After several minutes of discussion, we finally decided to choose the search party.
Both the assault team and the search team carry their own dangers, so we figured at least we should choose the one that makes retreat easier.
“Geez… why wouldn’t anyone realize this? What if we run into the Abyss Priest? That could be a disaster!”
Of course, Amy, who had opposed the idea, continued to grumble until the end….
“Are you… scared…?”
Before I could say anything, Friede stepped in and shut Amy up.
“What…?”
“Uh, there’s no need to be scared…? Just because they’re an Abyss Priest doesn’t mean they’re strong.”
She discreetly averted her golden eyes, barely suppressing a grin.
“We, we prepared a lot, but… the Paladins couldn’t kill it. They’re weak… that’s all.”
Surprisingly piercing analysis for someone fumbling their words.
“So, don’t get scared—uh, I mean. Don’t worry. Even if we meet them, we probably won’t die.”
“……Who’s scared?!”
That thoroughly pricked Amy’s pride.
◆◆
As I mentioned, the mission of the search party was to scatter as a party unit and thoroughly search the ruins, finding and exterminating any undead lurking in the woods.
If we brought back the heads of the slain undead, they would acknowledge our accomplishments, right?
If we encountered the Abyss Priest, the search party’s job included firing a flare to alert the Paladins and holding them back.
Exterminating the Abyss Priest would be the Paladins’ responsibility.
After setting up a spot in a temporary tent and resting for about an hour, we got up again and ventured deeper into the woods.
It seemed like to enhance the efficiency of the search, areas were divided by party.
So after checking the area marked on the borrowed map, we would return to the tent around sunset, get a good night’s sleep, and prepare for the next day.
Nothing too difficult, right?
◆◆
After wandering for roughly thirty minutes into the tranquil winter forest, just as expected, a countless swarm of undead opened their arms to welcome us.
Skeletons draped in rags.
Half-decayed bears and wolves.
A bald undead, a Revenant, with its ribs and innards fully exposed.
It was truly a buffet of low-grade undead.
“Raaaaaaaaah….”
Thud.
The Revenant fell flat with its skull cracked open vertically, oozing rotten brain matter. The nasty stench hit my nose.
“Crack!”
Perhaps angry at its companion’s death, a skeleton chimed in, its teeth clattering as it thrust a spear at me.
I lightly shook off the black ichor staining my sword and grabbed its spear with my left hand, yanking it forcefully.
“Ugh….”
With no other flesh but bones left, the skeleton had no choice but to succumb to my strength.
It lost its balance and toppled over toward me, like a child seeking its mother.
“Haah!”
With the pommel of my sword, I struck down hard on its skull, producing a crack as it shattered like a sugary snack.
It was empty inside, as expected from a skeleton.
I kicked the collapsing bones, breaking its spine and sending it flying, and then spun like a dancer to behead another Revenant.
Swish!
The dried bald head slid smoothly, rolling around in a mix of snow and mud.
While I took a breath, I dispatched three undead in quick succession, while the other party members also showcased their skills by hacking down the remaining undead.
“Hah, haaaaaahhhh!”
Friede leapt forward with her great sword raised high, bisecting a zombie wolf as if performing a somersault, while Gerda sniped the knee joints of the skeletons and Revenants, shattering them.
“Raaaaah!”
“Grk! Grrr!”
The undead struck by arrows to their knees wobbled and fell over like a drunken twenty-something, letting out groans like a grad student.
Until Amy’s Flame Arrow and Invisible hammer smashed their skulls.
The exorcism couldn’t have been smoother!
Fighting Wights or Skeletons was pretty routine for me, and even the Revenants weren’t particularly strong, so they could be easily brought down by severing their limbs and smashing their heads.
After slaughtering about thirty undead, we decided to stop searching and head back.
Friede and I still felt we could fight for a while longer, but Amy was running low on attack magic uses…
“What if more come and we can’t carry them all back?”
“Ah, you have a point.”
