Chapter 78
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 78
Chapter Title: United Party (4)
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A humanoid monster with green skin and protruding fangs.
They don't flock together quite like goblins, but they have a habit of moving in groups.
Spotting the four orcs that had appeared, Nellis immediately turned to Kalt.
"Kalt, even you might have a hard time taking on four of them alone."
"Don't worry. If it looks like another orc is about to attack, I'll block it, so go all out. Ateu, keep an eye on Nellis's movements, not me."
"Ah, got it."
"Yes, Kalt! Hyaah!"
Trusting in Kalt, Nellis charged right in.
-Chwiik!
Riding the momentum of her battle cry, the orc noticed her immediately and raised the club gripped in its hand high.
From the orc's perspective—with several of its kin behind it—she looked like a foolhardy idiot charging straight ahead.
-Chwiik!
The orc swung its club down precisely toward Nellis's crown.
"Hey! That's dangerous...!"
"It's fine."
Kalt stopped Ateu from shouting as he watched the scene.
Thud! A heavy impact rang out.
The orc's club struck Nellis's head dead-on.
But even so...
"Haaah!"
Slash!
Nellis took no real damage and sliced upward in a diagonal arc with her sword.
-Chwiiiik!
A roar of agony erupted from the orc's mouth. It hadn't fallen in one hit, but it had sustained a major wound.
"That's..."
"That's Nellis's Blessing. Normal attacks barely faze her even if they land. No impact at all. She didn't charge in thoughtlessly."
"Hyaah!"
Worried that the orcs behind might launch a coordinated attack, Nellis hurriedly swung her sword again.
A continuous slash starting from the precise stance Kalt had taught her.
The properly powered strikes sliced cleanly through the orc's hide, thicker than a kobold's.
The orc, injured and unable to move properly, could only take the hits.
The orcs in the back sensed that Nellis wasn't just some dumb opponent and began closing in.
"K-Kalt!"
Nellis called out to Kalt urgently as she swung her sword.
One-on-one was fine.
But if multiple orcs piled on at once, she had a feeling she'd lose—and it might affect her Blessing.
And the moment she called his name, Kalt moved right beside her and showed his face.
"Fight without worry, Nellis."
"...Yes!"
'Kalt's so cool!'
Kalt rushing to her aid the instant she called made him feel utterly reliable to Nellis.
As Nellis refocused on the orc in front of her, Kalt drew his sword and faced off against the three orcs.
-Chwiik!
This time, they weren't letting their guard down.
Orcs weren't stupid enough to underestimate someone who closed the distance in an instant.
Two orcs swung their clubs at Kalt simultaneously.
But both attacks were deflected.
As the clubs came down, he parried with his sword to alter their trajectory, then did the same to the other club.
Even when the rearmost orc attacked next, Kalt deflected its club again, keeping the three orcs from reaching Nellis's side.
"Kalt! I got it!"
While Kalt held them off, Nellis felled one orc.
"Good work, Nellis. Fall back."
"Yes!"
Thud-thud-thud. Hearing Nellis retreat, Kalt soon put some distance between himself and the orcs as well.
"Next! Ateu."
"A-Alright! Time to show what I can do!"
Ateu stepped forward, crossing paths with Kalt as he withdrew.
'Don't think about one-shotting it—plan for the next attack too!'
Recalling Kalt's teachings in his head, Ateu approached the orc carefully, minding his stance.
The orcs—already down one and harassed by Kalt—were furious and swung their clubs again.
"Haaap!"
Ateu drove a body blow into the side of one such orc.
Thump!
-Ch...ik!
The orc's side caved in under the punch packed with immense power.
The pain was so intense it couldn't even cry out properly.
"Whoa... that looks like it hurts."
'One's not enough!'
Following Kalt's advice, Ateu landed the solid hit and quickly stepped back a few paces to prepare for the next.
"Urraaah!"
Then he slammed a straight punch into the gut of the orc beside the one he'd struck.
Thump!
-Chieeeek!
The orc—bulkier than an adult man—had its belly cave in and toppled backward.
'As expected of a strength-boosting Blessing. The power's impressive.'
Ateu's movements and awareness still felt precarious for handling C-rank monsters.
But his Blessing more than compensated for those shortcomings.
Even with lacking evasion or vigilance, he could drop a monster in one hit.
"Nellis, you saw Ateu's movements, right? Got a feel for the spacing so you won't get in each other's way when fighting together?"
