◇
About a week had passed since we conquered the labyrinth in Kegris.
Having recently finished the conquest of a labyrinth in another town, we were now galloping at a breakneck pace toward Sabona Village, where our third target awaited.
The reason for our haste was simple: the village’s labyrinth was currently in the midst of a stampede.
Haruto-san had picked up the information through his 【Bird's-eye Vision】, and we had been rushing toward the village ever since.
“Good grief, why can’t anything ever go according to plan!?” Haruto-san grumbled from atop his horse as we sped along.
In our line of work, it was rare for things to go exactly as scheduled. A plan was merely a guideline; in reality, we had to remain flexible and respond to situations as they unfolded. Of course, I was sure Haruto-san was well aware of that.
“There’s no use lamenting it now. We have to focus on the problem right in front of us. What’s the situation at the village?”
“The local Explorers are holding their ground, but they’re hopelessly outnumbered. The barricades set up around the perimeter will probably be breached before we even get there.”
Whenever a stampede occurred, humanity was forced onto the back foot. The village had likely been warned of the possibility by the Explorer Guild already. Because of that, barricades had been erected in advance and the local Explorers had moved to intercept the threat early, meaning their response wasn't entirely sluggish.
If they hadn't had that prior warning, the Magic Beasts would likely have overrun the village by now. Even so, the situation remained critical.
“…I’ll go ahead and handle the defense. Haruto-san, pick out the powerful individuals among the stampeding beasts and relay their positions to Fuuka. Fuuka, prioritize hunting those targets. Haruto-san, after that, focus on thinning out the herds wherever they’re most concentrated.”
“Got it.”
“Understood. Fuuka, let’s go!”
Once I confirmed the two had changed course—veering away from the village and toward the encroaching swarm—I dismounted.
I moved my horse to a safe location and began constructing a spell formula to attenuate the gravity acting on my body.
“【Reflective Wall】!”
I manifested a pair of translucent gray barriers, one on the ground and one in the air.
By rebounding between these two barriers and manipulating the direction of my personal gravity, I began to ‘fall’ horizontally toward the village. Though the strain on my body was considerable, this method of travel was far swifter than any horse.
I reached the sky above the village in an instant, shifting gravity back to its normal state. Standing atop a Mana Foothold I had manifested in the air, I began to weave multiple spell formulas together.
Good, I made it in time!
Sweeping my gaze across the surroundings from my vantage point, I felt a wave of relief. The barricades were on the verge of collapse, but I had arrived before any harm had come to the residents.
I quickly updated my mental map of the battlefield, building upon the information Haruto-san had given me. Even so, Haruto-san’s Ability was truly impressive, allowing him to maintain this kind of situational awareness constantly. I possessed a similar perspective, but my field of vision wasn't nearly as broad as his, which made me realize all the more how vital his presence was on the battlefield.
“…【Culmination】.”
I finished my assessment and stripped away the restrictions binding my power. At that exact moment, the barricades protecting the village finally shattered, and the Magic Beasts began to pour inside.
“They’re through!”
“It’s over! We’re doomed!”
“Do whatever you can! Protect the women and children!”
Terror spread through the villagers like a plague, and the town center teetered on the brink of total panic.
“—【Space Leap】, 【Mjolnir】!”
I teleported the brave few who were trying to hold back the tide back into the safety of the village, then brought down a massive pillar of lightning upon the monsters.
Watching the bewildered villagers, I brought an Amplification Magic Tool to my lips and projected my voice.
“I am the Explorer Orun, tasked by the kingdom with the conquest of the Sabona Village labyrinth! We will handle the Magic Beasts that have emerged. Everyone, please gather in the center of the village and stay away from the outskirts!”
I didn't usually carry an Amplification Magic Tool, but for this circuit of labyrinth conquests, I had brought along several miscellaneous tools I rarely used. This was one of them.
“Hey, look! There’s someone in the sky!”
As I called out, one of the villagers spotted me hovering above, and soon every eye was turned upward.
“Well then, I suppose I should do something flashy to put them at ease. ——【Element Javelin】.”
Six magic circles manifested around me.
From these circles, a torrential rain of javelins—each imbued with Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Ice, or Thunder—was unleashed. The projectiles began to systematically annihilate the Magic Beasts closing in on the village.
While I had given the technique an imposing name, it was essentially just a straightforward application of Parallel Construction, firing off multiple javelin-type spells—all Advanced Magic—simultaneously.
Still, the visual impact was undeniable.
Despite the fact that their village had nearly been overrun, the residents erupted in cheers at the sight of my magic. It seemed these people had a resilient spirit.
Fuuka and Haruto-san had reached the main swarm as well. It looked like we had managed to secure the village. Relieved that the worst had been avoided, I continued to hunt down every last beast that emerged from the earth, never once lowering my guard.
◇
“Good work, Fuuka, Haruto-san.”
Once the annihilation was complete, I landed near the village entrance as the two approached and offered my thanks. The local Explorers were nowhere to be seen, likely busy rebuilding the barricades.
“Yeah, good work to you too, Orun! That was some flashy magic!”
“I figured it was the fastest way to make the villagers feel safe.”
As Haruto-san and I spoke, a group of people approached from the direction of the village.
“Are you the Explorers sent by the kingdom?”
An elderly man, likely in his late sixties, addressed us on behalf of the villagers. Judging by the way he took charge, he was probably the village head.
“Yes, that’s right. Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Orun, an Explorer.”
