“Why are there ogres here?”

Felicia shouted as she ran over, making a shrill noise.

“How should I know! Just run!”

Reedmore protested. He followed them, running hastily.

Claude’s expression hardened coldly beside him as he ran.

Is this the Second Prince’s doing?

Just now, after hearing that from Claude, the thought naturally came to mind.

But no matter if it’s the Second Prince or the Empress, how can they put an ogre in the dungeon cave?

The Medina Dungeon is a low-level dungeon. Ogres never appear there.

Even if they brought it in from the outside, the knights who did a preliminary survey would have dealt with any nearby dangerous monsters…!

No matter how I thought about it, it seemed strange.

“Uwaaaah!”

“Argh! Stop making weird noises!”

Felicia panicked. Looking back, she could see the ogre rapidly approaching.

It was charging them at full speed, banging its head, shoulders, and fists against the narrow cave ceiling and walls.

“If we leave it like this, the whole thing will collapse!”

Reedmore yelled as he saw the approaching danger, his face drained of color.

“…Artifact.”

Claude, who had been in front, spoke. Hearing his single word, Felicia’s face turned pale.

“Yes, there was one!”

I also remembered something I had forgotten and felt relieved.

I looked down at the pendant around my neck. The necklace swayed, and the imitation gem in the center shimmered.

I pressed the gem firmly into the palm of my hand.

Waiting for the shield to activate, I closed my eyes tightly to shield myself from the blinding light.

“…?”

However, there was no warm protective magic surrounding my body, nor was there any blinding light that usually accompanied magic activation.

Thud, thud, thud, thud.

The ogre continued to charge at them, slamming into the cave walls, causing dust and debris to fall and the cave to shake.

“My artifact does not work… Is there anyone here whose artifact works?”

Claude muttered. Like me, he held a pendant. The pendant hanging limply around his neck showed no reaction.

“Mine doesn’t work.”

“Mine, mine, too…”

Hearing Felicia’s voice, our eyes involuntarily turned to one person. It was Reedmore, who was running behind us to protect us.

With trembling eyes, he looked at the necklace that swayed in time with his steps.

His masculine hand pressed tightly against the imitation gem embedded in the pendant.

“It doesn’t work.”

There was no answer. Everyone stood still. I found myself looking at Claude.

He was looking at Reedmore’s pendant, the last remaining artifact, with trembling eyelids.

His face was pale, his eyelashes fluttering. His clenched fists at the end of his outstretched arms shook.

Reedmore, also unable to hide his panic, turned for a moment to face the ogre wriggling in the narrow passage.

He drew his sword, assumed a fighting stance, and said, “We have no choice but to fight.”

“Can’t we just keep running and get out of here?”

Felicia, who had summoned several sprites, stood resolutely by his side. In response to my question, she replied firmly.

“We were told in the briefing. Once you enter a dungeon, you can’t leave until you defeat the boss monster. You can re-enter, but since the signaling artifact isn’t working, we can’t rely on that.”

The elemental spirit circled around them nervously. It added in a stern voice: “We have no choice but to stand and fight.”

This was bad. A curse escaped my lips.

Hadn’t we heard something like this in the long pre-mission briefing? I had heard it clearly with one ear while concentrating on Claude and let it slip through the other.

Claude also silently drew his sword from his hip.

“Kreee! Kreuk, Kraaaa!”

Wedged in the narrow passage, the ogre glowed as it struggled and finally managed to free itself.

The walls vibrated ominously. In the forefront, Reedmore held his sword high.

“So, prepare for battle, Khalia.”

“Groarrr!”

With a thud, the ogre shook dust and debris from its body and roared at us with glowing eyes.

“We have to kill it.”

Reedmore’s voice, filled with determination, was firm.

“F*ck!”

“Summon Undine!”

I summoned the elemental. When she appeared in the air, she straightened her tail firmly.

“I’m going to face it head on. Felicia, use the elemental to distract it. Khalia, attack with the elemental as well. Aim for the core in its chest and try to pierce it.”

“Got it.”

“Your Highness, keep an eye out for others approaching from behind.”

“Understood.”

Claude nodded at Reedmore’s order.

It was the first real fight. My mouth went dry.

