Chapter 2: Ambush
A short while before Orphia returned to the spirit folk village, some important guests were visiting Rio’s mansion on the Galarc Castle grounds.
“It’s been a while, Princess Christina, Princess Flora.”
They were Beltrum Kingdom’s First and Second Princess and the current Restoration leaders, Christina and Flora.
“Long time no see, Professor Celia.”
“It’s so nice to see you again!”
The two of them greeted Celia happily.
“You too. I’m so happy seeing you two again. It must have been a tiring trip here.”
“Not at all. Thank you for agreeing to see us on such short notice,” Christina said with a bow.
Second Princess Charlotte of the Galarc Kingdom was also there, but in Rio’s absence, Celia’s relationship with Christina and Flora made her best suited as host. Miharu and the other girls didn’t have any experience dealing with the noble class either, so she was the only option other than Charlotte.
Charlotte’s knight Louise and Christina’s knight Vanessa were waiting with the other guards outside the room.
“Unfortunately, Haruto is absent right now...”
“I would have liked to express my gratitude to Sir Amakawa, but the main purpose of my visit today concerns you, Professor Celia.”
Celia looked puzzled. “Me?”
“Yes. I’ve already informed Princess Charlotte—or rather, the Galarc Kingdom is already aware—but a meeting between the Restoration and the main Beltrum Kingdom will be held in the near future,” Christina said with a glance at Charlotte.
“That’s...”
“Starting with your wedding ceremony, Duke Arbor has had a string of failures to address. Charles and Alfred were taken prisoner, and I was able to escape and join the Restoration. I’m sure he’s quite panicked about it, as he has approached us for negotiations.”
“Has the ironclad Arbor family finally started losing its power?”
“It would appear so.”
At present, over a thousand of Beltrum Kingdom’s nobles had joined the Restoration, including spouses and children. But that was still a minority compared to the number of nobles the Arbor faction controlled in Beltrum. And in noble society politics, the size of the faction meant everything. That was why Duke Huguenot’s faction was unable to justify themselves and had lost their place in the capital.
However, power was an uncertain substance in noble society. This was because only a small fraction of the nobles in a faction were invested too deeply to back out—most nobles in the faction were able to switch sides to their convenience as circumstances changed.
In fact, many of the nobles in Duke Huguenot’s faction had joined Duke Arbor when his territory was lost to the Proxia Empire.
“We can’t let this opportunity slip through our hands, then.”
Duke Arbor’s failures could be used to regain those drifting nobles. Their distance from the capital made it difficult to physically contact those nobles, but Duke Arbor’s power was definitely weakening. If he was the one approaching for negotiations, they’d be able to turn things in their favor.
“We’re still in the midst of discussing our agenda for the negotiations, but they’ve requested the return of Charles and Alfred, as well as Alfred’s enchanted sword.”
Charles was Duke Arbor’s heir, and Alfred was the strongest knight in the country. The sword he used, the Light Blade of Judgment, was also a national treasure.
“They’re all powerful cards for negotiation.”
“Yes. And they were all given to us by Sir Amakawa. I wanted to thank him once again for his assistance, but... It seems like things are rather serious over here. I heard Sir Amakawa headed out to rescue Lady Liselotte.”
Christina was acquainted with Liselotte herself and sometimes kept in contact with her. Her expression clouded with worry.
“Sir Haruto will definitely bring Liselotte back to us,” Charlotte stated firmly, her posture upright and confident.
“Yes,” Celia agreed.
“That’s true. If it’s Sir Amakawa...” Christina nodded, biting back her words. She had witnessed his talents and strength up close and personal during the battle with Lucius in the Paladia Kingdom, which was why she believed in Rio as well.
“That’s right! Sir Haruto can definitely do it!” Flora said.
“I don’t know when he will return, but I will send a message out to you when he does,” Celia said cheerfully to Christina, hoping to wipe the gloomy expression from her face.
“Perhaps I can visit again when he returns with Lady Liselotte. We plan on staying in the Galarc Castle for a while.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes. The meeting with the Beltrum Kingdom will almost certainly be held at the Galarc Castle, so the plan is to remain here until then.”
“In that case, we should hold a small party once Sir Haruto returns with Liselotte. I’ll be sure to invite the two of you,” Charlotte suggested after listening to their conversation.
