Tart's post-op was good.
　It had been a few days since then, and yesterday, even in a mock battle, he had used Touahade's eyes to hunt me down.
　Now that I can control the speed I used to have, which I hadn't been able to have before, I've become stronger all at once.
　As far as I can see, even that Noish can surpass me in melee combat.
　That means he's invincible in his age group.
　When I arrived in the classroom and was chatting with Neusch, the broadcasting equipment was activated.

'One year, S class. Rougu, Neusch, Epona, Claudia and Tart. These five are to be in the second visiting room in five minutes. This takes precedence over everything else.

You know these five?
　If it was the four of them, excluding Epona, it would be about the support of the brave men, but if they were called up to Epona, it was a different matter.

'You're calling from this time? Looks like it's pretty urgent.''
I agree. I don't like the idea of students skipping class. I have a bad feeling about this.

I put a bitter smile on my face with Noish, who had been chatting with me earlier.
　I wish it wasn't a hassle, but these things can't be a hassle.

◇

When I went to the instructor's office, I found the instructor in charge of the S class and a dignified woman dressed in a knight's uniform.
　From the number of medals adorned on their knight's uniforms, they seemed to be excellent and in a good position.
　The instructor urges us to sit down, watches us take our seats, then marks a point on the map propped up against the wall with a pen and opens her mouth.

'I'm sorry I made you miss class,' I'll just be blunt and tell you the requirements. You are going to be in a real battle. There are about a hundred orcs in a village about forty kilometers west of here. The village itself is not of much strategic value, but the orcs by their very nature use human females for breeding. If they are allowed to get away with it, the orcs, which have doubled in number, will attack the city of Luthria on the other side of the road. This must be avoided at all costs. That's why we must ambush them in the ravine before they attack the village and destroy them. This is the point. Here, with cliffs on both sides, the advantage of the orcs' numbers will fade.

A mass outbreak of demons? Such a thing could happen as a sign of a demon race or demon king, and I was prepared for it.
　However, I've never heard of a scale like this.

The operation itself is very straightforward and makes sense.
　The city of Luthria is the economic center of the entire area, and it can't be dropped, and the raid itself cannot be overlooked in the first place.

With its strong defensive walls, its defensive capabilities are high, but if the gates of that city were to be closed, the distribution of goods and the economy would be slowed down by that alone, and it would be a great loss.
　However, there are three points that are unnatural.
　I slowly raise my hand.

'Lug Touahade. Permission to speak.
'Yes, sir. 'I have three questions. There must have been a fort beyond the village. Does this mean that the orcs breached the fort almost unscathed?
I'll tell you. The orcs were suddenly born inside the fort. And since the fort's forces are currently dealing with an attack from another demon, we can't provide backup.
'Now for the second thing. We are students, although we pride ourselves on being as powerful as regular knights. We haven't been here long enough to receive the training necessary to conduct military operations. I would like to ask you why you have entrusted us with this mission, as we are inexperienced.

It's not that I'm not confident.
　But we want to eliminate the incomprehensible as much as possible. It's not a matter of strength, but we don't have the groundwork for organized action on the battlefield.

It's crazy to use us like that.

Well, good. The reason for this is the manpower shortage. I'm sure you'll be able to find it in the end. Recently, the mass outbreaks of demons have been happening one after another, and the knights have been dispatched except for the personnel necessary for the defense of the royal capital. If the magic knights can't handle it, this knight academy will dispatch instructors and students. However, the instructors and senior students are out, and you are the only ones who can ask for them. The reason we only called in five of you is because we decided that you are the only ones in the first grade who can engage in the mission.

They seem to be buying into it a lot.
　Orcs, I've never seen the real thing, but as far as the literature is concerned, it's tantamount to suicide for anyone other than a magician to challenge them.

If the knights and their seniors are out, it's not unconvincing that a magician who is as good as an amateur is still better than an ordinary person with military training.

''Then here's the third one. Your opponent is an orc. If we assume the worst case scenario, it would be beneficial not to have a woman accompany them. I think we should leave Tart and Dia out.
'You are well studied in knowing the nature of orcs. That's one of the chiefs. But I will say this. You can protect him. The size of the herd is so large that we can't afford to reduce our numbers any further. We must take the risk and throw our maximum force at it.

Are you crazy?　It is tempting to ask the question.
　Orcs are characterized by their nearly 3-meter-long stature and the power to match their massive bodies.
　And they have a unique ecosystem.
　They are a race where only males exist, and they impregnate females of other races.
　They are extremely fertile. They will mate for more than half a day, and unless they are very careful, the female will be impregnated in one night, and the children will be born in three days or so.

