THE OLD MAN FIGHTS AN OGRE
“Urrrgh.”
“What’s the matter, Master? You finally gonna croak ’cause you’re so damn old or what?”
I drop a fist on the head of my incredibly rude second apprentice.
“Owww! What the hell, old man?! Are you out of your mind, smacking a young lady on the head like that?! Wait, no, I’m sorry. You’ve been out of your mind for a long time now.”
Even a light smack isn’t enough to stop this young lady’s foul mouth.
She’s always been crass, but it seems to me that she’s only gotten worse over the past few years.
I originally hired Aurel as an assistant of sorts, but after a surprising turn of events led me to realize her magical potential, I made her my second apprentice.
Specifically, this happened when my first apprentice, Julius, was halfway through death’s door, and Aurel used Healing Magic to save him.
Imagine my shock when I saw a tearful Aurel re-create Healing Magic just based on what she’d seen before.
After all, using magic without the assistance of a skill is a feat I have only ever seen performed by the master.
It was only for a moment, but when she cried out, “Sir Hero, don’t die!” and managed to replicate a healing spell, I was struck with admiration.
With enough training, she could be as powerful as I—no, perhaps even more so.
Thus, I somewhat forcibly made her my apprentice, but the unfortunate reality is that she seems to be utterly unmotivated.
Still, she already has more talent than your average adult mage, so my eyes did not deceive me.
“The problem, old man, is that you’ve filled your whole head to bursting with nothing but damn magic. If it seeps into your body, too, and makes you explode or something, you’d be doing the whole damn world a favor, I guess.”
…No, it’s definitely not my imagination. Her abusive language toward me has grown far more colorful over the years.
As I raise my fist again in silence, my apprentice emits a strange little shriek and dodges away, taking cover behind an elderly knight in golden armor.
“Sir Ronandt! Do you think it chivalrous for a knight to raise a hand against a child?!”
The armor-clad individual bellows so loudly that I fear for my eardrums.
“I am no knight, so that is of little consequence to me. Besides, this is simply my method of teaching. Have you not heard of ‘tough love’? If anything, my second apprentice here is at fault for attempting to flee.”
“Oh-ho! I see!”
The old knight, who is all too easily won over by my words, is called Nyudoz.
As you might guess, he is something of a muscle head.
To borrow Aurel’s phrase, his head is filled with nothing but muscles, just like the rest of his body.
In other words, he is a moron.
However, as a veteran who once fought alongside the previous sword-king, his strength is indisputable.
He is a master swordsman, perhaps even on the same level as the previous sword-king himself.
Though he is just as far along in years as I am, he is still on active duty, standing guard over the northern fortress.
Of course, this is only due to a command from the nobles who do not wish to let the lowborn Nyudoz too close to the heart of power, but a simpleton like him is happier swinging his sword around in the thick of battle anyway.
Today, he is assisting me in leading the assault against that ogre as a field commander, but he is far too foolish to actually do any commanding.
“Very well! Go and accept your beating, then!”
“What the hell kind of logic is that?!”
Nyudoz grabs my second apprentice and pushes her in front of me.
He’s a moron, all right.
“Ah, forget it. But, Nyudoz, could you lower your volume a tad? My ears can scarcely bear the pain.”
“Oh-ho! And how might I go about lowering my volume?”
…Ah, forget it.
Somehow, this simpleton is beloved by all his soldiers. Truly, some things in this world are beyond comprehension.
As I stare at him grimly, a messenger runs up to inform us that the soldiers have taken their positions.
“I see. Then preparations are complete.”
“Indeed! No ogre stands a chance against my sword and your magic! For the sake of our fallen brethren, let us turn this beast into rust upon my sword!”
I cannot help but agree wholeheartedly with Nyudoz’s declaration, if not with his volume.
With Nyudoz at the front and myself at the rear, no ordinary enemy stands a ghost of a chance.
However, this ogre is no ordinary enemy.
“Apprentice Two. Do you remember the intelligence we received about this ogre?”
“Uh-huh. You know I do.”
“Then, as practice, please recite the traits of an ordinary ogre and the unique traits of this one.”
Instead of following my instructions, my apprentice looks at me suspiciously.
“Is there a problem, child?”
“No, no. I was just wondering—you didn’t already forget what they told us at the guild, did you, Master?”
