Chapter 30
Chapter 30
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 30
Chapter Title: 15. Uninvited Guest (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Call Hernando."
"Yes, sir!"
Yuri remained on guard against fire.
He had covered the supplies with fireproof cloth just in case, but he still summoned the mage Hernando. If anyone could extinguish a blaze, it would be him.
Yuri led Rolang, Jared, and Raymond toward the site of the fighting.
Soldiers were holding the passes. The knights were the ones directly engaging the orcs.
Having made ample preparations, Yuri anticipated a straightforward victory.
But the battle was not going as well as expected.
"Your Highness!"
A knight fighting nearby shouted.
"These bastards are strong!"
As he said, the orc unit that had infiltrated the camp was on a different level from those that had raided the Holy Kingdom. Their numbers were few, but each one's prowess was exceptional, putting the knights in dire straits.
Yuri shoved the three knights forward.
"Help them. We need to minimize casualties. Let's split up."
"Yes, sir!"
The orcs had divided into small packs, sowing chaos throughout the camp. To catch them, Yuri's group would have to do the same.
Yuri heightened his senses in search of enemies.
He suddenly glanced to the side.
A strange smell hung in the air. Just as he moved to step forward...
Boom!
An explosion rocked the area.
A cart a short distance away shattered into pieces, its charred fragments raining down from the sky.
Each flicker of the flames lit up the surroundings.
"What the hell is that?"
Even Yuri was taken aback.
As he stood frozen, Hernando approached and stood beside him, staring at the blast site.
"Hernando."
"What a mess. Oh dear, oh dear..."
"Are the orcs using gunpowder?"
"No. The mana flow is distorted. It's shamanism."
"Did they bring a shaman?"
"More like they've enchanted bombs with spells. The craftsmanship is surprisingly advanced. Fascinating..."
"Stop admiring it and do something."
"The fireproof cloth will keep the flames from spreading."
"Can't you stop any more from exploding?"
"Not when it's not cast directly by a shaman. This isn't magic—it's something you block with a sword."
"So, kill the ones carrying the bombs?"
"Exactly. Probably..."
Hernando pointed in one direction.
"That way."
The moment the words left his mouth, Yuri kicked off the ground and charged.
Hernando's voice called from behind.
"Your Highness, don't get hurt!"
Another explosion rang out in the meantime. Embers floated above like fireflies.
Before the damage worsened, the culprits had to be eliminated.
Yuri circulated his mana to scan the surroundings.
Amid the hazy presences, one stood out with an overwhelmingly strong aura.
Yuri passed a cart and rounded the corner.
A massive back came into view.
The build was familiar.
No banner on its back, but it was unmistakably the same one from before.
Orc Warrior.
In the battle at the Holy Kingdom, it had shot an arrow at Yuri, and he had repaid it with a thrown spear.
They shared a deep bond.
Yuri felt a surge of delight.
"You, huh?"
He thrust his sword immediately.
Clang!
The Orc Warrior barely reacted in time. Yuri's strike bounced off.
"Tch."
Yuri retreated while activating his Mana Circulation Method. The core in his heart pulsed strongly, sending mana surging through his body.
Spotting Yuri, the Orc Warrior's eyes widened before it grinned wickedly and hefted its double-bladed axe.
Up close, its size was absurdly massive.
The Orc Warrior bellowed something. Yuri, of course, had no idea what it meant.
"What're you saying?"
"Kuak-ka aku-wak!"
"Nice to see you? Same here."
"Ak-wa ki-kuru ku-ruk-kak-kuk!"
"Don't wanna die, so spare me? Am I that scary?"
"Ku-uku duru-turu-ku!"
"Too late for begging!"
Yuri lowered his stance and closed in.
The Orc Warrior swung its double-bladed axe down. The ground cracked open, dirt flying everywhere.
"Kuwak-kwak, kaaaaak!"
Veins bulged on the Orc Warrior's neck.
It looked furious, as if Yuri's attack had enraged it.
Yuri tilted his head.
"Did it really say it doesn't want to fight?"
It didn't matter either way.
