Chapter 28 Ares Blood (Hiroya’s→Ares’→Hiroya’s POV)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Going further in is dangerous.”
The 4 of us were busy gathering herbs around the ‘Goblin Forest.’ Even in the forest, this area is barely allowed for regular people to enter.
It was one of the first places investigated after the ‘Dungeon Burst,’ and safety has been confirmed.
Martina keeps trying to go deeper, so Rena often stops her.
”Yeah. But I feel like someone is running this way.”
Martina points deeper into the forest. At her words, I become cautious about the forest’s depths.
”Hey! Is there an adult over there?”
A man runs through the trees. That’s…
”We only have kids here. What’s wrong…?”
”Are you from the investigation party? Is something the matter?”
I ask, overlapping Kazumi’s response. Could something have happened to Ares and the others…?
”We were attacked by a troll. The leader is injured, and Isaac and Roana should be bringing him soon…”
”I’ll contact Papa! I think ‘Telepathy’ will reach him.”
I nod at Rena and then dash into the forest.
”Hiroya! Where are you going?”
Kazumi asks while giving water to the man from the investigation party.
”I’m going to meet Isaac and the others!”
…
…
…
After running for a while, I encountered Isaac and Roana, who were carrying a man, along with Liz.
”Hiroya! Ares is! Ares is…!”
Liz clung to me with a tearful voice.
From Liz’s expression, I looked deeper into the forest.
”Did you all make it to the ‘dungeon’?”
”Not yet…”
Wiping her tears, Liz answered in a calmer tone for now.
”Physical Boost, legs!”
I ran toward the dungeon.
”Hiroya! The troll’s regeneration ability is troublesome! …Hey! Kazumi! Martina! Take these people to the village! Rena will chase after Hiroya! ‘Physical Boost’!”
It seems Rena is coming after me.
* * *
(Ares’ POV)
”I hope Liz got away safely… With this much time bought, they should be at the village by now…”
Dragging my painful left leg, I somehow climbed up a giant tree. I took a couple of hits from rocks, but I barely blocked them with the shield I had. Thanks to that, it’s pretty much useless now.
After helping Liz and the others escape, I fought the troll for a while, but that thing… it keeps healing no matter how much I cut it.
Its movements are slower compared to an ogre, so I could manage to fight it, but with my leg like this, I can’t escape at all.
”Looks like it’s broken after all…”
Down below, the troll kept ramming into the tree, trying to shake me off.
”I thought if I could hold out for about an hour, help might arrive…”
But it seems I won’t last that long.
”Kazumie… I really became a ‘shield’ for them.”
I looked at the wooden pendant. Then, the memory of when I received the pendant vividly came back to my mind.
”Liz was really happy… I should have given her a gift, like an accessory or something.”
* * *
I, Ares Blood, was born into a family that lived as nomads in the western part of the Romuna Kingdom.
Of course, we didn’t have a fixed home and moved to different places with our herd of livestock each season.
We weren’t very rich, but life was fun and happy.
And instead of being attacked by monsters or becoming adventurers, we just happened to meet some cool adventurers during our nomadic life. When I turned 12, I got my dad’s permission to join a training center in the royal capital.
After graduating, I joined a party in the capital to gain experience.
That’s where I met Liz when I was 15. We hit it off and teamed up to complete beginner quests and improve ourselves. During that time, a boy from the slums of the capital, who seemed to really like us, joined our group. His name is Garm.
”Hey, should we go to Razia Village? The lord there is a former hero party swordsman!”
Thanks to Liz’s suggestion, we headed to Razia Village.
* * *
(We had a lot of good encounters, didn’t we?)
It wasn’t dramatic, but in this village, I met the lord and my mentor, and I also got to know some cute junior apprentices and their girlfriends. If I have any regrets…
(I should have told Liz my wish…)
I thought I had chosen the biggest tree around to climb, but after being hit by a troll several times, it finally started to creak.
(This won’t hold up…)
After another shock, the giant tree began to lean.
Just before it fell to the ground, I jumped. I rolled to break my fall. I stood up using my unsheathed longsword as a staff, but it seemed I wouldn’t be able to run.
The troll turns to face me. Its movements are slow, but each step is big, closing the distance quickly.
A massive fist swings down from above me.
”──!”
I manage to block it with my longsword, but the impact is incredible. The longsword is knocked away, and I take a heavy hit that feels like it shakes my insides, sending me flying.
