Interlude 14
Soldier Leader Usman Part 2
Translator : PolterGlast
This man wasn't just blowing hot air. Even understanding
that he spoke from a place of absolute belief, I still couldn't fully believe
it myself. That was an absolute stemming from my years of experience and knowledge.
My common sense was screaming that it was impossible to face that many
monsters, annihilate them all, and return.
「What do you mean, 'should have'? So,
Graham. Just as Dwayne said, were you really able to finish them
off?」
「Yeah. I defeated all the monsters
that tried to attack. A dozen or so managed to escape, though.」
While I alone was conflicted in my heart, Graham-san
stated that with a nonchalant air. I had actually seen his magic, and looking
at this nonchalant attitude, I knew it wasn't a lie. ――However, as expected, I
couldn't believe he had defeated all the monsters. That was my common
sense, and unless I saw it with my own eyes, I couldn't overturn my common
sense.
「I can't believe it! I can't believe
it, but... since I actually saw Graham-san's magic with my own eyes, I
can't doubt it! ――However, as expected, I cannot believe 'defeated all of
them'!」
「Wahahaha! I understand that feeling
of disbelief well. However, if it's Graham-san, it's possible. Because
he is a man who deviates from common sense.」
「If you really defeated all of them,
that's outrageous. Defeating a horde of Ogres and Trolls alone, I haven't even
heard of that in heroic tales.」
「That's why I told you. Graham-san
is amazing.」
「He deviates even from the level of
being amazing.」
Guild Master Spencer and the mysterious man were
conversing, but I was dying to confirm it with my own eyes right this instant.
As I waited eagerly for one of them to suggest going to look...
「If your doubts haven't cleared up, I
want you to go check. I left the corpses exactly as they are.」
Unexpectedly, Graham-san himself proposed it. Every
one of his actions was exactly that of someone who had annihilated a monster
army.
「No, there was information that a
monster horde was approaching, and the fact that it's this quiet means I don't
doubt you, but... I am simply curious about the aftermath of the battle.」
「I am curious as well. Guild Master,
shall we take the troops and go take a look?」
「Yeah, let's do that. From your
perspective, Graham, it might look like we're doubting you, but... my
bad. I'm simply curious.」
「There's no need to apologize. I'd
appreciate it more if you went and checked.」
And so, Guild Master Spencer took the lead, and after
gathering the adventurers and soldiers, we decided to actually go take a look.
By the way, the mysterious man said he would stay behind, so we departed
leaving Graham-san and the mysterious man there.
「...Pfft, ahahaha! Those blowhards
said they'd stay behind after all. Aren't they going to run away while we're
checking?」
「Everything about their words and
actions was weird, wasn't it. Guild Master, is it really okay to go without a
plan? What if that guy Graham is a spy for the monsters, and this is a
scheme to trap us?」
The ones who started speaking mockingly like that after we
had distanced ourselves a bit were Valkyra and Valkyra's party
member.
「Valkyra, how can you be laughing. If he hasn't truly annihilated
the monster army, we are going to be fighting monsters from here on out.」
「Hey, what's with you since a while
ago? Are you defending some old man you don't even know over us?」
「Hey now, stop it. Just as Usman
said, we don't have the leeway to neglect our vigilance. Let alone arguing
amongst ourselves, that's out of the question. Besides, the truth of what Graham
said will be clear in a few minutes anyway.」
「Guild Master Spencer, I
apologize.」
「Hah! You're a loyal dog to the
bitter end.」
Spitting out a parting shot looking bored, Valkyra
fell back to the rear of the formation. He isn't a guy with a good temper to
begin with, but today he seems especially turbulent. With an unprecedented
monster army attacking, it's only natural, but... I have a feeling the reason
he's turbulent is somehow different. Though faintly, Valkyra must have
also noticed Graham-san's abnormality. To my eyes, it even looks like
he's making a fool of him to avert his eyes from something he doesn't want to
believe. Well, even so, it pisses me off that he's mocking the honorable man
who fought alone.
While thinking such things, I advanced at the very front of
the formation as if to protect Guild Master Spencer. We were advancing
along the trail of the ice magic I was shown right in front of my eyes earlier,
and at that far too bizarre sight, the voices that had been noisy until a
moment ago gradually quieted down. The factor for the silence wasn't just the
trail of ice magic, but also included the fact that there was no sign of
monsters at all. If there was a monster army, we had already advanced a
distance where it wouldn't be strange to have caught them in our field of
vision. Even if we couldn't catch them in our vision, we should be hearing some
kind of sound, but it was so quiet we couldn't sense any living creature.
Just as everyone besides me had also come to faintly
understand the fact that Graham-san had annihilated them, whether they
wanted to or not――the figures of Ogres and Trolls encased in ice by ice magic
faintly came into view up ahead.
「The Ogres and Trolls are encased in
ice...! D-Did that bastard Graham do this?」
「I saw it right in front of my eyes,
so there's no mistake! ...Y-You mean to tell me he took down this many monsters
in one go from that distance?」
Once you see this sight, you understand the reason why Graham-san
denied it, saying he "is not a mage." He possesses power like what
appears in heroic tales, and it would be far too rude to confine him to the
category of a mage.
「Wait a minute. ...There are monster
corpses lying around in the back too.」
While everyone's eyes were drawn to the ice-encased Ogres
and Trolls spread out directly in front, the one who quietly muttered that was
Guild Master Spencer. When I directed my gaze behind the ice-encased
monsters, indeed, numerous monsters that had seemingly been slashed to death
were lying around. And what was surprising was... that the monsters weren't
just Ogres and Trolls. It seemed another army had existed a short distance
away, and there was the sight of numerous never-before-seen monsters having
been hacked to pieces.
「Wh-What is this... W-We aren't
dreaming, right!?」
「As if there could be a dream like
this. Every single monster has been slashed to death.」
「I can tell by looking! I can tell by
looking, but... they've been slashed to death, you know!? Wasn't Graham
supposed to be a mage!」
Valkyra, who had
panicked in confusion, shouted that, but I was also confused and my brain was
freezing up. The fact that a heroic magic user who surpasses the realm of a
mage had also reached the realm of a hero with the sword. It was far too
difficult to accept. Difficult to accept, but... I was seeing it with my own
eyes. Regardless of being a soldier leader, as a man, no, as a single human
being...
Due to the uncontrollable emotions boiling up from my heart, I couldn't stop my entire body from trembling.
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