I had heard about the feud between the White Horn and Bicorn.
After walking for half a day with the White Horn, we finally left the Land of Satyrs, and the buildings gradually became fewer. From here, we would head north, stopping by human settlements. Our plan was to hand over Sen no Tsurugi to Bicorn and slip away unnoticed before we were caught.
Our true objective was to thwart Auroa’s ambitions, and for that, we first had to find the Hummingbird Har. Since they said it was the smallest harpy in the world, I was sure we would recognize it immediately upon sight. And speaking of sirens, the vocalist of a band called Dragon Triangle used to be one. His singing voice would make my head fuzzy, making me feel as if I were being controlled.
I guess you could call them witches with a merman-like appearance. What awaited us beyond that was a trial of Ancient Species. I wondered what kind of monsters lay in wait.
The procession halted intermittently for breaks as they marched on.
“Wow, look at all of them, it’s amazing. It’s just like a field trip.”
“It seems you’ve finally woken up.”
Simon, who had been so fussy that morning, looked bewildered. The two attendants didn’t seem particularly concerned, as if this were a common occurrence.
“Ah, I’m not a morning person. That’s why I’m always almost late.”
“Simon-sama stays up too late.”
A Satyr woman grumbled with a grimace.
“But… I don’t want tomorrow to come, so I just end up wanting to stay up all night.”
I understood her sentiment, but without proper sleep, my mind wouldn’t work well, and my stamina would drop. When I mentioned this, she pouted, saying she understood.
“Even you are acting like a teacher now?”
“You look serious, but you’re surprisingly careless.”
“Me, serious? That’s right, I am serious. I always do my homework. Well, I’ll probably get in trouble for leaving on this journey without telling anyone.”
Did he run away without telling his parents? They must be in a panic right now. I wondered what the two attendants were thinking. Had they not consulted with his parents either? What kind of relationship did they have?
As the sun began to set, we took a break. It seemed we were only a short distance from our next destination. The people who had been walking all day appeared quite tired. Of course, the non-combatants, who were not armed, rode in small carriages, but even so, they seemed to have muscle aches from being cramped up.
Even though we were used to traveling, we were still tired. I sat down on a nearby log and drank some water. Simon had been complaining to himself for a while.
“Ah, I’m so tired. We’re walking too fast, aren’t we? There are weaklings like me, so please be a little considerate, okay?”
“Simon-sama is the one who said he wanted to go.”
The attendant Satyr stated bluntly. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was his fault for getting caught by the Basilisk.
“Hey, Arisugawa.”
Sharin suddenly stood up. Her hand reached for the hilt of her dagger. Was there something there? I focused my hearing and sight, checking our surroundings. It was dim because night was approaching, making it hard to see.
“Veronica, scout the area.”
“Ah, yeah. What’s going on?”
Veronica, who had been about to light a cigarette, slowly stood up. Right, where were the White Horn members? When I looked their way, they were chatting casually or drinking water, showing no unusual behavior. Was Sharin mistaken? No, that wasn’t possible; her ears were much better than mine.
“I smell something. Smells like dogs.”
“Indeed, it seems you are correct. As Gulf said, it appears hunting dogs have been sniffing around.”
Hunting dogs? Could it be Werewolves?! Had they been tailing us all along? I needed to inform my companions as soon as possible.
“Nina, Philiana, enemy attack. Pauline and Piyo, to the center. Lauren too. What are their positions and numbers?”
“It appears we are surrounded. I’m sorry, but I can’t give you an exact number.”
Surrounded. Had they been waiting for the sun to set? For now, we had to form a formation and prepare for their surprise attack. If I told the White Horn members now, they would only panic. Besides, they probably wouldn’t believe anything I, a wanted criminal, had to say. That’s right, Simon’s attendants seemed like they could handle this calmly.
I left my companions and went to the two who were resting near Simon.
“What is it?”
“Please listen calmly. We are surrounded by Werewolves. First, let’s gather the non-combatants in the center and protect them.”
“What, Werewolves? Why all of a sudden… No, if it’s true, report to the front, and move the non-combatants to the center.”
“Understood.”
The two exchanged glances and began their respective actions. My choice was not wrong. Alright, I should head back to my companions.
“Awooo, Oooo-oooo.”
A sudden howl was heard. This was followed by Werewolf cries from various directions. This is bad, the enemy has gotten the jump on us.
