kscans

Chapter 20 - The End and the Farce

The Orc King had been slain, but the battle was not over.

Before the Orcs' arrival, the monsters had been slightly outnumbered by the adventurers. But after their appearance, the monsters' attacks intensified, matching the Orcs' momentum, and the adventurers found themselves at a disadvantage. However, with the death of the Orc King, the Orcs' movements fell into disarray. The adventurers, sensing this, saw a golden opportunity and launched an all-out offensive.

Their intuition was correct. They broke free from their difficult situation, and the battle turned in their favor. But the monsters did not go down without a fight. They fought back with the intent to kill as many as they could.

In the midst of this battle, Bardos and I prioritized hunting the Orcs.

To an outsider, it might have looked like we were hunting big game for glory. But as I saw it, the other adventurers, though fighting hard, showed faces and movements heavy with fatigue. I judged they lacked the strength to hunt the Orcs, and that it would be better for the two of us to take down as many as possible. I laid out this strategy as we moved, and Bardos agreed. We headed toward the location of the Orcs.

There were five Orcs before us. A head-on fight would be unwinnable.

With that in mind, I said, "Bardos! I'll attack and create a diversion among the Orcs. In that opening, I need you to take them down, one by one, for sure."

To my instruction, Bardos replied with a joyful smile, "You got it! Let's go on a rampage!"

I activated my lightning magic.

"Thunderclap Incarnation!"

I used my lightning-based physical enhancement.

A current of electricity ran through my entire body, stimulating my cells and blood flow, making me feel incredibly light. I moved with swiftness into an Orc's guard and slashed its belly with my sword. A two-slash combo too fast for the eye to follow. The Orc gushed a large amount of blood and fell to its knees. I left the finishing blow to Bardos and moved on to the next one. One by one, I wounded the Orcs with the same tactic. Some died from my attack, while others tried to get back up and counterattack. But Bardos cut them all down without fail.

Seeing this, the other adventurers cried out, "Whoa! Look! 'Bardos the Berserk Axe' and the 'Thunder Man' are slaughtering the Orcs! We can't let them show us up!"

At that cry, the nearby adventurers let out a roar and fought with even more vigor than before.

At that voice, a question popped into my head. I thought I just heard 'Thunder Man', but who could that be? I pushed the thought aside. I needed to focus on what was in front of me. I switched back and continued hunting monsters.

The battle was over.

The Orcs were annihilated. Of the remaining monsters, some had been hunted down, while others had fled. The adventurers, seeing that the monsters were gone, let out a sigh of relief before conducting a survey of the area. They began searching for any remaining monsters and rescuing wounded adventurers.

Bardos and I were both wounded in the battle, but our lives were not in danger. I spurred my exhausted body on and headed to where the Guild Master and the others were—to propose a certain idea.

As evening fell, a banquet was held in the guild.

It was to celebrate the end of the Monster Uproar and the successful subjugation of the Orc King. And to mourn the adventurers who had died in the battle.

The Guild Master, after confirming that everyone had a drink, began to speak.

"Everyone! Well done on returning safely! There are those who did not return, but that is the law of battle, a world of life and death. And you, you have survived. Carry this joy and sorrow in your hearts and continue to strive for improvement every day. And finally, in honor of the great achievement of 'Beautiful Sword' in defeating the Orc King, a toast!"

To his shout, the adventurers roared, "Cheers!"

They all raised their wooden cups of ale in unison.

After that, they celebrated their survival with cheers and clinking cups, chatting as they snacked on the food that was brought out. The main topic of conversation was how 'Beautiful Sword' had defeated the Orc King.

The women themselves were at the center of the banquet, all four of them battered and bruised, drinking their ale. But their faces were somber. The other adventurers, seeing their demeanor, assumed they were mourning the dead. They decided not to make too much noise around them and left them in peace.

But the women's minds were occupied with something else entirely.

After the uproar had ended and the adventurers were busy gathering monster corpses and stripping them for materials, 'Beautiful Sword', their wounds now treated, were summoned by the Guild Master and key staff into a private tent, out of sight.

"For this matter, we will be recording that you were the ones who defeated the Orc King. Are there any objections?"

At the Guild Master's words, Tina retorted, "Wait a minute! It was Bardos-san and the rookie who defeated the Orc King! It wasn't us! Besides, from the way you're talking, you already knew that! Why are you saying such a thing?!"

Her anger was both natural and a response to the humiliation.

To have the credit for defeating the Orc King stolen. For the guild, which was supposed to be fair, to commit such fraud… she was filled with an unforgivable anger, and at the same time, the humiliation of being treated like a convenient tool prepared by the guild. It wasn't just Tina; the other three felt the same way.

The Guild Master, sensing their feelings, said, "I understand how you feel. Such fraud is not something that can normally be forgiven. To do so would be to lose the trust of all the guilds. But there are circumstances that make this fraud necessary right now. Please, calm down and listen."

