
Naturally, if the troops for the guard were increased, the forces for the diversion would decrease, and they would likely have been annihilated early on. A large escort along with the Orc King would also be more likely to be found by the members of the subjugation force.
「...Well then. Well, it seems the Orc subjugation quest has ended with this.」
「You're right. ...It was a tiring request. Well, it can't be helped as the city of Gimuru would incur damage if we left it alone.」
Milein had a wry smile as she glanced to the side. Rei stored the corpse of the Orc Mage that Set had defeated as well as the corpses of the Orc General and the Orc King into the Misty Ring.
All of Scorching Wind looked at Rei with interest, Sulunin called out to Rei as he was storing the corpse of the Orc King.
「Heh~, I've seen it a few times from further away but this is the first time to see it so close. Is that the item box?」
「Ah. It's a parting gift from my teacher who taught me magic, I only found out it was an ultra rare item after I came to the city of Gimuru.」
「Such a magic item, even if you say it's a parting gift for a pupil...I would like to meet him once.」
「Well, I never paid attention to where I lived until I was sent away my spatial magic. It will be a little difficult to introduce you as I don't even know where teacher's house is.」
「Hey.」
A voice abruptly interrupted Sulunin and Rei's conversation. When Rei turned his gaze to the voice, he saw Milein looking at him with questioning eyes.
「What's wrong?」
「Though I understand collecting the high ranking species that you and Set-chan defeated, why aren't you collecting the Orc Archer?」
What Milein had looked at earlier was the corpse of the Orc Archer whose head was crushed by Set. High ranking Orcs...even if you say that, Orc Generals and Orc Mages were C rank monsters and differed from Orc Archers which were still D rank. Still, it was a high ranking Orc, the skin, several organs and the subjugation proof could be stripped off for materials, the magic stone of a D rank monster was also worth a lot.
Rei glanced at Milein as she said that words, and turned his eyes to the Orc Archer as he spoke.
「Do you remember what we talked about before the battle with the Orcs?」
「What, this all of a sudden. Of course I remember. In return for Rei and Set using their trump cards to help us, you will cast Magic Oath on us?」
While asking Milein, he gave a quick wink that only Set could see as she replied.
While the 3 members of Scorching Wind were listening interestingly at Rei's words, Set saw the signal and went around to the back.
「Ah. So, because of that, I'll be burdening you in various ways with Magic Oath. Compensation...this is something like that.」
「...In other words, the reason is that Magic Oath is a dangerous magic?」
「Of course there's no danger if you don't try to tell others my secret. However, you still wouldn't feel good being bound by it, don't you think? Well, Magic Oath does give you benefits to a certain level.」
「Benefits?」
「Ah. It's a property of the magic used for Magic Oath, but a person who has the magic cast on them more or less get's increased resistance to flames and heat. 」
「...Okay. There's no use in saying anything now, we would have all died if it weren't for you anyway. Please do it quickly before my resolution fades. Sulunin, Excel, you guys okay?」
Taking a deep breath, Milein agreed to accept the Magic Oath. As for the two people Milein called out to, Sulunin was silent while Excel nodded with somewhat cramped cheeks.
Rei saw the state of the 3 and signaled to Set.
If the members of Scorching Wind had tried to run away instead of receiving the Magic Oath, Set would have attacked them from behind.
Set saw Rei's signal and relaxed his combat readiness while watching for attacks from Orc remnants.
「Let's go.」
Milein nodded at Rei's words as he started his incantation.
『Flame, thou is a seed. If the host breaks the contract, use their life to bloom into flames in glory.』
With Rei's incantation, the flame gathered on the Death Scythe was compressed into the size of a seed.
He lifted the handle of the Death Scythe and brought it in contact with Milein's head.
『Seed of Contract.』
As the same time the incantation was completed, the seed of flame from the Death Scythe entered Milein's head smoothly.
「Ah...」
Though Milein unintentionally raised a voice at that feeling, there wasn't a shock as she expected, instead, she felt something faintly warm enter her.
「That, has it finished?」
Though she muttered instinctively, Rei only gave a small nod in response.
「Right, but there's still 2 people left.」
Saying so, he used the same magic on Sulunin and Excel.
And, after Rei used the spell for contract on the three people, they gave a small sigh.
「It's good with this. So, I'll give a detailed explanation of the magic. Because the seed planted in you will burn up your body if you try to tell other about Set's Fire Breath, Water Ball or my corrosion, you should be careful about what you say and do.」
Their body being burnt from the inside, from the fight a little while ago...the appearance of the Orc General appeared inside the minds of Scorching Wind.
