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Just beyond my line of sight, Rage-san and Nii-sama were locked in combat with the goblins. The attackers seemed intimidated by the disparity in strength; they were hesitant and ever so gradually retreating, putting more distance between themselves and me as I waited slightly behind them.

“…St…ruts…S…Los…”

I muttered the incantation under my breath.
…Complete. Holding it in standby… Here it comes!

“‘Vice Field’!!”

I unleashed the spell I’d just completed onto a small figure that lunged at me from behind.
Having ventured deep into the spell’s range, he was instantly knocked to the ground, writhing in pain and discomfort without even a sound.

“I’ll leave it to you—don’t let them get away!”
“Of course!”

Without a moment’s delay, Rage-san—who had been swinging his sword on the front lines just moments ago—slid in between me and them… the goblins, and began slaughtering them one after another. At the same time, after confirming that their surprise attack had failed, Sol-niisama immediately turned and gave chase to the goblins we’d been fighting, who were now trying to flee. He sliced through every last one of them, occasionally casting binding spells as he went.

We couldn’t let them get away. We couldn’t let them know that we were turning their own objective—targeting me, the “female,” to isolate and abduct me—against them.
Therefore, we used me as bait, deliberately creating an opening to lure them out and then annihilating them one by one. Our strategy was paying off, and we were steadily racking up victories.

.

.

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—This was about one hour ago.

““No way!””

The two of them flatly rejected my proposal.

“B-but, this is probably the best way to find them…”
“I’ll admit that, but you’re too much of a risk.”
“I agree. I don’t want to do something like that either.”

What I had proposed was, in short… using me as bait.

From the skirmishes so far, it had become clear that they were targeting me… or rather, women, perhaps. I sensed they were targeting us… though I’d rather not think about the reason why.

Since we were a mercenary group, it was an all-male crew, and the only woman they’d seen was Phirias-san. And the goblins, under excellent leadership, were skillfully hiding their presence and launching surprise attacks. I didn’t think we could avoid accumulating fatigue if this continued. If that happened, the longer this dragged on, the more disadvantaged we—the ones being attacked—would be. Above all, the sun was slowly setting now, and it was getting late… I thought that if we waited much longer, we’d enter the time of day when they became more active, so I made that suggestion…

I met with strong opposition from the two of them, and here we are now.

“I’ll admit it’s a valid point, but this…”
“That’s right—if we do this, you’ll be the one who ends up scared…”
“No, I’ll be fine.”

Yes, right now, I was surprisingly not feeling anxious at all. I had a valid reason not to.

“After all, I have faith in you two, Rage-san, Sol-niisama.”

I smiled at the two of them—who had now fully regained their usual selves—with unwavering trust.

.

.

.

“…I accidentally gave the OK, but I still haven’t approved it, you know.”

Nii-sama, still sulking, muttered as he jotted something down on a piece of paper.

“Don’t worry, neither do I… But it’s frustrating that there’s no doubt it worked.”

Rage-san gazed at the added notes with a serious expression. What we were looking at was a copy of a map of the surrounding area borrowed from the mayor.

“Here, here, and here are the locations where we engaged in combat…”
“So they fled in this direction?”

On the map, where we had recorded the results of several previous encounters, he had marked the locations of the skirmishes and the direction the goblins tried to flee after their ambush failed each time. Having gathered information through repeated attempts, we were confirming that direction.

“…It’s here, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, I think so too.”
“Yes. Probably.”

The three of us pointed to the same spot. At the end of their escape route lay… one of the nearby pioneer villages, now abandoned and deserted. Rumor had it that ore had once been mined there; there were even the remains of a small-scale mine, so they shouldn’t have any trouble finding a place to hide.

.

.

“Damn it! Those damn goblins… Gah!?”

On our way to their destination, a human’s angry shout carried on the wind. At the same time, we heard the sound of hard objects clashing and the clamor of a struggle.

“…Did you hear that just now?”
“Yeah, it looks like they’re already in the thick of a battle… and they’re at a significant disadvantage, too.”

…Normally, we’d have scouted their main camp and waited for the rest of the team to arrive, but this changed things considerably. We broke into a run… Sol-niisama carried me—since I’m slow on my feet—and we rushed to the abandoned village, where the battle had already begun.

We hid behind a tree so as not to be noticed by those in the midst of battle. In our line of sight, there was a mercenary with a bow—who appeared to be shielding a wounded comrade—and two men wielding swords.

