Ochitekita Ryuuou to Horobiyuku Majo no Kuni: Volume 4 Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Coincidence or Inevitability

1

Just to make sure the enemy doesn’t attack, Naga left Ikushina, Selena and Eliushune behind to keep watch and then returned with the others to Fort Ein. The reason for that was because Selena’s Heaven’s Eyes would be the fastest way to detect an approaching enemy. Ikushina’s horse riding skill was good enough for her to be placed first or second among the witches in regards to horsemanship Eliushune could teleport instantly in case of emergency. Because of that, Naga appointed those two to protect Selena.

Once they returned home, the witches held a victory banquet after preparing grape wine and simple snacks.

2

There wasn’t much wine inside the fort. What’s more, Naga and the rest had only recently captured the fort, so the witches had no time to carry in that much wine. Therefore, nobody could get heavily drunk. However, Naga felt relieved as they were able to prevent Ais from getting violent as a result of getting drunk. The witches drank, ate, and danced lively. Since none of them was able to get drunk, no witches would dance naked this time.

Sitting on the wooden floor, in the corner of a spacious room inside a residential building, Naga was eating snacks and tasting wine while starting at the dancing witches. Next to him was Raibaha. As usual, the witches were dancing in their ultra thin and small clothes. Apart from those dancing, there were also those that played flutes and drums, however, the fact that all of them were wearing little clothing wouldn’t change.

“As usual, these are some terrific scenes.”

Raibaha said in a whispering manner.

“Aren’t they wearing even more risqué clothes than those female dancers from an itinerant group? With such dancing and jumping, they would become fine dancers, I’d say.”

“Well, for them, it’s the usual thi….. no…. hm?”

Naga faced toward Raibaha.

“What did you just say?”

“Yes? No, that’s why I said they’re wearing risqué clothes….”

“After that.”

“Ummm…. you mean that they’re wearing even more risqué clothes than those female dancers?”

“That’s it!”

“Eh? What about that?”

Not replying to Raibaha, who asked suspiciously, Naga stared back with a passionate look at the dancing witches.

“What’s that? Aren’t you gazing at them quite intensely?”

Vita, who held her wine cup, approached them with a slight stagger. As one would expect, Harrigan was next to her as well, holding her wine cup.

(As usual, these two look like parent and child when standing next to each other.)

– Is what Naga’s impression was toward these two. Nevertheless, he wouldn’t let them know by any means. Naga replied with feigned ignorance.

“Well, I’ve just hit upon something, you see.”

“We won’t undress? No matter how passionately you stare at us, we aren’t going to undress, you know?”

“Nobody said so, Harrigan.”

“Even if you don’t say it, I can understand from your eyes telling us to undress.”

“No, I ‘m not!”

“Then, what were you going to tell us?”

“I was told by Raibaha your clothes look even more risqué than those of female dancers. And then, I was struck with an idea.”

Because Harrigan and Vita glared at Raibaha, the latter shook his head from side to side firmly.

“So, what idea has come into your mind?”

Harrigan, who shifted her eyes back, asked Naga.

“Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have you dress up as female dancers when infiltrating the city for information?”

“Oh?”

“Oh!”

Both Harrigan and Vita opened their eyes widely and clapped their hands. Raibaha also looked at Naga with an astonished face.

“At first, I had thought it would be better to form a caravan of merchants and sneak in, but, neither you nor I have traded with anyone before.”

“……We haven’t.”

“I guess, we also haven’t used any money recently.”

“Despite saying so, wouldn’t it be impossible for us to visit that place merely as a group travelers during these hectic times?”

“Certainly, it isn’t the kind of place you could visit for no reason.”

“Still, wouldn’t it work if we were a group of itinerant entertainers from far away? It wouldn’t be strange for us to say we came there to make a name for ourselves, since we know nothing about that place and its locals. Not to mention, there would be a reason as to why you are dressed as female dancers. On top of being a group of young beauties, you would also dance and look like female dancers. From what I can see, aren’t you pretty skillful in both dancing and playing instruments?”

“Let me see, a group of young beauties? Indeed, Naga is a straight person.”

(Mother is in high spirits.)

(As long she can lighten herself with that magic, even rising high is an easy thing for her, righttt?)

As soon as Dora and Lily put their heads together and whispered to each other,

“Is there something you want to say? Dora? Lily? How about you tell me?”

“There’s nothing?”

“Nothing at allll.”

“Well, whether all of us are young or not, let’s leave that aside.”

Once Harrigan said so, Vita directed a stern look at her. However, before Vita could say anything, Kay cut in.

“I guess Harri-nee, too, is sensitive when it comes to talking about age.”

‘Kyahaha’ – Yuuki clapped her hands and laughed while Vita nodded deeply while saying. ‘True, true’.

“Hey there, don’t laugh! And you too, don’t agree!”

Harrigan, who had snapped, pointed at Vita and Yuuki while retorting. And then, Ais butted in while laughing.

“That’s right, Kay-chan. It’s no good if you talk about Ane-sama as if she’s a middle-aged woman.”

(((Uwa, Ais is being the cruelest one here.)))

The witches in the background threw their heads back profoundly.

“Heh? Kay, so this is how you think of me?”

“I-I-I don’t? Speaking of which, I haven’t mentioned such a thing at all, right?”

Bending her legs while shivering, Kay put her hands in front of Harrigan.

“Wanna try and see if you can stop my hair blow?”

Harrigan’s abundant bluish black hair floated in the air and turned into a big mallet.

“If I receive Harri-nee’s blow, my insides are going to break. I, even if I can harden my skin, it’s not like my insides will remain intact, so…”

“That’s okay. You’ll be able to endure my attack.”