“Oh, that would be lovely. Please do!” Flora immediately leapt at the chance, but—
“Flora.” Christina let out an exasperated warning as a reminder to restrain herself in the residence of a foreign noble.
“Oh, but only if it isn’t a bother to you...” Flora added with a blush, ashamed of her behavior.
“Neither a sleepover nor a dinner party will be any bother, so please don’t feel reserved,” Celia said with a giggle, looking at her fondly.
Charlotte agreed with a cheeky but charming grin. “Indeed. I have no right to speak as someone half living in this house out of everyone’s kindness, but please come over.”
She had succeeded in accompanying Satsuki to Rio’s mansion at every possible occasion until she had practically taken up residence there herself, but she also acted as King Francois’s messenger and the main point of contact for any nobles who wanted to get closer to Rio.
Whenever something was required, Charlotte would make the necessary arrangements at the speed of light. She did all her work, sometimes in unseen places, and had won over Rio’s trust enough for the residents of the mansion to accept her. There was even a room for her in the mansion.
“Thank you very much. Then, if you don’t mind...” Christina bowed, accepting the offer.
“Then it’s decided. Everyone will be delighted to have you there. They were wondering how the two of you have been doing,” Charlotte said to Christina and Flora.
“If there’s still time after this, we can invite them all over here,” Celia said.
Miharu and the others were inside the mansion, but had excused themselves from the meeting when they heard the visit was for official business with Celia. Only Orphia was elsewhere outside, but she would have come right away if invited as well.
“We wanted to greet everyone as well, so if you’re not too busy... We’re almost done with what we wanted from Professor Celia too.”
“Is there still something you needed from me?”
“Yes, as a continuation from earlier. If the circumstances suit you, would you be willing to attend the meeting with the Beltrum Kingdom?”
“Me...?” Celia blinked.
“In exchange for returning Charles, I am thinking of demanding several conditions that would benefit Count Claire and the rest of your family.”
“Could I ask the reason why...?” Celia asked hesitantly, shocked at the sudden proposal.
“It hasn’t been officially announced to the Beltrum Kingdom, but even they’ve noticed that you joined the Restoration after being abducted from your wedding ceremony. Count Claire was also suspected of having assisted my escape from the capital. As long as we have Charles, they wouldn’t dare to touch Count Claire, but...”
If the situation changed, the Claire family could be in danger.
“At any rate, there’s no doubt that the Claire family has taken the brunt of all these events. The upper ranks of the Restoration have agreed that it would be proper to compensate him.”
That’s why there was nothing to worry about, Christina implied.
Celia bowed her head in deep sincerity. “Thank you for considering my family.”
“Not at all,” Christina said, continuing the discussion. “We’re still reviewing what kind of conditions should be requested, but...”
It was at that moment.
Boom.
An explosion roared, shaking the room.
“What was that? Some kind of magic training?”
Celia immediately went to look out the window, followed by the others in the room. The booming sounds continued even as they moved. The source of the sound appeared to be scattered in various directions, some near and some far.
“No, it’s too loud to be coming from the training grounds of the castle. I believe the sound is either coming from the castle or somewhere nearby,” Charlotte guessed undauntedly, looking out the window.
After a short time, the sounds stopped.
“Excuse us for entering.”
Charlotte’s head guard Louise and the Beltrum sisters’ head guard Vanessa came into the room. They had both been waiting outside the door, so they naturally heard the noises as well. They both wore the same grim expressions.
“Can you tell what’s going on?” Charlotte asked Louise.
“No. I haven’t received any notice of an event that would create such noises either. The only option I can think of is magic training, but the sound came from too close by for that. I also saw something black fall from the sky through the window. I’ve sent my subordinates to check on the situation, and they’ll be back as soon as they know.”
“I see. In that case, shall we remain waiting in this mansion?”
“Yes. I’ve asked the guards who accompanied us to the mansion to station themselves outside. But please relocate to the safe room just in case.”
The safe room was a place for important figures to evacuate to in times of emergency. The level of refuge varied depending on the type of emergency likely to occur, but they were all made to be secure from outside attack.
This mansion was located on castle grounds, so the castle served as the evacuation point in true times of emergency. Thus, the safe room here was only a simple one.
“All right. Let’s group up with Lady Satsuki and the others first,” Charlotte immediately decided.
“We’re coming in, Char.”