The Orc General, which was a C rank monster, cared neither about shame or reputation and screamed out in pain. They were made to understand how severe the pain was just by seeing it.
「With it, you will also receive resistance to flames and heat as I mentioned a little while ago.」
「Guh, to be sure, what kind of resistance is it?」
Milein wiped the image of the Orc General from her mind and asked Rei.
「About that...it seems damage from flames is reduced by roughly 10%. At the same time, this also benefits people that can use magic, the power of fire magic that is used is also roughly increased by 10% and magic power consumption is reduced by 10%. Well, to put it simply, it benefits the fire element.」
「10%, is it.」
Sulunin was stunned as he heard Rei's description.
Precisely because Sulunin was a magician, he was able to clearly understand how much the benefit was. Though a kind of magic item that increased magic power existed, it's performance wasn't to the degree of increasing the power of the magic and it was only possible to buy one with a few platinum coins. When it came to magic items that could increase the power of magic by a noticeable amount, you would need payment in light gold coins to obtain it.
In addition, there was the added bonus of resistance to heat and fire. For Sulunin, which wasn't part of his nature to disclose Rei and Set's abilities, the magic named Seed of Contract gave nothing other than benefits.
「I have understood the magic. Because, of course, I don't intend to spread the information, I am lucky to have the benefits from the Seed of Contract. So, can we really get the Orc Archer?」
「I don't care. Well then, I'll go to where Hobbes is. Even if the Orc King is defeated, the quest won't end unless I report it.」
「Eeh, please do so. As expected, because we're tired, we'll join you later after we take a rest.」
Nodding at Milein's words, he sat astride Set's back.
「Ah, I'd like you to leave Set-chan if possible. For me to heal.」
「Milein, don't ask for the impossible.」
Sulunin chided Milein as she looked at Set wistfully. Excel watched on with a wry smile.
「Guru~」
Giving a small cry at Milein, Set shook his tail several times.
「Milein, Set said that he will play with you again later.」
Rei interpreted Set's actions and told that to Milein.
At this time, Set's appearance of readiness to pounce at them if they fled from the Seed of Contract from before could not be seen at all.
「Eh? Really? Un~, un~. Let's play to the most before we leave. I still have some dried meat.」
While hearing Milein's joyful voice, they once again in this day started to rise into the sky.
「Dawn, is it?」
What Rei saw as he ascended into the sky was the scene of the night's darkness fading away as the morning sun rose from the east.
「In the end, we were kept fighting all night. Well, those below still look energetic.」
Should you say, as expected of adventurers, they didn't look like they had stayed up all night, along with Axe of the Thunder G.o.d who defeated the diversion force, they seemed to be searching through the Orc village to thoroughly to hunt out the remnants of the Orcs.
The Orcs that were found hiding and lurking in a few hidden places were fought, but were already outnumbered by the crowd of people. The Orc who attacked in a last ditch resistance were killed one after the other.
Though it may be considered cruel if you heard of the remnants being hunted down, it was a necessary job. Because Orcs used female humans for breeding, if they showed unnecessary mercy and let them go, it was likely that the city of Gimuru would incur damage. At any rate, this was because the city of Gimuru was the nearest location where people gathered.
While glancing towards the ground for an instant, where the hunt for the remnants was being carried out, he signaled Set to go to the place Hobbes was waiting at.
At this time, Elk saw the figure of Set moving away from the village and was instinctively certain that Rei and Set had taken out the Orc leader.
At a place a little further away from the Orc village. Hobbes looked up into the brightening sky.
In the carriages a bit further away from Hobbes, the two women saved from the Orc village were sleeping like the dead. Finally realising that they had been rescued from the Orcs, all their past fatigue was released at once. One of the causes was also that Hobbes had given them some tea with the effect of relaxing their mind so that they wouldn't be reminded of being caught by the Orcs.
「...With that smoke, the village is burning without doubt. In that case, the night attack could be considered a success. If any unforeseen circ.u.mstances had occurred, I would have been informed immediately.」
As he was originally an adventurer, Hobbes was accustomed to waiting. Though impatient and unpleasant thoughts floated into his mind, he believed in the partic.i.p.ants of the Orc subjugation force and waited quietly at his place.
Of course, he held a spear which he habitually used as an adventurer in case of emergencies. This was because Orcs running away from the village might come here.
Hobbes, who turned his gaze to the Orc village in that state, suddenly heard something in the surroundings...with Set flying calmly in the morning glow, he found the figure of Rei riding on his back. He was convinced of the success of the night attack as small smile floated onto his face.