A few days after the dungeon attack, Iris came to my house.
'I've come to visit,'
Iris came with twenty men in tow. They took the box of fish and cooking wine they had brought as a souvenir in the living room and quickly stepped back. They left the minimum number of maids and went back to their neighbors.
After watching them, Iris sat back in her chair with a tired look on her face.
Quickly, with a flowing motion, Aine offered her a cup of tea.
Aine looks at the box of goodies and says, "As a sign of gratitude, you can have lunch," and goes back into the kitchen. I can smell bread baking from the other side. Good job Raphilia.
...... haha.
Iris glanced at me and then sighed, "Glancing at me.
I'm so tired.
Did something else happen with the festival coming up the day after tomorrow (the day after tomorrow)?
''Cecil.''
Yes. Mr. Nagi.
Come here.
I beckoned to Cecil, who was standing in the hallway in his apron.
And, as he came over, Cecil stood behind me.
If you want to talk about rituals and magic, you'd better ask Cecil about it.
Rita can be found at .......
Whisper, flicker.
Whispers, whispers, whispers.
She's pacing back and forth in the corridor with a mop in hand, looking at me.
When I beckon to her, she scurries away. Ever since we made our soul promise, she's so embarrassed that she won't come near me. Well, knowing Rita, she'll turn back to normal in time.
'We have located the location of the Marquise Eterina-Harsburg.
After sipping her honeyed tea, Iris began to speak.
'I have some undisclosed information, but we've been fighting regular soldiers since yesterday.
But ...... it's business as usual in town, right?
Because we're fighting in a way that people don't know about.
Are you occupying a fort or something?
What makes you think that?
I've been in a fight since yesterday.
I don't know the specs of Eterina-Harsburg, but I don't think they can do individual battles for a full day against a group of regular soldiers. That means the 'Knights of Divine Life' should be with them. And the Ilgafa Lord Family's army is more than 100 men. If they collided with each other head-on, they should be able to settle the matter quickly.
But if they're still in battle, that means they're not in a head-on battle. They're either running away or holed up somewhere else.
And if they've been fighting a chase battle all day, they should at least be able to get the word out about the town.
So I thought they might be holed up in a distant fort, doing some sort of siege battle.
Brilliant deduction.
Iris took her teacup and nodded lightly.
'Eterina-Harsburg and her gang have taken over the pavilion on the isle and are engaged in a siege against the regular soldiers.
The House of Kojima?
This is a separate residence of the House of the Lord of Irgafa. It is a stone building built on a rocky islet, and it even has a rampart to house the mansion. It is said to have been used by the lords to hide out with their soldiers in times of emergency and to think to themselves.
I see.
Well, for the last decade or so, your grandfather used to use it to hide his mistress.
'I didn't want to get that blunt, but how did such a place end up in the hands of a marquise?
Her brother told her where it was and gave her a key. As a means of escape in case of an emergency.
...... aha!
'Sohma-sama always has the perfect words for Iris' feelings. Yes, ...... Iris is in the mood for an 'a-ha' too.
That's why me, Iris, and Cecil all held our foreheads together, 'Aha!
I'm not going to bother Souma and the others with this matter. No, of course not.
They won't be able to hurt us in a siege.
That's part of it, but the captain of the regulars is on fire, saying, 'We will fight our way through with everything we have to restore our honor.'
You're that flippant horned beetle guy?
'Yes, sir. Thanks to him, the regular soldiers are getting excited. ''We will show you our power, awakened by the sea dragon's mask! And.
You're awake?
Come on. I just heard that the mask supplier has made a record profit.
Apparently our bluffing has had a positive impact on the Irgafa economy.
But ...... I see. So the Marquise and the 'Divine Order' are holed up in Kojima's mansion?
'My parents were so shocked by the series of events that they fell ill with a fever. So it was decided that Iris would take action.
That's a tough one. ...... Illis. It's tiny.
The only thing left to do is to capture Kojima's mansion. It's also possible to take out a bunch of wizards and attack them all at once. ......
'I'd like to get a lot of information out of the Marquise, so I'd like to take her alive if possible.