Just then, with Satsuki in the lead, she, Miharu, Latifa, Sara, and Alma entered the room where they were holding their meeting. They must have heard the unnatural explosions and felt the abnormal air, as they all had worried looks on their faces. Sara and Alma even held their weapons just in case.
“You heard that loud noise earlier?” Satsuki asked.
“Yup. We don’t normally hear something like that around here, so we were shocked...” Miharu replied.
“We’re not sure of the situation either, but we were going to go to the safe room just in case. The knights have gone to check things out. Will you come with us?”
“I see... And yes, please.”
Satsuki exchanged a look with Miharu and nodded. At this point, there was still no clear danger, so there was no real sense of urgency yet, but...
“R-Reporting! A group of monsterlike creatures has descended upon the castle!”
“Wha...”
One of Charlotte’s knights came running in a panic, heightening the tension.
“Calm down. What do you mean by monsterlike creatures? Are they not goblins or orcs?” Louise asked her subordinate calmly. Powerful monsters like minotaurs had been commonplace in the Divine War that took place a thousand years ago, but goblins and orcs were the only monsters left in the modern era. There were some exceptions to that rule, but not even adventurers that worked in monster subjugation encountered them very often. Most of them reached retirement without ever seeing a different kind of monster.
“I only saw the knights fighting from afar, but their movements were much faster than those of a goblin or orc. I’ve never seen such a monster before. Their shapes were rather humanoid, but the ferocious expressions on their faces were monstrous. Some had gray skin while others had black skin,” the knight reported.
“Huh...?” Miharu looked shocked, and Satsuki noticed.
“I see. Any information about their numbers and locations?”
“I’m sorry, I prioritized my return to the mansion... However, they appear to have fallen across the grounds. There are battles taking place everywhere.”
Louise didn’t seem to have noticed the change in Miharu, so Satsuki waited for the subordinate to finish speaking. “What’s wrong, Miharu?” she asked, bringing everyone’s attention to her.
“Oh, umm. When I first came to this world, some strange monsters appeared on the outskirts of Amande. Haruto and Ai exterminated them, but they weren’t goblins or orcs. Maybe they’re the same monsters that appeared here?”
“I remember seeing the same monsters during the attack on Amande. They weren’t as strong as minotaurs, but they were fast and powerful,” Celia recalled with a frown. “It would take at least a knight with enhanced physical abilities to take them on...”
“I was there too.” Flora proceeded to give her account of what she had witnessed when she was kidnapped by Lucius in Amande.
“I see... We can’t say for sure, but it’s very likely that they’re the same monsters. The knights have thankfully intercepted them, but any monsters they miss could slip through to this mansion. We will secure the surroundings, so please head to the safe room immediately, Your Highness,” Louise urged.
“I understand,” Charlotte said. She then turned to the group. “Princess Christina, Princess Flora, please come with me. Lady Satsuki and everyone else too.”
“We will assist the guards outside,” Sara offered. At present, she and Alma were the strongest in the mansion, but...
“Oh... That’s...” Louise hesitated. She sparred with Sara and Alma on a daily basis so she knew their strength firsthand, but the two of them were still subjects of her guard.
“Alma and I have the role of protecting Miharu and the others in Haruto’s absence. There is no need to include us as subjects of protection. It’d be easier for us to move around outside than to have no information locked inside.”
“Well, that’s how it is. You don’t need to worry about Sara and me.”
Sara and Alma were both calm, as though they were familiar with such situations.
“...”
Satsuki looked like she was about to say something, but swallowed her words. I will protect this mansion as well—those were the words on the tip of her tongue, but she became uneasy. She understood her position as hero and feared her lack of combat experience would make her a hindrance.
Charlotte noticed Satsuki moving her mouth and purposefully gave Louise a push without looking at Satsuki. “Then we shall rely on you. There aren’t enough people in this mansion right now, and you two are probably the strongest with your enchanted swords.”
“Understood. We shall rely on you.” Louise bowed her head at Sara and Alma.
Sara turned around. “Latifa, you stay with Satsuki and Miharu. We’re counting on you to protect them if the need arises.”
“Okay! Leave it to me!” Latifa nodded firmly in agreement.
“Umm, I’m going to go with the two of them,” Celia stated.
“Huh?”
Everyone looked at her in surprise.