Harrigan’s mallet shaped hair began to swing above Kay’s head.

“Waiiiiiiii, please, somebody save meeee!”

“Kay, do your best, okay?”

“This is what you get when poking into somebody else’s problem!”

“Do your best, Kay. Don’t lose, Kay!”

“Yuuki, don’t cheer me on!”

Kay looked around for a help, but,

“Lela?! Nonoeru?! Cu?! Why are you averting your eyes?! Arurukan, don’t say things like ‘go away’!”

(Ah…. good grief. Like always, it won’t stop once our conversation goes off topic)

‘It can’t be helped.’ – Naga thought so and stood up.

“This much should be enough for your family dissension. Harrigan, let’s hasten with a progressive talk.”

“Y….Yes?”

As soon as Harrigan came back to her senses, her hair, which floated above her head, dangled gently.

“What’s a progressive talk?”

“That’s why, I’m telling you we need to infiltrate the royal capital and acquire information on Cassandra Kingdom’s state of affairs. There’s a heap of things we need to decide on, in advance, such as whom we should choose for this trip, from where we should enter and what dance should we decide on. There might be many of them, but, our future will depend on the enemy’s actions from now on, so you could say our role this time is very important. Somehow, we need to find out more about them.”

“Um….. I guess you’re right. Understood….”

“Then, we shall discuss in more detail about our group that will set off once the banquet settles down.”

Harrigan breathed a sigh and looked around at everyone.

“Shall we end the banquet soon and began with our talk?”

‘That’s true.’ – Ais nodded.

“Not to mention, we’re already running out of wine and snacks this time, so all the more the reason to.”

“You bet. It’s not the time for a drinking bout when we’re more concerned about Cassandra’s army possibly striking again.”

(Still, you were able to drink casually, weren’t you?)

“Is there something you want to tell us, Naga? Why not speak your mind?”

“No, not like there’s anything in particular.”

The moment Naga denied while averting his eyes, he looked around at all present.

“Then, shall we hold a strategic meeting?”

Following his words, the witches brought out folding stools.

Naga sat on his folding stool with his back leaning against the wall, whereas, the witches and Raibaha took up their positions as if surrounding Naga in a half-circle.

3

“First, there’s something I’d like to ask you, Raibaha, but…”

Naga started their conversation.

“Itinerant entertainers aren’t that uncommon here, right?”

“I think so. Depending on their size, there are large and small groups, but, they come to the city relatively often. Those groups won’t just bring out their female dancers, but also do stunts and acrobatics. There are also instances in which they will display their swordsmanship and archery.”

“Do you need some sort of permission for that?”

“If we’re going to do a large-scale performance, then yes, but I don’t think we need any for performing dances on a street corner.”

“Open air performances are also included, right?”

“Rather, they would be much more reasonable in our case. Only big groups would have to set up a circus tent and house guests.”

Naga showed a bit of a pondering attitude toward Raibaha’s reply but then quickly returned his face to normal.

“In other words, it’s possible for us to form such a group, go to the city as if it’s nothing, gather spectators in the right place and perform…. the dances?”

“I believe it’s highly possible. Since all the witches are beauties, there’s no doubt that spectators will gather. And no, I’m not flattering you at all.”

“Is that so, is that so? Raibaha, I had thought you’re a man with points worthy of note, but, it doesn’t seem you’re head over heels for me.”

Vita laughed as if being in a good mood.

(Mother, just how easily can you be stirred?)

Dora and Lily made dejected faces.

“What should be the right scope for our group?”

Raibaha groaned after being asked by Naga.

“That’s right. With Naga-sama being the leader of our troupe, it would be five to 6 female dancers and three or four musicians. Also, dancers and musicians can shift with each other when it’s appropriate. Wouldn’t our group become complete with ten people? A four to five person group is too small, which might not be enough to convince others about us coming from far away, and c9nversely if the group is too big it will stand out.”

“I see, so it’s ten, right? Provided that’s the final number, the next thing would be…. Lela.”

“Ye~s? What is, it?

“Can you think of an origin for our group and a route which it will go through?”

“……That’s, right. I wonder if it’s fine to tell them we come from the middle of the continent, since Naga-san looks like a foreigner. As for the origin and the route, I’ve thought about something, but, how do we explain to them we were able to enter the westernmost peninsu~la?"

Naga recalled the map of the surroundings, which he had been shown before.

“If I remember correctly, the peninsula can only be accessed from its entrance. True, we would have to enter the royal capital from somewhere in north, otherwise, wouldn’t they become suspicious of us? *Tch* It’s indeed troublesome.”

“Ah, I think there should be no concern about that.”

At Raibaha’s voice, everyone shifted their gaze in his direction at once.

“Ummm, Lela-san, do you still have the map?”

“I’ll bring i~t.”

Lela, who stood up, dashed out of the room and returned immediately.

“I’ve brought the ma~p. Is this fi~ne?

As soon as Lela spread out a large piece of cloth, on which the map was drawn on top of the floor everyone leaned forward.

“Here. If my memory serves me right, shouldn’t there be the port city of Lancel located at this point?”

Raibaha, who had stepped forward and bent his legs, pressed with his finger a certain point on the map.

“If we cross the western part of the inland sea and arrive at the port city of Lancel, we can rush off from one place to another without the need of stopping in cities along the way. If we are asked about the route, which we had gone through, we can easily deceive the people in Cassandra by telling them there’s a road along the Schwein River running from the city of Lancel, and that we arrived at the Kingdom from the south. The road is old, and since not many people have been using it recently, it’s become rough, but….”

Naga followed Raibaha’s finger with his eyes. Once his finger tapped the capital on the map, Naga lifted his head while saying ‘I see’.

