Chapter 53

The East Street, which intersects perpendicularly with the Central Street, had suffered less damage compared to the Central Street.

Edgar and Brown repeatedly conducted precise reconnaissance, while Rats swiftly eliminated any monsters that posed obstacles.

Poe and Swage’s evacuation guidance was also proceeding smoothly.

At the rear, Morgan carried Will and the others.

“Whoa…”

In Morgan’s arms, Will watched Rats kick off a wall, run along it, and leap across rooftops, and let out a gasp of admiration.

“Amazing…”

The girl being carried beside him also had her eyes wide open, following Rats’ movements.

“Is that wind attribute acrobatics? It’s a boost type, so don’t try to imitate it, okay?”

Morgan warned, and Will nodded obediently.

The girl beside him giggled.

(However…)

While running down the street, Morgan glanced at the dead bodies of monsters left on the side of the road.

There lay the corpse of a brown-furred wolf.

(Giant Spiders, Giant Ants, and Desert Wolves? What the hell is going on…)

Morgan inwardly clicked his tongue at the unnaturalness of the monsters he saw.

All three types had completely different habitats.

Giant Spiders lived deep in the forest, Giant Ants in the wilderness, and Desert Wolves in the desert.

It was absurd to allow such a mix of monsters to invade.

“Leader.”

Swage and Poe, who had finished guiding the evacuation, ran alongside Morgan.

Morgan decided to ask them about his doubts.

“What do you think about the monsters?”

“…Their habitats?”

After a brief moment of thought, Swage asked back.

“The monsters we saw are not the kind you’d see in the Filfarria Kingdom, right?”

“That’s odd if they invaded from somewhere else.”

Poe also nodded in agreement while running.

“It’s as if they were randomly gathered from somewhere else.”

That’s exactly it.

There was no pattern in the types or locations of the monsters, and they weren’t even from this area.

On the other hand, they weren’t rare monsters; they were the kind you’d see if you went to their respective habitats.

It gave the impression that they had been brought in from somewhere else.

(Summoning magic…? No…)

Morgan immediately dismissed the idea.

The situation didn’t match the conditions of the summoning magic he knew.

“I have a bad feeling…”

Morgan muttered.

It felt like they were getting involved in something terrible.

Swage and Poe made obvious grim faces when they heard this.

“Don’t say that, Leader.”

“Yeah! Leader’s gut feeling is always right when it’s ominous!”

Morgan’s expression suggested that gut feelings were just that, but it seemed the two had their own thoughts.

“Oh! It’s Aika, Maina, and Elise!”

When Will raised his head at the sound of his voice, three maids armed with weapons stood in front of the Torquis mansion’s gate.

There were a few dead monsters scattered around, indicating they had also fought.

They had probably already confirmed Will’s survival through one of his clones.

Their faces were filled with smiles rather than relief.

“We’re back.”

Aika took the relaxed Will from Morgan and hugged him tightly.

His face was buried in her chest.

“Master Will, I’m so glad you’re safe…”

“Mmm mmm”

After admiring Will for a while, Aika passed him to Elise beside her.

“I was really worried, Master Will.”

“Mmm mmm”

Elise also hugged Will tightly and stroked his back.

Will’s face was buried in Elise’s slightly larger chest.

Then, Will was passed to Maina.

“Aww, Master Will, weren’t you scared? I’ll make you feel better, okay?”

“Mmm mmm mmm!”

When Maina hugged Will, his face was buried in Maina’s chest, which was about the same size as Elise’s.

Maina continued to stroke Will’s head and even rubbed her cheek against it.

Will struggled, unable to escape.

Morgan, who had been watching this scene in a daze, suddenly came to his senses.

“I’ll keep an eye on things here, so please take Master Will and the young ladies to safety…”

Morgan turned to Aika, who was standing beside him.

Aika had a serious look on her face.

She was frowning and pushing her chest out as if to assert, “I’m not flat, you know.”

“Um…”

“Huh!”

Morgan, scratching his cheek and looking away, made Aika blush and quickly straighten up.

“S-Sorry! It’s fine! It’s absolutely out of the question to have a guest guard the gate! We’ll do it! So, Morgan, please take Master Will and the others to Lady Cecilia…”

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. We’ve been taken care of, and the situation is like this. It’s too late now.”

Morgan interrupted Aika and handed the girl he was carrying to her.

Then, he grabbed Aika’s shoulder and turned her around.

“Go and reassure Lady Cecilia quickly. Clayman doesn’t have the ability to calm people down.”

“…Understood.”

Aika smiled and turned to Maina.

