Chapter 12
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 12
Chapter Title: The Second Guardian Spirit
A long, stretched canyon not far from the forest, with an entrance hidden somewhere in between leading to who knows where.
In the past, he wouldn't have even thought to come here. Who would have imagined an ogre fortress hidden in a place like this?
Chijijik.
An invisible barrier brushed against his senses. If he'd come alone, the ominous aura probably would have made him turn back.
After all, there's no telling what's waiting ahead.
'So this is where you've been hiding.'
Following the injured Giant Ogre inside, he saw large huts made from beast hides.
Anywhere from dozens to over a hundred, it seemed—but fewer than expected.
Which meant there weren't that many ogres, either.
-Kreaaah.
The injured Giant Ogre let out a groan.
-Kreaah!
A single-headed regular ogre came charging in.
Boom, boom, boom!
The creature was dressed almost like a human knight in full armor—unlike the wandering monsters of the forest, it was fully equipped.
"You're back, boss. Tough luck on the recon mission... Huh? A human?!"
The ogre guarding the village entrance spotted him and jumped in shock. The Giant Ogre glanced nervously, stepping forward to block his path.
"He's not just any human. He's the benefactor who saved my life."
"Benefactor?"
"It's complicated to explain. But no need—he's my benefactor!"
"...Boss. Benefactor or not, bringing a human into the village is taboo."
"I-I know that."
"Then send him outside the fortress. You know what happened before, right?"
"Yeah, but..."
"If the chief finds out, we're in deep shit."
"Hahaha, deep shit? I'll tell the chief myself! My benefactor wants to meet the chief!"
"What? This human wants to see the chief?"
"Yeah! He says he wants to form an alliance with us."
He meant it.
If this situation could be resolved peacefully, he had no desire to fight the ogres.
A moment of silence passed.
Then the regular ogre let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha! A human wants to join hands with us?"
"Yeah."
"That's ridiculous... Boss, get a grip. We can never trust humans!"
"It's not ridiculous! It's true!"
Siegfried, losing patience, gripped the sword at his waist with an irritated voice.
"Disciple, why not just kill these guys?"
He lightly shook his head.
His purpose here was to find the jar containing Brunhilt—not to wipe out the ogres.
'Guess I have to handle this from here on out.'
He needed to get back before his nanny came looking.
"Step aside."
He unleashed the maximum mana he could muster and strode forward.
Step, step, step.
The two ogres unwittingly twisted their bodies aside, clearing the path.
As he walked straight into the heart of the ogre fortress, ogres began emerging one by one from their huts.
Yet none stepped up to block him.
They just tilted their heads, expressions saying, 'Why's a human here?'
Siegfried whipped his head from left to right, whispering excitedly.
"Whoa! Disciple, you're badass. Not scared with all these monsters around?"
As if there were anything to fear.
He'd fought countless battles in his previous life. Their weaknesses were all laid bare to him.
To exaggerate a bit, he could take them down with a mere twig.
Standing at the center of the ogre fortress, he waited for their leader.
Soon enough, dozens of ogres formed a circle around him at a distance.
And from their midst emerged a particularly striking figure.
Far too small to be called an ogre. A woman with a build and size almost human-like.
Brunhilt's descendant—a half-human, half-ogre.
The queen of the ogre village.
'Galsvint.'
She possessed a flawless, awakened muscular beauty and frame that left no room for doubt in calling her a woman. The beauty radiating not from her looks, but her very physique, was nothing short of a divine masterpiece.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was born to be a warrior.
"...Human, how did you find this place? I definitely cast a spell at the village entrance."
She stared at him with a face full of doubt.
"Are you Galsvint?"
"...And how do you know my name?"
"How I know your name doesn't matter. I don't have time, so I won't drag this out. Hand over Brunhilt."
Galsvint tilted her head with an absurd expression.
"What?"
A perfectly natural reaction.
For a random human to show up demanding their treasure—who wouldn't be baffled? But he had no leisure to accommodate the ogres.
He had to wrap everything up and return before sunrise.
"I said hand over Brunhilt. Do that, and I'll spare your lives."
"Our lives?"
"Yes."
"Ha."
This wasn't a negotiation—it was a warning.
He knew there was no other way.
Galsvint glanced around.
As if spotting something, she yelled into the distance.
"Did you bring the human?"
The Giant Ogre who'd led him here bowed its head.
"I-I... I got attacked by a mage in the forest... and this human saved me—"
"So you brought him."
"...Yes."
