The beast tamer exiled from the hero’s party and the cat eared girl from the strongest race meet
After that, everyone came back after a while...
Including Yuki and Grey, we all sat down to eat together.
In the middle of it, there was a big incident where Yuki accidentally ate a dish that Sora had secretly made, and nearly ascended to heaven (from how bad it was)...
But aside from that, there were no major problems, and we had a fun time.
Even though Yuki is royalty, he has a very friendly personality, so we were able to talk with him normally right away.
I did wonder if that was really okay, but...
It’s probably better than things being awkward.
Afterwards, we all gathered in the living room to talk about what to do going forward.
"…And that’s how it is."
"So, the demons might be making a move… If that’s true, it’s going to be a problem."
"But that is strange. As far as I know, large-scale invasions like that shouldn’t occur until after the Demon King awakens…"
"Well, nothing’s been confirmed yet, so we’ll just have to continue investigating, right?"
"I’m good at investigating. I can shapeshift, after all."
"On-on!"
"Um… Sakura says she can help out in her own ways too…"
Everyone was already talking under the assumption that they’d be working with Yuki.
What should we do going forward?
Judging from how everyone’s acting, maybe there’s no need to discuss it anymore…
Even so, I have to confirm it.
"So, is everyone okay with cooperating?"
"Yup, I think it’s fine."
"I’m not that interested in humans, but if the demons are making a move, we can’t just ignore it!"
"We can’t let what happened to Mama… ever happen again."
Everyone was full of motivation.
It was reassuring—reliable, even.
Yeah.
I’ve really found great companions.
It’s something I’ve realized again and again, but I’m truly happy to have met them.
"Well then… once again, we’ll officially take on your request."
"Yeah. Thanks, Rain."
We shook hands, as if finalizing a contract.
"…Rain’s talkin’ casually with a prince."
"…Nyaa~ Maybe Rain isn’t just good at handling us strongest types—maybe he’s a smooth talker too?"
"…Natalie gives off the same vibe, so I think that’s likely."
I could hear them having this somewhat unflattering conversation,
but I decided to pretend I didn’t.
"Yuki, do you have a schedule in mind for what’s next?"
"Yeah, roughly."
If he got our cooperation, we’d head out as soon as possible.
It takes about two weeks by carriage to reach Kriegland.
It’s unlikely things will progress drastically in those two weeks…
but not impossible either.
So once we arrive in Kriegland, we’ll act quickly.
A letter has already been sent to the lord of Kriegland.
Everything after that will depend on the situation.
It could change based on how the demons move.
"I see… it’s true that we won’t know the details until we get there."
"First will be the investigation, and then depending on what we find, there may be combat.
Worst case, we may have to face one of the Demon Lords."
"Is that going to be okay without Chiffon?"
"She’s currently on a separate mission."
"Separate?"
"I don’t know the details either… According to the King, she’s currently unable to act."
"So that’s why I was brought in, huh."
"Yeah, that’s right. I’m really grateful you’re willing to help.
Grey is reliable and strong, but…"
"There’s no way I could cover everything at once on my own.
I’m counting on you all."
"Leave it to us. Right, everyone?"
"Nyan!"
Kanade and the others all nodded firmly.
"We’ll work out the detailed schedule later…
But we need to decide who’s going to Kriegland."
"Nya? Isn’t everyone going?"
"We can’t exactly bring Nokia-san along, right?
Also… I’m a little worried about Reez’s movements…"
She’s been sneaking around all over the place…
And maybe, since this is my home ground, she’ll try something in Horizon.
So I want to be as cautious as possible.
Fortunately, we have plenty of members, so even if we split into two groups, we should be fine.
"It’s a given that I’ll be going, but..."
"Yes, yes, yes! I’m going too!"
"Nope. You’re a cat who just wants to tag along but always ends up being kind of disappointing."
"That was long!?"
"I’d also prefer if Kanade stayed in Horizon."
"Even you, Rain!?"
"Also, Nina too. Right now, you two are the only ones who have awakened… You’re probably our strongest members.
That’s exactly why I want you to protect what’s important—the place we return to."
There was also the thought that Nina had just reunited with Nokia-san, and pulling them apart now didn’t feel right.
"Nyaa… When you put it like that, I guess it kind of makes sense."
"Simple-minded cat."
"These weird nicknames are increasing way too fast!?"
"That said, I volunteer to go."
"Then I shall as well. I pride myself on my firepower.
Also, if we’re going up against demons, there’s no one more suited than me."
That’s true.
The Celestials were practically born to fight demons, so if Iris is coming, it’s a huge help.
"Then, I’ll go too," said Sora. "Since we don’t know what might happen..."
"Surely our magic will prove useful!"
"Yeah, I agree. Then..."
The members heading to Kriegland will be: me, Tania, Sora, Luna, and Iris.
Those five should be good.
The remaining members will stay in Horizon, just in case.
But if we keep splitting up every time something happens, we might eventually run into a fatal issue...
We should probably think of a better way to secure our defenses.
"Including us, it’ll be a group of seven heading out, huh?"
"Well, with me around, you can rest easy! Just leave it to me, heh!"
"Sora knows. That kind of line from Tania… is what they call a self-destruct flag, right?"
"Is it not a fat flag instead?"
"Don’t say weird things! And Luna, weren’t you using a different kind of ‘fat’?"
"Hyu-rara~"
The enemy is the demon race.
And the Four Heavenly Kings may be involved.
Thinking about that, seven people might seem too few...
But if the goal is investigation, then moving with a large group would just draw attention.
A small, elite team is the best choice.
If the demons really begin a large-scale invasion...
Then the whole country will move—and war will break out.
…This is quite the heavy mission.
I felt just a bit of pressure.
The next destination is the western edge of the central continent.
The fortress city closest to demon territory—Kriegland.
What’s waiting for us there, I wonder…?
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