Chapter 109 – Hero (2)

Sun-woo wearing a coat and uniform-like clothes, and Yeonhwa wearing jeans and a leather jacket obtained from shopping a few days ago had no choice but to stand out among mercenaries wearing various forms of armor.

Moreover, the mercenaries gathered here had reputation in their own way so knew each other roughly anyway. So they couldn’t look at the two unfamiliar people with favor even more.

Seeing the knight who gathered mercenaries brought them, they thought they might roughly be hidden knights or something from that country.

“Tsk, no matter how I look, feel like got dragged in big time.”

“Right? No matter how I look, this feels like being dragged to a tiger’s den.”

“Already got twisted from not escaping before war broke out, well.”

But the mercenaries grumbled in not-small voices whether Sun-woo and Yeonhwa heard or not.

Seeing they were making noise loud enough to be heard by Daniel leading the mercenaries and other knights, could see they completely didn’t care.

Fortunately, though grumbling with words, the mercenaries steadily moved forward. All maintaining formation while talking and sweeping surroundings was the appearance of seasoned mercenaries.

The hero party going ahead in the distance and the mercenary combined force following behind were advancing through the forest avoiding the enemy’s main force.

For surveillance of surroundings, they utilized the Grand Mage’s detection magic walking beside the hero.

And among mercenaries, those with specialty in scouting and tracking were now scattered everywhere examining surroundings.

***

Sun-woo following them while slightly separated from the mercenaries also thought things got twisted.

The day Yeonhwa came, as expected he had troublesome shopping, and from the next day spent several days frantically decorating a room for Yeonhwa to stay in the house and making a resident registration card, etc.

Naturally in between, Caroline who suddenly changed like a sister-in-law barged in interfering in everything, and Sun-woo’s fatigue increased further.

Fortunately, after those busy several days passed, most matters were settled and Yeonhwa also seemed accustomed to Sun-woo’s dimension and work. At that moment, the two people ended up summoned to this place.

“Troublesome, why were only we two people summoned? Moreover Yeonhwa-ssi isn’t even a combat-side summoner…”

Sun-woo muttered while looking back at Yeonhwa, but Yeonhwa with sparkling eyes seemed not to have heard Sun-woo’s words while sightseeing surroundings.

She didn’t have any worry at all even when arriving at Sun-woo’s world, and being summoned here too, she just found the first-seen world fascinating and completely didn’t show a worrying appearance.

[Level 6. Eliminate contamination source Green Dragon.]

It was the mission Sun-woo received after being summoned to this world. Level 6. Since the level of giant monsters that flocked to the Empire that became a contaminated region was 4, for Sun-woo it was just absurd.

However, after being summoned, meeting Daniel and hearing the situation from him, he could roughly know what happened.

The Summoners wanted them to intervene helping when this hero something and mercenary force faced the dragon.

Even so, difficulty wasn’t easy, but looked somewhat better than headbutting bare ground.

“Looks like personnel shortage is serious. Seeing them using tricks like this.”

Sun-woo who worried about the summoner recruitment difficulty for a moment began spreading sorcery around.

Though other people were examining surroundings, doing what he could do was also good.

***

“Looks like there’s a shaman of considerable skill among the mercenaries. Curious thing. Sometimes heard there are people among tribes living in remote places who use sorcery that monsters use, but this is the first time directly feeling it.”

Mage Graham who was staring backward relaxed his expression and muttered.

Just before, feeling a strange mana flow, he recalled sorcery of monsters faced in the past.

He who was startled urgently looked back, but where mana flowed out was where mercenaries were crowded.

A monster using transformation technique might have infiltrated, but there couldn’t be a monster that could infiltrate avoiding their eyes.

“Is that so? Looks like there were unexpectedly capable mercenaries. The knights father attached also don’t look bad. This matter seems like the flow won’t be bad.”

Prince Gristeen smiled softly at the mage’s words.

“Still, looks like the King worries about Gristeen quite a bit. Seeing he attached knights with ability like that.”

“They’re all surveillance roles. Surveillance roles to monitor the second son son roaming outside causing trouble.”

Gristeen shook his head at the Holy Maiden’s words.

“Causing trouble. Neighboring kingdoms are also making a fuss with stories about ‘Hero Gristeen’!”

“Well, that’s commoners’ talk, and to those above, it just looks like a prince pushed out from succession rights struggling to raise possibility even a little.”

“Really unfair! Not knowing I worked hard until now without selfish motives! Why do they keep looking with prejudice.”

The Holy Maiden looking very noble denounced the prince’s unfairness with an indignant expression.

“If we do our best, they’ll recognize it. More than that, seems like we entered quite inside, but is information still not here?”

At the prince’s question, the mage looked at the distant back sky.

“Coming on time.”

One flying creature was flying in the distant sky he was watching.

Shortly after, what flew flapping wings with a flutter was a black bat.

The bat landed on the mage’s shoulder. The mage closed his eyes briefly and examined the memories of the bat that was his familiar.

“As expected, we were bait.”

The mage who soon opened his eyes spoke with a bitter expression.

Through the familiar left behind in the kingdom capital, he confirmed that elite knights and a group of magicians departed through another path after they left.

“As expected. Certainly though there’s a name called hero, there’s almost no country that would entrust such work to a foreign prince. Plus if they attached mercenaries without supporting knights, it’s obvious.”

Hearing the mage’s words, the prince’s expression was very calm. It had been long since he roamed the world even before wearing the name hero. Such schemes and tricks weren’t so new.

