CH 47

(For some reason, NU doesn’t show the previous two chapters. First new chapter posted today is 44)

Chapter 47 – We Were Attacked by the Demon King’s Army!

“Joshua, something is falling.”

“Is that…a Tengu!?”

I shouted.

Nearly a week ago, when the Arrow Crows attacked our field, a Tengu had swooped down and stolen one of the corpses… I had no idea if it was the same one, but it was apparently the same race.

But Melk seemed to think that it was the same Tengu we saw before.

The Tengu’s body appeared to be limp as it plunged down head first. It must be unconscious.

If we didn’t do something, it would fall into the water and drown. Or perhaps the impact of the fall would kill it first.

“Wind!”

I unleashed some wind magic in the spot where the Tengu would fall.

The Tengu stopped as if by a soft cushion, and then hovered in the air.

And then I moved the wind magic so that the Tengu was pulled towards us.

Once it was close enough, Mette caught the Tengu.

“Joshua. This is the same Tengu who stole our prey… What does this mean?”

So, there was no doubt about it now. It was the same Tengu.

However, while we were staring at it, I sensed a different presence of mana in the sky.

When I looked up, I saw a figure with green skin that rode on a winged wyvern.

And Orc…was riding on a wyvern.

During my fights against the Demon King Army, I had seen this combination a number of times before.

They were the wyvern cavalry.

Riding a wyvern was very difficult, and only the best in the army could do it.

“Hey, wait. Birdhead!? …Ah, what!?”

The Orc looked at us as the wyvern slid through the sky.

“Ah, that is a human. And something else… Did you get lost while running away from the south? That’s unfortunate. We will continue to take the castles in the north!”

What I understood from those words was that the Demon King Army was heading north while leaving fallen human cities in their wake.

The war between humans and the Demon King Army had always been about taking one step forward and then one step back, but perhaps the demons had the upper hand this time.

After all, powerful knight orders, such as the Schwarz Knights Order, had started to focus on acquiring power and wealth. And they were less active when it came to fighting the Demon King.

And so the earlier Arrow Crow attack had likely been related to the Demon King’s northern advance.

“You’re an Orc then? We…the demihumans have no quarrel with the Demon King Army.”

If I was being completely honest…I would never be able to forgive the Demon King for burning down my homeland.

I had fought against the Demon King in order to prevent others from experiencing what I did. Of course, I was eventually put in the back with a supporting role.

However, my past had nothing to do with Iria and the others.

Right now, I just want them to be able to live happily. They did not need to make more enemies.

However, the Orc just roared with laughter.

“No quarrel with us? From our perspective, humans and demihumans are the same! No, perhaps demihumans are even worse! It makes my skin crawl to think they have some of our blood in their veins!”

The Orc looked at Iria and the others with disgust.

“Well, we could always use them as toys! Maybe they will have less human blood then! Hahahaha! But we have no use for men!”

So saying, the Orc began to swing his halberd in the air as the wyvern swooped down suddenly.

He meant to cut me.

“Die, human!! Gyaaa!?”

But suddenly, the Orc slipped and fell off of the wyvern.

And when he landed on the ground, I saw that there was an arrow piercing his neck.

“How disappointing. I suppose he was all talk and little else.”

Muttered Mette.

She was gripping her bow.

It was her who had shot down the Orc.

Iria turned to Mette and said,

“Mette, what a great shot!”

“No, princess. It’s because of this bow that Joshua made!”

“Of course!”

But now that it had lost its rider, the wyvern began to cry loudly.

And then, more wyverns appeared in the sky.

They were all mounted by armored Orcs.

There were about ten of the wyvern riders.

The Orcs began to make the wyverns fly in a circle as if to surround us.

Among them, only one was wearing a horned helmet with decorative feathers. It was probably the captain, and he opened his mouth to speak.

“There is nowhere to escape! You must surrender!”

“We will not surrender. However, we also have no wish to fight. If you promise to retreat…”

Shouted the captain, and the orcs swooped down with their halberds.

“Damn it. Magic Shield.”

In order to protect Iria and the others, I cast Magic Shield around us.

However, there was no need.

“Sir Joshua. Leave this to me!”

Iria said, and then her sword flashed through the air as she cut down the wyvern riders.

Melk also used her claws to slash open the throats of the Orcs.

And both had no trouble dodging the swings of the Orc halberds.

Mette also used her bow to unleash a chain of arrows, faster than the eye could see.

The fight was going well… Good.

And so I focused on casting healing magic on the Tengu.

There were quite a few very visible, deep wounds. And so I wanted to treat them as soon as possible.

In less than two minutes, all of the Orcs were defeated.

Well, except for the captain, who looked at us with wide eyes.

“Wh-what! Who are you people?!”

“I challenge you!”

Iria shouted as she pointed her blade at him. And then she ran.

The Orc held his halberd up and made his wyvern charge at her.

“Do-don’t underestimate me! Haaa!!”

He swung the halberd swiftly at Iria.

However, Iria was no longer there.

The Orc looked around, and eventually looked up at the sky. His eyes widened in shock.

Iria had jumped into the air and was above his head.

“Wh-what speed!? Gah!?”

And then both Orc and wyvern were severed in half by Iria’s vertical cut.

Iria landed on the ground, shook the blood off her sword and returned it to its sheath.

At the same time, the captain’s body fell to the ground.

Now that they had lost their riders, the wyverns all fled up into the sky.

“They would not even listen to Sir Joshua’s words…what fools.”

“Princess, that was brilliant!”

“Iria defeated more enemies than Melk. Melk is disappointed.”

Mette and Melk said, praising Iria’s work.

However, Iria had other things on her mind as she looked at me seriously.

“Sir Joshua. Is the Tengu…”

“I’ve been casting some healing magic, so the wounds should be fine. However, the Tengu remains unconscious…”

The Tengu was likely attacked by the orcs.

In that case, did they live on top of this mountain…?

“…I have a lot of questions, but we now know that the Demon King Army is nearby. The village might be in danger. We should all return at once.”

And so we gathered the armor and weapons from the orcs, burned the bodies, and then carried the Tengu back to the village.