Chapter 99

After defeating the Orc, I turned my gaze towards Sieg and the others, and it was already clear that the three Ogres had been defeated.

I hadn’t spent much time fighting the Orc, and the horde of monsters was still far away.

However, it seemed that Narseena had had enough time to do so.

"…I guess I didn’t need to lend a hand."

The last remaining Orc would only be a matter of time before it was defeated.

The Orc, exposed to Sieg’s and Narseena’s attacks, was already covered in wounds.

I ran towards Sieg, but it was obvious I wouldn’t reach him in time.

"Roar!"

The Orc, struck by Narseena’s blow, collapsed immediately after.

"Thank you, Narseena."

"No, I only helped a little. …The one who’s amazing is the big brother who took on the Orc alone."

"That’s true. We should also be grateful to Raust."

Sieg and Narseena, who continued their conversation, weren’t even out of breath.

Sieg, in particular, had been fighting for quite some time, but that didn’t seem to affect him.

As I thought about this, I finally reached Narseena and joined their conversation.

"No, don’t worry about it. Sieg, who held back two Ogres, is the one who really helped us."

"…It’s hard to accept that from someone who defeated an Orc alone. What kind of super strength do you have?"

At her words, I relaxed my lips.

Physical enhancement through ki and magic was never something I was proud of.

But now, it was different.

Recognized by Sieg, I couldn’t help but smile.

Just then, my arm was pulled by the opposite side of the one I had tensed.

Looking down, I saw Narseena, who was looking down, gripping the hem of her clothes.

"Narseena?"

Reacting to my voice, Narseena looked up, and the expression on her face was one of pouting.

"…Why are you going even further away? But I’ll catch up quickly."

At her words, I couldn’t help but smile wryly, thinking that Narseena still looked up to me.

However, I understood that the underlying reason was the same as mine, the desire to stand by her side.

"Let’s quickly defeat the Ogres that are still far away! Before Fenrir arrives!"

Narseena, who was unusually motivated, pointed at the Ogres.

While her decision seemed impulsive, the judgment to defeat the Ogres before Fenrir arrived wasn’t a bad one.

Although the risk of diving into the horde of monsters would be high, being able to assist Ronaldo from the start in the battle against Fenrir was crucial.

As I made this judgment, I noticed the presence of an overwhelming enemy at that moment.

"…Big brother."

"Yeah, it came faster than I thought."

In the direction of the neighboring town of Nelburg, I nodded at Narseena’s warning, focusing on the overwhelming presence.

It would have been best if it had come a little later, but that wasn’t going to happen.

Still, the situation was quite good.

It wouldn’t take much time to defeat the remaining Ogres.

We should be able to join Ronaldo and fight Fenrir soon.

Just as I was about to make this judgment, I noticed the stern expression on Narseena’s face.

"Two are coming."

"…!"

The shadow approaching us with incredible speed.

I also realized that it wasn’t just one.

One of them was flying in the sky.

"A Griffin…!"

At Sieg’s stunned words, I was also stunned.

…That was the moment the situation worsened dramatically.

If we were being attacked by two mutated super-difficulty monsters, Ronaldo might be able to handle it.

However, what was needed now to protect the wall was not a prolonged battle but a high-difficulty delay.

Even Ronaldo might not be able to do it.

"But the report said there was only one!"

"It’s supposed to be abnormal with just one super-difficulty monster…"

Narseena, glaring in the direction of the super-difficulty monster with frustration, and Sieg, whose face had turned pale.

Their attitudes told the story of the current dire situation.

In the midst of this, I realized I was unusually calm.

"It seems the adventurer’s words were mistaken."

Feeling someone approaching, I turned to see Ronaldo.

His face was the same as always, but I could sense an unusual tension in the air.

For Ronaldo, the current situation was also unexpected.

"Ronaldo, can I talk to you for a moment?"

I spoke up at that moment.

I could feel everyone’s gaze on me in this atmosphere.

For a moment, I wondered if I should really say these words.

But it was just a moment.

"Yeah, what is it?"

Seeing Ronaldo ask, I made up my mind.

"Do you remember when you said you wanted me to delay Fenrir?"

– Can you delay Fenrir?

This was the question Ronaldo asked me after learning that Fenrir had appeared from the fleeing adventurer.

At that time, the information about the wall was brought by Mist, so I didn’t get to answer.

But I had already made up my mind at that time.

"…Is there something wrong with that question?"

With the feeling of being scrutinized by Ronaldo’s narrow eyes, I understood that if I said these words, there would be no turning back.

"I can. I will take on Fenrir until everyone else finishes their battles."

At my words, I could see Sieg and Narseena staring at me in shock.

However, Ronaldo’s expression didn’t change at all.

After a few seconds of scrutinizing me, he smiled and patted my shoulder.

"I can barely handle the Griffin. I’m counting on you."

At Ronaldo’s words, I nodded silently.

He smiled, seemingly satisfied, and walked towards the direction of the super-difficulty monsters.

It seemed as if he was relieved by my capabilities, but I understood that it wasn’t the case.

