I Became the Porter of a Somewhat Strange Hero Party

17 – Hero’s Party (7)

That crazy woman…forget being confused, she was openly fooling around.

That Mesugaki, was it a common thing that he only did to party members? He must be really crazy. If he were in his right mind, he wouldn’t be able to do that.

I was worried about what to do in this situation, so I asked the person in front of me.

“Can I do that…?”

“… Yeah, you’ll know it’s just a joke anyway.”

A joke?

It seemed like I couldn’t remember his name, but it wasn’t, was it?

Although it didn’t seem like Erin did anything special, there was something credible about Dogge’s reaction because he was so calm.

And as Dogge expected, Orland laughed cheerfully enough to be seen and heard by everyone.

“hahahahaha! You’re still the same, Erin. You’re still mean.”

“Did I say that~?” Erin laughed cheerfully.

“Well, I guess it’s even stranger for a neighboring country’s warrior not to know.”

It was quite audacious to play such a prank in front of the protagonist. Even if his honor was at stake, there was nothing he could say.

However, Orlande seemed unfazed and instead greeted them with courtesy.

“Warrior Erin, and the party members. We are extremely grateful for your willingness to help our kingdom. Allow me to extend my greetings as the representative of the Estere Kingdom.”

“Hmm? Are we just going without seeing that grandmother?”

Grandmother?

“Your Highness seems quite unwell these days, likely due to the recent events and accumulating worries.”

…Talking about the Queen of Estelle?

Calling the King of another country ‘Grandma’, she’s really out of her mind. It’s amazing that no one says anything about it.

“Why is no one saying anything to Erin?”

“……Huh?”

“From Estelle’s perspective, it’s quite annoying. Even if they came to help, considering the relationship between the two countries, they shouldn’t be saying such things, right…?”

“……Allen.”

Dokgeo suddenly called my name. I smiled and said, “Why?”

“…There aren’t many people who can say something to Erin.”

“Oh? What does that mean…”

“The reason we don’t bother with formalities in front of the person involved is that there aren’t many people who can say anything to a hero, just like the thief said.”

Frey added an explanation. Since heroes are such special beings, it seems like they try not to get involved if possible.

“That’s what you call formalities? Saying that we don’t do that in front of the person involved?”

“Oh, Erin also knows that Earl Rand is a very kind person. You are famous for being gentle and generous.”

That person…is really like a hero. It’s different from our own hero.

“Wishing you a pleasant journey~ Shall we depart right away?”

“Yes, we will use teleportation magic to move to the northeast. Erwin here has already drawn coordinates in the northeast.”

When Orland gestured, a wizard wearing a white robe sitting on a horse behind him dismounted and came forward. Then, both the members of the other party and our own party started getting off their horses one by one.

It seemed like the timing to greet naturally. I followed suit and stepped back from my horse, approaching them. As I did, the members of Orlandeau’s party greeted me.

“I am Erwin. I will be in charge of teleportation magic this time.”

“I am Vargdah, the warrior responsible for the position! Take care of us, brother!”

There are only women here besides me…? I’m not sure, but it seems like that strict warrior brother’s way of expression.

But as I approached, Hikikomori with the hood on stared at me grimly.

Why is she acting like that? Is her eyesight bad?

“…Kael.”

“Kael, please greet properly.”

Seeing that he only mentioned my name casually, Orlandeau clicked his tongue and spoke with a sarcastic tone.

“He is Captain Cae, in charge of the platoon.”

I can already tell that this guy has a twisted personality. But I don’t understand why he’s been staring at me as if he wants to kill me since earlier.

By the way, the names of the NPCs that appear during the monster wave event in “Dungeon Evil” were all different.

It seems that there have been changes in these aspects as reality sets in. Still, he seems skilled, so it might actually be more comfortable than the game.

Just by looking at the knight bearing the sacred flag, Orland…

＜Character Information＞

◈Name: Orlando

**Occupation: Warrior**

**Stats**

[Strength: 248] [Agility: 260]

[Stamina: 272] [Intelligence: 37]

[Magic Power: 690] [Divine: 251]

**Possessed Abilities**

[Swordsmanship Lv.7] [Leader of Victory Lv.6] [Self-regeneration Lv.4] [Keen Eyes Lv.5] [Sixth Sense Lv.6] [Aegis of the Sky Lv.7] [Aegis of the Earth Lv.7] [Aegis of the Sea Lv.7] [Magic Resistance Lv.5] [Disease Resistance Lv.8] [Immunity to Poison Lv.10]

This side had impressive specs as well. The stats were evenly excellent, and they had various abilities befitting a warrior. However, their Aegis levels were lower compared to Erin… I guess there are differences among warriors. On the other hand, their disease resistance level is even higher, so there are no issues with their specs.