“Nonsense. Of course not. It’s this fool who’s doubtless forgotten.”
I point at Nyudoz, and understanding dawns on Aurel’s face.
Nyudoz is standing with his arms crossed, looking serious.
But serious though his expression may be, it’s obvious that he’s forgotten what we were told.
The man’s brain consists of nothing but muscle, after all. I’m sure any and all explanations go in one ear and out the other.
Even if the information contained within was gained at the cost of many adventurers’ lives.
“Ahem. So a normal ogre is no big deal, right? They’re humanoid monsters, and their intelligence varies from one to the other. But most of them are supposed to only be as smart as a human of around three years old, so they can’t do much more than speak a few simple words and wave their weapons around. Your lesser ogre has the physique of a grown human male, give or take. When they evolve, they get bigger, and supposedly an Ogre King is several times the height of a human. They’re generally power types, just like you’d expect, so they’re not super-fast, but their attacks are pretty damn strong. Since they’re humanoid and all, a few of them might have magic or other unexpected skills, but that kinda thing is rare as hell. Most ogres move in groups and rarely leave their territories. Uh…I guess that’s about it? Is that good enough, old man?”
“Indeed it is.”
I nod my approval.
Apprentice Two’s description is quite accurate.
“So with all that in mind, could you describe the ogre we’re about to face?”
“With all that in mind? I mean, are we sure this thing’s even an ogre? It has next to none of the features I just listed.”
Hrmmm. She’s not wrong, but I wish she’d just get on with the explanation.
“This ogre has a whole bunch of special skills, and it seems to be pretty damn smart. A lot of the details are still shrouded in mystery, but we know that among its skills there’s something that provides sudden, total recovery. Its wounds, magic, and even energy can just get completely maxed out of nowhere, apparently. Also, its stats can temporarily go way the hell up. Far as we know, the effect doesn’t last long, but it’s crazy dangerous in combination with the whole healing thing. And the most important thing is it seems to have a skill that allows it to make magic swords.”
“Magic swords, you say?!”
Why is Nyudoz responding only to that last part?
In fact, why is he reacting this way at all when we heard the same explanation at the guild?
He reacted the same way the first time, but clearly he’s already forgotten.
“An ogre with magic swords, indeed! Perhaps my beloved blade has found a worthy opponent!”
Nyudoz’s sword is a magic sword, too.
I guess this sparked his competitive nature…
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s that simple. It doesn’t just have a magic sword; it has a skill that can make magic swords, remember?”
An ogre with magic swords would be surprising enough on its own, but a skill that can make magic swords is completely unheard-of.
“Hrmmm?! Now, how exactly is that different?!”
“It’s incredibly different, you idiot.”
A monster with a magic sword would be bad, but a monster that can create magic swords using a skill is infinitely worse.
If it just happened to have magic swords, then we would need to worry only about those swords’ abilities.
Magic swords are powerful weapons either way, but they have a limited range of abilities.
If you know what a magic sword is capable of, there are plenty of ways to counteract it.
But if the ogre can create magic swords freely, and especially if it can change those magic swords’ abilities at will, then it’s all but impossible to prepare in advance.
We were told that the ogre fought with two magic swords—one fire and one lightning—but it’s possible that the situation has changed since then.
We have no idea what our opponent will be planning.
And if it can create magic swords, that means it could have any number of them.
One magic sword is dangerous enough, so having more than one is a serious threat.
And this ogre even has magic swords that it doesn’t mind destroying in the course of combat.
It seems that it can produce them without limit, after all.
In fact, the adventurers who fought the ogre before were wiped out by exploding magic swords.
Magic swords are generally far too valuable to use and throw away, but if you can make them in unlimited quantities, it’s quite a different story.
This ogre can produce many different kinds of magic swords and use them disposably without hesitation.
What a troublesome opponent.
“Do you understand now? Hrmmm. It seems that you do not.”
I attempted to explain why a skill that creates magic swords is so dangerous, but Nyudoz’s only response is steam rising from his ears as he attempts to process the information.
I thought I phrased it as simply as possible, but it seems that even this was too difficult for a moron of this caliber.
“In other words, I suppose, this enemy is very strong.”
“Oh-ho! Yes, I understand everything now!”
No, I don’t think you do…
“Shall we go over our strategy, then?”
Ignoring Nyudoz, I turn my gaze to my second apprentice.
