After the brief commotion, Saul’s party safely reached the cave.
When the cave came into view in the distance, Kastel spoke first.
“Do not worry about me. You two should focus on the battle.”
After confirming that Kastel’s attack had completely subsided, Saul turned to Aina.
“Then let’s go.”
“Yes.”
As before, Saul and Aina took the lead while Kastel followed behind them.
Both the information Aina had gathered beforehand and what the bandit had told them earlier proved accurate.
As they approached the cave entrance, several bandits appeared.
“Who the hell are you bastards?!”
When Saul did not answer immediately, the bandits reached their own conclusion.
“Intruders! Kill them!”
Compared with the bandits who had ambushed them earlier and immediately started talking about taking the women, these men were at least somewhat less vulgar.
Their abilities, however, were not much different.
Before Saul’s sword and magic and Aina’s axe and shield, the bandits fell like scarecrows.
The bandits they had encountered so far had been pathetically weak, but Saul did not lower his guard.
The difference in ability between him and his enemies might have been enormous, but no matter how skilled someone was, a sword or arrow striking them cleanly could still kill them.
He had seen countless people die on the battlefield because they grew careless after becoming confident in their own strength.
Aina likewise remained cautious and did not act recklessly out of excitement.
For a girl who had only recently undergone her coming-of-age ceremony, her composure was remarkable.
After clearing the entrance, Saul and Aina entered the cave.
Several more enemies appeared inside, but they too were dealt with before long.
Once nearly every enemy had fallen, a man who appeared to be the leader finally emerged.
“How dare you come into this place!”
The bandit leader was different from the others they had encountered.
Not only was he larger and stronger-looking, but he belonged to an entirely different race.
He had a body larger than a human’s and a face with distinctly porcine features.
A pair of lower tusks protruded prominently from his mouth.
His skin was dark olive green.
He was not human, but one of the intelligent races collectively known as the ‘Other Races.’
An orc.
Even when all the Other Races living throughout the Kingdom of Darsen—no, throughout Yulen Island—were counted together, their population was said to number fewer than ten thousand.
Among them, the three largest groups were orcs, elves, and dwarves.
Most Other Races, including orcs, elves, and dwarves, lived apart from humans.
Humans generally viewed the Other Races unfavorably, and the Other Races felt much the same toward humans.
It was extremely unusual to see an orc leading a bandit group composed of humans.
Perhaps something like this was only possible in a remote frontier.
“I wasn’t expecting an orc.”
The orc leader’s eyes widened at Saul’s words.
“You insolent human bastard!”
Apparently, he thought Saul, a member of the ‘human race,’ had insulted him for being an ‘orc.’
But Saul had no interest in racial discrimination.
The man was simply a bandit leader and an enemy, so Saul would treat him accordingly.
“Die!”
The orc leader charged at Saul.
The enormous two-handed axe in his grip came crashing toward him.
Saul was about to counter with the spell he had prepared.
At that moment, Aina stepped in front of him.
Aina’s shield collided with the orc leader’s axe.
CLANG!
The deafening sound of metal shook the cave.
Aina’s body was shoved backward despite the shield in her hand.
Her defense had been flawless.
The orc leader’s attack had simply been stronger.
‘Incredible strength.’
Saul immediately realized that this enemy was no ordinary opponent.
All the more reason for him to step forward.
“Fall back.”
“Young Master?”
“I’ll handle him.”
Aina seemed determined to take on the stronger enemy herself somehow.
Saul, however, believed precisely the opposite.
Because this was a powerful enemy, Saul needed to fight him personally.
The experience Saul wanted could only be gained by battling strong opponents.
“Fall back. I’ll deal with him.”
“...Yes, Young Master.”
Just as Aina obediently began to withdraw, the orc leader swung his axe again.
Saul cast the spell he had already prepared.
Flames erupted from his hand and engulfed the orc leader.
The spell was not particularly powerful, but it was enough to disrupt the immediate attack.
Aina used the opening to retreat safely.
Pointing his Magic Sword at the orc leader, Saul said,
“I suppose a filthy orc can’t help behaving just as filthy as he looks.”
Saul was not prejudiced against the Other Races.
But he knew perfectly well that insulting an orc’s race was an excellent way to provoke one.
His judgment proved correct.
“You bastard!”
Enraged, the orc leader charged at Saul.
Saul exploited the opening and cast Lightning Bolt.
Electricity struck the orc leader’s body.
“Ghk!”
Amazingly, the orc leader took the lightning directly against his bare body and did not retreat.
He grimaced and groaned, yet instead of dropping his axe, he continued targeting Saul with swift, precise movements.
Saul rapidly analyzed the situation.
Judging from the power of the axe strike he had witnessed earlier, an ordinary Magic Barrier would have difficulty enduring it.
In that case....
Saul’s Magic Sword suddenly began to glow.
Not only the gemstone, but the entire sword emitted a faint light.
Saul raised the glowing Magic Sword and blocked the incoming axe.
CLANG!
A far clearer sound rang out than when the axe had collided with Aina’s shield.
Saul had concentrated mana into the sword, minimizing the impact transmitted through the weapon as much as possible.
The orc leader’s gaze changed at the sight.
“Not bad for a brat.”
The orc leader no longer underestimated Saul.
As though he had even forgotten the insult from moments earlier, he calmly leveled his axe at him.
He would have been easier to defeat if he had remained enraged and reckless.
Now Saul had no choice but to win through a straightforward contest of skill rather than tricks.
Saul raised his sword, which still glowed faintly with mana, while preparing another spell at the same time.
At the same moment, he sensed mana flowing through the orc leader’s axe.
Then flames erupted around the massive two-handed weapon.
The sight of a two-handed axe taller than Saul himself engulfed in flames was intimidating enough on its own.