The moment the answer ended, Galsvint launched herself forward. In a flash of movement like lightning, she circled behind the Giant Ogre.
"I explicitly said no humans in the village!"
Thwack!
She drove her hand blade straight into its heart.
"Guh!"
It was instantaneous.
The mighty Giant Ogre collapsed in one blow.
Boom!
She hadn't used aura or mana. Pure physical power alone subdued the ogre.
A level no amount of human training could ever reach.
Galsvint turned her head to face him.
"Human, I don't know how you learned of Lady Brunhilt. But since you've come this far, you won't be leaving alive."
The blood dripping from her fingertips made it clear she wasn't joking.
'Interesting.'
He knew words alone wouldn't suffice, but her reaction was even more extreme than expected.
Negotiation truly was impossible.
He extended one arm forward and whispered.
"Master, come forth."
Siegfried transformed his entire body into red mist, then roared in excitement as he began absorbing into him.
"Yesssss!!!"
Whoosh.
A fierce energy began surging through his body.
Swoosh.
The awakener's power stirred, triggering changes in his form.
Flash!
His hair turned golden, and flame-like patterns crawled up both arms. A sight anyone would recognize as bearing the power of Sword God Siegfried.
-Huu!
He took a deep breath.
His current body could withstand the Descent for 5 minutes.
"My name is Berddin de Strange."
He would finish everything within that time.
"The jar containing Guardian Spirit Brunhilt. And the current ogre chief, 'Galsvint.' I will take both."
A small church on the eastern outskirts.
Two men who could one day alter the continent's balance of power met here.
Edward von Glazer, heir of the Glazer family, cloaked in white. And Gunter de Strange, a prime contender for the Strange succession, clad in yellow armor.
They sat facing each other across a round table.
"I don't think you betrayed us."
Edward spoke first. Gunter pondered briefly before replying.
"If I had betrayed you, I would've said to cut my neck, not just my arm."
"Exactly. That's what I think too."
"...What did he look like?"
"A kid in a black cloak. Blond hair, just like yours."
"A kid? Blond?"
"Yeah. At first I thought it was an adult in disguise, but no—really just a child."
"......"
"Blond, same as you and your father."
Gunter's mind grew tangled.
Among Roys's direct bloodline, the only one with blond hair was himself. So the culprit behind this—was it someone from a branch family? The deeper he thought, the further the answer slipped away.
No matter who he pictured, none matched Edward's description.
It couldn't be helped—Gunter had never seen Berddin's awakened form.
The moment he took on the Sword God's power and turned blond.
"No idea. Really no idea."
"No blonds among our recently born kids."
"Might not be Roys's blood."
"Then?"
"He used mana. Could be a Strange bloodline raised outside our eyes."
"Mana... Did he cast spells?"
"No, he infused it into his sword. An incredible swordsman—no chance to counter."
"A sword?"
"Yeah, a sword."
Edward swept back his cloak, raising his right arm—empty below the elbow.
"And that sword did this to me."
Gunter's jaw dropped in disbelief.
"?!"
"That blond kid didn't just take my arm—he slipped away from every 5th-circle mage or higher there."
"...Was he alone?"
"Who knows? Whether he came solo, or had backup nearby."
Silence fell for a moment.
After a few seconds, Edward chuckled dryly and continued.
"But one thing's certain. Even searching the whole continent, there aren't many like him. Especially at that age."
"Shouldn't be too hard to track down, then."
"That's why I'm asking you. It's not difficult, and the area's Strange territory anyway."
Gunter clenched his fist.
"I'll catch him within a week and drag him before you."
"Don't get careless."
"You think I'd lose to him?"
Edward swung his severed arm.
Swish, swish.
"Who knows? I didn't expect this to happen to me. Oh, and one of your brothers was stirring up trouble in the east."
"Brother?"
"Yeah. Since you're here, handle him too. Name's Hysteria, I think. Looks like that lunatic's gone after our kids."
Gunter muttered with a fierce glare.
"Hysteria."
"He's been turning villages upside down looking for some assassin."
"He's hunting an assassin?"
"Yeah. Wiped out Baron Ryden's entire unit single-handedly, they say. Reason? Didn't like their faces or something. Total psycho."
"...Understood. I'll go meet him right away."
The conversation ended there.
Having finished, the two headed out the church in opposite directions.
Outside the left entrance, dozens of mages formed a protective formation around Edward as they departed.
Outside the right, dozens of knights stood at rigid attention to receive Gunter.
"Knight captain, summon Gerno and Giselle."