GalaxyTL
The battle had begun, but to be honest, I couldn’t tell what was going on, just hearing the audio. The sounds of wind, explosions, punches landing, and things colliding. I had no idea who was attacking, who was being hit, or what kind of attacks they were using.
So, I asked Gil-san to provide commentary! It seemed like he could see what was happening in detail, not just hear it.
But thinking about it, maybe it was for the best. Because if I’d actually seen what was happening, I’d probably be bawling my eyes out! Ugh.
“Juma’s on defense, constantly countering Epink’s attacks. Epink’s trying to punch him and use magic. …He’s targeting Saura.”
Wh-What!? Targeting the weaker one, what a coward! But two-on-one, maybe targeting the weaker one first was a valid strategy… Uu, but I’m worried about Saura-san! Juma-kun? I wasn’t really worried. I just couldn’t imagine him being defeated. Not by anyone other than Saura-san or Schlie-san.
“What about Saura-shan? Is she okay?”
Whenever I heard an angry shout or an explosion from the shadow bird, I’d get uneasy and ask this. Gil-san smiled faintly and replied, “Of course.”
“Saura trusts Juma completely. She’s standing there with her eyes closed, focusing on setting her trap.”
“Her trap?”
Come to think of it, I remembered Saura-san mentioning a new “punishment” when she was scolding Juma-kun before. Did she use tools or something when fighting?
“Sauradite’s a trap master. Halflings are known for their dexterity and their skill in manipulating magic. Her traps, devised with the help of the Don… are known for their… cruelty.”
Cruel… I wasn’t sure if she was the cruel one or the Don, but she was the one activating the traps, so it’s not like she was innocent. So Saura-san was a ruthless person after all…
“Setting up those traps requires precise magic control. Even for Saura, it takes a bit of time. And during that time, she’s vulnerable. Unlike inside the guild, where she can prepare beforehand, or during a war… the risk is high this time.”
“But there’s only one enemy, and Juma’s there too. Juma’s not good at protecting someone while fighting, so I’m a bit concerned, but I’m sure he can keep up with Epink.”
“And most importantly, Saura trusts and relies on Juma, and Juma’s responding to that. He won’t make a mistake.”
That made sense. It’s true that setting up traps would require preparation. So that was Saura-san’s weapon, huh. Maybe it was a fighting style unique to halflings. Even if she was as skilled in hand-to-hand combat as the others, her size would be a disadvantage. Covering that with magic control instead of raw power seemed efficient and energy-saving.
And for someone like me, who was small and didn’t have much magic power, Saura-san’s method might be a good reference. I wanted to ask her to teach me if I had the chance. …But “cruelty,” well, that would depend on the specifics!
“Hmm. Juma’s doing well. He usually prefers high-power, one-hit KO attacks, but he’s being careful not to interrupt Saura’s concentration. That Juma.”
“Wow, that Juma!”
Juma-kun, he’s doing a great job, but what kind of reputation did he have? I’d never seen him fight before, but for the two of them to say that… he must usually fight very… flashy. For him to be carrying out his orders this well, exceeding expectations… maybe they should give him a reward.
『Aaaagh! This is so frustrating! I want to blast him away! Can’t I just kill him?! 』
Ah, it seemed like he was getting stressed.
“No, Juma. You’ll kill him if you do that.”
『Ahh, Dammit!!』
Gil-san immediately responded. I see, so Gil-san could project his voice.
But it seemed that Epink had finally realized something.
『That voice… it’s the Shadow Eagle, isn’t it? I thought it was strange how that halfling suddenly appeared! You’ve been watching from somewhere…!? Wait, don’t tell me…!』
Epink, who seemed to know a bit about Gil-san’s abilities, realized that he was being watched and then started to suspect that the elf child he’d captured might be a fake. Kei-san had said he was third-rate for not realizing it sooner, but for him to figure it out with that little bit of information, that was impressive. I was pretty sure I wouldn’t have noticed, not until the very end. I was just a normal person after all, even if I was a former office worker!
『A-A fake! What the… When did you…!』
『When, you ask? Well… from the very beginning!』
Juma-kun replied playfully to Epink’s surprised reaction. A loud rumble echoed, probably something Juma-kun did.
『Alright! I’m ready, Juma! You did well, thanks for waiting!』
『Oh, that was fast!』
It seemed like Saura-san’s preparations were complete. I was both curious and afraid to know the results.
『Dammit! You’re making a fool out of me! This is so frustrating!』
Even through the audio alone, I could tell that Epink was stomping his feet in frustration. It’s your fault for trying to kidnap someone in the first place.
『This isn’t over yet!』
『Don’t be naive. Saura-san always makes sure her opponents regret ever crossing her path.』
『Huh? What are you talking about?』
Make her opponents regret… Eh, I’m getting scared! Please, sense my fear, Epink! Even though you’re the enemy, please run away!
『Well then, come at me!』
『I’m not stupid enough to fall for that! I know you’ve set a trap, only an idiot would fall for it!』
It seemed like he was being cautious. He’d been mocking halflings earlier, but now that he knew they were Ortus members, he was being careful. Well, if he’d recklessly charged in, I’d question whether his guild really was Special-grade.
『Well, don’t say I didn’t warn you.』
『Ah.』
Juma-kun’s voice, followed by Epink’s. And then, a loud cracking sound, “Bari, bari!” Wh-What happened!?
“Juma kicked Epink in the back. Right into the trap.”
“Whoa…”
I couldn’t help but exclaim. It was starting to feel a little… pitiful. Maybe I was being naive.
『That was close! You think lightning is going to do anything? Hyaha! That’s the halfling’s trump card? That’s pathetic!』
Apparently, that cracking sound was lightning. Epink had avoided it, seemingly unharmed. Maybe he really was skilled. I couldn’t tell if he was an idiot or amazing!
『Oh my, you dodged it. Impressive! Someone besides Juma actually dodged it. You’re good!』
But Saura-san’s voice was cheerful. It didn’t seem to have any effect, was she okay…?
『Hyahaha! Don’t get cocky! It’s only a matter of t—!?』
Epink, who’d been laughing confidently, suddenly cried out in pain. Eh, what? What’s happening!?
『Ah… that, huh. Even I took a whole day to recover from that. It hurt like hell!』
『Normally, it takes longer than a day to heal.』
Juma-kun, you’ve experienced this before!? Was it from one of those… punishments…? Someone, please explain!
『The lightning was just a bonus. I created small stones… in his body, or rather, in his ureter! You know that illness the Don was suffering from a while back? It’s not fatal, but he said it was incredibly painful. So I thought, maybe it would be useful. I asked him to do some research on whether it was possible to create it with magic!』
S-Saura-san… I know this. It’s those… kidney stones! She… she artificially created them with magic!?
…Scary. I must never anger Saura-san, never!!