Someone's Savior
Swish, swish, swish!
The silver blade moved like a quiet storm.
The result was brutally simple.
"...Tch."
Thud, thud.
The orcs collapsed where they stood.
When the last corpse began to topple slowly, threatening to crush the stacked crates—
"Whoops."
Kals sheathed his sword and caught the falling body effortlessly, lowering it gently to the ground.
"Oh…"
I hadn't even given him any orders, yet he was acting like a seasoned assassin.
Thanks to that, I could finally breathe.
"Not bad."
I lowered my bow and praised Kals.
"You're so smooth, you could join the Vengeance Priesthood."
"I'll have you know I was personally trained by Duke Shedrick."
"That duke really is talented at everything, huh."
While I muttered, Kals was already hiding the corpses among the crates with meticulous precision.
Still, I wondered—could a royal knight in the early 6-star realm take out three low-ranked orcs at once?
'Two, maybe. But three? That's pushing it.'
…Unless he was already nearing late 6-star.
Wait.
That means…
'He's already on the verge of breaking into 7-star, huh?'
Kals stood there with a calm face, but in his eyes, I could see the faint glimmer of excitement.
If my guess was right, Kals was about to face the wall.
The wall of 7-star.
'The wall that even so-called geniuses struggle to surpass.'
What awaited him now was a challenge of an entirely different dimension.
Reaching the 7-star realm would not be easy for him.
Luckily, I knew a way to help him.
'The War Recon Scenario will do the trick.'
Of course, I'd be the one to reap the biggest rewards—
but Kals and Tyrbaen would grow considerably through the scenario as well.
'They'll break the 7-star wall without much trouble.'
Kals handed me the Orc Warrior's Soulstone meant for Shark Robren and spoke up.
"Your Highness, where to next?"
"Ah, that would be…"
I turned my gaze toward the outside of the barracks.
Right there was where the Flame Crystal awaited.
As soon as we stepped out, the tension returned.
We were deep inside the orc village now, deeper than ever before.
I silently pointed toward one spot.
'There. You see it?'
Kals's voice wavered.
'…That altar, Your Highness?'
I nodded. Kals swallowed hard.
"Shriiik, shriiik! Oh, god of the hunt, Garlen!"
"Grant us endless bounty of blood! Shriiik!"
Roughly thirty orcs gathered in a circle,
chanting and bowing endlessly as they danced in rhythm.
'Can't tell if that's a song or pigs getting their throats slit.'
In any case, it was a ritual—a sacrifice to their god.
And right there, amid that scene, was our objective.
The altar was piled high with fruits and slabs of wild meat,
a roaring bonfire blazing at its heart—
'That must be the Flame Crystal.'
'Yeah.'
A red jewel, the size of a fist, gleamed atop the altar like the seed of a sacred flame.
I felt my pulse quicken.
'All right, let's grab it.'
'What?'
Kals froze.
'Wait, Your Highness—how are we supposed to break through that?'
His expression said it all: How do two people handle thirty orcs?
'There's not even a gap to sneak through!'
He wasn't wrong.
The orcs were circling the altar like they were playing some kind of tribal ring dance,
leaving no space to slip in unnoticed.
No more stealth mission antics this time.
But there was a way.
I said calmly, 'We dance.'
'Ah, simple enough!'
'Right?'
'So all we have to do is dance, huh? Wait, what did you just—? I think I misheard you?'
But I was already moving—dancing my way toward the orcs.
'Your Highness? Your Highness!'
Kals hissed behind me, but I ignored him.
…This kind of thing's all about confidence.
Thump, thump. Thump, thump.
Like the crazed orcs, I swayed left and right, bobbing my head in rhythm.
And astonishingly—
"Shriiik! Shriiik!"
"Shrrrhk!"
The orcs welcomed me right into their circle without suspicion.
Moving among them, I blended in perfectly—
like a small, slightly awkward orc myself.
…And honestly, it was kind of fun.
[Unexpected Event: "Dirty Dancing" has occurred!]
[Charm +1!]
'Your Highness! Have you lost your mind?'
Kals's strangled voice came from the shadows where he was still hiding.
Anyone watching a human dancing with a group of green monsters would think exactly that.
But this was the perfect tactic.
'During their ritual dances to honor their god, orcs enter a trance-like state.'
That meant…
Even if a poorly disguised human slipped in among them—
as long as he danced properly, they wouldn't notice.
'In other words, this is the only way to get the red crystal without spilling a drop of blood.'
Of course, a few orcs flared their nostrils suspiciously—
but that was it.
"Oh! I smell human flesh!"
"Shriiik! Garlen must be answering our prayers!"
"A blessing! A blessing! Shriiik!"
They mistook their own delusions for divine signs and danced even harder.
'Good. Keep it up.'
Keeping to the rhythm, I danced my way closer to the altar where the Flame Crystal burned brightly.
