Translator: RaidenTL

Chapter 132: Harvest Day (2)

An urgent letter arrived from the Alitia Kingdom.

To summarize the long letter:

- A great horde of orcs has ignored the unspoken customs with the three kingdoms and invaded the Alitia Kingdom.
- The city of Avila, which borders orc territory, has fallen.
- The Hero, Gis, was defeated in a duel with the Orc Great Chieftain.

It was dressed up with all sorts of flowery language, but when you stripped it all away, it just meant they got their asses kicked.

Still... you couldn't say it was because they were incompetent.

The orcs in this game live in tribes, but once they unite, they boast overwhelming firepower.

Just imagine it.

An army of orc warriors who don't fear death.

Warriors built like they've been hitting the gym for twenty years, swinging swords too large to even be called swords.

An ordinary army would be intimidated by the orcs' presence, terrified by the sight of their comrades being cleaved in two by massive swords and axes.

A terrified soldier would start ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to run, trying to save his own skin. It might only be one or two at first, but those few could act as a catalyst, causing the entire army to collapse.

And striking a routed army from behind?

It's as sweet as drinking a chocolate latte.

That's why, when facing an orc army, the human side usually had to bring in not only their elite knight orders but also the most renowned heroes in the nation.

At least, that's how it was where I used to live.

It probably isn't much different here.

'They all looked pretty damn savage last time I saw them.'

There weren't many organizations on this continent that could stop an army of brutes like that.

Probably,

the Empire's Platinum Knight Order.

The four executive vampires of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Snake Venom Society.

The elves.

A named dragon.

That was probably about it.

Of course, I was talking about organizations that could win with minimal losses. If they were prepared to fight to the last man, the three kingdoms could manage it.

They just had no reason to.

For similar reasons, I also excluded the World Tree, the Blood King, and the Dragon King.

According to the game's lore, they're mythical beings.

Comparing them to a mere mortal army is ridiculous.

"Anyway, it's already time for the Harvest Day event."

Harvest Day.

An annual event where the orcs, who live in the desolate lands, extort food from the three kingdoms.

Usually, the kingdoms would see the orc army and reluctantly hand over the food, but the story changes once the heroes have grown stronger.

They figure that with heroes on their side, they won't be outmatched in terms of military strength.

The first to get cocky was the Alitia Kingdom.

They stubbornly refused to give any food, got beaten like a dog, and then hastily requested help from the other kingdoms.

Reinforcements from the other kingdoms arrive, and the tables turn.

Meaning the orcs are the ones who get beaten like dogs.

Then, the Empire, which had been watching from the sidelines, steps in to mediate, and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the Harvest Day event comes to an end.

As you can see, Harvest Day has nothing to do with the Demon King. Nevertheless, it's a major event for another reason: it's packed with CGs.

'It's a great stage for the heroes—everyone except Cloud—to shine.'

In fact, it's less a war against orcs and more a miserable event designed to completely ruin the life of a certain pathetic hero.

'Still, it's surprising that Gis was seriously injured.'

In the game, the Orc Great Chieftain wasn't a particularly strong boss. Even if Gis was losing the fight, he should have been able to escape easily.

The fact that he couldn't meant something must have changed because of me.

'I guess I have to go, right?'

It was originally an event where the three heroes acted together, excluding Frillite.

Lorian's position had been weakened by the last incident, so he couldn't make a move recklessly. That meant it was up to me.

If I didn't go, the Alitia Kingdom might get completely ravaged.

The only slight problem was that Lupus currently didn't have the luxury of helping others. The eastern and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠northern parts of the kingdom were already helping maintain security in Lupus, so asking for more help would be shameless...

After a moment of thought, I remembered the western and southern parts of the kingdom.

Right, if I don't use them now, when will I?

When Eri heard that the orcs had attacked the Alitia Kingdom, she wasn't surprised.

She was a little surprised when Cloud said he was going to help the Alitia Kingdom, but she soon accepted it.

However, when she heard that the reinforcements would be formed from the armies of the Oller and Sentry families, she couldn't help but be flustered.

"Father is coming? Here? In person?"

Cloud nodded.

"They have to pay the price for what happened last time. Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, well..."

Eri couldn't answer right away.

Uncomfortable?

Of course it was uncomfortable.

He was her father, yet he had stood by while her direct siblings ostracized her, neglected her when she needed attention, and even had her removed from the family register.

But contrary to her discomfort, it was also true that she felt a strange sense of anticipation.

'Things are different now.'

Eri had taken back the Oller surname.

Just as Callion had predicted, she hadn't been able to let go of her attachment to the name.

'Because of me, Cloud lessened the severity of our family's punishment.'

He said "lessened," but he'd really lightened the weight of a shackle they would have had to bear for a lifetime. It might feel ambiguous for now, but as time passed and they watched the Sentry family get pushed to the sidelines, they would realize it.

They would realize that, thanks to her, the family had avoided ruin.

So, wasn't it okay to hope for a little something?

