The Russell Family, Part 5

The ogre that had thrown the club charged at a terrifying speed.

The ground shook violently with every step it took.

It was heading straight for Grace. It had recognized that she, the gryphon rider, was the most dangerous threat.

That thing is dangerous!

This was no ordinary monster. It had timed its throw perfectly, right before the gryphon could take off.

I could feel it instinctively—this beast was different from the mindless, maddened ones we had fought before.

It would reach us in seconds. I scrambled over to check on Grace before it arrived.

"Lady Grace!"

"Lord Yeong-sik... cough..."

"Damn it, don't speak!"

Blood welled up from Grace's mouth. But her injuries weren't the immediate problem.

If we didn't move right now, we were dead.

There was no time. I had to take Grace and run. There was something deeply unsettling about this leader. Before it was too late, I had to—

Beep.

A warning chime rang out, signaling that time was up. It was Mercury's detection function.

A red marker flashed before my eyes. The target was, as expected... Grace.

"Damn it!!"

The red target marker was stamped clearly over Grace as she lay on the ground.

I whipped my head around and saw the ogre already raising its club high.

"Cough, please... run."

Realizing the situation, Grace looked at me and spoke.

...Like hell I could. She was the one who had saved my life twice. There was a limit to how shameless a person could be.

My hands trembled. I didn't even know if this was the right call. But I had no other choice.

I threw down the sword in my right hand and raised my shield with both.

"What are you...?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?!"

There was no time for idle chatter.

Watching the ogre's club swing down, I poured all my strength into the shield in my hands.

This one was different from the others we had faced. Its size, its strength—the beast before me was far more dangerous.

Most of all, the angle of its attack was different. The descending club looked as if it were falling from the very heavens.

I took a deep breath. There was no running away. The only thing I could trust was this single shield.

The humble shield in my arms met the ogre's attack head-on.

CRASH!!

A massive impact. The overwhelming weight drove my feet deep into the earth.

It felt like my arms were going to shatter. Under the ruthless, crushing force, I felt blood burst from my nose.

"Ugh!"

Every muscle in my body screamed in agony, as if tearing apart. It was a level of strength I had never experienced in my life.

Blocking it was impossible from the start. Maybe I could hold out for a single second. It would only take an instant for my body to be flattened.

That was how it should have gone. My body should have been crushed to pieces by the beast's club.

Yet, for some reason, the ogre's club ground to a halt against my shield.

What... what ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was happening?

"Ugh...!"

"Damn, that hurts like hell."

Sudden voices reached my ears. I turned my head to look behind me.

Before I knew it, Oliver and Isaac were standing there, each holding their own shields. The three of us were bracing against the ogre's club together.

Just like me, both of their feet were buried deep in the ground.

The tingling pain coursing through my entire body wasn't mine alone.

"You two? When did you get here?"

"Consider us even now, Young Master."

"Good job, Yeong-sik. So, I assume you have a plan for what's next?"

Oliver's words snapped me back to reality.

We only had a few seconds before the ogre attacked again. This was a moment that required a split-second decision.

"Yes, Brother."

"Good. What's the plan?"

Oliver asked back at my brief reply.

"Sir Isaac, carry Lady Grace on your back and run. And Brother, like I said, its weakness is the collarbone."

"Haha, you want me to kill it?"

"Yes. I'll draw its attention."

"Understood. I'll trust you."

I had to draw its attention. From the previous battle, I had realized that it was most efficient for me to be the target.

Oliver would manage somehow in the meantime. Excluding Grace, Oliver was the most reliable offensive option here.

As the ogre pulled back its club, the heavy pressure on my arms vanished.

We had to hurry. The important thing now was how to draw its gaze.

"Brother, here I go."

The leader didn't even spare a glance at Oliver or me. The red target was locked onto Grace and Isaac, who was carrying her away. The beast was obsessively targeting only the injured Grace.

I have to force its focus onto me!

I gripped the edge of the shield with my right hand. This was the only weapon I had left.

I didn't have the luxury of throwing mud like before. If it attacked again, Grace would definitely die.

I recalled a scene I had watched on TV a few times. With my old athletic ability, it would have been impossible, but now I had the talent of application.

Let's do this.

Tucking the shield under my arm, I spun around twice. The target was the beast's face.

The rotation was faster than expected, making ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠my head spin, but I couldn't lose my focus now.

"Hyaaaah!"

At the end of the spin, I threw the shield with all my might. It was a strike packed with centrifugal force.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Oliver dashing toward the ogre.

Just draw its eyes. Just its eyes.

I had to buy time for Isaac and Grace to escape. I only hoped that after getting hit by this, the beast would look at me.

The round shield spun rapidly like a top as it flew through the air. Fortunately, my aim was true.

The face of the beast, which had raised its club, was completely exposed.

The ogre was focused solely on its target. Ignoring everything else, the shield flew in a straight line and slammed into the beast's face.

CRACK!!

It was a direct hit.

As the gathered centrifugal force and the shield's rotation collided, a tremendous impact echoed out. At that moment...

A sudden message. Unbelievable what counts as a skill these days.

Regardless, the result was good. The shield had struck the beast dead-on, and it had clearly taken damage.

Alright, this should draw its attention to me... Huh?

But the outcome was different from what I had expected.

And in a good way, too.

Contrary to my intention of merely drawing its attention, the ogre, having taken a direct hit to the face, staggered and fell backward with a loud thud.

"Huh...?"

