We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Legendary Adventurers
Allow me to introduce the adventurers who will be accompanying us.
“Nyan.”
The leader is Doran, the burly man who proposed the escort to us.
He’s a reliable older man, clad in thick full armor, carrying a large shield and a long spear, looking exactly like a front-line defense specialist.
Next is Wipper, a petite man equipped with a short sword.
He wears little armor, only a leather chest plate, giving the impression that he prioritizes speed.
The third is Tontak, who wields a long spear.
Tontak also wears a light, half-plate made of leather, prioritizing agility.
After all, according to what I and Ruiseine learned in our school lectures, it is said that humans, who are not strong, should avoid monster attacks by being agile rather than focusing on defense.
Shields and armor are useful when dealing with bandits, but heavy equipment that restricts movement is not very effective against the fierce attacks of monsters and magic beasts. Therefore, the teacher said it’s better to minimize unnecessary equipment and move lightly.
If we follow the teacher’s words, Wipper and Tontak’s equipment would be appropriate, and Doran’s heavy equipment would be excessive.
However, we must not look at him with suspicion.
This is because they are adventurers specializing in collecting mysterious flowers.
There must be a reason why Doran, in particular, is wearing heavy armor.
Of the adventurers accompanying us, Doran, Wipper, and Tontak form the front line.
The remaining two are in charge of the rear guard.
One is a thin man who looks exactly like a “sorcerer,” holding a staff adorned with sorcery tools.
His name is Beneil.
While the three front-liners are middle-aged men, Beneil is still young.
He looks to be around twenty years old.
And the last one is Baton, an archer.
He’s equipped with a small, easy-to-rapid-fire bow, rather than a powerful longbow.
Will he fight in a way that supplements the three front-liners?
Also, Baton is also on the younger side, perhaps in his mid-twenties.
These five people are accompanying us on our flower-hunting expedition as escorts in case we get into danger.
“Nyaa.”
Although there seems to be an age difference between the three front-liners and the two rear guards, they don’t seem to have any hierarchy and are all wonderful people with cheerful conversations, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
“So, which way are you heading?”
Shortly after departing the village, we came to a narrow, split road.
If we were to follow the narrow road extending from the back of the village, it would be better to take the left turn.
The road to the right is not well-trodden and looks like a path that is not normally used.
“Hmm, let me see.”
“Definitely the right path.”
“Without a doubt, it’s the right path.”
Then, Yufilia and Nina chose the right path without hesitation.
“The left path is the one villagers use regularly.”
“The right path is the one you are using only this time.”
Indeed, sharp!
So, we believe Yufilia and Nina’s words and head to the right.
Doran and the others, perhaps confident that we wouldn’t be fooled by such a thing, followed without much surprise.
“You know, Priscilla wants to make a flower necklace.”
“Um, then you’ll have to pick lots of flowers, won’t you?”
“Nyan.”
Priscilla-chan, her sister Alicia-chan holding her hand, walks with a cheerful stride.
The adventure is fun, but above all, she’s happy to be able to act together with her beloved older sister.
However, from the adventurers’ perspective, Priscilla-chan’s presence seemed peculiar.
“But, is it alright? It seems safer to leave someone as young as her in the village?”
Although they confirmed this with me before we left the village, Doran gave me the warning again.
I apologize to Doran apologetically.
“No, it’s fine. Priscilla-chan can move quite well. In fact, she’s quite reliable?”
Hahaha.
To tell you the truth, leaving Priscilla-chan in the village would be more dangerous!
I wonder what kind of disturbance she’ll cause if our eyes are off her for a moment… Thinking that, it’s safer to bring her along.
“In case of emergency, I will protect Priscilla.”
“Oh my, Mist-san. Even if you say so, you can’t just withdraw from the trouble Elnea-kun might cause, can you?”
“You’re assuming I’m going to cause trouble from now on!?”
I was worried about Priscilla-chan, but it seems everyone else was worried about me!
“Gahahah. The women in the boy’s family are quite spirited.”
Watching the women clamoring around me, the male adventurers relaxed their expressions.
“Please be careful. If it comes to combat, these people won’t hold back…”
“Elnea, did you say something?”
“No, I didn’t say anything!”
I hurriedly made an excuse to Mistral, who has sharp ears.
However, my words unintentionally became reality.
“I sense monsters.”
“There are monsters nearby.”
“Everyone, be on guard.”
Yufilia and Nina draw their Ryuhoken swords. And Madrine stands alongside the twins.
“Everyone, be careful!”
Not of the monsters?
The bushes rustled, and something unnerving appeared.
A monster with a strange, wriggling form emerged from the bushes.
“Yufi and”
“Nina’s”
Yufilia and Nina hold their Ryuhoken swords together above their heads and begin to twirl.
“To expose such an evil form to me, Madrine, is your undoing! Now, kneel before the mercy of the Goddess!”
Madrine then began to cast a spell.
“Everyone, run!”
I shouted instinctively.
But it was too late!