“Monsters drop enchanted gems and disappear when defeated, and you need someone on that side to confirm they’re the same monsters that appeared in Amande last time. I can cast healing magic if needed, and it would be useful to have a sorcerer in the back line. I’ve also trained with Sara and Alma in team fighting before,” Celia said, explaining herself to convince Christina and Charlotte more than Sara and Alma.
“While we would be most grateful to have a sorcerer of your caliber on the back line... There’s no need to expose yourself to danger like that.” Charlotte gave Celia a searching look as though to confirm the truth of her thoughts. Nobles who didn’t pursue military careers still went through some form of combat training, so she knew that Celia had basic fighting skills.
Because of that, it wasn’t unusual for them to join the battlefield when needed—in fact, it was seen as one of the duties of the noble class. However, it depended on the time and place. In the current situation, there was only a slight chance of a monster being missed by the knights. It’d be preferable to keep a count’s daughter protected rather than to have her fight.
“I’d like to do what I can in Haruto’s absence,” Celia replied calmly and clearly. Her intentions were evident on her face—that she wanted to fight, that she didn’t always have to be protected, that Haruto could rely on her if he needed to.
“We’re familiar with Celia’s magic skills, and it would be most reassuring to have her support,” Sara added in approval.
“I see... In that case, it would be insensitive of me to stop you,” Charlotte accepted in a slightly envious tone, glancing at Christina. Although Celia was currently Rio’s assistant, she was still a noble of the Restoration. Christina’s opinion also mattered.
“I will leave it to your discretion, Professor,” Christina said, nodding.
“Thank you very much. Let’s do this, Sara, Alma.”
“Right.”
Sara and Alma were both warriors. Since they’d started living with Celia, they understood her intentions well—and so they nodded firmly.
Beside them, Louise was discussing how to proceed with Vanessa.
“Please go with the princesses and guard the safe room.”
“Understood.”
“In that case, everyone should head through this door that’s connected to the safe room. I will station several knights in this drawing room just in case.”
With the necessary arrangements done, Louise pointed to a different door from the exit. There were three safe rooms in the mansion, and one of them was located in the drawing room for the sake of important guests.
Thus, the residents of the mansion split into those taking refuge in the safe room and those going outside to stand guard.
◇ ◇ ◇
Around the same time, a man floated in the skies above the capital, looking down at the castle grounds below him. It was the perpetrator behind the release of monsters across the grounds—Reiss himself. Less than an hour ago, he had been observing the fierce battle between Rio and Saint Erica from afar, but he had used a disposable teleport crystal to move to the Galarc Castle in an instant.
At present, the noncombatants of the castle were panicking while the knights fought the revenants throughout the castle grounds.
The first movement after sending out my precious magic-sealing orbs and revenants. Hopefully it’ll be enough to smoke someone out... Oh?
Reiss narrowed his eyes. His gaze fixed onto a single point from far above. It was the mansion Rio was gifted by Francois, and Celia, Sara, and Alma had just left through the front door.
It would’ve been problematic if they had shut themselves away inside the castle, so this is perfect. But it’s best not to underestimate those girls when they’re outside. I’ll hold nothing back.
A jet-black shadow sprung from Reiss’s feet, spreading across the blue sky. Five black orbs several meters in diameter appeared.
All five orbs rained down on Rio’s mansion like meteorites. Each descent was accompanied by a booming roar, shaking the building.
That’s all the revenants I have on hand. But I fear they won’t last long against those girls—better call those guys over as quickly as possible.
Once he had watched the orbs land, Reiss took out a new teleport crystal and smirked, rising even higher into the sky.
◇ ◇ ◇
After exiting the mansion, Sara walked along the outer wall of the building and moved on top of the roof for a better view. She strained her eyes to look over the area, checking that there were no monsters near the mansion.
“There are no monsters approaching the mansion as of yet. Though there are some people fighting here and there...”
She descended to the ground and reported what she saw to Louise and her knights, Celia, and Alma.
“Thank you. Though I would like to send assistance to our allies, we cannot leave our stations. Let us prioritize the protection of this mansion.”
As long as there was a chance of monsters reaching the mansion, they couldn’t afford to leave the mansion guards shorthanded. It was a shame they could only watch their allies fight from afar, but it was the right tactical decision to make. They considered the option of bringing Miharu and the others to the castle, but it wouldn’t be wise to risk the safety of so many noncombatants while on the move.
“I will continue keeping watch from the roof.”
“I will assist.”