‘It’s been a long time since I felt this.’
Saul muttered inwardly as he felt the hairs on his body rise.
His instincts were warning him.
If he made a mistake, he could die before either Kastel or Aina had time to help him.
The instinctive awareness that his life was in danger.
It was a sensation he had not experienced once since being reborn.
Someone unfamiliar with it might have been frightened by the feeling alone.
But Saul was not afraid.
How could he ever accomplish his goals in this life if he was frightened by a mere bandit?
Having steeled himself, Saul beckoned with one hand.
“Come.”
Despite Saul’s provocative tone, the orc leader did not lose his temper.
He lunged forward calmly.
The attack was fast, precise, powerful, and quite literally blazing with fire.
Saul focused every ounce of his concentration and swung his sword.
In terms of raw strength, the orc leader held an overwhelming advantage.
Saul countered with the areas in which he held the advantage—speed and magic.
Saul’s faster sword pierced the orc leader several times.
The spells he intermittently fired also struck the orc leader without fail.
A human would have died several times over from attacks like these.
Yet the orc leader refused to fall.
Even as wounds multiplied across his body, he continued attacking without yielding.
As a result, Saul found himself in danger several times as well.
WHOOSH!
The flaming axe knocked Saul’s sword aside and swept past his hair.
Smoke and the smell of burned hair filled the area.
Saul had lost his sword, but he did not panic.
Instead, he poured all his remaining mana into both hands and cast the spell he had prepared.
“Water Spear!”
A spear of water erupted from Saul’s hands and surged toward the orc leader.
The orc tried to block it with his axe, but Saul’s magic was stronger than both the weapon and its flames.
Saul had poured all the mana he had been saving into this single attack.
“Ghk...!”
The massive spear of water, larger even than the orc leader’s two-handed axe, pierced straight through his abdomen.
He had endured several magical attacks, but even he could not withstand a wound of this magnitude.
“Damn it....”
The orc leader’s head drooped weakly.
Saul sank to the ground, breathing heavily.
This fight had truly not been easy.
“Are you all right?”
At Aina’s question, Saul gave a weak smile and nodded.
“Yes. I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried something might happen to you....”
Aina trailed off and glanced toward Kastel.
Apparently, Aina had been about to interfere with the battle when Kastel stopped her.
“I understand. Thank you, Teacher.”
Saul was genuinely grateful that Kastel had not rushed to help merely because he appeared to be in danger.
Thanks to her restraint, he had been able to experience a proper battle, even if he had singed some of his hair in the process.
Kastel calmly accepted Saul’s thanks.
“You did well. However....”
“However?”
“There was something strange about that orc’s condition.”
“The orc? What do you mean?”
“I need to examine him.”
Kastel approached the orc leader.
The dead orc still lay on the ground clutching his axe as blood poured from his wounds.
Or at least, Saul had thought he was dead.
Flash.
The orc leader’s eyes suddenly opened.
He lifted his axe and swung it toward Kastel, who had approached within arm’s reach.
Or rather, he tried to.
WHOOSH.
With a single gesture from Kastel, the orc leader’s head burst into flames.
Only his head was reduced to ashes in an instant.
At last, the orc leader truly died.
“What...?”
Aina exclaimed in surprise before she could stop herself.
Saul was every bit as shocked as she was.
Orcs were generally more physically resilient than humans.
But the durability of this orc leader was simply absurd.
He had not even been wearing armor, yet he had endured attacks that would have killed an ordinary person dozens of times over. Even after having his abdomen completely pierced through, he had still tried to swing his axe.
Kastel seemed surprised as well, and her eyes trembled slightly as she examined the corpse.
“…….”
A short while later, Kastel spoke.
“An ordinary orc’s body is not this resilient. This orc could manipulate mana, but that alone cannot explain a body this durable.”
Something occurred to Saul.
“Could his body have been altered through... magic or alchemy?”
“It is possible.”
Aina did not immediately understand what Saul and Kastel meant.
“What are you talking about?”
“We mean that his body itself may have been modified through magic or alchemy.”
“Not merely strengthened through mana?”
“That is different. Strengthening the body through mana means using mana to protect it or temporarily make it stronger. Modification permanently transforms the body itself into something different.”
Only then did Aina understand, and her eyes widened.
“Is something like that possible?”
“It isn’t easy, but it isn’t impossible either. However, it is so dangerous and unethical that the kingdom strictly forbids it....”
“Then could this be the work of the Kingdom of Gamelda?”
If their own kingdom was not responsible, suspecting the enemy nation first was only natural.
Saul shook his head.
“Experiments that modify living bodies through magic or alchemy are strictly prohibited in the Kingdom of Gamelda as well. I’ve never heard of them breaking that taboo.”
“Then who could have done this?”
“I don’t know either.”
After briefly examining their surroundings, Kastel spoke.
“The Lord’s Army will search this place later, but it would be better for us to investigate first.”
Aina agreed.
“Let’s do that.”
Saul’s party soon began searching the cave.
The fighting had been intense, so few bandits remained alive inside or around the cave.
Those who had survived had all been placed into a deep magical sleep, so there was no one left to interfere with their search.
Various suspicious items appeared throughout the cave.
Piles of gold and silver coins that were clearly stolen goods.
There was even a place where corpses, dead for a long time, had simply been discarded.
“What vicious bastards.”
Saul frowned at the pile of skeletons he found in one corner of the cave.
Even after spending his previous life rolling through battlefields, the thought that these bones belonged to innocent victims murdered by bandits left a bitter taste in his mouth.
“Please look at this.”
At Kastel’s voice, Saul walked over.
Standing in the storeroom where the bandits had piled their stolen goods, Kastel held something out.
“What is this?”