“Still, the title of neighboring country’s prince doesn’t seem to work much as a defensive barrier against countries.”

“Well, since the nation’s fate hangs in balance, they’re not looking ahead or behind.”

“Anyway if we were bait, enemies will be full on the path we’re going, right?”

“I’m curious how they’ll leak our information to the enemy. This enemy is quite strange.”

“They all seem eaten by unknown energy. Similar to being possessed by evil spirits.”

“Whatever method was used, it must have been informed, so we also have to find a way to live.”

“Should, right?”

“Yes, can’t help but have to set bait in reverse.”

The prince who sighed small apologized to the Holy Maiden.

“Sorry. Keep showing bad appearances.”

“A bit sad but I understand. I’ll seek forgiveness from God.”

The hero who confirmed the Holy Maiden praying to God on horseback raised his hand to stop the party.

“Changing direction. Reduce speed and south!”

Knights and mercenaries made puzzled expressions at the hero’s words but followed him changing direction.

The hero party that was crossing the mountain range began greatly detouring the path while reducing speed.

While waiting for the kingdom knights who departed behind to become bait meeting the enemy…

***

The returning path like that had no choice but to exit outside the forest and had no choice but to make contact with small-scale forces passing around.

At first orc forces, goblin forces, and even lizardmen forces.

Though not large scale, before the mercenaries who were quite a number could get a taste, all were swept away by the hero party’s hands.

A high-ranking mage enough to be called Grand Mage swept the enemy force with wide-area magic, and sturdy enemies enduring that and enemies with fairly high force, Gristeen stepped forward and cut down in one stroke.

Moreover, at one gesture of the woman called Holy Maiden, one undead force being neutralized definitely looked like receiving God’s ability.

“Yeonhwa-ssi is also a Holy Maiden. Can’t you do something like that?”

Seeing the Holy Maiden, curiosity arose so he asked Yeonhwa, but at her looking with an expression saying pathetic, Sun-woo had no choice but to scratch his head.

“Certainly amazing. Indeed a party worth being called hero.”

Sun-woo looked at the heroes ahead with a curious expression.

And the mage and prince were also making surprised expressions looking at the mercenaries.

“Really amazing.”

“Right. Thought some would escape but not one got away.”

The mage turned his head looking at a lizardman half-buried in the ground in the distance, burned.

Such a burned appearance was what he made, but what trapped the escaping lizardman in a trap and buried him halfway was the power of sorcery felt earlier.

Meeting enemies four times during the day, several times enemies that tried to escape, this trap appeared and caught them.

“The power itself doesn’t seem very strong but the control is fearsome. If I survive this time, should consider it.”

“Right? Certainly our party lacked this support-type side. This year seems like seeing a lot of useful personnel.”

“Certainly so. Then let’s talk when returning.”

Then, the Holy Maiden who was quietly watching beside opened her mouth.

“But when is the party member who came in this year you just mentioned joining?”

“Will come soon. Checking mercenaries scattered on the battlefield and coming, won’t take very long.”

“Whoever she’s looking for, she also has much hardship every time.”

“Well, everyone has their circumstances. Still, since the spirit she left here is here, will find us soon.”

***

The next day.

The party that didn’t encounter enemies further the previous day advanced more deeply into enemy territory.

The party’s goal was the Green Dragon mountain range beyond the border. Since it was concluded that dragon was dominating similar-humans, to eliminate the dragon, they were advancing to the mountain range where the dragon’s lair was.

Of course, they weren’t moving at very fast speed.

And that day, the party for the first time discovered the enemy later than the enemy.

The enemy encountered this time was dark elf forces. Those optimized for forests and having eyes several times to several dozen times superior to humans.

Though the mage’s detection range was far, avoiding dark elf eyes on plains not forests was unreasonable.

Arrows immediately poured toward the party like rain, and the mage who hastily wrapped a barrier around his party looked back at the mercenaries.

Though all were quite excellent mercenaries, in a situation without a proper mage, they had no choice but to take damage.

And the Grand Mage had no choice but to be surprised once again. Because of a high earth wall rising before where the mercenaries were.

“Good heavens! I suspected, but it was goblin shaman’s sorcery. For a person to use goblin sorcery.”

“Surprising is later. First we have to prevent them from contacting!”

The hero shouted while breaking through the barrier and running forward, but the mage shook his head.

“Probably too late? Before shooting arrows, they first sent messengers. The sorcery doesn’t seem to reach there either, so seems like we should gradually move to the next stage.”

But the hero ran forward batting away arrows and the mage also sighed and floated his body into the air.

That was the moment.

Kwaaaaakwang!

With tremendous explosion, a pillar of fire soared up from the front. At the scene looking like a whirlwind made of fire soaring up, mercenaries who came around the earth wall opened their mouths wide.

At a scene seeming seen somewhere, Sun-woo’s brows furrowed.

However, the hero party made welcoming expressions.

“Really, timing is amazing.”

“Fortunately doesn’t seem late.”

When flames soared where arrows headed, the arrow rain stopped completely. All burned in the flames.

Shortly after, the flames mysteriously didn’t spread further and extinguished.

Soon a woman revealed her appearance from the front. A beautiful southern beauty with silver hair, and seeing the woman who appeared, Sun-woo hastily lowered his head.

She was a woman Sun-woo knew.

The flame spirit summoner met on the volcanic island, Alda.