Following the man responsible for the cultural town into a humble building positioned by the Guild, Leon was brought into a room resembling a library. The old man sat himself at the desk, gesturing for the guests to seat themselves.
"So, what's the deal?" Leon asked, sitting down on the wooden seat.
The Mayor sat with his hands flat on the table, sighing quietly, "You see, one of the casualties of One-Eye was Richard–a hero born and raised in Newfard. He was a platinum rank, the highest in the entire city."
"Someone like him couldn't bring it down?" Leon questioned.
It was beginning to form in his head that the ogre he was being tasked with facing wasn't a simple barbarian, but something perhaps greater–a real threat. He glanced over towards his servants, seeing the looks in their eyes as if suggesting him to take back the deal.
"Some were angered by the loss of Richard and went after One-Eye in retaliation, but came back maimed or didn't return at all," the old man recalled. "All that's left is fear. If Richard fell, then how could they bring it down? That's what they believe–that's why I had to come to you."
"I see," Leon understood. "Rest assured, I promise you I will take down One-Eye."
"I believe that you will, Lord Schoeller," the Mayor nodded. "As to where this foul one is…"
The guiding words given to him by the stressed elder led him past the town's threshold, out into the wilderness where nature ran rampant. It was beneath the starry night that he found himself staring towards a conspicuous cave embedded into a hill, obscured by twisted trees and crumbled bushes.
The massive footprints in the soil weren't hidden in the slightest; the ogre didn't seem to care for hiding its presence.
"Well, looks like the old man was right. This is definitely where it's staking out," Leon said, looking towards the dark entrance of the cave.
Salvatore stood behind him, speaking calmly, "Master, if I may suggest again–"
"No, I'm not going to back out now," Leon interrupted the butler.
A laugh left Ruby's lips as she hoisted the axe larger than her own body over her shoulder, "Don't be such a worry wart, Sal! It'll be fine!"
While the maid seemed eager for battle, the youthful butler sighed to himself, seeing no other option to accept the reality before him.
Salvatore unveiled a blade as thin as a needle from his sleeve, "I shall provide backup in the best way I can then, if there is no other choice."
"I'll be relying on you, Salvatore," Leon said with a thankful nod.
Just as he stepped towards the ominous cave, a wind exhaled from it that immediately brought his hand to his sheathed sword. The servants with him seemed to sense it too; malice lurking in the unseen.
"Master," Salvatore quietly said.
"Yeah," Leon responded. "Looks like we weren't as sneaky as we thought."
Erupting from the malignant cavern, a group of unsightly creatures roared, boasting barbaric weapons, from oversized clubs to chipped axes. They vaguely resembled humans in physique, only twice the size with dark-blue skin, with a single horn atop their heads.
[Ogre Warrior] [Level: 10]
–From his quick count of the savages that came out of the cave to surround them in the nightly forest, there were seven of them.
"Alright, I'll handle the three in front of me," Leon said with an eager smile, unsheathing his sword. "Think you two can handle the rest?"
"It will be done swiftly, Master," Salvatore bowed his head, readying his needle.
Ruby laughed, flipping her heavy axe around, "--This'll be quick!"
All at once, they moved as he kicked off the soil, dashing towards the closest ogre in front of him. It felt natural, putting into action the lessons engraved in him by his instructor of swordplay. Using the mana in his body to reinforce his muscles, he moved with heightened speed, slashing the sword right across the foremost ogre's chest.
To his surprise, the blade failed to go any deeper than the savage's skin, only drawing a bit of blood. The resistance to his opening swing felt like attempting to cleave solid stone, forcing him to slide back as the ogre roared, retaliating with a wild swing of its club.
As he evaded the wooden instrument, it slammed into the soil, shattering the ground beneath the weapon.
'Hold on now–these things are tougher than I thought,' he realized.
A startling revelation was being introduced to him as a pair of the ogres rushed him down. All he could do was stumble backwards, ducking down as one slashed its axe right above his head. He placed his hand near its stone-like abdomen, unleashing a burst of wind that flung it through a bundle of trees.
