9
“Just because, I jokingly suggested that I’d like to enter the Ogre’s Great Forest.
I do have genuine interest, but I expected to be opposed, going into the forest of demons where we never know what might be there.
However,
Yuzuriha-san and Suzuha readily agreed and even offered to come along.”
“If it’s Suzuha’s brother, there should be no problem. Ah, but in case we get surrounded by Ogres, I’ll accompany you and protect your back.”
“It’s dangerous for Suzuha and Yuzuriha-san to go alone. I’ll go with them to supervise… of course, against Ogres.”
Even the twin commanders of the Amazoness army joined in.
“To venture into the Ogre’s Great Forest with Brother-sama… What an exciting battle awaits!”
“Any Amazoness participating in this battle will undoubtedly receive the highest praise and envy from their clan…!”
“But if all the Amazoness charge into the Great Forest, the Ogres will surely notice. So, to avoid detection by the Ogres, at most five people are the limit…!”
“Meaning only the two of us, the twins, can join from the Amazoness tribe…!”
Somehow, both of them ended up accompanying us.
With that, Suzuha, Yuzuriha, the Amazoness twin leaders, and I headed towards the Ogre’s Great Forest for reconnaissance.
This was by no means a casual outing.
Even if my motivation was simply that I wanted to see the forest, Suzuha was enthusiastically preparing a picnic lunch, and Yuzuriha brought high-quality tea leaves for nobles, this was purely reconnaissance.
***
The Ogre’s Great Forest was dim.
It wasn’t just darkness; it was different. It was more like a eerie and genuinely spooky darkness, signaling a forest of magical creatures. Maybe the air itself was different.
Surely everyone else feels the same…
“Brother-sama, the inside of the forest is pleasantly cool.”
“There’s no sign of Ogres. The sunlight filtering through the trees is beautiful, almost like a fantasy, don’t you think?”
…Apparently not.
The two Amazoness were walking with curious expressions, twisting their heads.
We, on the other hand, felt a bit uneasy.
Even after walking for a while, we didn’t encounter any Ogres or other magical creatures.
“Um, what should we do…?”
“Is it already lunchtime, brother? I can wait a bit longer.”
“No, it’s not that.”
As we ventured deeper into the Great Forest, the unpleasant atmosphere clinging to our skin didn’t fade; instead, it became even more intense.
Yet, we hadn’t encountered any Ogres. Something wasn’t right.
If we consider safety first, we should probably retreat…
“Suzuha-kun’s brother seems a bit anxious. Is this his first encounter with Ogres? But don’t worry, I’ll take care of your back!”
“Brother-sama, we’re also by your side.”
“With Brother-sama and us, Ogres are nothing to fear.”
“…Um, then, should we go deeper…?”
[Yes]
It seemed the Duke’s daughter and the two Amazoness commanders had no intention of retreating.
So, my uneasy premonition didn’t matter.
After all, all three of them were professional soldiers with much more combat experience than me.
We continued deeper into the Great Forest.
While walking, I received lessons from Yuzuriha and the others about basic Ogre knowledge.
Surprisingly, I’ve never seen an Ogre before.
Even though I appreciate the wealth of information, being taught various things by everyone…
“But it’s surprising that someone as formidable as Brother-sama has never defeated an Ogre.”
“W-Well, haha… ”
I’ve never fought an Ogre because, you know, I’m just an ordinary person. If I said that, it would lead to questions like, ‘Then why are you here?’ So, I just laugh it off.”
Yuzuriha and the two Amazoness leaders have hunted Ogres many times in the past, even annihilating Ogre settlements. It’s reassuring.
“─If it’s you, there’s no need to fear ordinary Ogres. But don’t let your guard down; Ogres occasionally have rare species. For example, Ogre Assassins or Ogre Generals. In that aspect, they’re similar to Goblins.”
“Are they strong?”
“Absolutely, much stronger than ordinary Ogres. Moreover, Ogre Generals and Ogre Kings can command other Ogres like an army, making them even more troublesome.”
“I see. Yuzuriha, have you encountered any rare Ogre species?”
“No, I haven’t. What about the two of you?”
“…Only once. It was a fierce battle.”
“Agreed. At that time, the Ogres we faced were led by an Ogre Shaman. Despite being an Ogre, it used illusion magic cleverly, luring us in and attempting to divide us. But we Amazoness never yielded…”
“─Stop. Wait a moment.”
“Brother? ”
The realization hit like a punch in the gut.
Why didn’t I notice it before?
Despite the puzzled looks from everyone, I couldn’t care less.
“I never noticed until now. I always believed that an ogre, should never use magic.”
“What’s up with you? Interested in ogre shamans? But they’re one of a kind among rare species!”
“But it’s not zero. So, it makes sense to the discomfort I’ve always felt.”
“Brother…?”
“Basically, like this!”
I directed my magical power towards the ordinary scenery of the forest,
creating a sound like glass shattering and countless cracks in the landscape.
Behind that, the true scene appeared.
A multitude of ogres surrounded us, layer upon layer.
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10 (Yuzuriha’s perspective)
No matter how many I cut down, ogres kept appearing in front of Yuzuriha.
