Oujin and I locked eyes and nodded in unison.

The next moment, we kicked off the ground at the same time, as if in competition. Slipping through the swinging lumps of iron, we leaped straight into the midst of the ogres, thick with the stench of beasts and heat.

――Gii…!?

The smaller one, who had stubbornly held their horizontal formation until now, suddenly abandoned it and slipped into their midst. That unexpected move caused a brief moment of confusion in the ogres' minds. Confusion led to a halt in their movements.

The instant their focus wavered, my longsword and short sword traced arcs of silver. A beat later, crimson petals of blood scattered through the air.

A moment later, we burst out from the rear of the ogre horde. By the time they turned to face us, we were already slicing back into them.

"Too slow."

With my height, limb length, and the short reach of my short sword, I couldn’t sever their necks. I simply couldn't reach. Instead, as I slipped past them, I focused on cutting their legs.

Again and again, I felt the firm feedback in both arms.

"Over here."

The more densely packed the enemy, the less attention they paid to their own feet. I used this small frame not as a disadvantage, but as an advantage.

Cutting stone. Cutting stone. Cutting stone.

One by one, ogres in the center of the horde lost their balance. Right there, Oujin moved in, his swordplay so elegant and fluid it could be mistaken for a dance.

"You're pushing too far ahead, Eremia!"

He cut them down like slicing through silk.

His sword was precise to an almost absurd degree. Once he locked onto his target, escaping was nearly impossible. No matter how the ogres moved, his blade adjusted its trajectory, tracking them, always reaching its mark.

Fascinating. Truly fascinating. A sword that could alter its path mid-swing? And with such seamless control of speed and rhythm?

It was almost unfair. The ogres must have felt the same.

Excited, I shouted.

"Then keep up with me! You should be able to do at least that much!"

While I burned with excitement, Oujin remained calm.

"Hah. Don’t be ridiculous. I’m not as small as you."

I skidded to a stop, turned on my heel, and yelled at him.

"I-I'm not small! I'm going to grow any day now!"

"Behind you! Look behind you! Right now!"

"You look, damn it! I am not sma—?"

The ogre had already raised its massive weapon—no, it was already swinging it down.

A massive shadow swallowed me whole.

――GAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!

"Nwah—!?"

I barely dodged, arching my back into a crescent moon shape under the night sky.

The iron weapon slammed into the stone ground, shattering it, sending fragments flying. I tumbled away like a freshly dug-up potato, put some distance between us, and raised a knee.

"Oujin, you bastard! You trying to get me killed!?"

"I literally just saved you!?"

Blood mist thickened in the air around us. At our feet, severed ogre limbs and heads lay scattered.

Two of them turned their backs on us, heading toward Ilga and the others. But at that level, they should have no trouble dealing with them.

By the time Oujin and I had taken down about half—roughly ten—of the ogres, the remaining ones had begun dragging their heels backward, retreating inch by inch.

Their will to fight had completely crumbled.

After a few more steps, they turned on their heels and fled deep into the dungeon.

"Eremia, don't chase them."

Oujin wiped the blood from his blade with a cloth and slid it into his sheath.

Chin— A crisp sound as the blade settled into place.

"I know that without you telling me! What do I look like, a dog?"

"I always thought you were something close to one. You're wild enough to do it."

"How rude…"

He knew full well I was royalty.

The words nearly slipped from my tongue, but I swallowed them back.

I let out a deep breath.

There were no more ogres left standing around us. Only one was still crawling away, and I drove my short sword into its nape.

"......"

After wiping the blood away, I slid my blade back into its sheath.

Two more ogres lay in front of the noble team’s formation. It seemed Ilga and Bernard had taken care of them.

They're improving.

Normally, growth in battle comes with casualties, but this time, it seemed Lili’s plan had worked out smoothly.

At least, for the noble team.

Oujin whispered to me.

"We might have made some enemies."

"It can’t be helped. We held back our strength just to push them into danger. But if we had fought at full power from the start, it wouldn’t have helped them at all. Even if they survived today, some would die in the next phase of training."

"I understand, but… it’s a thankless role to play."

I shrugged.

"If they kick me out of the party, so be it. At least I can go back to the other side."

"I appreciate your optimism, but if you abandon the mission you took on personally, how do you plan to explain yourself to Instructor Ituka?"

"Ugh…"

If she was truly following her master Blythe’s teachings to the letter, then I—Eremia—would likely end up getting smacked on the rear.

The ultimate humiliation, getting my backside struck by my own disciple.

Oujin smirked.

"Why not just apologize?"

"To Lili?"

Pointless. She’d still hit me. Because I hit her. When she apologized.

"I meant to Ilga."

"That's not even funny."

"Yeah, I figured."

Oujin and I walked back toward Ilga and the others.

The heaviness in my step wasn’t just from the sticky blood of the ogres clinging to my soles.

I should probably brace myself for a storm of insults.