TLed by NolepGuy
Chapter 15
“Hurry.”
The resolute command was accompanied by the sound of dozens of hooves climbing the mountain.
From the Knights in full plate armor.
To the Knights wearing shoulder guards.
The Lion Insignia of Histania fluttered on the mid-slope of the mountain.
At the forefront of the group, Rowen wore a troubled expression.
It wasn’t about fighting a formidable enemy.
It wasn’t about fighting the Demon King’s Army either.
Nor was it about suppressing a rebel army.
Yet, Rowen’s lips were drier than ever before.
“Nothing will happen. Father knows the youngest is timid. That coward wouldn’t dare to risk their life on such a challenge.”
Eldest’s Sarcasm came as a form of comfort.
“Right. Just like last time, she’ll probably hide out at an inn and come back. By the time they return to the estate, she’ll definitely be holed up in their room again.”
Second Sibling’s irritated agreement rang out, but Rowen couldn’t hear a thing.
-Please save me…. I don’t want to die like this.
Right now, Rowen’s mind was consumed by only one thing—the final image of the youngest shown by the Blue Window.
‘It must have been a hallucination.’
The vision of the Youngest Daughter being brutally killed by an Orc.
The sight of her holding a blood-soaked sword and calling out for her father was still vivid. It was far too realistic to be a mere hallucination, and her voice calling for him had been unmistakably clear.
Hanna dying—how could that be possible? The daughter of the Histania Family, killed by just an Orc…?
For a moment, everything went black before his eyes.
Rowen shook his head vigorously, trying to dispel his unsettling thoughts.
‘It must be because of the strange things Eldest said. The overlapping circumstances led to weird thoughts.’
‘Maybe it’s because I’ve been overworking myself lately.’
‘As Second Sibling said, the youngest is timid. she’ll definitely be home when I get there. When I return, I must make her quit wielding the sword.’
Excuses of all kinds swirled in his head, but Rowen knew. He knew that the hallucination he had seen wasn’t simply a result of fatigue.
He didn’t know why he saw such a thing.
Was it punishment for the harsh treatment he had given his daughter all this time? Or had he experienced a premonitory dream like the prophets often did?
What was certain was that it wasn’t some illusion or magic—it felt like an actual memory.
A Sword Master who had reached the pinnacle of physical prowess wouldn’t fall victim to Mental Magic.
It wasn’t something that could happen nor something he could succumb to.
If such a thing were possible, the Empire would already be overflowing with Wizards.
‘It’s just a groundless fear.’
Rowen chastised himself.
It wasn’t that he disliked the youngest.
He simply hadn’t paid as much attention to them compared to the other children. He thought he had done well enough.
Even his own Divine Healer father had been worse than this.
But why did he keep feeling regret? If the Youngest Daughter were to die—if she were to die as shown in the hallucination from the Blue Window, alone and searching for him until her last breath under the Orc’s greatsword—how would he be able to bear it?
If he were to see his daughter as a cold corpse, what would he do?
Would he be angry at the daughter who tarnished the name of Histania? Or would he collapse on the spot and weep?
Rowen didn’t even want to imagine it.
He didn’t want to envision himself holding his daughter’s lifeless body and crying—a weak, belatedly regretful version of himself. Wasn’t it pathetic to regret something after the fact? If he were going to regret it, he should have done better from the start.
A Knight.
At the very least, a Knight should always be aware that death is near….
“Halt… Halt!”
A Knight at the front pointed toward the dense thicket, speaking. The female Knight held up her palm toward the approaching group and spoke.
“There’s a corpse.”
Between the thickets, where the female Knight’s gaze was fixed, lay a single cold, lifeless corpse.
For a moment, Rowen’s heart seemed to stop.
His mind was overrun with all kinds of negative thoughts, and his hands, gripping the reins, were drenched in Cold Sweat.
A pale hand was visible through the thicket.
The long hair and the sword, roughly a meter in length, reminded him of someone he knew well.
Rowen quickly dismounted.
‘No. This is something that cannot happen.’