There was hardly enough time to send that one away before he forced to slip to the side just as the burliest of the ogres slammed its hammer down. Like brittle glass, he watched the soil once again shatter beneath the strength of the savage.
An opening was found as he sprinted past the uproar of dust, readying his blade–
Through his body, he recalled his lessons, flexing his body as he swung his blade in a swift motion. This time, he felt no resistance against his blade, casting an execution to the ogre that met his steel.
From the end of his heirloom sword, the wind pressure pushed aside the cloud of dirt, revealing the state of the ogre. Right down the middle, it was split into two, collapsing into chunks of red.
[EXP: +1000] [EXP: 2200/5000]
'Oh, right–I think I've got the hang of this now,' he thought.
Around him, his servants fought their own battles, glancing to the side as he saw the small, but feisty maid in action.
With wild, swift swings, leaping like an acrobat, Ruby laid the pressure on the two ogres in front of her.
"Haaah! Keep up! Keep up!" The fiery-haired maid chanted as her dress fluttered with her exaggerated movements.
Witnessing the ogres on the back foot against the maid, Leon almost felt pity for them.
'Wouldn't wanna be those two,' he thought.
For Salvatore, the man moved like a phantom between the trees, egging the ogres to strike the oaken trunks. Like a snake lunging from the unseen, the butler guided the needle into the side of one savage's neck.
[EXP: +1000] [EXP: 3200/5000]
It was a surprise to him as he got the notification in his vision, seeing the butler's kill grant him experience. There was no time to properly consider the concept as the remaining two ogres facing him swung their weapons for his head.
"Woah there—" Leon said, slipping back, watching the axe narrowly pass his neck.
He looked up just as he dodged, witnessing the ponytail-bearing ogre leaping up with drastic height. All he could see was its foot as it crashed back down, attempting to pulverize his skull.
A quick slide to the side evaded the savage's foot, though it brought him in the reach of the bald one's axe again.
'They're insanely aggressive—like rabid beasts,' he observed.
As the chipped steel swung his way, he held his hand out. In front of his palm, a torrent of wind manifested, pushing and slicing at the ogre. In his mind, he imagined a tornado of razor winds, pushing it out as it began shredding the barbarian in front of him.
"—Fuah!"
He gasped, completely pressing into the swirling wind as it eviscerated his enemy. It was unexpectedly brutal, watching a mist of red spray across the grass, carried by the harsh air.
[EXP: +1000] [EXP: 4200/5000]
At the same moment—
[EXP: +1000]
[EXP: +1000]
[EXP: +1000]
The maid cleaved through the pair of ogres in her path, severing them in two from the waist. As for the butler, Salvatore pierced the skull of one such brute with his needle, leaving it completely lifeless in one motion.
[Level Up.]
[Level 16 Reached.] [EXP: 2200/7500]
[Physical Attributes: +2]
[Magical Attributes: +2]
Leon experienced a shift throughout his body, like a flash of strength being imbued into his flesh. As he exhaled, he turned his attention to the last of the berserk ogres—
'Too bad for you. I'm really getting the hang of this all,' he thought.
Across the grass, the savage's feet paced towards him. He held his ground, meeting it halfway as it reared its axe back, swinging towards him before—
He ducked right beneath it, responding as he slashed through its torso.
[EXP: +1000] [3200/7500]
"Phew," he breathed out, looking at the aftermath of the battle.
Around the isolated field of the hostile forest, the lifeless bodies of the ogres laid on the grass.
Ruby hummed, cleaning the edge of her gargantuan axe with a handkerchief. On the other hand, Salvatore cleaned his own hands; neither had any wounds shown.
'I guess they're the real deal. I had my suspicions, but the servants of the Schoeller house are monsters in their own right,' he observed.
"Fine work, Master," Salvatore complimented as he stepped over.
Ruby cheered, clapping her hands, "You cut them down like a chef, Master! That was amazing!"