........it is the offspring that are born that are the problem.
　The hidden nature of orcs is that the child is born with the advantages of the mother race.
　The problem if the village is attacked is that not only will the number of Orcs increase, but if the mother race is a human, the Orcs may get the same level of brains as a human.
　With such an orc taking control, the danger level would jump.
　And what's even worse........

''Tart and Dia, if the two of them become an orc nursery, a tremendous monster will be born.
'Don't make me say the same thing, I understand the risks involved. And I'm telling you not to let it happen to you.

As long as they inherited their mother's advantages, an orc born from a talented, magical mother could be a tremendous threat.
　........More than that, I don't want to take the two of them to an orc that has such a nature and directs its beastly desires at them.

''Thank you for your concern, Lug-sama. But it's okay. I won't lose.''
'Yes. The rogue has trained us, and he'll protect us.

You're oblivious to me.
　They're slow and unintelligent as far as intelligence goes. But the strength and vitality and unfathomable strength of an orc is a threat.
　Enough to cause accidents.

"I don't care what you say, your orders are absolute. You are noblemen of this country. Then serve your country. I'll accompany you from the Academy and she from the Order to follow you.
Sorry for the delay. My name is Rachel Barton. I'm one of the first students here. Don't worry, I'll keep you safe.

Rachel Burton, I've heard of her.
　She was a first class student at this school and graduated at the top of her class.

We greet her, one by one.

'I was looking forward to hearing that this year is going to be one hell of a year, with several gems coming out of the decade. I can't wait to see what you guys do.
I'm going to try to live up to your expectations.

I stop resisting and respond that way.
　It's a resignation that I can't say no, no matter what reasoning I put forward.

''With me and the rogue, we're invincible, and there's even a brave man in there, so it's not like we're outnumbered by orcs.

Noish says so, but I couldn't hide my fears.
　I won't say it, but there are things that scare me more than orcs.

It's Epona's outburst.
　We fought several times besides the first mock battle.
　........When Epona gets hot, she attacks at a level that would have definitely killed me if it weren't for me.
　Her biggest weakness is that she can't see what's around her immediately.

This is even true in mock battles. In a fight against a pack of orcs, it would be many times hotter than in a mock battle, and there would be no room to spare.
　If that happens, we don't know what kind of catastrophe will happen in the aftermath of being rampaged and rolled up with disaster-grade force.
　That epona is looking at me.

I'll do my best. I've been feeling more confident lately, thanks to the rogue!

So I can stifle the word that I'm afraid.
　........Let's be more wary of Epona than the orcs.

That's all I have to say. We'll be leaving in three hours. By then, we will pack and equip ourselves and meet at the Order's carriage in the square. Since this is a military-led operation, it is mandatory to wear a uniform. All of you must leave.

My back was turned to me as if I had nothing more to say.
　I hadn't expected my first military action to be so quick.
　As soon as we stepped out into the corridor, we parted to get ready for our respective preparations.
　Epona was tense and Neusch had a masked smile pasted on his face.
　He called out to Tart and Dia, who remained here.

'Both of you will tell them what they absolutely must protect in order to survive. It's something you can't talk about in front of your instructors and people in the military. I will only tell you once, so listen to me carefully.

Inspired by my seriousness, they nodded with a hard look on their faces.

''One thing, stay close to me. Don't chase the enemy too far and stay close to them. It's just a matter of time before you're in a melee. I'm not going to be able to get my mind off of it. They instinctively prioritize incapacitating the female and bringing her home. If one of them takes the female away, their mates will build a wall of meat to cover them. If that happens, it's hopeless. As long as I'm with you two by my side, I'll make sure to keep crushing the blind spot.
Ha, yes. I never leave.
'Yeah, I'll be careful. I don't want to be separated from my rogue.
Two, my orders come before all else. If your instructor's orders, that knight Rachel, or any of those orders conflict with mine, do not hesitate to obey me.
I don't need to be told that. I am Master Lugue's personal servant.

That's a disqualifying answer for a knight of this school, but as my personal servant, it's a perfect answer.

''I can't say cool things like Tart, but I'm going to do that too.
Last time. The greatest danger is Epona. The aftermath of Epona's battle is many times more dangerous than that of an orc. Don't let your guard down or you will die.

As long as you both keep these three promises, you can follow through.
　If I say this much, the two of you should be fine.
　Nevertheless, it seems they're really short-handed, using us who just joined the school.
　Are they really cornered to the point where all the senior students who can fight are turned out?

.........or maybe it's all just a pretext and an experiment in brave performance.
　Whatever it is, let's do the best we can.
　Besides, Epona's all-out effort. It was necessary to have the opportunity to see that.