“Maina, how long are you going to keep this up? Master Will looks uncomfortable! While Morgan is taking over the gate watch, please take Master Will inside! Hurry, Elise-senpai…”

“Understood, Aika. Then, Morgan, please take care.”

Elise bowed deeply and led the woman and maids from Will’s clone into the gate.

“Aah, Master Will~♪”

“Mmm mmm!”

Maina continued to enjoy Will, and then the clones followed her through the gate.

The male members of the [Earth Giants] sighed when Will and the others were out of sight.

“Master Will, I’m so envious…”

Poe muttered, and Swage, blushing, cleared his throat.

Seeing his subordinates, Morgan also smiled wryly in agreement.

▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽▽

The garden of the Torquis family had turned into a makeshift shelter.

Cecilia had kindly accepted the evacuees.

Among them was one of Will’s clones, and those who had stayed in the mansion were relieved to confirm Will’s safety.

Will and the others were led directly to the garden after entering the mansion.

“Will!”

“Mommy!”

Cecilia, noticing Will, hurried over.

Will, being let down by Maina, ran to Cecilia with his short legs.

They hugged each other tightly.

“Will… I’m so glad you’re safe…”

Tears of relief streamed down Cecilia’s face, and Will’s heart ached.

“Mommy, I’m sorry…”

Will’s shoulders drooped.

Cecilia gently stroked his head and hugged him in her chest.

“It’s okay, Will… but next time, please let me know before you go out.”

“Aye…”

Will nodded.

Cecilia smiled and nodded back, wiping her tears and standing up.

“Will, this is a difficult time. I need to check on the injured. Will, please listen to Selena and be a good boy, okay?”

“Mommy, I’ll help.”

Will’s strong determination made Cecilia blink, but she soon smiled gently and stroked his head.

“You’ve done a great job, Will. This time, it’s our turn to do the hard work.”

Will reluctantly nodded at Cecilia’s suggestion to rest.

“Come, Master Will, this way.”

Accompanied by Maina, Will was led to the children.

“Will…”

Cecilia had heard.

She knew that Will had used magic to drive away a giant spider, heal a critically injured person, and help evacuate the residents.

Being praised and thanked by many people was a joy as a mother.

However, Will was still a small child.

Even though he could use magic, he was still someone who needed to be protected by adults.

“Lady Cecilia.”

Gaius, who had approached Cecilia as she watched Will’s back, called out to her.

“Thank you for your hard work, Gaius.”

“Hai!”

Gaius straightened his back at Cecilia’s words of appreciation.

Cecilia couldn’t help but smile at his posture.

“Don’t be so formal. I’m the wife of one of your subordinates, after all.”

“…You’re really something.”

Gaius could only smile wryly.

Originally, Cecilia’s noble status was higher than Gaius’s.

However, because she married Shiro and did not receive a title, their current ranks were reversed.

Moreover, Shiro was Gaius’s subordinate.

On the other hand, Cecilia’s status as a duchess’s daughter couldn’t be erased.

It was complicated.

However, this wasn’t the time to chat about such things.

Gaius straightened up again and reported to Cecilia.

“The reorganization of the surviving knights is complete. We are ready to deploy immediately.”

“Understood…”

Cecilia nodded quietly.

Then, she looked up at the sky.

At that moment, a figure descended.

“Mommy~!”

The wind spirit girl landed in front of Cecilia and Gaius.

Those who had stayed in the mansion hadn’t just been waiting.

They had been trying to understand the situation and had been gathering information with the help of the spirit’s power.

While spirits generally avoid humans, this one had become quite close to the Torquis family.

“Welcome back, Spirit.”

“Hehe…”

Cecilia greeted her politely, and the spirit girl blushed.

“Please wait a moment.”

Cecilia then looked for Ren.

It was Ren who had suggested asking the spirit girl to gather information.

“Master Will!”

“Welcome back, Master Will~”

“I’m so glad you’re safe, Master Will.”

“I was worried about you, Master Will.”

“Mmm mmm!”

In the direction Cecilia was looking, Will was being hugged and squeezed by the maids—Ren, Misha, Stella, and Rosa.

Behind them, the spirit girl’s voice could be heard, “Ah!? My Will!”

Cecilia smiled wryly.

It was good that Will was loved, but the released Will was swaying.

Well, it was probably a punishment for worrying the servants, Cecilia thought.

When Ren noticed Cecilia and the others, she spoke to Will and ran over to Cecilia.

“Thank you, Spirit. How did it go?”

“Well, um…”

The spirit girl began to report what she had seen.

The monster damage was only in the outer district.

Monsters were gathered at the gates.

There were humans inciting the monsters.

“So, this is a terrorist attack using summoning magic?”

Gaius’s question made the spirit girl frown.

“Hmm… I don’t think it’s magic.”

