Chapter 70: Battle of Orc extermination

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Translator: Soafp

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On the night before the orc extermination…

“Aldo Nii-sama, haa haa…”

“Clara, I’ll definitely cure you…”

“Ara ara, Aldo-kun, you really love Clara, don’t you?”

Clara had fallen ill with a fever. She was currently being examined by Ashera’s mother, Lush-san, who had been called in urgently. In the room were my mother, El, Ashera, Lush-san, and Clara.

To prevent the spread of illness, my friends were forbidden from entering this room. Marl had been here until recently, but she left when the Tab Company’s pick-up arrived.

“Lush-san, is Clara going to be okay?”

“She’ll be fine; it’s just a common cold.”

Although I had used sonar to check before Lush-san arrived, there was nothing particularly abnormal. Come to think of it, even in Japan, they don’t use echography for a cold. They use it if there’s inflammation, right? I’m not sure.

“For now, keeping warm and getting some rest is the best medicine. I’ll prepare a special remedy by morning.”

Upon Lush-san’s words, my mother expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you, Lush-san.”

“No problem at all.”

“We’ve prepared a guest room for tonight. Please stay overnight with Ashera.”

“Thank you. We appreciate your hospitality.”

Having administered the necessary treatment to Clara, Lush-san moved to the guest room.

“As for the orc extermination tomorrow… I won’t be able to go.”

Mother murmured, but with Clara running a fever, it’s better to have someone stay with her. I wondered how it would be without my mother’s support.

“Aldo Nii-sama, are you really going…”

“Muuuu…”

“Clara, don’t be selfish. Al and El have important roles.”

“Then what about Ashera Nee-sama?”

“I’ll stay behind.”

“Is it okay, Ashera?”

“I wasn’t supposed to go in the first place. If Clara wants someone to stay with her, I’ll stay.”

“Thank you… Ashera Nee-sama.”

“Thank you, Ashera.”

With an unexpected turn of events, Ice Witch-san and Ashera became the guardians.

Leaving Clara’s room, I talked with El in the hallway.

“If Mother and Ashera aren’t there… Which one of us should shoot? Is it better to share magic power… What do you think?”

“For the Condense Ray, you should shoot it Nii-sama. You are more accustomed to it.”

“Understood. What about magic power?”

“I’ll pass my magic power to you right after shooting. After that, I’ll be waiting in the rear.”

“Is that okay?”

“Nii-sama’s short sword technique is more flexible than my knight sword technique. Besides, Nii-sama is simply stronger.”

“That’s not true. It’s just a matter of compatibility.”

El gave a wry smile, but I truly believed it was a matter of compatibility.

“Well then, let’s rest for tomorrow.”

“Yes. I’ll sleep too. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

El and I parted ways, and I lay down on my bed in my room. As I thought about the upcoming orc extermination, I unintentionally fell asleep.

Next morning’s breakfast—–

I inquire about Clara’s condition from my mother.

“Clara’s condition, how is it?”

“She’s currently being examined by Ashera and Lush, but her fever hasn’t gone down yet…”

“I see…”

“But the medicine will be ready soon, so her fever should subside by tonight, according to Lush.”

“Understood.”

We have breakfast, and El and I start preparing for departure. After equipping ourselves with armor, short swords, spare knives, and backpacks, we leave our rooms fully geared. Just as I step out, El is also coming out of his room.

“Shall we check on Clara’s condition before we go?”

“Yes.”

The two of us head to Clara’s room.

“Clara, we’re going now.”

“Clara, I hope you get well soon.”

“Take care, Al Nii-sama, El Nii-sama…”

“Mother, Lush-san, Ashera, we’re going now.”

“Mother, Lush-san, Ashera-nee, take care.”

“Don’t push yourselves too hard. If it gets dangerous, run away immediately.”

“Take care. Be cautious.”

“Do your best for my sake too.”

We nod at everyone’s words and head to the training ground.

“El, are you sure about what we discussed earlier?”

“Yes. I’ll stay in the rear.”

“Got it. Don’t push yourself too hard.”

“Okay.”

We arrive at the training ground and speak with Commander Miroku and Mage Commander Grano.

“Thank you for your assistance. Unfortunately, Mother and Ashera won’t be able to join today due to circumstances.”

