What Nonsense Was I Thinking
"Eek! How are we supposed to deal with all of them...!"
"Let's just start swinging and figure it out later!"
"If you do that, you'll run out of mana and we'll be in serious trouble, Charlotte!"
"Ugh, I don't care!"
"Hey!!!"
Thinking complicated things was too much of a hassle! Charlotte, gripping the Super Strong Sword, charged forward. Julia, exasperated, couldn't help but shout.
One glance was enough to see how dire the situation was. Thousands? Tens of thousands? There were so many ant monsters surrounding the castle that it was impossible to even estimate their numbers. Some were already scaling the walls, threatening the interior.
How were they supposed to handle all of them? The immediate priority was eliminating the monsters climbing the walls. Thanks to Charlotte recklessly rushing in, the aura she unleashed had managed to hold them back. But the monsters' numbers were simply overwhelming. No matter how much Charlotte tried to regulate her aura output, it was obvious she wouldn't last even ten minutes before her mana ran dry.
They couldn't hold out like this for long! They had to do something...!
"Ah! The queen ant! What if we target the queen ant?"
[This species of ant does indeed have one queen per colony. However, killing the queen will only enrage the others and make them more ferocious.]
"Th-then what...!"
"We lure them without killing her."
"Aslan...!"
At that moment, Aslan Belmont appeared, carrying Silvia on his back. Julia found herself calling his name in a delighted voice before she could stop herself. Embarrassed, she cleared her throat. At this rate, it would seem like she'd been desperately waiting to see Aslan after only a short separation...
"Ahem. Lure them? ...yo?"
"They'll do everything they can to protect the queen, won't they? So if we find where she's hiding and threaten her, we can draw them away from the castle. Once we've gathered them all in one spot, we can concentrate our firepower and wipe them out in one strike."
"Ah! That method should definitely work! ...yo!"
With that approach, they could protect the people while dealing with all the monsters using minimal mana! Julia clapped her hands at the unexpected idea. Still, she had been the one to suggest using the queen ant first, so wasn't more than half of it her idea?
"Then Muddy! Find the queen ant's location for us!"
[Kyaak! Do you think I'm some kind of scanner?!]
Muddy stomped the ground with a loud thud in response to Charlotte's bold request. But Charlotte didn't back down even an inch in front of the massive spirit.
"If you do it, I'll make you as many donuts as you want when we get back!"
[Donuts...! You think you can bribe a Great Spirit who's lived for a thousand years with mere food?!]
"I'll make them with lots of sugar cream on top!"
[...Considering your sincerity, I suppose I could manage it.]
Thump, thump. Muddy bumped his tiny fists together and stepped forward. The donuts he'd gotten from Julia and Charlotte last time had been incredibly delicious. They hadn't had anything on them then, but if they were covered in sugar cream? Gulp. Just imagining it made his mouth water. The joy of savoring food while eating it was something he could never have imagined when he existed only as a spiritual entity before gaining a physical form.
[I have a rough idea where she might be. But if I use my abilities, I can pinpoint her exact location...!]
Rumble. Rumble. A periodic, small vibration spread out from Muddy. The ground trembled as if a minor earthquake had struck.
"Hwaaaaaah! Not again! Not this again! That damn earthquake is back!!!"
"Father! Please calm down!"
Count Ariente shuddered and prostrated himself on the floor.
[Found her. The entrance to the ant colony is on the mountainside over there. Once you enter, turn right once, go up the passage, then down again, go straight, and drop into the vertical shaft...]
"That's enough. No one can remember all that. It would be better to have Muddy guide us directly."
Aslan shook his head and summarized. An ant colony would surely be a dizzying maze. Even if Muddy could see through the ground, humans had no way of grasping the maze's structure. In that case, it would be better to bring Muddy along and have him guide them. Aslan quickly reached that conclusion.
"Silvia and I will enter the ant colony with Muddy."
"Why me, of all people? I'm already exhausted from mana depletion."
"Then should I send the kids in?"
"I'll go."
She should have just agreed from the beginning. Aslan couldn't understand why she insisted on making herself look foolish. Silvia struggled to her feet on trembling legs. Aslan immediately brought Julia over and began channeling mana to Silvia using Touch of Death at her side.
"Ah! Aaaah...!"