To receive credit for the bounties, we had to carry back the undead heads, and if the numbers surpassed thirty, just hauling them would be no small task.
Ah, I wish I had an inventory.
◆◆
As we dragged the undead necks bound by rope back to the tent…
“There are thirty of us… That’s more than I expected,” Gerda said, walking cautiously.
“If other parties are in a similar situation, the numbers could be anywhere from two hundred to three hundred. The maximum is beyond my guess. Quite surprising.”
“Is that so? Seems normal to me,” Amy tilted her head.
“The one who raised them as undead must’ve killed all the lower-class around here. Regardless of quality, quantifying their numbers is bound to be excessive.”
Considering the notorious reputation of the lower-class butcher in the area, having these numbers isn’t a surprise—it’s quite natural.
Hmm, I’ve only killed about a hundred or so.
Could it be that the Abyss Priest is doing similar deeds?
Yeah, that must be it.
Thinking about it, it makes sense, right? Just a hundred deaths wouldn’t land him the title of butcher.
The number of victims slain by a lower-class butcher must be several times that.
What I did was just slightly add to that number.
Maybe.
◆◆
Finally back at the temporary tent.
After handing over thirty heads to the Paladin in charge of the extermination team for verification, we arranged our sleeping spots in one corner of the tent.
We set up a military tent provided by the church, and lit a campfire in front of it.
It was said to be the tent used by the advance team that entered the dungeon. They could return it once they safely came back, but until then, we were allowed to use it as much as we wanted.
Thanks to that, we didn’t have to camp out in the night dew. We could just lay down cloaks and sleeping bags inside and fall asleep!
We didn’t even need to take turns standing guard. That was the job of the adventurers who volunteered for the defense.
If only adventurers were present, we wouldn’t be able to trust the night watch, and at least one of us would have to stay awake… but this time, we could sleep soundly without a worry.
With the Paladins and Priests watching closely, who would dare mess with other adventurers?
Even those with brains in their lower halves know how fearsome Paladins are.
“Let’s rest well tonight and head out again tomorrow morning,” I said, taking off my cloak and spreading it in the middle of the four-person tent.
“Ca, can I sleep here…?! I can’t relax unless it’s not in the corner….”
Originally, I intended to sleep in a corner, but with Friede taking one, that left me no choice but to take the middle.
“Hmm. Then, I guess my spot will be here?”
Amy set her sleeping bag beside mine and crawled in, while Gerda laid down her bag next to Amy.
I lay down on my cloak, still wearing my armor.
“Are you going to do that again?”
Amy glanced at me, asking if it was comfortable.
“Uh, did I say it was because of symptoms of anxiety? This time should be okay, right? There are Paladins everywhere.”
Symptoms of anxiety?
Oh, I did say that, didn’t I? I can’t sleep without taking off my armor or helmet outside because of my anxiety.
A complete lie, but still.
“Um… I don’t know.”
I ended that thought hesitantly.
The reason I don’t take off my helmet while sleeping isn’t because of anxiety, but because I’m worried someone might recognize Brunhilde’s face.
Given that Kikel and Laute didn’t react much even after seeing my bare face, maybe my worry is unfounded….
Hmm…
I cupped my hands over the back of my helmet, slightly licking my lips while pondering.
Honestly, sleeping in a helmet is incredibly uncomfortable.
Stiff, cold, and suffocating metal.
The worst material for a pillow.
It even smells a bit from spilled blood and sweat while handling undead.
“Hmmm….”
Had I been confident that revealing my face wouldn’t be a problem, I wouldn’t have been forcing myself to sleep in this metal can.
The lack of that confidence is the issue.
‘Ah, wouldn’t it be okay this time though?’
Suddenly, that thought crossed my mind.
Even though I set a campfire outside, being inside the tent with the entrance closed meant it was completely dark.
So it wouldn’t matter if I took off my helmet; no one would see my face, right?
So, as long as I wake up earlier than the others tomorrow and put my helmet back on, it should be fine.
…Right?
