Chapter 21

The giant snake's fangs aimed at the axman were deflected by the large shield.

"Ah!"

The axman, who had inadvertently sat down on his buttocks, saw a purple-haired swordsman standing in front of him, shielding him. The purple-haired swordsman's mouth opened, and he spoke to the axman in a straightforward manner.

"Stay back."

"Y-Yes."

After the axman fled the scene in a panic, the purple-haired swordsman readied his sword.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, let's have a go then."

Despite his light tone, the purple-haired swordsman's expression was serious, showing no sign of complacency as he faced the giant snake.

In the silence of the snake's warning hiss, the purple-haired swordsman was about to strike when the giant snake suddenly thrashed about.

Hansrich and the others, who had been watching, saw the snake's body, which had been cut open and was spewing blood.

Unable to process the scene before them, Hansrich and the others were stunned, but the snake's body was cut open again.

"What...?"

As Hansrich muttered, squinting his eyes, he saw a golden-haired woman nimbly dodging the thrashing snake and slashing it with her sword.

The woman moved around the snake with a graceful agility, almost like a dance.

With each step she took, the snake's body was sliced and became blood-soaked.

Her elegant movements, with her beautiful golden hair flowing, were more like a sword dance than a battle.

Hansrich and the others were captivated by her beauty, forgetting the situation.

Finally, when the snake's head, which had begun to weaken, was smashed by the purple-haired swordsman, it was the final blow.

After the crisis was averted and Hansrich and the others caught their breath, the purple-haired swordsman who had delivered the final blow began to yell at the golden-haired woman.

"Hey, Helena! Don't take my prey without permission!"

"Oh, don't say such unpleasant things. Your job is to protect those kids, and hunting Raktors is my job, isn't it?"

"Shut up! I said I could handle Raktors on my own!"

"Didn't you hear Michelle say to prioritize the children's safety over hunting Raktors? I'm surprised you didn't."

"What!?"

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Both Crenthe and Helena did a good job. Save the arguments for later."

A voice clapped from the bushes.

The voice was followed by an elderly woman with dark blue hair tied back.

The purple-haired and golden-haired swordsmen, who had started arguing without even looking at the students, obediently followed her when she mediated.

Three more men appeared behind the woman, all armed, clearly mercenaries.

"Damn! I had a chance to show my skills!"

The purple-haired swordsman called Crenthe stomped his feet in frustration.

"Don't say that. You did your job well. I think a man who can protect what needs to be protected is better than a simple-minded one who just charges into battle. Don't you agree?"

"Well, if you say so..."

Crenthe, who didn't seem entirely displeased, was bypassed as the elderly woman approached Hansrich and the others.

"Are you hurt? I thought it might be unnecessary, but it looked dangerous, so I decided to lend a hand."

Thus, Hansrich and the others, who had been saved from a dire situation, came under the protection of Crenthe and the others.

Crenthe and the others were indeed mercenaries as they appeared.

The elderly woman introduced herself as the merchant Michelle and explained that she had hired Crenthe and four others as guards to cross the forest.

On the way, they had seen young mercenaries (who looked like mercenaries to Michelle) struggling and decided to help.

At first, Michelle offered to trade healing potions and other necessary items at market prices.

However, once she learned that Hansrich and the others were students and had the strength to barely defeat a single dual-sword beast, her tone became harsh.

"Do they not teach you to know your limits at your academy? To think you'd even consider entering this forest with such weak skills."

"Then are you saying you can defeat a dual-sword beast?"

Hansrich, unable to hold back, countered, and Michelle laughed and said,

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm a merchant, not a fighter. But I know my limits and understand the dangers of this forest. That's why I hired five skilled guards. Knowing yourself is important. If you had hired proper guards, I wouldn't be saying this. If your guards were killed by monsters, that's one thing, but you entered this forest without any guards. Where's the justification for that?"

Despite knowing the truth in Michelle's words, Solute and the others were disheartened.

The only one who didn't agree was Hansrich.

Born into a prestigious family and educated from a young age, Hansrich, though not the heir, was a promising young man.

He had been the top student since entering the academy and was known for his sword skills, which were on par with the academy's instructors and even compared to the royal guards.

For someone who had never experienced failure, the current outcome was hard to accept.

