Org.

It's a quiet day.

　When I walked around the town, I felt less lively than usual.
　The reason for this is because most of the adventurers are gone today.
They were in the middle of receiving a request from the lord to investigate the cause of the orc outbreak.

''Just when I thought we had destroyed the orc empire, we run into those incomprehensible orcs.

　Of course, it's not just the adventurers, the Knights are also working to determine the cause.
　It's because we were nearly wiped out, and it was determined that a few scouts would be too dangerous.
　But in the meantime, I was ordered to stand by alone.

　I'm a former injured man who was almost killed by a monster orc a few days ago, and although I was treated by Lex and the others, I came back to town covered in blood.
The bosses, who saw my battered equipment, told me to take some time off and forced me to rest for a while, didn't they?
　It's a good thing that my equipment was destroyed.

It's the recovery magic that's keeping me going.

　Well, I can understand why.
　Although I was wounded in this case, the fact is that my troops had found unknown orcs.
　And the materials of the orcs provided by Lex and the others who rescued me, and the fact that my equipment was tattered, proved it.

　That's it. I was able to take credit for discovering a threatening enemy.
　So the noble-born knights became dissatisfied, and I went to relieve them, so I stayed home and the noble knights went to do the honors instead.
　It's a good idea to have a good time with them.

It's a lot easier than it seems.

　Anyway, the time off allowed me to rest my bones and get some new equipment, so I can rest assured that I'll be ready to go at any time.

But from today onwards, I'm going to be on guard duty in a boring town.

　It's just a shame we can't try out the new equipment we just bought.

　The first time I saw it.

'Hey, good morning!

　When I entered the guard station, there was something about the guards running around in a panic.
　What is it?　Was there a drunken brawl?

That's it, captain!

　A subordinate of mine comes up to me with a very happy look on his face.
　Hahaha, were you relieved to see me so energized?

'Thank God!　I was just about to go looking for you!

What?　Looking for me?

　Huh?　I thought you'd be relieved to see my face.
　No, I'm putting on a reassuring face, but it's true.

'It's a big deal!　There's a horde of orcs coming towards the town!

　I see........so they were in a hurry because a horde of orcs was coming towards them?
　That makes sense........huh?

What?

　A huge army of orcs?
　How dare they come at a time when the army is all gone!

How big is this thing?

As large as the orc empire that adventurers have defeated before!

You think we're on par with the orc empire?

　Are you serious?

Are you serious?　The Knights and the adventurers are out investigating, and as far as we're concerned, we don't have the strength to fight as far as we're concerned!

Calm down!　We'll just have to close the town gates and keep the demons out!　Now we'll just have to hold out until the Knights and the adventurers come back!

　Normally, we would intercept them as soon as possible, but with the same number of people as the Orc Empire, it's beyond our authority.
　The only thing we can do in the meantime while the big man decides how to respond is to close the gates and prepare for defense.
　But my subordinate shook his head sadly.

''That's not good enough, captain!　This is no ordinary orc coming at you!　They're those monster orcs that we were attacked by before!

What did you say?

　Hearing my subordinate's words, I hurriedly ran up the stairs of my office and climbed up the turret, which was an integral part of the office structure, and looked around.
　And then I saw it.
　The sight of the demons coming towards this town.
　Although it was still small right now, a group of demons flying in the sky, and the shadows of demons running as fast as a horse on the ground.
　In the midst of all that, that huge body that can be clearly identified as an orc.

''Seriously........''

　Indeed, just as my subordinate said, there was that abominable monster orc among the orcs coming towards us.

''Hey, you did call your superiors, right?

　I check with my subordinate, who is slumped under the turret, to see if he has reported to his superiors.

'Ha, yes!　The others have ridden to the lord's house. They should be conferring with the knight leaders by now!

We're in talks and they'll be in town before we get the order.

What do we do now, captain?　When those flying orcs come, they'll be jumping over the walls!

　I know....

For now, the bow!　Get every bow at your disposal to shoot down the flying orcs!　Also, there might be a few adventurers left who can use magic, so call the adventurers' guild!　And the hunter!　At this time of night, there are people from neighboring villages who have come to buy meat and pelts and shit from you.　Give them a bow and arrow and get them to cooperate!

Okay, okay!

　Having given orders to my subordinates, I desperately think about what else I can do in the little time left.

I know I told you to collect the bow, but with that monster around, a siege is impossible. In that case, I'd better run away. Or rather, there's no choice but to run away from that thing.

　If we want to move the town's people, we'll need permission but with flying orcs in the sky, we don't have time to wait for permission from above.

　No matter how many bows we have, if we let even one of them slip through, the whole town will be a battlefield.
　Above all, if that monstrous orc appears, the battlefield will collapse in an instant.

Oh, God. The answer was obvious from the start...

　I call out to those guards.

'Hey, boys!　Get the town's people to the east gate!　Now!　You can't even waste time letting him pack his stuff!　I'll even force the merchants to borrow their carriages, by order of the Knights, and put children and old men in them!

