The storm is raging in real-time, so it’s more fitting to call it the “storm in the middle of the night” rather than the “eve of the storm.”
The tension is overflowing in Darang Dream Garden…………….
Ah, damn. The name is really annoying, seriously………….
Anyway.
Earlier, while eating, I noticed that more Darangdae friends than expected, or perhaps fewer than expected, were gathering at a place resembling a training ground.
Since we’re outsiders, we didn’t squeeze into the neatly lined-up area but watched the spectacle from a slightly distant outer edge.
“But isn’t this supposed to be a surprise attack? Is it okay to set the mood like this?”
“That’s what I was thinking.”
While whispering with Johanna.
“Comrades! Our Lang tribe is now facing an unprecedented crisis!”
Renatel raised his voice.
“Those who have abandoned the pride of the Lang tribe and submitted to the filthy Myoin tribe, who wash their faces only with water! Now, they demand that we bark like dogs in front of cats, to act like dogs!”
“Grrrr.”
“Rumi, hold on……..”
I tried to calm Rumi, who was getting irritated every time the intermittent digs at the canine tribe came up.
Listening to the pre-battle speech, which felt like frying pancakes, was tedious.
“Let’s make the Lang tribe great again! Awoo!”
“Darangdae! Awoo!”
Finally, the rally concluded.
A powerful cheer erupted from the front!
And then, with solemn expressions, they set off.
“Let’s follow them.”
It’s only natural not to avoid an approaching fight.
After all, we don’t need a perfect victory, and the clear condition is simply ‘defend against the Lang tribe’s attack.’
“Don’t overdo it just to pluck a few tail hairs, prioritize safety. Understood?”
The heroes nodded.
And so, with solemn expressions, we followed Darangdae into battle.
……?
Into battle?
At least the hero, who seemed to know a bit about tactics and strategy.
“Hyahhh…………!”
I poked Saha’s side.
The reaction was so crisp, it was like a touch response (physical, real)…………!
“Uh.”
Of course, Rumi bit my arm in response to that reaction, but it was a small price to pay.
“Ah, ah, Ark, why, why are you doing this?”
“Sorry for poking you suddenly, but why are we going outside instead of staying in the perfectly good fortress? Wouldn’t it be better to lock the doors and fight from inside?”
“Hmm……..”
Saha’s expression hardened as if she just realized the seriousness of the situation after my obvious question.
But the image of her screaming “Hyahhh” was still vivid in my mind.
“Since everything is made of wood, it’s probably very vulnerable to fire. Maybe that’s what they’re worried about.”
Ah.
Now that I think about it.
If the attacking friends decide to ‘name’ it, there’s no way to counter it.
“But this is a great forest, right? Wouldn’t everything burn down?”
“Ah.”
“………Saha. Let’s be careful with fire.”
“Understood.”
The additional damage from the elemental weakness was too severe. Our beautiful mountains could go up in flames.
Well, strictly speaking, they’re not our mountains.
***
In conclusion.
Our worries were completely unfounded.
Looking at the chaos unfolding before my eyes, I held my forehead.
“What is this.”
Until now, most Lang tribe members I’ve seen carried two swords, and even those who carried bows always had at least one sword at their waist.
But when it came to actual combat, they only wielded one sword.
What?
Is it a spare sword?
I had such a naive thought.
“Woo, woo, woo, woo!”
“Kung! Kung! Kung!”
The Darangdae friends and other Lang tribe members, hmm, since they’re fighting with cats, maybe I should call them cat lovers.
Anyway, the Darangdae friends and the cat lovers were pulling out the weapons from their second scabbards—wooden swords—or clenching their fists and brawling.
It was like a massive WWE match.
“Saha? If you’re bored, go ahead and join. ……………Just don’t kill anyone. And no fire. It’s not that kind of atmosphere.”
“……I’ll go help.”
I let Saha go, who had been itching to join since earlier.
The Lang tribe members, dressed in wild and somewhat provocative outfits, were tangled up in a fight, and with Saha in her bikini, it was like, pya…………!
Ah.
I was momentarily mesmerized.
“Tina. Can you grab one for me? Ari, you go too, just in case.”
I don’t particularly enjoy bloodshed, but I was genuinely curious why they were using wooden swords instead of their real ones.
A moment later.
“I got one!”
Tina brought back a Lang tribe member, whose eyes were swollen and dazed.
“I didn’t hit him! He was already knocked out when I brought him!”
The thief feels guilty first.
Tina immediately defended herself.
“Johanna?”
The saintess graciously bestowed a healing blessing.
I witnessed the swollen eyes gradually return to their pretty state.
And then.
“Kyau?”
The Lang tribe member quickly regained consciousness and looked around with a bewildered expression.
“Darangdae?”
“Grrrr…….. Gah!”
As soon as I asked if he was Darangdae, he bared his teeth and growled, but Tina’s cute fist quickly silenced him.
“……Did you really have to hit his face………… Sigh…………… Never mind…….”
I felt a white hair sprouting from my scalp.
