Chapter 14
The subjugation forces were truly unstoppable.
Monster traces.
The moment they found it, without fail, the mana dog would sniff it out and quickly locate the monsters’ lair. Every time, magic and arrows would rain down without fail.
‘Spatial pocket.’
The reason soldiers could shoot arrows without burden was precisely because of the spatial pocket.
Although it was a low-grade item, the pocket was imbued with spatial expansion magic, allowing it to store a considerable amount of arrows. Moreover, since it significantly reduced weight, one could almost say that worries about supplies were nearly nonexistent.
‘It’s expensive, but it’s quite good.’
It was a magical item that one could only dream of in modern times.
Witnessing its use firsthand felt rather unfamiliar.
Now, the subjugation forces had moved beyond the middle of the forest. They had ventured much deeper than the originally planned location.
Looking up at the sky, the sun was gradually setting.
As I gazed at the sky, Baron Jerome began to approach.
“Are you feeling alright?”
During the subjugation, the baron’s favorability had risen from -40 to 10.
In the battles against the monsters, he had contributed to breaking the enemy’s morale with his flashy magic, while the mana dog’s efforts in tracking had been nothing short of dazzling.
Lastly, when it came time to sleep, he had installed alarm magic here and there, greatly reassuring the soldiers.
Usually, alarm magic doesn’t have a wide detection range, but the magic installed using a hybrid activation method was different.
Its range was over five times wider, and its detection capabilities were far superior.
Having effectively thwarted the night-time attacks, the trust of the soldiers and officials had skyrocketed.
In the beginning, the condescending looks directed at him for being a mere first-circle magician had almost completely disappeared.
“Oh, yes. I’m fine. Are you preparing to camp soon?”
“Yes. Moving at night involves considerable risk. Moreover, at night, they become even more ferocious… Since we’ve ventured deeper into the forest than originally planned, we aim to move as safely as possible.”
The baron.
He was quite a capable individual.
Although he acted contrary to the plan due to his greed, he did not recklessly proceed with the subjugation.
It was a shame that he was under Adolf.
Yet, I had no intention of swaying him.
After all, he was utterly loyal to Adolf to the core, and the kindness he was showing me was obviously due to that guy’s orders.
If left unchecked, he would likely become a stumbling block in two months.
‘Today is just the right time.’
It would be best for him to disappear cleanly.
Adolf.
There were not many who were clearly aware that he had embraced the power of darkness.
‘There were exactly twelve.’
Because of his meticulous nature, he only shared that power with trustworthy subordinates.
And those twelve were at least upper-tier knights. They were individuals whom he had drawn into his ranks by directly imparting the power of darkness, as mind control had no effect on them.
Jerome.
This expert-level knight was one of those twelve.
It meant he was already beyond redemption.
Once one falls into that power, there is no method to return to their original state.
After a slight smile, I looked at the baron.
“Well then, I’ll go set up some alarm magic.”
“Are you sure? I remember you used quite a bit of magic to deal with the monsters this morning…”
Contrary to the baron’s worries, my physical condition was optimal. Perhaps due to being in the forest, there were considerably larger mana particles floating around than those I had seen outside the sub-dimension, and I could absorb them just by reaching out.
Recovering mana was not difficult at all.
Of course.
“Oh. It’s a bit tiring, but it’s for the soldiers. My mana can slowly recover over time, but if something happens to the soldiers, it would be irreversible, wouldn’t it?”
I didn’t forget to lay the groundwork lightly.
There was no need to unnecessarily reveal my rapid mana recovery speed and my full capabilities.
A talented magician who used first-circle magic but possessed the power of a second-circle magician. That level of recognition would be enough.
“This time, the soldiers’ escort…”
“It’s fine. It’s close by. Besides, I can protect myself well enough, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Understood.”
Thanks to consistently detaching the soldiers while setting up alarm magic every night, the baron no longer questioned me.
After quietly leaving the camp, I took out the ogre perfume from the magic pocket I had brought.
‘About 20km away.’
In a forest this wide, there would likely be at least one ogre. It was one of their typical habitats.
If not…
“Let’s dive deeper and see how it goes.”
Since I had made a total of two potions, I had one more opportunity. Seeing the baron’s demeanor, it seemed likely that he would venture further into the forest for at least another day.
If he didn’t, I could nudge him along with some casual remarks.
Something like, “It’s a pity to pull back” or “I’d like to continue the hunt,” or something along those lines.
After opening the cap of the ogre perfume, I sprinkled the pink liquid around, and a sweet fragrance began to waft through the air. If left alone, it would evaporate and spread its scent, so all I had to do now was wait.
The ogre.
A large monster known as the hunter of the forest.
Now that I had penetrated this deep, escaping from it would be virtually impossible.
While the baron might have a chance to escape, he wouldn’t abandon his knights and soldiers to flee.
They would be a crucial force to utilize in case of a rebellion, so that made sense.
