‘’Uuu… It’s so cold…’’
Here, in the middle of a forest near the capital of Noeina, Noein muttered while exhaling white breath, hiding in a spot surrounded by bushes.
He was pathetically wrapped in furs, embraced tightly from behind by his bodyguard Mathilda, looking as if they were wearing a shared cloak.
“And you’re still cold dressed like that?”
“I can’t help it. I’m not used to the winters in the northern part of the kingdom, and I’m small and don’t have much stamina. I can’t handle it like the others who are trained.”
Even though Yuri, another bodyguard, teased him, Noein responded without shame.
This winter, Noein had mostly stayed in front of the mansion’s fireplace. Even when working outside, he would wear furs over his cloak and warm himself by the fire, while letting golems handle all the tasks.
Yet now, here he was in the freezing forest, hunting orcs. Naturally, he couldn’t withstand the cold properly, resulting in this pitiful state.
The strategy for the orc hunt was simple.
They estimated the direction of the orcs based on the footprints that continued from where the goblin corpse was found.
Radley, known for his toughness and agility, would play the decoy, luring the orc to the location where Noein and the others were waiting, and the golem would finish the job by overpowering it.
They had no time to set up traps in the freezing forest, and making a complex plan against the low-intelligence orc would only increase the risk of unforeseen problems, so they settled on this straightforward strategy.
Yuri and Mathilda were directly guarding Noein, while Pence, Bart, and Mai stayed a bit further out, keeping watch to prevent a surprise attack from the orc.
It had been about an hour since they entered the forest. Standing still in one place in the extreme cold would be tough for anyone, not just Noein.
Yuri, who was in charge of leading the operation, was beginning to wonder if they should retreat to recover their strength and try again when the situation changed.
From deeper in the forest, in the direction Radley had gone, a sharp whistling sound echoed—a signal from Radley, letting them know he had spotted the orc.
“It’s coming. Get ready.”
At Yuri’s brief instruction, Noein nodded silently and slipped out of Mathilda’s arms and the furs, preparing for the fight. Pence, Bart, and Mai, who had been spread out, also gathered.
“Noein-sama, is the golem ready?”
“I can move it anytime.”
“The rest of you, prepare for a retreat in case of an emergency. Don’t get careless.”
At Yuri’s call, everyone but Noein silently nodded.
They didn’t have to wait long. From the direction Radley was leading the orc, they could hear the sound of bushes and branches shaking. Soon, they could visually confirm the source of the noise approaching.
“He seems to be luring it over without any problems. He’s coming this way with a calm face.”
As Radley ran toward them, Pence muttered while readying his sword. Though there was still some distance, Pence, with his sharp eyes, could already see Radley’s expression, which Noein couldn’t make out yet.
The others readied their weapons, and Yuri said, “Noein-sama, prepare yourself.” Noein responded with a slightly tense look, “O-Okay,” nodding.
Soon after, Radley arrived at the slightly open area that served as the designated orc lure point. There, a golem was sitting, leaning against a tree.
Radley stopped in front of the golem, and just a few seconds later, the orc burst out from behind him.
“Gwoooar!”
The orc, over 2 meters tall, covered in thick fur and bulging muscles, let out a roar that shook the air, making Noein involuntarily gasp.
“Now. The golem.”
Hearing Yuri’s command, Noein quickly focused.
It’s alright. Yuri is here, Mathilda is here, and everyone else is here. His comrades, much stronger than him, were there to protect him. But he wasn’t just being protected—he had to use the golem to protect them too.
Focusing his mind and magic on the golem, it rose to its feet. Simultaneously, Radley jumped aside to get out of the way.
The orc, which had been caught off guard by the sudden movement of the previously still wooden golem, leaped back cautiously.
After a brief stare-down, the golem was the first to act.
Despite its bulky frame, it lunged forward with surprising speed, swinging its thick arm down at the orc. Rather than dodging, the orc raised its club—a thick log—to block the blow.
A heavy thud echoed, accompanied by a creaking sound as the log in the orc’s grip strained under the impact. However, the orc didn’t lose its footing, managing to firmly block the golem’s strike.
“Whoa…”
Noein couldn’t help but voice his surprise.
A direct hit from the golem could pulverize a human, rendering shields and armor useless. Yet, the orc had stopped it head-on.
It was a ridiculous sight, but there was no time to marvel at the orc’s strength. Noein activated the second golem, hidden in the bushes.
Just behind the orc, now locked in a power struggle with the first golem, the second golem burst through the bushes. The orc, realizing it was being ambushed, let out a disgruntled growl, as if protesting the unfairness.
Pinned down by the first golem’s weight, the orc couldn’t move. The second golem swung its arm down toward the orc’s head.
A sickening crunch echoed as the orc’s skull caved in, its eyes bulging out as it collapsed.
“Whoa! Amazing! We did it! We beat it!”
“Idiot! Don’t let your guard down yet!”
Yuri smacked Noein on the head, snapping him out of his excitement.
There could still be other orcs nearby, like mates or offspring. Celebrating now was too soon. Chastised by his retainer, Noein sheepishly apologized, “S-Sorry.”
…
“Looking back, that ended pretty easily.”
“Well, the danger of orcs comes from their strength and speed. But with weapons like Noein-sama’s golems, it’s a different story.”
In the end, no other orcs appeared, and the hunt concluded successfully. Noein’s retainers were now in the process of butchering the orc.
Although they had been momentarily startled when the orc seemed to match the golem in strength, its lack of intelligence and reliance on brute force made it no match for two golems.
“Is that all? It felt a bit anticlimactic.”
“No, usually orc hunting isn’t this easy, unless you have a well-trained magic user. Noein-sama’s golems are exceptional.”
“Golems that can match an orc’s speed and strength like that are rare.”
“Noein-sama’s control skills are incredible.”
“I’ve never seen anything like a golem smashing an orc’s skull.”
“Honestly, it’s something else…”
Even Yuri and the other retainers praised Noein with a hint of awe. Noein, hearing their slightly reluctant admiration, smiled his usual carefree smile.
“Wow, I’m pretty strong, huh?”
“The way you easily slaughter orcs—just as expected from Noein-sama.”
“No, it’s not Noein-sama but the golems that… Oh, never mind. Yes, you did well.”
Though slightly exasperated, Yuri still praised Noein. After all, controlling the golems demonstrated Noein’s unique combat prowess, and this time he had showcased it clearly.
By the way, the orc’s hide and magic stone, once processed, would become a nice source of income for Noein as the lord…