“Today, we’re counting on you.”

“We’re aware of the situation. Please don’t worry.”

I explain the arrangement El and I decided on to Mage Commander Grano.

“That’s fine. Considering that, you’ll be responsible for shooting the Condense Ray.”

“Understood. After shooting, please step back.”

“Also, after shooting, El will supply most of the magic power to me. So, I’d like to ask El to stay in the rear for protection.”

“Nii-sama, I can manage on my own.”

“I won’t accept it. If that’s not possible, then I won’t participate in the operation.”

“Nii-sama…”

“How about this?”

“Alright, we’ll assign one guard.”

“Thank you. Is it okay with you, El?”

“…Understood.”

And so, our roles for the orc extermination were decided. We participated as reinforcements for the Magic Division, directly under Grano’s command.

The usual method of traveling to the orc’s nest is on foot, but since we’re under Grano’s command, both El and I were given one horse. I let El ride in front while I walk alongside the horse.

One of the mages, who is accompanying us, strikes up a conversation.

“I’m Dennis. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m Aldo. I’m fine, so I’ll leave El’s protection to you.”

“I’m Elphus. Nice to meet you.”

“Aldo and Elphas… Could it be, Lord’s grandchildren?”

“Ah, I don’t really care about titles. Just call me Aldo.”

“I’m not a fan either, so you can address me as usual.”

“Understood… Got it.”

“Basically, you can ignore me. Just keep an eye on El.”

“After Nii-sama uses magic, I’ll step back, so I’ll need protection from there. Thank you in advance.”

“Understood. If Aldo-sama uses magic, I will protect Elphus-sama.”

“That’s right. But drop the ‘sama.’ Al and El are fine. It’s like asking you to aim. Calling us ‘sama’ doesn’t change anything.”

“Got it… Aldo…”

“Okay. Once again, nice to meet you.”

While on horseback, I continue conversing with Dennis.

Dennis, 20 years old, unmarried. His parents were civil servants, providing a decent income. At the age of 10, it was discovered that he had magical aptitude comparable to an average magician.

His parents were delighted and provided him with magical education. After graduating from the academy, he returned to Blue Ring and joined the Magic Division.

“My background is like this. Not outstanding, not bad—just an average magician.”

“That’s more than enough. Our magic power is no different from yours.”

“Is that so? There are rumors that you can cast an extraordinary gigantic spell…”

“I can cast, but it causes magic power depletion in just one shot.”

“Don’t you ever wish for more magic power?”

“Of course, I do. But if it doesn’t increase, I’ll consider other methods.”

“Other methods?”

“Like improving efficiency. If efficiency doubles, it’s the same as doubling the amount of magic power.”

“But that’s just wishful thinking, isn’t it?”

“Is it? I don’t think so.”

My words seem to make Dennis ponder something. As we continue the conversation, we gradually approach our destination.

“Dennis, I hate to repeat, but stick close to El.”

With that said, he moves closer to Grano’s horse.

“Mage Commander Grano, how would you like me to attack?”

“I would like to see a horizontal shot, but I’m concerned about potential damage within the forest. Can you shoot from the trees as we did during the test firing?”

“Understood. Any specific location?”

“It’s a matter for discussion, but the main force will wait outside the forest. Aldo-sama’s group, along with a small number of guards, will infiltrate. Fire the magic when the opportunity arises, then promptly retreat to the outside of the forest. How does that sound?”

“That means I’ll be mostly handling things on my own… Is that acceptable?”

“This kind of operation is new for us as well. It can’t be helped if we’re feeling our way through. However, to minimize casualties, I would like ordinary mages and knights to wait in the rear until after the magic is cast before starting the battle.”

“Understood.”

“I am aware that I am asking for a lot… I apologize.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“It’s reassuring to hear you say that.”

I step back to El and convey the plan discussed with Mage Commander Grano.

“So, essentially, we can cast whenever we want with this plan.”

“Then, until Nii-sama uses Condense Ray, I’ll be on guard, and after that, Nii-sama will take over guarding, right?”

“That’s right. If this plan is in place, I’ll also be in the rear, so how about splitting the magic power in half?”

