◇
About a week had passed since we conquered the labyrinth in Kegris.
We had just finished conquering another labyrinth in a different town the other day, and now we were racing at full speed on horseback toward Sabona Village, the location of our third target labyrinth.
The reason: the target labyrinth was currently undergoing an overflow.
Hart-san had confirmed this with [Bird's-Eye Vision], so we were rushing toward the village at top speed.
"Damn it, why can't anything ever go according to plan!"
While galloping toward Sabona Village on horseback, Hart-san grumbled from beside me.
Things rarely go exactly according to plan.
Plans are just guidelines.
In reality, you have to adapt flexibly to each situation as it arises.
Hart-san surely knows this better than anyone, though.
"Complaining won't help. First, we need to act to deal with the immediate problem. So, what's the village's situation?"
"The village explorers are holding the line, but there simply aren't enough of them. The barricades set up around the village will probably be breached before we arrive."
When an overflow occurs, the human side is always playing catch-up.
The village should have already been informed by the explorer guild of the possibility of an overflow.
That's why barricades were prepared in advance, and the village explorers moved out to intercept early—the response isn't completely reactive.
Without prior information, the magical beasts would likely already have entered the village.
Even so, the situation is still on a knife's edge.
"...I'll go ahead to defend the village. Hart-san, use your skill to pick out the stronger ones among the overflowed magical beasts and relay them to Fuuka. Fuuka, prioritize eliminating those. Hart-san, after that, focus on reducing numbers in areas with high concentrations of magical beasts."
"Got it."
"Understood. Fuuka, let's go!"
Confirming that the two had changed course from the village toward the magical beast swarm, I dismounted from my horse.
I moved the horse to a safe location and began constructing formulas while simultaneously reducing the gravity affecting myself.
"[Reflective Wall]!"
I manifested two semi-transparent gray barriers—one on the ground, one overhead.
Using those two barriers as conduits, I manipulated the direction of gravity acting on me to fall horizontally toward the village.
This movement method puts strain on the body but allows me to reach the village faster than on horseback.
In the blink of an eye, I arrived above the village. I readjusted gravity back to normal.
Standing on a mana foothold I created in midair, I began constructing multiple spell formulas.
(Thank goodness—I made it in time!)
Scanning the area from above, I felt relieved to see that while the barricades were on the verge of being breached, I had arrived before any villagers were harmed.
I updated my understanding of the surrounding situation to the latest information from what Hart-san had told me.
Hart-san's unique skill really is incredible—being able to constantly maintain this kind of overhead perspective.
I have something similar, but my field of view isn't nearly as wide, so I truly appreciate his presence on the battlefield.
"...[Seal Release Culmination]"
Once I finished grasping the situation and released what had been binding me, at that very moment the village's defending barricades were destroyed, and magical beasts began pouring in.
"Magical beasts are getting in!"
"It's over!"
"Do whatever it takes to protect the women and children at least!"
Terror spread among all the villagers; the village was teetering on the edge of full panic.
"—[Space Leap], [Heaven's Thunder Hammer Mjolnir]!"
I transferred the villagers who were trying to stand against the incoming magical beasts to safety inside the village, then dropped an enormous thunderbolt on the beasts.
While the bewildered villagers looked on, I brought a voice-amplifying magic tool to my mouth and raised my voice.
"I am the explorer Orun, entrusted by the kingdom with the conquest of the labyrinth in Sabona Village! We will exterminate the magical beasts that have emerged from the labyrinth. All villagers, please gather in the center of the village. Avoid going near the outskirts as much as possible!"
I don't usually carry a voice-amplifying magic tool, but for this multi-labyrinth conquest tour, I've brought along various rarely-used tools.
This was one of them.
"Hey, there's someone in the sky!"
After calling out to the villagers, one of them noticed me hovering above the village, and soon everyone was looking up at me.
"Well then, to reassure the villagers, let's make this flashy. ——[Six-Element Multi-Lance Element Javelin]"
Six magic circles appeared around me.
From the circles, a massive barrage of lances—each imbued with one of the six magic attributes: earth, water, fire, wind, ice, thunder—shot out and began annihilating the magical beasts heading toward the village.
The name sounds grandiose, but in reality it's just parallel construction: simultaneously firing high-level lance-type spells of each attribute. No tricks involved.
But visually, it's extremely flashy.
Despite the village being on the verge of being overrun by magical beasts, cheers rose from the villagers at the sight of my magic.
This village has quite the lively spirit.
Fuuka and Hart-san had reached the magical beast swarm too.
It looked like we had managed to protect the village.
Relieved that we had avoided the worst-case scenario, I remained vigilant and continued hunting down every magical beast that had emerged on the surface.
◇
"Good work, Fuuka, Hart-san."
After finishing off the magical beasts, I landed near the two who had come to the village entrance and called out to them.
The explorers originally in the village had apparently gone to rebuild the barricades, so they weren't here.
"Yeah, you too, Orun! That was some flashy magic!"
"I figured it would be the quickest way to reassure the villagers."
While Hart-san and I were talking, villagers began gathering from the village toward us.
"Are you the explorers dispatched by the kingdom?"