“Having that route, we can pass near this fort’s surroundings without any concern. If that’s the case, I guess this excuse may come in handy when needed. Excellent. Then, shall we go with that setting?”

“Naga-sa~n. I think it’s a good idea to reach Cassandra Kingdom’s capital through Lancel City, bu~t, it will look unnatural if we don’t bring a cart and camping tents with us, since we’re going to become a troupe of entertainers. What should we, do?"

“Can’t we prepare those things once we return to the black forest?”

Naga directed his gaze at Harrigan and asked that question.

“We can somehow manage the tents, but, a cart will be impossible, I guess.”

“Well, is that so?”

“In that case, what should we do after we arrive at Lancel City?”

Everyone shifted their attention to Raibaha’s questioning voice.

“Wouldn’t it be okay for us to prepare the necessary things and dress ourselves there? I think it’s a good idea to reach that city on foot, along the Schwein river, and then aim for the capital. If by any chance, they ask us about the route, we can simply answer them we came on foot.”

“Oh, that’s it!”

Naga clapped his hands together.

“Ah, but…”

“Is there something wrong, Lela?”

“We need money to supply ourselves with necessary thing~s.”

“A….Ah, so it’s about money?

Naga looked at Harrigan and Vita alternately.

“Ummm, what about that? Harrigan? Vita?”

Harrigan and Vita stuck out their extra-large and flat chests, respectively, and stated,

“We have, no money, you see.”

“Not in the slightest.”

“It won’t do, even if you stick out your chests and act big.”

Naga dropped his shoulders dejectedly.

“Umm, Ane-sama…”

“What is it, Ais?”

“How about we sell off the jewels, ornaments and small tools at our warehouse? ”

“Ah, those? Still, we don’t know how much they’re worth, and nobody from us is acquainted with humans’ sense of values. It may also be possible for those items to be sold dirt cheap if we try to sell them.”

“I don’t think they’re that cheap, but, how about we carry them here and have Raibaha-san take a look? Maybe, we’ll able to more or less grasp their value?”

“You’ve got a point. We can’t assess the items in practice, but, at least…. we should be able to tell their approximate worth.”

“Fumu, I guess you’re right. Then shall we do it? Yuuki, I might be troubling you, but, can you return to the fort inside the black forest together with Lela? We need you to select and bring us worthy-looking items among the used goods inside the warehouse.”

“That’s fine, but, wouldn’t it be much faster for me to fly there alone?”

“If it’s just you, there’s a risk you might bring us nothing but useless junk.”

Yuuki bent backward with all her might.

“Harri-nee, you’re so cruelll!”

(She’s right about Yuuki.)

(She’s right, she’s right.)

Because Kay and Nonoeru nodded in agreement, Yuuki suspended her eyes and stared at both of them. The two of them quickly averted their eyes.

“If there are items you can’t carry, leave them to Ikushina. It should be fine for her to transport them using a horse. That being said, you will depart at dawn, tomorrow.”

“Yes, Ane-sa~ma.”

Lela nodded straightforwardly, however, Yuuki had a discontent expression.

“Even though I could do it alone.”

Yuuki kept complaining like that.

“After that, we shall call back Ikushina and send her as a substitute.”

“With this, the next thing we have to do is to dress our female dancers and sneak into the royal capital, I guess.”

Soon after Naga said so, Kay raised her hand first.

“Me, me! I’ll do it, I’ll do it!”

“Kay?”

“Areee? What’s the meaning behind those doubtful eyes of yours, Naga-san?”

“No, wouldn’t it be meaningless for you to dance? To begin with, will any spectators come and watch you? Is what I mean.”

“I’ve been told something rude just now!”

“Isn’t it? With Kay, it won’t be possible for us gather spectators. It can’t be helped. In that case, should I be the one to undress?”

“I don’t understand at all what you’re talking about, Vita-san.”

“Haaah? What do you mean to say, Kay?"

“N…….No, nothing in particular….”

“Probably, only those with special preferences will gather around Kay, Vita, and Nonoeru. As one would expect, it won’t do as long it’s not someone, like Ais, Cu or myself, right?”

Saying that, Harrigan leaned her upper body forward.

“Uwaa, if it’s against those three, then it’ll be no conteeeest.”

Kay’s eyes became teary as if from vexation.

“Speaking of which, I too was smoothly put into the same group as you, Kay?”

Nonoeru bent slightly backward.

“Eh? I didn’t plan to be in the same group with you, Nonoeru.”

“……..*Uuuu*…….”

Nonoeru dropped her shoulders down dejectedly.

It seemed as though their discussion entered a topic which shouldn’t be touched. ‘Let’s leave that aside.’ – Not feeling like he could avert his eyes again, Naga hurriedly steered the topic back onto the right track.

“Then, we’ll be recruiting volunteers. Those, who want to join as female dancers, put up your hands.”

“”””Me, Me, Me!””””

“Everyone except Yuuki is volunteering?!”

“I guess that was to be expected.”

“Right?”

The witches looked at each other's faces and nodded.

“I really want try to visit a human city.”

Kay put her hand up once more.

“True. I too haven’t walked around human cities for a long time.”

“Honestly, mother has already been there before, so give us a chance this time.”

Once Lily said so, Vita snorted with laughter.

“It seems that Lily will be withdrawing, Naga.”

“That’s crueell. I want to go there as well~”

“…..So does everyone, want the same?”

Everyone nodded deeply at once.

*Sigh* – Naga breathed a sigh and looked up.

“If that’s the case, we can only decide with casting lots to avoid any unfairness.”

“Oh righttt!”

Kay raised her hand overhead.

“I’m quite confident when it comes to drawing lots!”

“Fuun. Just like Kay, I’m not going to lose.”

