Chapter 17

Elise and the others took refuge in a small shed next to the school building, huddling the children in the back and hiding. Serena hugged Nina, and the female teacher stood beside the boy who had been a hostage until just a moment ago. The children trembled at the angry shouts and explosions coming from outside.

"Miss Serena..."

"It's okay, Nina. Father will take care of it."

Nina, the youngest among them, looked up with a worried expression. Serena encouraged her with a smile. Elise and Aika, who had been guarding the entrance, relaxed their expressions as they glanced sideways at the scene. However, the next moment, they sensed someone approaching the door and turned their gaze back to it.

Two rough-looking men entered the shed with lecherous grins.

"Heheh, there you are..."

"Nice girls, aren't they?"

Feeling a sense of revulsion from the men's lecherous gazes, Elise and Aika braced themselves. The female teacher, unable to bear the gaze, raised her voice in a threatening manner.

"What do you want! Who are you!?"

"Don't worry, don't worry. We're not interested in kids."

"To be honest, we don't care about the young master of the count's family either."

The men approached, grinning. It was clear they intended to take the women as their playthings.

The men, wary of resistance, didn't immediately attack.

"We just want to taste some sweet honey."

"Exactly. If the ladies cooperate, the kids won't get hurt."

The children let out cries of fear as the men approached.

(If we prioritize the children's safety, the best course of action is to lure the men outside and settle things there...)

Elise, maintaining her guard, thought to herself. Both Elise and Aika had defensive magical artifacts. While the artifacts weren't very powerful, they could do something if they could lure the men outside.

However, the men seemed intent on acting here, blocking the door. Forcing a breakthrough would risk the children's safety. Moreover, neither Elise nor Aika were strong enough in such matters to lure the men outside and handle them.

(If we do nothing, it will be too late...)

The only option was to incapacitate the men instantly. Elise and Aika exchanged a glance and steeled themselves, when—

*BOOM*

A loud noise echoed as something broke through the ceiling and fell between Elise and the men.

"What the—!?"

"What the hell is this...?"

Both sides were taken aback by the object enveloped in thick smoke.

A gust of wind blew away the smoke, revealing a large wolf with green fur and a young child riding on its back.

The men's faces twisted in fear, while the maids, Serena, and Nina's expressions turned to shock.

"M-monsters..."

"Will!?"

"Master Will!?"

At the familiar voice from behind, Will tried to turn around.

"Huh?"

But he couldn't turn around while riding the wind wolf.

"Onee-san, I can't see behind me!"

Will patted the wind wolf's back. The wind wolf, still facing the men, turned its body sideways. Finally, Will saw his sisters and smiled broadly.

"Serene-sama, Nina-ne-sama, Aika, Elise, I came to help!"

"..."

Everyone looked up at the three-year-old with a joyful smile, taken aback. Could there be a more out-of-place presence for such a situation? The only one who remained calm, the wind wolf, sighed.

"Hmm... So there are attendants as well. I was worried for nothing..."

As the crowd buzzed at the talking wolf, Elise regained her composure and stepped forward.

"That's not the case. They threatened to harm the children if we resisted and demanded that we submit to them."

"Hmm..."

The wind wolf, turning to face Elise, glared sharply at the men.

"To use children as a shield to seduce women... You are despicable."

"Shut up...!"

"What do you know, you're just a monster!"

The men, who had been flustered by the sudden appearance of the unreal being, regained their composure and readied their weapons. However, the wind wolf laughed through its nose.

"You call me a monster...? Your lack of discernment is why you can revel in such behavior, fools!"

"What did you say! You're a monster, aren't you!"

Anger overcame their fear, and the men, veins bulging, gripped their weapons tighter. Will, watching from atop the wind wolf, puffed out his cheeks.

"That's not true, Onee-san is a genju!"

"A genju!? There's no way such a thing exists in the city!"

"She was sleeping at home!"

"What kind of home is that!?"

The men, taking Will seriously, scolded him. The wind wolf, rolling its eyes, argued with Will but was ignored.

"Enough, get lost!"

One of the men, frustrated by the exchange, pointed his sword at Will.

"Come forth, spirits of fire!"

"Master Will, be careful!"

"Will!"

Aika and Elise, sensing the danger from the man's magical incantation, rushed forward. At the same time, Nina and Serena ran out from among the children.

"Flame bullets, scorch my enemies with fiery cannon!"

"Come forth, spirits! Shield us with your protection!"

"Come forth, spirits of fire! Burning boundary, incinerate the calamity that approaches us with a wall of flames!"

A fiery bullet shot straight from the man's sword toward Will. In that instant, two layers of thin, colorless and fiery defensive barriers were cast. The fiery bullet was extinguished by the outer barrier, the colorless one.

"What...!?"

The man was stunned. It wasn't unusual for an attack spell to be blocked by a defensive spell, but what surprised him was the presence of the girl who cast it.

"Miss Nina!?"

Aika, standing beside the girls, was also surprised.

To block an attack spell, a defensive spell of equal magical strength is required. The young Nina had managed to do so with a basic defensive spell.

Nina, gripping her small wand tightly, took deep breaths. With tears in her eyes, she trembled but firmly glared at the man.

"I'm a big sister! I'll protect Will!"

"Damn..."

The man, unable to hide his shock, hesitated to cast another spell. Serena and Elise didn't miss this moment.

"Come forth, spirits! Strike my enemies with arrows!"

"Come forth, spirits of water! Bind my enemies with the chains of flowing water!"

The magical arrows from Serena's wand struck the man's sword, knocking it away, and a torrent of water descended from above, binding the man to the floor.

The man, unable to move, fell to his knees.

"I'll protect Nina and Will too!"

Serena stood tall. Elise, who had been standing beside her, was wide-eyed with surprise but then smiled warmly.

"Excellent work, both of you..."

"Indeed... You have been well trained."

The wind wolf, relaxing its expression, also gave its approval. Achieving such results in a real battle is no small feat. While their talent is commendable, it is also a testament to their relentless training.

While a warm atmosphere enveloped the children's growth, the remaining man, now at a complete disadvantage, could only panic.

The outcome of this situation was all but decided.