* * *
“Such a kind savior you are, coming to help a town in danger.”
“Savior?”
I acted confidently, knowing that showing hesitation might make me look more suspicious to those already hostile.
“Y-Yes! He saved me!”
“I really thought it was the end…”
The frightened villagers, trembling, chimed in to support me.
Whether or not they knew me personally, I could sense the guards’ hostility waning.
Still, they didn’t lower their guard entirely.
“State your identity.”
“Raul Florenti. Adventurer. And for the record, I’m not alone. Zerbin’s with me.”
“…Zerbin, as in that Zerbin?”
Oh, yes. The hero’s name never fails to get recognition.
“And how are we supposed to believe that?”
Uh-oh.
“Everyone knows the Adventurer King doesn’t travel with anyone. Don’t try to trick us.”
“…”
Zerbin!
What kind of reputation is this?
You’re making me look even more suspicious!
Is there seriously a village left that doesn’t know Zerbin became a hero?
Though, I guess even if they knew, it’s not like they’d be aware of the divine order to form a party and travel with companions.
That sort of detail doesn’t circulate easily.
Ah, really now.
Meanwhile, time was ticking, and the monstrous beasts were running rampant.
Should I resort to a show of strength to speed things up?
My hand tightened around my dagger.
“Hey, wait. Hold on.”
One of the guards stopped his comrades from pointing their spears again.
“Raul Florenti… Could you be ‘Shadow Claw’?”
Huh?
They know me?
I thought the only person who remembered me was Zerbin—and everyone else who did is already dead.
I haven’t done anything noteworthy since joining the hero’s party, so hearing someone call me by such a grandiose alias feels awkward.
“Yeah, Shadow Claw. Does that prove it?”
The guards exchanged looks, murmuring among themselves. It was clear they recognized me.
While it’s nice to be remembered, couldn’t they just recall me by my actual name?
Still, it’s true that distinctive aliases are more memorable than ordinary names.
“I’ve heard you wield a dagger that shines with golden light. Can you show us?”
Embarrassing as it was, it wasn’t a difficult request.
I infused the dagger in my hand with energy, and a golden light pierced through the darkness.
The glow dispelled the surrounding shadows like a beacon.
The guards nodded among themselves.
“You really are the Golden-ranked Adventurer.”
“Apologies. It’s our first time dealing with something like this, so we were wary…”
“No need to apologize. We don’t have time to waste talking, anyway.”
Sensing the conversation dragging on, I cut them off.
“Zerbin will take care of the monsters in one sweep, but we need to evacuate the villagers. You all know the townsfolk, so you’ll have to take charge.”
Even as we spoke, people were still being attacked.
“This village has about 30 households, right?”
I asked based on what I’d observed from the rooftops.
“Yes, that’s correct…”
There were about fourteen guards in total.
More than I expected.
They must’ve bolstered their numbers when the nearby monsters started acting up.
Still, compared to the number of beasts attacking, it wasn’t enough.
They’d need to move in groups of at least three to stand a chance.
“Split into teams of three. Each group takes six households to evacuate. You’ll need the numbers to fend off the monsters.”
One of the guards hesitated despite diligently answering up to this point.
He wasn’t confident they could protect the villagers while moving.
It made sense; they’d barely managed to take down a single thorn wolf with three people, and now they were facing far greater numbers.
“What are you worried about? Zerbin’s fighting out there.”
I spoke firmly.
With every swing of his sword, Zerbin was undoubtedly cutting down several beasts at a time, reducing their numbers by the second.
Sure, even a few would still be dangerous for the guards, but they wouldn’t be overwhelmed.
I pulled four daggers from under my coat and handed them to the guards.
“If things get dangerous, throw these. I’ll come running the moment I see it.”
To demonstrate, I pulled out another dagger and threw it.
A thorn wolf lurking nearby collapsed as the blade pierced through its head.
The dagger then curved back into my hand as if drawn by an invisible force.
“Got it?”
“Yes, sir!”
Their responses were reassuring.
“But, uh, if we split into teams of three, there’ll be two of us left…”
I didn’t bother answering.
Instead, I grabbed the two extras and leapt onto a nearby rooftop.
Below, I watched the other guards split into teams and disperse. Good.
Hopefully, they’d handle things well.
These were ordinary beasts, not ones empowered by magic, so they wouldn’t pose an extreme threat.
Still, it made me uneasy, so I needed to finish my part quickly.
I dropped the two guards near a thorn wolf clawing at a brick house.
“Ahhh!”
Startled, the guards scrambled to their feet, but they were too slow.
Spotting easier prey right in front of it, the wolf turned and lunged, jaws wide open.
A dagger flew, piercing its tongue and making it howl in agony.
The pain didn’t kill it, but it was enough to incapacitate the creature for now.
“What are you standing around for? Move them out!”
The windows were shattered, so I quickly pulled the people out myself and shoved them toward the guards.
“Just the two of us?”
Cowards.
I signaled for the dagger to return.
It rattled in the wolf’s mouth, tearing its tongue further as it carved a path out, breaking its jaw in the process.
I grabbed its exposed jawbone, wrenched it apart, and ripped the head clean off.
The wolf collapsed with a thud.
“Well?”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
“Good. Now onto the next.”
By the time I’d cleared the designated areas, one of my daggers flew back toward me.
Out of habit, I raised my hand to catch it.
I glanced at the direction it came from.
Even in the dim moonlight, the blade’s faint gleam was unmistakable.
Everyone had been gathered at the inn.
With several wolves already slaughtered, the guards could hold their ground for now.
The scent of their comrades’ blood would likely deter the remaining beasts.
The village wasn’t large, so the inn wasn’t far.
“Think you can get them to the inn on your own?”
“B-But!”
“I’ve already done more than enough. If you’re still scared… here.”
I handed him a dagger infused with energy.
It wouldn’t hold for long, but it would serve as a distraction against any beasts.
“If it gets dangerous, throw it to call me.”
With a firm pat on his shoulder, I sent him off and turned to where my dagger had flown from.
Leaping onto a stone wall, I grabbed a nearby tree branch to get a better view of the situation.
Five wolves?
Looks like the rest of the thorn wolves decided this area was the safer bet. Let’s fix that.
Three guards, none of whom could be considered particularly strong, were doing their best to hold the line.
Though their bodies were battered and torn by the steel thorns of the beasts, they valiantly protected the villagers, ensuring no one else was harmed.
Their efforts were commendable.
Ideally, one of them would hold the beasts back while the others led the villagers to safety.
But five beasts were far too many for just two guards to handle.
This was a moment when salvation was needed.
‘Should I help?’
“Bit of a crowd, isn’t it?”
There were still too many people left to evacuate to waste energy recklessly swinging sword energy.
Yet fighting beasts clad in steel without sword energy wasn’t practical either.
Brute strength wasn’t exactly my specialty, but perhaps I could afford to be a little rough this time.
I threw all the remaining daggers I had at once.
Even without sword energy, the beasts reacted instinctively to the sharp scent of blood left by their fallen kin on the blades.
They scrambled to dodge the incoming projectiles and turned to assess the new threat.
I gestured to the guards.
“Th-thank you!”
* * *
