Chapter 171: The Decision to Run Through

◆ Og ◆

“It’s quiet today, huh.”

Walking through the town, it feels less lively than usual.

The reason being, there are almost no adventurers today.

Those guys are currently right in the middle of investigating the cause of the abnormal orc outbreak, having received a request from the Lord.

“Just when we thought the Orc Empire was annihilated, we encountered those incomprehensible orcs, after all.”

Of course, not just the adventurers, but the Knight Order is also moving to investigate the cause.

Because we were nearly annihilated, it was judged that a reconnaissance party of just a few people was too dangerous.

But amidst all that, I was ordered to stand by alone.

The reason being, I’m a former injured person who was nearly killed by the monster orc a few days ago, and although I received treatment from Rex and the others, I returned to town covered in blood.

Furthermore, seeing my battered dragon equipment, my superiors told me to rest for a while and forcibly made me take time off.

Well, my equipment was smashed too, so it was a welcome offer.

“Even though I’m totally fine now thanks to healing magic.”

Well, I understand the reason.

Because although I was injured in this incident, it’s a fact that my unit discovered the unknown orcs.

And the orc materials provided by Rex and the others who rescued me, along with my battered equipment, proved it.

In other words, it’s that. I ended up making the achievement of discovering a threatening enemy.

Because of that, dissatisfaction arose among the noble-born knights, and to resolve it, I was put on house-sitting duty, and the noble knights went to make achievements in my place.

Even though they usually push work onto me, a newcomer who rose from a commoner.

“Well, it is easy, though.”

Anyway, thanks to the unexpected time off, I was able to rest my bones, and I also got time to have new equipment made. With this, I can rest assured no matter when I’m called out.

“Though from today, it’s boring town guard duty.”

It’s a bit disappointing that I can’t test my newly made equipment in actual combat.

◆

“‘Sup, good morning!”

Entering the guard corps station, the guards were running around looking panicked for some reason.

What is it? Was there a brawl among drunks?

“C-Captain!?”

Amidst that, a subordinate who saw my face approached with an extremely happy face.

Hahaha, were you that relieved to see me looking so energetic?

“Thank goodness-! We were just thinking of going to look for you right now!”

“Huh? Look for me?”

Huh? You weren’t relieved to see my face?

Well, it’s a fact that you have a relieved face, though.

“It’s terrible! A massive horde of orcs is heading towards the town!”

I see, so they were panicking because a massive horde of orcs was heading here.

That makes sense… wait?

“Wait, whaaaaat!!”

A massive horde of orcs!?

Why are they coming right when the Knight Order is out!

“Wh-What’s the scale!?”

“It’s on the same scale as the Orc Empire the adventurers subjugated previously!”

“Equivalent to the Orc Empire!?”

Hey hey, seriously!?

“Wh-What should we do! The Knight Order and the adventurers are all out for the investigation, we don’t have any decent fighting force!”

“Calm down! Anyway, close the town gates and prevent the monsters from invading! Then we have no choice but to hold out until the Knight Order and the adventurers return!”

Dammit, normally we’d quickly intercept them, but numbers equivalent to an Orc Empire are beyond our authority.

While waiting for the higher-ups to decide on a response, the only thing we on the ground can do is close the gates and prepare for defense.

However, my subordinate shook his head with a tragic face.

“That’s no good, Captain! The ones heading here aren’t normal orcs! They’re those monster orcs that attacked us before!”

“What did you say!?”

Hearing my subordinate’s words, I hurriedly ran up the station stairs, climbed the watchtower integrated with the station structure, and looked around.

And I saw it.

The figures of the monsters heading towards this town.

They’re still small now, but the flock of monsters flying in the sky, and the shadows of monsters running on the ground with the speed of horses.

Among them, those giant bodies clearly identifiable as orcs.

“Seriously…”

Indeed, as my subordinate said, among the approaching orcs were the figures of those damn monster orcs.

“Hey, you’ve contacted the higher-ups, right?”

I confirm with my subordinate pacing nervously below the watchtower if he has reported to the higher-ups.

