Beginner Magic and a Short Sword: The Jack-of-All-Trades Peddler Trades Peacefully Again Today - Encounter with the Orc

The morning mist still clung to the edges of the highway. Dan held the donkey's reins and walked slowly alongside the covered wagon. The sound of wheels biting into the gravel of the old road reached his ears in a steady rhythm. In the bed lay bundles of dried medicinal herbs, a short sword enchanted with fire attribute, and a few small goods to sell at villages along the way. It was the second day since departure. The streets of Orvière were already far behind, and the forests along the old highway pressed in deep on both sides. Morning light filtered through the trees, casting dappled patterns on the damp ground. "Hey, you." Rick called out from about three paces ahead without turning around. His bright brown hair swayed in the morning breeze. His brand-new leather chest guard didn't have a single scratch on it yet. "What is it?" "Can't we do something about this pace? Shouldn't we cover more ground before the orcs show up?" Rick's voice was quick, and he sounded irritated. He gripped the hilt of his longsword with his right hand, opening and closing his fingers. His habit of gripping the sword too hard when anxious was already showing. "The donkey can walk the longest at this speed. Push it too hard and it'll affect the days ahead." "But this is orc territory, right? If we take it easy, we might not make it through before nightfall." "If we can't make it through by nightfall, we pick a good spot to camp. Rushing and wearing ourselves out is more dangerous." Rick clicked his tongue quietly and picked up his pace even more. Dan said nothing further and matched his stride to the donkey's. He'd been the same way when he was young. Rushing ahead, desperate to produce results as quickly as possible, losing sight of everything around him. If he could say something to his younger self, what would it be? Dan touched the short sword at his hip. The fire-attribute magic gem embedded in the blade transmitted a faint warmth to his fingertips. Since the depletion of crystal veins had become a concern, the value of these gems had been creeping upward. In the Verdian trade sphere, the source of magic was a leyline energy called crystal veins that welled up from ancient ruins. Those veins were thinning across the region, and gem production was falling. That's why a fire-enchanted short sword could now fetch four gold coins. But Dan's mind wasn't only on business. The forest ahead rustled faintly. The wind had shifted. The smell of damp earth mingled with the scent of beasts. Dan stopped and gave the donkey's reins a light tug. "Stop." "Eh? What is it?" Rick turned around. Dan didn't answer—he narrowed his eyes and stared into the depths of the forest. The woods on both sides of the old highway were dim despite the morning hour, the interior sunk in blackness. "...Orcs?" Rick's voice turned serious instantly. His grip on the longsword tightened. "Can't tell yet. But something's there. The wind's carrying the smell of beasts." Dan guided the donkey to the edge of the road and tapped the wagon's canvas cover lightly. He checked with his eyes that the load hadn't shifted. The herb bundles were secured tightly with rope. The fire-enchanted short sword lay in the corner of the wagon bed, within reach. "What do we do? Fight?" "First, we count them. Orcs move in packs. One we can drive off, but five or more—it's smarter to let them pass." "Let them pass? You mean go around? That's a waste of time." "If all it costs is time, that's cheap. An escort's job is to arrive safely." Rick twisted his lips in dissatisfaction but said nothing more. Dan silently cast a minor wind spell—a beginner-level spell without incantation. He drew the airflow toward himself, probing the scents ahead more clearly. The smell of beast fat, of sweat, and then—the smell of iron. *Three... no, four. They're moving diagonally across the road.* Orcs were nocturnal. Their activity slowed on rainy days, but today was clear. Sometimes they came out of the forest in the morning to forage. "Four. They're crossing the road from north to south." "Four? You and me can handle that easily. Actually, if we take them out here, the rest of the trip'll be easier." Rick's eyes were blazing. The eyes of a young man desperate for credit. Dan shook his head quietly. "Wait. We let them cross. If they haven't noticed us, we can let them go." "But what if they do notice us?" "Then we fight. But there's no need to strike first. An escort's job is to protect the cargo. Fighting isn't the job." Rick clicked his tongue. He started to draw his longsword, but Dan's gaze stopped him. "Don't draw. If you do, your killing intent will give us away." "...I know." Rick reluctantly let go of the sword. But his body leaned forward, poised as if ready to bolt at any moment. From deep in the forest came the sound of a branch snapping. Heavy footsteps approached slowly. The weighty sound of feet pressing into the earth traveled through the gravel of the road and into the soles of Dan's feet. Then the pack of orcs came into view. They stood about two meters tall. Pig-like faces with small red eyes. Their grayish skin was thick and caked with mud and grease. They carried thick clubs and wore crude fur wraps around their waists. The four orcs were walking diagonally across the road. Rick's breathing grew ragged. "...We can take them. Four—if we get the first strike." "Wait." "But if they cross the road and get into the forest, chasing them'll be a pain." "A pain is fine. As long as the cargo is safe, that's all that matters." Dan's voice was quiet. But that quietness only fueled Rick's impatience. One of the orcs suddenly stopped. Its red eyes turned toward them. "They've spotted us." Before Dan finished speaking, Rick was already running. "I'm taking the first one!" He drew his longsword and sprinted down the road. His boots kicked up gravel and dust. "Idiot, get back!" Dan's voice didn't reach Rick. Rick slashed at the lead