Ch.337Changed Raid NPCs (3)

“Get a hold of yourself, assistant. The shock wasn’t that severe.”

“Urgh… H-Headmaster?”

As I open my eyes to the voice shaking my shoulder, I see red hair and purple eyes. But instead of the young girl I know well, the middle-aged woman’s face I recognize from elsewhere enters my vision.

What in the world happened…

“We were ambushed. The bombardment was literally a smokescreen. At some point, your gunfire and their shelling continued until the barrier nearly collapsed. While we were distracted by the undead appearing from both sides, even a fragment of Greed tore through the barrier. It all seems to have been a ploy to make me use wide-area teleportation.”

“…Wait, then what about Jack? And Ira?!”

We fell into a trap. As soon as I shout after hearing the Headmaster’s explanation of what could have been summarized much more simply, she shakes her head, gets up, looks around, and answers.

“It seems they had laid holy magic in advance to interfere with my spell. The Imperial Palace, the Church, the Clock Tower. When I used teleport at their center, it moved us in directions they wanted, not where I intended. If we had been closer together, we would have moved as one group. But because of the undead’s surprise attack, everyone was scattered…”

So only those who were close together were teleported together. As I recall the Headmaster quickly reaching out to grab my shoulder, and mentally trace everyone’s positions in the smoke at that moment, I could figure out who went with whom.

“Ira must have gone with Ray, and Jack with Gorg. I wonder, did everyone pass out like me?”

“No, I didn’t worry much about you since you were coming with me. For the others, I did my best to minimize the shock. My disciple wouldn’t have fainted, and I can’t imagine that golem or my brother losing consciousness either.”

“…Headmaster, did you realize it was a trap? Those attacks earlier?”

“I thought it was strange. Sending only a few paladins as if to lure us, devastating the city with bombardments that weren’t effective. Well, you stayed quiet, and neither the golem nor the others seemed to notice anything unusual, so I went along with it. I didn’t expect my disciple to notice before I did.”

[Master! This seems like a trap!!]

I remember Ira shouting before the mana-infused bombardment began. And I recall my own pathetic behavior. There were multiple opportunities to notice and prepare before Ira did. But filled with rage at seeing Salberg bombarding the capital and launching people as projectiles, I didn’t use the intelligence I usually prided myself on, instead surrendering to overflowing anger and focusing only on firing my cannon.

-Crack.

“Self-reproach can wait. The enemy is coming.”

“…Is this the Imperial Palace?”

As the Headmaster raises her staff in preparation, aiming at the empty wide corridor ahead, figures that appear to be Imperial knights in armor and others in white priestly robes emerge.

“Let me tell you, those who aren’t priests are the same kind as those undead we saw earlier. Don’t bother distinguishing whether they’re Imperial or not.”

-Click.

“Yeah. I know.”

I direct my staff and gun toward the charging enemies and unleash merciless violence.

‘…Jack, I’m sorry. You told me to calm down.’

Because of my foolish actions, I’ve put our companions in danger again. As I blast and kill the enemies before me, I sincerely vow to properly apologize to everyone when we meet again. And then.

‘Since I’ve landed in the Imperial Palace. I’ll handle this.’

I’ll eliminate the Prime Minister and the Church people who are surely with him before everyone faces greater danger. Thinking that this must be the reason I was dropped here, I point my gun toward the Imperial court.

*

“Where is this place?”

“It’s the Clock Tower. I’m sorry, I said I would stay with Lady Ira.”

As the scenery around me completely disappeared, my mind snapped to attention at the cold, soft sensation of someone holding my hand.

The Headmaster had shouted something, telling us to grab the person next to us, wasn’t it? Gorg must have thought he couldn’t reach Ira in that situation, so he grabbed me instead.

“It’s fine. It’s my fault for being away from Ira.”

“…You were trusting me and watching our rear and surroundings. Master, you did nothing wrong.”

I can’t help but smile when I see the golem drooping his eyebrows, genuinely apologetic at my words. Despite the situation making it difficult to smile, it’s okay.

“Ray and Ira must have gone together, right?”

“Yes. I was checking the status window until the moment we disappeared. Ray never let Lady Ira out of his arms. And I’ve analyzed the holy magic that interfered with the Headmaster’s teleportation spell. We were only sent in three directions: the Imperial Palace, the Church, and here, the Clock Tower.”

I see, so Ira is now either at the Imperial Palace or the Church? Then, let’s go immediately. First…

“The Church is closer than the Imperial Palace by distance.”

“Right, then I’ll go to the Palace, and you go to the Church…”

My feet are faster than Gorg’s, and even with Ray there, the Imperial Palace as the enemy’s headquarters is more dangerous. As I’m about to give Gorg orders based on that thinking.

“Or maybe you could just throw me to the Palace…”

“Master.”

“Yes?”

“Enemies.”

[Imperial Knight (Undead): Level 297]

[Imperial Soldier (Undead): Level 187]

[Imperial Knight (Undead): Level …]

In the direction Gorg is looking, along the long corridor that should lead to the entrance, monsters that were once people—now explicitly labeled as undead in their rotting corpse state—begin to emerge, wielding swords and spears. There are so many that their status windows obscure my vision.

“…It’s a trap, isn’t it?”

