Chapter 75

Good deeds are rarely known; evil deeds are easily known.

Performing what is right or doing good is considered a moral duty, and once something becomes an expectation, the inherent importance and value of such good deeds gradually fade into the background of daily life. Even though these actions were originally meant to guide things in a positive direction, once they become routine, they end up serving no other purpose than maintaining the uniformity of the everyday.

On the other hand, evil deeds or actions that worsen a situation are naturally criticized, and the impression people have of the perpetrator grows more severe each time a transgression is repeated. This, too, can be understood as an act of maintaining the uniformity of the everyday, but unlike good deeds, no matter how many evil acts one commits, they never fade into the background. Negative emotions, such as the irritation toward wrongdoing, continue to pile up every time an incident occurs.

Human resentment, impressions, and assumptions are difficult to overcome. While a single evil act can overturn countless accumulated good deeds, the reverse almost never happens. Furthermore, the gaze that searches for evil clouds one’s eyes so much that even actions that can hardly be called evil start to look like wickedness.

What Busse felt inside the Village Chief’s house was a painful reaffirmation of that very fact.

Amidst the intermittent dialogue between Akina and the talking bird, which mingled with the noise of the white monster raging outside, Busse pressed his ear against the wall and was left aghast at the information he gathered. If the reason that white monster had come to the village and started its rampage was the white bear fur, then the person who had brought it here was undeniably himself.

“So that was it… Damn it, I can’t believe my luck!”

Akina’s irritated voice drifted in. Her words gouged deep into Busse’s chest.

It was because Busse had wanted that white fur—he had caused Akina so much trouble to get it, and it had ended up leading to the destruction of the village. Just because they listened to the selfish whims of a child they didn’t even know, their lives had been put in danger. Akina’s irritation must be directed at me, Busse thought, his vision wavering.

—It’s my fault.

As the knights discussed their upcoming strategy, Busse listened, but the information wouldn’t register in his mind. His face turned as white as the bitter cold outside. He could feel the eyes of the Village Chief a few meters behind him, along with those of the villagers who had evacuated, turning uncomfortably anxious. He couldn’t help but feel that they were all blaming him.

He had gone out of his way to bring back something rare.

He had gone out of his way to try and be accepted into the village until now.

His own actions were about to ruin everything. He had experienced trust he had painstakingly built up being shattered by accusations before, but there was no doubt that this was fatal.

Unconsciously, his hand gripped his goggles. The only memento from a father whose face he didn’t even remember. He felt as though the goggles were encouraging him to protect the village.

—I have to do something.

Busse tapped his trembling knees and stood up. He bound his body, which felt like it might collapse at any moment from the fear of being hated by everyone, with a stubborn spirit that still wanted to be accepted, and reached his hand toward the fur.

“…Busse? What is the matter all of a sudden?”

His hand flinched. The one who had spoken was Village Chief Fabre. The only one in the village who had come to see him; the kind Village Chief who forgave him even though he had caused so much trouble. Would the Village Chief still be kind to him if he knew the truth? Busse pushed that thought away and, this time, gripped the fur firmly.

“I’m sorry, Village Chief. It seems I can’t hand over this fur after all.”

“What are you saying… Wait, Busse. Why are you heading for the back door? The knights just said not to foolishly show yourself to the monster!”

“It’s okay. It’s okay… I’ll take care of it, somehow.”

He put on his goggles and, without looking back, moved forward.

Jeers from the other villagers flew at him.

“Don’t do something that causes trouble for the knights! If someone dies because of you, how do you intend to take responsibility!?”

“I have an idea. So please, believe in me—”

“Are you planning to run away alone!? You never cared about us in Isberg Village after all, did you!?”

“Say something, Busse!!”

“…”

There was no worry, no understanding, no kindness there. All that existed was a murky lump of emotions kneaded together from suspicion, irritation, and anxiety. Busse did not have the courage or the composure to look back.

“—I have to do something about you for the sake of the village!!!”

The moment that shout went up, the Orc hoisted the massive log it held above its head, pulling its core hand back. Then, it twisted its entire body to swing—

“Like I’ll let you!!”

“Bu-gyah!!?”

