Between back and forth, bandits often chose to attack at the forth-traveling trip.
Because on the forth-traveling trip, the merchants often bring luxury goods and daily necessities for selling in the village.
On the other hand, on the return journey, the merchants will carry the purchased metal products, which is difficult to carry them with the bandits who don’t use carriages.
And the bandits would prefer to sell the stolen goods at the black market as soon as possible. Luxury goods and daily necessities are easier to sell than metal products.
Besides, the merchants often carry money on the forth-traveling trip for purchase, but they will spend most of it on the metal products, even the money they get from the sale.
Knowing this, the bandits tend to avoid attacking the merchants on the returning trip.
And even monsters, who moved with their instinct, also know it.
Attacking the carriages that travel from lower to higher is more advantageous because there are foods other than humans.
…And then it comes,
It’s within the range of assumption
Piiii~~! (SFX)
Hearing the sound of the finger whistle from the front, all the carriages are stopped.
From the carriage in the center, Mile and Pauline who was in a break jumped out.
Yes, that is a sign of enemy attack.
From the first carriage and the last carriage, hunters of other parties who were on the break also jumped out.
Right at the moment that everyone jumped out of the carriage, they heard a scream.
『Enemy attack! 4 Ogres at the front!』(Wolff)
There are five people who are protecting the front, 【Evil Spirit Utopia】party.
Even though they are veteran C-ranked hunters, in the end, they are 【only stronger than the average C-ranked hunter】(I absolutely want to use average joke here)
The 5 of them vs 4 Ogres were too harsh.
All members of【Red Oath】 quickly rushed forward to help.
At the same time, 【 Flame’s Friendship】 party in the back also rushed forward leaving only 2 people to watch the back. As they ran, 2 more of them stopped in the middle and watched the left and the right.
They are professional escorts. They aren’t stupid to get all members to fight the enemies in the front and to allow a surprise attack from the back or the sides.
Even though the opponent is 4 Ogres, there are 11 C-ranked hunters here, it should be no problem.
And when they thought so…
『Backside, 3 more Ogres!』(FF’s back members)
The two members of【 Flame’s Friendship】, who remained at the back, screamed so.
Apparently, the Ogres seem to have used the strategy of pinch-attack from the front and the back from the habit of the Ogre.
Due to the time lag, it was probably just a coincidence that the Ogres from the back appeared later.
『Flame, go to the back!』(Wolff)
According to Wolff, the leader of 【Evil Spirit Utopia】, the four members of 【Flame’s Friendship】, who already came to the center and the front, rushed back.
With this, 9 people in front vs 4 Ogres, 6 people in the back vs 3 Ogres.
At first glance, it seems to be reasonable for the distribution of strengths of the front and the back…
『I will go to the back as well!』(Mile)
『Well, go!』(Wolff)
Wolf issued permission immediately for Mile’s suggestion.
He seems to have judged that the back team didn’t have enough fighting power, but it should be okay with Mile.
And Mile headed back instantly.
Battle commenced almost simultaneously, front and back.
『Flare!』(Pauline)
The magicians will not wait until the close battle begins.
Pauline has her spell ready when she ran.
And before the close quarter combat started, Pauline released 【Flare】, the AOE attack magic in order to avoid friendly fire.
Flame envelopes the enemies as a whole, but the power of AOE attack magic isn’t enough to beat the robust Ogre.
But at least, they are distracted from the beginning.
Even without knocking down, if she can break the momentum of the incoming Ogres and give some damage, that’s good enough.
Besides, Pauline isn’t the only war potential.
And…
『Flame Explosion!』(Rena)
Whoops! (SFX)
Along with the explosion, one Ogre downed.
It’s Rena’s attack magic.
Because the Ogre she aimed was downed, Meavis changed her prey to the Ogre targeted by Wolff.
As for the other two Ogres, the remaining four hunters of 【Evil Spirit Utopia】confronted them with 2 hunters each.
The Ogres’ feet stopped.
3 pairs of 2 hunters vs 1 Ogre.