What do you think you're doing, sir?

I'm running away!　If we can't take the city, we'll have to let the people go!　We're going to evacuate to another town, and in the meantime, we're going to join the Knights and Adventurers who went out to investigate!

Ugh, is it okay to do that without getting permission from the top?

Well, you'll be punished for that.

I know!　I'm not okay, but I don't have time to wait for you!　Don't worry!　I'll take charge!

"Is it for real, captain...?

　Aaaaah!　Shit!　I'm gonna get fired when this is all over!　If we forcibly evacuate a townie without the boss's permission, I'll be fired for sure!

I mean, the worst thing that could happen to you is that you could physically blow your head off...

Well, then, you better ask your superiors' permission...

Oh, come on!　I love this town!　Some of the idiots are quick to try and get me to drink or get drunk and try to break up fights, but I like this town and its people, including those idiots!　If we don't move now, what's the point of being a knight?

　Captain!

　My men look impressed by my words.
　But now is not the time to do an emotional scene.

All right, go tell the locals!

""Yes, sir!"

　After my subordinates disappeared, I was tormented with regret and anxiety that I had done it.

''Haha I don't care if I get fired from my job!　You're still a former A-list adventurer!　There's plenty of jobs out there!　Don't give me that bullshit!　If it comes down to it, I'll run to another country!

　All I have to do is kick his ass!

　You're not going to be able to do that.

　The townspeople gathered in front of the eastern gate all looked anxious.
　Well, of course. A group of demons suddenly came to attack the town, and if you were told to flee to another town, you would be worried.

Hey, Aug. Do we really have to run away?　The walls in this town are thicker than most, and even the money and goods are still in the stores...

　The owner of the shop, a familiar face from his adventuring days, asks with more frustration than concern on his face.

'You heard from the guards, there are flying demons and ridiculously big-bodied demons coming at us. Walls are useless. Well, if you want to be the only one left in town, I won't stop you.

'No, no, that's not...'

Hey, Ogg's old man, can't we go home now?

　The next thing I know, the neighborhood kids are clinging to me with anxious looks on their faces.

We'll be fine. It's just that it's not safe for you to be here for a little while. As soon as we meet up with our friends, we'll be there to pick you all up and beat the demons. So go out for a little while.

Uh-huh. Okay.....

　Heh, they're good listening kids. They weren't always this good at listening when I was a kid, were they?

　Oops, so now we just have to let everyone else go.
　That's when I thought that.
　Suddenly, a bunch of carriages arrived at the place.

"What the hell is that?

　The townspeople are also baffled by the sudden appearance of the carriage.
　Oh man, did the rest of the knights in town come to stop them?
　If that's the case, things could get messy.
　Just when I was determined to let the townspeople escape, even if it meant beating the Knights into a stunned state if the need arose, the carriage door opened.

''What's this all about?''

　Seeing the face of the person who came out saying that, I let out a cry of surprise.

"Li, my lord!

　Yes, the one who got down from the carriage was, to my surprise, Viscount Grimoire, the lord of this town.

　Viscount Grimoire.

We hurriedly finished our meeting and came to the town to make preparations in a hurry... but for some reason, a large number of people had gathered in front of the town's east gate.

''Why the people...?''

　What the hell does that mean when you haven't ordered anything yet?
　Wondering, I got out of the carriage and saw a man there.

''Knight Aug........''

　Yes, there was a man I had once personally recruited, a former A-ranked adventurer named Aug.
　When I looked at him, he was looking at me wearing a black armor that I didn't recognize.
　Hmm, it was probably a replacement for the destroyed dragon equipment.

''Li, my lord!''

　When the ogre sees me, he pokes his knee and takes the courtesy of his subjects, and the guards poke his knee as well.
　And when the people see this, they also rush to poke my knee, and I hold up my hand to stop them.

'No matter. Leave it as it is. But more importantly, what is this all about, Knight Aug.

　If there is a figure of this man in this situation, it is undoubtedly this man who has gathered his people together.
　Upon receiving my question, Aug returns his answer after a slight silence.

'I, or rather I, gathered everyone together. To get them out of this town.

　I knew it.

You!　What a bunch of commoners!

　The noble knights who were waiting by his side reprimanded him for his selfish behavior.

Are you restless? Why did you do that, Ogg the Knight?

　I restrain my subordinates and ask Aug what the truth is.

''Some of the demons coming towards us are flying demons. With the current situation where the knights and adventurers are out, the guards alone can't get around them. ........Most importantly, there is that monster orc.

　A gleam of neither fear nor frustration dwells in the Og's eyes.

"Is that the giant orc that is said to have seriously injured you?

Seriously injured Mr. Aug?

Hey, shut up!　We're in front of our lord!

　Aug's words elicited a shout of surprise from the people.

Yes, sir. With his massive body, he could step over the wall of a town. Moreover, he's so powerful that he can lightly pull out a huge tree and throw it to the ground. If that kind of person enters the town, there is no point in hiding in a house. There's no choice but to run for now.

