A fierce clash. The battle against the Orcs led by the Orc King could only be described as such.

Scorching Wind, led by Milein, had claimed they could only hold off five Orcs at best, but thanks to the fortune of catching the Orcs off-guard with Rei’s sudden assault, the three of them managed to defeat all five Orcs on their own.

As for Rei, without an opening to deploy his specialty of fire magic, he contended with the proud Orc King using only the Death Scythe, ultimately decapitating him.

The one who displayed the most overwhelming dominance throughout the battle was undoubtedly Set. Fitting for the majesty of an A rank monster, his clash against the Orc Archer was a one-sided, total victory.

「Haa, haa, haa……」

Standing before the Orc corpses, Milein breathed raggedly. Having continuously provided support and healing magic alongside offensive spells, Sulunin had exhausted nearly all his magic power and slumped onto the ground.

The most energetic member of Scorching Wind was surprisingly the newcomer, Ekril. Although sweating profusely, she kept a vigilant watch over their surroundings without breathing heavily.

This difference stemmed from their tactical roles within the party. Milein, the leader of Scorching Wind, stood as the sole vanguard, while Sulunin wielded magic to attack, heal, and provide support. Consequently, Ekril’s primary responsibility was to suppress and restrain the enemy from range.

「Well, we won. I believe I said we’d do our best just to hold out against five, but still.」

「Haa, haa, haa……phew. Setting aside how absurdly strong Rei is, a G rank adventurer fighting on equal terms with an Orc King……fighting……come to think of it, he didn’t suffer a single scratch while taking on a B rank Orc King head-on. Seriously, he might end up reaching S rank one day. In any case, your combat ability is high enough to contest an Orc King, while I’m ashamed to admit our C rank party can barely handle ordinary Orcs. ……Ah, I’m exhausted. Absolutely exhausted. Terribly tired. I don’t even want to take another step.」

Sulunin nodded in tired agreement with Milein’s words.

「With this, our party’s name will spread for a while. That’s why I keep saying we need to promote ourselves more actively.」

「……About that.」

While keeping watch on their surroundings, Ekril nodded with a wry smile.

Just as Rei was about to speak, a roar cut through the air.

『UOOOOOOooooooo~!』

A battle cry echoed from the eastern edge of the settlement.

「Looks like the battle over there has been settled.」

Indeed, an undeniable roar of victory followed, the triumphant shouts of the adventurers impossible to mistake.

「Seems like it. Well, since the Orc King headed over here, those Orcs were likely left behind as pawns to cover their escape.」

「Even if they were sacrificed as pawns, the settlement was only able to hold out as long as it did because the Orc King was leading them.」

Naturally, had the king assigned more troops to his personal guard, the diversionary force would have been weakened and wiped out far sooner. A large escort surrounding the Orc King would also have been far more likely to catch the attention of the subjugation force.

「……Well then. It seems the Orc subjugation request has come to an end with this.」

「You’re right. ……It was an exhausting request. Still, it couldn’t be helped, seeing as the city of Gilm would have suffered terrible damage had they been left unchecked.」

Milein gave a wry smile as she glanced to the side. Rei was storing the corpse of the Orc Mage that Set had defeated, along with the remains of the Orc General and the Orc King, into the Misty Ring.

The members of Scorching Wind watched Rei with keen interest, and Sulunin called out to him just as he was stowing the Orc King’s body.

「Heh~, I’ve seen it from a distance a few times, but this is the first time I’ve seen it up close. Is that an item box?」

「Yeah. It was a parting gift from the master who taught me magic. I only realised it was an exceptionally rare item after arriving in the city of Gilm.」

「Giving away a magic item like that as a parting gift to an apprentice……I’d certainly like to meet him at least once.」

「Well, I never paid much attention to where we lived before he sent me away with spatial magic. It would be rather difficult to introduce you, seeing as I don’t even know where my master’s residence is.」

「Hey.」

A voice abruptly cut into their conversation. Turning toward the speaker, Rei saw Milein looking at him with an inquisitive gaze.