It’s a rather dangerous situation for Average C-ranked hunters. (T.N: I want to use Average joke here again)
But for them, it’s not a big deal.
Of course, Rena and Pauline are readying the next magic chant, but they will mostly just hold it for the unlikely event.
It’s enough to leave the Ogres to the vanguard swordsmen.
It’s not good if the rearguards steal all the kills.
On the other hand, in the back, only the two hunters, who were in the center could come back in time, the battle started with 4 people vs 3 Ogres.
It’s fairly dangerous to fight 3 Ogres with 4 members of 【Flame’s Friendship】, who are a little weaker than 【Evil Spirit Utopia】.
Lacking one-third of their members, they should be injured for sure.
Two front members were still desperately running, but they knew they wouldn’t make it in time.
As these two ran while praying for their comrades’ safety or at least just having endurable injuries, something passed through them.
While the 4 hunters at the back desperately tried to protect the carriage and the merchants from Ogre, a small petite jumped greatly behind four people, jumped over three Ogres and landed behind the Ogres.
Then she pulled out the sword and slashed the Ogre, whose reaction was delayed, from behind.
It has become 5 vs 2 in pinched formation.
Then, after a moment it became 7 vs 2.
The Ogres can’t win anymore.
Soon after, all the Ogres were fallen to the ground.
【Flame’s Friendship】 seems to be in considerable danger before Mile showed up.
One of them has his left arm torn.
Another one has bruised on his back. Although his bone didn’t break, he seems to have a fracture.
Although Mile is able to heal them, once they worked as 【Red Oath】, healing magic is supposed to be in charge of Pauline.
After judging the injuries aren’t at the emergency stage, Mile thought she shouldn’t take Pauline’s turn.
Yes, Mile was also remembering something like 【Consideration for others】 or 【reading the air】
Just a little bit…
When the battle in the back ended, the fight in the front has ended long ago.
There weren’t many opponents for six vanguards including Maevis, Rena has reduced one Ogre at the beginning and Pauline’s magic has weakened the Ogres.
*****************************************
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Escort and merchants, all of them gathered at the side of the central chariot.
It’s for confirmation of battle results and further actions.
『Well Then, only two members of【Flame’s Friendship】 were injured.
But they have been cure by healing magic, we can rest assured…』(Wolff)
And with Pauline’s healing magic, even the torn arm was completely healed in front of the surprised merchants.
They didn’t surprise with the bruise in the back because they couldn’t know the fracture from the outside.
In fact, it’s more difficult for the average healing magicians in the world to perfectly repair bones, collapsed muscle tissue, ruptured blood vessels and the like than gaudy visible trauma.
…The invisible part is hard to imagine.
Especially for those who don’t know the mechanism of the human body.
But for Pauline, who was taught by Mile, it’s not so difficult.
That’s it.
『For the time being, I will take the Ogres.
The Ogres’ bodies are outside of the request.
I don’t think that anyone would want to eat their meat,
Because it seems that skin and fangs are sometimes used for part of the armor,
Perhaps the dwarfs may buy it』(Mile)
『Yes, besides, if they know that we have killed the Ogres on the highway, the villagers will appreciate it.
It also proves our strength, that we can take care of the attack from bandits and monsters on the way.
You will not have to worry about being looked down upon』(Wolff)
Wolff also agreed with Mile.
『Huh? But the cart is full…
Oh, the storage magic…』(Merchant)
Right when the merchant planned to retort, he remembered what happened in the last campsite.
Everything, especially the tent was assembled, it was in a state that wasted a lot of magical power and capacity.
Which means there is still plenty of room for capacity.
Those who couldn’t understand that much wouldn’t be able to become a big merchant.
That storage magic, if I could be used for myself.
Or if I hire this girl as an employee.
No, no, take her as my waifu.
My Concubine.
My Mistress…
Again, even though they know that it’s a dream that never comes true, the merchants whose faces changed to rosy colors one after another in their mind.
It is free to see a dream.
No one will complain.
Mile, who was attacked by those heated gazes, squeezed a little…
