Chapter 34: The End of the Battle and What Followed

I stared intently at the person standing before me.

At first glance, their black cloak looked worn and tattered, and their long, unkempt hair was tied back loosely, giving them a slovenly, careless appearance. Yet, despite this seemingly ordinary—or even careless—appearance, I couldn’t take my eyes off them. Not because of fascination, but because of sheer terror. I was afraid. Afraid of this person, and yet utterly unable to look away.

“I’m sorry. I’ll finish this quickly.”

They spoke calmly, almost casually. Then, in the blink of an eye, they lightly bounced—just a small hop—and were gone. Just like that, vanished.

I didn’t understand.

I knew they weren’t an enemy. No, they couldn’t be. After all, they had saved me. But still… the fear wouldn’t let go. I had been terrified, even more than the moment the orc had nearly killed me.

The orc that had raised its club to strike me had, it seemed, been flung into the air by the white-cloaked figure and then slammed onto the ground, dead before it even hit.

Even the other orcs that the village militia had been holding off were swiftly dispatched—one swing from the white-cloaked figure from behind, and their heads were gone.

“Al… Al… it’s okay. It’s okay now,”

My mother’s voice came, gentle and reassuring, but my throat refused to produce sound.

“Al, don’t move.”

Her words were firm, yet I could see her left arm was broken.

“Tine-sama! Al-sama!”

“Urgent treatment is required!”

Stefana and Rugena had arrived. With them here, I knew we were safe, at least for now. And then, exhausted from the terror and injuries, I lost consciousness.

I awoke five days after the siege. I had apparently been unconscious all that time, my fever too high to regain awareness.

My injuries included fractures in my right arm and both legs. The scrapes and cuts had healed the same day thanks to a recovery potion, but the fractures… even with a potion, they were said to take a month to mend. My mother, who also had a broken left arm, was in the same condition.

Still, even healing a fracture in a month was remarkable.

During our recovery, we had two visitors in our home.

One was Rosanne, who had ridden alone from the baron’s estate, and the other… the white-cloaked person who had saved me.

Rosanne had responded to our plea for help, bringing only minimal luggage, and had arrived in the village the morning after the siege.

The other visitor, the white-cloaked figure, was an acquaintance of my mother’s from Meluestat—an adventurer she had contacted for help. His name was Vessel, an A-rank adventurer with the nickname “Shundou Muken,” or something like that.

My mother had sent him a letter requesting two things: to find and bring several books, and to assist with my education.

Looking back, I could say it was thanks to my mother’s letter that we survived. If Vessel had been even a few seconds late, I would have died; if he had been hours late, the village might have been completely destroyed.

And thinking of that moment… the terror still shook me.

But the fear wasn’t of the orcs, or of nearly dying—it was of Vessel himself. The moment I saw him in person, I nearly fainted.

“He’s terribly inconsiderate!”

Rosanne, visiting us in our room to keep me company during my bed rest, spoke with exasperation. I had both legs broken, so I was stuck in bed, and she had come to be a companion, to help pass the time.

Today, she was recounting the siege in detail.

Apparently, the northeastern gate had originally been assigned a retreat-only protocol if the orcs attacked—no fighting, just falling back. And indeed, the moment the orcs began their assault, all the defenders withdrew.

Had the special orc not appeared, the village might have held for several hours. But then came the Dist-Orc, a special breed of orc who destroyed the gate in no time.

The Dist-Orc was a destructive powerhouse, rated B-rank for adventurers in the guild. Rosanne said that six of them—including Stefana and Rugena—could have defeated it together. But in reality… Vessel had arrived in a rush from the northeast gate and defeated it instantly, effortlessly.

For reference: goblins were E-rank, ogres B-rank, normal orcs D-rank. So the Dist-Orc was as dangerous as an ogre. I couldn’t tell which was stronger or more troublesome, but apparently, it was a serious threat.

After saving me, Vessel proceeded to eliminate the remaining orcs that had infiltrated the village, sweeping through them like a storm. By the end of that day, even those near the southwest gate were gone.

Rosanne felt regret at not arriving sooner, but she was deeply grateful that Vessel had come.

“I wouldn’t say I’m grateful, though,”

It seemed not just my mother, but Rosanne knew of Vessel’s reputation, though neither explained in detail. Apparently, Vessel owed my mother a favor and simply could not refuse her requests.

“This time, though, I am grateful.”

“Miss, but because of him…”

“Yes, that’s why I said ‘this time.’”

“Ah, well… if you put it that way, I suppose it’s fine.”

Rosanne’s reluctant acceptance spoke volumes. They spoke of him as if he had done something outrageous—but what exactly had Vessel done for my mother and the others?

“What is Vessel doing now?”

Because I fainted when he first came to greet me, they had decided he wouldn’t enter the room until my injuries healed.

“In the meantime, I asked him to completely destroy the orc settlement and explore the surrounding areas in my stead. He’s an A-rank adventurer, so surely he can manage it casually.”

My mother spoke lightly, but A-rank was the highest tier of adventurers, requiring platinum coins for their services. To have him work for free… and then ask for more tasks on top of that… I really had no idea what he had done.

“Rosanne, what will happen to the village now?”

“That’s the problem. There’s a shortage of repair personnel…”

The reconstruction of Furnendorp had already drawn most of the workforce, leaving none to help here.

The village elders argued that, since Furnendorp was empty, priority should be given to inhabited villages. But the political maneuvering with Baron Donat made delaying Furnendorp’s reconstruction undesirable.

In the end, Baron Merlot’s opinion prevailed. And by claiming, “We’ve entrusted the village’s defense to the A-rank adventurer Vessel,” they reassured the village elders.

“You… actually requested that?”

“Yes. I said, ‘For your sake, please take care of it.’”

I don’t think that counts as a request.

“Heh, just joking. It was officially processed through the adventurer guild.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Originally, my mother had asked Vessel to oversee my education, so him staying in the village was expected—but this was different.

“Anyway, Al, your first priority is healing your injuries.”

“Yes… and since I can’t use my left arm, Fana and Rugena will have a hard time managing.”

“They were upset about not being able to protect you,” Rosanne added, “so keeping busy is the best distraction for them.”

Stefana and Rugena had been crying and apologizing, but these injuries weren’t their fault—they were ours. Still, I felt terrible that they had to bear the burden of our misfortune.

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