“If you explain why you’re using wooden swords, I’ll leave your tail fur intact.”
“Hi, hieeeek……! You’re the infamous tail fur murderers…..!”
The Lang tribe member’s tail shot up in fear.
“T-the Lang tribe has an extremely low birth rate…………. Our ancestors said that even if we fight, we must never take each other’s lives……..”
What kind of South Korea-like setting is this?
Anyway.
I roughly understood.
It really was WWE.
In the original work, the death animation wasn’t like monsters being split in half, but rather running away crying.
“Sigh.”
I sighed again and surveyed the battlefield.
The friends dressed more roughly and wildly.
Darangdae was slowly being pushed back.
“You heard that, right? Pick your targets carefully and beat them up. ……………Don’t pluck their tail fur.”
It’s a highly valuable item, but I heard that the tail fur of the Lang tribe is their pride.
Because their fur is so thick, their head hair doesn’t fall out easily, but their tail fur does, so managing it well is a symbol of wealth and beauty.
And here, there are thieves who specialize in cutting off that tail fur.
“Don’t pluck their tail fur.”
That’s why I emphasized it twice.
“Tch.”
Ari clicked her tongue and subtly put away the dagger she had taken out.
She’s the most vicious one.
With that, only Johanna and Rumi remained by my side.
Rumi, being a loyal dog, was growling and keeping a close watch, worried that I might be kidnapped again.
Johanna was.
“……Johanna?”
“W-well, they can’t die.”
With slightly reddened cheeks, the saintess was doing something saintly.
“Kauu!”
She was focusing on one of the Darangdae friends, giving them a full set of buffs and healing.
What should I call this?
It was like controlling an avatar…………….
“You’re not vicariously living through this, are you?”
“No!”
A strong denial.
Based on the accumulated big data so far, Johanna’s strong denials almost always meant affirmation.
“Take care of everyone evenly. Evenly.”
“Okay…………….”
And then.
Checking on our most recently recruited hero.
“Ah, damn. What’s this.”
The leaders seemed to have clashed, and the queen of the Lang tribe who had kidnapped me, Enya, was fighting.
She was being utterly destroyed.
Overwhelmingly so.
“Kuh, keuk, kuh, this can’t be happening.”
“You’ve been enjoying your childhood games too much, haven’t you? Your skills have completely rusted.”
Saying she was being destroyed would be an understatement.
It seemed like Enya was holding back, but Renatel was being beaten all over the place like a dog on a hot day.
What’s going on?
She should be strong enough.
Enya shouldn’t be this much of a match.
“Wow…….”
I felt like my gaming knowledge was being trampled on.
Wait.
Gaming knowledge.
Wait a minute.
I quickly pulled out my smartphone and checked the heroes’ information.
[Character Information]
– Name: ‘Wolf Sword’ Renatel (★★★★★)
– Earth Attribute / Melee / Frontline
– Level: 1 / 20 (RANK 1)
“Oops!”
A cold sweat ran down my back.
Now that I think about it, we threw her into battle right after contracting her, so we didn’t have time to equip her or level her up…………!
“R-Rumi? Go help Renatel.”
“Grrrr…….. Woof? Ju-in……?”
“She’s going to die at this rate. Hurry…………!”
“Woof!”
Rumi initially looked reluctant, but after seeing my face, she understood the urgency and leapt into action.
“Tina!”
“Nya!”
Instead of going in and throwing punches, Tina, who had been throwing skills whenever her cooldown was up, immediately responded to my voice.
“Go take care of that, no, take care of Renatel.”
“Nya!”
Lately, Tina has been listening better than Rumi.
Watching Tina summon her tiny wings and flutter away.
Thud!
I took out a potion box.
It’ll take some time to go from level 1 to 50.
But our heroes will buy us some time, right?
***
“Ha, weakling. Was this all the strength you had to open a new era for the Lang tribe?”
Looking down at Renatel, who was on the verge of fainting, Enya sneered.
Was she really just weak?
When they last crossed swords, she had been utterly defeated.
But today was different.
Was it because she had brought the great King God Great Majesty Awesome Cats?
Renatel’s sword hadn’t even grazed her fur, while her own sword had mercilessly battered Renatel’s entire body.
It was an overwhelming display of force, a glorious suppression.
“Awoo!”
“Awoo!”
The Lang tribe members, witnessing their queen’s glorious victory, roared in celebration of her strength and authority.
“Now, this is the end.”
She couldn’t break her word. She couldn’t, she couldn’t, she couldn’t.
But at least, she had to break an arm to ensure that they would never, never dare to raise a hand against the cats again, to ensure eternal glory for Neb!
As Enya’s sword descended towards Renatel’s right shoulder.
“Kung!”
Boom!
The sound of a fist and a wooden sword colliding was so dull it was hard to believe.
“What’s this, you country bumpkin dog?”
Looking at the insolent dog who dared to block her punishment, her, no, Neb’s will.
Enya gritted her teeth and revealed her hostility.