Chapter 171: The Arrival of a Monster

Guided by Dennis, the horse-drawn carriage reached the base of the mountain where the orcs were said to be lurking.

Indeed, there were signs of a rough path where the trees were haphazardly felled, as if a large group had passed through. Orcs appeared to be unconcerned with such details. Perhaps they didn’t care because they believed that revealing their presence to mere humans held no consequence, or perhaps they were simply arrogant.

“Well, we seem to be underestimated.” 

Lutz said, getting out of the carriage and surveying the area. His tone was light, but there was tension in his face. The trees hadn’t been cut down with axes; they had been forcefully toppled, judging by the cut marks. This meant the orcs possessed that kind of strength. It was a stark reminder of the difference between humans and monsters.

The sun was already beginning to set, casting a crimson hue on the men’s profiles. Waiting until morning was not an option. Orcs didn’t have night vision, so the conditions should be the same at night.

“Josel-san, I’ll return this to you.” 

Lutz said, handing Josel the halved and smoothed-out Hyottokomen. It no longer had its distinctive pointed edge, but its conspicuously mismatched eyes on the left and right side still made it look suspicious.

“Since it’s only us and the orcs here, you don’t really need to wear the mask, do you?” 

“What I seek is not to conceal my identity but to use the excuse that I had my face hidden.” 

Josel replied. To the count’s people, it didn’t matter much about Josel’s true identity. If he was willing to exterminate monsters for free, they would be more than grateful. All he needed was the pretext that he wasn’t a count’s knight.

Josel put on the mask, scanning left and right, and nodded contentedly. 

“My field of view has expanded. Did you make the eyeholes larger?”

“Yes, and I polished the inside of the mask, so it should feel better on your skin, and you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable even if you wear it for a long time.”

“Perfect, Lutz-san.”

Josel drew his Knight Killer from his waist and gave it a light swing to test its mobility. Everything seemed fine.

“Shall we go, then? Dennis, please wait here,” 

“Um, if possible, I’d like to come with you…” 

Dennis hesitated, speaking timidly.

He wanted to go with them. His kidnapped daughter might still be alive. But he couldn’t find the words to express his inflated hope, as if speaking about it might make it vanish like a bubble.

Perhaps sensing Dennis’s feelings, Lutz replied gently.

“I’ll definitely report to you if anything happens. Please stay here and guard the carriage.”

The idea was that they shouldn’t bring along anyone who could be a burden or get in the way. It was an act of kindness to save the loathsome orcs, who were not wanted. “Understood,” Dennis accepted with a bitter feeling.

Leading the way was Ricardo, who was accustomed to monster hunting. The four men started ascending the mountain, thanks to the path that the orcs had created. It seemed there was no need to worry about getting lost.

“By the way, what do you think about the orcs sense of smell?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Ricardo replied.

Lutz’s question made Ricardo stop walking for a moment while pondering. He had been an adventurer for many years but had never thought about it. Upon reflection, it was true that they had rarely initiated a surprise attack on orcs.

“In any case, we’re downwind. There’s no need to worry about them picking up our scent. Besides, it wouldn’t matter even if they did, right?”

“Why?”

“Because we’re going to slaughter them all anyway,” 

Ricardo said matter-of-factly, without threats or bravado. It was his casual, natural declaration of his intent to finish off the enemies.

Had he always been like this, or was it the influence of the cursed sword “Tsubaki”? In any case, it was a reassuring and welcome trait for an ally.

Ricardo raised his right hand, and they all came to a halt.

Up ahead is a wooden fence. It’s obviously artificial. There were logs with sharpened tips stacked at the front. They’re probably building a barricade. They must have learned that when they attacked the town, this tactic worked. If it had been fortified over time, they might not have been able to deal with it.

“Well, it’s closer than I expected.” 

Josel said with a sigh of relief. They had arrived within about thirty minutes of walking. If it had taken any longer, it would have been dark. Josel, who was confident in his physical stamina, was not used to climbing mountains.

“If they were living at the mountain’s summit, it would have been inconvenient for them too,” 

As Ricardo and Josel prepared their weapons, Lutz continued.

“So, how are we going to attack?”

“We could just go in from the front, like visiting someone. You know, knock on the ‘door’ and say ‘Hello,'” 

Ricardo replied, his mouth curling into a grin.

Ricardo proceeded towards the orc encampment with a casual gait, as if it were just a leisurely walk. He hopped over the fence and was noticed by the orcs working in the area. He casually raised his hand and said.

“Yo,” 

Before moving deeper in.

The bewildered orcs took a few seconds to regain their senses, and one of them shouted.

“Enemy attack!” 

Eight orcs armed with weapons rushed towards Ricardo, surrounding him. Beyond this circle, other orcs watched with grins on their faces.

Despite the upcoming human massacre show, the main character, Ricardo, had a relaxed smile. The orc in front of him, appearing somewhat irritated, asked.

“Bastard! Who are you?”

“Pest exterminator.” 

As Ricardo unsheathed Tsubaki, a sweet scent filled the air. The eyes of the orcs surrounding Ricardo clearly showed a different kind of fervor, distinct from combat readiness.

“Alright, let’s do this!” 

An orc with a spear lunged forward in response to the cheering from the spectators. However, the sharp thrust missed Ricardo’s side, and instead, it plunged into the abdomen of his comrade.

The spear pierced through the orc’s abdominal skin and intestines, causing fresh blood to spurt out. The orc, whose belly had been pierced, emitted pleasured gasps as he felt no pain, fear, or anger towards his comrade. His cheeks turned crimson, and he moaned in ecstasy.

“Ooh, ahh…” 

He mumbled, as the flimsy loincloth was pushed up from within. The orc gripped the spear, but instead of pulling it out, he thrust it further into his own belly. His moans of heat grew even louder, only to suddenly cut off as he succumbed to the pleasure and died.

The orc who had thrust the spear was also struck from behind by a comrade wielding an axe, his head being smashed open. He reached climax, his body spewing blood and a milky liquid.

It wasn’t just these two; all eight orcs surrounding Ricardo continued to engage in infighting while experiencing ecstasy. The last one looked around, realized he had no comrades left to kill him, and forcefully plunged his sword into his mouth.

“Slurp, slurp, slurp…” 

He hummed, with the sword blade protruding from the back of his head. He seemed to savor it with delight as his movements stopped abruptly, and he collapsed on the spot.

Eight lifeless orc bodies were scattered around Ricardo. The other orcs watching from a distance had fear in their eyes. An unpleasant stench mingled with the sweet aroma. It appeared that fear had caused at least one of them to soil themselves, but no one was in any position to reprimand them.

“Fufufu…” 

The strange figure standing among the grotesque corpses chuckled. When he had just acquired Tsubaki, he had felt fear and guilt due to the overwhelming and macabre power it possessed. But now, he had fully embraced the curse as a matter of course.

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