With that, Sara and Alma left to climb the roof. It was at that moment that the black orbs Reiss had released fell down nearby. Thundering shock waves surged upon them, blowing up a cloud of dirt.
“Wha...?!”
Their vision was suddenly stolen, leaving them speechless. Meanwhile, the dark surfaces of the orbs that had fallen started melting away. There were a total of five orbs, and they were less than a hundred meters away from the mansion. Twelve revenants leaped out of each orb.
“Kshaaah!”
Sixty revenants started running at Sara and the others before the mansion. There were only a few that could defend against such a surprise attack.
“A-Alma and I will stand at the front!”
“Everyone else, focus on protecting Celia and preventing any strays from getting into the mansion!”
The first to respond were Sara and Alma.
“Duo Magi: Maius Terra Murum!!!” Meanwhile, Celia cast a spell while touching the ground with both hands. Less than two seconds later, two walls of earth appeared between them and the revenants. The walls were each one meter thick, five meters wide, and ten meters tall. The purpose of setting up the obstacles wasn’t to stop the revenants’ approach, but to avoid a situation where they were overwhelmed by the enemy’s advantage in numbers. The walls Celia created had a one-meter gap in between. This reduced the revenants’ options to passing through the gap, going the long way around, or climbing over the tops of the walls.
Restricting the enemy’s invasion route meant they could focus their firepower to where it was needed most. Being able to reduce the number of enemies to face at once was a huge benefit as well.
“Sara, Alma!” Celia yelled. “Please assume a formation surrounding me! Alma, you take the right side!”
“Got it!”
Sara and Alma understood Celia’s intentions instantly and split up to the left and right. The revenants had chosen not to climb the walls, but to advance through the middle and around the sides. As a result...
“Tres Magi: Ignis Iecit!”
“Haaah!”
“Hmph!”
The revenants coming from the middle, left, and right were met with powerful attacks from Celia, Sara, and Alma respectively.
“Grah!”
Three magic circles for sorcery spells appeared before Celia. One of them released a one-meter-wide fireball that blew back several of the revenants coming from the middle. The other two magic circles remained on standby beside her.
A lance of ice shot out of Sara’s dagger and pierced through several bodies at once, while Alma’s mace mowed down multiple enemies with a swing.
“They’re the same monsters I saw in Amande! Their skin is hard and they’re very tenacious, so be careful! The black ones move faster than the gray ones!” Celia shouted, warning Sara and the others about their characteristics. As though to prove her words, the enemies at the front staggered back to their feet even though their skin was now half-melted.
Out of the enemies Alma attacked, only the one at the very front died; the others behind it were already getting back up on their feet. The revenants pierced through the abdomen by Sara’s ice lance weren’t killed by just that attack either, and were squirming to pull the lance out.
“So it seems...!”
Sara summoned a long blade of ice to enshroud her dagger, beheading the revenants that were impaled on the ice lance. They finally died after that, the bodies vanishing and leaving behind enchanted gems.
“How troublesome!” Alma brushed aside an enemy that threw itself at her and swung her mace at the new revenants charging. It seemed that a clear hit from her mace was enough to kill them, as the one sent flying soon vanished.
Celia also fired the second and third fireball shots she had on standby from her multicasting, finishing off the revenants she missed the first time.
“...” Louise and the other knights were speechless at how unfazed Celia and the others were at the sudden ambush. They understood one another’s fighting styles and trained with each other every day, so there was nothing more reassuring. It was truly splendid.
In particular, Celia’s first move with the earth wall was a fine tactic against the revenants. Her ability to cast multiple intermediate spells at a rapid speed and calmly observe the enemy’s movements at the spur of the moment was incredibly impressive.
Louise looked at Celia in awe. “Defend Lady Celia so that her magic isn’t obstructed! Don’t overlook any monsters that run for the mansion!”
She pulled herself together and gave her subordinates orders. Only six or seven enemies had been defeated so far—the revenants were still advancing upon them.
“Sextus Magi: Ictus Lancea!” Celia seemed to get an idea from watching Sara’s ice lances and used her magic to create thirty-six spears of ice at once. She saw how piercing once wasn’t enough to kill and prepared multiple to make up for it.
The role of a sorcerer during group battles was to focus their firepower on the approaching enemies and reduce their numbers. Celia was trying to fulfill that role, but casting thirty-six spells simultaneously was a challenge even for a royal sorcerer. Although it was basic magic, the fact Celia had accomplished such a feat in the midst of battle left the knights around her shocked.
