Chapter 93 - Hero Keisuke, Twenty-Five Years Old 2
At the request of the High Priest, I was heading toward a troll nest.
The opponent was a monster that had attacked Lorraine Village and devoured children.
For the sake of the people's safety, it should be exterminated promptly.
I don't need to show restraint toward demi-humans. I know that.
I know that, but...
Somehow, I have a sense of aversion toward trolls, and my true feeling was that I didn't want to fight them if possible.
This is because they prefer fighting with honor and fairness.
Despite being man-eating monsters, they tend to behave remarkably like warriors in combat.
They sometimes share drinks with humans who fought bravely, and sometimes they even share their treasures.
They aren't pure evil; there is a part of them that feels somewhat familiar.
In this regard, they might be similar to the ogres that appear in old Japanese folktales.
If that's the case, I'm essentially Momotaro on an expedition to Onigashima.
And these escort knights would be the animal retainers.
"...The numbers are a bit much, aren't they?"
I look at the men around me, thinking that three—a dog, a monkey, and a pheasant—should have been enough.
A total of three hundred armed knights are walking as if to surround me.
I wonder if attacking a rural troll with this many people will turn into a one-sided massacre.
I try throwing a question at the man walking beside me.
"Did you guys get told by the High Priest? To help me out?"
"So it seems."
The man has a full beard, and he looked to be in his mid-thirties.
He was clad in magnificent armor, suggesting he was born into a prestigious family.
"With this many people, it'll be a slaughter; doesn't that wound your knightly pride or something?"
"I still don't quite understand what you're saying, Hero-dono. If they have harmed a human even once, they do not deserve to live."
"What if there are their brats in the troll den? Even demi-humans raise children, don't they?"
"In that case, dinner will likely be troll hotpot."
"Fine, forget it."
I wonder if the people of this different world are just bellicose, or if it's because of this medieval-style era.
I constantly feel like I just don't get along with these guys.
It's not that I intend to give some soft-hearted lecture about how we should overlook things because the enemy has their reasons, too.
Even I, if necessary, kill regardless of age or gender.
However, every time I do, I feel an indescribable sense of loathing, and I endure an unbearable pain from the sensation of myself becoming tainted.
For me, killing demi-humans or exterminating villains is something I "hate, but do."
One could even call it an ascetic hardship.
But looking at the inhabitants of this world, they clearly seem to be enjoying themselves.
The difference in how one feels after a kill might be a trivial matter, but even so, it is a problem that holds significant weight within me.
Does a human who feels no sense of guilt even after taking down an enemy have any value worth protecting?
Or am I simply being too sensitive?
"With all due respect, Hero-dono."
While I was lost in thought alone, the man from before spoke to me.
I turned my face toward him, wondering what he wanted.
"You seem to have some dissatisfaction with the numbers. You must not forget that this large force is due to the High Priest-sama's benevolence."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"That person is likely trying to ensure that, no matter what, the Hero-dono does not die."
Is that so? I gave a bitter smile.
"I think he hates me, though. He pushes unreasonable demands on me day after day, leaving me no time to rest. I feel like he's telling me to just hurry up and die in battle."
"He has assigned three hundred heavily armed elites as your escort. It would appear to be treatment on the level of a state guest."
"Isn't he just wanting to kill the trolls with overwhelming military force?"
"I wonder about that."
In reality, I wonder which one it is.
Is it overprotectiveness because some affection as a comrade remains for the High Priest, or is it excessive force as a result of responding to a demand to kill them more cruelly?
Since it could be interpreted either way, I can't quite grasp his true intentions.
"I don't care either way."
Because what I have to do won't change anyway.
Exterminate all the trolls.
That was the order imposed upon me.
"I can see it."
About five hundred meters ahead by visual estimation, a moss-covered cave came into view.
Moisture and darkness. The environment trolls prefer.
I signaled the knights to stop.
"I'll act as the scout,"
I declared, and jogged ahead.
I peeked in with just my face to check the situation inside.
A unique beastly stench, the presence of living things. There's no mistake. They are inside this.
With my status, I wouldn't lose even if I charged straight in, but there's always the possibility of something unexpected.
Humans, who lack night vision, should avoid entering dark places unless it's absolutely necessary.
When it comes to demi-humans lurking in a den, the best way is to flush them out.
I rolled up the sleeve of my left arm, and then activated the [Skill: Divine Sword].
"—Shh."
With the blade of light generated in my right hand, I severed my left arm from the elbow down.
"...!"
A tremendous, sharp pain raced through the left side of my body. But this kind of sensation had long since become part of my daily routine.
There is no particular problem.
Stifling my voice, I cast [Recovery Magic].
The pain and heat dissipated in an instant, and a new forearm grew out from within the light.
"Alright."
I picked up the old left hand rolling on the ground and placed it at the entrance of the den.
To a troll, it is a feast that has suddenly appeared.
Once they smell human flesh and blood, they come rushing over in delight.
However, adults are highly cautious, and the ones who will be lured first are—
"The children, right."
With eyes gleaming brightly, a small demi-human comes flying out from the depths of the cave.
Trolls, which grow to nearly three meters in stature, do not differ much in size from humans during their childhood.
Aside from the differences of having green skin and not a single strand of hair, they have much more charming features compared to goblins.
But, these are monsters that eat people.
Because you all laid hands on a human village.
It can't be helped, I chant in my heart as I capture the troll child.
It's a mischievous boy wearing a crude loincloth.
The way he struggles, wailing "Let me go, let me go!", makes him look like a human prankster.
In terms of sensation, I feel like a kidnapper, and my conscience is pleading with me to stop.
However, what I am now is someone who can suppress that with reason and a sense of duty.
Because I am no longer a wandering boy, but a Hero who has reached twenty-five.
I call the knights over and order them to bind the troll.
"Don't cover its mouth. Leaving it to cry will serve the purpose of bait."
I give instructions to crucify it in a conspicuous position.
"First, the kid's parents will likely come out, so I'll take them down first."