Loyal Serpent Lira, the Duke
Strengthened the defensive installations at DORECA.
The room where the toxic swamp had been cleared—the room south of the Queen’s chamber.
Placed a magic circle in the center of the room, amplifying production tenfold with magic.
No different from ordinary ground, yet when scrap metal was thrown upon it—
*Clang!* The floor split open, sharp blades shooting out.
The scrap metal was pierced repeatedly—*dokudokudoku*—leaving craters.
"Good. Now, the next room."
Tik-tik-tik.
This time, passing through the Queen’s chamber, heading toward the eastern room.
Set up another magic circle, triggered emergency production.
Six mannequins formed from six magic circles.
Armored, each holding a longsword.
Brought more scrap metal, tossed it into the center of the mannequins.
Reacting to the scrap, the mannequins snapped into motion at once, raising their longswords to attack.
Vertical slash. Horizontal slash. Thrust.
Three strikes in sequence—six of them.
Scrap metal tore apart midair.
Throw it again. The mannequins attacked in the same motion.
Six mannequins. All capable of only three moves: vertical slash, horizontal slash, thrust.
Simple trap.
“What about against a person?”
Curious, she drew the True Eternal Slave and walked toward the center of the mannequins.
Six longswords attacked in unison.
Vertical slash ×6. Horizontal slash ×6. Thrust ×6.
Kikikin, kikikin, kikikin—
The clash of slave-sword and mannequin longsword rang through the room, sparks flying.
“Hmm. Yeah. This’d repel most opponents.”
She raised DORECA, about to move to the next room.
Tiketiketike.
Now, the northern room—she’d arrived, but—
stopped, turned around.
There she was.
“Rirya.”
“Yes!”
“What’s with you lately? You’ve been sticking to my backside like glue.”
“It’s fine. Please, honored messenger, don’t worry—go ahead.”
“Fine, I said fine… but still—”
She paused, thinking, then stepped out of the room.
She arrived at the southern trap floor room.
Tik-tik-tik. Lila followed.
She left without a word, stepping into the eastern trap puppet room.
Tik-tik-tik. Lila followed.
Now she returned to the queen’s chamber.
Again, tik-tik-tik—like a puppy trailing its master, Lila smiled brightly, never letting go.
No actual tik-tik-tik sound came from her, and she didn’t walk like a dog.
After all, Lila’s lower half was a snake—her movement was more of a shush-shush than a tik-tik.
Yet somehow, it felt like tik-tik-tik.
No matter how aimlessly she wandered between rooms, Lila said nothing, did nothing—just followed, tik-tik-tik.
“Lila.”
“Yes?”
You don’t have to stick around forever, you know? I’ll handle everything. Just rest.
"Following you, would that be a bother, messenger-sama?"
It’s not really a bother…
A bit distracted, but that’s not really a big deal.
Then, just as I was wondering what to do about it, I realized something.
Rirya was wagging her tail.
Flapping the tail of the snake with the ribbon I tied on it.
...she was starting to look genuinely doglike.
…Lira
Yes
Draw a magic circle using Doreca, and shape a ball with magical energy.
Nothing special—ten times the production, magic consumption around a hundred, just a rubber ball.
"Sure thing."
She threw it toward the day after tomorrow.
Rirya alternated her gaze between me and the ball.
"???"
She tilted her head, face a picture of mild confusion, as if wondering what on earth she was doing.
Even if you are a dog, you’re not that much of one.
Sorry, nothing at all—forget that just now.
—ah
Rirya let out a cry, her face snapping into shock.
Understood!
Crawled along the ground and picked up the rolling ball.
Hand it over to me—smiling, of course.
Yes, messenger-sama.
Rirya with a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
Not instinct—something done after thinking it through.
Lirya, with an expression saying "I’ll do anything," wiggling her tail frantically.
Shit, I’m coming—hold on.
Rirya had grown oddly, alarmingly cute since rescuing her from the villains.