No matter what the Orc Warrior said, Yuri had decided to sever its head and hang it from a pole.
"Shut up!"
"I-kuwak!"
Yuri swung Guilty wide.
Guilty clashed with the double-bladed axe, forcing the Orc Warrior back a step.
Yuri powered his legs and advanced again.
He slashed horizontally with force.
The Orc Warrior dropped low.
Their weapons met, shoving the Orc Warrior backward.
Its eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected impact.
"O-kaak!"
The Orc Warrior roared and swung its axe in retaliation.
Shadows fell over Yuri's vision, like the blade of a giant guillotine descending.
Yuri rolled aside to dodge.
The axe pursued relentlessly.
For such a huge creature, its speed was nimble. The axe blade kept coming for him.
Block, evade, roll across the ground.
Their offense and defense traded ceaselessly.
Each swing pulverized nearby carts.
Yuri gritted his teeth.
This was too one-sided. He wanted to shift the momentum, but no openings appeared.
Yuri recited a knight's prayer.
"Ancestor Erich, grant me strength."
But instead of Erich Brioll, the skeleton of the Death Knight from the dungeon filled his mind.
Not exactly an inspiring face.
"Damn it."
Yuri spat a curse and unleashed Heart-Soul Severing at full power. Mana raged like a torrent, enveloping his body.
White light shimmered around him like heat haze.
Rather than dodging the double-bladed axe again, Yuri charged straight in.
Just before the axe blade could split his forehead, he twisted his body. The slab of metal grazed his cheek by a hair's breadth.
He slashed Guilty upward.
The blade clearly struck the Orc Warrior's side. But it didn't sink in.
Yuri pushed harder.
"Kwaaaak!"
The Orc Warrior bellowed and kicked at Yuri. He crossed his arms to block but was hurled back fiercely.
The Orc Warrior hunched over, glaring at him. Black haze-like energy rose from its massive shoulders.
"Mana Circulation Method..."
Yuri let out a hollow chuckle.
The presence of orc shamans meant they had their own way of handling mana.
A rare few orcs awakened to mana.
The one before him seemed to be one of those select few.
Fortunately, its mastery didn't appear advanced yet.
"Well now..."
Yuri looked around.
This wasn't a mere raid by light forces. Elite orcs had ambushed the Brioll army.
Proof lay in the ongoing fierce clashes.
For a handful of orcs to hold their own against the assembled knights meant they were no ordinary troops.
"Kurak ak kara-gak."
The Orc Warrior spoke again.
Yuri gripped Guilty tightly.
"If we'd met a year later, you'd already be dead."
Had Heart-Soul Severing reached the next stage, this Orc Warrior wouldn't have been much trouble.
That was the frustrating part.
But it also meant he was still growing. This fight was great nourishment for Yuri.
Yuri and the Orc Warrior locked eyes and began circling.
Both watched their opponent warily.
The Orc Warrior didn't move rashly.
Anyone familiar with orcs would be shocked.
An orc warrior, the pinnacle of their elites, was treating an eighteen-year-old boy as a worthy adversary.
"Hoo..."
Yuri let Guilty hang low as he took in the Orc Warrior's entire form.
To face an orc several times his size, brute force was out of the question.
Like any knight, he had to use speed and agility to exploit gaps.
Yuri curled his lips.
As he stared at the Orc Warrior, the fight's progression played out in his mind.
Among the options available to him, he chose the one he liked best.
The decision was made.
Yuri closed in first.
The Orc Warrior stepped forward as if expecting it. The distance vanished in an instant.
Neither extended their weapon first.
With muscles tensed for an immediate swing, they led with their bodies.
Gripping their hilts, they glared until the end.
Yuri surmised the Orc Warrior had plenty of experience against humans.
Due to the power gap, humans usually waited for orcs to attack first, then struck the opening left behind.
The Orc Warrior held back its first strike to prevent that.
Their attack ranges overlapped.
Still, they pressed on.
Their bodies collided.
Weapons pulled back, their shoulders bumped.
The Orc Warrior reacted first.
