After Retirement, Living a Stud Life in Another World - 236

Chapter 236: The Orc’s Cave

The coordination of seasoned adventurers is an impressive thing. The arrows shot by the two archers, perfectly synchronized, pierced the throats of two guard orcs without error. It was a masterful skill that didn’t even allow them to let out a warning cry to their companions.

I couldn’t help but feel moved that one of the archers was male. Despite not having the blessings of magic, he refined his skills through relentless effort, and the result was right before my eyes. Although I never skip sword training, the thought that I’d ultimately never match someone with magical power always dampens my motivation. But seeing such incredible skill up close gives me hope that I might succeed if I work hard enough.

“I think I know what’s on your mind, Lutz, but… even if you’re not a warrior, you’ve given this country—and us—something irreplaceable. But I get it; from the perspective of the world you came from, it’s hard to see it that way. So, do your best. Don’t die; we’ll protect you.”

Hearing those ominous words from my childhood friend, spoken with a small sigh, I could only give a wry smile. To Gretel, I must seem like a mischievous kid in his wild phase. She probably sees herself as the motherly figure watching over me warmly. I wonder when I’ll ever become someone she can rely on.

Well, now’s not the time for that. The adventurers had just demonstrated their mastery by eliminating the guards, clearing our way. Now, we need to trap the orcs and take them down in close combat.

Still, why is my “wife” gently scolding me while the adventurers charge ahead?

“Oh, this mission is primarily led by the guild. As long as they can hold the line, we, the lord’s family, shouldn’t interfere excessively—for their pride and the sake of revenue.”

Ah, I see.

This expedition was organized by the guild to address the mysterious disappearances of adventurer parties. Since it wasn’t requested by anyone, there’s no reward. If a higher-ranking orc appears, its drops might fetch a good price, but considering there are twenty adventurers involved, the labor costs alone will put them in the red. If we, the lord’s family, were to step in and take the spotlight, the guild master would likely be troubled about how to repay us.

Besides, this operation is a way for the guild to show that they don’t abandon their members. They must want to resolve this with guild members alone as much as possible. As Gretel said, if we can avoid intervening, it would preserve their pride.

“For now, we have no choice but to steadily clear the cave while conserving our strength. When the adventurers get tired, Zeri and I can take turns stepping in.”

So, we’re sticking to assisting under the guild’s command. She must be itching to unleash her strength, but Gretel has matured into someone who knows when to hold back.

“How’s the situation, Branch Leader?”

“So far, the narrow, single-path cave works in our favor. With no risk of being surrounded, we have the upper hand. For the mid-level adventurers we’ve assembled, orcs are no threat as long as they come one at a time.”

That seemed to be true. Following behind the group of adventurers, we’d already passed by nearly ten defeated orcs.

“But…”

The guild branch leader hesitated.

“But what?”

“Some members are familiar with this cave. They say there’s a large chamber ahead, with corridors branching out in every direction. We don’t know what kind of forces might be waiting there.”

I see. If enemies are lying in wait in such a chamber, it’s bound to be a tough fight. Even seasoned adventurers will struggle to maintain their defenses if the number of enemies triples or quadruples.

Using fire magic to incinerate them all would be efficient, but there’s a high chance that missing female adventurers are being held captive deeper in the cave. Without confirming their safety, we can’t use large-scale destructive magic.

“There’s no helping it. Since there’s a high chance of adventurers being imprisoned here, we have no choice but to eliminate these orcs. Let’s use Helga’s ‘Exploration’ and the thief’s ‘Presence Detection’ to grasp their forces as much as possible before moving in. Of course, we’ll use your forces too, won’t we?”

The branch leader gave a wry smile and nodded. While she hoped to resolve this with guild members alone, her top priority was the safety of her people.

“Beyond that corner is the chamber.”

“Helga, what do you see?”

“There are only orcs in the chamber. The number… is between sixty and seventy.”

The guild leader turned to the thief with a gold attribute for confirmation, and she nodded silently. There seemed to be no error in estimating enemy forces.

“All right, let’s move in!”