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“GRAAAAAR!!”
A feral, wild growl sent shivers down all of our spines.
A twin-headed blue ogre, the type of monster that could lay flat ten knights with every swing of its club. That was the monster that had suddenly appeared in front of us.
I had heard of the test that the academy prepared on entrance day, but wasn’t this way overboard?
“Is that…”
“An Ogre!? How did that thing get inside the academy?”
Screams rang out from behind me. I quickly turned back to see all of the other students tense. All of them were also empty-handed…
“Our weapons…” Prince Ier spoke out loud. “They took them at the entrance.”
“Is this part of the test?” A cat-eared girl spoke next. “There’s no way that professor could bring an ogre here…”
I didn’t know her! Finally another normal person.
“Princess Aegean? Do you perhaps know something?”
Princess. There we go. My fault for thinking someone could be normal.
The ogre was coming closer with each second. Fortunately, it seemed just as confused as we were. It was also hesitating before going to the large targets that the buildings made.
“W-w-what do we do…”
Someone muttered from the back.
Royals aside, this was not something I wanted to get involved in. But if I rushed behind the others now, wouldn’t they execute me?! It was death in front and death behind.
The best option was to stay exactly where I was. I finally understood the feeling of all those deers that got caught in carriage accidents.
Sorry for calling all of you stupid, dead deers. I will come to you soon.
The ogre completely decided to target us and started rushing closer. It was a tornado that crushed everything in its path as it moved.
“All of you, move!!”
Right then, a commanding voice snapped us all out of our fears.
A woman with glistening golden hair and deep, oceanic, sapphire eyes turned all the heads of the class toward her. Almost as if she had cast a spell.
The ogre picked up a stone with its longer right arm and tossed it straight at us. At the same time, all the students started dispersing around and ran to the sides.
I, too, took the chance and rushed away. If death is in the front and the back, you don’t stand still but run to the sides. I have learned a lesson. Deers are stupid again.
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The spot we were standing at just moments ago had a deep crater engorged into it. A few students had fallen around while most of them had dodged.
If that lady hadn’t commanded us, we would have all died…
“It is impossible to run away from it!” The same voice rang out again.
Despite all the students having dispersed, her voice made everyone stop and follow. “We have to fight! All the mages go to the back and prepare to stop that thing in its tracks.”
She immediately took command of the students and issued an order. The students who could use magic nodded at each other and started circulating their mana as they gathered.
Without any hesitation, she continued issuing more orders while waving her hands.
“You and you,” she pointed at two students in the class, one a tall, lanky human and the other an extremely muscular dwarf. “You guys can take hits?”
“Yeah!”
“Damn it! I’ll give it a shot.”
The ogre was still charging at us, it was important to block it.
“Then tank some! Buy us time!”
The two of them nodded and rushed closer to the ogre at once. There seemed to be others fit to tank, but she still chose them, and like experienced warriors, they dived right in.
The dwarf’s body hardened while the tall student picked up the rocks around and shot them straight at the ogre’s eyes.
With the momentum on our side, our golden-haired commander took the front and raised her voice again.
“The rest of you. Fight! Two go protect the mages and the others come ahead! I am sure you must have a dagger or two on hand. Miss Saintess candidate, please use some blessings to get us through this.”
The platinum blonde girl in a flowy white dress brought her hands together.
“It pains me to see someone hurt, but this time I will ask the lord to lend us strength.”
She started chanting a prayer right away. It made me wince.
“Wait!” A voice interjected. “There’s also a few of us who can’t fight.”
It was the daughter of the Scential Merchant group, Lady Rosentea. She held the fan in front of her mouth, perfectly hiding her expression beneath its veil.
“Then you guys run and ask for help!”
Lady Rosentea wasn’t satisfied. A slight wrinkle formed on her forehead.
“What if it is a test?”
“Even better. Asking for help is a strategic decision. Now don’t dally and go, you might just save our lives.”
Lady Rosentea and two other students, an elf and a human, turned on their heels and started running off.
I should have gone with them too, but my feet froze up. Before I knew it, the golden-haired commander was right next to me.
She eyed me up and down and winced.
“Stop trembling.”
“Y-y-yes?”
“Stop stammering as well. Pace yourself.”
I clenched my trembling feet and bit my lips.
“Can you fight?”
“Yes.”
“Great, protect the saintess-candidate with your life.”
My gaze went to the saintess candidate. The next-in-line who was trained by the current hero party’s saintess personally. I nodded and went closer to her, still maintaining a small distance.
The golden-haired commander waved her hand and stepped forward. A whole group of students had gathered. While some kept small weapons on their person, others picked up branches to fight with.
Even knights would be laid flat by an ogre, and we were supposed to tackle one without any real weapons. This was a suicide squad if anything.
But thanks to the commander, no one seemed to have lost hope.
Even me.
“Alright! We will charge ahead now. Mages, as soon as we get close, block that thing’s feet.”
“Okay!”
A mage answered while tipping his hat.
“Rest of you, go and try to get that thing down. Make an opening for me.”
The golden-haired commander reached into her pockets and pulled out a small pouch. A magic circle was etched on that bag.
She reached in and pulled out a large spear from that small bag. Spatial magic, they were truly top-class.
“I always keep a spear handy.”
Even something that small would cost millions, let alone a proper bag.
“Make an opening, and I’ll stab that thing’s heart out.”
I followed the gaze of the commander and froze up again.
“W-wait!” I screamed out loud.
Everyone was ready to rush in, but stopped at my voice.
“T-that ogre. Its right side is longer than its left. It’s a common mutation, the heart should be on the right!”
The commander snapped toward the ogre and then looked back at me.
“You noticed that?”
“Y-yes…?”
She ran a hand through her hair and smirked.
“Hah. Got it, thank you. I’ll finish it in a single blow.”
[author] Atlas and Ethan are the only characters who will get First POV to avoid any confusion. Also! The Patreon is updated to more than 10 chapters ahead! [/author]