Yes. But Kojima's building is robust enough to be used in an emergency.
If you go easy on them, it will take longer and there's a greater chance that the enemy will escape. If you attack by force, you'll kill all of your enemies, and there might be some casualties on our side. It's a difficult place for Iris to be, isn't it?
...... That's Iris's 'soul (tamashii) brother'
Iris rolls her eyes and looks at me. She looks impressed.
And why are you so proud of your 'ehem', Cecil?
'To your master, Iris's mind is a mere mortal coil: ......
Iris looked at Cecil, who was standing behind me, and smiled gently.
'Yes. Nagi-sama always sees through everything about me and brings out a new me that I never knew existed.
He said something inappropriate to me.
''Come to think of it, it was the first time I've had a calm conversation with you. Nagi-sama's slave, ...... Cecil-sama.
I don't need a 'sama'. I belong to you, Nagi.
'...... 'Sohma-sama's' ......?'
Iris stared at Cecil with eyes that seemed to search for something.
From the top of her head to her toes. The chest and the gaze back and forth as if to check the position of the head.
'Does Cecil ...... belong to Souma-sama?
'Yes. I belong to you in body, mind and soul, Nagi.
I see." ...... I see. So people like you are the kind of person Sohma likes ....... That's wonderful.
Iris tapped the chest of her dress with a plop, and then laughed with a huff.
'As expected of Souma-sama, she is the one Iris expected. And Cecil-sama is also worthy of being his partner. Someone like Cecil-sama would be a perfect fit for Souma-sama's left and right (...) sides.
Nagi-sama, I was praised!
Cecil's eyes sparkled and he shook my hand.
I didn't know that Iris has no prejudice against demi-humans.
''Yes, someone like Cecil-san is a very good match for Souma-sama. It's just the right size. The fact that the Souma is favored by a person like Cecil is a source of hope for Iris as well.
............ Onii. Me and Nagi-sama are at ......
I won't let you get any more dangerous than you already are, Master Souma.
Oh, I'm up to something.
In our short time together, I've started to read Iris' expressions.
She's kind of like me, isn't she, Iris? In character, that is.
So I thought you'd be able to help me out.
I knew it.
Iris clapped her hands and called the attendant who was waiting in the hallway.
A woman in a maid's uniform with a sea dragon emblem comes over with a map. Iris spread it out on the table.
It was a map of a small island in the middle of the sea.
This is the map of the house where the marquise is holed up.
All of these numbers and units are from this world.
When translated to the scale of my world...
The island is about 100 meters wide. There are 5 meter high walls on all sides of the mansion. There is a landing place on the north side. The rest of the island is sheer cliffs.
It was once used as an anti-piracy base, so it has a lookout tower.
It's not much of a place for a bunch of marquise to hide, is it?
'It looks like they were forced to flee as we held the street. Will they have reinforcements from other port towns, or are they trying to escape through an opening, or do they have a way out in depth? ......
I can't read that far.
I'm sure Iris would like to finish up before the Festival of the Sea Dragon.
As for me, I want to have the Marquise in a hurry to catch her and find out if she's a visitor or not. And who is behind it.
I'm sure we're all working on the same thing.
I've been reading up on that kind of tactics and stuff when I was trying to make a simulation game before, either an isolated island strategy or ....... It's hard to do.
I guess I'll have to use a cheat move to get ...... done quickly.
'You know, Iris,'
"Yes, my dear. Dear Souma.
'Brother ...... does Neuer-Hafeumea still have a crush on the Marquise?'
'I don't know. But he's thrown away the ring, and seeing as how he's left his brother behind, I'm sure he's long since 'pooh-poohed'.
I don't know. I don't know if they're in love with each other.
Why do I have to read the sticks?
I mean, use what you can.
I whispered my plan.
Iris was surprised at first when she heard the story, but soon her eyes lit up and she started nodding, and finally she got a 'grin' on her face. I like it, you know, evil tricks. Me too, you know.
It's not that hard of a strategy.
We just want Iris's brother, who was responsible for the incident, to be held accountable for it.
Ha-ha, isn't it fun to rule people?
