Volume 3 - CH 9

「Anything to report?」

「Nothing for now. ……It’s eerily quiet.」

A town soldier asked the question. The rank 2 adventurer Kevin who was keeping watch on the watchtower was looking toward the harvested wheat field spreading outside the town and the forest that was visible at the other side with a grim look. The damage wasn’t that serious because the harvest had been finished, but the seeds planting might also get affected if this situation continued. But, that wasn’t the only reason for Kevin’s grim look.

Nearly one month had passed since the townspeople started evacuating in full scale. Currently the townspeople who could move had finished evacuating, but the sick and their family were still remaining. They were asked to gather at the public hall in the center of the town as countermeasure but, even that would still take several days.

The lord of this territory, Baron Horace had asked for reinforcement from his caregiver Count Taurus. With that the preparation of 1400 soldiers that also included the army from other noble houses to depart was finally completed.

The rank 4 scout that the adventurer guild found had also already arrived in the baron territory. Currently they were starting to have discussion with the guild master and other rank 3 adventurers in this territory whether there was a way for them to defeat the orc general.

The baron felt some relieve after hearing that information and he finally sent fifty soldiers as advance party. Those soldiers were working together with the soldiers in this town right now to evacuate the townspeople.

The adventurer guild also put up a quest for helping the town after the rank 4 adventurer arrived. Two rank 3 parties took up the quest and they were working together with Kevin’s party to prepare for any unforeseen attack from the orcs.

There was still no new information about the orcs. It was caused partly because the scouts were hesitant to undertake such dangerous mission, but partly it was also because the rank 3 girl who should be doing that information gathering right now still hadn’t returned.

「As promised, it looks like we’ll make it in time with the evacuation of the townspeople who can move. You adventurers also repelled the orcs who came before this.」

The familiar soldier who previously in charge of keeping watch of the area around the gate climbed up on the foothold created behind the stone wall and looked toward the same direction where Kevin was looking at.

There had been no movement for more than three weeks but, several days ago, they discovered five orcs trying to take out food from the storehouse. Kevin’s party and a rank 3 party worked together to finish them off.

「The orcs weren’t as scary as the rumor made them out to be. We would manage somehow with just ourselves even without that girl going off. She won’t be able to do anything significant anyway, she should just run home right away!」

「Kevin……you said that, but you’re the one who is the most worried for that girl.」

「W-who’s worried, I’m just angry because that girl acted as she pleased!」

The girl called Aria said that she would buy time until the evacuation of the townspeople was finished and headed to the orc settlement alone.

Even though she was just a girl who was still in her early teen, she possessed strength that made rank 2 looked powerless before her. Nobody was able to stop Aria from going. Aria had already departed when Kevin woke up from being beaten up until he fainted.

「That girl took my words too seriously. This isn’t something she should do by herself……」

Kevin muttered those words with a dejected tone. His acquaintance soldier grinned knowingly.

「She was a pretty girl wasn’t she……did getting punched made you fall in love?」

「S-stupid idiot! Ain’t no way I’ll fall in love with that kind of brat!」

She was an eye-catching beauty despite the trace of immaturity that still remained in her look. He didn’t notice when he was harboring dissatisfaction toward the girl but, looking back he noticed her consideration in the subtle details.

The girl didn’t pamper or reject Kevin. She treated him as a warrior from the start. That was exactly why she used harsh words to rouse him up while going to the most dangerous place by herself to practice what she preached.

A part of the soldiers and adventurers in town were saying in contempt that the girl was already killed or that she ran away from the start, but Kevin was the one who got angry and argued against those detractors the most.

There was no way that girl would run away. For some reason that was the one thing that he could say with complete confidence.

Kevin’s behavior toward the girl wasn’t how one treated 『a junior adventurer』 no matter how others looked at it but, the town soldiers didn’t bring it up and change the topic.

「Well, setting that aside, thank god that the orcs aren’t that strong. I heard that orc is a rank 3 monster, but is it really not as strong as what the rumors say?」

「You’re mistaken.」

The scout of the rank 3 party that was staying in this town had climbed up on the stone wall’s foothold without them noticing. He was the scout who investigated the state of the orc force by the feudal lord’s request when the orc was discovered, so he knew just how much of a threat the orcs were. That was exactly why he participated in the town’s defense this time with his party.

「Doyle-san……what do you mean?」

The orc that Kevin happened to see before left very strong impression in him, but the orcs that appeared before this got defeated so easily it felt anticlimax. Though perhaps that was also thanks to the help from Doyle’s party.

Doyle paused for a beat at Kevin’s questioning look before he lit his smoking pipe.

