There is No Escaping the Hero
Chapter 12: Night Scouting
According to Weiss, a sister belonging to the Holy Church Headquarters and an acquaintance of Solo, a series of disappearances had occurred in the surrounding settlements. Just as she was thinking it suspicious, this town was also attacked by a horde of monsters, and many townspeople were seemingly taken away.
Weiss apparently barricaded herself in the church and fought bravely to protect the children until the end, but seeing that, a small ogre looking like a withered branch said,
“Not worth the trouble,”
And left, retreating just like that in the face of Weiss’s continued resistance.
“…A monster that understands language, huh.”
“Brings back bad memories.”
“Hmm.”
Speaking of monsters that fluently manipulate language, the Black Dragon Fernig, etched in their nightmarish memories, came to mind. Schutz, who crushed many monsters, couldn’t lay a hand on him, and Solo couldn’t even move properly.
Truly a monster of a different caliber.
“Still, Weiss, huh. She was undefeated against humans, but to think she’s now doing a splendid job as a sister and even driving away monsters… unbelievable.”
“That’s my line. That Solo traveling to help others is so unlike you… it’s laughable.”
“Hehe, I think so too.”
Weiss snorted, and Solo laughed loudly. Soare couldn’t understand that at all. It was a critical situation. The lives of townspeople might be lost right now. They needed to plan a rescue operation more seriously.
And yet,
“Want a smoke?”
“Yeah.”
“In exchange—”
“A light, right? Yeah, yeah.”
The two of them were nonchalantly smoking cigarettes.
There were parts where her view of him had changed a little, but in the end, people of that birth probably lacked a sense of responsibility. Even if she was a sister from Headquarters, was this the extent of it? Soare lamented.
What good is it if you don’t extend a hand to those in trouble—
“Schutz, let’s go for the rescue right now.”
“…Soare-sama. It is night. Jumping into the midst of the enemy without knowing their formation would be suicidal. It is dangerous.”
“But someone might be getting killed right now.”
“Even so. If we die now, rescue will be hopeless for a while. That is exactly why we must proceed with caution.”
“T-That is…”
It was a sound argument. Cold, but correct.
And seeing the two puffing on cigarettes without saying anything, they probably had factored that in as well.
“Well, I’ll go take a look later. I have good night vision.”
“Will you be alright?”
“I know when to pull back. I have a long history as a thief, after all.”
“But you have a criminal record, right?”
“Au… can’t argue with that.”
Hearing the exchange between Solo and Schutz, or rather Solo’s statement, Weiss showed a little surprise. The old him would absolutely never have offered to lend a hand for free.
“Well, it’d be trouble if the Princess couldn’t sleep from worry.”
“Hmph.”
“Ooh, scary, scary.”
Let alone follow up for a girl saying nonsensical things—
“Can you babysit the brats~?”
“Mugaa! I can do it!”
『Wow, looks hopeless.』
(Yeah.)
At the transformation of her acquaintance, Weiss looked at him as if seeing something strange.
**
“…Ugh.”
Ignoring Soare who was lamenting glumly in the corner,
“Gahahaha! I am a giant!”
“Huge!”
“Macho!”
“Looks strong!”
“I am strong!”
Schutz was hugely popular with the children. He was playing with the children with a practiced ease. Should this be called the wisdom of age, or his virtue?
Anyway, it was good that the atmosphere became bright.
Solo hated gloominess.
“Are you aiming for that woman?”
Weiss called out to Solo, who was watching such a scene from afar.
“Is your brain boiled, idiot?”
“I’ll kill you, baldy.”
“Where am I bald!? It’s thick and bushy, dammit!”
Taking a critical hit from the exchange of abuse, Solo raged excessively. There were no problems yet. Still thick.
But “bald” was a taboo word. He thought it wasn’t good.
“Then, why help?”
“…She lost her sister the other day. She won’t admit it, though.”
“Does that have anything to do with you?”
“Not really. I knew that sister a little, and she apparently, well, cared for her. That’s all.”
“…You really changed.”
“You thiiink?”
Solo didn’t intend to change anything. He had always been himself: selfish, frivolous, optimistic, a thief living day to day.