In the garden of the palace, the Marquess Eterina-Harsburg laughed.
Her real name is Katagiri-Erina. She is a 'visitor' who came from another world.
Her unique skill is 'Magic Weapon Creation (Craftwork)'
You can create instant magical items by inhabiting your tools with magic.
Right now, I'm in the process of installing wind magic on a small boat. This should give us the speed of a motorboat for a while. The only thing left to do is to wait for the night and get out of there as soon as possible.
But the people of this world can't use it, can they? As expected of a savage.
The Order of Divine Life is all in the defense of the North Wall.
They follow orders well. They will faithfully carry out their mission until Eterina is ready. The downside of ruling by mask is that it takes away your imagination, but that's not a problem. They just need to keep us stalled. If possible, I'd like you to slash them all down and kill about ten people by yourself, but that's the last thing I want.
''But then again, where was the error?
I don't think there was a problem with the plan.
It was perfect to the point where I was dispatched to Ilgafa after sneaking into the Marquis' house as per the procedure of the quest.
That man, Neuel-Hafeumea, was a bit of a mess. He must have had a complex for his sister. Once I got to that point, it was easy to get my way. Of course, I used everything else I had, though.
''Noel-sama. You're not a vessel to end up as a lord of a port city.''
"I see abilities that are unique to you...
"Will you meet my expectations, my love?
I'm not going to be able to say it, but I can't help but laugh every time I recall it, even though it's my line.
A brave man summoned from another world would never fall in love with a savage.
Even in the original world, there was no one who was worthy of him.
I'm confident in my beauty. But because of her strong-mindedness, she didn't make a lot of advances.
Katagiri-Erina is 23 years old. She used to be an office worker. Currently, she is a brave man.
She was a woman who was summoned to another world a little over two years ago.
'There's a town that cheats and has a big face. You'd know what to do, wouldn't you?
The person who said that was the 'Guildmaster' - Erina's current employer, who she met through someone's introduction.
Hearing that person's words, Erina nodded in two replies.
The town of cheating is, of course, the port city of Irgafa.
It seems that the town has made its own contract with something called 'Kerkator the Sea Dragon' to protect its ships.
That's cheating, said the 'Guildmaster'.
'It's unacceptable from the other port towns that are working hard. Can you forgive an employee who does his own work efficiently and goes home on time? If there's a good way to do it, shouldn't you tell people? If you can't do that, shouldn't you be struggling just like everyone else?
It's not natural. It's unacceptable. We've got to take down that town!
That's 'Guildmaster' indeed. Good point.
He's like a boss from his old world.
A co-worker who's about to leave on time says, "What? Just because your work is done, doesn't it mean you can't see everyone working? Can't you see everyone else is working? That boss who praised Elina for going around and putting pressure on her to do things. He trusted her and entrusted her with a lot of work.
I think it was after the co-worker who taught her the right way to work - ...... - disappeared before she knew it, that she quit her job. I don't really remember what happened then, though.
After that, when I was absent-minded with nothing to do, I was summoned to another world.
The 'Guildmaster' of this world told me that he needed your help. He acknowledged it. That's why Elina used 'Magic Weapon Creation (Kraftwerk)' to create a mask to manipulate people for this quest.
The savages didn't know what to say anyway, so she decided to force them to mock me with the mask. I had received some funds, so it was easy to hire people. All we had to do was increase the 'Divine Order of Life'.
I found out again that it's fun to control people.
They all follow the 'right me'. It feels good. Hmmm, hahaha.
I don't know why things didn't work out in the original world. I'm sure it was the wrong job. And the proof of that is that all the quests in this world are going well.
The purpose of this quest is to destroy the 'Sea Dragon Festival'.
And to bring back Iris-Hafeumea as a valuable sample. Oh yeah, I also did some experiments against the Demon King. I heard that we succeeded in refining the golem, so I'll have to report on the results.
In the end, I failed to stifle this town, but I'm sure the 'Guildmaster' will forgive me.
I really enjoy this job. The savages will dance the way they want. They won't get mad at you if you treat them as you wish. No one can compare to Elina's skills.