「You know how I infiltrated into their settlement right? The condition of the orcs who came before this was strange so I tried to Appraise them. I found out that all of them were in weakened state that halved their combat strength. It was as though they got poisoned by “someone”.」

It wouldn’t be that strange if it was just one or two orcs who were in such state, but it was a different story if all the orcs were in the same condition.

A veteran scout who was at his later thirty said that as his inhaled the smoke from his smoking pipe. Kevin and the soldier felt the credibility from the story and looked at each other.

「Don’t tell me……it’s her?」

「She said that she will buy time but……」

The figure of the ash covered girl flashed in the mind of Kevin and the soldier. Doyle had heard about the girl but he hadn’t met her personally. He lightly shook his head.

「I’m not saying that. Even I couldn’t enter to the middle of that abandoned village and could only observe from outside. Do you get it……? I was 『scared』. Death will definitely wait for me if I got discovered. If I want to poison that many orcs all at the same time, I’ll need to infiltrate inside the village and stay undiscovered for more than ten days at the very least. ……Sorry but, I don’t have the guts for something like that.」

「「…………」」

A veteran scout said that it was impossible for him. Then, why was the orcs weakened? What was the reason that the confirmed superior variants hadn’t showed themselves until now? In the first place what was the reason for the orcs to never come attacking here even after more than one month?

「Oi, something’s coming-!」

A soldier who was standing guard in another watchtower yelled. Kevin and others went to the edge of the stone wall and leaned forward until they almost fell to focus their gaze toward the field. Then they saw a small silhouette approaching from away while bringing something like a long rod.

「That girl……」

「Oi, Kevin-!」

Kevin’s eyes widened and he broke into a run toward the gate. The soldier and Doyle also followed behind him.

They came out of the gate together with the other gathered adventurers and soldiers. Kevin who was running at the lead yelled the girl’s name when he got near.

「Aria-!」

「……Kevin?」

The girl was wearing a mantel that had become covered in mud and tears like a dirty rag. She was dragging a bag that was made from skin while shouldering a huge rod. She repositioned the rod on her shoulder while turning a tired face toward their approach.

Kevin gulped feeling her ghastly atmosphere and the dried blood on her cheeks and hair. His acquaintance soldier stepped forward and called out with a nervous face.

「What happened to you? What about the orcs?」

「……The orcs won’t attack again. There might be still several remaining but, the superior variants are already gone at the very least.」

「Gone……just what’re you saying-!」

「Wait Kevin」

Doyle stopped Kevin who tried to press for an answer and turned his eyes toward the black rod Aria was carrying.

「Hey, tell me one thing. ……That magic iron rod, isn’t that the orc general’s weapon?」

The adventurers and soldiers couldn’t understand Doyle’s words and looked bewildered. Aria ignored them and turned toward Doyle.

「You want it? I brought it with me but, it’s really heavy.」

「……No thanks. Let me ask one more thing. Are the orcs already gone?」

「They’re scattered through the forest and the abandoned village, so go check it yourself. Can I go already? I’m tired.」

「……Got it.」

Aria looked really exhausted. Doyle shivered just like when he discovered superior variants of orc in the forest. He unconsciously backed off to open a path.

「O-oi……」

Kevin tried to stop Aria, but Doyle grabbed his shoulder and shook his head quietly.

When that small back vanished into the town’s gate, Doyle spoke to the soldiers and other adventurers with a grim face.

「Someone, look for my teammates and tell them to gather in the meeting place. We’re going to go check the forest and the orc settlement after this.」

Doyle and Kevin’s parties departed within that same day for investigation. Then several days later, deep inside the forest and in the abandoned village that the orcs turned into their base, they found more than fifty orc corpses including the superior variants with magic stone already taken from their hearts.

After that they return to the town to ask for a more detailed explanation, but the ash covered girl was already gone. Then Doyle recalled a certain information that he heard from the nature of his job as scout, rumors from various places, and people involved with the thief guild.

It was an information that said how a person who destroyed a branch of assassin guild alone, got into hostility with the whole assassin guild itself, and crushed multiple thief guilds in several cities while slaughtering every single person there was still a young girl.

Doyle himself only thought of it as a stupid rumor when he heard about those. And even if the stories were true, he made light of them thinking that there must be some exaggeration mixed in for laugh.

But, a person who happened to actually be present in the scene and luckily survived said that the stories were true with a look of terror. Doyle turned his gaze toward the direction of the town where the baron was living, where that girl must be heading to and muttered in a daze into the wind.

.

「So she’s actually exist……”The Ash Crowned Princess”……」

That day……when I woke up after fainting from defeating Goljaoul, the blue sky was spread out in front of me.

