I’m a Doorman at an Assassin’s Hotel

Escorted by the Rohirrim knights, we quickly left the palace and headed toward the orc settlement. Along the way, images of grotesque orc faces and massive weapons kept flashing through my mind, leaving me increasingly uneasy.

"Can we really handle this?" I muttered under my breath, trying to strike up a conversation with Ilresa to ease my nerves.

"Stop whining," she snapped without even turning her head. "Get your weapon ready. The coming fight won't show any mercy."

The Rohirrim knights stopped at the edge of a series of hills. Their leader pointed toward a dense forest in the distance. "The orc settlement lies deep within that forest. We'll stay here to monitor the area and ensure no additional enemies approach."

I glanced at the dark forest ahead, then back at the knights' indifferent expressions, and couldn't help but mutter, "So, you're saying the two of us are supposed to take out an entire group of orcs?"

"We'll provide necessary support, but this is your trial battle after all," the leader replied with a slight wave of his hand, signaling his men to take up defensive positions.

Ilresa didn't hesitate and headed straight toward the forest. Gritting my teeth, I could only summon my courage and follow her.

The air grew heavier as we ventured deeper into the forest, with the dense canopy blocking out nearly all light. Broken armor, shattered weapons, and dried blood littered the ground, evidence of fierce battles fought here in the past.

"These orcs don't seem like your average opponents," I said quietly, scanning our surroundings nervously.

Ilresa halted and raised a hand to signal silence. Drawing a dagger from her belt, she said in a low voice, "There's movement ahead. Stay alert."

We moved forward cautiously and soon spotted a campsite. The flickering firelight illuminated a group of orcs, their rough and guttural voices filling the air as they conversed. Their weapons gleamed ominously in the firelight.

"So, what's the plan?" I whispered.

A cold gleam flashed in Ilresa's eyes. "You distract them. I'll take care of their leader."

"W-what?" I stared at her, wide-eyed. "You're asking me to go on a suicide mission?"

She didn't answer. Without another word, she slipped into the shadows and disappeared from sight.

"She's insane," I muttered through clenched teeth. Taking a deep breath, I picked up a rock from the ground and hurled it toward the center of the camp.

Thud! The sound of the rock hitting the ground immediately drew the orcs' attention. They rose to their feet, scanning the area warily.

"All right, hope this works," I mumbled as I raised my gun and fired a shot into the air.

The gunshot echoed through the forest, and the orcs roared in fury, charging in my direction. Turning on my heel, I bolted, silently cursing myself for taking on this damned mission.

While the orcs chased after me, I heard the muffled sounds of blades sinking into flesh from the other side of the camp. Moments later, Ilresa emerged from the shadows, her movements swift and deadly. Her dagger flashed like lightning, and several orcs fell before they could even react.

"Nice work!" I couldn't help but shout, continuing to run in the opposite direction to draw the remaining orcs away.

"Shut up and focus!" Ilresa's cold voice cut through the chaos, not loud but sharp enough to pierce through the clamor.

I ran as fast as I could, the crunch of leaves underfoot mixing with the orcs' enraged roars and heavy footfalls behind me. They were furious at my provocation, their every step pounding into the ground with seismic intensity.

"Why is it always me as the bait?" I grumbled, glancing back to check how far behind they were.

Just then, a low hum reached my ears. I turned my head to see an orc archer raising a crossbow, its bolt aimed straight at me.

"Damn it!" I shouted, diving behind a large tree.

Thwack! The bolt narrowly missed my ear and embedded itself in the trunk.

"Hey, Ilresa! Are you done over there?" I shouted toward the other side of the forest, gasping for air.

"Not yet!" Her calm voice replied, accompanied by the clash of blades.

Gritting my teeth, I raised my gun and fired at the orcs pursuing me. Bang! One of them collapsed, but the others only hesitated for a moment before resuming their chase.

"You guys are way too persistent!" I cursed, breaking into a run again. My foot caught on something, and I went sprawling to the ground.

The orcs burst into triumphant laughter, clearly convinced I was as good as dead.

"No way I'm going down like this!" I growled, rolling over and grabbing my gun, ready for one last stand.

At that moment, a cold voice rang out above me. "You're such a pain."

I looked up to see Ilresa leap down from a tree, landing gracefully between me and the orcs like a predator stalking its prey. Her dagger moved in a blur, the flashes of its blade reflecting the moonlight. The leading orcs fell before they could even react.

The remaining orcs hesitated briefly, stunned by her ferocity, but quickly roared in anger and charged.

"Get up!" Ilresa barked, blocking a massive battle axe with her dagger in one swift motion.

Scrambling to my feet, I raised my gun and fired at the nearest orc. Bang! The shot sent its head snapping back, and it crumpled to the ground.

We stood back to back, facing the ever-growing number of enemies. My heart pounded so hard it felt like it might burst out of my chest. "Ilresa, how many of these guys are there?"

"Don't ask. Just kill them all," she replied icily, her voice laced with lethal intent. Her movements remained precise and graceful, each strike fatal.