Harrigan stood up while feeling relaxed. Vita also rose up with an indomitable spirit.

“I’ll show you, the strength of my draws blessed by the goddess of luck.”

(Was that so?)

Once Lily turned her look next to her, there was Dora shaking her head from side to side.

(It’s just a saying, a saying.)

“I’m going to say this, but, even if both Harrigan and Vita draw winning lots, I’ll still have one of you stay here.”

“What?!”

“What the?!”

(Honestly, these girls….)

“Provided I’m absent, one of you will need to stay behind and take care of this fort, so…”

“…..And what if you’re the one staying, Naga?”

As soon as Harrigan said so with a wry face, Vita clapped her hands together.

“Ohh! that’s an idea!”

“As if!? What is this troupe going to do without me?!”

“N….No, I was just making an assumption.”

“D…Don’t mind that.”

“I do?! By the way, doesn’t it feel like you want to go there just to have fun? This infiltration is of great importance to our surveillance, you know?”

“T, That’s why, we’re telling you we got it. Right, Harrigan?”

“L, Loud and clear.”

Naga stared at them with reproachful eyes.

“H, Hey, Naga, aren’t we going to do the draw quickly?”

“Well, I guess that’s fine. Then Raibaha, can you prepare lots? Also, it’s already been decided that you will come with us.”

“Me?”

“You’re the only one who’s familiar with human society. We won’t be able to sell our goods if you aren’t with us.”

“You’ve got a point.”

“Well, but still, you’ll act as our troupe’s guard. Just to make sure, I think it’s better to change your outfit when we enter the city.”

“……That’s right. Yes, understood. Even if I don’t talk directly to anyone, there’s a chance my identity might be revealed.”

“And then, by virtue of one’s office, Linne and Linna will join us as well.”

There was a reason for that. Thanks to their magic, both Linne and Linna could increase their sensitivity to the surroundings. In other words, if they increase their hearing ability, they could gather information even from passerby’s gossip.

“Yess.”

“Right, isn’t it?”

The twin sisters clapped their hands together and jumped up in joy.

“Mu…”

The remaining witches looked at them with envious and scornful eyes.”

“Well, then, I’ll be making the lots. Do you have any unnecessary cloth?”

Raibaha, who received an old rag, tore it into reasonable pieces and added markings on a few of them.

“Then, I guess… it should be fine for us to go with ten people as female dancers and players?"

“Yes, that’s a good number. There will be a total of ten female dancers and players, excluding Linne and Linna, who will act separately as information gatherers…. No, wait. In that case, we would have to prepare at least two carts. I’ll have Raibaha operate one of them, and Ikushina, the other.”

Just as Naga said, currently, Ikushina was the only one who excelled in horse riding among all the witches.

“With that, Ikushina will tag along with us too. Guess the remaining 9 will be decided by lots.”

“Damn. I should’ve practiced more horse riding!”

Kay held her head in her hands, but it was too late now.

“By the way, nobody here can use magic to peek through cloth, right?”

Raibaha directed that question at Harrigan, but she denied it by waving her hands from side to side.

“There isn’t, so don’t fret.”

“In that case, please choose your lot.”

Raibaha lined up the torn cloth pieces on the floor. As he did so, the witches reached out their hands and snatched their lots.

“I did it!”

“Gyaaa, it’s a miss!”

“Yesss!”

“Ugyaaa!”

Screams and voices of joy mixed with each other inside the room.

In the end, those who got lucky were:

Kay Vita Ais Lela Cu Arurukan Nonoeru Lily Dora

Together with Ikushina, the total number of dancers would be ten. In addition to that, Linne and Linna would act as a separate group.

With Naga being the leader and Raibaha, his bodyguard, the lineup had been decided.

4

“Excellent. Now that the group has been generally outlined, we’ll go over the plan one last time.”

As Naga declared, the witches returned to their seats. Some of them were cheerful, others, reluctant, and yet another, dropped their shoulders, clearly disappointed.

“We’ll follow Raibaha’s advice and set off to the port city of Lancel at once. After we finish dressing up there as a group of itinerant entertainers, our next destination will be the Cassandra Kingdom. The reason for us passing through Lancel will be due to the city acting as a transit point for traders and itinerant entertainers who arrive from far away. That being said, even a foreigner like me won’t stand out, as it should make sense to tell them we come from far east.”

Naga cut his words at that point and faced Raibaha.

“This should do, right?”

“Yes, it should be fine.”

“Thinking of our origin and route, I’ll leave that job to Lela. Are you okay with that, Lela?”

“Under~stood.”

Lela replied by lightly raising her right hand.

“They might think we’re suspicious going through the trouble of coming to the Cassandra Kingdom, despite them being in conflict with the witches right now, but, we’ll carry through by saying we come from far away and that we’re unaware of their current situation. And then,”

Naga pointed to a certain location on the map.

“We’ll return to the Schwein River from Lancel and go north along the river toward Cassandra Kingdom’s territory. Should we also tell them we tried to do a performance at Fort Ein, but were eventually driven away by the witches? If Cassandra’s soldiers learn of such information, we might be questioned about the situation at the fort. Conversely, we’ll be able to ask for more details on their current state of affairs. In case we are asked, I’ll be the one to answer their questions, but, I’d like to have everyone here bear in mind our origin and route, which Lela’s going to devise. Got it?”

“Yees, we’ll do our besttt.”

Each of the witches put up their hands and nodded energetically.

“The next thing would be to re-confirm our program and the list of participants. So, those in charge of dancing and playing are Vita, Ais, Kay, Lela, Cu, Arurukan, Nonoeru, Lily and Dora. Ikushina, who isn’t present here with us right now, will join as well. Linne and Linna will be gathering information as a separate group, whereas, I will be the leader of this troupe, and Raibaha, our guard who will be also in charge of odd jobs. Basically, the program will be about you girls dancing but decide between each other who’s going to perform during what song.”