Instantly perceiving the meaning of its action, I unleashed a jump-kick infused with lightning-fast speed, slamming it into the back of the Orc’s knee. The Orc’s plan to crush Busse while throwing the log in that stance was ruined as its balance was broken, and the hurled log went flying off toward the forest.

Simply put, it was a ‘knee-capping.’ Even against a monster, their body structure is the same as a human’s, so theoretically, it’s an effective attack. No matter how hairy they are, it seems it couldn’t handle a surprise attack. As the Orc slowly toppled over—unable to regain its balance due to the peculiar posture of a throw—I slipped past the Orc’s side and sprinted straight toward Busse.

The reason was, of course, to rebuke Busse for his reckless behavior—well, not exactly.

“Hey, you little brat!!! I told you to stay inside!! After I told you that much!! What kind of mindset makes you come out here to die, huh!!!”

“Fumyaaaa!? I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorrrryyyy!!”

“Yeah, yeah, we can do the lecture later!! This isn’t the time for that, is it!!”

Busse collapsed, letting out a scream like a cat that had its tail stepped on. I grabbed the collar of Captain Akina, who was raising her fist with the face of a demon, and sighed. Still, for Captain Akina, who would normally punch someone with a single ‘you idiot’ without even stating a reason, this could be called a reaction that showed consideration for the other person. What was ‘kindness’ again? I’ll ask my mom about it the next time I go back home.

However, the fact that he came out carrying the white fur wasn’t something I could praise either. Judging by that comment, Busse had acted that way despite understanding the situation. In the general world, that’s called suicide. I called out to Busse, who was now more terrified of Captain Akina than the Orc.

“Busse-kun. I don’t know what you were thinking to do something so reckless, but we are knights precisely because we protect the people. I wish you had trusted us more instead of pulling a stunt like becoming a decoy.”

“That’s right, kid! People who do reckless stuff without thinking are called idiots! Listen, you only fight when you have a chance of winning—”

“I, I have a plan!!!”

Those words were filled with a clear sense of resolve.

Certainly, the action he took seemed reckless and thoughtless, but I didn’t think he was the kind of dishonest person who would make excuses or tell stupid lies at a time like this. Captain Akina also stopped her thrashing and waited for Busse’s words.

In the rear, the members of the knight order were taking advantage of openings to attack with spears or struggle to bind the Orc with nets and ropes, trying to contain its movements as much as possible. There was nothing decisive, but that thorough time-buying gave us time to think. Busse continued as if pleading.

“I have one, a plan! I was listening to you and Akina-san outside… You said you just need a place where you can finish off that monster, right!? If that’s the case, I have a lead! It’s a place only a local would know about!”

“…Hey, Busse. You’re serious about this, right? Can you say that looking into these eyes of Captain Akina?”

“S-serious…? I don’t really understand city slang, but I’m not lying!!”

“Varna.”

“I think we can trust him.”

I answered immediately to Captain Akina, whose gaze seemed to be seeking my opinion.

Either way, we were out of time, and the fur that would serve as the lure was right here. More than anything, somewhere in my heart, I was hoping that Busse would be the one to deliver the decisive blow in this situation. I wanted to see the moment he was recognized by the village, with the proof that he had worked hard for them included in our mission report.

The Captain, who likely felt a bit differently than I did, nodded deeply after confirming my agreement.

“Alright, let’s do it! Busse, tell us the plan!”

—A few minutes later, by the time the Orc stood up, fuming and rampaging, Varna and the others had completely finished their strategy meeting and role assignments. The only reason the Orc had been able to stand up at all was that the knights had gradually moved away from the front line to relay the plan, but an Orc’s intellect wouldn’t be able to grasp that much.

“Busse-kun, it’s going to be a bit bumpy, but I’ll need you to escort me.”

“It’s fine. The destination is like a walk in the park for me.”

I adjusted my grip on Busse as I carried him, encouraging him by saying, “You can have more confidence in yourself.” I was currently carrying him on my back. The fur in question was tied to Busse’s back with a rope, and the fur’s limbs, folded from the middle, dangled and swung through the air.

The other members of the knight order were hiding behind obstacles, poised to move at any moment, creating a bizarre scene where it felt as if only the Orc and the two of us were left in the village. Busse trembled slightly at the killing intent radiating from the beast—which showed no signs of fading even though its white fur was stained red in places—but as long as I was carrying him, I had no intention of letting that beast lay a single finger on him.