With that in mind, Eri answered that she wasn't uncomfortable. No matter how many times Cloud asked, her answer was the same.

He sent a letter to the Oller family, and a month later, Duke Oller arrived in Lupus, leading an army of a size that was neither large nor small.

The castle gates opened, and an ornate carriage entered the city. Seeing the Oller family crest emblazoned on the carriage, Eri's heart began to pound.

'He really came...!'

Calm... stay calm.

I haven't done anything wrong.

If anything, I deserve to be praised.

Stand tall and be proud, Eri!

As she repeated this to herself to calm her nerves, the carriage door opened, and Duke Oller appeared.

"It has been a long time, Sir Hero Cloud."

Duke Oller placed his right hand on his chest and bowed slightly. Unlike his demeanor at his mansion in the past, his attitude was quite polite. One good turn deserves another. Cloud played along.

"It has been a while, Duke Oller. I trust you've been... well, you probably haven't, given what happened."

Duke Oller's eyebrow twitched. It was a minuscule movement, but Cloud saw it. He smiled and extended his hand.

"We've had our share of hurt feelings. However, as the kingdom is in crisis, I hope we can set aside our personal emotions for a moment."

Duke Oller took Cloud's hand.

"It was something that foolish son of my family did on his own accord. Why would I have any hurt feelings? On the contrary, I am only grateful for the grace of you, Sir Hero, and Her Majesty the Queen, for not holding the family responsible for that fool's sins."

It was an obvious lie.

Eri, who had secretly watched her father converse with guests since she was a child, knew it especially well.

That tone of voice, that expression—it was all fake.

'It makes sense, though.'

A poor judgment call had given Cloud a weakness to exploit. If he wanted the family to continue, bowing his head for a while was the right move.

While Eri was lost in such thoughts, Duke Oller finished his conversation with Cloud and turned his gaze to her.

'I-Is it my turn?!'

I'm his daughter, so it should be, but... what do I do? What should I say?

While she was frozen stiff, Duke Oller spoke first.

"It's been a while. Have you been well?"

"Huh? Ah, yes. I've been well."

"I'm glad to hear it. We have much to discuss, but first, let me thank you. Thank you, Eri. Thanks to you, we've been able to deal with the mess that foolish boy made. Let's talk more after we've had an audience with Her Majesty the Queen."

"Yes..."

Duke Oller smiled and turned his back. Eri stared blankly at his retreating figure.

'Why is he using that fake face with me, too...?'

Is it because there are so many people watching?

Yes, that must be it.

It'll be different when we talk alone later.

Eri thought, clasping her trembling hands.

But even after that, the Duke never showed Eri his true face.

Two thousand from the Sentry family.

Fifteen hundred from the Oller family.

An army totaling 3,500 soldiers arrived at Avila in the Alitia Kingdom.

"How does it feel to be back in your homeland, Katarina?"

"This isn't the city I lived in... I don't feel much of anything. Especially not in a place like this."

"Yeah, I guess not."

The city walls, which had been destroyed and then repaired.

Orcs stood guard atop the walls, while the Alitia Kingdom's army was encamped outside.

It was a strange sight.

"We'll end this orc problem here. No harm will come to your siblings, so don't worry."

"...Okay."

The worry on her face eased. I patted her shoulder a few times, then gestured to Count Sentry and Duke Oller with my chin.

"Let's go in."

The two nobles nodded.

With myself, Count Sentry, and Duke Oller in the lead, the knights followed behind us.

As we approached the Alitia Kingdom's camp, we saw someone coming out to greet us.

He was a middle-aged man with a sturdy build that contrasted with his gentle-looking face.

He bowed slightly toward us.

"Sir Hero Cloud, Duke Oller, Count Sentry. I, Duke Pabir, thank you for making the long journey to help Avila."

Duke Pabir.

I'd heard he was the lord of Avila, the city that had fallen to the orcs. He must have been under a lot of stress from this incident, because the hair on his crown was a little thin.

"There's no need for thanks; we're just fulfilling our duty as allies. More importantly, what's that bastard Gis up to? No, don't answer that. I'll go see for myself. Just tell me where his tent is."

"Pardon? Ah... if you insist, Sir Hero. Very well."

Duke Pabir told me where Gis's tent was, and I headed there.

The bastard's tent was larger and more extravagant than those of the other soldiers and knights.

Is this what a hero's tent is supposed to look like?

I walked toward the entrance. Two spears crossed to form an 'X', blocking my path. They belonged to the soldiers guarding the tent.

"This is Sir Hero Gis's tent. If you've come to the wrong place, turn back."

Instead of answering, I gave the two soldiers a light shove. That alone was enough to send them tumbling to the ground, and I quickly entered the tent.

"How've you been?"

A greeting uttered while imagining Gis in a miserable state.

"Ahng! Sir Hero! That feels goo—Kyaaah!?"

"What, why'd you stop thrust— What the fuck? What are you doing here?"

However, contrary to my expectations, Gis was doing exceedingly well.

I thought he'd at least be sulking...

What a consistently shameless bastard.