I was the one who was bewildered.

It fell from just that?

Everyone stared at me in shock.

Come to think of it, I had overlooked something. Although not as massive as an ogre, I was still quite large myself. The centrifugal force generated by my hefty frame seemed to have carried far more power than ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I thought.

What followed was simple. The soldiers surrounded the fallen ogre and launched a coordinated assault.

Oliver, who had been about to leap high into the air, awkwardly walked over and began stabbing the beast alongside the soldiers.

Thuck! Thuck!

Blades sank into the ogre's collarbone area, spraying blood in all directions.

The soldiers didn't even give the ogre a chance to scream. Once again, the battlefield was filled with the cheers of the soldiers.

"Is... is it over?"

The conclusion had come in an instant. It was an unexpected end.

"Did I really..."

Did I actually bring that thing down?

Inadvertently, I had ended up taking down two ogres.

Plop.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed right into the muddy water. I really thought I was going to die. Even though I had died once on Earth, I could never get used to this terror.

I let out a long, silent sigh. It was an exhale filled with relief.

Coincidentally, the rain was stopping. I wiped the rainwater from my face with my hand.

The battle was completely over.

"Haha..."

Indeed.

I was steadily growing stronger.

Five days had passed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠since then.

In the end, we couldn't find out why the ogres had descended all the way to the Russell Territory.

The news had reached the Imperial Palace, and additional knight forces were dispatched.

Fortunately, there were no civilian casualties from the ogre invasion.

However, seven knights from the Russell family had perished. A grand funeral was held for them, and compensation was paid to their surviving families.

While the loss of life was tragic, it was a massive achievement compared to the past goblin invasion.

Consequently, the residents did not forget to express their gratitude to the knights and the Russell family.

In particular, rumors of my exploits spread like wildfire. My name appeared daily in the newsletters circulating throughout the Russell Territory.

Yesterday, a festival was held in the village to send me off to the Academy.

Now, I was being hailed as a hero who had protected the territory and would go on to protect the Caser Empire.

"Sigh..."

Honestly, it was a burden. My true self was just a shut-in otaku who huddled in the corner of his room.

For someone who used to find even meeting people difficult, this level of attention was uncomfortable.

I thought being popular would be nice, but excessive attention is just another burden. I guess you really can't hide your true nature.

Knock, knock.

"It is time to leave, Lord Yeong-sik."

It was Albert's voice. Had time flown by that quickly?

Following him down to the manor lobby, I saw my family waiting for me. Liam, Oliver, Isaac, and Albert.

...Family.

Come to think of it, the word "family" didn't feel foreign to me anymore. Something I had never possessed back on Earth.

I thought I would never get used to it, but I had blended in with them much faster than expected.

I guess that just shows how good they are.

And it wasn't just them. Along the path leading from the lobby to the front yard, all the knights and servants of the Russell family had lined up.

"Here he is, the pride of our family!"

"You'll do great there too, hero!"

Liam and Oliver laughed as they slapped my back.

...They're just teasing me, aren't they?

The two of them, who had initially opposed my going to the Academy, had changed their attitude to some extent after the ogre incident.

The realization that even the Russell Territory wasn't entirely safe, and the fact that Grace was more trustworthy than they had thought, had changed their minds.

"This is a gift from me as your father."

"Huh? What is this all of a sudden?"

Liam handed me a silver chain necklace engraved with the Russell family crest. I tilted my head in confusion.

"Open it."

At his words, I opened the pendant attached to the necklace. It was a scene I had seen before. A family portrait containing Liam, Chloe, Oliver as a child, and my younger self.

"I mean, I'm not a little girl, what is this..."

"Bwahaha! I knew you'd say that. You rascal! It means don't forget your family, even when you succeed!"

"Geez, how could I forget?"

Despite my words, I immediately put the necklace on. I finally felt like a true member of the Russell family. Of course, to them, I had always been family.

"Lord Yeong-sik, are you ready?"

"Yes, Lady Grace. Let's go."

Grace, who was standing behind me leaning on crutches, spoke.

Since that incident, a sort of bond had formed between Grace and us.

Grace, who had fought to save the territory, and the people of the Russell family, who had saved her life during the battle. We felt a mutual sense of gratitude.

Oliver offered his farewell to Grace on behalf of the Russell family.

"Thank you for everything, Lady Grace. I look forward to seeing you again someday."

"Not at all. I wish you good health as well, Lord Oliver. And, um..."

"Yes?"

"...Ah, it's nothing. I also look forward to seeing you again."

Huh? There was a subtle hint of intimacy in their exchange. They had bickered so much when they were drinking. Did they get closer in the meantime?

"Well then, I'm off."

I bid my final farewells to Liam, Oliver, Isaac, and everyone else.

The cheers for me continued all the way as I departed.

The members of the household, the residents I used to greet during my morning walks. Being sent off by them made it feel like I was leaving my hometown.

I would return someday.

I took in the view of the town one last time.

Now, my destination is the Imperial Palace.

I gathered my thoughts and clenched my fists.

There, I could learn more and grow stronger. Maybe I really would save the world, just like the people of the territory said.

But did that actually matter?

I had a completely different task to take care of first.

To hell with the world. That wasn't my goal.

"...Heh."

It was a goal of my own, one that no one here knew about.

It would be soon.

At the thought of meeting them again at the Imperial Palace,

at the thought of taking my revenge on them one by one,

a satisfied smile spread across my lips.