My stamina and mana were reduced to the extreme. If my damage was just a bit more severe, I would enter a hungry state while still unconscious and died from emaciation.

I couldn’t move my body even after waking up because I used my physical ability passed the limit. The muscles and joints through my whole body were greatly burdened. That was my guess.

Other than that there was also the recoil from the sudden deceleration when I stabbed the dagger. The bone of my right upper arm broke and my shoulder was also dislocated. I also received damage from blows on several places of my body that also reached my internal organ.

……Even I was puzzled that I was still alive.

It was lucky that my head at least didn’t get injured. I would surely never wake up again if my head also got injured.

With me returning to the land of the living, I confirmed my present situation despite the haziness of my mind. I used daily life magic Water using my slightly recovering mana to create water around my head. Then I supped the muddy water on the ground to regain my energy even for just a little.

If there was still even one orc surviving, I wouldn’t be able to do anything in this state and got killed.

It was a pain because the amount of mana flowing inside my body became irregular. Perhaps the magic power circuit inside my body wasn’t working well. But I adjusted it using my Magic Power Control that had leveled up and repaired my body bit by bit using Cure. With that my hand became able to move while trembling and I grabbed my few remaining nutrition pills and consumed them. Like that one whole day passed before I finally recovered to a point where I could move.

I had accumulated fatigue and damage. My stamina and mana couldn’t recover for more than fifty percent.

But it would take time for me to recover even if I stayed here. And so I decided to do what needed to be done before leaving from here.

I collected the black dagger from the forehead of the dead Goljaoul, then used my steel knife to take out his magic stone from his chest. I was an adventurer. I didn’t kill based on hatred. That was why I wouldn’t waste his death as a monster and used him as my nourishment.

I found a skin bag that the orcs used for gathering food, went around the abandoned village to collect the magic stones from the orcs, and gathered my throwing knives as many as possible.

That night I roasted some edible wild plants and yam, and drank boiled water that was mixed with salt. Then I slept like a log until the sun rose after eating warm food for the first time in a month. When morning came, I left the abandoned village and also collected the magic stones of the orc soldiers that I left behind in the forest while walking to return to the town.

I brought the magic iron rod that Goljaoul used just based on my whim.

I didn’t plan to call it a war trophy but, it would also displease me if some unknown person used it, so I decided to bring it with me for now, but I regretted it midway because of how heavy it was.

.

When I returned to that small town, I only told the adventurers including Kevin and the soldiers that the threat was gone now. I dropped the whole process of clean up to them.

I didn’t say much because I was tired and it was troublesome to explain, but also because they would surely reach their own conclusion after seeing the actual scene rather than hearing longwinded explanation from me. It was doubtful anyway whether I would be believed if I tried to explain what I did, so this way was less troublesome to convince them.

I couldn’t see any townspeople other than the soldiers inside the town. It looked like the evacuation in preparation of the orc’s attack had progressed really far.

「…………」

I should have only bought time, but I did something that far surpassed that plan. But there was no problem because the worst case was averted with this. ……Maybe.

I found an inn that was still open inside that town and entered inside. It seemed to be a place that adventurers or soldiers were using as a station. I borrowed a spot at the corner and wrapped myself in my mantle before catching a sleep.

Right now I wanted to sleep in a safe place even more than proper food. There was no guarantee that a place with other people around was safe, but it should be better than open space where wild animals and monsters loitered around.

Perhaps there were only men around. I only found dried cheese and hard bread left on the table, so I washed them down into my stomach with water. After I got enough sleep and woke up, my stamina and mana had recovered until around 70%.

A soldier returned almost at the same time when I woke up. I asked him some questions and heard how some adventurers and soldiers went to the abandoned village while I was sleeping.

There was no need for me to wait for them to return. They might want me to explain but, I would have to explain in the guild anyway. I wasn’t interested in giving the same explanation twice, so I immediately departed to the town where the guild was located.

I had noticed since I started walking on the highway but, although there was fatigue, my body felt sharper than before. It was caused by my Martial Art and None-Elemental Magic reaching level 4.

My elemental magic and combat skills didn’t level up, so I was still rank 3, but physical ability-wise, I should be very close to rank 4.

With this I finally got a foot on the stage where “the strong” stood.

I was running when coming here but, I was walking when returning. It was in part because I still wasn’t a full health, but it was also because I was still feeling uneasy with doing Body Strengthening.

That technique that I used to defeat Goljaoul……I thought that it was like Body Strengthening in a rampaging state, but it consumed a lot of mana in one go and also put a lot of burden on the body.

I never heard about this kind of phenomenon even from master, but perhaps Galbas who was knowledgeable about weapon might know something.