“…I recognize that guy.”

Sol-niisama muttered grumpily. Yes, the archer with ash-gray hair—the one providing cover—was the man who had grabbed me by the collar and acted like a bully in the dining hall; he was their leader. And ahead of them were goblins armed with bows, positioned on the rooftops, and…

“Damn it… That’s a High Goblin, isn’t it?”
“Yeah, and it’s the leader, too…”

The ones they were facing weren’t just ordinary goblins. They were a higher-tier species, enhanced by sorcery… with blood-red markings covering its entire body and a steel-colored, muscular physique—a creature that was probably even bigger than Rage-san.

—What should we do? The two of them asked me with their eyes.

…Honestly, I couldn’t say I had any warm feelings toward those mercs after what happened this morning. But seeing him shielding his comrades with his back, desperately nocking an arrow and engaging in battle…

“Let’s help him. For now, he’s one of us.”

I said it without hesitation.

“…Alright, so what do we do?”

They must not have doubted that I’d answer that way, because they immediately began discussing our plan.

“I’ll take care of the archer on the roof.”
“Do you have some kind of clever plan?”
“No, nothing that elaborate.”

Sol-niisama grinned defiantly. With a sharp “clang,” he drew his sword from its sheath, flapped the wings on his back, and broke free from the bonds of gravity.

“I’m used to these now. I’ve moved this body plenty, even if we had the system assist before. Once you get the hang of it, it’s no big deal. Alright then, I’ll leave that High Goblin to you.”

I didn’t ask if he could actually do it. With a single flap of his wings, he soared high into the sky before my very eyes.

“……That guy never ceases to amaze me…… Alright, let’s go, Iris. Watch my back.”
“Yes, I’ll take care of it!”

We, too, burst out from behind the tree where we’d been hiding. Rage-san quickly pulled ahead at an incredible speed. And Sol-niisama had already reached the top of the first building.

…Amazing. Sure, I was floating before, on the night of the monster attack, but Sol-niisama’s flight was something else entirely—he soared freely through the sky and pounced on them atop the roof. Caught off guard by the sudden assault from an unexpected direction, the unprepared goblins were scattered before they could react, falling lifelessly from the roof to the ground one after another.

When I looked back down, Rage-san had already reached the High Goblin’s grotesque form and had begun fighting it.

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.

The High Goblin Leader’s greatsword, which was just about to come crashing down, was deflected at the very last moment by Rage-san’s sword. Unable to withstand the force of that high-speed blow, it veered off its original path and slammed into the empty ground beside him.

“!?!?!?!?!?”

The leader’s eyes widened in shock at Rage-san’s sudden appearance.

“Hey, looks like somebody’s having a hard time against some ‘goblins,’ huh? We’re here to help.”
“W-what? You guys… those kids from this morning…!”

They flinched for a moment, but—perhaps remembering their current predicament—they dragged the injured man back. We finally caught up to them.

“I’ll heal you now—‘Area Heal’!”

The moment my staff touched the ground, a soft light enveloped the injured man’s feet, and his wounds vanished before their very eyes.

“This is…”
“A-amazing…”

Watching the wounds close before their very eyes, these men—who were supposed to be hardened fighters—were left speechless… I thought that once things settled down, I should learn the basics of healing magic in this world. But right now, that was the last thing on my mind.

“Please stand if you can. Rage-san will hold off that leader. …Protect me, please. I beg you.”

Enemies were swarming out from all around us. With Sol-niisama and Rage-san already having their hands full, I had no way to defend myself. So I turned to them for help. They were taken aback—they hadn’t expected me to bow my head so readily…

“…Tch. It’s for the job—not for you.”

The man from this morning was the first to spring into action. He nocked an arrow and fired it at the enemy closest to him. Barely pausing to confirm that the arrow had pierced the target squarely between the eyebrows, he nocked another. His seamless movements demonstrated his skill, and I found myself staring at him in awe.

“…Thank you.”
“Shut up! It’s common sense to protect a healer on the battlefield, you stupid brat!”

Just as I found myself thanking him with a smile—as if I were watching something endearing—an arrow fired along with his angry shout pierced the brow of yet another goblin.

“Power Enchant.” “Speed Enchant.” “Concentrate” and “Regenerate.” Loaded with every enhancement spell I could think of, they swiftly eliminated the enemies closing in on me, all the while marveling at the boost to their own abilities.

