Chapter 37

"Uuuu~ It's so cold~"

This was right in the middle of a forest, not far from the capital of Noein. Hidden in a spot surrounded by bushes, Noein sat, exhaling white breath as he muttered.

Held tightly in Matilda's embrace from behind, he was wrapped in fur, a rather pitiful sight.

"Are you still cold in that outfit?"

"Well, it can't be helped. I'm not used to the winter in the northern kingdom, and I'm small and lack stamina. I can't be like everyone else who's well-trained."

Despite being teased by Yuri, who was also serving as a guard, Noein replied without a hint of embarrassment.

This winter, Noein had mostly stayed by the fireplace in the mansion. Even when he had to work outdoors, he would wear a fur over his coat, warm himself by a bonfire, and have the golems do all the work.

Yet, he was now in the middle of a freezing winter forest for an orc hunt. It was only natural that he couldn't properly withstand the cold, leading to his current state.

The plan for the orc hunt was simple.

Based on the tracks leading from where the goblin's body was found, they estimated the general direction of the orcs.

Radley, known for his toughness and agility, would enter as a decoy to find the orcs and lead them to the point where Noein and the others were waiting, where the golems would overpower and subdue them. That was it.

In the winter forest, where orcs could appear at any time, there was no room to set up traps, and a complex plan against the low-intelligence orcs could lead to unforeseen situations. Therefore, this straightforward strategy was chosen.

Yuri and Matilda were directly guarding Noein, while Pence, Bart, and Mai were keeping watch at a distance to prevent any surprise attacks by the orcs.

They had been in the forest for about an hour. Staying in one place in such extreme cold was a challenge even for someone as well-prepared as Noein.

Just as Yuri, who was in charge of the operation, was considering whether to retreat and recover their strength before trying again, the situation changed.

From deeper in the forest, in the direction Radley had entered, a high-pitched whistling sound echoed. It was Radley signaling that he had found the orcs with his arrow.

"They're coming, get ready."

Yuri gave a short command, and Noein nodded silently, slipping out of the fur and Matilda's arms to prepare for battle. Pence, Bart, and Mai also regrouped.

"Sir Noein, are the golems ready?"

"Anytime."

"Everyone else, prepare for a retreat just in case. Don't slip."

In response to Yuri's call, everyone except Noein nodded silently.

After a few minutes, the sound of rustling bushes and branches came from the direction where Radley was leading the orcs. Soon, the source of the sound was visible.

"He's leading them without any trouble. He's coming this way with a cool expression."

Pence muttered this as he saw Radley running towards them, drawing his sword. Noein couldn't see Radley's expression from the distance, but Pence, with his keen eyesight, could.

The others also readied their weapons, and Yuri said, "Sir Noein, get ready." Noein nodded, a bit tense.

Soon, Radley reached the clearing where the golems were waiting, sitting against a tree.

Stopping in front of the golem, Radley waited for a few seconds before the orc appeared behind him.

"Goaaah!"

The massive orc, over 2 meters tall, with a body covered in thick muscles and hard fur, let out a roar that shook the air, making Noein gasp.

"Now. Golems."

Hearing Yuri's command, Noein quickly focused.

It's okay. Yuri, Matilda, and everyone else are here. Stronger allies are protecting me. And I have to protect them with the golems.

Directing his consciousness and magic to the golem, the golem, which had been sitting, stood up. At the same time, Radley jumped to the side to avoid it.

The wooden golem, which had given no sign of life, suddenly standing up made the orc step back in alarm.

After a few seconds of staring at each other, the golem made the first move.

With surprising speed for its bulky body, the golem stepped forward and swung its thick arm. Instead of dodging, the orc tried to block it with a wooden club.

A heavy "Dokk" sound echoed, and at the same time, a creaking sound came from the orc's club. However, the orc, without losing its balance, firmly blocked the golem's arm.

"Ughh!"

Noein couldn't help but exclaim.

If a human were to receive a direct hit from the golem, they would be crushed beyond recognition. Even iron shields and armor would be useless. The orc had blocked the golem's attack head-on.

It was an unbelievable sight, but Noein couldn't be mesmerized by the orc's strength. He moved the second golem, which had been hidden in the bushes.

From behind the orc, where there had been no sign of an enemy, the second golem burst out of the bushes, making the orc growl in frustration.

Pinned by the first golem, the orc couldn't move. The second golem swung its arm at the orc's head.

A dull "Gosha" sound of a skull being crushed echoed, and the orc's eyes popped out as if shot out.

"Wow, amazing! We did it! We won!"

"Idiot! Don't let your guard down yet!"

In the excitement of the battle, Noein shouted at the shocking scene, and Yuri instinctively hit him on the head.

There was no guarantee that this orc didn't have a mate or children. It was too early to celebrate. Chastised by his retainer, Noein apologized, "S-Sorry."

......

"In the end, it was quite anticlimactic."

"Well, the danger of orcs mainly comes from their strength and speed. If you have a weapon like Sir Noein's golem, it's a different story."

In the end, no mate or children of the orc appeared, and the orc hunt ended successfully. The retainers were currently dissecting the fallen orc.

When the orc had matched the golem in strength, it was a bit nerve-wracking, but due to its low intelligence and lack of combat tactics, the two golems easily overpowered it.

"Is that it? It was kind of anticlimactic, wasn't it?"

"No, usually, an orc hunt isn't that easy unless you're a combat-trained mage. Sir Noein's golems are exceptional."

"There's no other golem that can match an orc in speed."

"Sir Noein's control skills are amazing."

"I've never seen anyone smash an orc's skull like that."

"Really, it's insane..."

Yuri and the other retainers praised him, albeit with a bit of awe. Noein, receiving this slightly hesitant praise, smiled his usual carefree smile.

"Really? So I'm strong?"

"The strength to easily kill an orc like that, you're truly impressive, Sir Noein."

"No, it's not me, it's the golems... but whatever. You did a good job."

Yuri, slightly exasperated, still praised Noein. The fact that Noein, who could control the golems, possessed exceptional combat power and had demonstrated it in this operation was undeniable.

Incidentally, the orc's fur and magic stones, once dissected, became Noein's temporary income as the lord. The retainers who participated in the battle received a significant reward, and the large amount of high-quality meat was distributed to all the retainers and villagers by Noein's arrangement.

As winter approached its latter half, the villagers, who had been feeling down due to the prolonged cold, enjoyed a lively barbecue of orc meat in the village square, which ended in great success.

Thus, the first real battle in the Arquvist barony ended in a resounding victory.