She seemed a bit unsure but continued, as if confirming the information within her.

“I’ve heard that summoning magic can only summon beings with whom at least some form of communication is possible. I don’t think there’s a spell that can summon ants or spiders, or creatures that try to eat spirits as soon as they see them.”

“Huh? …Is that so?”

Gaius looked around in surprise, but Cecilia and Ren also seemed unaware.

They shook their heads.

It was a new piece of information.

“But if there are humans inciting the monsters, they must be controlling them in some way. This is probably….”

“A human-led attack on the capital…”

Cecilia continued the spirit girl’s words.

However, there were still questions.

If it wasn’t summoning magic, how did the swarm of monsters enter?

The spirit girl hadn’t seen any signs of them entering from outside.

There were no magical artifacts known to transport monsters, and it would be impossible to bring them in secretly from outside.

Another point.

The security of the Filfarria Kingdom was of a high standard compared to other countries.

There were two neighboring countries that bordered the kingdom, but one was an ally since the founding of the kingdom, and the other had signed a ceasefire agreement and was improving relations to the point of considering an alliance.

From this perspective, it was hard to think of anyone who would benefit from a terrorist attack in the heart of the capital.

“Let’s think about this later.”

At Ren’s words, Cecilia looked up.

In any case, nothing would be revealed until the masterminds were captured and the released monsters were eliminated.

Even if it was a human-led attack, it was still a development.

“You’re right.”

Cecilia nodded, and Ren turned to the spirit girl.

“Then, Spirit, the situation in the city….”

Prompted by Ren, the spirit girl nodded.

“The monsters are released in this district, but the humans controlling them are concentrated at the gates. The gate leading to the city is being guarded by Master Will’s father and a wind phantom. The gate leading to the castle is being guarded by the knights, but they are struggling due to the large number of monsters. Master Will’s father is impressive!”

The spirit girl praised Shiro, and Cecilia’s face lit up with joy, while Gaius nodded forcefully.

Ren had an expression that said, “Of course.”

“When I parted ways with Shiro, he was heading to the city gate. Since there’s no damage in the city, he must have gone to defend the gate.”

“Shiro wouldn’t be held back by ordinary monsters. It would be more effective to support the knights on the castle side to improve the situation… I’ll go.”

Following Gaius’s words, Ren suggested.

Those who had stayed at the Torquis mansion hadn’t just been waiting.

They had been quietly waiting for a chance to counterattack.

Gaius nodded strongly in response to Ren’s suggestion.

“I understand. I’ll command the knights and head to support Shiro. If reinforcements come from the city, it would be better if I were there. Is that alright, Lady Cecilia?”

Gaius sought final confirmation from Cecilia.

She was in command of the situation.

While Ren and Gaius were more experienced and accurate in battlefield movements, Cecilia was not ignorant.

She had knowledge of commanding in battle as part of her noble upbringing.

While she lacked experience, she had the flexibility to listen to others’ opinions and compensate for her lack of experience.

Most importantly, as a duchess’s daughter with the ability to treat everyone equally, Cecilia’s leadership provided a sense of security for the evacuees.

In the current situation, where experienced fighters were needed on the front lines, Cecilia was the right person to lead.

However, concern for a friend heading to the battlefield was a different matter.

“Ren, are you sure you’ll be okay alone?”

Cecilia looked at Ren’s face.

Ren’s skills were exceptional.

Even with an escort, they would only be a hindrance, but Cecilia couldn’t help but ask.

Seeing her concern, Ren smiled gently.

“I’ll be fine, Lady Cecilia.”

“I know, but… it’s nagging at me. The castle should be protected by the [Blessing of the Earth Dragon], so monsters shouldn’t be able to get close, but for some reason, they are heading towards the castle…”

Monsters were supposed to avoid the inner parts of the capital due to the [Blessing of the Earth Dragon].

While only the royal family and a few others knew the exact nature of this blessing, it was known as a fairy tale to children.

The prosperity of the capital, Letis, was largely due to this blessing.

For Cecilia, who knew the content of the blessing, the fact that it wasn’t working was a source of great unease.

The concern was even greater knowing that her friend was heading there.

Ren placed a hand on Cecilia’s shoulder, which had clouded over.

“Ren…”

“It’s fine. Leave it to me.”

Ren’s words reassured Cecilia, and she nodded.

“Ren. On Central Street, Tomason and John should be fighting the monsters. If they are struggling, please assist them…”

At Gaius’s words, Ren nodded in response.

She knew Tomason and John’s capabilities and didn’t think they would be struggling.

“I’ll be off.”

Ren briefly told Cecilia and bowed before leaving the garden.

Aika is a serious and good girl, really.