Kays Translations

Chapter 173: The Way of Men

Ricardo rushed back to the vicinity of the camp entrance and reunited with his comrades. The tension of being surrounded by enemies and the strain of unleashing the power of the mystic sword “Sakura” had taken a toll on his mental state. His complexion was pale, and he was covered in sweat. It was similar to how one might feel after an all-out sprint on a hungover morning.

Ricardo’s comrades, who had been observing the battle from the woods, had a basic understanding of the situation, and they were already in combat readiness.

“Leave the rest to us.” 

Ricardo said, acknowledging the reliability of the blacksmith who had created numerous magic swords and mystic swords. Ricardo obediently nodded.

“Apologies, but I’ll join the fight after taking a short break,” 

“Even if there’s no prey left, don’t hold a grudge,” 

Afterward, Ricardo patted Samurai Mask’s shoulder and said. 

“The abducted girl may still be alive.”

“What do you mean?” 

Samurai Mask inquired, his eyes intensifying behind the mask.

“They said to me, ‘Did you come to disrupt the sacrifice?’ The term ‘sacrifice’ implies that it’s a living offering, which means she might not be dead.”

“If they said we came to disrupt it, it means they haven’t performed the ritual yet.” 

“Feeling motivated?” 

“Yeah, it seems I can make a good report to the client.” 

Samurai Mask replied, his voice slightly brighter. Though it wasn’t Samurai Mask’s fault, he found it uncomfortable to report that they had found the bones of the client’s daughter.

“Don’t celebrate just yet; it depends on whether we can beat them,” 

“I won’t lose with this group,” 

Samurai Mask responded confidently.

The approaching footsteps and shouts grew nearer; the orcs were chasing them.

“Let’s go,” 

After touching the Hyotokomen that Lutz had adjusted and making sure it didn’t shift, he pulled out his beloved sword Nightkiller and charged towards the group of orcs. 

Lutz swung his axe into the fray. It took a lot of courage to throw oneself into battle without hesitation, and he was impressed by their determination.

Samurai Mask watched his companions with admiration. He pondered what he might have done in a similar situation some time ago. He wouldn’t have fled as blatantly as they did, but he might have kept his distance and waited for an opportunity, avoiding direct involvement in the fight.

Things were different now. Asserting one’s position with a smug grin was the way of men. Samurai Mask took a deep breath and gripped the unmarked, nameless blade, then rushed forward.

The orc horde closed in. Although they were momentarily taken aback by Ricardo’s sudden disappearance and the emergence of new combatants, their momentum continued unabated.

Their goal remained the same: to kill humans, split open their skulls, and commit gruesome murders. They didn’t alter their intentions because of minor disruptions.

Josel deftly dodged a spear thrust by twisting his body, grabbed the shaft, and yanked it toward him. An orc attempting to evade him ended up with Nightkiller’s blow to the head.

A different orc, poised to strike with a sword, met Samurai Mask’s blade from behind, puncturing its back.

“Guuuh!” 

The orc groaned, and Samurai Mask forcefully withdrew his sword.

“Thanks, you saved me!” 

“D-dude…”

Donald, known as the Samurai Mask, had no idea that he would be fighting alongside his former boss in this way, and gave a strange response to Josel.

The surroundings suddenly brightened. It wasn’t dawn; it couldn’t be. When he shifted his gaze, he saw orcs engulfed in flames, writhing in agony. This was the effect of Lutz’s magic axe, the White Lily.

The magic flames didn’t vanish with the orcs’ deaths, and the orcs, unable to comprehend what to do, could only watch in confusion. The burning orcs, who had once been comrades, writhed on the ground, their cries replaced by something other than terror. It was a longing in their eyes, overwriting the fear.

The burning orc became a charred corpse, dressed in shriveled limbs, resentful of his friends, who were more heartless than Lutz. At the same time that the light of life was extinguished, so too was the magic flame.

The area quickly dimmed again. The residual heat burned the skin of the warriors.

Lutz had hoped that this would deflate them, but the glowing eyes of the orcs seemed to be a different kind of fear.

“I want it…”

“Yeah…”

Someone muttered, and someone responded. It didn’t matter who said it; it was the unanimous decision of the orcs. Finally, the meaning of their gazes became clear. They looked with eyes that had overwritten fear with interest.

A three-meter-class, large orc raised his weapon and shouted. This was a declaration as the leader.

“Kill that man! Whoever kills him will earn the right to wield this axe!”

He swore on his honor that he would not use his authority as leader to steal anything.

The exuberant cheers from his subordinates reinforced his determination.

“Looks like you’re quite popular, Lutz-sama.” 

Samurai Mask remarked with a wry smile.

“Indeed, if orcs start making requests, what will we do?” 

Unexpectedly, Lutz had become the target. Josel and Samurai Mask nodded to each other and formed a protective line on Lutz’s sides.

Though an impromptu formation, it worked surprisingly well. The orcs launched multiple coordinated assaults, but Lutz’s group managed to fend them off. Each time Lutz swung his axe, the waves of orcs receded.

Eventually, the large orc, probably tired of the situation, stepped forward.

“I suppose I have to deal with this myself.” 

“Are you sure about this? If you die, it’s the orcs’ defeat.” 

The large orc simply snorted in response to Lutz’s provocation, seemingly brushing it off with the composure of a strong individual. It appeared that this particular orc had a high resistance to taunts. The perception that orcs, despite their imposing stature, had small brains and were solely combat fools needed revision.

The expression on the face of the towering orc was not one of anger but rather joy.

“Let’s settle this and find out who the mightiest axe user is!”

“I’m a blacksmith; I don’t need that title!” 

Lutz retorted, ignoring the orc’s taunts.

The massive axe was swung down, creating a thunderous sound as the blade descended, causing the ground to tremble. A direct hit would result in, at best, being cleaved in two, and at worst, being turned into a pile of flesh.

Trying to slip into the opening left by the axe, Lutz was met with the unexpectedly swift movement of the large orc. The blade embedded in the ground was immediately pulled out and swung at him.

Reacting quickly, Lutz raised his White Lily to defend himself. The impact when blade met blade caused Lutz’s body to lift slightly.

This is bad; my arm is going numb.

If he kept taking such hits, he would be overpowered. Panic began to creep into Lutz’s expression for the first time. On the other hand, the large orc shouted jubilantly.

“Come on, let’s keep going! Since I’ve had this body, I’ve never had the chance to go all out, so have some fun with me!”

“This is what happens when you don’t choose your friends wisely, as my old man used to say!”

With its long reach and terrifying swiftness, the large orc made it challenging for Lutz to find an opening for a counterattack. Lutz was preoccupied with dodging and could do no more.

Josel and the others, as well as the orcs, wished they could intervene, but the situation was too precarious. They could do nothing more than watch anxiously.

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