「What is it?」

「I understand collecting the higher-tier variants that you and Set-chan defeated, but why aren’t you collecting the Orc Archer?」

Milein had been looking at the corpse of the Orc Archer whose head Set had crushed. Higher-tier Orcs……even so, while Orc Generals and Orc Mages were C rank monsters, Orc Archers remained D rank threats. Even so, it was still an evolved variant. Its hide, various organs, and the proof of subjugation could all be harvested for materials, and the magic stone of a D rank monster commanded a handsome price.

Rei glanced at Milein following her question, turning his eyes toward the Orc Archer as he spoke.

「Do you remember what we discussed before the battle with the Orcs?」

「What’s this all of a sudden? Of course I remember. In exchange for you and Set using your trump cards to help us, you would cast 『Magic Oath』 on us, right?」

As Milein replied, Rei flashed a quick wink that only Set could notice.

While the three members of Scorching Wind listened attentively to Rei, Set registered the signal and slipped quietly behind them.

「Yeah. Because of that, placing you under a 『Magic Oath』 imposes a burden on you. Think of this as a form of compensation.」

「……In other words, is 『Magic Oath』 really that dangerous a spell?」

「There’s naturally no danger so long as you don’t attempt to reveal my secrets to anyone else. Even so, having your freedom bound by it doesn’t feel pleasant, does it? That said, the spell does offer certain benefits.」

「Benefits?」

「Yeah. Due to the properties of the spell, anyone bound by it gains a certain degree of resistance to fire and heat.」

「……All right. There’s no point in complaining now, seeing as we would have died without you anyway. Cast it quickly before my resolve falters. Sulunin, Ekril, are you two ready?」

Taking a deep breath, Milein braced herself to accept the binding. In response to her call, Sulunin remained silent while Ekril nodded with a stiff, tense expression.

Observing the three of them, Rei gave another subtle signal to Set.

Had the members of Scorching Wind attempted to flee instead of accepting the oath, Set was poised to strike them down from behind.

Catching Rei’s signal, Set relaxed his offensive stance and turned his attention to guarding against any lingering Orc stragglers.

「Here I go.」

Milein nodded at Rei’s words as he began to chant.

『Flame, you are a seed. Should the host breach the contract, consume their life to blossom into glorious fire.』

Answering Rei’s incantation, the flame gathering upon the Death Scythe compressed down to the size of a tiny seed.

Raising the shaft of the Death Scythe, he touched the butt against Milein’s forehead.

『Seed of Contract.』

The moment the spell was invoked, the fiery seed sank smoothly into Milein’s head from the Death Scythe.

「Ah……」

Although Milein let out a small gasp at the sensation, there was no painful impact like she had anticipated. Instead, she felt only a faint warmth permeating her body.

「Is that……all?」

She muttered reflexively, but Rei merely gave a quiet nod in response.

「Yes, but there are still two more left.」

With that, he cast the same spell upon Sulunin and Ekril.

Once Rei completed the contractual spell on all three of them, they let out soft sighs of relief.

「That settles it. Now, I’ll explain the specifics of the spell. Because the seed planted within you will incinerate your body from the inside if you attempt to reveal Set’s Fire Breath and Water Ball, or my Corrosion, to anyone else, be extremely mindful of your words and actions.」

Their bodies burning from within……the gruesome demise of the Orc General from just moments ago instantly resurfaced in the minds of Scorching Wind.

The Orc General, a formidable C rank monster, had cast aside all dignity to scream in unendurable agony. Simply having witnessed that display made them acutely aware of how excruciating the punishment would be.

「Along with that, you will also receive the resistance to flames and heat that I mentioned earlier.」

「Ngh, just to be certain, what kind of resistance are we talking about?」

Shaking the image of the burning Orc General from her mind, Milein asked Rei.

「Regarding that……it reduces damage taken from flames by roughly 10%. Furthermore, for spellcasters, the power of fire spells is boosted by about 10%, while their magic power consumption is reduced by 10%. To put it simply, it provides comprehensive benefits tied to the fire attribute.」

「Ten per cent, is it?」

Sulunin stood stunned as he listened to Rei’s explanation.

