On the other side, Gak's condition was even more gruesome.
Vallis first sprinkled a layer of hemostatic powder over the wound, then pressed down firmly with clean linen cloth to apply pressure and stop the bleeding.
Even so, dark crimson blood rapidly seeped through the linen, a sight that made anyone's heart clench.
Vallis added several more layers. Only after a few minutes was the bleeding barely brought under control.
He wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm, letting out a breath of relief.
Gak's life was saved.
Sure enough, the legendary ferocity of orcs was no myth—he had dared to charge head-on against an intermediate swordsman.
And even after suffering such horrific wounds, his willpower hadn't buckled, enduring the agony in silence.
Gak pressed his lips tight, a pale cast visible even through his green skin.
Fortunately, the injury was finally stabilized.
Gray stood watching the whole process with narrowed eyes, shaking his head repeatedly.
Just looking at it was painful.
As for the six corpses of Drake's party, dealing with them was simple enough.
A single fire would do the job; who could possibly identify a charred lump of remains?
Gray and Marcus hauled the bodies to a forest clearing well away from the trees, piled them together, and stripped off their armor, weapons, and coin pouches along the way.
After dousing them in strong liquor, they tossed a lit match into the center.
With a whoosh, blazing flames flared upward.
Marcus watched Drake's head warp under the scorching blaze, his face devoid of emotion.
The forest sank back into silence, save for the crackling of the pyre.
Zelier sat with his back against a large tree, staring at the wavering tips of the flames as if lost in thought.
His experience bar hadn't budged, remaining at Lv. 6 (102/225).
Killing humans yielded no experience.
He couldn't tell whether that was a good thing or a bad one.
Probably a good thing... right?
At least he wouldn't be driven by incentives to go on slaughtering people.
Compared to monsters hiding in the shadows, humans were obviously far easier prey.
And that door was like Pandora's box—once pried open, it could never be shut again.
"What are you thinking about?" Shir's voice sounded beside Zelier's ear.
"Nothing..." Zelier gave a slight shake of his head. "It's my first time raising a hand against humans, so I'm a bit dazed."
Arms crossed over her chest, Shir gazed ahead with eyes shaded beneath her hood, seeming to space out as well.
The pyre burned fiercely, occasionally throwing off sparks.
Gak lay resting to one side, while Marcus paced the perimeter of the clearing on watch.
Gray, meanwhile, was tallying and sorting through the equipment and valuables left behind by Drake's party.
"I'm sorry," Shir said suddenly.
"What?" Zelier didn't follow.
"You're still young, just a kid of sixteen or seventeen... If I hadn't made the first move, you wouldn't have had to go through this so soon," Shir said softly. "So, I'm sorry."
"Are you genuinely apologizing?" Zelier asked, a little surprised.
Shir met Zelier's gaze candidly; neither looked away.
A moment later, the corners of Shir's mouth curved into a familiar smirk. "Guess."
"I can't guess," Zelier replied with a shake of his head. "Though it's really no big deal. Honestly, I should be thanking you."
"Thanking me?" Now it was Shir's turn to be puzzled.
"Yeah." Zelier withdrew his gaze, turning his eyes back to the fire. "I actually wanted to wipe them out too... Leaving scum like that alive only invites endless trouble down the road. Better to strike first."
Judging by how Marcus and the others had looked back then, they had intended to compromise and let the matter drop.
Shir stared at Zelier's profile. After a long pause, a soft chuckle slipped from her lips. "Hmph... Maybe you've got the makings of a villain, just like me."
She paused, then added, "If you ever need anything down the line, or if you have a job for an assassin, you can come find me."
Shir pressed a token into Zelier's hand.
"Go to Number Seven Dark Alley Street, knock five times, and show this to whoever answers. I'll get your message."
"Oh... all right." Zelier accepted the token.
"All right! Done counting!" Gray called out, beaming with delight.
"Those bastards had twenty gold and seventy-two silver in their pouches, plus several decent pieces of armor and weapons. They'll fetch a pretty penny when sold!"
The gear from the three intermediate fighters was all solid merchandise of visibly superior quality.
"We'll split the coin right away. As for the weapons and gear... if you trust me, leave them to me to sell, and the proceeds will still be divided proportionally," Marcus said. "I have connections... but we need to wait a couple of days. Liquidating so much quality gear all at once would draw suspicion, and we need to avoid anyone who might look into Drake's party going missing."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Marcus was trustworthy.
The skirmish with Drake's party had eaten up a good deal of time; they needed to hurry and get out of Ashwood Forest before dark.
On the return journey, Vallis carried most of the gear and packs. Marcus and Gray supported Gak on either side, helping him along. Gak was genuinely heavy, and Gray grimaced under the weight.
Because of the wound on his calf, Zelier couldn't bear weight properly and had difficulty walking on his own, so he also needed support.
Shir took on the task.
She draped Zelier's right arm over her shoulder, wrapping her left arm around his back to firmly support his waist.
Though Shir's frame appeared slender, her strength was considerable; even with most of Zelier's weight leaning on her, she didn't waver in the slightest.
A crisp, cool scent drifted into Zelier's nose, refreshing like the chill that met someone pushing open a door in winter, invigorating his spirits.
Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, the party successfully emerged from Ashwood Forest.
After retrieving their carriage from the village where they had left it, they returned to Blackstone Town.
The moment Marcus walked into the Adventurers' Association, the chatter around the room dropped noticeably. Glances drifted toward him from every corner.
Everyone knew Marcus's party had taken on the goblin extermination quest in Mist Cave.
That commission was considered fairly difficult... Had he actually pulled it off?
"Turning in the quest."
Marcus placed a sack of goblin ears onto the counter.
"The commission to wipe out the Mist Cave goblin colony is complete. A total of twenty-five common goblins, three Orc Goblins, and one White-Haired Goblin. Take a look."
"Right away!"
Ella promptly untied the bag, emptied its contents onto a counting tray, and began sorting through them with a pick.
Marcus's words stirred an endless buzz of whispers throughout the hall.
"They actually finished it..."
"Marcus's party has been on a tear lately, seriously impressive. Drake's party was trying to snatch that quest before, weren't they?"
"It's not like it's his doing. He's just a lower-rank warrior. He's only riding on the coattails of strong teammates..."
"Did you hear? There's a mage in their party, and he's grouped with them several times in a row now..."
Chapter 51