It drove its elbow at Yuri's head.
He couldn't dodge completely.
Yuri circulated mana and twisted. The impact hit his shoulder.
"Kuh...!"
Enduring the pain, Yuri swung Guilty. The Orc Warrior countered with its axe as if waiting.
Their rhythms synced.
Collision was inevitable.
In that instant, Yuri dropped his stance again. The Orc Warrior's eyes widened, realizing its attack had been baited.
Yuri barely evaded the axe blade and thrust Guilty into the Orc Warrior's exposed abdomen.
The mana-clad blade pierced its crude leather armor and burrowed deep.
He felt flesh tearing properly.
The aimless double-bladed axe cleaved empty air.
The Orc Warrior stumbled from momentum, driving the blade deeper.
Yuri twisted it.
A gruesome sound escaped the Orc Warrior's mouth.
Leaning his weight in, Yuri shoved it over with Guilty. As it fell, he yanked the blade free, fully splitting its gut.
Blood splattered Yuri's face.
The Orc Warrior lay on the ground, innards spilling out.
"Hoo..."
It was a short bout, but Yuri had utterly dominated in close combat despite his disadvantages in strength and stamina. In a way, he'd been lucky.
The Orc Warrior hadn't properly gauged Yuri's level.
"Kueh-aa..."
The Orc Warrior seemed to share that sentiment.
Its face contorted in disbelief as it clutched its entrails.
If Yuri guessed at its words, it was probably something like, 'Me... let guard down...'
"That's your true skill."
Yuri slung Guilty over his shoulder.
He had no intention of killing it yet. He planned a thorough interrogation.
The captured orcs so far hadn't known what Yuri wanted. But this one, using Mana Circulation, might.
He searched its body first.
No explosives.
Instead, several round wooden balls emerged, infused with strange mana.
Likely the shamanic bombs Hernando mentioned.
"Your Highness!"
The three knights arrived late. Familiar faces by now.
Yuri called their names.
"Simon, Gines, Dyke."
They spotted the fallen orc behind him and gaped.
"D-Did you take it down alone?"
"Yeah."
"Incredible."
They'd be even more shocked knowing it was an Orc Warrior, but without its banner, that was a shame.
Not one to boast, Yuri simply nodded without explaining.
"A knight isn't a knight unless he can handle an orc solo."
The three coughed awkwardly.
The young knights still struggled against orcs alone, so he'd grouped them in threes for joint attacks.
"Blood on you means you got some kills too."
"Yes, sir."
"Good work."
Yuri praised their efforts.
Praise makes even whales dance.
"I wasn't sure about you at first, but you're shaping up nicely. I like seeing the progress."
The three felt a strange mix of emotions.
The prince was younger than them, yet it felt like praise from a distant superior.
The pride itself was embarrassing.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
"What's to thank? I just stated facts."
"Y-Yes, sir..."
"Anyway, one of you needs to stay and watch this thing..."
They exchanged glances.
All wanted more glory. That meant sticking with Yuri.
Time for him to decide.
He pointed at one.
"Simon."
"Yes, sir!"
"Looks like your leg's hurt."
"It's a minor injury. I'm fine."
"Rest anyway. Don't make it worse."
"Y-Yes, sir..."
"If it so much as twitches, stab it dead. Your safety comes first."
"Understood."
His expression shifted oddly.
Yuri intuited his feelings from it.
Strike while the iron's hot, as they say.
Yuri smiled gently.
"Simon. I know how hard you've been working. We'll take the long view. I plan to use you importantly going forward. So don't get hurt, got it?"
Yuri recalled his background.
Simon was a baron's illegitimate son, raised on scraps. He'd been shoved into the Allied Forces. All the family's dirty work fell to him.
An unrecognized youth adrift on the plains, like duckweed tossed by worldly waves.
Guys like this needed gentle embrace.
Yuri draped an arm around his shoulder.
"Simon. My valued knight."
"Yes..."
"This order comes because I see your potential. Understand?"
Simon nodded.
His eyes seemed a bit misty, but probably just the wind.
Too much time in the breeze, no doubt.