“Their level is not high, but their number is abnormal. There are more than in any dungeon we’ve been through.”

The entire Imperial forces. As if they’ve gathered all their knights and soldiers here, there are so many undead crawling out that even Gorg clicks his tongue in disbelief. I decide there’s no need to deal with them one by one. They probably won’t even give experience points.

“Let’s escape through the window.”

“Master, about that.”

“Hmm?”

As I turn around to punch through a window, still at a distance from the undead, Gorg gently grabs my arm and begins to explain.

This Clock Tower is completely surrounded by holy magic, and that magic is connected to the Imperial Palace and the Church, working together in some way, and if something happens…

“If one axis collapses, it likely won’t have a positive effect on the other two locations. In the worst case, the other two buildings might suddenly collapse.”

“…Then what should we do? Stay here and play with those things?”

We need to escape one way or another. Ira, Ray, Ragni, and the Headmaster wouldn’t die from a building collapse. And even if it did collapse, with Gorg and my status window, plus my detection skill, there’s no reason we couldn’t find them. But.

“No. We can just leave through the entrance. There is holy magic at the entrance too, but it’s not at a level that blocks normal entry or exit.”

“So you’re saying, ‘Please respect the entrance’?”

“It seems that way.”

There’s no need to put everyone in danger by moving recklessly. Reluctantly nodding at Gorg’s explanation, I stomp the ground toward the undead who have now approached within five steps.

“My sister is waiting. Get out of my way.”

The punch I throw with full force, just short of bringing down the building, is enough to return these undead creatures back to dust.

*

“Sis, sis! Ray sis!!”

-Slap, slap, slap!

“Uhhh…?! What, what is it?! Enemies?! Bombardment?! Where am I?! Who am I?! Was Jack marrying Ragni just a dream?!!”

I suddenly open my eyes, feeling strangely good from the light slapping on my cheeks, to see Ira looking at me with a “hehe” smile.

Ah, huh? Where is this?! Where did everyone go?!!

“Master tried to evacuate us with teleport, but the enemy used some kind of interference magic… and we all got separated!”

“I-I see. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have passed out.”

“Mmm. Sis, you were only unconscious for less than a minute. It’s okay!”

Saying that, Ira energetically gets up and pulls my hand to help me stand.

Sigh, I should be the one protecting her. But I’m the one being protected.

“Sis, this is the Church. Brother went to the Clock Tower, and Master went to the Imperial Palace.”

“I see… Ira, you’re amazing. Thanks to your magic studies, there’s nothing you don’t know?”

“Ehehe!”

I can’t help but feel relieved seeing Ira’s bright smile, but this is no time to relax. We’ve all been separated by the enemy’s trap. If Jack was sent to the Clock Tower, we should probably head there. With that thought, I take Ira’s hand to leave immediately, but then.

-Squeeze.

“Sis. There are lots of people in the basement here. We need to save them!”

“Oh, is that so?”

I don’t sense any presence. But Ira is an excellent spirit master and mage, while I’m just a swordswoman. It makes sense that her detection abilities would be superior. I look around and think for a moment.

‘It’s just Ira and me now. We were separated by the enemy’s trap, so there must be enemies here too. I don’t want to ignore people in trouble, but…’

When I think that Ira’s life depends on my judgment and actions, I simply cannot suggest going down to the basement. Although Ira herself is strong, she’s still just a 13-year-old child. As painful as it is, it would be better to meet up with Jack first and then decide…

-Click, click.

“Huh?”

“Ah.”

Turning toward the sudden sound that came without any presence being felt, I see what I thought were decorative suits of armor all moving at once, approaching us. Oh, is this the trap the enemy prepared?

“Ira. Stay behind me with Piyaki and provide support. I will protect you no matter what.”

“Okay! Let’s defeat them and save the people!!”

Hmm. I had no intention of going to help those people out of concern for Ira’s safety, but if we can defeat the enemy’s trap without getting hurt, that’s something we can reconsider later.

“Oh, right. Sis.”

“Yes?”

“We absolutely must not destroy the building. Especially be careful with the windows. There’s some kind of holy power surrounding them, and it seems like if there’s a problem here, the other buildings will have problems too!”

‘…I guess we should forget about saving people and leave right away.’

Ira’s words mean that even if I don’t destroy anything, those armored figures might cause problems if they damage the building. If Jack, the Headmaster, and Ragni are fighting under similar constraints elsewhere, it would be better for our group to quickly regroup.

“…If I hadn’t heard his past life story, I might still be acting stubbornly.”

The others are strong, so they’ll be fine. I should focus on protecting the person in front of me. I might have made a different judgment in the past, but not now. Because now I know better.

“Hmm? Sis, what did you say?”

“Nothing. Then, please support me!”

I will protect Jack’s most precious sister. And the sister-in-law who has become so dear to me as well. Even if there are people who need help, I will prioritize those around me.

[—RAAA!!!]

I don’t want to be seen as a woman who gets in Jack’s way. I don’t want to make him cry out so desperately when I’m by his sister’s side. I want to be the kind of wife he can rely on when I’m with Ira…!!

“So, you all are in the way.”

-Slash!

I swing my silver-glowing sword faster than the wind, putting all my feelings into it. To dice these armored figures targeting his precious person into cube steaks.