My apprentice senses the meaning behind my gaze and begins to explain the basics of our strategy.
“Yes, sir. Our strategy is simple. We’ll station soldiers around the area so the ogre can’t run away. Then we’ll nail it with a huge magical barrage, close in on the bastard, and finish it off.”
Hrmmm. Well. I suppose that’s correct.
I wish she could’ve explained with a bit more depth, however.
The reason I’ll be starting with a preemptive magic strike across a wide area is in order to neutralize the exploding magic swords that killed more than half the adventurers in the previous battle.
These swords were evidently buried underground and explode when stepped on.
Most likely, a certain amount of pressure causes them to go off.
This is precious information paid for in blood by many an adventurer.
We have no way of knowing exactly how many trump cards the enemy possesses, but this strategy should eliminate one of them, at least.
It’s hard to say whether that information was worth the sacrifice of all those adventurers’ lives, but they died all the same, so we must accept it and act upon this information with reverence and respect.
“That’s the long and short of it, Master. We’ll be counting on ya.”
“What are you saying? That is your job, is it not?”
“Huh?”
Apprentice Two stares at me for a moment, then slowly points at herself.
Silently, I nod.
“Whaaat?! Me?!”
She’s overreacting, as usual.
All she has to do is sweep the area clean with powerful magic.
“I can’t do it! No way in hell!”
“Young lady! You should never deem something impossible before you’ve attempted it! You won’t know what you’re capable of unless you try!”
For once, Nyudoz actually says something sensible.
Indeed, I don’t believe I’ve asked the impossible of her in the least.
I proposed this only because I believe my apprentice can do it.
“Indeed, there is no harm in giving it a try. Even if you fail, the worst that can happen is that I will laugh at you for hours afterward.”
“Wow, Master, you’re the worst!”
“I believe you mean best.”
My apprentice continues whining for a while, but eventually she senses that I have no intention of relenting and grumbles as she starts channeling her magic.
Hrmmm. It appears that she’s chosen the Gale Magic spell Falling Sky.
It is a wide-range attack spell that strikes the ground with a blast of air.
It isn’t particularly lethal, only powerful enough to slow down an advancing army, so it isn’t a terribly popular spell.
However, when you reach my level of aptitude, you can easily crush someone to death with it.
And the advantage of this spell is that it consumes relatively little MP despite its wide range.
This is the perfect spell for my young disciple to cover the entire area of the ogre’s forest.
A good judgment.
However, her slow, sloppy rune structure proves that she still has a long way to go.
After quite a while, Apprentice Two finishes her spell and activates it.
The compressed air smashes down onto the ground, shaking the very earth.
Branches snap off the trees in the area, and the snow piled on the ground goes flying into the air.
Then another set of tremors runs through the ground, different from the ones caused by Falling Sky.
The trees that weren’t completely destroyed by my apprentice’s spell break free at the trunk before getting blown away, and the snow disappears into eruptions of flame.
It looks as if a powerful fire-type spell has unfolded before us.
“Goodness me.”
Despite myself, I murmur in surprise and admiration.
Aurel’s spell has set off the exploding magic swords the ogre set in the ground, just as it was supposed to.
However, I never expected the results to be so drastic.
How many magic swords must have been in the earth to cause such massive destruction?
If we had charged in without a plan, it would have resulted in nothing but a second act of the tragedy that befell the first adventurer band.
We shall have to tread even more carefully from here on out.
As my assistant stares at the blaze before her, she slumps to the ground in shock.
Although I suppose part of that is exhaustion from expending so much of her magic energy.
“Now’s our chance! All units, charge!”
As soon as the explosions cease, Nyudoz shouts an order.
It isn’t as loud as the explosions were, but surely the soldiers must have all heard him.
They start to move immediately.
But if they were able to hear it, the ogre must have heard it as well.
Without a doubt, it will soon be on the move.
“Nyudoz, I shall join you on the front lines. Fall back, Apprentice Two.”
“Oh-ho!”
“Gotcha, sir.”
Nyudoz and I march forward with the soldiers.
Since my apprentice has used up her magic, it’s best for her to stay away from the front lines.
Sharpening my senses, I proceed toward where the ogre’s presence seems strongest.
The ground has been torn up by the explosions, while fallen trees also slow our advance.
Crossing over the difficult terrain carefully, we proceed slowly but surely toward the ogre.
