Chapter 20 – `Your Back Is Exposed’ -by Blazer

A little while before the stand-off between the armed bandits and the vigilantes in the village began…

As Viel village came into view from a distance, we hid among the grass and lay in wait until Blazer returned with news. From my position, I could estimate the village’s food situation based on how their fields looked.

(… How boring.)

As I started getting bored, I glanced at the red-haired mage hiding beside me. If something came up I would be able to handle things on my own, but if Blazer returns with good intel from scouting, we would be able to counter the enemy better…

It had only been a few days since we met her at Balberra Forest and brought her back to the settlement with us, but it seems I would be missing her once we parted ways. I mean, there were only Kobolds around after all…

Although they were born at the same time as I was and had kept me company as close friends ever since we were little, I still had not let go of my feelings from my human days, so there are moments when I still feel lonely.

As I thought about it, my eyes met with Muriel’s. She lightly nodded and urged me to speak.

“No, it’s nothing.”

Just as I responded with a gesture, there was a rustling in the grass, and I turned around in response and threw the leather water bottle to the tall, slender Kobold.

“Woann, kuruuau” (Thanks, for the water.)

The leather flask that Blazer raised to his lips was the best product of the trial and error I went through when I started making it when I was 1 year and 6 months old. I washed the stomachs of wild bighorn sheep, dried it, wrapped it in tanned leather, and sewed it together.

I was able to make the needle I used for sewing by shaving off a bone to a certain level of precision. The bone needle’s size was no different than the copper needles we originally found in the ancient ruins…

For the thread, I beat some hemp to soften it, separated the strands, and twisted it together to make hemp string.

I also made some for Dagger and Lancer, but I have not given one to the other three yet. There was a river immediately outside the settlement, and thus there was no urgent need for it during that time.

However, during this trip, my companions frequently asked for water, so I guess it was about time I made some for them too.

“Wofuh, guruoaauu” (Ahh, that really hit the spot.)

“Wuh, kuruaaan?” (So, how was it?)

“Garuau, gurufauooon, gurua” (Well, it seems like something fishy is taking place in there, Leader.)

According to Blazer’s explanation, it seemed like some armed human men were hanging around the village entrance, with five equally armed men and a female confronting them.

“Gurua, gaoaguo kuuoruaauu?” (Boss, are the human males competing for the female?)

“Wauu, gaaoua kuurufaouh.” (Ax, this isn’t the season for that.)

Lancer softly rebuked him, but really, that’s just the Kobold standard. After all, humans do not have mating seasons.

“… Gaoa woruguooa” (… The humans are always in heat.)

“Kyuuh!?” (Huuh!?)

Blazer waited for Lancer to recover from the shock that froze her in place, and shared his guesses based on the information he gathered from the village.

“Garuu, woagaao garuooaaou” (The village is likely under attack.)

“Wuuh? Gaoao guruooauh, gurua.” (Eh? The humans in the village are under attack, Boss?)

Perhaps sensing the uneasiness that Ax exhibited in response to an unrelated village’s plight, Muriel lightly tugged at the hair on my arm.

“H-hey! What’s going on? Ax looks confused.”

The area on my arm that she was pulling at started to hurt, so I told her about the situation with a quick gesture.

“The village is under attack.”

“Eh!? Th-that’s terrible! We need to help them!!”

“Garuoo, gurua…” (What shall we do, Chief…)

As he asked me, I could see that he was getting fired up based on the way he was stroking the scabbard of his Great Sword. However, I cannot risk my friends’ lives in a disadvantageous battle… even if the battle meant that we could foster a good relationship with the village in the middle to long term.

“… We need to grasp the situation first.”

“B-but we can’t just ignore the village.”

There was that, but depending on the situation, it would be disadvantageous if we were slain by the bandits and left in the village with dead bodies lying around. But it all depended on the next few minutes.

With that in mind, we moved to an area from where we could see the entrance to Viel village with Blazer leading the way. There were 19 bandits in there, including a guy that looked like the head of the group, and 5 village vigilantes, and, for some reason, a young girl with long, flaxen hair.

The head thief shouted at the girl that looked out of place.

“Hey, you lot, where do you think you’re going off to, huh!!”

In response to their head’s command, the bandit underlings readied their weapons.

“I’ll show you guys a lesson.”

“It’s fine, run away Maril!”

“We’ll try to hold them off here– guah!?”

The vigilante that went in front to protect Maril staggered as he received a blow to the abdomen with the spiked metal ball in the bandit’s flail.

“Hiiii!?”

The bandit moved to the side and fired a lead ball from his slingshot and hit her in the legs as she retreated in fear.

“Ah, it hurts!”

“Heh, I won’t let you get away.”

The lead ball that came flying had hit Maril in her right leg and stopped her in her tracks. The movement of the bandit who was poised to fire his slingshot and chase after her suddenly paused and Maril’s tears which had welled up in her eyes either due to fear or pain unnaturally stopped…dumbfounded.

“Eh? H-huh? Oomph!”

A Long Sword pierced the light armor from the back and protruded from the chest of the dead bandit.

“Fuh, garugu voooauh” (Hmph, your back is exposed.)

As the bandit had gone around his companions to aim for the girl, Blazer had erased his presence and approached soundlessly. Using the force of a body collision, Blazer placed his blade at the ready and pierced his opponent’s chest.

Yes, after assessing the situation, we went to help the residents of Viel village.

Additionally, I also wanted some weapons and tools…but more than anything else, to a Kobold, an exposed, unprotected back is something that fires up our hunting instincts.