Chapter 52

Leord plunged into the heart of the monster army and, no longer fearing friendly fire, unleashed his full power.

"Aqua Edge!"

Leord abandoned the incantation and only chanted the name of the spell. A blade of water formed behind Leord and flew in the direction he specified in his mind.

Normally, one would perform gestures to cast a spell, but Leord could cast spells without any gestures. This was one of his specialties, honed through constant practice.

Leord killed distant monsters with magic and slashed nearby enemies with his sword. His mind was fully occupied with performing two tasks simultaneously. He was desperately thinking and moving his body to handle the parallel tasks. Despite his calm appearance, he was struggling internally.

However, Leord had to fight. For the sake of the many knights who had entrusted their hopes to him.

"Roaaaaaaaar!!!"

With a mighty roar, Leord leaped and thrust his sword into an ogre.

"Goaaaaaaaah!?"

The ogre writhed in pain, but Leord swung the sword he had thrust in and decapitated it. Blood spurted from the ogre like a fountain. Leord, drenched in the blood, had his proud blonde hair dyed red.

However, he paid no attention to it and ran across the battlefield to kill the next monster. His appearance, while formidable, inevitably made people think of something else.

"Roooooaaaaar!!!"

As Leord bravely roared and slashed monsters one after another, a knight muttered under his breath.

"He looks like an orc in heat in front of a woman..."

The knight, who had inadvertently spoken aloud, covered his mouth, realizing it was inappropriate to insult a member of a ducal family, especially one who had come to help. However, it was too late. Other knights nodded in agreement, finding the comparison apt.

Thus, Leord's reputation improved, but he was also given a derogatory nickname. Leord, who was unaware of this, continued to fight diligently. Unintentionally, he was breathing heavily, which only added to the impression.

The raging golden orc.

Of course, Leord was not doing it on purpose. Blood from the monsters had splattered on his face, and he was breathing through his nose to avoid swallowing it. However, from the outside, he looked like a breathing, raging orc in heat. It was a tragic evaluation.

"Rock Impact!"

Leord stomped the ground, causing a fissure to run through it, and the monsters' feet were blown away as if by an explosion. The monsters caught in the blast were immobilized, but they tried to crawl forward. Leord approached them and thrust his sword to finish them off. After pulling out his sword, he slashed a monster that had leaped at him, cutting it in half. The monster was buried by Leord's magic.

"...Are their numbers decreasing?"

Leord, who had been using a detection spell, noticed the change. Until a moment ago, their numbers had been increasing, but now they were decreasing.

He hoped this might be the end, but he shook his head, remembering that reality was always cruel and merciless.

"Let's stop thinking. I need to focus on the enemies in front of me."

Leord stopped thinking and faced the monsters attacking him.

Meanwhile, the General Ogre, ignored by Leord, was focusing on the injured knights who could barely move. The height of the pillar he was on was not significant, and he could destroy it.

The General Ogre, with a hideous smile, moved to satisfy his hunger. However, his steps were stopped by a person.

"Tsk, young master, you're rough with the elderly..."

The General Ogre tilted his head. There had been no one in front of him a moment ago, so how was a human standing there?

Well, it doesn't matter. If he ate this human, his stomach would be somewhat fuller. Thinking this, the General Ogre reached out to Gilbert.

"What a pity. If the General Ogre were in his right mind, he would have gauged your strength."

Gilbert sighed in sorrow. If the General Ogre had not lost his reason in the Monster Panic, he would not have reached out without assessing his opponent's strength. Gilbert kicked the General Ogre's extended arm.

"Wh...a?"

The General Ogre could not understand why his extended arm was now hanging limply. A shadow flew in front of him, and before he knew it, his perspective had lowered and he was facing sideways.

"Sleep well. Forever."

As Gilbert walked away, the General Ogre slowly closed his eyes and died.

The knights, who had witnessed Gilbert's overwhelming strength, were speechless. Leord's efforts were impressive, but Gilbert's were even more so.

The General Ogre was several times stronger and more resilient than an ordinary ogre. To defeat it alone and without injury was beyond the knights' comprehension.

Even in his prime, Balbarot would have found the General Ogre a formidable opponent. For Gilbert, who was twice their age, to defeat it was nothing short of astonishing.

However, in the game, the General Ogre becomes a common enemy in the mid-game. It has slightly higher defense and attack, but nothing particularly noteworthy.

While it may be a tragic existence in the game, in reality, the General Ogre is a significant threat. The fact that Sieg, the protagonist with a fate of 48, can easily defeat it is what makes him extraordinary.