I crash down by the base of a tree and sit up.
Through my blurry vision, I can see the troll approaching.
(This might be bad…)
”Ares!”
No way… I can even hear Hiroya’s voice in my head…
* * *
(Hiroya’s POV)
”Physical Boost!”
I charge at the troll heading for Ares without hesitation.
(Don’t die! Ares!)
As I dash past the troll’s feet, I quickly draw my Ōwakizashi and slash at it.
The troll, just about to turn around, loses its balance when its right leg is cut off, and its huge body slowly starts to fall.
”Take this!”
I bring down my Ōwakizashi from above, severing the troll’s head.
”Ares! Ares!”
I sheathe my Ōwakizashi and rush over to Ares.
”…Oh… is that you, Hiroya? With that cute face, I thought an angel came to get me…”
”This isn’t the time for jokes! Can you move?”
”I appreciate you worrying about me, but… the troll will… regenerate…”
Hearing Ares’s words, I turn back to the fallen troll.
Its severed right leg is already back in place, and the cut on its neck only leaves a faint red line.
With Ares behind me, I face the troll that is now trying to stand up.
I lower my body and gather strength in my legs. Since Ares is behind me, I have to attack first.
I kick the ground and slash at the troll’s right leg again. I cut upward at the lower leg and then slash down at the shin.
The troll doesn’t scream like an ogre, but it slowly starts to fall.
As it falls, the troll swings its left arm to try to hit me with its fist.
I quickly sheathe my Ōwakizashi and jump back just in time to dodge. A huge fist barely grazes my side.
(This is bad… The effect of ‘Physical Boost’ is wearing off…)
”Hiroya! Aim for its neck next!”
I see Rena, who has caught up, on the other side of the troll.
”Enchant… Fire!”
Rena shouts this while pointing her right palm at me. Suddenly, the sheath of my Ōwakizashi starts to glow red, and flames burst out from the cut in the sheath.
I close my eyes and focus for a moment. As I open my eyes, I kick the ground and aim for the troll’s head.
”Break!”
I twist my body as much as I can and draw my Ōwakizashi.
With a loud sound from the sheath, flames rise up. I slash at the troll’s neck with my flame-covered Ōwakizashi.
──Boom!
The troll’s head is burned by the flames.
I quickly try to sheathe my Ōwakizashi and land, but since I twisted my body for the powerful slash, I lose my balance, and just as the effect of ‘Physical Boost’ wears off, I fall to the ground and roll.
(I managed to take a fall…)
Just as I think that, a grotesquely burned troll head falls right in front of me.
──Thud!
”Hiroya!”
Rena rushes over to me.
”Rena… it’s still dangerous…”
I stood up and brushed off the dirt.
”I’m fine. It won’t regenerate anymore. Fire wounds can’t be healed.”
Rena checked my body for injuries.
”Good… it looks like you’re not hurt.”
”Yeah. I’m okay… but Ares!”
We both ran over to Ares.
”Ares… Ares?”
I slapped Ares’ cheek, but there was no response.
”He’s okay. It seems he’s just unconscious.”
”What the heck… I thought he was dead…”
Either way, Rena and I couldn’t carry Ares’ big body by ourselves, so we both sat down next to him.
* * *
After a while, we heard the sound of hooves like a rumble getting closer.
”Hiroya! Rena! Are you okay?”
My dad and my master appeared with a few soldiers.
”Ares is okay too. It looks like he broke his leg.”
I stood up and dusted off my backside.
I glanced at the troll lying nearby as my dad dismounted and came closer to me.
”Did you do this…?”
”Yeah. I had Rena’s help, of course.”
”…I see. Good job. Just don’t do anything reckless.”
My dad patted my head, but it felt a bit too hard. It hurt a little.
”…I’m sorry…”
I did lose control thinking about Ares. That’s something I should reflect on. I should just apologize honestly.
”A troll, huh? That’s a monster equivalent to Adventurer Rank B. Plus, it requires support from a fire-controlling magician… a troublesome monster has appeared.”
My master, Guardian Knight Müller, was examining the troll’s corpse.
”…With the current strength of the village, we won’t even make it to the dungeon.”
”I was hoping our adventurers could make a name for themselves somehow.”
Ares, who had lost consciousness, was placed on a horse by my dad, who then mounted his own horse.
”Hiroya and Rena, get on this one.”
Riding on the master’s horse, we left the forest behind.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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