“Bughyuaaaa… Ggyaaaaaaahhhhhhh!!”

Just as intended, the Orc shook its chalk-white giant body and lunged straight toward us. The sheer pressure of a five-meter-tall giant approaching at full speed was unimaginably intimidating, but unfortunately, I didn’t remember becoming the kind of cute guy who would shrink back from that level of threat.

“Alright, that’s it… Aim for us, chase us down!!”

Between me, who must have been the biggest annoyance to the Orc, and the scent of the white bear fur that stoked its hatred, the Orc’s vision was completely narrowed by the combination of both. Confirming this, I sprinted toward the outside of the village while carrying Busse.

“—Alright, the white pig has left. Men, begin the operation!!”

“There’s a woman here too, you know!”

“It’s fine because a woman is leading and the men are following!”

The rest of the knights, confirming the Orc had passed, began to move as well.

Because this operation could only yield results if everyone worked together.

For me, it was a path through trees I had never seen before.

But for Busse, it was a familiar road he could traverse even with his eyes closed.

Busse, carried on my back, immediately began barking orders.

“Turn left at the next thick tree, and there’s a flat path with good footing!”

“Got it! Where’s the Orc!?”

“It’s chasing us through the trees like a monkey! I feel like it’s closing the distance little by little…”

“Then we’re shifting into a higher gear!! Be careful not to bite your tongue!!”

Hidden Style, Eighth Form: Dancing Phoenix. I accelerated further with a step that felt like I had used up a lifetime’s worth of energy in just this one day. Busse seemed to be hanging on to my back, enduring the acceleration, but if I made the mistakes in footwork I had committed a few times during travel, the burden on him would increase significantly. Therefore, I had to pay the utmost attention.

This operation wasn’t just about reaching the destination.

I also had to be extremely careful with the way I lured it.

But if we succeeded, I was certain we could put an end to the Orc for good in one strike. If we could defeat the beast with this, the problem for Isberg Village would be resolved.

“……Varna-san.”

“What is it?!”

Suddenly, Busse’s voice reached my ears, and I asked back.

It was a voice far too weak to be a report of something abnormal happening behind us.

“Thank you for saving me.”

“…It’s only natural as a knight!”

“Thank you for actually believing in a kid like me.”

“…Where did that come from?”

“The people in the village… unlike you all in the knight order, they wouldn’t listen to a word I said.”

Something must have happened inside the village chief’s house—I could sense that much.

It was ironic. We, who had spent only a few days of intense time together, were able to trust Busse, while the villagers who should have known him for years didn’t seem to trust or believe in him at all. That was the reality, and perhaps Captain Akina had sensed that, which is why she wanted to get him out of the village.

“…If you live long enough, things like that happen. Even to me. Especially when you’re young, the elders say your words lack weight, so they won’t trust you. But even so.”

“Even so?”

“The Captain and I believed in you. We did so because we felt we could. So, you aren’t the kind of person who is inherently untrustworthy. You can at least be confident in that, no matter what happens.”

Thump. For just a few seconds, Busse buried his face in my back.

“…Thank you. Oh, turn the course to the left! There’s a bit of a rocky area from here, so it’s hard to see the path, but if you head in a direction that keeps the mountain to your right, you can get through!”

“Understood!!”

A fair amount of time had passed since we left the village. I should be able to see the destination soon.

Yes, the prepared destination—the moment I thought that, I confirmed a signal fire rising in the direction of our destination. Green-colored smoke. Within the order, that meant only one thing.

“It was worth the trouble of taking the long way around to buy time! It seems the Captain and the others’ ‘trap’ is ready for action!!”

“When I heard they were going to get ahead of us to trap it even more surely, I was so nervous wondering if it would really be okay… But as expected of Akina-san. Even with unfamiliar work in an unfamiliar place, I’m sure she pulled it off!”

You foolish Orc. You might think you’re the one cornering your prey, but I will make you realize, whether you like it or not, that it’s a complete misunderstanding.

The Royal Foreign Hazardous Species Countermeasures Knights are always “the hunters.”

It doesn’t matter how many of you there are or how sturdy you are.

The moment you entered our kingdom and committed evil acts—you monsters, without exception, are nothing more than prey.