“If two of them show up, that would be jackpot.”
After setting up a few alarm spells, I returned to see the soldiers diligently preparing camp.
Of course, my own tent was also ready.
Unlike the soldiers’, it was quite lavish.
Given that I held a position similar to the baron who commands the subjugation force, that was probably to be expected.
“If only one ogre pops out.”
I would personally ensure that at least the baron could cross the Jordan River.
That didn’t seem like it would be difficult.
With the sudden emergence of the ogre, all eyes would naturally focus on it, and given that it was night, visibility and senses would undoubtedly be limited. A disruption at the critical moment would only need to happen once.
Two hours had passed since I returned to the tent.
After dinner, the soldiers were gradually falling into a deep sleep.
Torches were lit in various places.
Only a few sentinels were still awake.
Just then.
Thud…
Thud…
The ground began to tremble slightly.
If not for the heightened sensitivity from the circle, I might not have noticed the vibrations at all.
“Interesting.”
Could they feel the vibrations?
“Everyone, wake up!”
A loud voice shouted from outside.
It was the baron’s voice.
Being an Expert-level knight, he must have realized what was happening in an instant.
Clang! Clang!
Soon after, the alarm spells I had set up blared a loud warning.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Now the ground was shaking fiercely enough for the regular soldiers to feel it.
“What, what’s happening?!”
“Where’s my spear?!”
“Focus! Get into formation! It’s a large monster!”
“A big one.”
An ogre.
Typically, an adult would be about 4.5 meters tall. But considering the vibrations, this one seemed unusually large.
“6 meters? Could it be a Named one?”
It had to be either a Named or a variant.
One or the other seemed likely.
Grrrr!?
Then, from deep within the forest, a massive roar began to resonate.
Crack.
Creak.
The trees in various locations shook violently as if about to break.
The creature slowly revealed itself.
“Interesting.”
It was quite different from the typical ogre.
First of all, it was nearly 6 meters tall.
And most importantly, it had two heads.
“Twin Head?”
A Twin Head Ogre.
It was a special variant among ogres.
Naturally, its abilities were far superior to those of a regular ogre. Even the highest-ranked expert knights could not guarantee victory against a creature with two heads.
Though it was a variant, it was still an ogre, so it was understandable that it was drawn here by the scent of the perfume.
“What should I do?”
There were two main choices.
I could either flee or assist the troops in fighting it.
“It’s a bit awkward to run away.”
What if I were to conceal myself right away??
No matter how nimble and powerful the Twin Head Ogre was, it couldn’t possibly take down over a thousand troops.
The chances of survivors emerging were quite high.
What would those survivors say?
They would certainly not spread good stories about me.
That would be quite troublesome.
At a time when my reputation was just starting to change for the better, if such words were to circulate…?
My reputation would undoubtedly plunge into the depths once again. Attempting to flee without even engaging in battle??
That would brand me as a hopeless fool and an irredeemable disgrace.
If the baron and the knights had chosen to flee immediately, it might have been understandable, but seeing them unleashing their auras from their swords, it didn’t seem like they had any intention of doing so.
“Everyone, form up! Don’t panic and draw your weapons! We can definitely win this fight!”
Well, that’s quite a statement.
From my perspective, it looked nearly impossible to win.
It was obvious that the soldiers’ weapons would bounce off the ogre’s tough hide, which meant the knights would have to engage it before they could even hope to inflict a wound.
Taking on a creature like that with just one high-level knight, three mid-level knights, and seven low-level ones seemed far-fetched.
Even if they did manage to win, most of the troops and knights would face death.
What if the baron decided to unleash his hidden power?
If he were to reveal the strength he had been keeping under wraps, there might be a chance.
However, whether he would actually do that was questionable.
Once he used that power, it would be significantly harder to conceal it.
Well, I suppose I’ll just have to wait and see.
I could always intervene later; for now, it seemed I needed to support the knights.
I doubted my attack magic would have any effect on the ogre’s tough skin.
To even the odds, it seemed I would need to use some support magic.
If I could provide that support to the knights…
“There might be a chance.”
If I could help level the playing field, and then the baron and the ogre were to fall together, it would certainly create a favorable narrative.
The Twin Head Ogre could easily wipe out all ,the baron and the knights, and they would merely consider themselves unfortunate.
If I could capture the ogre and save some of the soldiers in the process, my accomplishments would surely spread.
If I actively provided assistance, it would create a situation where I could come out looking good.
My magic was special enough to be called a variant.
That applied to support magic as well.
In the circle.
The blue mana within began to swirl tightly.
Haste.
The first support spell I would cast on the baron and the knights.
As soon as I activated the spell using a mixed driving method and cast it on the baron first.
Grrrr!
The two-headed beast suddenly lunged toward the soldiers.
“Haah!”
That was exactly when the baron and ten knights sprang into action.
The battle against the Twin Head Ogre had begun.
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