[Sudut Pandang Lain] Keterkejutan Orto - 11

[Sudut Pandang Lain] Keterkejutan Orto

Bangsawan itu ya sama saja.

Entah itu bangsawan korup, bangsawan hidung belang, atau bangsawan yang cuma besar kepala karena harga diri tak berguna, semuanya hina.

Aku sudah beberapa kali dapat pekerjaan dari bangsawan. Tapi tak pernah sekalipun aku bekerja dengan bangsawan yang baik. Mungkin mereka baik menurut standar bangsawan, tapi dari sudut pandangku, mereka sampah.

Biar pun dibawa-bawa segala macam retorika, biar pun dibawa-bawa harga diri bangsawan, pada akhirnya mereka cuma lindungi diri sendiri dan utamakan kepentingan bangsawan dan kerajaan.

Nasib dan keamanan rakyat? Hanya afterthought.

Semua ini mungkin karena diskriminasi antara bangsawan dan rakyat jelata akibat perbedaan kelas. Itulah penyebab rasa tak nyaman yang selalu kurasakan tiap bertemu bangsawan. Maksudku, setiap bangsawan memandang rendah rakyat jelata, terutama yang berisiko tinggi seperti petualang.

Itu pendapat yang disetujui sebagian besar petualang dan pedagang yang pernah bicara dengan bangsawan.

"Huh. Mereka minta aku jadi baby sitter untuk bocah bangsawan?"

Makanya, saat pertama kali dapat permintaan ini, aku sama sekali tak tertarik. Kawan-kawanku juga sama. Aku cuma menerima permintaan dari Keluarga Marquis karena berencana tinggal lama di Wilayah Marquis Fertio, jadi tak punya pilihan selain menerima daripada diusir sebelum waktunya.

Karena prasangka lama itulah aku kaget saat pertama kali bertemu dia.

"Anda pasti Tuan Orto? Nama saya Van Ney Fertio. Kudengar Anda dengan ramah menerima permintaanku jadi pengawal. Saya ucapkan terima kasih sebesar-besarnya."

Dia menyapa dengan sopan, dan tanpa sengaja aku menjabat tangannya secara normal sementara masih bingung dengan sapaan itu.

"Oh, anu. Ya, senang bertemu denganmu juga, Tuanku."

Saat kujawab begitu, bocah kecil bernama Van itu menatap kami dengan penuh minat.

"Anda kelihatan kuat. Armormya yang penuh bekas pertempuran keren, dan senjatanya besar. Apa tidak berat?"

Dia bertanya begitu, dan aku menjawab dengan bingung.

"Tidak… maksudku iya! Iya, benar. Makin berat senjata, makin kuat, jadi…"

Saat kukatakan itu dengan terbata-bata, Van mengangguk beberapa kali dan menatap anggota kelompok lainnya.

Anggota lain jadi cukup risih karena Van menghujani mereka dengan berbagai pertanyaan. Aku melihat adegan itu dengan linglung, tapi akhirnya tanpa sadar aku tertawa.

Aku bingung, aku sudah bersiap karena pemberi tugas adalah bangsawan, tapi entah bagaimana aku malah jadi pengawal bocah normal yang ramah. Aku harus berhenti menggunakan bahasa formal agar tak secara tak sengaja membuatku konyol dengan bicara terlalu sopan pada anak kecil.

Dengan pikiran itu, aku pergi berdiskusi rute perjalanan dengan kontraktorku.

Begitulah, dua minggu telah berlalu. Kesan saya tentang bangsawan berubah total. Tidak, saya yakin pria ini pengecualian di antara bangsawan.

Aku hanya bersamanya sebentar, tapi aku sangat suka bocah ini. Kalau Van dalam masalah, aku takkan ragu membantunya.

Tapi aku masih belum sepenuhnya mengerti Van.

Van menjadi penguasa desa kecil. Tempat yang dulunya wilayah bangsawan lain. Bangsawan mana pun akan menganggapnya repot dan beberapa akan menolak jadi penguasanya.

Namun Van mempertaruhkan nyawa untuk memenuhi tanggung jawab bangsawan meski dipaksa menerima tempat seperti ini. Dia memilih mengorbankan diri untuk melindungi wilayah dan rakyatnya.

Yang mengejutkanku, bukan cuma wilayah dan rakyatnya yang Van pertimbangkan. Nyawa para ksatria, pensiunan pengurus, bahkan pelayan dan anak-anak budak semuanya diperhitungkan.

Bagian paling konyol adalah, saat dengar kami petualang tak bisa mempertaruhkan nyawa, dia mengusulkan rencana di mana tak ada yang mati. Satu-satunya orang yang rela dia korbankan adalah dirinya sendiri.