“I’m Haruto.”
“…Fuuka.”
“Oh! I thought as much! I am Jairus, the head of this village. Master Orun, Master Haruto, Lady Fuuka—I thank you from the bottom of my heart for saving our home.”
“No need for thanks. I’m just glad we arrived in time.”
As I spoke with Jairus, I noticed the residents behind him whispering among themselves. Straining my ears, I caught snippets of their conversation. “That name, ‘Orun’... it sounds so familiar.” “Yeah, me too. Where have I heard it before?” It seemed I was the topic of their discussion.
“I know that mark on big brother’s chest!” a boy in the front row suddenly shouted. “That’s the emblem of the 《Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky》! They’re a super famous clan!”
“Orun, of the 《Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky》…?”
“That’s it! It’s ‘Orun, the Hero of the Kingdom’! The one the traveling bard was singing about when he passed through the village!”
“What!? You mean the Explorer? The one who saved Tsutrail from the rampaging Hero and the Labyrinth Stampede!?”
The boy’s outburst acted like a spark, and the villagers began to buzz with excitement.
As they mentioned, the newspapers had dubbed me the ‘Hero of the Kingdom’ for stopping Oliver’s rampage during last year’s Thanksgiving Festival and suppressing the subsequent stampede.
In truth, I was no hero. I hadn't even been directly involved in the effort to contain the stampede; the article had been heavily sensationalized.
But there was no way for the readers to know that, and ever since the story ran, I had been called the ‘Hero of the Kingdom’ more times than I cared to count. I never dreamed I’d be the subject of a bard’s song, let alone that my name would have reached a rural village like this.
“I-Is it true? Are you truly the ‘Hero of the Kingdom’?” Jairus asked, his eyes wide with hope.
“Erm, yes. It’s true that some people call me that.”
When I confirmed the title, the villagers erupted into even louder cheers.
“To think a Hero would save our humble village! We must give thanks for this divine providence! Everyone! Prepare a feast! We shall provide the best hospitality we can for these three!”
Even the village head, who had been composed until a moment ago, became swept up in the fervor, shouting orders to the residents to prepare a banquet.
A cold sweat broke out on the back of my neck. I was grateful for the welcome, but…
Haruto-san clearly shared my apprehension; his expression had gone stiff.
What we were worried about was the very real possibility that Fuuka would accidentally eat through the village’s entire winter food supply. It was currently late January, and the cold season would linger for quite a while. If these people faced starvation later because they treated us to a meal now, we wanted no part of it.
The subject of our concern, meanwhile, was staring at the villagers with sparkling eyes, clearly thinking, I’m looking forward to the food. Over the past week, I had become quite adept at reading her subtle shifts in expression.
“Um, while we appreciate the offer, we have a very tight schedule…”
“I-Is that so? How unfortunate…” Jairus’s shoulders slumped visibly. It pained me to see him so disappointed, but I had to remain firm to save the village from Fuuka’s bottomless stomach.
—However, the true enemy was right beside me.
“Weren't we planning to stay in this village tonight anyway? Besides, I think it’s wrong to spurn such a kind gesture.”
Fuuka, who rarely weighed in on such matters, had decided to speak up.
Seriously, her greed knows no bounds when it comes to food!
“If that is the case, then please, stay the night! We’ll have rooms ready for you immediately!” Jairus cried, looking like a drowning man who had just found a lifeline.
(Hey, Orun, what are you doing? I’m not in the mood to be hated by these people later because Fuuka ate them out of house and home!) Haruto-san hissed in my ear.
(I don’t want that either! …Just checking, but in your estimation, if we force a refusal now, how grumpy is Fuuka going to get?) I whispered back, trying to weigh our options.
(…T-That… haha…) Haruto-san looked away, forced laughter being his only answer.
(Don’t try to laugh it off!)
“Um, is something the matter?” Jairus asked, looking suspiciously at our whispered huddle.
“N-No! Nothing at all. …Very well. As Fuuka says, it would be rude to refuse such a generous offer. We’ll be in your care tonight.”
When I finally conceded, Jairus let out a heavy sigh of relief and began barking orders to the residents once more.
(Hey, are you sure about this?) Haruto-san asked with a conflicted expression.
(What else can I do? Refusing again in this atmosphere would be impossible, and there’s no telling how Fuuka would react.)
While I continued my quiet conversation with Haruto-san, Jairus returned to us.
“As I said, we’ll be holding a feast tonight, so please, all three of you must attend.”
“U-Um… we are truly grateful, but please, a modest spread will be more than enough.”
I pleaded with him to keep things simple, though I had a feeling my words would fall on deaf ears.
I asked Haruto-san to remain in the village while Fuuka and I set out to officially conquer the labyrinth. Since the stampede had just occurred, the number of Magic Beasts inside was low, and we cleared it quickly without much trouble.
There was no one inside the labyrinth, so I couldn't tell if the stampede had been natural or man-made. Given the timing of our journey, however, the latter seemed far more likely.
On the way back, I spent the entire walk desperately pleading with Fuuka. I promised her she could eat as much as she wanted at a larger town on our route to the next destination if she would just show some restraint here.
My efforts seemed to pay off; Fuuka didn't eat so much that it threatened the village’s survival. That said, she still put away significantly more than Haruto-san and me combined…
Thank you for reading. With this, Orun and the others have reached a milestone in their labyrinth conquests. The next chapter is planned to be an episode from Sophia’s perspective. I hope you enjoy the next update as well.