Ignoring the knights’ reaction, Celia continuously fired ice spears from the magic circle above her head. She stopped the revenants from approaching through the gap between the walls one after another.
Calm down and observe carefully... A sorcerer on the back line needs to have a broad view of the enemy’s movements and the ability to make preemptive moves.
Celia took a deep breath and focused on staying calm. Of course, she was nervous about fighting for real—in fact, she was terrified.
However, Celia knew firsthand what it was like to be a burden on the battlefield. The frustration of being immobilized by fear. She recalled the events leading up to her arrival at the Restoration.
In the many battles that occurred while escorting Christina to Rodania, she had watched on while Rio, Sara, Alma, and Orphia did all the fighting. Despite having the ability to help as a sorcerer, she was more useless on the battlefield than she could have ever imagined.
That’s why ever since she joined the Restoration, Celia had begun to learn how to use her magic in real battles. With the assistance of Sara’s and Gouki’s groups, she began training regularly. The result of that was now blooming before everyone here.
“The people around Sir Amakawa are truly amazing...” Louise muttered in astonishment. The flashy magic spells made Celia’s power easy to identify, but Sara’s and Alma’s efforts were also eye opening.
Sara was fighting both with speed and the number of her hits. She moved swiftly and acrobatically, confusing the revenants with a mix of martial arts and ice-cold dagger swings. The daggers she held in each hand slashed at the revenants’ hard bodies faster than the eye could follow.
Meanwhile, Alma fought impressively. It was evident that her physical body enhancement was the source of her strength, but it was hard to believe such a small and delicate body had so much physical power packed within it. She swung her heavy-looking mace, killing a revenant with each hit.
Their battle styles were different, but both Sara and Alma had stable ways of fighting. They were cleanly keeping the revenants on both sides at bay.
Only a third of the enemies had been defeated so far, but at this rate, the extermination would conclude without a hitch. That’s what Celia and the others thought as they fought.
◇ ◇ ◇
The group that had evacuated to the safe room could tell that the battle had started outside. The sixteen-meter-squared room, connected to the drawing room by a single door, had no windows. Miharu, Satsuki, Latifa, Christina, Flora, and Charlotte were inside the safe room, Vanessa was in the corridor leading to the drawing room, and two of Charlotte’s knights were in the drawing room.
Once they started hearing the sounds of a fierce battle taking place, they all stopped speaking. The sound of Celia’s magic and the revenants’ screeches echoed through the mansion walls. It was clear that a life-threatening battle was taking place.
Everyone’s fighting outside right now...
Affected by the tension in the air, Satsuki fell silent with a meek look. She was thinking about those fighting outside, and...
I’m taking shelter in a safe room. Even though I’m the hero.
...herself.
Sara and Alma were both younger than her. Celia was older, but she was as delicate as a younger girl. Yet all three were fighting outside while she was taking refuge in the safe room.
Am I really okay with that? Shouldn’t I fight as well? Sara, Alma, and Celia are all my precious friends... I’m on good terms with Louise and the knights too...
Right now, Satsuki was regretting how she hadn’t offered to stand guard outside with the others. They weren’t certain that the monsters had approached earlier, so she thought it would be better to stay by Miharu’s side—but that may have been an excuse for her fear.
Ever since coming to this world, she had been working hard at her spear training. She had recently started sparring with Sara and the others, but those matches weren’t enough to prepare her for duels to the death. She had merely participated with the same mindset as participating in a sports tournament.
Perhaps it would be more correct to say that the safety of the castle had clouded her view, making it hard for her to feel the imminent danger. Though she understood that war could start at any moment, she had averted her eyes from what that meant, training with a vacant mind.
But at this moment, Satsuki was keenly aware of the lives at risk outside. She wondered if it would have been better for her to fight as well.
My friends are fighting right nearby, yet I’m hiding in a safe refuge... Even though I’m the one with the hero powers. How can I face them all after the fight ends? I have no right to be the hero.
Whether she liked it or not, her close friends were risking their lives beside her. To put it simply, the warlike atmosphere was affecting her emotions.
The last time she had been in a life-threatening situation was when she reunited with Miharu at the banquet and invaders attacked the gathering. Rio’s assistance resolved the situation in less than a minute, so although it left a bad aftertaste, she hadn’t felt the tense atmosphere for nearly as long as this.
