* * *
My gaze naturally followed where his hand pointed.
“Oh…”
Ahead, past the horses, following a small valley, lay the breathtaking silhouette of distant mountains.
Though farther than they appeared, their warm hues felt as if they could wash one’s worries away.
Wisps of cloud drifted past, adding a mystical touch.
It felt like ages ago that I’d been bedridden, shackled to illness.
Could it really be that such a simple thing made me better?
Maybe Klen was right.
Maybe I’d pushed myself to the brink, and this was the result.
Was it really just stress all along?
Lost in thought, I admired the view when—
‘Grumble…’
A low, guttural noise shattered the peaceful moment.
I lowered my head toward the sound—only to realize Klen’s hand wasn’t pointing to the mountains, but further down, beyond them.
There—larger than the orc Fabian had dealt with, pale-skinned, twisted features snarling, swinging a hefty club—
“Ogre…?”
Several monsters glared in our direction.
And it wasn’t just one ogre.
Even from this distance, I could see the glint of their eyes—and one of them was striding toward us, its steps heavy and sure.
“Are you ready?” Klen asked.
“Ready…? For what?”
Klen dismounted, extending his hand toward me.
Though I’d recovered a bit, I wasn’t fully back to normal.
What was the point of getting off the horse now?
Pushing the doubts aside, I took his hand.
He gripped it firmly, gently guiding me down from the saddle.
Isn’t he planning to run?
At this speed, no ogre could possibly catch us.
Our eyes met, and Klen smiled as if reading my mind.
“To slay the monsters, of course.”
“…What?!”
“Go on.”
His eyes sparkled coldly, yet his smiling face looked oddly out of place.
It didn’t suit this situation at all.
What is this—does he seriously expect me to charge into a horde of monsters unarmed?
Bwoooom—
The ogre blew a low horn, as if daring us to run.
Their rough voices echoed between the hills.
I couldn’t understand their language, but the message was clear—a call to battle.
Klen calmly pulled aside the cloth draped over the saddle.
“Levatein?!”
There—my sword, Levatein, was strapped securely.
Wait… didn’t he carry me all the way to the stables?
I left that sword neatly hanging by the wall.
How could he bring it along without me noticing?
Was it already strapped to him when he carried me?
‘Is he secretly good at stealing or something?’
With talent like that, it’d be a waste not to use it.
Maybe becoming a noble thief, stealing jewels from tyrannical aristocrats to share with the people, wouldn’t be a bad life.
He and I both love freedom, after all.
We’d have fun—there’s no way we’d get caught.
Roaaar!
“……”
The ogre’s bellow yanked my drifting thoughts back to grim reality.
“And what will you be doing?” I asked.
“I’ll be…”
Klen looked as relaxed as a noble about to enjoy a gladiator match—clearly signaling he had no intention of joining the bloodshed himself.
“I’ll be cheering for you.”
Of course.
No time to argue.
No energy for more banter.
The ogre was nearly upon us.
Clang—
I drew Levatein and leapt down the slope.
Rooaaar!
The ogre charged straight at me, massive body twice my size, club slicing the air with deadly force.
The wind alone felt sharp enough to cut.
After several swings, the creature poured all its strength into a final downward strike.
‘Let’s see how sharp this thing really is.’
I swung my sword to meet the blow.
Thunk—
“…!”
I blinked, doubting my eyes.
The thick, wooden center of the club… sliced cleanly in half.
Sure, it wasn’t metal, but even so—it fell apart like pudding under my blade?
The ogre looked stunned.
But realizing I was just as surprised, it quickly raised its massive, crude hand.
Whoosh—
The sheer speed of its strike sent the air slicing by, but I ducked just in time to avoid it.
And once you dodge properly, it’s your turn to strike.
Screech!
“…!”
My blade’s tip sliced effortlessly through its palm.
Now I understood why big brother warned me not to use a sword beyond my skill level too soon.
When everything’s this easy, how can I ever improve?
The ogre, blinded by pain, flailed its remaining weapon wildly.
Crack—
But the already-halved club shattered further, reduced to nothing more than a splintered stick.
I easily closed the distance.
Up close—it was as good as over.
Grugh?!
Levatein pierced the monster’s heart in one clean thrust.
A fatal strike.
It wouldn’t have suffered much.
The ogre crumpled to the ground with a heavy thud.
It was faster—and easier—than taking down the gargoyle before.
Of course, back then, I had to hold back until Klen arrived, but now… this was entirely my fight.
Bwooom!
Roooaaar!
Screech!
The lone ogre that charged at me collapsed easily.
The others, who had been watching from behind, started roaring and blowing their horns.
Their eyes blazed with determination, as if eager to show they were stronger than the fallen one.
Maybe that ogre was the weakest of them all.
“Coming at me all at once, huh?”
I welcome it.
I raised Levatein and charged straight at the ones rushing in, swinging my sword without restraint.
Fwoosh—
There was no one else in this battle besides me.
Any arrows flying my way were easy to dodge or slice down with my sword.
Nothing else to worry about.
With every swing of my blade, my head felt clearer and clearer.
The headache was already a thing of the past.
Gwaaaargh!
There was no need for complicated strategies when fighting ogres.
Take down the one in front of me.
Then the one next to him.
And to avoid the hassle, deal with the ranged attackers first, one by one.
That was all.
The more I moved, the lighter I felt compared to the first strike of my sword.
Eventually, I slipped into a state of complete focus.
Slash—
“…Is that it?”
‘Thud’, a larger ogre than the others collapsed with a heavy crash.
I flicked the blood off my blade and scanned the area.
There wasn’t a single ogre left standing.
They’d all charged in at once, only to fall too quickly.
The fight ended almost disappointingly fast, so I swung my sword a few more times for good measure.
‘It was easier than I thought.’
My body, which had felt heavy as lead, now felt light.
From the moment I charged in with my sword, I couldn’t even feel the pain anymore.
Maybe it had all been from frustration.
Once I let that out, the pain vanished?
My body really is simple like that.
The surroundings were utterly destroyed, leaving nothing worth taking as spoils.
I walked through the wreckage and returned to Klen.
He had already come down from the hill and was watching me quietly as I approached.
“Adrian.”
“Y-Yes?!”
His cold tone made my shoulders jolt.
Maybe I overdid it.
I had gotten too carried away, swinging my sword freely after so long.
The grip of Levatein had fit perfectly in my hand—that was part of the problem too.
I barely remembered how I fought halfway through.
What should I do?
The urge to back away and run off rose suddenly.
But it was a long way back, and my horse was still up there.
“You…”
When his expression changed, my retreating steps halted.
Klen’s face twisted slightly—not like he was angry, more like he was barely holding back a smirk.
“You’re stronger than I expected.”
“Is… is that so?”
I noticed his hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
So much for just standing by and ‘cheering me on.’
* * *
