Chapter 30

It wasn't just Dai and the others who felt hopeless; Luminia, though she didn't say it out loud, also lacked the confidence to survive against such numbers. She could easily defeat a few orcs, but there were over thirty in front of her. She realized that it would be a struggle just to help the merchants escape as she readied her sword.

However, there was one person who remained optimistic. For Toya, they were nothing more than trivial enemies.

What...? Are they all waiting? Just for a bunch of orcs...?

I charge towards the group of orcs. I hear someone shout "Wait!" from behind, but there's no need to wait when facing such weaklings. I use Body Reinforcement to increase my speed and rush towards the leading orc, slashing my sword horizontally. I then attack the orc standing next to it. After I pass, the two orcs collapse. I hear a voice from behind, but now isn't the time to worry about that. I move on to the next orc.

...This is nothing compared to the number of orcs in the village. There were even higher-level orcs back then. Compared to that...

Previously, while hunting in the forest, I found an orc village and eliminated over a hundred orcs. To me, it was just another way to gain experience. Toya didn't realize that this was far from normal for a solo adventurer.

"Alright! Next!"

I swing my sword, which is as tall as I am, and decapitate an orc. I then cast 'Fireball' at the orcs farther away. The orc's face is blown off, and it collapses without a scream. I dodge the club swung at me and slash with my sword. Within a few minutes, the number of orcs is reduced by half. I can see Kokuyou crushing orcs beside me. I smile and swing my sword even more.

Then I realize...

...Could it be... no one else is fighting...?

I jump back, putting some distance between myself and the orcs, and turn around. There, Luminia and the others are standing with their mouths open, stunned.

"Luminia-san!!"

Luminia is startled by my voice. She readies her sword and shouts.

"The remaining orcs are few. Let's go!"

Responding to her voice, Dai and the others also charge towards the orcs. With everyone moving, I feel more at ease and continue to attack the orcs. A few minutes later, no orcs are left standing.

"That's it...," I mutter, looking down at the defeated orcs. I wipe the blood off my body with a cloth and clean my sword before putting it away in my dimensional storage. I turn around to check if everyone is safe, and they are all staring at me, stunned.

"Everyone is safe, right? I didn't expect orcs to appear here..."

I speak without any tension, but Luminia and the others are smiling wryly.

"...Toya... you're a healer... right...? What is that strength...?"

Luminia whispers, her voice strained. I scratch my head and respond lightly.

"I've always been solo... I had to be able to do everything."

"R-right... But that strength seems beyond that..."

While Luminia was still formal, Dai and the others were not. They step back a step when I approach, and I can't help but smile wryly.

"Everyone seems to be fine... So... what about the materials?"

Orcs are omnivorous and have a lot of fat, but their meat is delicious. To prove we've defeated them, we need to cut off their pig-like noses, but I'd prefer to take them back. I'm hesitant to suggest it, but Luminia speaks up.

"Right... Toya, just put them in your dimensional storage. Can you take them back? The reward should increase if we turn them in to the guild."

I nod at Luminia's words and start putting the orc corpses away one by one. Within a few minutes, all the corpses are gone, leaving only the blood on the ground.

"Alright, I'll take them all back."

Everyone is stunned again by my casual words.

After that, due to the strong smell of blood, the merchants prepare to move. They fold their tents and move to a place a bit farther away. They take a break and nap in a spot where the smell doesn't reach. However, everyone is still excited from the battle and can't sleep. I, on the other hand, fall asleep without a care.

The next day, Luminia and I lead the way down the quiet road, which seems like a lie compared to yesterday's battle. Since the battle, Dai and the others have kept a bit of distance from me. I wonder if I overdid it yesterday as we continue to move forward.

"Finally, we can see the town."

In the distance, the town of Fendy comes into view. Thank you, as always.