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Chapter 92: A Successful Raid

The group slipped through the thickets for a long time, and the scouts killed many patrolling orc warriors along the way, then casually tossed the corpses into the bushes.

Reiner also noticed that these Barnite warriors seemed somewhat different from ordinary people.

Their movements were swift and forceful, and each of them looked capable of holding his own.

Whenever they spotted a patrolling orc they showed no fear at all and simply leaped in with a cleaving blow.

Usually the orc warrior was decapitated before he could react.

Reiner admitted that he had slightly underestimated their combat power earlier.

The soldiers he had seen in the city had needed several men to surround and kill a single beast-folk fighter.

By contrast, these fur-clad barbarians could easily slay a sturdy orc in a surprise attack.

“They are amazing.”

Connor answered with great pride, “Of course, they are Cannon’s 15 strongest warriors, so killing these orcs is naturally easy.”

After they walked a little farther, Reiner felt that the patrolling orcs around them were growing more numerous while the nearby undergrowth that could hide them was becoming scarce.

Stumps left after logging dotted every place within sight.

“We have arrived.” Connor straightened the horned cap on his head, and his gaze toward the depths of the woods sharpened.

Following that gaze, Reiner saw clusters of orcs patrolling in groups of three or five.

From time to time he also spotted broad-shouldered female orcs carrying wooden buckets and ferrying blocks of ice back to the settlement.

They lived in bunker-like houses whose exteriors bristled with wooden spikes.

The orc village was fairly large, and the timber needed for those bunkers had left the surrounding forest almost stripped bare.

In the distance a squad of burly male orcs kept swinging sharp axes and felling trees.

Any plant-loving elf would probably go crazy at the sight.

Reiner glanced back at Elyanna, and sure enough her cheeks puffed up.

“First they build houses, now catapults… what do they think the forest is?”

“Calm down, we will avenge the trees in a minute,” Reiner whispered to comfort her.

Connor crouched low, peeked outside, and said, “There are too many patrolling orcs. I figure we will be exposed soon, so the moment you cast a spell inside we run…”

Before Connor finished, a chorus of orc roars rose behind them.

Obviously the corpses they had tossed aside had been discovered by a patrol.

The orcs raised the alarm, turmoil swept through the camp, and nearby guards rushed toward the source of the sound.

As one orc passed a thicket he spotted Reiner’s party out of the corner of his eye.

Although Nora reacted instantly and hurled a throwing knife through his throat, the orc’s fall still drew the attention of the others.

“Here… they’re all here, humans! Everyone come quick!”

“Kill them, don’t let them escape!”

Connor gripped his double-headed axe as orcs swarmed in from every side.

“Damn, they were quicker than I thought! Reiner, hurry, we’ll hold them off for you.”

The barbarian warriors formed a circle and shielded Reiner in the center.

Though far stronger than regular soldiers, they would be hard-pressed to last two rounds against so many orcs.

Reiner raised his staff, and a golden Fireball slowly gathered at its tip.

Junice and Martina threw themselves into the fight as well.

While Reiner kept compressing mana into the Fireball, Elyanna suddenly hugged her staff and began to chant.

In an instant the surrounding pines seemed to come alive and started shaking nonstop.

Their bark cracked open, two slender arms sprouted, the roots turned into legs, and the trees pulled themselves free of the soil.

The towering tree spirits made the ground quiver with every step.

After pausing for a heartbeat they attacked the nearby orcs.

Those rough, solid arms pierced orc bodies with ease, then hurled the victims away.

For the moment the pressure on the barbarian warriors lessened greatly.

Connor looked up at the tree spirit and muttered, “What… is that thing?”

Reiner had no time to explain; seeing the Fireball at his staff tip turning purple-blue he shouted, “My lord, we need to retreat!”

He thrust the staff forward and fired the Fireball toward the orc camp.

A thunderous boom sounded and a wave of heat swept in from afar.

Everyone gasped as a vortex of flame rampaged through the settlement.

The orcs felt the same; despite the winter chill, they suddenly felt a comforting warmth in their hearts…

Roughly one quarter of the bunkers were completely ablaze; they had succeeded.

“Fall back!” Connor swung his battle-axe and, with help from Martina and the tree spirits, carved a bloody path for the party.

Reiner looked around, confirmed that all his wives were present, and hurriedly dragged them into a run.

Elyanna ordered a tree spirit to cover the rear, then clutched her staff and sprinted after Reiner.

She kept giggling with the glee of a child who had just pulled a prank.

No one knew how long they sprinted, but at last they burst out of the orc-infested forest.

Reiner’s heart pounded the whole way, afraid he might accidentally lose one of his wives.

Panting, Junice hugged her staff and said, “I thought we were finished; everywhere I looked I saw orcs… it scared me to death.”

Seasoned veterans Nora and Martina, however, were not even out of breath.

Nora: (If I had done the scouting earlier, I would have hidden the body after killing the orc, and we would never have been discovered so fast.)

Martina: (Even if I were alone, I could still break out with Reiner!)

Reiner wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.

He had no desire to take such a risk again.

Elyanna stood to one side, back straight and clearly in high spirits, “Well? Wasn’t I super helpful just now? Aren’t those tree spirits amazing?”

Reiner nodded vigorously, “They are amazing… teach me the spell when we get back.”

“Humph, master Radiant Barrier first; I saw you fumble the chant several times just now,” Elyanna said, narrowing her eyes.

At that moment he had simply been too inexperienced and hurried, so he could not cast it.

Fortunately Martina had flattened the approaching orc with a single shield bash…

Connor counted heads, his furrowed brow gradually relaxing, then hugged Reiner in excitement and shouted, “We didn’t lose a single brother; this victory is absolutely unprecedented, especially with how dangerous it was… Come on, let’s hit the tavern and drink our fill… my treat today!”

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