“Y-Yes! Another guy took a horse and went to the Lord’s mansion. They should be in conference with the Knight Commander and the others right about now!”

“In conference, huh… the orders won’t arrive before those guys reach the town at this rate.”

“Wh-What should we do, Captain! If those flying orcs come, they’ll just jump over the walls!”

That’s right…

“Bows for now! Prepare as many bows as possible to shoot down the flying orcs! Also, there might be a few magic-using adventurers left, so contact the Adventurer’s Guild too! And hunters! At this time, there should be folks from neighboring villages who came to sell meat and pelts! Lend them bows and arrows and get their cooperation!”

“U-Understood!”

Having given orders to my subordinate, I desperately think about what else we can do in the little time remaining.

“Ah-… I said gather bows, but with those monsters around, a siege is impossible. Then running away is better after all, huh. Or rather, there’s no choice but to run from something like that.”

Moving the townspeople requires permission, but… with flying orcs around, we don’t have time to wait for the higher-ups’ permission.

No matter how many bows we have, if even one slips through, the inside of the town becomes a battlefield.

Above all, if that monster orc comes out, the battlefield will collapse in an instant.

“Ah, what. The answer was decided from the start, wasn’t it…”

I call together the guards who were around.

“Hey you guys! Gather the townspeople in front of the east gate! Right now! Even the time to pack belongings is precious! Requisition the merchants’ carriages by Knight Order command and put the children and elderly on them!”

“Wh-What do you intend to do, Captain!?”

“Run away, obviously! If we can’t hold a siege, we have no choice but to let the townspeople escape! We’ll evacuate to another town and join up with the Knight Order and adventurers who went out for investigation in the meantime!”

“I-Is it okay to do such a thing without getting the higher-ups’ permission!?”

“I-If you do such a thing, it’ll mean severe punishment, you know!?”

“I know! It’s not okay, but we don’t have time to wait! Rest assured! I’ll take responsibility!”

“Seriously, Captain…!?”

Aaaaah! Dammit! When this is over, I’ll definitely be fired! Forcing the townspeople to evacuate without even getting permission from my superiors, I’ll absolutely be fired!

“Or rather, in the worst case, my head might physically go flying…”

“Th-Then wouldn’t it be better to get the higher-ups’ permission…”

“Can’t be helped! I like this town! There are idiots who immediately try to mooch alcohol off me, and folks who start brawls when they get drunk, but including those idiots, I like this town and the people in it! There’s no point in having become a knight if I don’t act now!”

” ” “!! Captain!!” ” “

At my words, my subordinates get faces that look deeply moved.

But right now, even the time for a moving scene is precious.

“If you understand, go call out to the townspeople!”

” ” “Understoooood!!” ” “

After my subordinates’ figures disappeared, I’m tormented by the regret and anxiety of what I’ve done.

“…Hah! Who cares if I get fired from my job! I’m a former A-rank adventurer, you know! I can find as much work as I want! So what if there’s severe punishment! If worse comes to worst, I’ll flee to another country!”

When it comes to this, all I can do is brace myself!

◆

The townspeople gathered in front of the east gate all had anxious faces.

Well, naturally. Because a group of monsters suddenly headed towards the town to attack, and they were told to escape to another town; of course they’d be anxious.

“Say, Og. Do we really have to run away? This town’s walls are thick compared to other towns, and my money and merchandise are still in the shop…”

A shopkeeper I’ve known since my adventurer days asks with a face brimming with dissatisfaction rather than anxiety.

“You heard from the guards, right? Flying monsters and monsters with ridiculously huge bodies are approaching. Walls are meaningless. Well, if you say you want to be left behind in the town alone, I won’t stop you.”

“N-No, that’s…”

“Say, old man Og, can we not go back home anymore?”

Next, the neighborhood brats cling to me with anxious faces.

“It’s alright. It’s just a little dangerous, so we’re just having you evacuate for a short while. Once we join up with our comrades, we’ll beat up the monsters right away and come pick everyone up. So just go on a little outing for a bit.”

“U-Un. Okay…”

Heh, what reasonable brats. Weren’t I much less reasonable when I was a brat?