Moreover, being berated by a mere merchant must have torn his pride to shreds.

Solute spoke to Michelle from the side.

"You're right, our judgment was too lenient."

They had been lucky so far, but there was no guarantee their luck would continue until they crossed the forest.

It was clear that if they were attacked, they wouldn't be able to handle it.

"Though it's embarrassing to rely on you, could we travel with you until we cross the forest?"

The safest choice would be to follow Michelle and her group, who had the strength to fight the forest's beasts.

This was the inevitable conclusion Solute and the others had reached.

"Hmm... to bring you five along? What do you think, Helena? Is it possible?"

"It's not possible. We can't protect all six of us, including Michelle. If you're willing to accept some casualties, that's a different story."

The golden-haired swordsman answered immediately.

She had a plain face, but her long golden hair, which shimmered in the sunlight, and her slightly pointed ears were striking.

She wore silver-dyed leather armor, carried no shield, and had two slightly shorter double-edged swords at her waist.

She was probably in her late twenties.

However, given that she was consulted by Michelle, she might be the leader of the mercenaries.

"We have learned some self-defense techniques. We may not be much help in battle, but at least we won't be a hindrance—"

Solute's words were cut off by Helena.

"You say that, but we don't have the confidence to protect you. Moreover, you haven't been trained to be protected, have you?"

"Trained to be protected...?"

"Yes. Just as there are techniques for protecting others, there are skills for being protected. Understanding the layout of enemies and allies, the surrounding terrain, and adjusting your position to make it easier for the guards to move. Maintaining a state of readiness to retreat if the situation turns unfavorable. Most importantly, the mental strength to remain calm and composed in changing situations. These skills can't be acquired overnight without training or experience. Michelle has experienced many battles. Even if she doesn't fight herself, she has seen as many battles as we have. That's why she knows how to act to make it easier for us to protect her and how not to get in our way."

"Well, well, flattery won't lower the guard fee."

Michelle laughed from the side.

"I'm not flattering you. It's the truth. Michelle is very easy to protect."

"Indeed, we haven't received such training. But we have been trained to protect ourselves."

"Let me explain. The most difficult people to guard are children and animals. Do you know why?"

"Because they don't listen...?"

"Close. Next, who do you think is the most difficult to guard?"

"Um... ordinary people who can't fight?"

"No. While guarding ordinary people is difficult, the most difficult are those who think they can fight but can't. Ordinary people know they can't fight and won't charge into battle, but those who think they can fight will recklessly put themselves in danger, making our job harder. In other words, you."

"That's..."

"Of course, if you truly have the skills to protect yourself, that's a different story. But if you can't even defeat a dual-sword beast, which is the easiest prey in this forest, your argument lacks credibility. In any case, the risk of us five guarding six people while crossing the forest is too high."

Solute said nothing more.

Her statement that they could protect themselves was a sign of overconfidence and a lack of self-awareness.

However, someone couldn't remain silent. It was Hansrich.

"What! Are you going to abandon us here!?"

Hansrich's unusually rude tone confused the four students.

It was a far cry from his usual confident demeanor.

"Coming into a dangerous forest and then saying such nonsense, what a silly boy."

The purple-haired swordsman laughed, mocking Hansrich.

"Stop it, Crenthe! That's not mature!"

Michelle scolded him.

"Alright, alright. So, what do we do?"

"Since we're already involved, it would be too cruel to leave the children. Helena, can you stay here with me?"

"What about us?"

"Crenthe, go to Tria and call for reinforcements. If you offer twenty gold coins upfront, you should be able to gather four or five people."

"What about Michelle? Helena alone won't be able to protect you."

"We'll find an empty cave and hide there. It's a bit wasteful, but if we burn a beast repellent at the entrance, we should be fine for four days. We have enough food, and as long as we secure water, we should be okay until you return."

"Hmm... this is better than dragging the kids along. Alright, let's get started! First, we need to find a cave!"

Thus, Michelle, Helena, and Hansrich and the others, a total of seven people, decided to wait in a cave until Crenthe and the other mercenaries returned.

2019/07/22 Typo correction: 主席 → 首席

2019/07/22 Typo correction: 体勢を維持する → 態勢を維持する

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2019/08/11 Correction: 吹き出し → 噴き出し

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