orc. The longsword howled through the air and cut shallowly into the orc's shoulder. Blood sprayed. "One down!" But the orc didn't fall. Too shallow. He'd missed the vital point. In that instant, the remaining three moved as one. "GUOOOO!" With a roar, a club swung down at Rick. He jumped back in a panic, but his feet caught on the gravel and he lost his balance. "Damn it!" The second orc circled to Rick's flank. The third blocked his rear. The fourth raised its club from the front. He was completely surrounded. Dan was running. He tied the donkey to the edge of the road and checked the wagon's load in an instant. He drew the fire-enchanted short sword from his hip and cast a beginner wind spell without incantation. The wind pushed against Rick's back. No—more precisely, it briefly thinned the air around Rick's body, distorting the orcs' field of vision. "Don't move, Rick!" Rick froze for just a moment. In that gap, Dan cast a beginner earth spell. The ground beneath Rick's feet bulged slightly. The muddy earth rose, catching the orcs' feet for just an instant. "GUOH!?" The lead orc, startled by the shifting ground, slowed its club swing. Dan seized the opening and cast a beginner fire spell. A small fireball grazed past the orc's face. Not a direct hit. But the fire dazzled the orc's eyes for a moment. "GYAAA!" The orc recoiled, covering its face. Dan immediately cast a beginner water spell, moistening the ground beneath Rick's feet. On the now-slick surface, another orc that had been targeting Rick slipped. "Can you stand?" "Y-yeah." Rick got to his feet. Dan pushed Rick's back with one hand and stepped forward himself. "Fall back. Stand in front of the wagon." "But I—" "Fall back." It was a voice that brooked no argument. Rick bit his lip and retreated to the front of the covered wagon. Dan raised his short sword. The fire-attribute gem glowed red in the morning light. The four orcs snarled at Dan. *Now then. How to handle this.* Dan calmly observed the orcs' movements. Orcs acted in packs, but their coordination was fragile. If one moved, the other three moved in the same direction. Conversely, if you disrupted one's movement, the whole pack's movements fell into disarray. Dan cast a beginner wind spell without incantation. His target was the orcs' footing. The wind kicked up gravel from the ground, briefly obscuring the orcs' vision. "GUOH!" The lead orc squinted. In that gap, Dan used a beginner earth spell to raise the ground at an angle. The lead orc caught its foot on the raised earth and pitched forward. "GYAOH!" The orc behind it tripped over the fallen one. Two of them tumbled to the ground in a tangle. Dan didn't miss the opening. He drove the fire-enchanted short sword into the fallen orc's neck. "GUEH..." The first one stopped moving. The remaining three scrambled to recover. But their movements were scattered. Dan used a beginner water spell to turn the ground beneath the orcs' feet to mud. Their thick legs sank into it. "GUOOO!?" While their movements slowed, Dan layered on a beginner wind spell. The wind blew mud into the orcs' faces. Mud got in their eyes, and they lost their vision. "GYAAAA!" Dan calmly approached the second one. He swung the short sword through. The fire-attribute gem blazed red, and the blade carved deep into the orc's flank. "GUOO..." The second one collapsed. The remaining two finally pulled their feet free of the mud and tried to flee toward the forest. "Not so fast." Dan used a beginner earth spell to sharply raise the ground in their escape path. A wall of earth rose before the orcs. "GUOH!" The orcs stopped in their tracks. In that instant, Dan cast a beginner fire spell. The fireball struck one orc square in the back. Its fur caught fire, and the smell of burning flesh spread. "GYAAAAAA!" The third one fell. The last orc had completely lost its will to fight. It dropped its club and tried to crawl away toward the forest on all fours. Dan pursued. He accelerated himself with a silent wind spell and closed the distance in one burst. "GUO... GUO..." The last orc was caught at the forest's edge. It spun around, swinging its claws wildly. Dan dropped low to evade and thrust his short sword upward from below. The blade pierced through the orc's jaw. "...It's over." The fourth orc slowly collapsed to the ground. Silence returned. Dan sheathed his short sword, breathing hard through his shoulders. Sweat beaded on his forehead. For a forty-year-old body, even a short fight took its toll. He turned around. Rick stood in front of the covered wagon, still gripping his longsword, unable to move. His face was pale. "...That was amazing." Rick's voice was hoarse. "Layering beginner spells like that—you can really move like that? I was... completely useless." Dan didn't answer. He approached the wagon and checked on the donkey. The donkey had its ears perked up, looking a little agitated. "It's all right. It's over." Dan patted the donkey's neck. The donkey slowly lowered its ears and settled down. He checked the wagon's load. The herb bundles were fine. The fire-enchanted short sword was still in the corner of the wagon bed. "Rick." "...What." "Are you hurt?" "Yeah, just scrapes." Rick said that and looked at his arm. The area around his elbow was scraped raw, blood seeping through. "Let me see." Dan took Rick's arm and examined the wound. Not deep. But left untreated, it might fester. "There are herbs in the wagon. I'll treat it later." "...You're not angry?" "About what?" "I charged in on my own and made you do everything. I broke formation. Just like you said. I knew an escort's job is to protect the cargo, and I still—" Rick's voice sounded frustrated with himself. "If you knew, then do it next time." "...That's it?" "That's it." Dan glanced at the orc corpses. The tusks and hides would sell,

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Episode 2

Name: Beginner Magic and a Short Sword: The Jack-of-All-Trades Peddler Trades Peacefully Again Today
Author: Novelia

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