Countless low-level spirits gathered around Julia. They died from the sinister aura emanating from Aslan's fingertips, only for more to gather and die again. Watching the scene, Julia's lips trembled. She hadn't been able to see the spirits last time, so she had no idea this was the mechanism. Seeing it directly now, it was truly terrifying. But they had to recharge Silvia's mana right now, and there was no other suitable method...!
'Spirits, I'm sorry!!!'
I'll become stronger so you won't have to suffer. Someday, I'll definitely develop a mana recharging method that doesn't require sacrificing you!
With her eyes moist, Julia made a firm resolution in her heart.
"Silvia. Can you move?"
"My muscles are sore, but... I'm fine. It's nothing compared to having to return with a broken leg after falling off a cliff."
"Uh, um. Right. Julia. Shrink Muddy back into a doll for now."
[Kyaak! Who are you calling a doll?! And shrink me?! As if I was originally a doll—Kyaak! You damn brat! You're shrinking me while I'm talking!!!]
Whoosh. Muddy's body, which had displayed such imposing presence, shrank in an instant to an embarrassingly small size. Silvia scooped up the now doll-sized Muddy. When Charlotte had carried him, he'd seemed somewhat heavy, but in Silvia's hands, Muddy didn't move an inch, looking like nothing more than a light cotton doll.
"Now I'll explain the plan. I'll only say it once, so remember it properly. Our lives depend on you two. Charlotte. Julia."
"Yes...!"
"U-uh-huh!"
It was a somewhat dangerous plan. But there was no other way. This was the only method to save Ariente, who had to pay interest to him every month. With a grim expression, Aslan began explaining the operation.
"Count Belmont has come to save us! Reinforcements from Belmont have arrived!"
"Black magic that exterminates monsters...!"
"Shh! Be quiet! We never saw that black magic! If they find out we witnessed it..."
"..."
Gulp. The people swallowed nervously in unison. Belmont had personally come to rescue Ariente territory. In the process, Belmont hadn't hesitated to reveal the results of their black magic research. Ariente had, in any case, already received help from black magic. They could no longer claim to be unrelated to it. If Belmont were to be punished, Ariente would not escape punishment either, regardless of severity. Vengeful retaliation from Belmont would follow as a bonus.
Count Ariente and all the residents decided to erase every memory of what they'd seen tonight from their minds.
"Hah! Thunderclap—"
"Thunderclap is forbidden, Charlotte!!!"
"Hngh. Just a side slash! A strong side slash! A fast side slash! Hyah! Hyaaah!!!"
Every time she swung the sinister-looking magic sword, black flashes of light embroidered the dark night sky. The mere sight of those flashes sent chills down their spines. After flying with the force to cleave everything they touched, they bisected the monsters that had just climbed the walls.
And on top of that, a girl who commanded an evil god that caused earthquakes! The evil god's silhouette felt strangely familiar, but they were too afraid to stare at it for long, so there was no way to confirm it.
'Black magic, a necromancer, and even a Dark Knight...!'
Count Ariente's pupils shook violently. Just a few months ago, he'd thought Belmont was corrupt, its economy in ruins, and its military power worse than nonexistent. Before he knew it, Belmont had gained the power to stand against even this massive army of ant monsters. Where on earth had they found those children?! Talents for necromancy and Dark Knight abilities weren't exactly common. They must have been created by taking in countless orphans and conducting cruel experiments!
'He's my brother-in-law, but he's truly terrifying!'
They say the trait of evil people is that they take good care of their own. It seemed to be true. Ah. Brother-in-law. I will never act up again, even if I'm reborn six times. I'll grovel for the rest of my life. I'll pay the interest without missing a single payment. Count Ariente felt his loyalty toward Belmont surging.
"But at this rate, even if we fight until sunrise, it won't end..."
"My lord! The monsters are retreating!"
"What?!"
What in the world did that mean? Count Ariente rushed to the wall and looked down. Rumble. The army of ant monsters was indeed kicking up clouds of dust as they moved away from the walls, heading somewhere.
"My brother-in-law must have used some trick!"
They were really saved now! They were alive! Overcome with joy at having finally escaped death's grasp, Count Ariente's heart swelled with emotion. At the same time—
"Huh? Could it be...?"
The sudden appearance of the monster army. The fact that they'd received timely help from the employees assigned to Ariente territory. The fact that Count Belmont had arrived at just the right time to rescue them. All of it was starting to feel deliberately orchestrated.
"What nonsense was I thinking!!!"
"Ah, Father! Why are you suddenly banging your head against the wall?!"
Count Ariente had successfully erased that feeling from his mind.