Alriight, then all that’s left is to let everyone escape.

It was when I thought that.

Suddenly, several carriages arrived at this place.

“Wh-What’s this, what’s this?”

The townspeople are also bewildered by the suddenly appeared carriages.

This is bad, did the Knight Order folks remaining in town come to stop us?

If so, things might get troublesome.

When it comes down to it, I’ll punch the Knight Order folks and knock them out to let the townspeople escape, I resolved, and at that moment, the carriage door opened.

“What is the meaning of this?”

Seeing the face of the person who came out saying so, I raise a voice of surprise.

“L-Lord-sama!?”

Yes, the one who stepped down from the carriage was none other than Viscount Grimoire, the Lord governing this town.

◆ Viscount Grimoire◆

Having hurriedly finished the conference, we came to the town to make preparations urgently… but for some reason, a large number of people had gathered in front of the town’s east gate.

“Why are the people…?”

Even though I haven’t ordered anything yet, what on earth does this mean?

While wondering, I stepped down from the carriage, and there was the figure of a single man.

“Knight Og…”

Yes, the one there was the man I personally scouted in the past, former A-rank adventurer Og.

Looking at him, Og was wearing an unfamiliar black armor and looking this way.

Hmm, it must be a replacement for the destroyed dragon equipment.

“L-Lord-sama!”

Seeing my figure, Og dropped to his knee and took the posture of a vassal, and the guards also dropped to their knees similarly.

And just as the people who saw that hurriedly tried to drop to their knees, I raised my hand and stopped them.

“I do not mind. Stay as you are. More importantly, what is the meaning of this, Knight Og?”

Given this man’s presence in this situation, it is undoubtedly this man’s doing that gathered the people.

Receiving my question, Og returns an answer after a brief silence.

“I… no, I gathered everyone. To let them escape from this town.”

As I thought.

“You scoundrel! A mere jumped-up commoner doing as he pleases!”

The noble knights waiting nearby reprimand his arbitrary actions.

“Calm down. Why did you take such arbitrary action, Knight Og?”

Restraining my subordinates, I ask Og his true intention.

“Among the approaching monsters, there are monsters that fly in the sky. In the current situation where the Knight Order and adventurers are out, the guard corps alone cannot handle it. …Above all, that monster orc is there.”

A light that could be either fear or frustration dwells in Og‘s eyes.

“Is that the giant orc in question that inflicted heavy injuries upon you?”

“Og-san was heavily injured!?”

“Shh, be quiet! You’re in front of the Lord!”

At Og‘s words, voices of surprise rise from among the people.

“Yes. With that guy’s giant body, the town walls can be stepped over in one stride. Moreover, that guy possesses such superhuman strength that he can lightly uproot and throw giant trees. If such a guy enters the town, hiding in your houses will have no meaning whatsoever. Right now, there is no other way but to run.”

“No way…”

Being told the terror of the approaching monsters from the mouth of former A-rank adventurer Og, the people tremble with fear.

“…I see.”

I was surprised.

We too have received reports about the monster orc that drove Og, who was an A-class adventurer, to the brink of death.

Above all, since the armor made of dragon materials was torn to shreds like a scrap of paper, its danger goes without saying.

But what surprised me was not the terror of the approaching monsters.

What surprised me was that the action Og took was the same as our decision.

Having received a detailed report from the guards about the massive horde of orcs approaching, we quickly reached the conclusion that this would not be a fight.

After all, the town’s defense relies on the defensive walls and the Knight Order.

The reason we sent the Knight Order out for investigation was also because we judged there wouldn’t be another attack by a massive monster horde in a short period since the Orc Empire was annihilated once.

Besides, there was also the expectation that with the defensive walls, we could hold out for a few days.

Even if flying orcs came, they would be in sporadic numbers, and we thought we could handle them sufficiently with the guards’ bows.

But even that story changes when it comes to an opponent of this scale.

Since the walls are useless, we chose to flee taking as many people as possible.

Losing the town hurts, but losing the people makes even rebuilding the town impossible.