The sounds of fighting outside could still be heard even now.
“Are you okay, Satsuki?”
Miharu had noticed her pale expression. She called out to her worriedly.
“Say, Miharu...” Satsuki started, making up her mind.
“You look like you want to go out there and join the fight.”
Charlotte guessed first, beating Satsuki to the punch. She seemed to be opposed to letting Satsuki outside, as she was sighing heavily as she spoke.
It was at that moment that the sounds from outside stopped.
◇ ◇ ◇
“Have you found out anything new?”
King Francois was in the temporary command post set up in the hanging gardens. With all the monsters invading the castle grounds, the rooftop garden was the best place to look over the situation and give orders.
The hanging gardens were normally off-limits to everyone except the royal family and their personally invited guests, but it was currently packed with a flurry of military personnel. Aerial knights patrolled the skies above on griffins, watching for any kind of aerial attack.
“Only one type of monster descended during the attack. They all possess the strength of a knight with their physical abilities enhanced.”
“The number of invading monsters is estimated to be a few hundred.”
“Most are in combat with the knights outside, but some have snuck into the castle. The ones that were spotted were eliminated, but we’ve allocated some people to search the interior to be safe.”
A number of knights were giving their status reports to Francois, who was heavily protected by several guards. Francois was nodding along to the reports when five new black orbs fell from the sky, dropping to the ground near Rio’s mansion with a booming crash.
“What was that sound?! Don’t tell me...!”
Had more monsters appeared? Francois quickly turned in the direction of the sound, but he was unable to see Rio’s mansion from his current position.
Shortly after, one of the griffins that had been circling the skies descended to the garden. The aerial knight riding it gave his report in a hurry. “R-Reporting in! A huge number of monsters have appeared near Sir Amakawa’s mansion!”
“What? That’s not good. Send two platoons of the reserve aerial knights at once. Tell them to provide support from the skies if possible. Protect the important figures inside the mansion! For detailed orders, do as Charlotte says—she’s probably over there herself,” Francois said, giving hurried orders with a glance at the aerial knights on standby in the hanging gardens.
One platoon consisted of four knights, so two made eight. At present, there were forty aerial knights on standby in the rooftop garden as reserve forces, so a fifth of them would be mobilizing.
“Right away!” The knight that made the report pulled on his reins, directing his griffin towards where the aerial knights were waiting.
Just what is happening right now?
Francois glared at the skies with a grim expression. The clouds in the blue sky appeared as peaceful as ever. The only other objects in the air were the griffins carrying the aerial knights.
The knights in the air had been searching for a while now. The griffins they rode on maintained an altitude of ten to several tens of meters, similar to that of a regular bird seen in everyday life.
If a griffin were to ascend as far as it could by itself, its maximum limit would be around two hundred meters. In modern Earth terms, it would be the height of a sixty-floor building, and the aerial knights searching the skies naturally searched all the way up to there too. However, they were yet to find anything to report on.
All they knew at this point was that the monsters had been sealed in some kind of orb that fell from the sky.
The attack on Amande was also said to have been quite strange, but I’ve never heard of monsters attacking in this form before. The black orbs that contained the monsters... Could they be some kind of magical artifact?
If so, that would mean there was a human behind this attack. In other words, there was a clear goal behind the black orbs that were sent into the castle grounds.
There’s someone either too high up to be seen with the naked eye, or hiding behind the clouds... Or perhaps they fired the magic artifacts into the castle grounds from afar? At any rate, there’s nothing that can be done without any proof. How frustrating... Francois thought with a furrowed brow.
“Follow me.”
He wanted to see Rio’s mansion with his own eyes. The guards surrounding him followed as he marched towards somewhere that could overlook the mansion.
◇ ◇ ◇
A mere two or three minutes later, beside Rio’s mansion...
“Haaah!” Sara created ice lances out of the ground, stopping the revenants in their tracks. She then approached them faster than the eye could follow, kicking them flying and slicing off their necks with her daggers.
“Hmph! Hah!” At the same time, Alma swung her mace with a powerful ease that was unbelievable for her small frame, sending the enemy flying. She moved in light-footed leaps, cleanly eliminating all the revenants that were rushing at her.
Meanwhile, Celia was firing the magic ice lances she had prepared in the air, killing the monsters that slipped past the walls she had put up as an obstruction.