As I stood there, out of breath from continuously casting support spells, a small vial was quietly held out before me.

“It’d be a problem if a healer runs out of mana. Drink up.”

After brusquely shoving it into my hands, he swiftly nocked an arrow and shot down yet another figure closing in on us. ……It occurred to me—these guys were pretty skilled… weren’t they? As I sipped what seemed to be a mana potion, pondering this, the man next to me—who had been firing arrow after arrow—spoke up.

“We’re new recruits.”

I was a little surprised by those words. Given what happened with Walter and the others, “new recruits” at this level must mean they’re truly exceptional.

“I was pretty confident back home, too. No one could beat me at hunting. I thought I was unbeatable with a bow. But when I got cocky and knocked on the door here, I turned out to be nothing special. I managed to pass the entrance exam, but deep down, I’ve been sulking ever since.”

He continued his monologue while calmly firing arrow after arrow.

“…Sorry about that. Sorry for badmouthing your friends. And for scaring you. You’re not good with guys, are you?”

A muttered apology escaped his lips. As I stared blankly at him, he said:

“Name’s Vice.”

With just those words, he walked away without so much as a glance back at me.

“…Hey, you! What the hell are you doing sneaking off on your own!?”
“Shut up! Focus on what’s right in front of you!!”

He returned to the battle lines amid a commotion. Even from behind, I could tell his face was flushed red all the way to his ears, and despite the circumstances, a chuckle escaped me. I felt as if something warm was filling my chest.

As for Rage-san, he was putting up a fight that looked completely under control.
While the High Goblin seemed to have the edge in physical ability—particularly strength and explosive power—Rage-san was outmaneuvering him by making full use of his unique footwork.

Rage-san, who was originally the heir to a swordsmanship dojo… Rage-san had been made to practice the basic footwork so intensively during his childhood—to the point where he’d often come to me whining—that it was considered “the foundation and the ultimate secret of all techniques.” In Japan, his footwork was just fast enough that I could barely keep up with it from a distance, but here, channeled through Rage-san’s body—endowed with extraordinary physical abilities—it was wreaking havoc with a speed and sharpness that were now beyond my ability to track. One moment he darts to the right, the next he cuts through to the left; before you know it, he’s behind you even though you thought you’d clashed head-on. The High Goblin could barely keep up with him and was taking a nearly one-sided barrage of attacks… but.

“Damn, this guy really is tough!”

Rage-san grumbled. Even though it was a fine weapon, Rage-san’s sword—being only intermediate-level equipment—couldn’t sever the High Goblin’s iron-like skin in a single stroke. It might be a different story if he used “Arsley, the Destructive Sword,” but he hesitated to use it without first considering the potential side effects. Rage-san kept slipping through the enemy’s openings, repeatedly thrusting his weapon as the white light of the “Vice Weapon” flashed and a loud “Gaaang!” echoed. Every time that light flickered, the High Goblin’s massive body staggered.
But that only happened a dozen or so times. Finally, a sharp cracking sound rang out as a crack appeared in its iron-colored body. A fissure formed around its solar plexus, and blood gushed out from the gap.

A ferocious expression flashed across Rage-san’s face. Adopting a low, twisting stance, he delivered a lightning-fast slash—so fast the eye couldn’t follow—to the flat of the High Goblin’s massive sword, which had been swung down in a fit of panic.

“GAAAAAAAN!!” With a deafening clang of metal—a sound so loud it was hard to believe it came from a single person’s sword—the High Goblin’s sword was sent flying upward. This created a split-second opening. With fluid grace, he drew the blade close to his body, positioning the single-edged greatsword with the spine facing down. He placed his left hand beneath the blade as if aiming—like a launch pad—while his right hand lightly gripped the pommel and pulled it back as far as it would go. A pale blue light began to glow on Rage-san’s sword as he assumed a thrusting stance.

However, the High Goblin’s movement began just a fraction of a second before the charge was complete. Having somehow regained his composure, he brought his sword down from a high guard…

—Now!

“‘Solid Ray’!!”

The wall of light I unleashed deflected that strike. The downward swing, delivered with all his might, was blocked by the impenetrable barrier, and as his arm snapped back, his body was left completely exposed.

“This is the end… ‘Flash Bloom’!!”