The battle raged on amidst the trees, gunshots, roars, and the clash of blades echoing through the forest. The air grew thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood.

Finally, when the last orc fell, the forest fell into an eerie silence. My arms ached so much I could barely lift them, and I leaned against a tree, gasping for breath as I surveyed the carnage around us.

Ilresa sheathed her dagger and turned to me, her expression as cold as ever. "If you hold me back like this again, I won't save you next time."

Wiping the sweat from my face, I forced a weak smile. "Thanks for saving me, but… do you have to be so harsh?"

She ignored me and started walking deeper into the forest.

I sighed and dragged my exhausted body after her. "Hey, can we at least take a break? Aren't you tired?"

Without turning around, she replied coldly, "Tired? You're here to complete a mission, not have a picnic."

As I trudged after her, I silently vowed to start working on my fitness. If this continued, I wouldn't even make it back alive, let alone finish the mission.

The forest began to brighten as we pressed on, and a clearing came into view. In the distance, an old stone bridge spanned a rushing river. Beyond the bridge, nestled in the mountains, was a small village. Figures could be seen moving along the narrow paths winding through it.

"What's that place?" I asked, pointing at the village in the distance.

Ilresa stopped and frowned. "Looks like a Rohirrim village. Stay alert. These places might already be overrun by orcs. Don't let your guard down."

I let out a helpless sigh. "We just risked our lives against a bunch of orcs, and now we have to worry about more of them?"

"The mission isn't over. Stop complaining," Ilresa replied coldly, heading toward the village along the narrow path.

We moved forward cautiously, stepping as lightly as possible to avoid making noise. The village had an eerie, unsettling atmosphere. The streets were deserted, and the only sound was the sharp cawing of crows perched on the rooftops.

"Something's off," I whispered, gripping my gun tightly.

"There's an ambush," Ilresa said calmly, her hawk-like eyes scanning the surroundings with razor-sharp focus. She pointed to a rundown shack not far ahead. "Let's head there. We need a vantage point to assess the situation."

We quickly approached the shack. Ilresa climbed through a window first, and I followed close behind. Just as I entered, a low, ominous horn sounded in the distance, followed by the faint tremor of the ground.

"This isn't good," Ilresa muttered, breaking the brief silence. She stood by the window, her gaze fixed on the far side of the village.

I peeked out to see a group of orcs flooding into the village from the outskirts. Armed with weapons and wearing cruel expressions, they gathered at the center of the village. Worse still, they were herding a group of terrified villagers bound with ropes—clearly captives.

"What are they doing?" I whispered, unable to tear my eyes away.

"They're trying to use the villagers as leverage against King Théoden," Ilresa replied, her expression grim.

"But Théoden won't negotiate with them, right?" I ventured cautiously.

"Absolutely not." Her voice was cold and firm. "But we don't have time to wait for reinforcements. This is our chance."

"Our chance?" I looked at her in disbelief. "You don't mean—"

"That's right." She turned to me, her gaze resolute. "We're going to infiltrate the village and rescue the hostages."

I almost bit my tongue. "Are you serious? That's an entire squad of orcs!"

"The mission is to seal the Spatial Gem, and we can't let things spiral out of control here." Her tone was calm, like she was stating an unshakable law. "Securing the village is critical. If this place is massacred, the situation will become irreparable."

I had no words. Resigned, I shrugged helplessly. "Fine, but let's hope we get out of this alive."

A faint, icy smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "Just don't drag me down." With that, she moved into the shadows, silently making her way toward the village.

"This is going to be the death of me," I muttered, scrambling over a low stone wall. Unfortunately, I bumped into Ilresa's back when she suddenly stopped.

"Be quiet," she snapped, shooting me a sharp glare as if I were a siren announcing our position.

"Sorry, sorry," I whispered, trying to move more carefully. Yet my foot betrayed me, kicking a rock that clattered loudly on the ground. The orcs immediately turned their heads in our direction, alert.

"We're doomed." My face turned pale as I envisioned being chopped up for an orc feast.

"Plan change," Ilresa muttered coolly. She darted forward like a cat, and seconds later, the guttural cries of dying orcs filled the air. When she returned, she held a bloodied orc scimitar, looking as nonchalant as if she'd just trimmed her nails.

"Did I… just mess things up?" I stammered, forcing a nervous laugh.

"Yes," she replied bluntly.

My mouth opened, then closed. I decided to keep quiet.

The tension of sneaking around was nerve-wracking, but worse still, my knee struck a rock, sending a sharp jolt of pain up my leg. I nearly screamed.

"Hiss—" I clutched my knee, groaning softly.

Ilresa glanced at me without a shred of sympathy. "Hurt? You might as well stay here as bait."

"Hey! That's not funny!" I hissed back in protest. "I'm the protagonist! If I die, the story can't move forward."

"Are you sure?" She raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a smirk. "Here, the orcs might be the protagonists."

Speechless, I could only grit my teeth and limp after her.

When we reached the village center, we crouched behind a crumbling wall to observe the orcs guarding the villagers. The captives were tied to a wooden post, while several orcs sat nearby, laughing and dividing loot. They clearly had no idea danger was closing in.

