Chapter 51
The King Ogre's roar echoed all the way to the town.
With its enormous club resting on its shoulder, it slowly approached us.
More than ten monsters appeared behind it, including Ogres, Armored Apes, and Blood Boars.
"There are still that many..."
One of the territory soldiers muttered.
"GROOOOAAAR!"
The King Ogre roared again.
As if reacting to its voice, the monsters behind it all began to move at once.
"No way..."
An older territory soldier looked at the King Ogre.
"Do you know something?"
"I've heard that King Ogres can command nearby Ogres and weaker monsters."
"Then was this stampede..."
"Perhaps this thing is at its center."
Whatever the cause, we couldn't let them reach the town.
"Felicia-san."
"Yes?"
"Could you take care of the monsters behind it?"
Felicia looked at the King Ogre.
"What about you, Allen-san?"
"I'll stop this one."
"By yourself?"
"If we all fight the King Ogre, the other monsters will get through to the town."
Felicia considered it briefly, then nodded.
"Understood. But don't push yourself."
"I won't."
I turned to the territory soldiers.
"I'll draw the King Ogre's attention. Please keep the other monsters from reaching the town."
"Are you planning to take it on alone?"
"That'll make it easier for me to move."
I readied the Flamefang Sword.
The King Ogre looked at me.
"Come on!"
I kicked off the ground.
The distance between the King Ogre and me closed in an instant.
"GROH!"
The enormous club came crashing down.
I leaped to the side.
BOOM!
The ground shattered, sending dirt and stones flying.
A direct hit would be dangerous, even with my Black Steel Lizard light armor.
It wasn't as fast as the Mithril Golem, though.
I swung the Flamefang Sword at its right arm just after it brought the club down.
Slash!
"GRAH!"
My blade cut through.
It was quite hard, but it was different from the Mithril Golem.
I could cut this one.
The King Ogre swung its arm around, so I put some distance between us.
A streak of blue-white light shot past me.
"Magic Bullet!"
It was Felicia.
But she wasn't aiming at the King Ogre.
Two Magic Bullets struck the legs of a Blood Boar that was trying to reach the town.
"Now!"
"Aye!"
The territory soldiers thrust their spears into the fallen Blood Boar.
An Armored Ape rushed toward us from another direction.
Three Magic Bullets floated around Felicia, then shot out one after another.
"They're coming from the right, too!"
"Leave them to us!"
The territory soldiers were moving in time with Felicia's calls.
They should be fine over there.
"GROOOH!"
The King Ogre's club came at me from the side.
I lowered my body.
The club passed overhead, and the force of the wind made my hair whip wildly.
I moved in close.
I channeled mana into the Flamefang Sword.
Whoosh!
Red flames enveloped the blade.
"Hah!"
I slashed at its right thigh.
The Flamefang Sword sank deep into it.
"GRAAAAAH!"
The King Ogre roared and tried to kick me.
I immediately jumped backward.
Its massive body staggered one step.
"It's working."
I went in again.
Just as I thought that, the King Ogre looked away from me.
"Huh?"
It was looking at the town.
It ignored me and started walking.
"This is bad!"
Ahead of the King Ogre, Felicia and the territory soldiers were holding off the other monsters.
They wouldn't be able to stop it if it charged in there.
I kicked off the ground and slammed the Flamefang Sword into its right leg from the side.
"Over here!"
Slash!
"GROOOH!"
The King Ogre turned around.
"That's right! Look at me!"
It raised its enormous club.
It brought it down from directly above.
I dodged at the last second.
BOOM!
The ground caved in deeply.
In that opening, I struck the thigh I'd cut earlier with the Flamefang Sword again.
Flames raced through the wound.
"GRAAAAAH!"
The King Ogre dropped to one knee.
Just as I stepped in to aim for its neck, an enormous left arm came flying at me from the side.
"Tch!"
I twisted my body.
Its hand passed in front of my chest.
If I'd been even a little slower, I would have been sent flying.
The King Ogre got back up.
It still wasn't down.
"You're tough."
It really was different from an Iron Ogre.
I heard a monster's cry behind me.
"Magic Bullet!"
Five blue-white lights shot out, concentrating on the Armored Apes and Ogres.
"Now!"
"Aye!"
The territory soldiers surged forward together.
Spears and swords thrust into the monsters.
The number of monsters left had dwindled considerably.
If we took down the King Ogre, it would be over.
"GROOOOOOAAAR!"
The King Ogre roared loudly.
In response to its voice, the remaining monsters all tried to rush toward the town.
"Stop them!"
"Don't let them through!"
The territory soldiers held them back.
As I thought, it was this thing.
As long as it was here, this wouldn't end.
I focused my attention on Mana Detection.
I could feel strong mana throughout the King Ogre's body, but it wasn't concentrated in one place like it had been with the Mithril Golem.
I couldn't see a weak point.