At his words, the four of them fell silent, though their faces were still contorted with anger.

"It was indeed the rookie who defeated the Orc King. Everyone here has confirmed that. However, he is someone who has only just become C-rank. While he certainly has the skill, the problem is that it was a C-rank who defeated it. This Orc King was a monster that would have been difficult for not only B-ranks but even A-ranks to defeat. If it becomes known that a C-rank defeated such a being, then a bunch of reckless fools, thinking that Orcs, or another Orc King should one appear, are easy monsters that even a C-rank can defeat, will go out to hunt them."

"It's easy to imagine how many casualties that would cause, wouldn't you say?"

In a way, the Guild Master's words made sense to the four of them.

No matter how strong the C-rank rookie was, as long as he was an intermediate C-rank, it was only human for others to measure his strength by those present. To use an analogy from Earth, it's like a bullfight.

To a first-time spectator, the contest between the bull and the matador might seem easy, something they could do themselves. But if they actually tried, a novice would be so terrified of the charging bull that their legs would tremble, they wouldn't be able to move properly, and they would become the bull's prey and die.

I digress. But in that same way, there is a vast difference in the impression and the fear felt between those who actually fought and those who only heard the story. To prevent this, if it is said that an A-rank adventurer, with their skill and experience, succeeded in defeating it while suffering heavy injuries, then at the very least, no reckless fools will appear.

Even as she came to this understanding, Tina said, "In that case, we can say that we fought the Orc King first and inflicted a serious wound, but when we were unable to continue the fight, the C-rank adventurer appeared and dealt the finishing blow. Isn't that enough to express the monster's strength?!"

Tina's idea was certainly a convincing one, but the Guild Master replied, "…There is some truth to that. But rumors tend to be abbreviated. Even if we explain the circumstances of the Orc King's defeat from beginning to end, there's no guarantee that it will spread that way. Abbreviation after abbreviation, and in the end, the only thing that will be passed on is the result that a C-rank defeated the Orc King. That would be meaningless. That's why, from the beginning, we will say that an A-rank defeated it. This is the best method."

At that answer, Tina looked as if she wanted to say something, but the Guild Master continued, "…Incidentally, the one who proposed this plan was that very rookie. He came to me and suggested a way to avoid the events that would follow by making the defeat of the Orc King the achievement of 'Beautiful Sword'."

Hearing those words, the four of them were stunned.

A rookie adventurer, giving away such a great achievement to someone else.

He had accomplished something so great. He had thrown away the chance to become B-rank, or possibly even A-rank, of his own volition.

For an inexperienced adventurer to do something so wasteful… the three of them felt their interest in that rookie growing ever stronger. But one of them, Tina, felt something else. More than that thought, she felt the heat in her chest grow even hotter. She maintained her composure so as not to let it show, but her face was slightly red. Fortunately, the tent was dimly lit, so no one noticed.

The Guild Master, seeing the four's silence, said, "Do you understand now? If you speak the truth here and now, do you understand how many lives will be lost as a result? If you do, then we will proceed with this plan. Are there any objections?"

To the Guild Master's words, Tina replied, "I understand. If our revealing the truth will lead to many sacrifices later, then we accept this plan. Everyone, is that alright?"

She turned and sought the agreement of the other three. Seeing them nod in affirmation, Tina turned back to the Guild Master.

"Lastly, could you at least tell us that rookie's name?"

To this question, the Guild Master replied, "Shinsuke. Among adventurers, he's known as 'Shinsuke the Thunder Man'."

Hearing this answer, Tina thanked the Guild Master and left the tent.

Shinsuke. Tina repeated the name over and over in her head, so that she would never forget his face and name.

Back in the present, at the banquet in the guild, Bardos and I were drinking and eating snacks together.

As we were having fun, I remembered something and said to Bardos, "…Hey, Bardos? Who's this guy they're calling the 'Thunder Man'? I've never heard of him."

To this question, Bardos pointed at me.

"It's you. During our fight, you covered yourself in lightning, right? The nickname just stuck. By the way, other magicians tried to do the same thing, cover themselves in lightning, but their bodies went completely numb, and they couldn't move, so they failed. So, that means you're the only one who gets to have that nickname."

I had no idea. I didn't know that was going on.

Well, it's not something you can do right away. If you don't have a certain understanding of the body's structure, you'll just go numb. I was only able to do it because I had a decent amount of knowledge from manga and anime. With that thought, I continued to drink.

The banquet ended, and everyone headed home.

I had had a fair amount to drink, so my legs were a bit unsteady. But I was fine to go home. I parted ways with Bardos on the way and was walking alone when I heard multiple sets of footsteps behind me.

Whether I went right or left, they followed. I figured they had business with me, so I turned around in a less crowded area to call out to them, but my pursuers made no effort to hide; they were standing there boldly.

It was 'Beautiful Sword'.