Representing the villagers, an elderly man approaching sixty addressed us.
Given that he spoke up at this timing, he was likely the village chief.
"Yes, that's right. Let me introduce myself properly—I'm the explorer Orun."
"Likewise, Hart."
"...Fuuka."
"Oh! So it really is you! I am Jaylas, the chief of this village. Orun-dono, Hart-dono, Fuuka-dono—thank you so very much for saving our village this time!"
"No need for thanks. I'm just glad we made it in time."
While the chief and I spoke, hushed voices rose from among the villagers behind him.
Listening closely, I caught snippets like "'Orun' sounds familiar somehow" and "Yeah, me too. Where did I hear it?"—it seemed they were talking about me.
"I know that mark on big bro's chest! It's the mark of that super amazing clan, "Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky"!"
A boy in the front suddenly shouted.
""Silver Rabbit of the Night Sky"'s Orun...?"
"That's right! The bard who came to the village before sang about him—'the kingdom's hero Orun'!"
"Eh!? The one who saved Tsutorail from the rampaging hero and the labyrinth overflow!?"
The boy's voice sparked excitement, and soon the villagers were raising their voices in exhilaration.
As the villagers mentioned, during last year's thanksgiving festival, I stopped Oliver's rampage and quelled the simultaneous labyrinth overflow. The newspapers had written me up as the 'kingdom's hero.'
But I'm no hero.
I wasn't even involved in stopping the labyrinth overflow, and that article was heavily exaggerated anyway.
Still, readers wouldn't know that, and since then I've been called the 'kingdom's hero' more than a few times.
I never dreamed a bard would turn it into a song and that the story would reach even this rural village.
"I-Is it really true that you are the 'kingdom's hero'?"
The chief asked with eyes full of expectation.
"Uh, well... it's true that some people call me that."
When I affirmed it, the villagers' cheers grew even louder.
"To think the hero himself would save our village! We must give thanks to the heavens! Everyone! Prepare for a feast! We shall entertain these three honored guests with everything we have!"
Even the previously calm chief became highly excited upon learning I was called the 'kingdom's hero' and began issuing instructions to the villagers to prepare a banquet.
At those orders, cold sweat ran down my back.
I'm grateful they're welcoming us, but...
Hart-san—thinking the same thing—had a stiff expression.
What we were concerned about was that Fuuka might deplete the village's food reserves.
It was late January.
The cold season would continue for a while yet.
If entertaining us caused the villagers to run short on food later, that was something we wanted to avoid.
The person in question was staring with sparkling eyes, saying "Looking forward to the feast."
Over this past week, I've become able to read Fuuka's subtle expression changes.
"Um, thank you for the generous offer, but our schedule is quite packed..."
"I-Is that so... That's unfortunate..."
When I tried to decline, the chief visibly drooped his shoulders.
It pained my heart, but I steeled myself to protect the village from Fuuka's clutches.
——However, the enemy was right beside me.
"Didn't we say we'd stay in this village tonight? Besides, I think it's wrong to refuse such sincere hospitality."
Fuuka—who usually rarely interjects in conversations—cut in.
(She's really voracious when it comes to food!)
"If that's the case, please do stay the night! We'll prepare rooms immediately!"
The chief—revitalized like a fish returned to water by Fuuka's words—began proposing again to keep us in the village.
(Orun, what do we do? I absolutely don't want Fuuka eating all the village's food and then having the villagers resent us later...!)
Hart-san whispered in my ear as he drew close.
(I don't want that outcome either! ...Just to confirm—if we forcefully refuse now, how bad do you think Fuuka's mood will get?)
I whispered back to Hart-san to gauge the future development.
(...Th-that's... ahaha...)
Hart-san averted his eyes and laughed, avoiding a direct answer.
(Don't laugh it off!)
"Um, is something the matter?"
The chief—finding our whispered exchange suspicious—called out.
"N-No! It's nothing. ...Yes, as Fuuka said, it's ungrateful to refuse such kind hospitality. We'll gladly accept for tonight. Thank you in advance."
When I answered the chief, he let out a relieved breath and resumed giving instructions to the villagers.
(You sure about this?)
Hart-san asked with a complicated expression.
(No choice. Refusing again at this point would be difficult, and I can't predict what Fuuka would do if we did.)
While whispering back and forth with Hart-san, the chief finished instructing the villagers and returned.
"Now then, as I said earlier, we will hold a feast tonight, so please do join us, all three of you."
"Th-thank you very much, but really, something modest would be more than enough..."
I asked the chief to keep the feast modest, though I doubted it would get through.
After that, to be safe, I left Hart-san in the village while Fuuka and I went to conquer the labyrinth.
Since it was right after the overflow, the number of magical beasts inside was low, so we completed the conquest quickly without much difficulty.
There was no one inside the labyrinth, so whether this overflow was natural or artificial remained unclear.
Timing-wise, artificial seemed more likely.
And on the way back, I desperately pleaded with Fuuka:
On the way to our next destination—a relatively large town along the route—she could eat as much as she wanted there, so please restrain herself here.
Thanks to that, Fuuka didn't deplete the village's reserves.
Though she still ate more than Hart-san or I did...