Looking in the direction Ronaldo had walked, Fenrir and the Griffin were already quite close.

They would almost certainly reach the wall in no time.

Considering that the horde of monsters, which should have been visible before the super-difficulty monsters appeared, was still far away, the speed of these two was abnormal.

The Hydra was also quite fast, but this was several levels faster.

I understood that Ronaldo had listened to my proposal for this reason.

Ronaldo couldn’t know if I could really delay Fenrir.

I didn’t have the confidence to delay Fenrir alone either.

With Narseena, I had the confidence to defeat either Fenrir or the Griffin.

But I didn’t have the arrogance to think I could delay them alone.

Having fought the Hydra, I knew I couldn’t think that way.

Still, if I couldn’t delay Fenrir, everything would be over.

So, there was no option to run.

Moreover, I had a calm thought that I was probably the most suitable for the delay.

I had always fought against stronger opponents.

In the field of delaying the mutated Fenrir, I was the best candidate.

This was the reason I decided to delay Fenrir without hesitation.

That’s what I believed.

"…Big brother."

But the moment I heard that voice, I realized the biggest reason for deciding to delay was something completely different.

It seemed I had unconsciously relied on Narseena’s presence.

Looking in the direction of the voice, I saw Narseena, who was looking down.

Just being called by name, I understood Narseena’s inner thoughts.

She wanted to fight Fenrir with me.

But while Ogres could be dealt with, if a Lich appeared, it needed to be defeated before it could use magic, and for that, Narseena was necessary.

Understanding this, even though she didn’t say it, she was clearly troubled by not being able to assist in the battle against the powerful enemy, Fenrir.

Understanding her inner thoughts, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

No matter how much I relied on Narseena, if I didn’t say it, it wouldn’t get across.

"…Narseena. …Can I touch your hair a little?"

"Eh? Ah, well, if it’s big brother, anytime."

"…Thank you."

Seeing her hesitation, I confirmed her permission and tentatively reached out to touch Narseena’s hair.

Her beautiful sapphire hair felt very pleasant to touch.

While I felt a blush rising to my face as Narseena’s face gradually turned red, I also noticed that my tense heart was calming down.

"…It’s a bit embarrassing, but it seems I was unconsciously relying on Narseena even though I said I would fight Fenrir alone."

This was the feeling I realized the moment Narseena called out to me.

Even though I said I would fight alone, Narseena was in my heart.

Indeed, we weren’t facing the same enemy.

But just knowing she was fighting the same enemy, I felt this way.

"– No matter what happens, as long as Narseena is by my side, I won’t lose."

It felt like I was confessing something embarrassing to the girl I liked.

Still, I spoke seriously, adding more words.

"Even though it’s a post-facto request, I’ll rely on Narseena again this time."

Narseena, who had been looking down, responded in a small voice after a while.

"…That’s cheating. If you say that, I can’t be angry at you for saying you’ll defeat Fenrir alone."

With a look that seemed to blame me, Narseena looked up at me.

But her lips were relaxed, revealing her complex inner thoughts.

Suppressing her relaxed lips and taking on a serious expression, Narseena spoke.

"But I won’t be fooled. I’ll lecture you later!"

"I didn’t mean to fool you."

"…! I, I won’t listen to your excuses! I’ll go and eliminate the Ogres!"

In response to my words, Narseena turned away as if to hide her face and started to run.

But she stopped after a few steps.

"I’ll eliminate the Ogres as quickly as possible and defeat the Lich as soon as it appears, so please wait for me."

There, Narseena turned back, looking at my face, and said with a proud smile.

"I’m a reliable woman!"

With those words, Narseena ran towards the horde of monsters.

The heat in my face didn’t dissipate even after she left.

"…It seems I was in the way."

"…I’m sorry."

When I thought I might have shown something embarrassing, a voice came from behind.

"No, motivation is important, and I don’t intend to say anything."

Sieg said this as if to reassure me, but his face showed a look of exasperation.

However, his face quickly turned into a smile.

"Well, I have something to say about being forgotten, but now is not the time. I’ll finish this as quickly as possible. I’m counting on you to delay."

Sieg’s words were filled with trust.

"Yes. I’m counting on you."

Smiling in response to that trust, I ran in the direction Ronaldo had gone.

Narseena’s proud smile was still stuck in my mind.

Just thinking about it made my lips relax.

Looking up at Ronaldo, Fenrir and the Griffin were already very close.

Fenrir, the powerful wolf enveloped in purple lightning, was emitting an overwhelming presence.

Seeing its approach at an almost abnormal speed, I realized I was feeling fear.

However, I wasn’t just feeling fear.

I felt a hot emotion that almost overshadowed the fear, and I smiled.

"Right now, I think I can delay for a day."

It wasn’t in response to my words, but Fenrir’s eyes turned towards me at that moment.

Whether it judged me as a troublesome enemy or thought it could defeat me instantly, the hostility in its eyes told me it had identified me as an enemy.

"Fi─────i!"

With a roar, Fenrir lunged in my direction.

Holding my dagger, I watched its growing form.

"For a while, you’ll be my opponent."

And the battle began.