Looking at the specs of both warriors…

‘Perhaps it can be resolved more easily than expected.’

Such thoughts come to mind.

After the introduction of the Orlando Party was finished, we each started introducing ourselves.

“Ser, who is in charge of the middle…”

“Lety, who is in charge of the rear…”

“Pre, who is also in charge of the rear…”

The words of Ser Aria, Leticia, and Pre overlapped.

“What kind of choir are you? Why are you speaking at the same time…?”

The three of them also seemed a little embarrassed, looking at each other before Leticia spoke.

“… Let’s tell our stories in order

“hahahahaha, that’s right!”

Serge-Aria said.

“It’s Sergeant Archer Serge-Aria!”

“…Sergeant, Thief. No name.”

“I am Letizia, the Elemental Mage in charge of support.”

“And I am Frey Ernest, responsible for rear support and assistance.”

It’s interesting that among the warriors in this party, there is only one noble, Frey. Though he may be an alcoholic… anyway, he is not a noble.

…?

But everyone was looking at me as if they thought the greetings were over.

“What is this? Are you giving an opportunity for even this insignificant porter to greet me? Surprisingly kind of them.”

“I am Allen, the porter in charge of supplies.”

“…A porter? Huh.”

I introduced myself, and suddenly a guy named Carle burst into a loud laughter.

Isn’t this it? Didn’t he look at me as if telling me to introduce myself?

“Carle.”

Upon hearing that, Orland openly warned him, and Carle clicked his tongue again.

It seems like I didn’t do anything wrong. For some reason, that guy seemed to have twisted emotions towards me.

“It doesn’t seem like we knew each other before the possession, judging by the reactions.”

Why is that happening?

“Nice to meet you all. I have heard of your reputation. I would be grateful if you lend your strength to save the kingdom.”

“hahahahaha, of course we will help!”

Upon Orando’s request, Ser-Aria cheerfully replied and pulled out a bottle of alcohol, drinking it up hastily. The expressions of the party members on the other side watching this scene seemed slightly perplexed.

…Can there be any faith in the words of a woman who drinks even in such a situation?

“So we’re moving right away?”

“Yes, we will move along with the paladins here. Let’s go to the place where the magic circle has already been set up.”

As Erin nodded at Orando’s words, the party members climbed back onto their mounts, ready to set off again. As I tried to get on Dagger’s back as well, I felt sharp gazes fixated on me.

“……?”

It’s that guy, Kyle, again. I don’t understand why he’s acting like this…

“Thief.”

“…Huh?”

“By any chance, do you know that person named Kyle over there?”

“…I’ve seen his face once.”

So, she doesn’t seem to know much about him.

I asked, thinking maybe she was targeting him as a potential thief, but it turned out she was actually glaring at me.

“…Why?”

“No, he’s been staring at me strangely since earlier.”

“…Maybe he has bad eyesight.”

“Is that really it?”

“Follow me. I’ll take the lead.”

“Yes~”

Only after Orulando turned his head did Kael finally look away from me.

His actions made my head tilt in confusion.

Well… I guess I’ll find out later.

We swiftly moved to the northeast of the kingdom through the magical portal installed on a vast piece of land. It was fortunate that there was teleportation magic in this world. Otherwise, we would have had to ride horses for a long time.

However, experiencing teleportation magic like this made me realize two things.

First, teleportation magic is incredibly useful.

Second, it comes with severe motion sickness.

“Ugh…”

“…Are you okay, Allen?”

“hehehe, being the only one getting motion sickness is so embarrassing~♡”

“Shush… Ugh…”

That’s how it was. Among our party members, I was the only one feeling nauseous. Including the other party members over there. According to Erwin, the magic user’s words…

– It seems like you’re experiencing severe nausea because you lack either stamina or mana…

Yeah. It’s because my stats are crap. If either stamina or mana were at a certain level, it would have been fine. But looks like I couldn’t meet the requirements for both.

‘There’s no way I have stamina and mana at level 100…’

I need to find something quickly and get stronger, so that I can avoid situations like this for real…

“The author of the heroic party is pathetic.”

Carrie muttered and passed by.