If his son were to see him like this, he would surely think it was laughable—a Knight Commander unable to control his expression, dismounting from his horse. The thought of him acting in a way he despised brought a bitter smile to his face, but his mind wasn’t functioning well enough to dwell on such trivial matters.
Rowen ran swiftly toward the thicket.
The Knight crouched down to inspect the corpse.
Shortly after, they held up a small nameplate in their hand.
Rowen’s body grew increasingly rigid.
‘Please.’
‘Let it not be true.’
‘It’s nothing but an illusion. Don’t be scared, Rowen.’
In that moment, Rowen thought himself to be pathetic.
-I’m glad I overheard Older Brother and Father talking. Father said he improved his skills by hunting Orcs in the Hamel Mountain Range when he was young….
He pictured Hanna, her face full of anticipation as she climbed the mountain after overhearing a story told to Eldest Sibling.
And then.
-Ah… If it were Father, he would have fought without fear. If I catch one, maybe Father will praise me.
Even the image of her trembling as she held a sword against an Orc four times her size.
Rowen tightly shut his eyes.
‘God, please….’
He never thought there would come a day when he would seek God.
The Pope would surely laugh if they saw him now.
The Knight, rummaging through the disfigured corpse, held up an Adventurer Badge and spoke.
“Age 51. A-Rank Adventurer.”
Rowen’s pale complexion gradually regained warmth.
“From now on, I will move alone. The Knights’ Order will split into five groups and focus on searching around the Orc Encampments.”
“Yes!”
Ending with the resounding response of the Knights’ Order, Rowen spoke coldly.
“Move quickly.”
***
“This is how it’s done.”
At the Summit of the Hamel Mountain Range, in an Orc Encampment, a neatly laid pink mat was spread out.
As if on a Picnic, sandwiches and Potato Salad were set out, and Hanna, pouring Green Tea, looked at me with a resigned expression.
“How am I supposed to do that!”
“It’s simple. Just swing the sword toward the Carotid Artery with a swoosh, and they’ll collapse with a thud. Easy, right?”
“That’s only possible because you’re a Butler.”
“No, Miss Hanna, you can do it too.”
I tilted my head and spoke to Hanna.
“Probably?”
Around the mat, Orc corpses were scattered chaotically. Among them were the bodies of Crimson Orcs, known to be notoriously difficult opponents, as well as Orc Warriors, whose bodies and heads were amicably separated, saying their final goodbyes to the world.
It was now Hanna’s turn to demonstrate.
I looked at Hanna with great anticipation.
“You can handle this much, can’t you?”
“How is that even possible!”
We had positioned ourselves at the area closest to the mountain’s summit.
A Monster with the label of “elite” is a Rare Monster that boasts a high price tag.
Even Monsters with the same name gain three to four times the power when the title of “elite” is added.
In the Original Work, Mikhail often got crushed by Elite Monsters, so I vaguely remember the characteristics of their habitats.
For Elite Monsters, as Eldest Sibling mentioned, they must not come into contact with human interference.
Because Elite Monster materials are expensive and highly sought after by Adventurers, they are rare species that mainly form groups and inhabit Isolated Areas.
Because of that, Hanna and I settled at a Mountain Summit where people were unlikely to tread and managed to locate quite a few Orc’s Habitats.
Of course, the problem was that there were more Elite Orcs than expected.
‘There are too many corpses.’
Around us, corpses of Numerous Adventurers were stacked high, forming a tower. The bodies of Veteran Adventurers, equipped with fine gear and advanced in age, were scattered unnaturally across the area.
Occasionally, signs of human actions rather than Orc activity could be seen, but it wasn’t something to dwell on.
Right now, Hanna’s growth was the priority.
As I demonstrated by slaughtering a decent Orc, Hanna sighed and scrutinized my stance, step by step.
It was an excellent stance.
“How many Orc Heads have you sliced so far? Why are you getting scared now? Don’t worry too much.”
“But those were just regular Orcs… This is my first time fighting an Elite Orc.”
“It’s fine.”
I trust Hanna.
With her skills and my protection, I believe she can barely manage it.
Orcs are sluggish.
