第６４６堀：新たな御三家 (Part2)
I understand that a high-ranking commander would hesitate to appear on the front lines, but this situation is an exception. With two individuals of royal blood—Princess Carrie and Princess Stasia—present, the failure of Yuki to appear could lead to him not being recognized as a hero.
That is a scenario Weed must avoid if it intends to stand on equal footing with Haiden and Findall. Even I, a priestess, am beginning to harbor distrust; surely the Haire Church will view Weed with skepticism as well. I don’t believe they are the type of people who would fail to grasp such a simple fact...
As I was stewing in my distrust of Kagura’s attitude, a voice suddenly drifted over from nearby.
"Well, it’s only natural to be troubled by how to explain it, isn't it?"
"That’s true. In this case, I can’t blame Kagura-san."
"You're right. When I first heard it, I wondered what on earth they were talking about."
"Haha. If I were to say it without any hesitation, I’d doubt my own sanity. In more ways than one."
I turned around to see who it was, and four people were entering through the door. One was about the same age as Kagura and me, but the other three were, by any measure, children younger than us.
"Who are you? People from the church?"
"No... well, I suppose I have no choice but to tell you. These are the escort unit dispatched from Weed. The small—no, the young person in the center is Agil, a heroine who holds the rank of General."
"...Huh? These are the escorts from Weed? Is this a joke?"
I understood the words, but my common sense refused to accept them. Children like this, acting as an escort? That’s absurd.
Perhaps realizing my skepticism, the girl introduced as the General looked at me and laughed.
"Ahaha. No, that reaction is only natural. Kagura, don't worry about it. I’ve already made peace with my stature..."
Ah, that was bad. It seems I said something I shouldn't have.
"Enora!!"
"I-I'm so sorry. It’s just rare to see a female general, and you look so very young..."
"No, as I said before, I don't mind. And unfortunately, 'young' is a mistake. I am the oldest among us. Usually, being seen as young is a compliment for a woman, but in my case, it goes a bit too far. I’m used to being misunderstood like Enora-dono. It’s just a hassle to prove otherwise."
*Huh?* The oldest among them?
"Well, let’s convince you of everything, including that confusion. Princess Carrie asked me to show you our true strength, after all."
"Thank goodness... Princess, thank you. Oh, but Enora is injured..."
"I’ve confirmed that as well. According to Rurua, the wounds have been treated and all that's needed is rehabilitation. Though, as a doctor, she would prefer a week of rest, the situation is what it is. Permission was granted because it would be problematic for Enora-dono to act without knowing the facts."
"I see. And where shall we do this?"
"We’ve borrowed a corner of the defensive wall as a practice range for the undead we’re expecting."
I see. Kagura’s attitude and Agil’s dignified demeanor—they don't seem to be lying, and if I look closely, the other subordinates have absolutely no openings. They are clearly highly skilled.
Then it hit me. They knew about the existence of the torture chamber; perhaps they were a decoy unit meant to suppress the enemy while catching them off guard. That must be how the Princesses were able to storm the torture chamber. The Princesses alone could never have broken into such a place, and even with my abilities as a priestess, I couldn't have managed it.
I was just starting to accept this internally, but then...
"Commence firing!!"
*Pa-pa-pa-pa-pa...!!*
"Cease fire!! Grenade!!"
*Clink, clatter... BOOM!!*
With things called guns and grenades, the armor worn by the scarecrows placed in front of the wall was riddled with holes and blown to pieces. Seeing that the projectiles had pierced the armor and left holes in the wall itself, the sheer power was undeniable.
"H-hahaha... What is this? Am I dreaming?"
"Calm down. It’s reality. And stop acting like a fool. If our relationship with Weed sours, we’ll be wiped out."
"...Hey. Honestly speaking, compared to the Mad King..."
*They're more troublesome.* Before I could finish that thought, Kagura landed a solid blow to my midsection.
*Oof!!*
"Cough!?"
"You’ve been saved, so stop with that talk. Besides, if you get in the way of my romance... do you want to die?"
...Well, I admit I was in the wrong. But is it just my imagination, or does it feel like Kagura might actually kill me tomorrow?
*Thud.*
The birth of the new Three Great Houses!! And the sequence of events leading to their collapse.
Well, it seems Enora has a strong lineage of Enol.