In that case, I'd take it down head-on.
I channeled mana into the Flamefang Sword.
An amount of mana beyond anything before flowed into the sword.
Red flames spread wide.
I used Mana Control to gather the flames along the blade.
Not spread them out.
Thin and sharp.
Following the edge.
It was the same method I'd used when fighting the Mithril Golem.
Unlike then, I could now shape the flames with almost no hesitation.
The center of the flames turned white.
"Here I go."
The King Ogre raised its club.
I ran straight at it.
"Allen-san!"
I heard Felicia's voice.
The club came crashing down.
At the last second, I stepped to the right and slipped past it.
My target was its right leg, which I'd already cut twice.
"Hah!"
I swung the Flamefang Sword through.
Slash!
"GRAH!"
Its thigh was cut deeply, and the King Ogre's stance faltered.
It dropped to one knee.
This time for sure.
I kicked off the ground.
The King Ogre reached out with its left arm.
I swung the Flamefang Sword.
"Haa!"
The blade bit deep into its arm and cut straight through.
"GRAAAH!"
The King Ogre's left arm fell to the ground.
Its massive body tilted sharply.
Its neck drooped.
"This is the end—"
I channeled even more mana into the Flamefang Sword.
"It's over!"
I swung horizontally.
White flames raced across its neck.
The blade met fierce resistance.
But I didn't stop.
I forced my way through.
Slash!
The King Ogre's head fell.
Its enormous body slowly tipped forward.
THUD!
The ground shook.
A display appeared in my field of vision.
【You acquired 5,000P】
【You have: 40,935P】
【Your total P acquired: 93,145P】
"Five thousand..."
More than twice what I got for the Iron Ogre.
It really must have been a powerful monster.
I looked around.
The moment the King Ogre fell, the remaining monsters changed their behavior.
A Gray Wolf ran toward the forest.
As if following its lead, the other monsters began to flee as well.
"They're running!"
"After them!"
One of the territory soldiers started to run after them.
"Wait!"
When I called out, the soldier stopped.
"But we can take them down now!"
"We shouldn't pursue them too far. We don't know what else might be in the forest.
More importantly, let's check on the wounded and make sure the town is safe."
The soldier looked toward the forest.
After a brief hesitation, the soldier nodded.
"...Understood."
The other territory soldiers lowered their weapons as well.
There were no more mana signatures heading our way from the forest.
"It seems to be over."
As I said that, sighs of relief came from all around us.
◇
We returned to town from the defensive line.
Several people had been injured, but there were no deaths.
Not a single monster had made it into town.
"We really... owe you."
The older territory soldier murmured.
"What would have happened if you two hadn't been here?"
"The territory soldiers were fighting, too."
"Even so."
The residents we'd evacuated were gradually returning as well.
Many of them were looking at me.
"Allen-sama..."
"You even defeated a King Ogre?"
"And that story about him defeating the Sword Saint is true..."
Once again, everyone turned to look at me.
I still wasn't comfortable with it.
"Allen-san."
"What is it?"
"Maybe you should get used to it by now?"
"I don't think I can."
Felicia laughed.
The older territory soldier came over to us.
"I'll be sure to report this incident to the marquis's family."
"Understood."
"And that Allen-sama saved the town."
"You don't have to make it sound so grand."
"I'm not exaggerating."
The older soldier said it with a serious expression.
"We just happened to be passing through."
"If you hadn't come back, even though you were only passing through, this town wouldn't have been safe."
I couldn't say anything.
Just then, we heard the sound of horses' hooves in the distance.
There was more than one horse.
There were several.
"Reinforcements!"
One of the territory soldiers called out.
A group of mounted soldiers approached from down the road.
There were more than a dozen of them.
They were all wearing matching armor.
The man at the front rode up to the town and stopped his horse.
"What's the situation?"
The older territory soldier hurried over.
"The stampede has been stopped!"
"Stopped?"
"Yes."
The man who seemed to be a knight looked around.
Dozens of monsters lay fallen in front of the town.
Farther beyond them, the massive body of the headless King Ogre was sprawled on the ground.
"...What's that?"
"It's a King Ogre."
"A King Ogre appeared, too?"
"Yes."
The knight's expression grew grim.
"Who defeated it?"
The older territory soldier looked toward us.
"Allen-sama did."
The knight's gaze turned to me.
"Allen-sama?"
The knight's expression changed as he studied my face.
"No way... Are you Allen Valdis-sama?"
"Yes."
Still looking astonished, the knight once again surveyed the monsters lying around us.
"I'd like to hear the details of this stampede."
"Of course."
"And..."
The knight continued, sounding a little hesitant.
"Would you accompany us to the territorial capital?"
"The territorial capital?"
He'd brought up a place we hadn't planned to visit.
We were supposed to be heading straight to the royal capital.
Apparently, we wouldn't be able to pass through so easily after all.
Total P Acquired: 93,145P