Precisely because Sulunin was a mage, he understood all too well how extraordinary that boon was. While magic items that augmented magic power did exist, their effects rarely amplified the destructive output of spells, and acquiring one required spending several platinum coins. When it came to artifacts capable of meaningfully boosting spell potency, one would have to pay a fortune in light gold coins.

On top of that, it provided passive resistance to heat and fire. For Sulunin, whose temperament would never incline him to leak Rei and Set’s abilities in the first place, this spell known as 『Seed of Contract』 was nothing short of an absolute blessing.

「I understand the nature of the spell. Naturally, I have no intention of spreading such secrets, so receiving the benefits of the 『Seed of Contract』 is purely fortunate for me. So, are you certain we can take the Orc Archer?」

「I don’t mind. With that handled, I’m heading back to where Hobbes is waiting. Even if the Orc King is dead, the request won’t officially conclude until I make the report.」

「Yeah, go ahead. As you can see, we’re completely drained, so we’ll catch up with you later after catching our breath.」

Nodding at Milein’s response, Rei mounted Set’s back.

「Ah, if possible, I’d really love it if you could leave Set-chan behind. Just to soothe my soul!」

「Milein, don’t ask for the impossible.」

Sulunin chided Milein as she gazed longingly at Set, while Ekril looked on with a wry smile.

「Guru~」

Giving a soft cry toward Milein, Set wagged his tail several times.

「Milein, Set says he’ll play with you again later.」

Rei interpreted Set’s gesture and passed the message along to Milein.

At that moment, not a shred remained of Set’s earlier readiness to pounce upon them from behind had they rejected the 『Seed of Contract』.

「Eh? Really? Yay! Let’s play as much as we can before heading back! I still have some dried meat saved up!」

With Milein’s cheerful voice echoing behind them, Rei and Set once again ascended into the morning sky.

「Dawn, is it?」

As he climbed into the air, Rei gazed out over the eastern horizon where the morning sun was rising, chasing away the remnants of the night’s darkness.

「In the end, we were kept fighting all night long. Still, the people below seem plenty energetic.」

As expected of seasoned adventurers, they showed little sign of having fought throughout the night. Alongside Axe of the Thunder God, who had crushed the diversionary force, they were scouring the Orc settlement to thoroughly hunt down the remaining stragglers.

Whenever Orcs were discovered lurking in various hiding spots, they found themselves hopelessly overwhelmed by the surrounding force. Any Orcs that attempted a desperate final resistance were cut down one after another.

While hunting down the fleeing survivors might sound ruthless, it was an indispensable duty. Because Orcs used human women for breeding, showing misplaced mercy and allowing them to escape would inevitably bring future catastrophe down upon the city of Gilm, which stood as the closest major settlement in the region.

Stealing a brief glance at the ongoing cleanup below, Rei signaled Set to head toward the location where Hobbes was stationed.

Catching sight of Set flying away from the settlement, Elk felt an instinctual certainty that Rei and Set had successfully eliminated the Orc chieftain.

 

 

Some distance away from the Orc settlement, Hobbes stood looking up into the brightening sky.

Inside the carriages positioned a short distance behind Hobbes, the two women rescued from the Orc settlement were sleeping soundly. Finally realising they were safe from the monsters, their accumulated exhaustion washed over them all at once. It also helped that Hobbes had prepared a soothing herbal tea to calm their minds and keep traumatic memories at bay.

「……Judging by that rising smoke, the settlement is burning without a doubt. In that case, the night raid can be deemed a success. Had any unexpected complications arisen, I would have received a report immediately.」

Having once been an adventurer himself, Hobbes was well accustomed to waiting. Even as restless, grim scenarios crossed his mind, he placed his faith in the members of the subjugation expedition and waited quietly at his post.

Naturally, he kept a firm grip on the spear he had long favoured as an adventurer, ready for any emergency, as fleeing Orcs might well stumble upon his position.

Gazing toward the settlement, Hobbes suddenly caught a sound nearby……and spotted Set gliding gracefully through the morning glow with Rei mounted upon his back. Confirmed in his conviction that the night raid had succeeded, a faint smile spread across Hobbes’s face.

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