Chapter 222: The Forest’s Monster

A giant body of perhaps over three meters appeared from the grasses. It was clearly not a human. I set up my new gauntlets and faced it.

The moonlight raising down from the tree gaps finally fell on its giant body and revealed its identity.

“It’s a maneater…an Ogre…”

Even though I called it a maneater, that went the same for all monsters. It was a giant humanoid that was just called like that for convenience.

Given its huge body, its agility wasn’t much, but its physical strength exceeded that of humans by far. Still, Adventurers knew how to deal with monsters that were simply strong.

Defeating an Ogre was like a mark of qualification. It was a gateway to success for newbies. This Monster had been given such recognition.

“…Oh.”

I was about to leak a sigh of relief but then I braced myself. If it was me from my previous life, I could’ve easily dealt with it even without using my threads. For Lyell, it was probably on the level of playing with a child. But for the current me, it would be a hard fight. I couldn’t get careless.

I extended a thread from my left hand, took a defensive posture, and waited for the opponent’s move.

We glared at each other for a while. However, the opponent didn’t make any moves. But that made me feel suspicious. From the Ogre’s point of view, I should have looked like a defenseless child. It should’ve had no reason to hesitate on attacking.

Despite that, it didn’t seem like he would charge at me anytime soon. Or rather, it was strange for Ogres to show up in a place like this.

Dangerous monsters were being exterminated by Adventurers around here, so something like an Ogre wasn’t supposed to exist here.

“At any rate, it would be a problem if it starts showing up here. I better deal with it.”

I let my bloodthirst loose and took a step towards it. Seeing me fully motivated, the Ogre raised his hands in panic.

“S-Stop. Me, no fight.” “…What?”

It was a flustered, frightened voice. his tone itself sounded a bit intimidating, but the words themselves had made me lose my motivation to fight.

It was surprising for him to talk to me, but Ogres did have some intelligence. Conversing itself would be possible as long as they willed it. However, as they only considered humans as food, they seldom tried to converse with one.

“Then, why did you come so close to the city?”

Any intelligent being should know that here was the city of Raum. In other words, approaching it would mean it had some sort of intention.

For example, if there was no more food to be found near its den, so it decided to find new feed, that is, humans.

“Me, humans, no attack. Live secretly, in mountains.” “Hm?” “Then, Adventurer, come.”

Based on what I could understand from his awkward speech, it didn’t seem to be living nearby. It was saying that it lived peacefully, without eating humans, but then an Adventurer showed up there. In other words, it had its home raided so it had fled here against its will, is it?

“Well, that sounds unfortunate… Huh?”

Wait, wasn’t it strange for there to be an Adventurer attacking some peaceful Ogre’s home given this timing? Docile as he seems, he was still an Ogre. Any Adventurer that didn’t know his true nature would try to hunt it on sight.

Okay, but in that case, how did this one manage to get all the way here safely?

Ogres were by nature not fast monsters. If someone tried to subjugate him, the battle would have taken place in the near vicinity. In rare cases, some of them did try to run away, but being slow on their feet meant that their chances of getting away were low.

And yet, this one managed to make it all the way here. It was probably a long distance from his den.

“Hey, did that Adventurer not chase you?” “Adventurer steal home. Steal my home. Was doing something.” “Stole? And they did something there?” “On ground, draw something.”

They went all the way to an Ogre’s den and just drove him out without even subjugating him, and then started drawing something on the ground there.

After I heard that much, it suddenly hit me… It was the Teleportation magic.

Maxwell and Maria were using it as if nothing, but if an ordinary person were to use it, they needed to pre-arrange the magic circle to supplement for their lack of magic power.

If I had to say, this method was closer to the one Aste was using. The large-scale teleportation magic cast with many people that the Adventurer’s Guild used was utilizing this method.

There was no need to even think of a reason why anyone would be using one so near to Raum.

“So that’s what Klein used to make his escape!” “Well done, Ogre! As a reward, I’ll overlook you this time.” “R-Really? I can run?” “Yeah, a man does not go back on his word.” “But you, woman.” “Nevermind, lemme kill you.” “Eeek!?”

I ended up going back on it in reflex, but this was a joke so it didn’t count. At any rate, I had to deliver this news to Maxwell as fast as I could. The traces of Magic tended to disappear the longer it passed.

It has already been a week since, so that magic circle was the only remaining proof. There was a possibility of it vanishing in the blink of an eye in case of a rainstorm.

“Okay, I’ll go get a helper, so follow… Actually, you can’t enter the city, huh? Can you wait for me here? If everything goes well, my helper will take you to a safe place.” “Really?” “Didn’t I say that a man does not go back on his word?” “But you, female.” “You really want to die, huh…” “Geeh!?”

He never learns… was what I would like to say, but an Ogre’s intellect only went so far. In fact, fearing humans and deciding to live in seclusion already made this one uncommonly rational for his kind.

Thus, having obtained a lead, I rushed back to Raum to take Maxwell with me.