"Ah... yes! I have it!"
Having plenty of experience sharing the vanguard role with Kalt, Nellis could already map out the rough spacing with Ateu after seeing it once.
"Good. Now, take down the last one with a pincer attack together."
"Yes! Ateu! Let's pincer it this time!"
Listening well to Kalt, Nellis dashed out immediately.
'Pincer attack?'
How exactly were they supposed to do that?
Ateu was puzzled but fell back first, leaving just the one orc.
As they crossed paths, Nellis explained the plan.
"I'll block and hold it, so land your big hit!"
"Got it!"
It was a short, simple, easy-to-understand proposal, and Ateu agreed right away.
What followed was straightforward and clear.
The last orc, driven by monster instinct, didn't flee but swung its club at Nellis.
Instead of her sword, Nellis raised her arm to block the club.
"Now!"
"Hraaap!"
As Nellis blocked and halted the orc's movement, Ateu plunged his fist straight into its heart.
Thump!
The orc's chest caved in, its heart bursting internally from Ateu's punch, and it collapsed on the spot.
Seeing Ateu's power up close, Nellis marveled at his mighty fist; watching Nellis, Ateu admired her rock-solid defense.
"Alright, harvest the magic stones and let's keep moving."
Following Kalt's orders, the united party mined the magic stones and pressed on, repeating the adaptation process in turn.
After two more rounds of acclimating the vanguards Nellis and Ateu, it was time for the rearguards: Scarlet, Makvels, and Aria took turns firing offensive spells and holy attacks, timed to the vanguards holding the monsters and their well-observed movements.
"Heh heh heh, you're all syncing up perfectly now."
Takshin, the specialist in recovery and defense, simply watched the united party members intently.
After a few more adaptation rounds, Kalt joined in, actively hunting orcs as well.
Nellis's party and Ateu's party moved in sync—avoiding interference, assisting each other where needed.
C-rank monsters like orcs fell faster than usual, almost instantly, and soon they worried more about how many more magic stones their bags could hold as the pile grew.
True to that concern, as the bags filled with magic stones, Kalt spoke up.
"Time to head back."
It was just past lunchtime.
The united party's stomachs were starting to rumble after the nonstop hunting.
"I'm hungry..."
"Gonna have to catch a carriage back, so we'll be waiting a while."
"Heh heh, hunger is ever the adventurer's companion. But we have preserved rations, don't we?"
Ateu's party reached for jerky and such in their pouches.
"Hold up."
"Huh? Why?"
"I'll make you something way tastier than preserved food, so let's move first. At least to somewhere near where carriages pass."
Ateu's party followed without complaint—their trust in Kalt had grown from his reliable showings in such a short time.
Near the road where carriages regularly passed, Kalt unpacked folding chairs, then pulled out cooking tools and ingredients from his inventory one by one.
"Wh-whoa, what's all that coming out of your pouch?"
"No way... Inventory!?"
"Yep, inventory."
"An inventory... First real one I've seen."
"Isn't that super expensive?"
"It is. Anyway, sit down. It'll be at least an hour before a carriage comes, so I'll cook for you."
As Ateu's party stood dumbfounded, Nellis's party smoothly took seats in the folding chairs Kalt had set out.
"Kalt! What's on the menu this time?"
"Meat stew."
"Yay!"
"I like mine..."
"A bit salty? I'll add extra salt on the side."
"Thanks, Kalt."
Seeing Nellis's party so casually accepting the meal, Ateu's party got swept up in the mood and sat as well.
"Uh... no chairs for us?"
"Only got four. Bear with it. Or rock-paper-scissors for one of mine?"
"Nah, we're good."
Kalt set up his new magic burner, installed a mana crystal, lit it, and started cooking right away.
Soon, a delicious aroma wafted from the completed stew.
"Whoa... smells amazing."
Gulp.
"Heh heh heh, just the smell has my stomach signaling."
Kalt ladled stew into bowls, handing them out with spoons.
Nellis's and Ateu's parties both said their thanks and brought a spoonful of Kalt's meat stew to their mouths.
Ateu's party, tasting it for the first time, was ecstatic.
"So good!"
"Rivals a restaurant!"
"Pure bliss."
The praise was glowing.
"Ahem! See, Kalt's amazing, right?"
"Not many can do this, huh?"
"Kalt's helped us in so many ways."
Nellis's party beamed with vicarious pride as Kalt received the compliments.