I nearly bumped into a few orcs when my steps faltered,
but at last—I reached the altar's edge.
I kept dancing, glaring at Kals through the smoky haze.
'What are you doing? Hurry up and get over here!'
Kals clenched his jaw, then finally stood up.
'If this goes to hell—don't blame me!'
And with that, Kals began to dance.
Just like I had done earlier, he started shaking his body, blending into the orc circle.
Then suddenly—
"Shrrrk?"
"Shriiik, shriiik!"
To my surprise, the surrounding orcs reacted to him.
I widened my eyes.
Did they notice him?!
But no—it was the opposite.
"Shrrrk, magnificent dancing!"
"I can feel the devotion to the great Garlen!"
"Everyone, learn from him! Shriiik!"
...They were praising his dance.
'An imperial knight dancing better than orcs themselves…'
I nearly burst out laughing but barely managed to hold it in.
Meanwhile, I mentally measured the distance to the Flame Crystal.
Kals, his face flushed red, was dancing clumsily closer, almost within arm's reach.
That was enough.
"Now!"
I shoved my way through the orcs and lunged toward the altar.
The orc warriors I pushed aside looked at me in confusion,
their expressions slowly freezing in realization.
But it was too late—
the Flame Crystal was already in my hands.
Without hesitation, I threw it.
"Kals!"
Still dancing, Kals quickly raised his shield.
The Flame Crystal flew straight toward him and—clang!—latched onto the surface like a magnet.
The next instant—
"Human!"
"An intruder!"
"Food!"
"It's Garlen's blessing! Shriiik!"
The orcs drew their weapons, shouting in a frenzy of both rage and delight.
And then—
[Item 'Shield of Balance' has met special conditions and awakens.]
['Balancer of Flame' has been created!]
With a blinding flash, Kals's shield transformed—
a magnificent crimson bulwark, adorned like living fire.
This was it.
The Balancer of Flame I had been after.
A tool capable of controlling fire itself.
And as luck would have it, a massive bonfire blazed right beside me.
Time to test it.
"Kals! Prepare to escape!"
Shouting, I drew my sword and swung.
[Special Technique: Sword of the Sea, Form 1]
Boom!
The blade, wrapped in Sword Spirit, struck its target and pierced through.
What I had aimed for was the enormous stack of firewood burning atop the altar.
I couldn't completely cleave it apart—
my Sword Spirit wasn't that large yet—
but it was enough to break the balance of the towering pyre.
Greeeek…
The giant pile of burning wood began to topple, spilling its fire.
"Shriiik?"
Flames burst and danced above the orcs' yellow eyes.
"Shrrrk! Run!"
"Garlen is enraged! Shriiik!"
A rain of fire fell upon them like the wrath of their god.
But the same hellfire was falling on us too.
"Ugh!"
Fiery embers—like divine punishment—rained down on Kals and me, scorching our shoulders.
At this rate, we'd roast before escaping the orc village.
I sprinted toward Kals, shouting,
"What are you doing?! Raise your shield!"
Kals snapped back to his senses and lifted it high.
At that moment, the skill activated.
[Defensive Technique: Flame Pushback]
The crimson shield blazed with radiance.
A wave of fire erupted outward, forming a vast circular barrier.
It was as if the Balancer of Flame had expanded, transforming into a colossal inferno—
but this was no mere fire.
It was the power that ruled fire itself.
A mystical force that melted and consumed everything like snow under sunlight,
yet now obeyed our will.
The falling flames could not pierce the shield.
I dashed under the barrier, clapping Kals on the shoulder.
"Now! Run!"
With the barrier protecting us, we bolted madly through the burning chaos.
The massive fire I'd unleashed now spread across the entire orc encampment.
Huts burned, haystacks ignited, and piles of tools became kindling.
Some orcs tried desperately to control the blaze,
but most were too panicked to act.
A few, however, blocked our path, roaring with fury.
"Human! You dare challenge us?!"
"Shriiik! How dare you turn our village into a sea of fire!"
And yet—they were smiling.
"Shrrrk! We'll accept your fiery challenge!"
"And roast your limbs over that very fire!"
"We'll boil your eyes and guts alive! Shriiik!"
...Lunatics.
The whole village was burning,
and all they could think about was fighting and eating.
Kals cut them down without hesitation.
[Attack Skill: Quadra Cut]
Four swift slashes sliced through the air,
and orcs erupted in blood.
He didn't fell three at once this time,
but he easily crippled several by taking their limbs.
"Shriiik! Human—strong!"
"Call for reinforcements! Shriiik!"
"Just run, idiots!"
The orcs broke ranks, scattering into the fiery ruins.
And thanks to that,
we escaped the burning village unscathed.
Once we slipped back into the pitch-black forest, I finally exhaled.
"Whew…"
Like a scene straight out of an action movie.