“””Understoodddd!”””

“Well, in the end, the program is just a formality. You should be able to attract and satisfy viewers even with your exposed limbs and your prideful, risqué garments.”

As Naga said so, Ais objected with a seemingly vexed expression.

“Umm, Naga-san, we aren’t particularly proud of our risqué clothes, you know? It’s fine to say we’re wearing those ultra thin clothes, simply because they’re convenient when using our magic. It’s not like we’re showing off to you, or want you watching us at all, you see?”

As soon as Ais cracked a smile, Naga hurriedly waved his hands in front of himself vehemently.

“Ah, I got it. Of course, I got it.”

“I really wonder about that.”

Kay looked at Naga with doubting eyes.

“Let’s put that matter aside. Still, there’s no doubt that any human male will be pleased from watching your appearances, so spectators are bound to gather. Once they gather, we’ll most likely be able to overhear various rumors. First, let’s do some rehearsals when we arrive at Lancel. If possible, I’d like to practice a method that will allow us to pick up on only valuable information. Linne, Linna, I’ll leave that in your care.”

‘We’ll do our best’ – both sisters put up their hands and replied with approbative voices.

Both Linne and Linna were most suitable for the job, since they could catch any whisper within nearly 300 meters, thanks to their magic enhancing their hearing ability.

“We also need to sell and convert jewelry and used goods into money upon entering Lancel, but, I’ll entrust Raibaha with that task. That’s because there’s no one besides him who can do the negotiations.”

“Understood. I’ll negotiate the price of items and sell them as profitably as possible.”

“Still, we can’t tell for sure if the items in the warehouse can be sold for much.”

Harrigan said so while shrugging her shoulders.

“In the worst case, we’ll be only able to prepare ourselves with how much we gain from the sales.”

Replying so, Naga looked around at the witches once more.

“Up to this point, does anyone still have any questions?”

However, there was nobody throwing out a question in particular.

“Ah, I would’ve forgotten, but, during our trip to Lancel, you’ll be all wearing different clothes from your usual ones. Otherwise, it won’t do, you see.”

“Human clothes are heavy, thick and hot inside so I really don’t like them much.”

Arurukan twitched her hair, which looked like an animal’s ears, and complained.

“It can’t be helped. Since there’s a risk you’d be suspected as witches from the beginning, I can only have you girls all bear with that. Don’t you think so, Raibaha?”

Looking at the witches with a sidelong glance, Raibaha slightly nodded.

“Yes. What’s more, there are no girls who would usually dress like that.”

“You don’t have to wear restrictive, extra clothes, as long you cover your top. Even something similar to Eliushune’s mantle will suffice. After that, perhaps I should have us dye our hair, or cover our face with pigments, so as to get mixed in among the other people.”

“Isn’t it bothersome as well?”

“More importantly, Arurukan, will you be okay with those eyes of yours? It looks like each of them is a different color, still…”

“Ah~, the colors will fade if I cancel my magic, so I should be able to manage them somehow.”

Despite being told so, Naga was still hesitating. As he bent his head, Harrigan threw him a lifeboat.

“Arurukan’s magic is peculiar, you see. She will use her magic most of the time in order to communicate with animals. Just like me, she doesn’t need to recite any incantation. As long as we have her understand when to use her magic under normal circumstances, it should probably be easy. By the way, whenever she activates her magic, her left and right eye will become different from each other.”

“I see. Then, does it mean she can’t communicate with animals when her magic is off?”

“That’s what I mean.”

Naga pondered for a while, however, he immediately lifted his face.

“…..You won’t be able to talk with animals when dancing in front of people, so are you fine with that?”

“It will be alright, I guess.”

“Aren’t you being quite light-hearted there?”

Naga gazed at the buoyantly-looking Arurukan, but then, he quickly softened his gaze and directed his sight toward Harrigan and Vita.

“Isn’t this the type of season where the rain usually continues for many days?”

“If it’s this season, I think there’s no need to worry about rain that much, but…”

Once Harrigan replied that way Vita, who bent her small head, threw out a question in doubt.

“Does it have something to do with our trip?”

“It does. If the path becomes slushy, our carts will be held up, making our goal far from being reached. Besides, if the rain continues to fall even after we enter the city, it will affect your performance.”

“Is that so? Then, it’s just like Harrigan says, I don’t think there will be any rainy days this season. Even if there are, it will be a drizzle at most. In addition to that, if there’s no strong wind, we should be at least able to dance. Rather, wouldn’t viewers be even happier to see our clothes become transparent from getting soaked?”

“Ohhh, for real? I see. Indeed, it may be something to look forward to!”

As soon as Naga clapped his hands together without realizing, Vita suddenly retorted at him.

“Don’t be happy!”

Shortly after, the other witches,

“””Don’t be happy!”””

“N, Not like I’m happy or anything.”

Naga made such an excuse. Staring at Naga with a dumbfounded face again, Raibaha once more felt admiration toward him.

(Taking on these frightening witches as his opponents and still being able to act that naturally, that’s truly amazing. As one would expect, is it because of Naga-sama being a foreigner? Or perhaps, is it because of him being the real messenger of the Dragon King? What’s more, he’s able to consider lots of situations when devising a counterplan in advance. Should one say he’s shrewd, or maybe vigilant? Whichever it is, he isn’t any ordinary person.)

Raibaha contemplated again as if to make sure he hadn’t made a mistake when he chose to serve Naga.