"…Dia benar-benar orang aneh."

Saat aku bergumam begitu tentang kejadian itu, seorang kawan di dekatku tertawa keras.

"Kalau Orto menolak permintaan bocah itu saat itu, aku tetap akan memilih mempertaruhkan nyawa di pertempuran yang akan datang."

Ya, Van itu spesial. Kau tak bisa biarkan bangsawan seperti itu mati di pelosok ini. Kalau bisa, aku ingin bocah itu jadi raja."

Rekanku mengatakan itu dengan nada bercanda. Aku menanggapinya dengan sedikit senyum sebelum mulai menatap desa.

Tembok pertahanan sudah berdiri. Tingginya sekitar tiga meter dan panjang sepuluh meter. Aku tak menyangka kepala pelayan tua itu penyihir sekaliber itu.

Biasanya, penyihir empat elemen yang bisa bertarung sehebat itu takkan jadi kepala pelayan, pasti ada keadaan tertentu.

Saat aku melamun, kulihat panah dari rekanku, tombak air Pluriel, bahkan bongkahan batu meluncur ke arah musuh dalam hujan mematikan.

Meski cuma inisiator serangan kejutan dua langkah, gempuran dahsyat itu hampir bisa mengalahkan musuh sendirian.

"Ayo! Mulai serangan!"

Aku berteriak dan menjejak tanah, kawan-kawan mengikuti di belakang. Di sisi berlawanan, kulihat para ksatria berlari bersamaku.

"Hah? Hei, mereka menyerang kita!"

Salah satu dari mereka sadar, tapi terlambat. Perisai yang mereka pegang murahan. Kuayunkan pedang ke perisai itu. Perisai hancur, dan saat pecah, pedang melanjutkan lintasan, menebas diagonal dari bahu pria itu hingga ke samping tubuhnya.

Darah segar menari di udara, kawan-kawanku juga mengepung dan menebas para penjarah satu per satu. Kami harus cepat menghabisi mereka, kalau tidak mereka akan mulai melawan dan menyebabkan korban yang bisa dicegah.

Musuh di kiri dan kanan memegang busur dan panah di awal pertempuran, jadi mereka lambat menyiapkan diri untuk pertarungan jarak dekat. Di celah ini, kami harus mengayunkan pedang tanpa henti.

Berkat dukungan serangan jarak jauh, kami melenyapkan musuh dengan kecepatan tak terduga.

Melirik, kulihat para ksatria di sisi lain juga sama baiknya. Terutama Dee, yang bisa menggunakan pedang besar luar biasa seolah ukuran normal. Kekuatan hancur pedang yang bisa memotong baju besi seperti kertas itu sangat berpengaruh di medan perang.

Bahkan, gaya bertarung Dee yang tak biasa membuat beberapa penjarah terpaku karena takut, bahkan ada yang mulai lari.

"Chi! Monster macam apa yang ada di tempat seperti ini…!"

Saat mata Dee mengamati medan perang, salah satu pria besar yang tadi berjaga di depan desa berbalik dan mulai lari.

Dia menuju ke arah kelompok penyerang jarak jauh.

"Hei! Hentikan! Hentikan bajingan itu!"

Aku berteriak sambil memenggal kepala pria berjanggut di depanku, tapi tak ada yang bisa membantu karena mereka sibuk dengan musuh di depan.

Ini tidak bagus.

Kelompok jarak jauh mungkin tak bisa melihat musuh mendekat sampai terlambat karena bersembunyi di balik tembok tanah.

Kalau dia terlalu dekat, busur dan sihir tim penyerang tak bisa digunakan efektif, meninggalkan mereka rentan.

"Sial! Awas! Musuh mendekat! Aku berteriak sambil menangkis pedang yang mendekat.

Tapi tanpa ampun, tak ada panah atau sihir yang diarahkan ke pria yang mendekat itu sama sekali. Mereka tak sadar.

Saat Pluriel mengucap mantra di balik tembok pertahanan, tiba-tiba dia melihat sosok besar tak dikenal di sudut pandangannya.

Seorang musuh.

Dia sadar bahaya saat itu, tapi mantranya sudah selesai dan aktif. Tembakan berikutnya baru bisa dilakukan sepuluh detik lagi.

Tidak ada waktu.

Pria besar itu mengarahkan mata merahnya ke arahnya dan menyerbu dengan kapak di tangan.

Dia akan membunuhku!

Saat itu juga, dua sosok kecil muncul di depannya.

"Tuan Van!"

Aku tak bisa menahan memanggil bangsawan itu dengan gelarnya. Itu tak pada tempatnya, tapi entah kenapa, itu yang pertama terlintas. (Red: Rip Kamsin, diabaikan total.)