The sixty revenants that originally fell had already been reduced to fewer than ten. The landform Celia had created at the beginning played a big part in that.
“Gaaah!”
The revenants’ eyes glinted with an eerie light. There was no sign of any rationality within them as they screeched in anger, enraged by how their attack was being thwarted.
However, no matter how passionately they screamed, their numbers continued dwindling. Their forces were clearly declining by the second.
“I’m almost at the end!”
“I’m on my last enemy now!”
“There are no more monsters between the walls either!”
With no more monsters coming around the sides, Sara, Alma, and Celia each reported on their situations in turn. Things went smoothly after that—Celia finished her group first, followed by Sara and Alma a short moment later.
“That seems like the last of it...” Sara checked behind the wall and reported. She then returned to where Celia and the others were with Alma.
Louise commended them gratefully. “I can’t believe the three of you cleaned up so many monsters in such a short time. It was splendid work. I’m sorry we were only able to watch on...”
“No, it was very reassuring having the knights at our backs,” Sara replied with a smile.
“I was also able to concentrate on my magic. Oh, by the way, Alma.”
Celia called out to Alma like she had just remembered something.
“Yes? What is it?” Alma asked, puzzled.
“Could you break down the dirt walls with your mace?”
Although they had been necessary to block the enemy’s advance, they couldn’t just leave them standing there like this. Celia looked in the direction where the revenants had come from. The huge dirt walls she put up at the start of the battle towered tall, blocking the castle behind them.
She had used an immense amount of magic essence to make them as sturdy as possible, and now that some time had passed since putting them up, the only way of removing them was to break them. Only with spirit arts could the ground be manipulated freely to lower them.
However, Celia had specifically asked for Alma’s mace because of the knights’ presence. They didn’t know about spirit arts, so the weapon provided the convenient cover of an enchanted-sword-like ability that could control the ground.
“Yes, I can. They ruin the view, so I’ll turn it back to how it was now.”
“Thanks. Sorry for the trouble.”
“Not at all. It made the fight much easier,” Alma said, then approached the walls.
“The battle might be ongoing in other areas, so don’t let your guards down. I’ll scout the area from the rooftop.”
“Please do.”
Sara leaped up to the rooftop lightly.
The best moment to launch a surprise attack was when the opponent had their guards lowered. In other words, the moment a battle had finished was the easiest time to make a successful ambush. Her actions were made in understanding of this.
However, veteran mercenaries were well aware that experienced soldiers didn’t let their guards down easily. That’s why they planned the most meticulous and cunning strategies, watching for the best moment to attack and adapting themselves to changing situations.
“Some knights are approaching this way on griffins,” Sara called from above, pointing at the sky. The gaze of the party followed her hand.
Two groups of griffin-riding knights scouting the situation from above had been circling the skies above for a while now, but the approaching troops consisted of two small squads, totaling eight people. Their approach in the mansion’s direction made them all the more eye-catching.
“They must be the reinforcements. It’s about time too,” Louise answered loudly enough for Sara to hear, then turned to a female knight beside her. “Hey, go give an update to the princess.”
The arrival of reinforcements made their defenses seem adequate, softening the tension that was hanging in the air. But then...
“Umm... Is that squad descending rapidly over there also on our side? There’s quite a lot of them, and they’re coming in from a rather elevated altitude...”
Sara pointed farther up in the sky with a dubious look. While the aerial knights were flying in from an altitude of several tens of meters or so, the new griffin squad was coming in from several hundred meters up.
However, they appeared to be free-falling with gravity, as their distant figures were rapidly increasing in size. Sara had only spotted them early because she was using physically enhanced vision to watch for more monster orbs falling down.
“How odd...” Louise stared at the distant troops in the sky.
There were fifty griffins, which amounted to three squadrons of the aerial knights—a considerably large force. Why would such a large number of troops be falling at a speed they couldn’t land safely at?
“Augendae Corporis. That’s...”
Louise immediately used magic to enhance her vision, straining her eyes to see them clearly. Then, she spotted the soldiers wearing uniforms clearly different to those of the aerial knights of the Galarc Kingdom.
The unknown soldiers started to chant some kind of spell on their griffins. Magic circles appeared one after another before them.
“They’re not allies! Those aerial knights are not from our kingdom!”
“Alma, get ready to defend!”
Louise and Sara both yelled with looks of horror. At the same time, a barrage of light bullets rained down on them.
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