Chapter 50

This is the English translation:

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It was in the north of the town, where the right-wing unit was stationed.

"Alphard, how are we supposed to defend with such a small number of people?"

One of the adventurers turned to Alphard with an anxious expression. Alphard replied matter-of-factly.

"Basically, I will take on the enemies alone. You just need to take care of the Cockatrices I miss."

"Huh? That's better than being asked to go out front, but Alphard alone?"

"Yes. My fighting style is a bit unique."

"Hmm."

"Besides, the majority of the Cockatrices are being handled by the central unit. Not many will come this way."

"I hope so..."

"Perfect, a group of Cockatrices is coming along the wall."

Alphard pointed his spear. It was an extremely long cavalry spear, shining silver, more like a work of art than a weapon.

The frenzied Cockatrices, blocked by the wall, seemed to be building up more anger. Whether they had just noticed a passable route to the north of the town or were attacking because the adventurers were clustered together, they were now charging towards the incomplete section of the wall that Alphard and his team were defending. Although the number was still sporadic, a large army of Cockatrices was waiting on the horizon. They needed to get used to the combat tactics early on.

"The key is coordination..."

Alphard muttered to himself.

"Listen! You haven't taken the petrification prevention medicine. Don't go out front! Just focus on taking down the ones I miss with all your strength!"

"That's good, but if we do that, won't the defense become too thin and they'll slip through?"

"Don't worry. I'll take them down thoroughly!"

"Ah, okay..."

The adventurers didn't know much about Alphard's strength. They hadn't gone on adventures with him, nor had they heard much about him. The more experienced adventurers seemed to know, but they were all assigned to the central unit. In other words, no one in the right-wing unit knew Alphard's true capabilities.

"Let's go, Red Flame!"

"Rrrr!"

Alphard was not riding a horse but a giant bipedal lizard with a reddish-brown body. It could be considered one of the strongest land combat creatures adopted by some military units. Only top-tier soldiers could ride these lizard mounts.

Alphard, originally a paladin, had no experience with them, but he bought one personally for the sake of the frontier village. He obtained it soon after moving to New Golden Dawn and had been raising it with crafted legendary stamina potions. Thanks to Alphard's rigorous daily training, it had quickly developed into a formidable physique.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

As Red Flame started running, the ground shook. The Cockatrices, noticing this, charged at Alphard on Red Flame, drooling as they went.

"Spinning Thorn Crash!!!"

Alphard used the full weight and speed of the bipedal lizard, combined with his spear technique, to shatter a giant Cockatrice in one blow. It was completely obliterated.

"One down! Next!"

Alphard pulled the reins, changing Red Flame's direction. His strategy was completely different from the central unit's Degard. It involved a single guerrilla unit led by Alphard and another unit made up of the remaining adventurers, working together to eliminate approaching enemies.

There were three reasons why this strategy was possible:

1. The number of enemies was not overwhelming.

2. Alphard was strong enough to handle them alone.

3. Red Flame had superior speed and endurance.

Conversely, if any of these conditions changed, the defense would collapse.

"For now, it's fine. But if the number of Cockatrices spilling from the center increases..."

That would be the worst-case scenario, where the Cockatrices that couldn't be handled would flood into the town. Alphard gripped his spear tightly.

"Craft, I'm counting on you."

---

"Alright! Everyone, get ready!"

A clear female voice echoed from the left-wing unit. Mounted on a giant bipedal bird was Persia, the guard of Kair and Mina. Thanks to Craft's special stamina potion, Tsubasaki, the bird, moved with incredible strength, creating a yellow lightning trail as it ran.

Bipedal birds were already known for their speed and long-distance travel, but Tsubasaki, like the other animals in the village, had gained strength surpassing the best military birds.

As Persia's sword flashed, the adventurers launched arrows, spells, and sword techniques, and a group of Cockatrices gathered in one spot were taken down together.

"Alright! Let's go again! Don't forget the feeling from just now! I'll disrupt the Cockatrices and gather them in one spot, then you all fire at once!"

"YEAH!!!"

The left-wing unit, led by Persia, had a different strategy from both Degard and Alphard. Persia and Tsubasaki, who had taken the limited petrification prevention medicine, would charge into the Cockatrices to disrupt them, and the adventurers would finish them off with all the ranged weapons they had.

Of course, Persia was also taking down a significant number of Cockatrices. This strategy was possible only because of the unlimited supply of Craft's legendary stamina potions.

"This will hold for a while, but..."

Persia frowned at the increasing number of Cockatrices spilling from the center.

"It won't last long, Craft."

It seemed that the fate of everyone was entrusted to Craft. However, the story was progressing in an unexpected place.

---

"Ed and Wamika, please serve tea to the evacuees."

"Ah, okay."

"Uh, sure."

The church, one of the largest buildings in Golden Dawn, had become a different kind of battlefield. Azur, a fox兽人 and priest, was working tirelessly. She was guiding the large influx of residents into the spacious church, serving tea to help them calm down, and mediating disputes. There was no time to stop.

In the midst of this, the four orphans who had come to Golden Dawn with her had gone missing, causing her to panic. As expected, she found them watching the adventurers in the west, who were about to start fighting.

In such a situation, even Azur, who was usually observant, didn't notice that the four animal orphans were acting strangely.

"Kai and Sika, please boil water and check for any injured people."

"Y-Yes."

"Understood."

Before Azur could finish giving instructions, she was called away by someone else and ran off. The four orphans were left behind. Normally, they would have immediately followed Azur's orders, but now they all stood still, their faces pale.

"What do we do, Ed?"

"What do we do..."

Ed, the wolf兽人, was flustered when Kai, the lesser panda兽人, confronted him. They were currently harboring a secret they couldn't tell anyone.

"Should we return the Cockatrices and see if they leave?"

"Probably not."

Sika, the rabbit兽人, was weakly negated by Wamika, the cat兽人. The usual relaxed atmosphere was gone.

"Should we consult Azur-nee?"

"Not now."

"Maybe we should take it to the Adventurer's Guild."

"If we do that, not only will we be in trouble, but Azur-nee and the town might be expelled too!"

"But..."

"Then what do we do..."

"Ugh... I don't know what to do!"

Right next to them, in a place out of sight, it was there.

The glorious trophy that the EdSikaKaiWamika Adventure Team had obtained after their first big adventure.

The precious item that Craft had told them was valuable and not to take, but their curiosity had gotten the better of them.

The Cockatrice egg.

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EdSikaKaiWamika Adventure Team

Edo, Sakai, Kai, Mie \ (^o^) /