"Ke sini, pegulat kelas berat!"

Van berteriak dengan kata-kata tak jelas dan lari sambil merendah. Bocah budak itu mengikuti, mendekat dengan pedang siap.

Bunuh diri.

Ini bukan lawan yang bisa dihadapi dua anak kecil.

Tapi, berlawanan dengan kekhawatirannya, mereka berkoordinasi dengan baik dan tampak bisa mengimbangi penjarah kekar itu.

Van berguling di tanah menghindari ayunan kapak, diikuti beberapa tebasan di bagian belakang lutut penjarah yang tak terjaga dengan pedangnya. Dia melanjutkan berguling sampai melewati selangkangan lawan, lalu berdiri. Cara bertarungnya tak seperti bangsawan, tapi gerakannya brilian dan halus.

"Gah!"

Anak budak itu mengejar pria besar yang kesakitan dan panik hingga kehilangan keseimbangan. Dia melompat, menggunakan kapak penjarah yang jatuh sebagai pijakan, dan dengan ahli menebas leher pria itu.

Aku masih dalam keadaan putus asa bahkan setelah pria itu jatuh, tapi Van sudah bergerak menyelesaikan masalah pertempuran lainnya.

"Ada kemungkinan musuh akan berkonsentrasi di sini! Jangan lengah!"

Meski kami lebih senior, kami segera mengikuti instruksi anak yang mungkin berusia di bawah sepuluh tahun.

Siapa sebenarnya anak ini?

Dengan pertanyaan itu, aku fokus kembali pada pertempuran.

Chapter 11: [Another Perspective] Orto's Surprise

Nobles are all the same.

Whether it's a corrupt noble, a womanizing noble, or a noble puffed up with useless pride—they're all contemptible.

I've taken jobs from several nobles over the years. But I've never worked with a decent one. No, maybe they're decent by noble standards, but from where I stand, they're just trash.

You can throw around all sorts of rhetoric, you can bring up noble pride all you want—in the end, they protect themselves and prioritize the interests of royalty and aristocracy.

The livelihood and safety of common people? An afterthought.

This is probably all because of the class divide, the discrimination between nobles and commoners. It's the reason I always feel uncomfortable whenever I meet a noble. Every single one of them looks down on commoners, especially volatile ones like adventurers.

That's something most adventurers and merchants who've dealt with nobility would agree on.

"Huh. They want me to babysit some noble brat?"

That's why, when I first got this request, I wasn't interested at all. My companions felt the same way. I only accepted the job from the Marquis family because I'd planned to stay in Marquis Fertio's territory for a while—I had no choice but to accept, or risk getting kicked out early.

It was because of those long-held preconceptions that I was shocked when I first met him.

"You must be Mister Orto, right? I'm Van Ney Fertio. I've been told you graciously accepted my request to be my escort. I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart."

He greeted me politely, and before I knew it, I was shaking his hand normally, still thrown off by his greeting.

"Oh, uh. Yeah, nice to meet you too, my lord."

When I responded, the little boy named Van looked at us with interest.

"You look strong. Your battle-scarred armor is cool, and your weapons are huge. Aren't they heavy?"

He asked me that, and I answered, puzzled.

"No… I mean yes! Yes, that's right. The heavier a weapon, the more powerful it is, so…"

When I said that, stumbling over my words, Van nodded a few times and looked at the other party members.

The others got pretty flustered as Van bombarded them with various questions. I watched the scene for a while in a daze, but eventually I found myself laughing without meaning to.

I was baffled. I'd braced myself because the client was a noble, but somehow I ended up being the escort of a lovable, normal kid. I'd have to stop using formal speech so I didn't accidentally make a fool of myself talking up to a child.

With that in mind, I went to discuss the travel route with my contractor.

Just like that, two weeks passed. My impression of nobles had completely changed. No—I'm certain this guy is an exception among nobles.

I've only been around him for a short time, but I really like the kid. If Van were in trouble, I wouldn't hesitate to help him.

But I still don't quite understand Van yet.

Van became the lord of a tiny village. A place that used to be another noble's territory. Any other noble would think it's a hassle, and some would refuse to become its lord.

But Van risked his life to fulfill his responsibilities as a noble even though he was forced to take such a place. He chose to sacrifice himself to protect his domain and his people.

To my surprise, it wasn't just the territory and its people that Van considered. The lives of his knights, retired steward, even maids and slave children—all taken into account.

The most ridiculous part of it all was that when he heard we adventurers couldn't risk our lives, he proposed a plan where no one would die. The only person he was willing to sacrifice was himself.

"…He's a strange one, really."

When I muttered that about the deployment, a nearby companion laughed loudly.