In a cave of all places, the environment wasn’t conducive for my elemental to shine.

The ogre came charging, a crude club in one hand.

His massive leg-like club dragged along the ground before being lifted high.

“Kroww!”

At Felicia’s gesture, the sylphs summoned a small gust of wind.

The ogre running toward them suddenly closed his eyes, uncomfortable with the sudden gust of wind. The debris and moss it had crashed through as it ran turned into a dusty wind that stung its ugly eyes.

A thud. Distracted by its stinging eyes, the ogre’s club fell to the ground.

“Sylphs! Get rid of that thing!”

Felicia shouted, pointing a finger. The obedient elementals followed her command and clung to the club.

The rumbling wind carried the wooden club into the deeper part of the cave where the ogre had passed.

“Woah?”

Recovering from its stinging eyes, the creature lowered its massive hand. Its pupils, wildly dilated and intensely red, seemed wet and angry.

The ogre turned to see his club lying behind him, reached out with both hands, and began to run to retrieve it.

A gap opened up, of course. Reedmore ran toward the ogre, shouting.

“Khalia! Aim for his chest!”

Undine summoned a long, sharp spear of water. The tip attached to the thick shaft was sharp.

Swoosh! As she flicked her tail, the spear shot like an arrow.

The spear grazed Reedmore’s head and flew directly in front of the thick-skinned ogre.

“Kkwoah?”

Whether it was the ferocious sound or just the sight of his club, the creature that had been running clumsily thud-thud turned back with a puzzled expression.

Thunk!

“Kieeek!”

At that moment, the spear pierced its chest. The spear, as thick as an adult man’s fist, tore through the ogre’s muscles, creating a hole. Gooey green blood gushed.

Through the pierced hole, the upper portion of the ogre’s life core was visible. The spent spear vanished into thin air.

“Uuaaaah!”

The ogre staggered with the hole in his chest. Reedmore, wielding his sword, leaped high and yelled.

The sharp blade aimed directly at the chest and descended.

Is it a success?!

I held my breath as I watched the scene unfold.

“Ah…”

Disappointment escaped Felicia’s lips, mirroring my hopeful anticipation.

Squelch, the ogre’s thick flesh quickly filled the pierced area.

By a hair’s breadth, Reedmore’s sword, hole and all, was brought down with a bang! and ricocheted away.

“Kwuooo! Kreuwoo!”

“Damn it!”

Reedmore, his attack thwarted, quickly backed away, widening the distance.

The injured ogre, its chest thumping and raging, expressed its rage. It seemed thoroughly enraged.

“Khalia!”

Reedmore shouted, sword at the ready. Even without words, it was clear what he wanted.

Understanding his intent, Undine immediately sprayed a stream of water in front of the monster. It burst and flooded like a raging river.

“Kkwoeok!”

Caught in the water that filled it beyond its height, the creature struggled in agony.

“Eat this!”

Felicia shouted, and from behind her, the stealthily approaching sylphs dropped the ogre’s club directly on its head.

“Kkaeek!”

The monster flailed at its head, caught by the club. The agile sylphs dodged the swinging giant hand and struck it several times with the club.

After the rushing water flowed into the cave and disappeared, the creature’s appearance was pitiful.

The tufts of fur that barely covered its lower body were soaked, and the ogre, clumsily swinging its arms and legs in a pathetic manner, seemed hopeless.

Gathering my strength, I forged a spear thicker and sharper than before.

“Ridim, go!”

I shouted loudly to alert Reedmore, who was holding his sword in anticipation, and thrust the spear with all my might.

The spear of water tore through the air once more and pierced the ogre’s chest.

A larger hole than before was precisely drilled into the ogre’s chest.

“Kieeek!”

The ogre let out an agonized scream. However, with its monstrous vitality and regenerative power, the gaping chest wound quickly closed.

“Now!”

Felicia shouted. Reedmore had charged forward before she had finished speaking.

Whoosh! The sylphs held the club high, blocking his view.

“Uung!”

The ogre swung his trunk-like arm to swat away the pesky ghosts.

As it swatted away the gnats, Reedmore leaped high, sword ready.

The monster’s eyes widened.