I’m already exhausted from all of this, why does it have to turn into an argument? My face unconsciously scrunches up in various unpleasant feelings. Then, Erin opened her eyes slightly and murmured.

“That kid….”

“……?”

Thinking I misheard something, I looked at Erin, and suddenly she teased me with a smirk.

“Pfft ♡ You’ve got vomit on your mouth. Gross~♡”

“…Then go get me some water.”

“…..Here you go, Alan.”

I hastily poured the water that Erin handed me onto my face and rinsed my mouth. But after throwing up once, I felt a little better…

“Are you okay, Alan?”

“Uh…”

“Come here. I’ll make you feel better.”

Still feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, I walked as if possessed by Frey’s words. Then Frey reached out and touched my shoulder slightly.

– Holy Maiden Frey activates [Cure].

Then a considerable amount of divine power manifested and surrounded my body, causing the unpleasant feeling to disappear instantly and making me feel refreshed.

“Oh.”

“hehehe, are you okay now?”

“Yeah, thank you.”

A true saint without exhibitionism… At that moment, Orland approached this way.

“Have you recovered a bit?”

“Yes, thank you for your consideration.”

“It’s okay. You see, spatial magic is known to cause significant motion sickness in ordinary people. There are even some who vomit all day long. Judging from how it ended this way, Allen seems to have good physical condition.”

Still, he is originally from a farmer village…

“Then let’s go to the conference room now, Erin. We will listen to the operation plan and then depart.”

“Okay~.”

As Erin moved, the other party members followed suit. So I tried to follow as well, but suddenly Orland halted me.

“Ah, I’m sorry, but could Allen wait outside? We plan to have a conversation between the military command and combatants only.”

Oh, I see.

I decided to attend our party meeting going forward, but as I am a porter cooperating with the warrior party on the other side and the army of the Estelle Kingdom, I didn’t feel it was appropriate for me to interfere.

I nodded. I gladly accepted, thinking I would just practice using magic during that time.

“Yes, I understand.”

I was about to understand and wait outside, when suddenly Erin said jokingly with a smirk,

“Come on in~.”

“Erin, what do you mean by that? Why would someone who is not a combatant…”

“Because that incompetent is the party leader~♡”

“…What?”

Huh?

Orlando opened his eyes wide and looked at me. Even if you look at me like that, I don’t know either…?

“Wasn’t the command limited to the previous dungeon?”

I was also puzzled and just stood there, when suddenly someone lightly tapped me on the back from behind.

“hahahahaha! That’s right, Allen! Let’s go inside!”

It was Celia. She smiled cheerfully and went in first, with Leticia following behind, gesturing impatiently.

“Let’s go inside, Allen.”

“…Uh.”

I wonder if it’s okay like this. The Monster Wave event is not a regular dungeon, so there are no standardized strategies, and it is divided into a few different strategies depending on the patterns.

If it’s a game, you can retry when the strategy fails due to a pattern, but this isn’t that kind of situation. But you’re entrusting it to me…?

Feeling slightly burdened, I followed the party members. At that moment, Orlandeau also seemed puzzled, but he didn’t say anything and followed along in the end.

The gathering of the hero party members. With me, the porter, among them, Varg expressed his confusion.

“Hmm? Isn’t Allen not a porter? Is he attending the meeting?”

“Allen is said to be the commander of Erin’s party.”

“Oh, is that so? Well, he seems to have a little wit after all.”

Thanks for your kind words, Mr. Stern.

“Commander, you say?”

Unlike Varg, who understood easily, Cale expressed his doubt.

“How can a dockworker with no combat experience be in charge as a commander?”

“Kael, we shouldn’t fuss about it.”

“But that’s absurd, right? How can a dockworker lead a party in battle?”

It is a very legitimate question. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine myself taking on such a role this time. Even though I have doubts, they won’t listen over there…

But suddenly, Erin burst into laughter and said lightly.

“The member of your party seems quite noisy~♡ By any chance, will they fight with words even in front of monsters?”

“What did you say?”

“Erin, calm down.”

Frei chuckled and said.

“Of course, they might talk a lot, but it could be their natural personality, you know? People have different personalities. We should understand that.”

While pretending to calm Erin down, her words were sharp.

Is she getting angry for me? Usually, she teases me, but now she is getting angry on my behalf. What’s the point of being angry at their behavior?

…Can’t she just be a little nicer to me normally?