A lightning-fast thrust flashed by, and the sword—shrouded in a blue-glowing fighting spirit—plunged deep into the High Goblin’s torso, which had been cracked open and stripped of its impenetrable armor. The immense fighting spirit from the blade surged without reserve into its soft interior; no matter how hard the outer skin might be, there was no way to resist the explosion erupting from within. With a jolt, its massive body convulsed, then, bleeding from its eyes and nose, it collapsed to the ground with a rumble.

Just before that happened, Rage-san pulled the sword out, flicked off the blood, and at that very moment, Sol-niisama—who had just wiped out all the archers on the roof—descended beside me. I ran over, raised both hands, and with a satisfying *clap*, our hands met on either side of me.

.

“All right, now for the mop-up. Let’s go, everyone!”

Vice-san and the others—who were supposedly new recruits—began chasing after the fleeing goblins, determined to eliminate the remaining ones. That’s right, it wasn’t over yet. We, too, began to follow after them.

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.

.

……Something was off. Even though we’d seemingly defeated their leader, there didn’t seem to be enough desperation in the way they were fleeing… No way!

“Wait, something’s wrong…!?”

A chill ran down my spine. “Eagle Eye”—I cast the vision-enhancing spell on myself.

…There it was. In the distance, barely visible, was something enormous that hadn’t been there a moment ago. It looked familiar. It was definitely a raid boss that had existed since the very earliest days of the level cap… And all around it—in the trees, on the cliffs—small figures were swarming that shouldn’t have been there a moment ago. It was as if this were…

“A bait ambush…!?”

The name of that tactic, buried deep in my memory, slipped out.

“What!?”
“Hey, you guys, fall back…!”

At those words, the two who had just noticed the new enemy let out panicked cries.

A trap where a decoy lures the enemy into a dangerous position. I never imagined they’d resort to something like this! Our attempt to stop them was a split second too late—even we, standing in the rear, had already stepped into range…!

“――!? RUN AWAAAAYYYY!!?”

My scream echoed hollowly through the air. A particularly massive goblin, easily over 4 meters tall… A Goblin General, a raid boss in the game—brought its hand down, and at the same time, countless whooshing sounds emanated from the goblins surrounding us. Looking up at the sky, I saw countless small black shadows… countless arrows were raining down, swarming us.

In an instant, Sol-niisama scooped me up, planted his shield into the ground, and crouched low. Similarly, Rage-san thrust his greatsword into the ground like a shield to hide me.

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…The new recruits from the mercenary corps, who had already dashed a few steps ahead, had nothing to protect them; they were simply standing there, dazed, about to expose themselves to the rain of arrows.

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……Once again, a life was about to be snuffed out right before my eyes. And this time, it wasn’t even an enemy—it was those people I’d only just managed to have a proper conversation with a moment ago……

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Before I could even think, my body and my mouth were already moving.

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――During this battle, we had been saving the Protection spell—with its long cooldown—exclusively for me; we hadn’t used Wide Protection, and Rage-san and Sol-niisama had been fighting without any protection. No, they had no choice but to fight. Because――

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“――‘Let there be light that repels all malice and protects us’……”

An incantation—different from the system normally used in this world—flowed smoothly from my lips.

“……What!?”
“Stop it…… not ‘here’!?”
“……‘Wide Protection’!”

My usual habit—training my body to use it instinctively—backfired, and I reflexively completed the entire incantation. Immediately afterward, a rain of countless arrows poured down upon us. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a saturation attack from which few would survive.

—However, when the rain of arrows ceased, not a single one of them had been injured. That’s because a thin membrane of brilliant white light was enveloping all of us.

The world was enveloped in a radiant golden glow. Countless feathers danced through the air in that light, which blessed and embraced all living things.

—Yes… a spell exclusive to the Lightwing Race, one that can only be used while their wings are extended. This is a spell that only I can cast.

“What…!?”

Suspecting the light coming from behind them, they turned around—their expressions and voices filled with shock. I’d finally been exposed to public view. A sense of panic washed over me—I’d done something irreversible.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”
“A… Lightwing…!?”

Where their gaze fell—on my back—wings shone brilliantly, fluttering in the light.

***

Iris has finally been exposed to the locals. I wonder what will happen now?
Mr. Vice might have become a little too nice.

Please assume that whenever a “spell name” is listed, the incantation has been omitted.