The appearance of the ogre instantly changed the tide of the battle.
If it had appeared only after all the remaining orcs were exterminated, we would have been engaged in a series of consecutive fights, but at least it wouldn’t have been as chaotic as it is now.
In the midst of the burning settlement, we had to deal with the remaining orc remnants, yet out of nowhere, an ogre, a foe that demanded all our attention, showed up?
Everyone was flustered because this was an entirely unexpected situation.
“Ugh, retreat!”
Staying here is dangerous.
That’s what Curt thought and shouted that we should flee, but the ogre was already right in front of us, and we had no choice but to fight.
I immediately cast buffs on Curt, Dannes, who stood at the front lines, and Melina, the archer.
“[Oh my god, grant them wings to soar.]”
“What is this…”
“Buff…?!”
If we were to point out the difference between a novice nun and a regular low-grade potion, it would be the buffs.
Normally, inexperienced novice nuns do not know how to cast buffs.
To be precise, they aren’t yet accustomed to using divine power to the extent that they can perform such techniques.
But I am different.
With several additional points in my talent for divine power allowing me to make others blind and deaf, do you really think I can’t manage this much?
Absolutely not.
Basic buffs like speed enhancement, as well as buffs for stamina, strength, and resilience—all of it was granted.
“… I suspected something when I healed that many wounds yesterday, but…”
Was that Dannes?
I could hardly hear him.
The lingering thoughts of the orcs, still alive or dying, and the overwhelming presence from the ogre in front of me drowned out his voice.
But still, I was a B-rank adventurer.
Even if the wizard was incapacitated using a wide-area bombardment spell against a formidable opponent, as long as I had cast buffs, it was something we could handle despite the remaining orc remnants.
“Everyone, just create an opening with your arrows so we can run! Dannes, draw the ogre’s attention, Melina, focus on aiming!”
“Leave it to me.”
Melina, the female archer, said that as she took a deep breath and steadied her stance.
It’s a good method.
A very good plan.
But…
To aim for the eyes from this distance—no matter how skilled an archer she is, she must concentrate a bit.
She’d be trying to hit a small, red part that moves erratically, not something uniform.
Even though the ogre has low intelligence, it’s not completely absent; if she misses, it would likely sense something and turn its attention to Melina first.
More importantly…
‘I didn’t anticipate this.’
Probably, everyone here was caught off-guard too.
With so many orc soldiers already slain and the appearance of the ogre, a being no orc could possibly fight, one would normally assume the remaining orcs would be desperately fleeing for their lives.
I definitely thought they would run.
Yet,
‘Are they not fleeing?’
The orcs did not run.
An orc archer, wielding a crude bow and arrows, was aiming with a look of anger on its face.
In that brief moment, I sensed it.
What they were targeting was none other than Melina, the female archer.
There was no time to think.
Though I could not see or hear, I understood through divine power where everything was, and I perceived the ambush.
A sharp pain shot through my abdomen,
And with a rush of pleasure, I smiled.
‘Perhaps I can add a more dramatic touch.’
I thought.
…
No, in fact, that part didn’t matter much to me.
Though this was an unforeseen situation, just the fact that I took the arrow meant for her was enough to feel good.
I could show a dramatic display of sacrifice.
But beyond that… the sensation of being pierced by the arrow felt oddly pleasurable.
I must really be twisted somewhere.
Ha ha…
—
The sound of something leaping, and at the same time, a chilling sound reminiscent of flesh being pierced echoed, as Melina, who fully aimed at the ogre’s eyes, released the taut bowstring.
The arrow shot forth with a splat, striking the ogre accurately.
– GRAAAAAGH!!!
The ogre, hit in the eye, staggered and, covering its eye with one hand, thrashed around. In that moment, Curt and Dannes, shouting that we must flee, turned towards us.
What they saw was,
“What the…”
“Ugh, huh…”
The sight of the girl who had collapsed on the ground, her abdomen pierced by a crude arrow.
The white robes of the nun stained red, as she gasped in pain.
“What the hell… When did she get shot…?”
They mumbled, but Melina did not panic.
She immediately scanned her surroundings with the eye of an archer.
Soon, she spotted an orc, surprised, still holding its bow and arrow.
It happened in an instant.
She aimed the bow she held toward the orc and quickly pulled back the string to shoot.
Even though she hadn’t aimed properly, the arrow accurately pierced through the orc’s forehead.
Without checking to see if the orc was dead, Melina swiftly turned her head toward the nun, who had taken the arrow for her.
“Ugh…”
Melina clicked her tongue.
“There was no need to take the hit…!”
“After all, it was shot by an orc… it probably wouldn’t have flown straight and would have fallen.”
Curt, who had arrived at some point, murmured.
That’s right.
Given the height difference between Melina and the nun named Aria, if Melina had taken the hit, it likely would have been in her thigh.
But even so, a wound to the thigh was certainly dangerous in this situation.
“After we treated her so harshly…”
Curt said in a despondent voice as he looked down at the gasping nun.
For an ordinary person, it would be a severe injury, and under different circumstances, it wouldn’t be strange for her to die, but for a nun filled with divine power, as long as we provided some treatment, she might not die from this wound.
However, it was undoubtedly a dangerous injury if not treated immediately.
Despite having a much stronger life force than an ordinary person, she wasn’t unkillable even with a serious injury.
To possess that kind of strong life force, one would have to be a fully-fledged nun.
Though her abilities and divine power would reach the level of a full nun, Aria was still an apprentice nun.
It was best to treat her as quickly as possible.
“Melina, you take care of the nun. The orc soldiers were probably all eliminated, but keep an eye out just in case.”
“What about you guys?”
“Even if we missed our chance, we still have the buffs given by the nun.”
With this, we might be able to take down the ogre.
Perhaps aiming to express how reckless this was, Melina prepared to shout out, but Curt and Dannes had already stepped forward to confront the ogre.
In order to resolve this situation, Miirna, who was likely recovering her magic, needed to join the battlefield to provide support with magic, or else, execute a surprise attack with a powerful spell to kill the ogre.
Melina clicked her tongue.
Having entered what appeared to be a corner of the burned battleground where it seemed no orcs were left alive, she laid Aria down on the ground and began the treatment.
She removed the nun’s robe and carefully pulled out the arrow.
“Haah… Haah…”
Adventurers usually carried emergency treatment items.
Her hand hesitated slightly as she pulled out a low-grade potion, but Melina knew.
Regardless of the circumstances, this nun was the one who had helped her.
After pouring the expensive low-grade potion onto the wound, she quickly wrapped a bandage around it.
“Damn it…”
With the treatment finished, all that remained was to confront the ogre. There shouldn’t be any orcs around now, so she had to go out immediately to support her party.
Melina understood.
An ogre is an opponent that requires a B-rank adventurer’s party to exert their full power to challenge.
Of course, one could decapitate it if they managed a surprise attack, but against the ogre’s keen sense of smell, successfully launching such an attack is virtually impossible.
And facing it head-on, even for the front-liners, was practically suicidal.
The overwhelming physical force emanating from that massive body could crush everything in sight.
Thus, Melina was well aware.
How reckless those two were being.
How insane this act was.
And,
“Dannes!!!”
As soon as she stepped outside the building, what greeted Melina was,
BANG!!!
The sight of Dannes being sent flying into the settlement by an ogre’s attack, wielding a massive tree.