“Hrmmm?!”
However, the ogre will not simply wait for us to arrive.
Something flies toward us and lands in the ground before our eyes.
“A magic sword?!”
Nyudoz’s shout is correct.
“It’s going to explode! Stay away from it!”
Obeying his order, the soldiers give the magic sword a wide berth.
However, a dreadful premonition strikes me, and I Appraise the sword.
“No! Fall back!”
Just as I shout a warning, another magic sword comes flying and lands in the earth some distance from the first one.
And before the soldiers can react, a bright light arcs into the air.
“Is it too late?!”
Watching the front lines fall back, I realize that my warning might not have made it in time.
The sword sticking out of the ground wasn’t an exploding one.
It’s imbued with lightning.
A powerful electric current surges between the first sword and the second.
The soldiers standing at the front are brought down by the electric shock.
A scent of burning flesh fills the air.
The ones who took a direct hit were probably killed instantly.
What horrifying power.
And that’s not the only thing to fear about these magic swords.
A wall of lightning now blocks our way forward, covering the ground between the two swords.
The same lightning that was powerful enough to kill those soldiers in an instant is flowing continuously, forming a formidable barrier.
If we try to press forward recklessly, we’ll only increase the number of casualties even further.
But we cannot simply withdraw without doing anything.
“Hrmph! I shall pull that sword out of the ground myself!”
“Foolishness. Even you would not be unharmed if you touch that sword.”
As I stop Nyudoz from running up to the sword that’s producing the lightning, a new magic sword comes flying through the lightning barrier.
Unlike the others, this one is clearly aimed straight toward us.
“Watch out!”
I quickly prepare a spell and launch it at the magic sword.
A Fireball, the kind of magic I specialize in best, crashes into the sword and causes an explosion in midair.
The shock waves send several soldiers flying to the ground.
Fortunately, they’ve only been knocked down and aren’t severely injured, but I have no doubt that it would have ended quite differently if that explosion struck them directly.
So the ogre is able to throw exploding swords as well as planting them in the ground.
This does not bode well.
If we’re pinned in place by this lightning barrier, the lot of us will be sitting ducks for more of those exploding swords, worsening our losses.
We simply must do something.
I look past the barrier to see beyond.
Though it should be impossible to see it with the naked eye, my Clairvoyance skill allows me to detect where the ogre stands.
It holds a magic sword in each hand, preparing to throw them this way at any moment.
What an enormous creature.
The magic swords in its hands are average-size long swords, but the size of the ogre makes them look like daggers.
Ogres grow larger each time they evolve.
In which case, it’s safe to assume that this ogre has evolved a considerable number of times.
In fact, it has evolved to a King, the pinnacle of the ogre species.
The ogre flings one of the magic swords.
I use another spell to meet it in midair, the resulting explosion eliciting more shouts among the soldiers.
“Don’t lose your heads!”
Thanks to Nyudoz’s scolding, they manage to hold the line.
However, if they keep getting attacked one-sidedly, some of these soldiers will surely flee soon.
I have no intention of simply waiting around for that eventuality.
“We’ve let this beast have its way long enough. Time for a little surprise of our own.”
No doubt my current expression is a rather evil one.
“It’s your time to shine, Nyudoz.”
“Hrmmm?!”
I place a hand on Nyudoz’s shoulder.
Shortly afterward, he disappears on the spot.
Then he reappears again, directly in front of the ogre’s eyes.
“Grrrgh?!”
“What?!”
Nyudoz and the ogre let out surprised cries at the same time.
Spatial Magic: Teleport.
I used that spell to surpass the lightning barrier and send Nyudoz over to the ogre.
Perhaps I should have warned Nyudoz first, but it’s possible that the ogre would catch wind of our plan with augmented hearing or the like, so I felt this was the best way to catch the creature off guard.
Besides, Nyudoz functions on pure animal instinct.
If nothing else, I trust him to take the appropriate action without even thinking.
Sure enough, his surprise lasts only a fraction of a second before he slashes at the ogre.
As Nyudoz’s sword closes in, the ogre abandons the magic sword it was ready to throw and instead draws one of the magic swords at its waist to block the attack.
It must have changed its mind because blocking with the throwing sword would cause it to explode, hurting the ogre itself.
The monster was able to judge that in an instant and calmly decide on appropriate countermeasures.
