(When everyone is working hard to fight, how helpless I am)
Kent, who had been thinking about the battle as if it were someone else’s business after losing Emily, was reminded that the people in front of him were fighting for their lives. With that thought, he felt his own powerlessness, being able to do nothing but watch from the rear.
“Kent, you are not helpless. Thanks to you, I feel the will and courage to absolutely protect this place.”
“Otsupain.”
Although he was in a position to command the battle, Otsupain gently held Kent’s hand and spoke kindly, as if sensing his feelings. Kent was very happy about that.
“Wha!”
“It’s alright, the wound is shallow. Hang in there!”
As Kent and Otsupain were having such an exchange, a wind magic spell cast by a fairy from the Duchy side hit a Holy Knight in front of them, blowing him away. Allies immediately rushed to his aid, and the injured Holy Knight was moved to the rear and laid down. Ordinarily, injured individuals could receive proper treatment by opening the sanctuary’s service entrance and bringing them inside the building. However, it was too dangerous to open the heavily closed doors every time an injured person appeared. Therefore, unless there were seriously injured individuals, they had no choice but to move them to the rear and provide first aid.
“It’s not good to keep having more injured people like this.”
Otsupain said with a worried tone as he watched the number of injured gradually increase. The Holy Knights had received first aid training during their knight days, so those who were free were tending to the injured. Until Emily disappeared, she had taken on the sole responsibility of treating the injured, instantly healing them with magic, allowing them to return to battle as soon as their treatment was finished. But now, they could only move the injured to the rear, and if the injured continued to increase at this rate, even those with minor injuries would be forced to return to battle.
“Al can also use recovery magic, but it seems difficult for him to return in his current state.”
“That’s true. If someone could keep the red-haired fairy busy, Al could treat them in the meantime. But we can’t wish for the impossible.”
Al, though not as powerful as Emily, could use recovery magic, and would be a great help if he could be assigned to treat the injured. However, it was currently impossible to bring back Al, who was struggling to counter the attacks of Sarah, who used powerful fire magic.
“A way to keep the red-haired fairy busy. I wish there was a good method.”
“Fufu, fufu, fufu. Has someone forgotten about me?”
Kent and Otsupain were trying to think of a way to keep the red-haired fairy’s attacks occupied so that Al could treat the injured Holy Knights. Then, a woman’s voice was heard from a distance.
“Rachel.”
“Rachel-san.”
The owner of the voice was Rachel.
“What happened while I was gone? I don’t quite understand, but I just need to keep that red-haired fairy busy, right? It’s time for your appearance, Mike. Get that red-haired fairy’s attention!”
“I was suddenly dragged out, and you’re quite demanding, nya. Here I come, nya.”
Rachel, although not fully grasping the situation, understood that Sarah needed to be held back and ordered Mike, the shop-attached fairy from Marie’s Bakery No. 2, to stop Sarah.
“A new type of fairy!”
“Mike, you’re late!”
“Unya? The main act always makes an entrance last, nya.”
Mike stood beside Al and faced Sarah.
“Another shop-attached fairy that can leave the shop, just like the one I already sent to their grave. But even with one more, the situation won’t change. Both of you, take my attack!”
Sarah said, and shot fireball after fireball towards Al and Mike.
“Ow, ow ow ow!”
“Fugya, it’s hot, nya!”
Al blocked Sarah’s attack by summoning vines, and Mike dodged, but both of them were scorched by the high-temperature flames.
“Al, leave the red-haired fairy to Mike and please treat the injured Holy Knights.”
“Understood, Roger that. Mike, I’ll leave the rest to you.”
Kent instructed Al to treat the Holy Knights, ordered Mike to deal with Sarah, and retreated.
“What? Does the green-haired fairy also use recovery magic? Sarah, can’t you do something to stop him?”
“I am sorry, Master. The fairy in front of me is obstructing me and I cannot stop him.”