Even though she was a high-class mutant, Yuzuriha couldn’t keep up with the constant flow of ogres. But as she continued slashing the densely muscled ogre bodies, the weight of her sword naturally increased.
Yuzuriha felt like a complete idiot, self-deprecating while swinging her sword.
When the three of us were ordered to the ogre-infested forest, Yuzuriha was furious, but deep down, she thought, “It’ll work out somehow.”
Compared to before, ogres coming out of the forest were sporadic, and in recent years, they had become surprisingly scarce. Yuzuriha knew this.
Whether ogres had become more docile or entered a weakened phase as a species, both her and the neighboring countries foolishly believed such things.
The reality was the opposite.
Well-trained mutant ogres were silently accumulating strength, waiting for the right moment to unleash their fangs.
Ogres were already dangerous enough, capable of destroying a small town on their own.
Mutant ones elevated the danger level even more.
Moreover, the ogres in this forest were undoubtedly well-trained and organized, mastering the art of battle.
Not just ogre generals, even ogre kings were child’s play.
Probably, the ogre king had further mutated – trained over the years by the king among kings.
“Yuzuriha-san, your breathing is irregular! Stay calm!”
“Sorry!.”
“Just endure for now! If you hold on, we’ll find a way out!”
“Ah, of course!”
Suzuha’s older brother must have eyes on his back, Yuzuriha thought for a moment, but quickly dismissed the idea with a wry smile. No way.
Currently, Suzuha’s brother and Yuzuriha faced off against ogres from all directions.
One person Suzuha’s brother, covered 180 degrees,
and the other half of 180 degrees was shared among Suzuha, Yuzuriha, and the Amazoness women.
(This is the difference in strength between me and Suzuha-kun’s brother!)
One person nd the other is four.
Therefore, the difference in strength wasn’t four times.
It was obvious that to counter the numerical advantage, you needed several times the strength.
(The difference in strength between me and Suzuha-kun’s brother is at least ten times, if not more. Despite being so excited about having him as my partner, I’m just a disgrace, a pathetic woman. Yet…)
Unconsciously, Yuzuriha twisted the corner of her mouth.
(And yet, why is my heart pounding so much!)
The fact that she had trapped the man she chose as her partner in an ogre’s trap was so embarrassing.
The fact that she couldn’t match her partner’s strength was so frustrating.
The fact that she could only protect one-fourth of her partner’s back was so pitiful.
However.
Even so.
The fact that she and her partner were fighting back to back in a life-or-death struggle was so… delightfully thrilling.
(There’s no end to the number of ogres…! I’m probably going to die here, back to back with my partner…!)
And that wasn’t so bad, Yuzuriha thought.
No, it’s not just bad; it’s downright perfect. It’s as if I can’t think of a better way to die, at least not in the foreseeable future.
Apologies to my unwitting partner, but in the afterlife, serving as an eternal, devoted, and absolute submissive maid seems like a fitting atonement—
“Yuzuriha-san.”
Suzuha’s brother’s sharp voice snapped me back to reality.
“When I give the signal, switch our positions. Give me one minute… no, just one second.”
“What’s your plan?”
“I’ll take down the Ogre King.”
I wondered if that was even possible.
“The Ogre King leading the charge is getting impatient, slowly approaching from the safe zone. They’re adept at hiding their true identity, but the location of their commands and the quality of their magic are evident.”
Even with that explanation, I, Yuzuriha, couldn’t comprehend it.
Suzuha and the two Amazoness seemed equally clueless.
“If we defeat the Ogre King, their command structure will collapse. After that, it’s just a gathering of mutated Ogre variations. But that cowardly Ogre King presents probably our only chance. If we let it retreat and resort to a prolonged battle, our chances of winning diminish.”
“Got it.”
“That’s why, Yuzuriha-san, can you handle it?”
“Sure. Even if it’s just for one second, I’ll show you.”
“No, even one second would be enough—”
Before Suzuha’s brother could counter, I interjected,
“You initially asked me to hold on for two minutes. That means you trusted that I could do it. So if you believe I can handle it, then I’ll do whatever it takes to live up to that trust.”
“…I’m sorry. I appreciate your help.”
“What are you apologizing for? We’re partners; it’s only natural.”
In retrospect,
Yuzuriha realized that it was the moment she addressed Suzuha’s brother directly as “partner,” transcending her inner thoughts.
But, of course, there was no room to dwell on such matters.
“Well then, Yuzuriha-san. I’m counting on you.”
“Yeah, leave it to me.”
A brief exchange of replies.
And surprisingly, the moment arrived sooner than expected.
“Three, two, one… now!”
“Haah!!”
With all my might and determination, I swapped positions with Suzuha’s brother. His body was thrown as if by an Ogre, soaring over his back and into the distance.
Of course, it was undoubtedly a mimicry.
And at that moment, there was no room to be concerned about such things.
(Is my partner enduring this pressure from the Ogre…?)
Even a simple calculation meant the enemy’s attacks quadrupled.
we desperately dodged the continuous attacks coming from both sides, combined with coordinated strikes.
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