What a terrifying creature.
The two swords clash; then their wielders both leap back.
With that, the sword fight between Nyudoz and the ogre begins.
The ogre swings its two swords, blocking Nyudoz’s attacks.
Its swords are of strange make: slightly curved blades with only a single sharpened side.
They look small compared to the ogre’s giant body, but when they lock with Nyudoz’s long sword, they appear to be about the same size.
This seems ill-suited to the ogre’s giant stature, but not enough so to create an opening.
Most likely, the creature evolved so rapidly that it outgrew the swords that had been the proper size some time ago.
Nyudoz, who was once famous as a master of swordsmanship, seems to be handling the ogre’s two-sword style with ease.
Though the ogre may have more weapons, it’s far outmatched by Nyudoz’s excellent swordsmanship, so it cannot quite gain the upper hand.
Hrmmm.
If one of its one-handed swords can block Nyudoz’s attack, then the ogre would seem to have the advantage in brute strength.
But no doubt Nyudoz is far superior in technique.
There is a certain crudeness to the ogre’s movements.
As if it hasn’t received any proper training and is fighting on pure reflexes.
I suppose that is indeed the case.
How would an ogre possibly undergo formal training?
But if it’s a match for Nyudoz even without training, this creature has terrifying potential.
An even match, eh?
But Nyudoz is known as one of the greatest masters of swordsmanship.
His old age has not tarnished his abilities, and now that the previous sword-king has vanished, he is undoubtedly the strongest swordsman in the empire.
How can this ogre hold its own against him?
If we don’t do something about this monster here and now, it might soon grow beyond our ability to fight it.
On top of that, there’s the unknown power the adventurers’ guild described: a sudden, drastic increase in stats, as well as total recovery.
Nyudoz is holding his own right now, but we must not let our guards down yet.
I activate Earth Magic.
An earthen spear bursts from the ground, pushing up the lightning sword that was stuck there.
The magic sword is stuck in the tip of the protrusion of earth.
With the sword in the air, the lightning barrier it was emitting has been raised as well.
“Now! Charge through the gap!”
As I shout, I deal with the other magic swords in the same way.
It’s a simple solution that allows us to deal with the lightning swords without touching them.
As I move the rest of the swords, a path opens up for the soldiers, who begin to charge toward the ogre.
No matter how strong it might be, being outnumbered will surely leave the monster at a disadvantage.
If it had the kind of unthinkable strength wielded by that great being, this would be a different story, but if it is only about as strong as Nyudoz, the support of the soldiers should be a big help.
As well as my own support, of course.
If the ogre favors using fire and lightning, it’s safe to assume that it has a high resistance to damage from those elements.
In that case, my best bet for a long-distance attack is perhaps light.
I prepare a spell.
It’s the lowest grade of Light Magic.
Normally, it has a low cost, but I supply the spell with an excessive amount of magic power.
It’s a technique I learned from those spiders.
It took more than two years to perfect, but as a result, my mastery of magic has been massively enhanced.
Now, even when I cast a low-grade spell, I can successfully increase the amount of magic used in order to make it many times more powerful.
And yet, the amount of time it takes to invoke does not change.
I am still far below the level of that master of magic, but I’ve taken another step closer to the heights of occultism.
Soon, I activate my extra powerful Light Magic spell.
The advantage of Light Magic is that it hits almost as soon as it is fired, making it easier to accurately aim at a small area.
Thanks to that, I can avoid the rapidly moving Nyudoz and strike only the ogre with my spell.
The Light Magic lands squarely on the ogre’s feet, just as I planned.
The direct hit slows the ogre’s movements.
Immediately spotting the opening, Nyudoz strikes out boldly.
The ogre swings the sword in its right hand, producing fire from the tip.
However, the raging flames don’t reach Nyudoz.
For Nyudoz’s sword is a magic sword, as well, this one imbued with Wind Magic.
The blowing wind scatters the flames before they can take hold.
Nyudoz pushes right through where the flames were, bringing his sword down toward the ogre, who blocks the strike with the magic sword in its left hand.
Lightning crackles out of the second blade, and Nyudoz is blown backward.
But such a minor blow could never kill that man.
As the ogre focuses on driving Nyudoz away, I hit it with more Light Magic.
This time, the spell has more power than before.
The magic strikes the ogre right in the head.