“…I will apologize instead. It was Cael’s short-sightedness, so please forgive him generously.”

“……”

Cael remained silent, and Erin nodded slightly in response to Oran’s apology. Then, the two of them entered the barracks.

“It’s an honor to meet you, esteemed warriors of the Dern Empire, and your comrades.”

A man with a refined appearance, but with a body that was far from refined, entered.

“I am Commander Grinaldo of the 12th Division of the Estele Kingdom.”

…It seems that’s the kind of build you need to get to be a division commander.

“I would like to explain the outline of the operation to conquer the Monster Wave.”

“The one who devised this operation is Staff Officer Rosero of the 12th Division of the Estele Kingdom.”

“Nice to meet you~.”

Erin greeted them in a light tone and the party members and I nodded and greeted them.

“Then let me explain the mission outline. The current location of the Monster Wave is here. It’s the middle of the Rêves Blancs Mountain. Over a hundred monsters are pouring out every day, and currently the Kingdom’s army is using the Sieuxluri River as a defense line to guard this location.”

The situation doesn’t feel very good. The fact that the Sieuxluri River is located in the middle of the densely populated area, indicates that the opposite side of the river must already be an area where monsters are rampant.

“Actually, we’ve determined that it’s impossible to clear out the demons that pour down hundreds a day and make it to the kernel. So, Orlando and Erin are leading a party to bypass the road and directly strike and remove the kernel. Then, we’ll gradually eliminate the isolated demons…”

“Is that really okay? I asked, feeling doubtful.”

“If we bypass, it will take time, and the contamination in the farmland will only accelerate. This is the place responsible for the food supply of the Estelle Kingdom, so we should process it quickly to minimize the contamination.”

“…I’m sorry, but who are you? Erin’s party members are all women…”

“…I’m a porter, Allen.”

If you’re not a combatant, you’re not a party member? It’s ridiculous to handle someone whose identity is unknown.

“A porter?”

“I’m a shoddy porter, but also a party commander~

“Don’t keep calling me Commander all the time, Erin…”

Rosero initially showed a reaction similar to Orlando’s, then realized Erin was not joking and spoke.

“Ahem, I understand for now. We are also concerned about the situation you mentioned, but there’s nothing we can do about it. It is estimated that there are roughly 20,000 monsters in the northern song region since the appearance of the Colonel. Even if we delay a little more, it won’t make much difference because contamination has already occurred… Actually, even if we wait a bit longer, it won’t change significantly.”

“What? It will change a lot.”

In the game ＜Dungeon In Evil＞, there is an achievement related to the Estelle Kingdom’s monster wave event. It is to clear the contamination level in the song region to below 500. The contamination level starts precisely at 250 when the wave event begins, and at this point, if you invest sacred power for only 1-2 weeks, the land will be purified.

Even if you reach the maximum of 500, six weeks would be enough. However, beyond that, there is no solution.

If multiplication is applied to land contamination, once it reaches 700, the wheat production of the Estelle Kingdom will decrease by half for three years, and if it reaches the maximum of 1000, the land will become a permanent song region that cannot be used.

Rosero’s strategy as a staff officer is highly rational, but it’s too rational, which becomes a problem. If we consider the kingdom’s future food supply and economy, we should minimize the contamination in the song region.

“Of course, there would be a difference if we handle it quickly as you said. However, there are over 20,000 demons. Would it be faster to clear them out and reach the kernel, or would it be faster to bypass them and head straight to the kernel? Considering the time it takes to eliminate the demons, it wouldn’t make much of a difference.”

“Well…”

“I believe Colonel Rose’s opinion is right.”

At that moment, Orland interrupted. He spoke,

“The fastest way would be to take the detour route as quickly as possible, remove the kernel, and then sweep away the remaining demons without any additional reinforcements.”

“That might not be true. I mean…”

“Alan, our warriors cannot clear out all 20,000 demons so quickly. If we consider the contamination of the land, following Alan’s suggestion may be the right thing to do, but realistically, it will be a very difficult and prolonged fight. Demons will continue to pour out from the kernel, and we will be busy dealing with them.”

No, I would like him to listen to the whole story. This is not a suggestion to launch a frontal attack for no reason.

“Well, if it’s subpar, then what is your idea?”

Erin intervened at that moment, giving me an opportunity to speak, as if asking me to say something.

“Here it comes in handy, Sir Messgaki.”

“So, about 20,000 have appeared now, meaning it’s been roughly 20 days since the channel opened. Is that correct?”