The monster that appeared from the bushes was trapped by a binding spell and stopped moving.
And we too were caught in Madrine’s spell, unable to move!
“Ryū Sō Ranbu!”
Then, Yufilia and Nina’s dragon arts mercilessly attacked!
“Gyaaah!”
It was not the monster, but our screams that echoed.
A dragon lance flew past me with great force.
It narrowly missed Doran’s face and exploded behind Beneil.
The countless dragon lances, fired randomly in all directions, truly danced, plunging not only the monster but also us into the depths of terror.
“Yufi-nee-sama, Nina-nee-sama, please stop it!”
“Oh, pardon me. I’m controlling it so it doesn’t hit Elnea-kun.”
“Oh, pardon me. I’m also aiming at the monster.”
“Muki! Why is it flying towards me too?”
“Madrine, it’s your imagination.”
“Madrine, you’re mistaken.”
Madrine, who cast a binding spell and the “Crescent Moon Formation” to immobilize us and the monster, was betrayed by her partners Yufilia and Nina.
Madrine desperately dodged the dragon lances flying towards her.
Unable to move, we could only wait with our souls shrinking, for the Ryū Sō Ranbu to subside.
“H-hee…”
“Th-this technique, could it be!?”
Then, Doran and Wipper turned pale as they reacted to Yufilia, Nina, and Madrine.
Oh?
Could it be that they know the past of these three?
Setting that aside for now.
Yufilia and Nina were not seriously aiming at their own people.
Besides, they have learned to control their dragon lances under Jiludo’s guidance.
Therefore, in the end, no one other than the monster was harmed, and the Ryū Sō Ranbu subsided.
However, the adventurers looked grim at the devastated surroundings.
“Um… See, my family is quite reliable, aren’t they?”
I smiled broadly, trying to lighten the mood.
But Doran seemed to have noticed something.
“N-no way… The Ladies of Chaos…!?”
At Doran’s words, the remaining four adventurers trembled.
“A-ah, the ones that bring demonic destruction!”
“A trio of beautiful shrine maidens and twin beauties with silver hair and wheat-colored skin at first glance…”
“We heard they retired a long time ago…”
“I’ve heard of it. Those terrifying anecdotes…!”
The adventurers huddled together, trembling.
“Yufi?”
“Nina-san?”
“Hwahaha, Madrine-sama?”
Mistral, Ruiseine, and Laira looked at the rampaging “three ladies” with cold eyes.
“Calling us the Ladies of Chaos is rude.”
“I’ve never heard that name before.”
“That’s right. Perhaps it’s someone else?”
No, it’s definitely your alias, the three of you!
I had heard that Yufilia, Nina, and Madrine had adventured together in the past.
But I never imagined they were feared as the “Ladies of Chaos” by their peers.
Well, it’s a fitting anecdote for the three of them.
Touching upon the past of the three in an unexpected way, I forgot about the fear I had just moments ago and started feeling cheerful.
Priscilla-chan and Alicia-chan also seemed to enjoy the flashy battle and were noisy.
“Honestly. Yufi, Nina, Madrine, be a little more restrained next time.”
“Oh, Mistral. You should say that to Elnea-kun.”
“Oh, Mistral. Those words are practically made for Elnea-kun.”
“I only cast a binding spell so that the targets of the Ryū Sō Ranbu wouldn’t move!”
Despite Mistral’s warning, Yufilia, Nina, and Madrine showed no sign of remorse.
Ruiseine, Laira, and Sefina sighed, shrugging their shoulders.
Seeing us unfazed by the indiscriminate combat, Doran asked fearfully.
“Wh-what in the world are you people…?”
“We’re just an ordinary family. Well, I won’t deny that these kinds of disturbances happen daily, though.”
Actually, they’re on the tamer side.
If Priscilla-chan and Ares-chan were to start rampaging together, even I wouldn’t be able to handle the situation.
“Now, let’s get moving. Don’t let your guard down.”
After confirming that Sefina-san had collected the magic crystal stones, Mistral urged us forward.
“That way is the Wyvern’s nest.”
“Next is the Wyvern subjugation.”
“My arms are itching for action.”
“Hey, hey, you three. Didn’t Mistral just scold you? Besides, you can’t just attack wild wyverns without reason!”
“Sisters, haven’t you forgotten your objective?”
“Oh my, oh my, that would be troublesome.”
“Elnea-sama, perhaps you should call for Lady Revalia?”
“No, no, Laira. If we call Revalia, the Wyvern’s nest will be annihilated!”
“Um, dragon scales and fangs are super expensive, you know?”
“Whoa! Big sis, can we buy lots of sweets?”
“We can buy enough to build a house of sweets.”
“Yay!”
“Priscilla-chan, no!”
The adventurers were speechless.
Doran and the others watched us with stunned expressions.
“Ah. If you feel you are in danger, please tell me? We will take responsibility for escorting you back to the village.”
“Ah, ah…”
Doran nodded in rapid, trembling jerks.
Is it just me, or has the role of protector and protected been reversed?
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