All three of them looked at her with shock.

“Problems?”, asked Orph.

“A-Are you alright?”, asked Dave.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”, he added before getting interrupted.

Cess looked at Dave and placed her hand on his arm before replying, “I’m alright. Really.”

She then looked at Orph before speaking again, “I met someone...”

“Someone?”, asked Dave.

“...Someone special, they had a slave collar tied around their neck”, she continued.

Both Orph and Eric looked at each other.

“Was it the same person who attacked us?”, asked Dave.

Cess nodded and denied it,

“Someone new...”, Dave pondered.

“I assume it’s the same person that attacked Orph and Eric back then.”, asked Cess while turning her gaze towards both.

Orph nodded in agreement and spoke, “Probably.”

“But that’s not all, there was a huge Ogre... bigger than any I’ve ever seen alongside them.”, she added.

“A high Ogre...!”, exclaimed Orph.

“A high Ogre?”, asked Eric.

Dave sighed before sitting back down again, “You’re lucky to have gotten out of that safe... this is going to be tough... really tough...”

Cess looked at Dave, realizing what weight his words might carry, and found herself lucky enough to have made the correct choice of retreating.

“What even is a high Ogre?”, asked Cess coming back to her senses again.

“A bigger who got a little too big for its own good?", she added.

“Yes, and much more, they’re the ones who can order the other Ogres around... they usually have leadership positions in their clan but finding even one...”, replied Orph.

“I’ve never met a high Ogre before...”, Dave added.

“Not even you...”, Cess responded with shock.

“So, the ogres that Sir Dave defeated a while back were probably this high Ogre’s work?”, Eric asked.

Orph nodded before looking at Cess again and asking, “Was there anything else?”

Cess nodded.

“He said something about not everything being what it seems?”, said Cess.

As soon as Orph heard her, he started pondering.

“What about your recon mission?”, asked Dave.

“All I saw of note was a large mountain... I assume their camp is on top of it, but … I couldn’t see or find anything.”, she replied.

“Then all we must do is climb that mountain...”, added Eric.

“No.”. Cess replied.

“No?”

“No, it’s too steep... climbing It is too dangerous and time-consuming...”, she added.

“But they’re using it quite easily...”, asked Eric.

“There must be another route to their base...”, said Orph.

Dave nodded.

Orph went back to his deep-thinking state again.

“Are you alright?”, asked Eric while looking at Orph.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

“Hmm?”, Orph replied. “Oh. Yes, I’m just thinking.”, he added.

“Thinking about what?”, said Cess, coming in between the conversation.

Orph looked at her and said, “Just thinking.” before going back to his deep-thinking state again.

Cess looked annoyed, which Eric noticed and stepped back.

Before her annoyance could’ve been truly seen, Dave spoke up, “We’ll think about it later. It’s getting late, I want you guys to go back to the camp.”

He looked at Cess before speaking again, “Especially you... it’s been a long day...”

Then patted her head and said, "Nice work today... I’m proud of you.” before awkwardly walking off in the opposite direction of the camp.

The gesture from Dave brightened up Cess’ mood enough to make all the annoyance she left a few moments ago disappear into thin air. So much so, that it could be visibly seen on her face.

Eric noticed it, “You must really like him...”

“Of course, I do! That’s the best knight in the kingdom and he complimented me!”, Cess replied before starting to walk towards their camp.

Eric smiled.

He then looked towards Orph, “Let’s go.”

“Oh? Oh...”, Orph realized what had happened.

“Yes, lets.”, he replied.

Then they both followed Cess and walked fast enough to catch up to her.

Orph now out of his thinking state and spoke, “Hey.”

“What exactly happened in-between you and that guy who attacked us?”, he added.

Cess still brimming with joy with both of her hands placed on her cheek having the time of her life replied, “Oh, nothing much.”

“Hmm I see, he was strong. Both Eric and I barely managed to escape...”

“Nothing much... except I won.”, she smirked while looking behind at both.

“How...?”, Orph replied.

“Are you really that strong Cess?”, asked Eric not being able to contain his curiosity and blurting out what he was thinking.

Cess places her hands on her hips, and looked up to the sky with her face filled with pride, “Of course I am!”

Orph sighed.

“Honestly...”, said Cess.

Both Orph and Eric looked at her before Eric decided to ask her, “Honestly?”

Cess sighed before replying, “Honestly, I got lucky... I won only because it was in the forest...”

She looked down before continuing, “My home ground... and because I had a long-ranged weapon.”

“Oh please, those are all excuses.” Orph replied. Half-laughing.

“You won because you took advantage of your surroundings... Don’t take it away from you.”, he added.

Cess smiled and replied with a thanks.

She sighed again soon after and spoke, “I do feel bad...”

She kicked a rock that was beside her foot while walking before continuing, “They don’t have any choice except to follow the orders of their ‘masters’...”

“Which is why we’re here.”, Orph replied.

“Don’t worry, we’ll free them all.”, he added.

Eric nodded in agreement to Orph’s statement.

A few moments passed, Orph started to laugh before asking, “Did you really not know what a high ogre was?”

Cess’ face turned red, she tried her best to hide it.

“A hunter such as yourself?”, Orph added while continuing to laugh.

Cess couldn’t hold it any longer and screamed, “I’m just a hunter not... not... NOT A MONSTER HUNTER!”

“Sure, Sure.”, Orph replied, his laughter stopping a few moments later but his smile still present.

Cess calmed down.

“It’s not like they teach it to us...”, she said.

“They don’t?”, asked Orph, surprised.

Cess nodded as If she was saying no.

Orph looked over at Eric before asking whether he got taught about monsters or not.

Eric did the same thing as Cess and nodded as if he was saying no.

“Hmm.”, said Orph.

“Did you learn all about them in the orphanage?”, asked Eric.

Orph nodded before replying, “Yes. Every kind of monster or beast that is found in this kingdom. They said that knowing about your opponents is winning half the battle.”

He clenched his fists and continued, “I do agree with them on this...”

Orph looked back at Eric and spoke, “You should really research more about them.”, he looked at Cess, “You too!” while making a more scornful face. Making Cess look back at him with scorn too.

He laughed and smiled again before speaking, “I remember John was really good at this, even better than me...”, his smile almost turned into a frown.

“Who is John?”, asked Cess.

“Oh.”, Orph replied, looking at Cess.

“Just an old... friend. Hopefully someone... someone that I can save.”, he added.

Orph noticed the confused look on Cess’ face.

“He got sold into slavery...”, said Orph while looking and feeling down.

“Oh... Is that why you guys joined this mission?”, asked Cess.

Eric nodded.

“Oh... I’m sorry.”, replied Cess.

“Don’t be.”, said Orph.

He looked towards Eric and spoke, “You too... don’t look so down.”

“Didn’t I say? We’ll free them all.”, he added.

Eric and Cess nodded in agreement. The rest of the journey back was somber.

Soon enough they all reached the camp.

“I guess this is it.”, said Cess.

“It was nice talking to you guys, Good night.”, she added while waving and trying her best to smile. She walked away to her tent.

Orph waved back, with both saying good night back. They walked towards their own tent too.

“We have slept in here for a while.”, said Orph slightly laughing.

They both went to bed.

“Orph... are you awake?”, asked Eric while laying down on his bed.

“Yes?”, Orph replied.

“We will free them.”, said Eric.

Orph laughed and replied, “Yes, yes we will.”

They both went to sleep soon after.