Oh no...

　The people trembled in fear as the former A-ranked adventurer, Aug, told them of the fearfulness of the demons that were coming towards them.

''I see....

　I was surprised.
　The monster orc that drove an A-class adventurer, Og, to his death has been reported to us.
　The danger was obvious, since the armor made of dragon material had been torn off like a piece of paper.

　But it wasn't the fearfulness of the demons that came towards me that surprised me.
　I was surprised because the actions of the ogre were the same as the decisions we had made.

　After receiving a detailed report from the guards of the oncoming orc hordes, we quickly came to the conclusion that this was not going to be a fight.
　After all, the town's defense is only as good as its walls and knights.
　The reason we sent the knights to investigate is because we decided that, having destroyed the orc empire once, we would not be attacked by another horde of demons in a short period of time.

　Moreover, it was also estimated that if there was a protective wall, they could withstand it for several days.
　Even if flying orcs came, it would be a sporadic number, and the bows of the guards would be enough to deal with them.
　But that's a different story when it comes to opponents on this scale.

　Since the wall is useless, we chose to flee with as many people as possible.
　Losing the town hurts, but if we lose our people, we won't be able to even rebuild the town.
　Nevertheless, we were prepared that if we gathered people from now on, the number of people we could save would not be large.......

"Well done, knight ogre.

　I was delighted to have this man under my command.
　I was glad to meet a man who wasn't afraid to violate orders and act for his people without fear of punishment.

'All right, we'll get out of town at once and head for the next town!　That's where you will join the Order!

""Ha!"

　As soon as the guards raised their voices, the east gate opened.

'My lord, hurry to the carriage.

　My men urge me to run away quickly.
　If I don't move, my people won't be able to escape.

Very well. I would like to ask you to take care of our protection, knight ogre.

　With this man as my bodyguard, I and my people will feel more secure. And my daughter Celia, of course.
　But the next words Aug spoke were unexpected.

'No, I will remain in this town.

What do you mean?

What do you mean, captain?

　Not only me, but his guards, his subordinates, also shout in surprise.

I will stop the demons. Otherwise, those guys will come after the lords.

""What?

　Everyone who heard those words widened their eyes in surprise.
　Don't tell me this guy is trying to be a decoy!

''What are you talking about, captain!　Those monster orcs are the ones we're dealing with!

That's right!　The captain doesn't have the equipment for a dragon anymore!　You'll be killed this time!

　That's right, the Org no longer has any dragon equipment.
　The fact that this man survived the earlier investigation is probably due to the power of the dragon equipment.
　With that lifeline of equipment gone, you're going to be a decoy?

　That black armor must be a reasonably good item if this man, a former A-rank, had prepared it, but it would still be inferior to equipment made from dragon materials.

''Please don't!　Isn't that suicidal!

　The one who came down from the carriage with a pale face while saying that was my daughter Celia.
　Did you hear what I just said........

Miss....

'Master Org nearly lost his life in a battle with these terrible orcs!　The next time, you could really be dead!

It's...

　At Celia's words, Aug looks batty.

'Let's run away together, Aug-sama!

　His daughter tried to convince him with tears in her eyes, but Aug shook her head quietly.　

'That's the kind of advice you can't give, young lady.

Why?

The oncoming orcs have the ability to fly. If we don't get their attention, they will attack our townspeople.

But it doesn't have to be Master Org!

The others will have to protect you on the road, and I've fought them when I get there, so I'm in a position to do a little better.

But....

Miss, I'm quite fond of this town, you know.

Mr. Gu.

'Don't worry!　Once we've lured the orcs out, we'll shift a ton of gear to meet up with everyone else in the right place!　I'm not ready to die either!

Are you sure?

Yes, it's true!

　Celia smiles awkwardly as Aug makes a power hump and smiles, too.

''I understand. I believe in Aug-sama.''

　And in the next moment, Celia took an amazing action.

''Huh!''

　What a surprise, Celia hugged and kissed Aug and kissed him on the mouth!

""Oh!"

　The people, surprised at the sight, let out a cry that could not be taken as surprise or excitement.

''It's a victory spell!　Make sure you come back alive!

　After leaving the augmented reality, Celia said that with a bright red face and ran into the carriage as if to escape.
　Ummm, it wasn't in an atmosphere where I could scold her for being frivolous.
　But I see, after all, Celia was talking about that man........

'Well, yeah, well, I'll be going then, my lord.

Mm-hm. You be careful with that.

　An ogre with a bright red face, just like Celia, looks awkward and heads towards the gate in the direction of the orcs approaching with a jittery look.

''Whoosh!''

Hang in there, Aug!

I hope you'll be happy with Miss Celia.

　It's something strange, but it's a blessing in disguise that the feeling of fear is gone from the people who were excited by the current commotion.

　I mean, I'm going to be riding in the carriage that Celia ran into, how am I going to treat my daughter?
　Father, we're in trouble.