Even this mighty monster surely cannot survive if it loses its head.
The ogre’s body twists and falls.
As it goes down, it flings the sword in its hand.
A vain struggle, but the lightning sword strikes one of the approaching soldiers, stealing away his life.
What an unlucky soul.
But this is where it ends.
And yet, a moment later, the ogre is surrounded by light and stands up.
The wound I inflicted upon its head is disappearing.
Impossible!
We were indeed told that it had the ability to completely recover, but how could that apply even to a fatal wound?!
Unthinkable. This is as if we were fighting an immortal beast.
If its healing was able to save it from that head wound, the only way I can think to defeat it would be to tear it apart so completely that even that healing could not re-form it.
Then I suppose a lesser spell simply won’t do, even if enhanced with more magic power.
Even a greater spell may not destroy it unless I provide it with extra magic.
Can I do it?
Yes, I have reached a level of confidence where I can infuse a lesser spell with extra magic power and pull it off perfectly.
However, when it comes to more advanced magic, I am still a touch nervous.
The only spell of mine powerful enough to blow away that ogre’s giant body would most likely be Inferno Magic, the advanced form of the Fire Magic at which I so excel.
Inferno Magic is already difficult to cast and control, so if I add magic on top of that?
It would be next to impossible, even for me.
In fact, Inferno Magic is not meant to be used by one person alone in the first place.
It is a spell generally constructed by multiple mages using the Cooperation skill.
My second apprentice often tells me that I must not be human to be able to use that spell on my own, but now I face an even more impossible task: infusing this spell with extra magic.
However, I cannot fail if we are to have any hope of defeating that ogre.
I have no choice but to make it work!
“Grrr?!”
The ogre growls.
For a moment, it seems as if its eyes have met mine through my Clairvoyance skill.
Hrmph! How unfortunate. It seems to have noticed me.
“Nyudoz! Keep it pinned down!”
“Got it!”
If I’m attacked while preparing a spell, I have no way of defending myself.
Nyudoz responds to my order to keep the ogre in check, boldly attacking it.
The soldiers follow his lead, slowly forming a circle around the monster and closing in.
No doubt Nyudoz will be able to keep the ogre occupied long enough for me to complete my spell.
Even with its incredible recovery power, the ogre cannot possibly survive an Inferno Magic spell infused with extra magic power.
This shall be the finishing blow!
“GRAAAAAAH!”
A roar from the ogre dispels my thoughts.
It’s an animalistic, earsplitting roar, a stark contrast to the ogre’s almost humanlike behavior thus far.
And that isn’t the only change.
The force emanating from the ogre is far stronger than it was mere moments ago.
This pressure… It’s akin to the presence of the earth dragons I once encountered in the Great Elroe Labyrinth!
No, it’s even stronger!
According to the information from the adventurers’ guild, the ogre was suspected of having three unusual abilities.
One was producing magic swords.
One was complete recovery.
And this is the final one: an unnatural increase in stats!
Just as the rumors said, this dramatic transformation cannot be explained by any known skills like Magic or Mental Warfare.
Since I am observing the phenomenon with Clairvoyance, not the naked eye, I cannot Appraise the ogre.
I have no way of knowing just how drastically the creature’s stats have increased.
However, judging by its overwhelming presence, I do not think Nyudoz and the others stand a chance against it.
In fact, I doubt that even I can bring this beast down.
But we cannot turn back now!
Though it may be a vain struggle, I shall strike the monster with my Inferno Magic spell!
“Hrmmm?!”
But unfortunately, I’m unable to activate the spell after all.
Before I can do so, the ogre whirls around and charges away.
Giving the soldiers surrounding it no time to react, the ogre crashes right through their ranks.
It moves too quickly for my eyes to follow.
“It…ran away…?”
For a few moments, I stare after the fleeing ogre in disbelief.
The other soldiers seem to be just as flummoxed.
“Hrmph! I must admit, the creature runs splendidly!”
Nyudoz’s absurd remark brings me back to my senses.
I turn in time to see him putting away his beloved Wind Magic sword, a clear sign that the battle is over.
Nyudoz knows as well as I do that we cannot pursue this creature.
Why the ogre fled, we cannot know for sure.
But whatever the reason, it is doubtful that we could catch up to the fleet-footed monster; even if we did, I cannot say for certain whether we could defeat it.