.

And then when I returned to the large town after one month, I found the number of guards increasing as countermeasure against orc.

This state of high alert wouldn’t stop until they confirmed that the threat of orc was already gone anyway, so I paid it little attention and headed toward the gate. I was seen with suspicion thanks to my ragged and dirty mantel, but the guard got surprised by my rank and appearance when I showed my adventurer guild tag and I was allowed inside easily.

It had been one month since I was here last time, but there wasn’t really anything different. Midway I visited a stall and bought some plants that I had run out of.

Originally I should head to the adventurer guild first and gave simple explanation to that receptionist lady, but I headed to Galbas’s workshop first before that.

I used Stealth when entering a back alley like usual and moved soundlessly. I paid careful attention to the surrounding and confirmed that there wasn’t any “eye” of the thief guild before lightly knocking on Galbas’s workshop.

「Galbas, you there?」

There was the sound of hammer from inside so I thought that he might be inside, but it seemed that he didn’t hear me because of that. I called out first just in case before getting inside. Galbas who was making something at the forge noticed me and his eyes widened.

「Ash covered……you’re completely beaten up.」

The protectors that Gelf made for me were only dirtied, but the mantel that was only made from leather needed to be replaced completely with how tattered it had become.

「I got into a fight. Is the weapon finished? Also this, souvenir.」

「……You’re pretty bad at giving explanation huh. But, this thing……」

I handed the “luggage” I shouldered that was the magic iron rod. Galbas took it and stared at it with curiosity before he groaned.

「Uumu……this is a pretty old thing. It was roughly made but, it doesn’t warped or bent even though it has been used quite often. The magic iron in it got pretty high purity.」

So he could learn that much just from a glance.

「Can you create weapon using this?」

「It’s a lump of magic iron, so I can make a lot of things from it but……oi, ash covered. Where did you get this from?」

「An orc general used it.」

「……Haa!? You said orc general-!?」

「Yep. That’s for you so tell me one thing.」

First I told Galbas the short summary of what had happened until now and then I talked about how my Body Strengthening went wild. Galbas had gone past feeling exasperation and he sighed while holding his head in great perplexion.

「You……damn stupid idiot-!! It’s unreasonable to tell an adventurer to not be reckless but……treasure your own body a bit more!」

「Sorry……」

「……And, about the strange Body Strengthening. I’m only around rank 2 in fighting, even so I believe that I’m pretty well-informed when it come to weapon.」

Galbas glared at me reproachfully, then he poured alcohol into a cup and gulped it down in one breath before he started talking.

「I made weapon with the assumption that the user will use Battle Technique with it. That was why I investigated various things when I was young. The current Battle Technique had only existed for around 2000 years, but it had a predecessor before that. What you used is most likely the 『origin Battle Technique』.」

Galbas said that what I used was a “phenomenon” that couldn’t even be called a technique, the thing that became the basis for the current Body Strengthening and Battle Technique before they got systematized.

The “heat” from the rampaging Body Strengthening heightened my strength but, that was a double-edged sword. It seemed that by controlling non-elemental magic so that you could use that heat and then concentrating it to a single point would result in Battle Technique.

With that, I wondered if I would be able to create my own Battle Technique using that but, it wasn’t something that simple.

「After all Battle Technique is something that the spirits created.」

Galbas said that and drank alcohol again before he taught me more.

It was said that Battle Technique was a monosyllabic non-elemental magic but, the language used wasn’t spirit language but the common language that human race used. Monsters like orc didn’t even us word and used Battle Technique just by roaring.

In other words it was no different from “activation word” like Fire Arrow or Stone Throw that was used in normal sorcery.

And yet, if asked why there was a need to use voice, because that activation word’s “meaning” itself was the magic.

When that word that had meaning got recognized by spirit, it became spirit language of this world that had power. Just like how sorcery could activate as magic as long as you understood the right meaning, if you correctly understood the effect of close quarter combat skill’s technique and Battle Technique themselves, that would act as magic composition that could activate Battle technique or magic even just from a monster’s roar.

Our predecessors had repeated trial and error countless times for many years to do something about the rampaging heat. And the result was the currently existing Battle Technique that was created from the spirit’s recognition.

Just like how a weapon couldn’t be created just from finding ore, even if I did trial and error repeatedly in my spare time, it would take dozens of years until my effort took shape to become a new Battle Technique. And even if I managed to luckily complete it, I didn’t think it would result in something that surpassed the existing Battle Techniques.

By the way the Battle Technique that Goljaoul used was so powerful because it was said that Battle Techniques of rank 5 and above were created by spirit for the sake of “hero” who guarded the balance of the world.