Wielding heavy Greatswords, they aim for a single, powerful strike. In contrast, Hanna is nimble and quick.
While the Greatsword swings once, Hanna has enough Agility to dodge and counterattack.
She may not realize her own Talent, but I am convinced Hanna’s Talent lies in her Agility.
In the Original Work, she failed because she lacked the Physical Strength to deliver a fatal blow to the Orc, but this time will be different.
Hanna supported herself on her knee and stood up.
“Alright. I’ll give it a try. If something happens, the Butler will help, right?”
“Of course.”
Yes, if anything goes wrong, I’ll step in.
Thinking that, I picked up a stone and aimed it at the massive Orc visible at the edge of the foothill.
“Huh? Why are you stretching your hand that way…? There’s a smaller Orc over there.”
As I reached out toward the massive Orc, I met Hanna’s awkwardly smiling gaze and flashed her a provocative Smile I had learned from the Young Lady.
If you’re going to do it, you might as well face a strong one.
“Now. Get ready.”
“Wait. Butler, hold on a second!”
“Fire!”
-Thud!
A dull sound echoed, followed by the Orc’s Scream.
-Uwooohhhhh!!!
I quickly hid behind Hanna.
“You can do it!”
I didn’t forget to cheer her on.
“You f*cking…!”
It was the first time I realized Hanna could curse so well.
***
Hanna successfully defeated the Orc.
She didn’t sustain any critical injuries.
She ended the fight excellently, with only minor scratches.
“Good job.”
“I know. I worked hard.”
Seeing her grow shameless reminded me of myself. As expected, humility never gets you noticed.
I handed her a water bottle, proud of her.
“You were perfect. Especially the way you aimed for the vital point by slipping between its Side—truly impressive.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Though, if you had been even a little slower, you might have ended up on a blind date with the Goddess.”
“Tsk…. And?”
“Hmm?”
Hanna blushed.
Looking at me shyly, then quickly turning her head away, she looked just like a Girl her age.
“And isn’t there more? I thought there were many things to praise about today….”
“Pfft.”
“Why are you laughing!”
“Just because.”
It seems she still thinks the Praise isn’t enough.
────────────────
[Q. The ill-fated Extra ‘Hanna’]
1. Praise that raises Self-esteem.
(9/10)
2. Raise ‘Favorability’ to 40 or above.
[Favorability: 51]
3. Defeat the ‘Elite Orc Gladiator.’
(1/1)
────────────────
I thought the Quest would end once I praised her after defeating the Orc, but it seems she’s grown resistant to the compliments I’ve given so far.
Praising isn’t difficult, and she really did well today, so I shouldn’t hold back.
It’s just.
It would have been better if there weren’t any Unwelcome Guests.
“We have a Guest here?”
Like a Mantis, The Man quietly emerged from behind a tree. He had been watching us while concealing his presence, waiting to confirm Hanna’s exhaustion before revealing himself.
He was grinning at Hanna and me.
A Dagger hanging from his waist.
A face that seemed suited for Mantis Fist.
A complete set of unfavorable traits that made you think he’d betray you the moment you got close—The Man.
A common bandit you’d find anywhere.
It’s just.
A very nasty bandit, unfortunately.
His clothes were covered in Adventurer Badges, as if they were trophies. The way he had plastered them onto his armor was incredibly unpleasant.
I know him well.
Though he doesn’t know me.
There’s only one person in the Novel who would walk around with such an unlikable face and bizarre outfit.
The Adventurer Hunter.
An Antagonist who would later join the Heretics and become the Archbishop of Madness after hunting down Numerous Adventurers in the middle of the story.
He was a moderately strong character who inflicted significant damage on Ruin with tricky Magic and unique Dark Magic.
‘So that’s why so many Adventurers’ corpses were unnaturally abundant. They seemed capable of taking down Elite Orcs, but still….’
The Black Magic Circles scattered on the ground and the grinning Mantis made my mood sour.
I looked at him and spoke.
“Wow. A villain.”
The grinning Mantis.
I continued my introduction.
“I’m a villain too.”