Mission: Orc Village Raid
The open lot behind the mercenary guild.
Jeban's newest recruit from the Eastern Continent—a samurai, by his own introduction named Haguro.
We faced each other, both gripping wooden swords. It was just sparring, after all.
At this rate, I wouldn't even glimpse a fraction of his martial prowess, but there was no helping it. This was a light warm-up before the real mission.
"Come at me first."
Haguro nodded curtly at my words.
Then came his stance—sword sheathed at his waist.
Iaijutsu?
Not my clumsy imitation, but the real deal. He crouched low, one foot extended forward.
And that explosive tension building in him...
Bang!
Sure enough, something felt off about him from the start.
Clang!
I blocked his wooden sword as he drew and closed the distance in a flash.
Fast.
Any normal person would've struggled just to react.
Tap-tap-tap-taptap.
Then the barrage began—a relentless storm of strikes raining down. I couldn't help but admire it.
Isn't this faster than Jeban?
He didn't seem to be using Aura, either.
Pure technique driving that speed.
And moreover...
Tap-tap-taptaptap—
It kept accelerating.
The more he chained strikes, the more momentum he built—like a technique designed to snowball.
Fun.
Even I might've struggled to parry without Aura.
Well.
Thud!
But Aura made it easy to shatter his rhythm.
I swung my wooden sword wide, channeling Aura-enhanced strength to brute-force the flow apart.
Plus, he was using a bokken instead of his usual katana.
Without the naginata strapped to his back, too. Plenty of handicaps.
This spar was just to gauge his basics anyway.
I'd see the details on the mission.
Scrape.
His assault broken by my swing, Haguro dropped low and thrust—smooth as silk.
How does a guy in his mid-twenties pull off technique this clean?
Made me want to learn it myself.
Clack!
I parried the stab, then counterattacked.
He was all technique, so I'd match him there.
Perfect chance to dust off the swordsmanship from the Boyd family, too.
Whoosh.
I whipped my blade in a coiling arc, batting his aside, then aimed for the vitals—no, just beside them, since it was sparring.
Swish—
But he evaded like he'd seen it coming.
Not bad at all.
My gaze flicked to Jeban.
This guy's something else.
Had he recruited someone too strong for his own good? You needed underlings weaker than the boss to keep a mercenary band stable.
Though he did seem honorably loyal, samurai-style.
Clack!
I blocked another swing as he dodged.
Attacking from that off-balance evade? Bold.
Made me crave a real duel with live steel.
Wonder what techniques that polearm on his back held.
So.
Crack!
I smashed his incoming blade hard.
Snap.
It split and shattered.
"Spar's over."
"Ah."
Haguro stared down at the broken sword.
"I lost."
"Would've been better with your real gear."
Regret dripped from his face.
Seemed he had a fighter's spirit.
Of course—with skills like that at his age, he had to.
Impressive technique, and above all...
"Next time, show me the hidden stuff."
Clearly had more up his sleeve.
"...!"
I turned from his startled look.
Definitely no Aura user...
But special powers weren't just Aura. That alpha wolf from before had some Eastern-style force, maybe.
Anyway.
Time to prep for the mission.
Not that I had to—his mercs handled it.
"What's the job this time?"
"Orc village raid."
"An orc village? Around here?"
"Popped up recently. Someone must've rallied them."
Jeban handed me the mission scroll as he spoke.
"Usually they're deep in the mountains, so jobs like this are rare. These ones built close by."
I scanned the scroll.
Storm the village, snag the orc shaman's talisman. Fat reward.
"That shaman's accessory valuable?"
"Yes, sir. Likely from the Lunaria Great Plains—brimming with that region's mana."
"Hm."
Perfect.
I needed something from an orc shaman anyway.
"I'll take the staff."
"Sure, help yourself."
Garrett wanted it for sword materials.
Mine secured, done.
"Let's move."
And so.
We set out immediately to wrap this up fast.
No dragging it out—drawing attention with days away, plus Whitey waiting.
Still young; he'd fret without me long.
Good thing, though...
"You not prepping?"
"Prep, no know."
"Taking it easy, pup."
Having this newbie around lightened the combat load.
That why Jeban brought him?
Skill trumped all in this line of work.
And he didn't seem the type for bullshit.
Thus.
We ascended the Kaine Mountain Range again—a path I'd climbed before.
Skirting the crowded beginner slopes as always.
By the mid-zone, where trees thinned and rocky hills rose...
"This way."
Jeban unfolded a map, pointing.
"What's that map?"
"From the Mage Tower. Magic-tracked the village."
"Ah."
Makes sense—magic spots things quick.
Lorentz had mapped the sewers in seconds before.
"Base camp first, then straight in."
"Yeah."
Mage Tower perks saved scouting hassle this time.
We threw up a quick camp, then headed for the village before dusk—to scout, at least.
"Tracks start here."
"Their foraging range, probably."
More orc prints as we neared—looked like they'd built and stripped the area bare.
"Battle signs here."
A merc scouting ahead called it out.
"Battle?"
Sure enough—blood splatters everywhere.
"Fierce one."
Leather scraps, broken weapon bits too.
No bodies or drags visible—orcs won and looted clean.
"Recent, right?"
"Looks it. Blood's fresh, marks sharp."
Good odds some captives still breathed.
"Let's check it."
"Yeah, probably dragged to the village."
We followed the trail straight—might as well.
"Common for them to haul folks off?"
"Yes, sir. Food stock or ritual fodder."
"Arrogant bastards."
Too busy fleeing the coliseum to notice before.
But villages meant abductions too.
Smarter than they looked.
Soon, prints thickened, and that familiar stench hit.
"Orc stink."
"I know."
Familiar hell—goblins, kobolds, orcs: the reeking trio.
"Size it up first."
Scout mission, but if doable, we'd wipe 'em now.
Silver-rank mercs aplenty, Jeban, me, and the newbie.
"There."
Smoke rose through the trees ahead.
Closer: a wide clearing amid rocky hills, crude wooden huts.
"Big village. Dozens at least."
Bigger than expected—not some hamlet, a real settlement.
Makes sense for a shaman.
"Likely elite orcs too, beyond the shaman."
"Warriors?"
"Yes. Chieftain usually elite in these setups."
Hm.
Smart play: retreat, regroup, return.
But then...
"Kyaa, kyaak! S-save me!"
"You fuckers, aaak!"
Screams from inside—no time.
"Follow cautious. No heroics."
"Sir?"
"Don't overextend behind me."
I drew my sword from my waist.
Planned to regroup and watch the mercs work, but not now.
Good and heated from sparring the newbie anyway.
So.
"Going ahead."
"Wait—!"
Sword out, I slid down the rocky slope like a shadow.
Cocky orc scum.
Kidnapping humans for rituals?
Time to instill some discipline.