In short the current Battle Technique was the stabilized version of the unstable primitive Body Strengthening’s technique. It was said that if you wanted to become strong safely, then using the existing Battle Techniques would be the shortest shortcut.

The conclusion was I couldn’t create new Battle Technique. But, in that case, would I be able to control the rampaging heat itself…….

「Ask someone else if it’s about sorcery. Even you got your own sorcery teacher right?」

「Yes……I’ll do that.」

「That’s important but, I’ve also finished your weapons’ forging and repair. First is the magic steel knife you left with me. Try holding it.」

「Yes.」

The knife that I had entrusted my life to for this two and half years returned to my hand. When I tried holding it, its hilt wasn’t slender for a kid to hold with two hands anymore. Its handle had become thicker again to be held in one hand. I was surprised by how it felt like the handle was glued into my hand.

「……Can I try swinging it?」

「Try cutting the charcoal there.」

I tossed one of the charcoals from the pile to the air before swiftly stepping forward and swung the knife. I split the brittle charcoal as though I was cutting a fruit.

It was as though the black blade was brand new. There wasn’t any cloudiness in it. the center of gravity was slightly leaning to the front while its sharpness was just like before, increasing its power.

「Yes……it’s really good. Then, about the dagger I borrowed……」

「Ou, I’ll service it too. Just wait for a day.」

「……Isn’t it a substitute weapon?」

The black dagger was something I borrowed as substitute weapon while the black knife was in repair. When I mentioned that, Galbas didn’t answer and pulled out the black dagger from its sheath. He frowned.

「It’s this damaged just in one month……well, guess it’s only natural if you used it to fight higher ranked orcs……. Listen, ash covered. This iron steel dagger is “hard” weapon that I created as a pair for that knife. Did you dislike it?」

「No, I’d lose without that.」

I believed that my last attack only worked because I used that weapon.

「Then, just keep using it. That knife and dagger are siblings. It’ll be too pitiful for them if you don’t use them together right?」

「……Yes.」

……This eccentric old man is really softhearted.

「Also, take a look at the new weapon you requested-, it’s this-!!」

Galbas’s eyes shined like a kid who had just gotten a toy. He opened the wrapping of the item he brought.

「……Four?」

For some reason the new blade for the pendulum that I requested from Galbas had four types.

「You’ll change the way you use this weapon depending on your purpose right? I tried creating various things based on those purposes.」

Galbas proudly explained with flushed face.

All-Purpose type──Diamond shaped blade with moderate weight. It could be used for cutting, but it was mainly used for stabbing. I should be able to use it in the same way like I had done until now.

Slashing type──It was a circular blade that looked like chakram. By swinging it around to speed it up with centrifugal force, it could tear like razor and slash like axe.

Sickle type──A sickle in the shape of anchor. It could saw off the target by swinging it around just like the slashing type. It made it possible to kill even creature with strong life force with one blow.

Weight type──it had the shape like a thick cross. It would become horizontal by swinging it around. The slightly pointed edges would be able to smash even skull if they were used like hammer.

「You look like you understand how to use them. I have made the molds for them so I’ll make some spares for you soon. You also just gave me the material for it, gahahahahah」

Galbas said that and slapped the magic iron rod.

「……Thank you.」

「Stupid idiot-, it’s still a hundred year too early for a brat like you to act reserved-!」

Galbas intentionally acted brusquely. It made me to smile a little too.

「Also, I want some throwing knives too. It doesn’t matter even if they’re just ready-made things……」

I said that and directed my attention to the shelves where weapons were lined up. It was then I felt a “gaze” from behind me, and something “out of place” at the entrance. I pulled out a knife from my skirt’s slit and threw it. That presence shifted slightly and dodged the thrown knife.

I sensed that the presence was very skilled and stood in front of Galbas with my knife raised. It was then the owner of the presence oozed out from the background in front of me and hurriedly raised his voice.

「Wait wait-, don’t throw that kind of thing around-! How can you try to kill your “honorable master” like that when I finally found you-, Aria-!」

「……Viro?」

The man who showed up was the rank 4 adventurer Viro who took me away from this town and taught me the skills as scout.

Why was he here? But……just now, he said something about 『found』?

I immediately activated Body Strengthening in full force and pointed the black knife’s tip toward Viro together with my killing intent.

「Was it that “organization” that requested it? Or the “assassin guild”……?」

Viro hurriedly shook his head when I quietly whispered that.

「Listen to my story! I was looking for you because there’s a personal matter that I want you to help out with!」

「……Help out?」

I wonder why……I got another bad premonition that this would become troublesome.