CH 17

We’re pulling a cart full of healing potions across the grasslands.

Gabriel is in the front. Using her wolf’s keen senses, she chose a route that seemed to be free of monsters and bandits.

I’m right behind her, and Thor and Sheila are around the cart. Unfortunately, Golemus has been given the duty of guarding the territory and has been asked to stay behind. It’s a shame because he can be quite the asset.

“Huff huff……”

We’re going pretty slowly, but Sheila looks like she’s in a lot of trouble. She has less physical strength than her sister.

“If it’s too much for you, you can ride in the cart. You’re still a little tired, aren’t you?”

“I-it’s okay! If it comes down to it, I can just drink a little bit of the healing potion and I should be able to walk again!”

It’s a bold declaration to use drugs (doping). Relying on potions at such a young age may have a negative impact on her body. I’ll take a break a little later, because if I take a break right now, she’ll probably feel horrible.

The Beastmen are in the lands west of the territory. If you’re going to sell potions, it’s best to go with a hunting clan that is usually injured.

If you look at them from a distance, you can tell what they do for a living. If they have sheep, they are mainly herders. If they have a house and fields for settlement, they are mainly farmers.

Ideally, it would be a community of muscular, rugged men with spears and bows. A muscle empire full of men.  Personally, I’d rather not do that.

“Grrrrrrr…”

Suddenly, Gabriel lowers her posture and growls.

“What is it, Gabriel? Is it a monster?”

I crouch down beside Gabriel and whisper to her. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a group of Orcs. There are six of them, and they are walking towards the village in the distance.

“They are trying to attack the village!!”

I can’t stand the thought of the village I’m going to sell potions to being attacked. Orcs with clubs in their hands are monsters that eat people and beasts alike. We have to defeat them as soon as possible.

“Thor and Sheila, hide under the carts! And Gabriel, too!”

“I understand!”

I receive Thor’s reply and take my weapons from the cart.

A scythe made of Hihiirokane – this is also a farming tool for cutting grass, but I brought it because it looks more like a weapon than a scythe.

Just in case, I take out about 3 potions and stuff them in my pocket. I don’t think I’ll lose to that small fry, but it’s better to be prepared for it.

◇◇◇

“Ooooooooooo!!”

The orcs howl, their throats quivering. Was it the sound of alarm at finding an enemy, or joy of finding food?

“Gaaaaaah!”

One of them runs up to me and swings a club down. If it hits, it could easily shatter a human bone, but it misses me and plunges into the ground.

“There!”

After dodging the club, I swing my scythe downward to cut off both of the orc’s legs. After having had the same thing done to me before by a Hollow Knight, I learned the importance of targeting the legs in battle.

I climb onto the chest of the fallen orc and swing my scythe sideways to cut off the orc’s head. There are five of them left.

“What’s wrong with you! Your friends were killed and you’re not even angry?”

The Orcs are acting strangely. Their attacks are monotonous and their movements are also somewhat awkward. They didn’t show any signs of resentment, even though their own kind had died.

“Guooooo……”

“No way… undead?”

If I look closely, I can see that their skin color is a little darker, and they no longer have the rough characteristics of monsters.

I open the bottle of potion and pour a little on the scythe. It’s a valuable product, and I don’t want to waste it as much as possible.

When I slash at it with a scythe covered in potion to confirm, the orc suffered from the wound, sending up a cloud of blood, and then died.

“Why is there undead in this place!?”

Undeads can rise from an abandoned corpse. They usually have a hideous appearance, as if rough skin were pasted over carrion.

But these undead orcs, though a little pale, look as fresh as if they had just been alive. It’s highly unlikely that six orcs would die together and then turn into six undead at the same time.

Then…

“A necromancer…? No way…”

A bitter taste spread in my mouth as memories I didn’t want to remember came flooding back.

The rest of the orcs rush at me, swinging their clubs in a mess, but I deal with them by cutting off their heads with my scythe.

As I swing my scythe to get rid of the blood, two people and one animal come running towards me from the cart.

“Hey, are you okay? Are you injured?”

Thor is circling around me, making sure I’m not hurt. Sheila has a healing potion in her hand, ready to help. She doesn’t have to, though.

“No, it’s okay. These guys are undead orcs, and they’re not that strong.”

Thor and Sheila pat their chests.

“Onii-san, why is there undead in this place?”

“Perhaps the necromancer manipulated them into attacking that village.”

I point to a village in the distance. The village is surrounded by a wooden fence, and there are simple wooden houses lined up. There are no fields or sheep, so I guess this was the main hunting clan we were looking for.

“A necromancer? What’s a necromancer?”

“They manipulate corpses and souls to create undead. They’re not good people.”

Thor nods at my answer. Elves are basically a benevolent race loved by the gods, so necromancers are probably unfamiliar to them.

“It isn’t part of the plan, but let’s keep going to that village. It smells kind of gross, and I want to get away from here as soon as possible. And not look at too many dead bodies.”

I notice Sheila holding her mouth. She looks pale. We should probably go into the village and take a break.

“Yes… let’s go, onii-san.”

Sheila finally leaves the place as Thor comforts her.

I hope I didn’t remind her of that.