“Well… let’s stick with the initial plan. I have a bad feeling about this…”

“Your premonitions… strangely accurate.”

“It’s just a coincidence.”

“…Alright, then. Let’s stick with the initial plan for the magic power.”

“Yes.”

We dismount the horses in front of the forest. For now, there’s nothing to do. I absentmindedly watch the flow of people.

Unexpectedly, Knight Commander Miroku approaches and stands before me.

“While the success of this operation heavily relies on both of you, we’ve brought forces where failure won’t be a problem. Take it easy.”

“Yes. I feel a bit more at ease. Thank you.”

“Shall we start taking positions soon? These four will be your guards. You should be familiar with their faces.”

I look at the guards. They are Knight Commander Miroku, Mage Commander Grano, Dennis from the Magic Division, and Harva, the Knight Commander from the Harva Knights.

“This… with just these members, it seems like we could easily exterminate the orc’s nest.”

“Aldo-sama, please take care of us.”

“It’s the first time fighting together with Harva.”

“We were either sleeping or the other was in Cashew.”

Harva and I exchange glances and share a chuckle.

From there, Miroku and Harva lead the way in the vanguard, with El and me in the middle, and Grano and Dennis in the rear. The formation advances.

It’s quiet, much like the last time. There are no animals, not even creatures in sight. Perhaps, apart from the Wind Wolves drawn by the scent of blood, the orcs have hunted down all the animals and creatures around their nest.

I use the area sonar once.

…

There’s a slight increase from last time, around 220 in number, with 3 upper-level individuals at a distance of 400 meters.

I report the information obtained from the area sonar to Knight Commander Miroku, who is in overall command.

“The nest seems to have grown a bit. Approximately 220 in number, 3 upper-level individuals, and the distance is 400 meters.”

“That level is within the margin of error. We will proceed with the operation as planned.”

“Understood. El and I will snipe from the trees.”

“Got it. After shooting, come down quickly. Regardless of the outcome, we’ll retreat outside the forest.”

“Roger that.”

El and I use spatial kicking to move up into the trees. About 30 meters up, the orc settlement becomes clear.

There should be around 220 orcs, but I can only see about 30 to 50. The rest might be inside the buildings. What surprised me about the orc’s nest was that there were buildings, though simple. Many had clubs, but there were individuals with spear-like objects.

“El, do you think orcs can understand each other through conversation?”

“Eh? Conversation?”

“No, sorry. Forget it. I was just thinking for a moment.”

I use the area sonar again to locate the positions of the upper-level individuals and the densely packed orcs.

…

“El, there are two upper-level individuals in the red-walled building over there, one in the adjacent building, and a lot of small fries in the largest building further away.”

“Got it. Are you shooting it right away?”

“Yeah, the four below are getting antsy.”

“Alright, Nii-sama, I’ll support you.”

“Thanks.”

With El supporting me, I point the index finger of my right hand towards the building where the two upper-level individuals are located. Activated magic power starts to glow at the tip of my index finger.

Channel the magic power… condense it… channel… condense…

After about 30 seconds, I mutter a word.

“Fire!”

The light shoots straight towards the building with the upper-level individuals. I quickly move it to the adjacent building, then to the largest building.

The ground where the shots land evaporates and explodes. The temperature around that area probably exceeds 1000°C. The orcs spontaneously combust, and the moisture in their eyes evaporates instantly. Their eyes burst… truly a scene from hell.

Normally, I would have fainted due to magic power exhaustion, but El gave me his magic power to the limit. It’s almost at full capacity.

“El, take back a bit. At this rate, you won’t be able to move.”

“I’m fine. It would be helpful if you could take me down, though.”

“Got it. I’ll carry you.”

“Yes…”

I immediately jump down from the tree and speak to Knight Commander Miroku, who is waiting below.

“I believe it’s a success.”

“Understood. I’ll take over for Elfus-sama.”

“No. I’ll carry him.”

“Got it. Withdraw as soon as possible.”

We run all the way to the outside of the forest.

After about ten minutes, we emerge from the forest, and the knights and mages are in formation, guarding against potential orc remnants.

“The operation was a success. Orc stragglers are coming out. Everyone, prepare for combat!”

Knight Commander Miroku’s voice echoes just before the edge of the forest.