“Well then, let’s quickly move forward with the preparations starting from tonight. Our time of departure will also depend on how the Cassandra Kingdom will act, but, should we set off after 3 days if nothing changes?”

Following Naga’s words, their early arrangements commenced.

Since then, 2 days have passed and the witches continued to prepare in a hurry for the departure while being completely devoted to their dance practice.

5

Later, according to Yuuki, no signs of Cassandra troops, attempting to capture Fort Ein again were found. There were several dozen soldiers walking nearby the fort but because they wouldn’t approach any closer than a fixed distance, they were simply thought to be reconnaissance groups.

Deeming there was no need to worry about their enemy striking back for now, Naga decided to form and dress up his troupe, after which, they would commence their plan of sneaking into the Kingdom of Cassandra.

First, they had to set off to Lancel, dress up there as itinerant entertainers, and do a rehearsal in front of the local people there. Afterwards, they would return to the Schwein River and go north along it towards Cassandra Kingdom’s territory.

In order not to stand out, Naga and his party slipped out from Fort Ein, broke through the mountain, and departed toward the left bank of the Schwein River. From there, they followed the river and headed toward Lancel.

6

Meanwhile, in the fortified city of Granvista.

In a certain room located inside a cathedral, Cardinal Aiba was receiving a report from one of the Old Church’s subordinates that worked as their intelligence operative.

Those who engaged themselves in intelligence activities for the Old Church were known as ‘people overhearing the masses voices’ and mostly referred to as POMVs.

Aiba, who was hearing out one of those POMVs, frowned his eyebrows with a seemingly discontent expression.

“Cassandra Kingdom has suffered another defeat?”

“Yes. Their troops, which had been dispatched to retake Fort Ein, were splendidly repelled by the witches back to Cassandra’s royal capital.”

Aiba responded as if wanting to spit out.

“Good grief, they are all bark and no bite. To think they would lose one battle after another to a mere 30 to 40 witches.”

(As one would expect, I made a grave mistake by placing my trust in that country. I was totally right to summon the Brigade of 88 and request troops from neighboring countries.)

Aiba, who was both an archbishop and cardinal of the Old Church, was extremely keen on exterminating the witches. One could understand well how vehement Aiba was about that, as he himself aspired to be appointed in this place. For him, the witches who nested inside the Black Forest were beings that should be driven away as fast as possible. The witches are the enemies of humankind, the children of God. Therefore, no presence of the witches could be acknowledged in this area. No, generally, their very existence denied them any place in this world. Such was Aiba’s belief. Because of that, it was rational for him to think that those who had lost to the witches should not be in the position of receiving God’s grace.

(I can no longer expect anything from that country, however, they should make up for their losses by decreasing the strength of the witches, even if it’s just a bit. Otherwise….)

“Is there anything else you wish to know, Sir?”

The man who was reporting kneeled down with his head lowered. Aiba casted his eyes at the top of the man’s head and asked.

“What happened, to Cassandra’s troops? Could it be they were destroyed during their battle against the witches?”

“No, it appears that their troops sustained no major losses.”

“If that’s the case, I’ll have them form new troops and join me once more in a sortie against the witches.”

“About that….”

“Hm? Did something happen?”

“From what we could see, it looked like Cassandra Kingdom’s army was making preparations for holing up in their capital.”

A sign of doubt surfaced on Aiba’s face.

“Holing up in their capital? Could it be that the witches are making an onslaught on them?”

“No, the witches won’t leave Fort Ein.”

“And despite that, they’re trying to lock themselves in?”

“This is how things looked to us.”

(What’s the meaning of this, you bunch from Cassandra Kingdom?)

Suppressing his urge at smacking his lips, Aiba bombarded the POMV with questions.

“Are they preparing their capital against the witches? Even though they sustained no casualties? Have they become that weak?”

“Certainly, the army of Cassandra has diminished in strength but their attitude this time appears to be a bit different from what we can see as holing up against the witches. Also, the southern part of the capital doesn’t seem to be that reinforced.”

(……What’s the meaning of this.)

Aiba, whose face wanted to express doubt, pondered the meaning behind the subordinate’s report for a while.

(Then, against who are they holing up against? If their enemy isn’t the witches…….Could it be?!)

Aiba was struck dumb upon realizing a certain possibility.

“Could it be, they’re holing up against the Witch Extermination Army?”

The POMV would neither confirm or deny Aiba’s words, which could be perceived as either a monologue or a question directed towards the man. Asking beyond the man’s capability would be the same as piling up one guess after another.

“I can’t say for sure, but, it’s almost certain that Cassandra is preparing to hold the city. We can’t tell who their perceived enemy is, however, just as we stated before, there are missing points in assuming that the witches could be their enemy.”

Stopping at where he stated the fact, the man left speculating and drawing conclusions to Aiba.

Aiba’s face changed from that of a gentle and benevolent God’s face into a fuming one expressed by warriors of God who seek the annihilation of their enemies. Judging from the POMV’s report, Aiba could think of nothing but the fact that Cassandra is attempting to hole up.

“If their enemy isn’t the witches, then I can only imagine it’s the extermination army. Just what on earth is that king thinking about…. no.”

(That’s right. There’s been a report about Cassandra's king falling ill and his nephew, Guiscard, being transferred his authority. In other words, is he the one responsible for this? Still, be it the king or Guiscard, their actions are still nonsensical. Why are they holding the city, instead of fighting the witches?)

General Guiscard, who was the lawful owner of the king’s rights, has been aspiring to be installed as king. For him, the kingdom was of utmost— sometimes, even stronger than God’s will—-importance. However for Aiba, who was an ardent believer of God, Guiscard’s practical thoughts and sense of values were outside his scope of reasoning. Aiba regained his calm expression and called out to the POMV with a calm voice.