The ogre’s abilities were simply far too unusual.
Perhaps I should have risked the danger to gaze upon it with my naked eye and done my best to Appraise it.
If we knew anything about its mysterious abilities, perhaps we could come up with some kind of countermeasure.
“Well then, what to do now?”
It would be extremely dangerous to chase after the ogre.
However, we cannot simply ignore it.
Above all, I swore to Buirimus’s wife that I would avenge him.
My own pride will not allow me to go back on that promise.
“I suppose we must regroup and decide how best to pursue the creature another day.”
“That will not be necessary.”
I was speaking only to myself, and yet, a voice answers me.
A person clad in black clothing kneels behind me.
How did they get so close to me without my noticing?
Who…? No, there is only one organization that keeps such people.
I already know this person’s identity.
“A dog of the Word of God, are you?”
“Indeed.”
Despite my rude phrasing, the person confirms without hesitation.
Their emotionless voice hides their thoughts the way the black fabric they’ve donned hides their face.
Such is always the way with the covert agents employed by the Word of God.
Cloaked in shadows, the legends about them say they dispose of heathens, monsters living among humans, and so on.
Though they are normally the stuff of rumors alone, one has appeared before me now.
“And what might such a dog want?”
“Allow us to take care of that creature, please.”
The operative responds with a concise request.
So these shadowy agents intend to defeat the ogre themselves?
“This is empire territory. You ask that while knowingly entering our lands?”
I glare at the black-clad operative, attempting to remind them of the consequences for a foreign agent who does as they please in the empire.
The Word of God may be a powerful organization that transcends borders, but if they aim to interfere with our army’s official business, that will certainly be a problem.
Meddling with another nation’s domestic affairs could easily create an international incident.
“Yes. We understand.”
Judging by the response, it’s clear they realize the risks involved.
In other words, the Word of God must have a strong reason for doing so.
Or perhaps showing themselves before me like this is supposed to a gesture of good faith.
With their high capacity for stealth, surely they could have done whatever they’re planning without my ever noticing them.
The question is, if I refuse their request, will they give up and turn back?
If they choose to instead act in secrecy, I doubt I would have any way of knowing.
“And how do you intend to deal with the creature?”
“We can promise that it will be of no disadvantage to the empire.”
That does not quite answer my question.
Perhaps they cannot reveal their plans but can assure us that no harm will come to the empire.
“…Very well, then. We shall leave it to you.”
“Your cooperation is appreciated.”
I reluctantly agree to the Word of God’s request.
For one thing, it’s entirely possible that they would act on their own if I refused.
And most of all, it would be difficult to defeat that ogre with our power alone.
It has shocking recovery power, and its stats may even surpass those of an earth dragon.
Since it ran away, there may be some limitation or weakness to exploit, but it would be foolish to move our troops based on mere wishful thinking.
I cannot repeat the same error I made in the labyrinth.
…I am sorry, Buirimus.
I wanted to avenge you with my own two hands, but it seems that is not to be.
If the Word of God is willing and able to fulfill that goal instead, I must grant them the right to do so, even if it may break my heart.
“Once again, I must remind you that this is empire territory, and you must act accordingly. Is that clear?”
“Of course.”
The black-clad operative nods at once.
I suppose I have no choice but to trust them.
“I am terribly sorry to chase this with an additional request, but there is a certain personage currently staying in the nearby town. The adventurers’ guild may ask you to do something about them, but please, we must request that you do not interfere.”
Hrmmm?
This request seems completely unrelated to the matter at hand.
And yet, the operative seems more desperate about this than the matter of the ogre.
The length and politeness of the request is made that painfully obvious.
“What do you—?”
“Hrm! Who goes there?!”
As I start to ask a question, Nyudoz interrupts me with a shout.
Turning, I see him charging in our direction at top speed.
I suppose I cannot blame him for finding a completely black-clad agent of darkness to be highly suspicious.
Nyudoz is always quick to react in such a way.
“Thank you for your continued cooperation.”
“Ah, wait!”
Ignoring my exclamation, the black-clad individual disappears.
I cannot help but be awed by such agility.
“Sir Ronandt! Are you all right?!”
“Yes, I’m fine. I shall tell you in more detail when matters have settled.”
Feeling a bit of heat from Nyudoz, I nevertheless set off to gather the soldiers.
Good !!! ok