That being said, if we gathered people starting now, we were prepared that the number of people we could save would by no means be large, but…

“You have done well, Knight Og.”

I rejoiced from the bottom of my heart that I was able to welcome this man as a subordinate.

At the encounter with this man, who could prioritize acting for the sake of the people without fearing severe punishment for violating orders.

“Alright, we will escape the town immediately and head to the neighboring town! We will join up with the Knight Order there!”

” ” ” “Yes sir!” ” ” “

As the guards raised their voices, the east gate opened immediately.

“Lord-sama, quickly to the carriage.”

My subordinates urge me to escape quickly.

Because if I do not move, the people will find it hard to escape.

“Umu. Then I leave our escort in your care, Knight Og.”

If this man becomes our escort, both I and the people will be able to feel secure. And of course, my daughter Celia too.

However, the next words Og uttered were unexpected.

“No, I will remain in this town.”

“What did you say!?”

“Wh-What do you mean, Captain!?”

Not only I, but his subordinates, the guards, also raise voices of surprise.

“I will stall the monsters. Otherwise, those guys will chase after Lord-sama and the others.”

” ” ” “What!?” ” ” ” “

Everyone who heard those words widens their eyes in surprise.

Does this man intend to become a decoy!?

“What are you saying, Captain! The opponents are those monster orcs, you know!?”

“That’s right! You don’t have the dragon equipment anymore, Captain! This time you’ll really be killed!”

That is right, Og no longer has the dragon equipment.

The reason this man survived the previous investigation must also be because he had the power of the dragon equipment.

To say he will become a decoy in a state where he lost that equipment, which could be called his lifeline!?

That black armor too, if it’s something prepared by this man who is a former A-rank, it must be an item of decent quality, but even so, it would be inferior to equipment using dragon materials.

“Please stop! Is that not a suicidal act!”

The one who stepped down from the carriage with a pale face while saying so was my daughter, Celia.

So she was listening to our conversation just now…

“My Lady…”

“Og-sama nearly lost his life in the battle with the terrifying orcs! Next time, you might really die!”

“That’s…”

At Celia‘s words, Og gets an awkward face.

“Let us escape together, Og-sama!”

My daughter persuades him with tears in her eyes, but Og quietly shakes his head.

“I cannot agree to that, My Lady.”

“Why!?”

“Among the approaching orcs, there are guys that can fly in the sky. If someone doesn’t draw their attention, the townspeople will be attacked.”

“But it doesn’t have to be Og-sama!”

“The other folks have to guard the way, and going there, I have fought those guys before, so I have at least a little bit of an idea how to handle them.”

“But…”

“My Lady, I quite like this town.”

“O… g-sama.”

“Please rest assured! Once I lure the orcs out, I’ll slip away at an appropriate time and join up with everyone! I have no intention of dying either!”

“Is that true?”

“Yes, it’s true!”

When Og flexed his bicep and floated a smile, Celia also floated a stiff smile.

“Understood. I will believe in Og-sama.”

And the next moment, Celia took a surprising action.

“!?”

To my surprise, Celia hugged Og and kissed him!

” ” ” ” “Ooooooohhhhhh!!” ” ” ” ” “

The people, surprised by that sight, raise voices that couldn’t be described as either surprise or excitement.

“I-It’s a good luck charm for victory! Please make sure to return alive!”

Celia, separating from Og, said so with her face bright red, and dashed into the carriage as if fleeing.

Hmm, the atmosphere was not one where I could scold her for being improper.

But I see, so Celia indeed feels that way about that man…

“U-Umm, then I will be going, Lord-sama.”

“U-Umu. Be careful.”

Og, his face just as bright red as Celia‘s, heads toward the gate in the direction the orcs are approaching from with stiff movements.

“Phew phew!”

“Do your best, Og-san!”

“Be happy with Lady Celia-!”

Things turned out somewhat strange, but it was a silver lining that the emotion of fear vanished from the people, who became excited by the current commotion.

Or rather, I am going to get in the carriage Celia just dashed into, but how should I interact with my daughter?

Father is troubled.