Black Summoner – Chapter 155

The Scarlet Grand Canyon – The Improbable Black Fortress

Rosaria and Hoover, now clad in maid outfits tailored by Efil, had changed locations. The unveiling was taking place in the grand hall.

“Whoa, you both look great in those!”
“They say even a horse looks good in a costume! Kuku!”
“Dahak, please be quiet. Ugh, why are we wearing maid outfits?”

Rosaria, who had transformed into a human form, had black hair, contrasting with Dahak, and fair, transparent skin. Her apparent age seemed to be around Ellie’s. She gave the impression of an incredibly beautiful older sister. Despite dressing as a maid, she exuded a certain dignity. According to Rosaria, she had never shown this form to anyone other than Azgrad.

“My legs feel so breezy.”

Hoover, no longer in her male disguise and now in a maid outfit, had become a cute girl her age. Her toned, healthy legs peeked out from her skirt, a testament to her training with the Dragon Rider Corps… Why was Hoover’s maid outfit a miniskirt? Efil and the others were all wearing long skirts, in a classic maid style. It was a pleasant surprise, but I’ll say it now: I didn’t request such a thing.

“Based on Master’s knowledge, I created the maid outfit that best suits her. It’s my masterpiece.”

This was the result of Efil’s hard work. Good job.

“Um, seriously, why maid outfits?”

It was part of my plan, *cough cough*. There’s a good reason for this. Let me explain.

“As for the maid outfits, it’s a tactic to confuse the enemy. Rosaria had only ever shown her human form to Azgrad, and Hoover always wore a male disguise. No one would suspect such maids are affiliated with the Dragon Rider Corps, right? It’s to buy us time. Actually, the encirclement battle is over now, and we’re returning to Pars. For now, the two of you will work at my mansion until the next battle.”

“As expected of you. While it’s a bit of an excuse, it’s logically sound.”

Hmph, see? Even with such sharp words, my spirit won’t be broken.

“So it’s already decided. Well, I don’t intend to resist, but…”
“But we’ve never worked as maids before…”
“No problem. I’ll make you into skilled maids within a week.”
“Ehh!?”

With Efil, the perfect maid, it was entirely possible. Even Ryuka, who had never cooked before starting to work at the mansion, had become quite proficient. As long as the two of them aren’t exceptionally bad cooks, she’ll surely achieve it.

“Still, it’s debatable whether we can fool Shutra with this. Hey, speaking of which, I have something I want to ask…”
“Ah, sorry, Azgrad. Unfortunately, there are no male maid outfits. Besides, I don’t want to see it.”

I can’t afford to have more muscular, cross-dressing men like Pritia. It would wear down my and Gerard’s spirits.

“That’s not it! I’m fine with just a collar!”
“Is that so? Phew, then I can rest easy…”
“What are you afraid of? More importantly, are your subordinates really okay?”
“You can rest assured about that. I don’t know about Trisen, but this time they’re being sent to Pars, the only autonomous region spanning four countries on the Eastern Continent. I promise they won’t be treated harshly.”

This was also pre-arranged with Guild Master Rio. There’s an agreement between allies regarding the treatment of prisoners of war, and they are to be protected by the country that captures them. Interfering with the treatment of POWs by other nations could sow discord among the allies. In such cases, interrogation and torture to extract information are not prohibited and are left to the judgment of each country. The Adventurer Guild, with branches in every country, is now taking the lead in Pars. The direction is to leave as few lingering resentments as possible. Therefore, harsh treatment of prisoners of war protected in Pars is forbidden.

“Haa, well, I guess I have no choice but to believe your word… So, heading to Pars is fine, but what about this fortress? New troops might be dispatched from Trisen again.”
“The fortress and the golems are self-sufficient. We’ll leave them as they are. They can handle one or two S-Rank Monsters on their own. Besides, reinforcements from Delamis should be arriving in Pars by now. In the future, those reinforcements will secure this place.”

Our next actions will depend on the state of battle. I recall Tristan’s Magic Knight Corps heading to Traage, and the Ironclad Knights led by an old general heading to Gaun. Tristan seems like the most likely to make a move, but for now, we need to grasp the current situation.

“I don’t know much about the general of the Ironclad Knights, but do you have any useful information?”
“… Are you serious? That’s Dan Dalba!”

Oh, is he that famous?

“He’s my master, you know. Even though he’s declined, Dan-jiisan has the strongest raw power in Trisen. It’s often said, ‘If Gaun has the Beast King, Trisen has Dan Dalba.’ Cliff, the commander of Delamis’s Holy Knights, is also quite capable, but just a little short. Traage, after all, is a country protected by that Dragon King. That place is off the charts. I’d like to spar with him someday—”

Azgrad suddenly became quite talkative. However, I’m happy he’s providing me with a list of the strong individuals in each country. Taking notes.

“I see. So, the general of the Ironclad Knights is also a formidable opponent.”
“Well, I don’t think he’s in league with the mastermind. There was nothing suspicious about Dan-jiisan. His son, Jin, has been acting a bit strange lately, though.”
“Is his son in the same unit?”
“Ah, he’s the副官. His skill is about the same as Hoover’s, I’d say. Not strong, but not weak either.”

When I glanced at Hoover, she was already receiving guidance on greetings from Efil, along with Rosaria. If he’s around Hoover’s level, he’s probably level 70 or so. Stat growth varies individually, so there might be some fluctuation. I’ll keep that in mind.

Next, I asked about the general of the Dark Faction and about Shutra, Azgrad’s sister, but Azgrad was hesitant to answer. He said Shutra’s actions are unpredictable, making it impossible for him to judge if she’s suspicious. Shutra remains a question mark for now. However, she shares the same mother as that Tabula… Is she truly that competent?

“Shall we start preparing for departure soon? Efil, sorry to bother you when you’re busy, but could you call Sabato and the others from the training grounds?”
“Understood. Both of you, now is the time to show the results of your training.”
“Already for actual combat!?”
“It’s already combat. Come on, it would be a disgrace to be maids if we keep our customers waiting.”
“…Hmm?”
“…Ugh.”

Sera and Melfina turned their faces towards the direction of the Pars road. For a moment, Melfina seemed to have a slightly displeased look…

“Sera-nee and Mel-nee, what’s wrong?”
“There’s a group entering the canyon path from the Pars side. The number is— 28. I was caught off guard, so my detection was a bit late.”
“…Yes, I sensed it too. These are Delamis’s reinforcements.”
“They’ve already arrived? That’s surprisingly fast. Did they use a transfer gate?”

Judging by the numbers, they must have come with a small, elite force. Is the Empire’s defense alright? To confirm, I moved to the topmost floor of the fortress. Imbued with Efil’s Clairvoyance in the Gauntlet of Gluttony, I peered into the distance.

“Is that… a Pegasus?”
“It’s a beautiful white horse.”

After Dragons, now Pegasi. Lately, I seem to be encountering mythological creatures more often.

“More importantly, Master, the one riding the Pegasus at the forefront is…”
“Ah, that’s Colette.”

The shaman from Delamis has arrived at the front lines.