The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 38

### Chapter 38: Concerns (Shion’s Perspective)

“How is the damage?”

I asked Zen after arriving at a castle where the soldiers could stay, and he was checking the damage situation.

“About two thousand dead and roughly three thousand injured, regardless of severity… Half of the casualties are believed to be due to the ogre.”

“Half due to Gomon and Black Storm, then.”

I thought, placing a hand on my chin. If the ogre hadn’t intervened, we would have likely crushed the Gomon army by now…

“No, it was my mistake for not considering the possibility of the ogre.”

“That would be unreasonable to expect, Lord Shion,” Hilko and Fudou said, appearing as they answered my muttering. When the four of us gathered in the war room, Hilko continued in a tired voice.

“An ogre hadn’t appeared in battles for a long time. No one could have predicted that something believed to be dead would poke its head in.”

“Indeed… So, how did the Black Storm knights’ subordinates fare in battle?”

I asked the two. Hilko sighed, and Fudou answered without moving.

“They are strong. The reason I was able to hold them off was due to the compatibility of our fighting styles and weapons… Even if we fought again, victory seems difficult.”

“They have little experience on the battlefield, but they possess power and strength that more than makes up for it… However, if ordered, I will cut them down next time.”

“I see…”

To have these two, some of the top martial artists in Ozuma, say that… It was indeed the right choice to station them near the headquarters.

“Zen, send the injured back to the homeland. The severely injured should be treated here and moved only when they can travel.”

“Understood.”

“Hilko, Fudou, how long will the reorganization of the army take?”

“Considering the supplies, provisions, and the soldiers’ stamina, we’ll need about three days.”

“We also need to calm the soldiers who are shaken by the appearance of the ogre. That should be a reasonable estimate.”

“Understood.”

With the injured not being taken, we have ten thousand soldiers remaining. While Gomon’s forces will not be entirely unharmed, they should still be able to fight.

The ogre’s interference ended in a stalemate, but judging by the results and the situation, it could be said that we lost.

(But he probably doesn’t think so.)

Berg… With his ability to incite people into becoming death soldiers, his use of the ogre that appeared at the scene to disrupt us, and his strength to handle the medics’ squad without issue.

Above all, the ogre focused solely on that man. It was because that man possessed the power to summon an ogre on that battlefield.

…We couldn’t take down such a presence at that time.

“I made a mistake.”

That man is like me. No matter how much shame or humiliation he endures, he won’t stop his thoughts and actions to survive… to win.

This time, experience allowed me to surpass his expectations. However, he survived and learned from the defeat.

Defeat is a greater experience than anything… I may have given him an opportunity to become even stronger…