“Please continue your observation on Cassandra’s movements. For the sake of our Lord’s will.”

“For the sake of our Lord’s will.”

Bowing down deeply, the man stood up slowly and calmly only to bow down again, after which he would retreat.

Aiba saw off the POMV till he disappeared from the room’s entrance. Shortly after he called out to a priest who had been on standby in the next room.

“What do you seek from me, Aiba-sama?”

“I’ve figured out what I want to discuss urgently. Please bring Jeweljude-dono, the leader of the Brigade of 88, to me immediately.”

Once the young priest paid his respects to Aiba, he quickly withdrew from the room.

7

“Was it you who called me, Aiba-dono?

The giant, who behaved as if looking up to Aiba, entered his office in a clumsy manner. Jeweljude wasn’t wearing his helmet, but, his metal armor, gauntlets, and tough leather boots, which strengthened his body, gave him a posture to be ready for a fight at any time.

“Thank you for coming. How have the preparations for the sortie been progressing?”

The first thing Aiba did, after Jeweljude entered, was asking him such a question with a harmless and inoffensive attitude.

“I guess, not quite.”

At his response, Aiba made a grimace.

“No matter what we do, it takes time to prepare, since we are putting together troops from each country. And when it comes to applying a shared strategy, every troop is bound to undergo an appropriate amount of training. Not to mention, we still need to decide on how to dispatch messengers, how to signal our movements, and what formations we should take. We also need to learn more about the witches’ method of attack. At least, if we don’t possess a common knowledge of these, our troops will fall into disorder sooner or later during the battle.”

Cutting his words, it was rare for Jeweljude to breathe a sigh.

“Truly, this is a bothersome matter. It could’ve been many times faster and convenient to mobilize just us, the Brigade of 88, but well…”

Aiba nodded with a composed, or rather, cool-headed expression.

“I understand. However, this will become a lesson for us for the next time. The witches are beings that oppose the will of God, and hence, they have to be eradicated without exception. We need to show that, the truth about the witches, and also how they’re being completely annihilated to society, and the world. For that, we need other neighboring countries to join us.”

“Well, I do understand your point but, whatever. Then, the only reason you called me was to check on the preparations?”

“No, I received a report on that each day, so I wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of calling you here because of that.”

(If that’s the case, why did you call me during this goddamn busy time?)

Is what Jeweljude thought. However, he knew Aiba wouldn’t call him for no reason. Being worked to death by the preparations, there had to be an important reason behind Jeweljude being summoned. Thinking back upon it, he awaited Aiba’s next words.

“Cassandra Kingdom has been showing a bit of a strange attitude, you see.”

“A strange attitude?”

The cardinal briefly and quickly explained the situation to Jeweljude, who twisted his neck in confusion at Aiba’s words. Jeweljude, who had finished listening, twisted his neck again.

“So Cassandra Kingdom is holing itself up? Not to mention, it’s not against the witches? I can’t grasp their reasoning.”

“I am also unable to understand their motive.”

Replying that way, Aiba lightly shrugged his shoulders.

“Still,”

The cardinal directed his sight towards a map unfolded on top of his office desk and reached out his hand.

“Right now, there are only two military forces present in the area of the Cassandra Kingdom. One of them is the witches, which goes without saying, but,”

Aiba tapped the vicinity near Fort Ein with the tip of his index finger over and over again.

“Could it be?!”

Jeweljude open his eyes widely, after which he looked at Aiba’s expression.

“Yes, that’s right. The only other force besides the witches here is the extermination army.”

“I see. No…. P, Please wait a moment.”

Using his rough and thick right hand’s finger, Jeweljude rubbed his forehead.

“Do you mean to say that Cassandra Kingdom’s army is holing up against us? Why would they have to do that?”

Aiba deliberately shook his head from side to side.

“I’ve no idea. Not the slightest idea as to why they would do so.”

“…..Is there any argument supporting your guess that they aren’t guarding themselves against the witches?”

“The southern part of the kingdom, in other words, the direction from which Fort Ein is located, seems to be much less fortified than its northern part.”

“Which is directed toward the north….. That report, how credible is it?”

“We used the service of a POMV that belongs to the Old Church, you see.”

(A POMV from the Old Church, is it? In that case, there’s no place for any mistake or nonsense.)

Jeweljude, who was the leader of a combat group, called a ‘brigade’, had too often resorted to the use of POMVs. He knew very well he could rely on their information.

(Does it really mean, those guys from Kasandora Kingdom are planning to defend against us? Why are they doing this?)

Guiscard’s system of values and pragmatic reasoning, which were the motives behind his actions, were things mostly prioritized in this age. However, for Jeweljude, just like for Aiba, that modus operandi lay outside their scope of thinking.

“….Fumu.”

Jeweljude said as if groaning lightly.

“Whatever the reason is, if it’s true they’re guarding against us…. their actions might hinder our attempt in destroying the witches. There’s a chance that the troops sent by our allies will feel uneasy due to them being possibly backstabbed by Cassandra from behind. What’s more, there’s also the problem of army provisions. If Cassandra refuses to share their provisions with us, we’ll be forced to carry our own provisions from here. It would be a different story if it was just us, but, carrying food for an army of 3500 would require a massive workforce. What should we do?”

Aiba looked at Jeweljude with sharp eyes.

“First, we’ll send a messenger to Cassandra to question their real motives. However….”

Jeweljude, whose eyes were filled with sarcasm, asked back.

“Will they provide us with a straight forward answer?”

(Rather, there’s no way for them to give us an honest answer.)