"We need to distract them," Ilresa whispered, her sharp eyes fixed on the orcs. "You go left and draw them away. I'll handle the ones on the right."

"Wait a minute!" I grabbed her arm, interrupting her plan. "Why do I always have to play bait? I'm supposed to be support, you know—assistance!"

She let out a cold chuckle, her gaze cutting like a knife. "Lorne, even orcs can tell you're a 'support.' But this is life and death. If you keep whining, I guarantee you'll end up as the main course of their feast."

I had no retort. Swallowing my nerves, I nodded reluctantly. "Fine. If the sky falls, it's on me."

Picking up a rock, I took a deep breath and hurled it toward the other side of the camp. The rock struck a wooden barrel, producing a loud clang.

The orcs immediately perked up, scanning for the source of the noise.

"It worked!" I whispered excitedly.

"Think they have zero intelligence?" Ilresa's voice came from behind me. I turned, only to find myself face-to-face with an angry orc raising a massive axe.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! No jokes!" I yelled, turning and sprinting for my life.

"Nice job," Ilresa said dryly before leaping like lightning. Her dagger slashed across the orc's throat with precision, silencing it instantly.

Panting on the ground, I watched her sheath her blade, her expression as calm as ever. "Next time you create a distraction, try not to get yourself killed."

"Got it," I replied between gasps, silently cursing the trials of being a hero. I just want to be an ordinary person!

Under her cover, we successfully freed the villagers. Just as I let out a sigh of relief, Ilresa's icy voice shattered my moment of reprieve. "Don't celebrate yet. We've still got a lot of orcs to deal with."

"What?" My eyes widened. "We saved the villagers! Why don't we just leave?"

She smirked coldly, patting my shoulder. "If we don't clean this up, they'll come back. You're a hero, not a deserter."

"A hero?" I muttered to myself with a bitter smile. "If I'd known, I wouldn't have taken this damned mission…"

Ignoring my grumbling, Ilresa disappeared into the darkness. I stood frozen, gripping my weapon tightly as my pounding heart drowned out the sound of the wind.

"This… this is what being a hero is like?!" I whispered, trying to summon courage while keeping an eye on the orcs' movements.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps broke through the night. Holding my breath, I hid behind a tree. Five or six orcs were approaching, weapons in hand, murmuring in their guttural language as if discussing something.

"Stay calm, Lorne. Stay calm," I muttered to myself, my palms slick with sweat. Then, from behind a bush, came a faint rustle.

"Who's there?!" an orc bellowed, raising its weapon.

"Not me… not me…" I whispered desperately, trying to make myself as small as possible. But fate seemed determined to make my life miserable. One orc spotted me and charged, roaring ferociously.

"Oh, come on!" I growled, gripping my sword. Why did I ever agree to this mission? The sword felt heavier than I'd expected, more like a giant frying pan than a noble weapon. My clumsy stance only added to the absurdity.

As the orc closed in, its bloodthirsty grin made my scalp tingle. I swung the sword, only for it to lodge in a tree root.

"Oh, great!" I exclaimed, struggling to pull it free. The orc was almost upon me, its axe raised high, its grin spreading wider.

At the last second, a shadow streaked past me—Ilresa! She moved like a whirlwind, her dagger slashing across the orc's throat in a single, fluid motion. The creature dropped lifelessly to the ground.

Still frozen in shock, I heard her cold voice. "If you keep clowning around, we won't need the orcs to kill us—we'll die from our own stupidity."

Standing there awkwardly with my sword still stuck in the root, I wiped the sweat from my brow. "Uh… just a small mistake. Next time, I'll definitely—" Before I could finish, Ilresa was already off, cutting down another orc with the precision of a surgeon.

"Next time?" she said with a smirk, dodging an attack effortlessly. "You sure there'll be a next time?"

Watching her dart between enemies with deadly grace, I finally yanked the sword free. A piece of bark clung to the blade, making it look even more ridiculous.

"Okay, this time, I've got it!" I muttered, gathering my courage. Spotting an unsuspecting orc, I charged, determined to land a decisive blow.

Just as I raised the sword, the orc turned, snarling. My knees buckled, and I slipped, landing flat on my face.

"Damn it!" I groaned, feeling a cold breeze on my back. The danger was right behind me.

"Get up, idiot!" Ilresa barked, kicking me aside. Her dagger flashed again, taking down the orc that had been about to cleave me in half.

Scrambling to my feet, I rubbed my ribs where she'd kicked me. "You can't keep doing this. I need hands-on experience!"

She shot me a sidelong glance and snorted. "Experience in falling flat on your face? You're doing great so far."

Before I could retort, a new wave of orcs emerged from the forest, a dark mass that made my stomach sink.

"Uh, shouldn't we have an escape plan or something?" I asked quietly, my sweaty grip slipping on the sword.

"Shut up and follow me," Ilresa ordered without looking back, retreating swiftly into the depths of the forest like a shadow.

As I stumbled after her, I silently prayed: Please, not another fall this time.