Even the Order of Divine Life only leaves the most obedient. The others? It's not uncommon for someone to die in the middle of a quest. I don't remember the number of deaths. We don't need to differentiate between these savages. I don't need to differentiate between them, so I'm making masks: one, two, blast one, twinkle three... that's good enough for me. What's wrong with that?
'If you have any magic left, then cast a spell. If you can move your arm, then shoot your bow! Once you get past this point, you won't have to suffer! If you fall down, all your efforts will be for nothing!
It'll be nightfall. At dusk, we will escape. Then her work will be done.
I've ordered the Order of Divine Life to keep fighting until they can't move.
They'll be happy too. They'll be a token of the righteousness of the world.
''Eterina-sama. Your ships are approaching.
A swordsman standing at the watchtower said.
The mansion is surrounded by a stone wall. The watchtower on top of it could be climbed along the wall. Elina climbed the stairs and stood on top of the watchtower. From here, the 'Divine Order' and others should have been pouring arrows at Ilgafa's ship just a moment ago. Now it has stopped.
There is a yellow flag on the mast of the warship. In this world, it's a call for a truce and negotiations.
'Eteri naaaaahhhh!
Geez.
Elina couldn't help but squirm.
The ship of the Ilgafa lord family that had been fighting earlier.
There was another ship behind it, and on the deck, Neuer-Hafeumea was shouting.
''Eteri naaah! It's me! Listen to me!
''Everyone stay put. But be sure to use the Flying Slayer at all times.
At the sound of Elina's voice, the 'Divine Life Knights' nodded.
They are controlled by the silver masks created by 'Kraftwerk'. The magic of the "mental control" embedded in them makes them hypnotized.
The magic is their own, so they are under the control of the mask while it is on.
Compared to that, that man crying on the boat is worth less than a water flea.
A savage. You've done your job. Why do you keep stalking me when you're done?
'Let me talk to you! Tell me why you used me...!
Behind Noel-Hafemea, Erina noticed a green hair peeking out from behind the mast.
Green hair - it's Iris-Hafeumea. How ridiculous. How could a festival priestess show up in a place like this?
But it's worth it. You could use a maiden to rule the most people in the world.
"I didn't mean to deceive you, either!
Elina stood on the castle wall and raised her voice.
''There's a deep reason for this, ...... Noiel-sama. My dearest person──''
Etelina...
Oh, it's so simple. A savage.
Elina also used everything she had to fulfill her quest, so maybe it's understandable that she misunderstood.
''Let's call a truce. Let me talk to you. For the sake of our love.
Okay! Hey! What are you doing? Now get the boat to the island!
I could see the soldiers nodding at Noel's line.
The sun is setting. On the deck, a wizard is chanting 'lights', and three lights appear in the air from the warship.
The magic of the 'lights' floats in the air from the warship...three.
They are wavering, as if to bless Elina's future.
'Please take care of yourself, Noel. I love you. ......'
While saying it, Elina, in a whisper, gathers the 'Divine Life Knights' and others. They all gather around the watchtower.
I give them instructions. If the ship is approaching, I will use the "Wind Hammer". Leaving a few people behind, I send all the remaining Knights of Divine Life flying. They force their way into the ship.
A few of them should be able to reach Iris-Hafemea. Let's take her as a hostage and run away.
Elina counts the number of the 'Order of Divine Life'. If you include the ones who can't move, there are 20 of them. It's enough for a bullet count. The only place the ship can be followed is this north quay. The rest of the way is sheer cliffs. It is easy to defend and hard to attack. The people of this world are savages after all, to hand over the key to a place like this with impunity.
'But if it was .........'
There is only one question.
How could my operation have failed...
"At ........................ shakugatsu heat at Ugatsuzani ............ 'Fuayabour'
A small voice reached Elina's ears as she craned her neck.
It was from the opposite side of the warship──from the south.
She looked back and saw her eyes, and what she saw was...
A dark-haired boy, a dark elf-like figure, and a small boat that carried them and
It was a huge 'fireball' that seemed to cover all of our vision.
It was a huge 'fireball' that seemed to cover everything in sight.
Immediately afterwards, the city wall was blown away with an explosive sound.