Heroine Netori

Even if I met a monster, I expected one with high intelligence... But orcs! The monsters furthest from intelligence are orcs! Simple-minded, knowing only strength, and charging straight toward any target in sight, To put it nicely, they're the epitome of manliness; to put it poorly, they're a brainless race trapped within a barrier.

-Squeak! -Squeal! Squeak!

Did they hear me cursing? When the barrier was lifted, two orcs appeared; they were startled by our sudden appearance and made unpleasant noises before soon regarding us as enemies. Orcs... Well, I'm not the same as I was a few months ago; even I can handle orcs alone. I lightly kicked off the ground and charged toward the orcs.

[Weakness: Neck]

Seeing that their weakness was the neck, they indeed seemed no different from the orcs in reality. Recalling the times I massacred orcs in the dungeons, I pushed one aside with my shield and stabbed the other in the throat with my sword.

-Squeal... -Squeak... Quick.

"Amazing! I didn't know you were this strong!"

"Ahaha! My brother is quite strong!"

After quickly dispatching the two orcs, Brutus was deeply impressed, and Sophia smiled proudly on my behalf. Was she happy to see me being praised? She's really cute. I messed up Sophia's hair as I asked Brutus,

"Could you please call the guard for us?"

"Ah, yes! I'll bring them right away!"

It's safest to wait for the guard's support and go inside together, but that lacks impact. To leave a deep impression on Louise again, we must show that we can handle this ourselves, especially something as trivial as orcs.

"But, brother, are you sure we'll be okay, just the three of us?"

"Not just the three of us. The goddess is with us. Don't believe in yourself, believe in the goddess who believes in you!"

"...Right! I understand!"

Siu still seemed nervous, but mentioning the goddess's cheat key instantly boosted his courage. Goddess... Please forgive us, it's all for a greater cause!

Even afterward, we continued to hunt orcs as we moved deeper into the forest. Initially rare, the orcs became more frequent and numerous the deeper we went, suggesting that the space hidden by the barrier was larger than expected.

"Ugh, it's endless!"

"Sophie, Siu. Let's take a short break."

I thought this would be resolved quickly, but at this rate, the guards might arrive before we finish. Why is it so vast?... Sophia, usually spirited, was now panting and tired, and although Siu didn't show it, his expression had hardened, clearly struggling. Of course, I felt the same. At least I was gaining experience; otherwise, I would've quit long ago.

-Crack

"Huh? What's that?"

While heading to the shade for a rest, I stepped on something. Am I so tired that I can't even watch where I'm stepping? It was time for a break.

"A wooden rabbit doll?"

When I lifted my foot, there was a crudely made wooden rabbit doll underneath. Seeing that it was handmade, it must have belonged to someone within the barrier... It would be better if it was just a doll that had been here in Aseren Forest, but my gut was telling me it was dropped by someone trapped by the barrier. Damn orcs.

"...Brother! Can I, can I see that for a moment?"

"Here, take it."

But when Siu saw the doll, he turned pale as if he'd seen a ghost. Why the sudden scare? Is there something I can't see on this doll? Feeling uneasy, I quickly handed the doll to Siu and approached Sophia, who was resting in the shade.

"Sophie, what do you think about this doll?"

"Umm... I don't know? It's just a doll, right? But it's not very cute."

Really? That means Siu knows something... He's new to Martha, isn't he? Ah, I don't know. If it's important, he'll tell me. I'm too exhausted to think.

-Pop, pop! "Brother, are you tired? Ta-da! Here, lie down!"

"Sophie... You're the best."

"Hehe. Oh, wait! Just don't lie face down!"

Truly, Sophia is a saint! Our saintess sacrificed herself to give me a knee pillow. Though I couldn't bury my face between her thighs, lying this way allowed me a low angle view of Sophia's chest, which was a pleasant consolation. And the loving caresses from our saintess! Ah... The soft, comforting touch made all my fatigue disappear instantly.

-Whoosh

Ah, it wasn't just a feeling. Correcting that, the healing from our saintess literally revived me. I hadn't °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° even thought about this function of healing before.

"It feels good..."

This place, where I can be alone and sweet with Sophia, must be heaven, right? The cool shade, the fresh breeze, the adorable Sophia, and... Siu's frowning face?

"Ah, you startled me."

I had forgotten it wasn't just the two of us. Caught up in the destructive power of the knee pillow, I had let my guard down.

But why does he look so serious? Siu was staring intensely at the rabbit doll he'd received from me earlier, completely oblivious to our closeness.

Hmm... I don't know what it is, but thanks to him, I enjoyed myself without any reservations. Thanks, Siu.

The heavenly break ended, and the hellish search resumed. We hadn't rested for even five minutes, but now it looked like we'd be suffering for at least another fifty minutes. Damn. But it was my choice. I had to grit my teeth and endure.

"Brother. Can you hold this for a moment?"

"Keep it for you?"

"Yes. Can you put it in Aria Goddess's space for now? Just until this is over."

What? As we were getting ready to leave, Siu approached me with a somber look. Then he returned the doll he couldn't take his eyes off earlier, asking me to keep it in my inventory. Really, is it that precious? This thing?

"Alright. I don't know what it is, but don't worry. I'll keep it safe."

"Thank you, brother..."

Well, I have spare slots anyway. It's not hard to fulfill such a request. After I put the doll in my inventory, Siu bowed deeply and thanked me. Wow, it must be really important. Now I feel even more burdened. I asked him what's so special about the doll, but Siu just gave a bitter smile and dodged the question. I really want to hit him... I'm sparing him because he's a hero.

"Alright, let's get moving again."

Unlike before, we didn't encounter any more orcs this time. However, we finally found their gathering. As we quietly approached, noisy sounds came from deep within the forest, and upon looking closely, we found the orcs' base at the bottom of a hill.

"Ah... It's infuriating."

I wondered why they had suddenly disappeared, and there they were, gathered for a festival. And disgustingly, at the center of that festival was a human.

"Brother... It's horrifying..."

"Sophie, turn your head. Don't force yourself to look."

No, to be precise, they were the topic of discussion? The orcs were burning a human and eating human flesh. And from a tent on the opposite side, continuous screams and moans of women could be heard. Fuck, this world is too harsh!

"Damn bastards..."

The orcs in the dungeons had their instincts castrated and only tried to kill hunters, but these orcs showed why they are called monsters in a sickening way.

"Brother... I can never forgive them."

"You too? Me too, man."

It's not because Siu has such a noble spirit. It's not even to follow the will of Goddess Aria. It's just, just fucking awful. I can't just let these bastards be for my own peace of mind.

"Me, me too!"

"Are you sure?"

"This is why the Goddess gave us power, to help in times like this!"

Exactly, she's not a saint for nothing. She's genuinely kind. Yeah, not just for my own feelings but for Sophia too, we must crush the orcs and save the people. Otherwise, Sophia would be sad, and I can't bear to see that.

"Then Siu, you go ahead. Draw their attention by killing those bastards. Meanwhile, Sophia and I will save the women trapped in the tent. Can you handle it alone?"

"Enough."

"Sophie. While I kill the orcs inside the tent, you rescue the women and hide. Then I'll go help Siu."

"Okay! I can do it!"

Phew, infuriating emotions surged to my head, but it's not all bad. There's a saying, 'Hot-headed, cold-hearted.' Let this anger fuel me to slaughter those orc bastards.

"Alright! Let's go!"

Oh, was it the opposite?