And always—
“…What happened to the tiny one that was clinging to you?”
“Wasn’t tiny. Weiss is just too huge.”
“…Is that so? Well, maybe they got a bit bigger now.”
“Won’t happen. Cause they died.”
“…I see. Cause of death?”
“Sickness. Happens all the time.”
Seeing Solo answer nonchalantly, Weiss only replied, “True.” Living in the gutter, it was rarer to grow this big and become an adult.
Even if you survived starvation, the winter cold would get you; even if you survived that, an epidemic would take you suddenly, unable to see a doctor or get medicine.
Happens all the time.
“Is your criminal record related to that?”
“You’re awfully persistent today.”
Receiving Solo’s gaze telling her to shut up soon, Weiss closed her mouth. Originally, she wasn’t even the talkative type when they met.
Not bright. Not frivolous.
Just like him, she lived only for herself.
With eyes like a wolf, like now—
“I’m going soon.”
“Stay safe.”
“Well, I’ll manage. I’m good at it, running away a-l-o-n-e.”
“Shut up.”
Watching Solo’s back disappear into the dark night, Weiss grabbed a cigarette but remembered there was no one to light it and put it back in her bosom.
“…”
When they met, they were both outcasts. Not even licking each other’s wounds. They didn’t rely on each other either. Because they both had the pride of loners.
But,
“…Did that little one change him, or was it that sister… either way, not a very funny story.”
That small, good-for-nothing gutter rat living in the gutter appeared, and Solo changed. He had no choice but to change.
She too—remembering such things, she bit her lip in loneliness.
**
『Rare for you to snap.』
“Shut it. Concentrate a little.”
『Yeah, yeah.』
Having good night vision wasn’t a bluff. Pickpocketing was easier against drunk customers, and when he was unskilled, he often operated at night.
Well, now he could do whatever he wanted regardless of day or night—
Such a person and sword blended into the dark night, intently following the tracks of the monster horde. Nothing difficult about it. A considerable group; harder to miss them.
The stars were beautiful tonight; this much light was enough.
And halfway through, he realized.
“Even so… this is amazing.”
『Lighting bonfires in the middle of the night… that’s intimidation, if anything.』
That the opponent had no intention of hiding their location.
“How many monsters are there?”
『Who knows. Or rather, naturally there’ll be some under that huge tree too.』
“Wooow.”
Guarding the Demonic Tree Oak, which had turned into a fortress lined up in rows, were a considerable number of monsters. The composition was mostly small ogres, goblins, but some large ogre species could also be seen.
What was terrifying was their formation. Not lined up randomly, but clearly lined up with discipline; their appearance was just like a human army.
Not just numbers; they were organized.
He could see that.
“Will it be tough even for Charging Pops?”
『Depends on the opponent. By the way, those lined up in the back row are Mage Goblins.』
“…Don’t tell me they use magic?”
『That ‘don’t tell me’.』
“Hiee.”
A serious setup with magic users in the back row. A complete army with no corners cut.
“Mm, something came out from under the tree.”
『You have good eyes, Partner.』
“Well yeah… Pfft, it’s a super shriveled geezer.”
『…That is, if I recall… Crap, Partner. Just realized.』
“Look at that too, Toro-suke. Super wrinkly. Too much of a geezer.”
『Um, serious talk here.』
“Mm, he’s saying something… Mega, Proc… Crap!”
『We’re caught in detection magic, I was sayi—』
A massive explosion burned away the forest where Solo and his partner were hiding. Without mercy, the King of Small Ogres unleashed the maximum firepower he could release.
Firepower more than enough to burn a rat to death.
“Gyaggya, looks like I caught one. Feels a little early, but let’s assume human communication methods were excellent. Now then, I can feed you plenty with this.”
The appearance of a scout meant the survivors of that town had called for reinforcements. Then, naturally, they should have prepared a corresponding number of soldiers.
Intercept them and make them new sacrifices.
To make the tree bigger, stronger, and birth higher-quality ogres.
“Everyone, it is time for war.”
The roar of the ogre army echoed in the dark night.