"If Orto had refused the kid's request at that moment, I still would've chosen to risk my life in the coming battle."

Yeah, Van's something special. You can't let a noble like that die in this backwater. If I could, I'd want that little boy to be king."

My companion said that in a joking tone. I responded with a slight smile before gazing at the village.

The defensive wall was already in place. About three meters high and ten meters long. I never expected that old butler to be a magician of such impressive caliber.

Normally, a four-element magician who could fight like that wouldn't be a butler—there must be some circumstances I don't know about.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I saw arrows fired by my companions, Pluriel's water spear, and even chunks of stone heading toward the enemy in a deadly barrage.

Even though it was just the opening move for a two-step surprise attack, the ferocious barrage almost looked like it could rout the enemy on its own.

"Let's go! Begin the assault!"

I yelled and kicked off the ground, my friends close behind. On the opposite flank, I could see the knights running alongside me.

"Huh? Hey, they're charging at us!"

One of them noticed, but it was too late. The shields they held were cheap garbage. I swung my sword down on one. The shield shattered, and as it broke, my sword continued its trajectory, slashing diagonally from the man's shoulder down to his side.

Fresh blood sprayed through the air. My companions surrounded and cut down the raiders one after another. We had to finish them quickly, otherwise they'd mount resistance and cause preventable casualties.

The enemies on the left and right had been holding bows and arrows at the start of the engagement, so they'd be slow to rearm for melee combat. In this window of opportunity, we had to keep swinging without rest.

Thanks to support from long-range attacks, we eliminated enemies at an unexpectedly fast rate.

Glancing over, I saw the knights on the other side doing just as well. Especially Dee, who wielded an incredibly massive sword as if it were normal-sized. The destructive power of that blade—cutting through armor like paper—was hugely influential on the battlefield.

In fact, Dee's unusual fighting style caused some raiders to freeze in fear, with some even starting to flee.

"Tch! What's a monster like that doing in a place like this…!"

And as Dee's eyes swept the battlefield, one of the large men who'd been standing guard at the front of the village turned and started running.

He was heading toward where the long-range strike group was positioned.

"Hey! Stop! Someone stop that bastard!"

I screamed as I chopped off a bearded man's head in front of me, but no one was in a position to help—they were all occupied with enemies in front of them.

This wasn't good.

The long-range group might not see the enemy approaching until too late because they were crouching behind the earthen barrier.

If he got too close, the strike team's bows and magic couldn't be used effectively, leaving them vulnerable.

"Damn it! Look out! Enemy approaching!"

I shouted while parrying an incoming sword.

But mercilessly, no arrows or sorcery were directed at the approaching man at all. They hadn't noticed.

While Pluriel was chanting behind the defensive wall, she suddenly spotted a large figure at the edge of her vision.

An enemy.

She recognized the danger in that moment, but her magic had already finished casting and activated. The next shot could only be fired in ten seconds.

There was no time.

The large man turned his bloodshot eyes toward her and charged, axe in hand.

He's going to kill me!

Just as she thought that, two small figures appeared in front of her.

"Master Van!"

I couldn't help but call the noble by his title. It was out of place, but for some reason, it was the first thing that came to mind. (T.N.: Rip Kamsin, completely ignored.)

"Over here, you heavyweight wrestler!"

Van shouted incomprehensible words and ran while staying low to the ground. The slave boy followed suit, approaching with sword at the ready.

Suicidal.

This wasn't an opponent two children could handle.

But contrary to her worries, they coordinated unexpectedly well and seemed able to match the muscular raider.

Van rolled on the ground to avoid an axe swing, following up with several slashes to the unprotected back of the raider's knees with his sword. He continued rolling until he passed under the opponent's crotch, then stood up. The way he fought was unlike a noble, but his movements were brilliant and refined nonetheless.

"Gah!"

The slave child chased after the large man, who was in pain and panic, off balance. He leaped, using the raider's fallen axe as a foothold, and expertly slashed the man's neck.

I was still in a state of shock even after the man fell, but Van had already moved on to resolving other battlefield issues.

"There's a chance the enemy will concentrate here! Don't let your guard down!"

Despite our seniority, we immediately followed the instructions of a child who couldn't have been older than ten.

Who the hell is this kid?

With that question in mind, I refocused on the battle at hand.

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Author is a multi-talented Indonesian artist, writer, and content creator. Born in December 1987, she grew up in a village in Bogor Regency, where she developed a deep appreciation for the arts. Her unconventional journey includes working as a professional parking attendant before pursuing higher education. Fajar holds a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Nusamandiri University, demonstrating her ability to excel in both creative and technical fields. She is currently working as an IT professional at a private hospital in Jakarta while actively sharing her thoughts, artwork, and experiences on various social media platforms.

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