“…Yes, that’s correct.”

“Then wyverns will start coming out of the channel soon. As you said, they will pour out at a rate of about a hundred per day.”

“…Really?”

Wyverns. It is indeed referring to that dragon-type monster also known by the name “flying dragon.”

It is an extremely dangerous creature capable of launching breath-based magic attacks from the sky; with its agile body and large wings, it is also quite difficult to handle due to its agility.

“It will start pouring out around the 27th or 28th, but when it does, it will be difficult to both intercept the channel and clean up the Gokchang Ji region.”

“Now, hold on. How can you say that so confidently? What evidence do you have?”

“All the monsters pouring out of the channel appear in a certain order. If you don’t believe me, look up related records; you’ll see. They generally appear in this order.”

The demon wave event always has different monsters appearing, just as it was said that the strategy varies according to the pattern. However, their types are predetermined.

“The first to appear are large quantity demons. The lower-level ones like trolls, goblins, and kobolds. And after two or three days, higher-ranking demons that gather in groups appear. Orcs, lizardmen, growly bears, and so on.”

Rose and Grinal’s expressions slightly changed as they listened to my story. It matched the order of the demons that appeared in the singing zone.

“And starting from the 10th day, there are demons that can attack from a distance while crawling on the ground. Basilisks, arachnes, hellhounds, and others appear. And now, since it’s the 20th day, demons that buff other demons will start showing up.”

“……How did you know that?”

“I told you. Regardless of the kernel, this order is predetermined.”

As I spoke with confidence, it seemed convincing. They no longer ignored my story and appeared to be listening attentively.

“And on the 27th or 28th day, flying demons appear… That’s when you might encounter a wyvern.”

In reality, it was uncertain whether they could make it or not. However, they had made it. While the event was randomized and all kinds of mobs appeared, the wyverns that appeared on the 27th or 28th were set. This was the most crucial and difficult part for users, as it determined whether they could achieve an achievement.

“You said we need to detour to the Kernel. Since I can’t use teleportation magic, I’ll ride my horse. But there will be sections of Le Blanc Mountain where we can’t ride our horses, and if we choose to detour, we’ll have to take a roundabout route outside the singing valley…”

I pointed to the distance on the map and said, following Rose’s proposed detour.

“Even if we ride continuously without rest, it will take three days. And it takes time to climb the mountain. Plus, there will definitely be hordes of monsters lurking around the canal.”

Even with a rough estimate, one week was likely not enough time.

“I can’t guarantee that we’ll make it to the canal before the wyvern appears. If we’re late and the wyvern gets mixed up among the monsters, it will be even more difficult to reclaim the singing valley. At the same time, the party of warriors who go to fight the canal will be in danger.”

Orlando listened to my explanation with a serious expression.

“What do you suggest we do then?”

“I have to break through.”

“Yes?”

When you go around the vast song region that encompasses the northeastern part of the kingdom, naturally the distance becomes greater and it takes more time.

“If we break through here in a straight line, we can reach the canal in one day at the earliest, and two days at the latest.”

It’s fine if we drive straight through.

“It’s true that we need to choose a method to deal with the canal and the monsters. However, if we choose to detour, it will take too much time, and the song region will be contaminated beyond repair. If we create a path by breaking through the canal and divide the monsters in half, and if both sides are attacked simultaneously by the royal army, at least one side will be easier to annihilate, don’t you think? Then we can handle the remaining side more smoothly.”

After hearing my story, Rose remained silent for a moment and spoke.

To be honest, I didn’t overlook the option you mentioned… the method of breaking through in a straight line. The difference in time between taking a detour and going straight ahead is so clear. But I simply couldn’t bring myself to suggest that.”

“Why?”

“Don’t we need a prerequisite condition?”

Roseuro pointed to the map.

“Over 20,000 monsters rumbling in this vast singing area.”

Roseuro asked.

“Are you saying we can break through this?”

Upon hearing the strategist’s story, I glanced around. If this world were at an extreme difficulty level of the game ‘Dungeon Evil,’ I couldn’t be sure. Since I couldn’t clear the Extreme Hell difficulty and ended up here.

“Anyway, no matter what, the party of heroes has to take risks. But if we choose a detour, the party will only fall into danger, and the likelihood of mission success is exceptionally low.”

However, one thing I was certain about. At least the performance of the hero party I selected…

“So, you should try something more likely.”

There was no need for words. It meant to be outstanding.