Jeweljude, the God’s warrior from the Old Church, had no need for things like diplomacy or bargaining, as authorities from this world had often abused their power to make use of him. Jeweljude would be deceived and manipulated by royalty and titled nobility numerous times, and even made to cover up for their own actions. Therefore, he learned through his experiences how insincere authorities were. Nevertheless, it seemed like his sarcasm didn’t pass through Aiba. The cardinal made a difficult expression and replied in a heavy tone.

“We can’t be certain about anything, you see. Still, depending on what their answer is, we’ll probably have to use tough measures.”

Jeweljude again opened his eyes widely and shifted his sight towards the cardinal.

“Aiba-dono, you don’t mean to say?!”

“Those who express no willingness in attacking the witches, or far from that, attempt to hinder us, are also considered as allies of the witches. That’s to say, an enemy of God.”

Aiba, whose eyes were filled with ominous light, stared back at Jeweljude.

“Enemies of God can only be annihilated, regardless of whether they are witches or humans. Don’t you think so, Jeweljude-dono?”

“Yes, that’s….”

Despite Jeweljude making a vague nod, he couldn’t really hide his bewilderment. Certainly, he has been fighting nothing but God’s enemies till now. Among his opponents there were witches as well, however, the majority of them were humans. That’s why, if Cassandra Kingdom chooses to go against the will of God, Jeweljude will not hesitate to remove them.

(Nonetheless, why now?)

This was something he couldn’t comprehend. Cassandra Kingdom’s large-scale attack against the witches was repelled. Not to mention, they had one of their forts stolen away by the witches. And then, again they suffered another defeat when trying to retake said fort.

The witches were displaying an unexpected strength. In addition to that, they also released many captives. The witches were light hearted, tolerant, and generous in doing so, and they wouldn’t execute their prisoners as a form of warning. The war against the witches was showing its new face and was different from what it had been till now. Jeweljude, who could feel that change on his skin, became even more perplexed.

(So, does it mean that Cassandra Kingdom has started to hole themselves up against someone other than the witches? Why have they decided on such an insane move now, when me and the Brigade of 88 will arrive? Is this a mere coincidence? Or perhaps, it’s due to the intervention of someone transcending humankind?)

When talking about someone transcending humankind, one would think about that person as a being close to god; nevertheless, Jeweljude promptly denied such a possibility.

(It’s true that even the Lord himself will put us to the test at times, but, I don’t believe he would do things like this on a whim. If so, is this someone’s ill intention? Or perhaps, a manifestation of that person’s artifice? In that case, who is it? Could it be that someone provoked Cassandra and its general into doing this?)

However, Jeweljude himself denied even those doubtful feelings inside his heart.

(There isn’t supposed to be someone like that. If there was, Aiba would immediately notice. To think that even someone, like Aiba, could be bewildered by such a turn of events. Even if we assume that the witches are the ones who incited Cassandra Kingdom, there should be no way for the latter to succumb. I also don’t get why the witches have become more assertive in their actions. Could it be that there’s some link between these two events?)

As Jeweljude was pondering, Aiba interrupted him with his words.

“Can I count on you, Jeweljude-dono?”

Jeweljude slowly lifted his face and asked with a vigorous voice.

“Is it okay for me to understand that… to mean forcefully removing Cassandra Kingdom in case they try to hinder the advancement of our troops?”

“I do wish for you to understand my words that way. If they try to show any resistance, I won’t mind even if you take down their capital. Perhaps, those who joined us in destroying the witches would become more motivated upon hearing they would be handed out a part of Cassandra Kingdom’s territory.”

“That may be true… but,”

(As one would expect, Aiba is willing to go to such an extent?)

Such a misgiving welled up inside of Jeweljude. However, he quickly became serious by telling himself he had to hasten with the preparations.

“Whatever Cassandra Kingdom decides to do, I need to hurry up with the preparations for the sortie. Nevertheless, I would like to ask you for slightly more accurate information, not just regarding the Kingdom of Cassandra, but also regarding the witches’ attitude.

At Jeweljude’s request, Aiba nodded gravely.

“I shall throw in all the members of intelligence whom I have at my disposal and have them investigate those things.”

“Provided that an attack on Cassandra Kingdom will be considered in our plan, we’ll need to prepare siege weapons in addition. Again, it’s going to take us more unnecessary time to—”

Jeweljude stated his opinion with a bitter face, but, Aiba didn’t seem to be that concerned.

“You don’t have to worry about time. That’s because there will be no reinforcements coming to either the witches or Cassandra, even if some time passes, you see. The biggest problem would be to carry provisions and maintain the army, but, for the time being, I’ll have the provisions stored here in Granvista.”

(This guy is making the right decision. However, there’s a concern that some of the allies will decide to drop out from the extermination army.)

Jeweljude thought so, but even if he was to say it, Aiba would probably take no notice of his opinion.

(More importantly, why are the Cassandra Kingdom and the witches interfering now? Could this be the result of many coincidences? Or is it perhaps, inevitable…..?)

A small doubt, which was seemingly something to be ignored, felt like an uneasiness at the same time. Despite it being just a small doubt, what annoyed Jeweljude was the excessive sense of discomfort resulting from it. The uneasiness he felt was as though someone invisible was trying to bring a new commotion. However, Jeweljude scattered that feeling against his own will.

(Even if I think about that, nothing will begin. The witches, an enemy of God, need to be exterminated. It is the duty of us, the warriors of God, to carry out this task. Be it an artifice or someone’s will, we shall only pulverize them!)

Jeweljude’s expression returned to that of a warrior of God, and his raised rough voice could be felt reverberating inside one’s stomach.

“Well then, I shall hasten myself with the preparations.”

“Please continue your favor toward us.”

Jeweljude left Aiba’s office while making footsteps as though they were shaking the room.

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