Cedric, seeing Al move to the rear and heal the injured Holy Knights one after another with recovery magic, realized that if he didn’t stop Al, his attacks would be in vain, and the battle would turn disadvantageous. He ordered Sarah to stop Al. However, Mike blocked her path, and Sarah could not carry out Cedric’s orders.
“I’m the one you’re dealing with right now, nya.”
“I know that. You’re moving around so nimbly, my attacks can’t hit you.”
Sarah was firing fireballs, but Mike was using his speed to dodge them one after another.
“But you can’t defeat me by just running away. If you’re so frustrated, try hitting me at least once.”
Sarah, irritated that her attacks weren’t landing, provoked Mike to try and hit her at least once.
“Do you want to receive my attack that much, nya? Then I’ll show you something special, nya.”
“Ah! That’s my wallet!”
Mike pulled out something like a wallet from his short pants pocket. Rachel, noticing this, let out a loud cry. From this, it was clear that what Mike was holding was Rachel’s wallet.
“Take this, nya!”
“Ouch!”
*Chariin*
“Wha, my money!”
Mike plunged his hand into Rachel’s wallet and threw the money inside at Sarah. His aim was excellent, and it hit Sarah squarely in the face, causing her considerable pain. At the same time, Rachel’s scream echoed loudly.
“Here comes another one, nya!”
“It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!”
*Chariin, chariin*
Mike continued to throw money from Rachel’s wallet at Sarah, dealing her minor damage. The coins that hit Sarah and completed their mission fell to the ground one after another, making a clinking sound.
“I’m out of ammo, nya.”
“Out of ammo? How dare you treat my money so carelessly, you damn cat!”
And so, when Rachel’s wallet was empty, Mike’s attack ended due to running out of ammunition. At the same time, his master, Rachel, was furious.
“Gems are like pearls to a pig. Cats don’t need money, nya.”
“It may not be necessary for you, but it’s very important to me! And I’m not in cat form right now.”
“That’s a blind spot, nya.”
Rachel, who had lost her money, and Mike, who considered it unnecessary, started arguing.
“Even though I’m the one who provoked you, I, uh, I’m sorry.”
The argument between the two was so intense that Sarah forgot to attack and apologized.
“Sarah, don’t stop attacking.”
“I-I am truly sorry. I got scolded by Master because of you.”
“It’s not my fault, nya.”
Cedric, seeing Sarah’s attack had stopped, immediately ordered her to resume attacking. Sarah, while asserting that Mike was to blame for Cedric scolding her, resumed her attack.
“Rachel, it’s been a while.”
“A while? Come to think of it, you’re Cedric. Are you doing this for revenge against my older brother? The Cedric I knew was a diligent student who solved difficult problems with his intellect. How did you become like this?”
“Older brother? Ah, you mean Kent. I didn’t know he was here, but yes. If you call it revenge, then perhaps. I am now Rick, the副隊長 (Vice Captain) of the Duchy’s Army Magic Squad.”
“The Duchy’s Army? I don’t understand anything anymore.”
Rachel had left Marie’s Bakery before Gordon was rescued and did not know that Cedric had sided with the Duchy. When he informed her himself that he belonged to the Duchy’s Army, Rachel was confused that the story had taken a completely different direction from the game she knew.
“Judging from your conversation, the owner of that fairy seems to be Rachel.”
“Yes, so what?”
Cedric asked Rachel if she was Mike’s owner. Rachel answered honestly without hiding anything.
“I see. Now I am convinced. Hey, eliminate that woman.”
“Understood.”
Cedric ordered a nearby soldier to eliminate Rachel.
“Eh? No, don’t come near me!”
When Rachel returned here, she had a hunch that she needed to help, but she didn’t grasp the exact situation. She was far from the location of Kent and the Holy Knights, and Mike had moved ahead to help. Stopping the fairy’s movements by attacking its master first had become standard practice for the Duchy’s army, so Cedric decided to target Rachel, who had no means of defense, first. The soldier who received the order approached Rachel, keeping his sword pointed at her.
