Kays Translations

Chapter 97: The Great Search for Orcs Begins

Day 202 of Life in Another World

The next day, we mobilized all the villagers and began the investigation. We had all individuals with combat classes and level 25 or above participate.

We divided the total of 80 people into 16 groups, ensuring that each group had members with loyalty levels of 90 or higher. We thoroughly enforced regular telepathic reports, and I took on the role of the command center.

"Alright, everyone, over the next two days, we will explore the northern half of the forest. Make sure not to take any reckless actions, maintain a certain distance between groups, and have the rabbit-beastmen in each team always use enhanced hearing. Now, let's depart!"

“”"Ooooh!"””

With a command to the investigation team, I also started moving. I planned to go to Rado's former village and use it as a base. Half of the investigation team would stay there for the night.

As a precautionary measure, we set up barriers parallel to the trading route. This was to ensure that wherever the investigation team was, they could escape into the barrier if needed. 

Every hour, we established regular communication, and if we spotted any orcs, we would notify all teams. If we encountered higher-ranking species, we planned to withdraw and reorganize with the higher-level members.

◇◇◇

"Village Chief, it's almost lunchtime, and so far, there haven't been any problems."

"Yeah, the monsters we encounter are no different from before."

Upon arriving at the former village, I, along with Drago and Dolly, prepared for camping. I left the two, who had high combat abilities and could fly, as emergency reinforcements in the village. They would rush over immediately if something happened.

"This place originally had a large mountain range. It should be considered separate from the Beastman's territory and the Human's territory," 

Drago said.

"I think so too. But we won't know for sure until we confirm it... I can't help but be curious."

"Fumu, well, that might be the case... By the way, what do you think is the cause of the appearance of orcs?"

"I have no idea. By the way, at that time when orcs were first discovered, did anything happen in the city or the capital?"

"Umu, around that time... I was visiting this village for inspection."

"Could it be that you were the cause, Drago?"

"W-Why would you say that?"

"Well, for example... When the Dragon beastmen left the Beastman's territory, did the Goddess's protection temporarily cease? But wait, at that time, Dolly and the children were still in the Beastman's territory, right?"

"The same phenomenon occurred in the Human's territory as well. It's unlikely that my movements had any significant impact."

"Sorry, sorry, I was just throwing out ideas."

While having a light lunch, the three of us discussed the cause of the orc's appearance.

"By the way, there was something around that time. A Japanese adventurer in the capital was making a fuss about clearing the 15th floor of a dungeon for the first time."

"Oh yes! I remember that. It was the first time the 15th floor was conquered. I heard about it from the guild master."

"Wait, what do you mean the first time? There are S-rank adventurers, so hasn't it been cleared before?"

"Even if they are S-rank, there are only a few of them. It seems they attempted to conquer the 15th floor with a large unit of 100 adventurers. They succeeded in subjugating it, but there were considerable casualties."

"Uhee, it's like a military operation... By the way, do you remember what kind of monster was in the boss room?"

"Umu. It was a large group of orcs, including the Orc King and Generals. That's what the guild master said."

"Did you tell Touya and the others about this?"

"Of course. All those who challenged the dungeon were given detailed explanations."

Oh, I see. I guess I was the only one who didn't know... I need to be more involved in these matters. I'm reflecting a bit.

"It maybe far-fetched, but Is it possible that the orc's appearance was related to that 15th floor conquest or even the subjugation of the orc king?"

"Well, it does align with the timing... But who knows?"

"Hey, Drago. Can you investigate other cities or the Amaldia Kingdom? Including any connection between the dungeon conquest and the appearance of orcs."

"I'm not sure if I can trust the parliament... I'll try to talk to the guild. But as for the Human territory... I guess I have no choice but to ask that guy."

"If you have connections, please do it for us."

"Then, can you establish a telepathic connection with Merrimus-dono? Through a friend in the city, we can quickly make the request."

"That will be helpful."

I immediately connected telepathically with Merrimus and conveyed all the relevant information. It seemed that the rumors were spreading in the city, and Merrimus was also gathering information.

"Is there anything else we can think of?"

"Well, I don't know if it's related, but it was around the same time that I retired as the chairman, and Ryuunosuke joined the guild."

"There's a possibility that the Japan trading company is involved...? Could it be that they have the power to control monsters?"

"I don't know. With Haruka's higher appraisal, we might be able to find out more details... But investigating Ryuunosuke's situation might be difficult."

"A similar phenomenon is happening in the Human's territory, and Ryuunosuke's connection seems weak."

True, even if it were a power to control monsters, I couldn't see how it could be activated simultaneously on such a large scale. While Ryuunosuke's skill was intriguing, its relevance to the orcs seemed low.

"By the way, Village Chief, you won't be saying that we should stop our dungeon conquest, right?"

"I don't know yet. It will depend on the future circumstances."

"Oh, speaking of which..."

"Dolly? Did you think of something?"

"Well, it's about the eastern part of the Great Forest, where the orcs are appearing on the surface. Moreover, it has been happening for a long time. I wonder why that is."

"Oh, you're right. When Dolly and the others came down to the Beastman's territory, that situation was already like that, right?"

"Yes, as far as we know, it has been happening for a long time even before that."

"Is there any connection to all of this?"

"At least, the parliament doesn't have records of such events."

"Anyway, for now, it's just orcs, so it's okay. But if more powerful monsters appear, it will be troublesome. Let's continue to investigate the cause within our capabilities."

In the end, there were no reports of orc sightings that day.

The number of monsters, their movements, and the distribution seemed normal, and everyone said, "It's just like the usual forest."

If there was nothing to worry about, that was fine, and even if they were found, the barrier was there. In any case, it was essential to thoroughly investigate and verify the facts.

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