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

Chapter 4: Enemy and Ally, Both of their Circumstances

1

The royal capital of Cassandra Kingdom was a relatively large, fortified city located in the westernmost peninsula. The city was 16 meters high and surrounded by a thick wall, with roughly 2000 people living inside. However, the ‘2000’ people only included those citizens who were registered in the tax payment account book. Naturally, noble families, servants and slaves, who were exempted from paying taxes didn’t count, as well as travelers that had wandered in from other places to the city. It also excluded merchants who were temporarily staying. Since nobody would bother to check that, no one really knew the total number of people. Still, shouldn’t it be fine to estimate the current population at around 4000?

The majority of these citizens were farmers, therefore, lots of them would set off early in the morning to their fields near the city’s outskirts, and return to the city before sunset. There were also instances in which the farmers would stay overnight at their fields once it was harvest season. This was in order to prevent the theft of their crops and to drive away any animals that would try to devour them as it was natural for there to be no public safety outside the city in this period. That’s why the farmers would arm themselves and form groups to defend against robbers and animals. The settlements of those farmers were reinforced with wooden fences, which resembled forts a bit. In case of slightly bigger settlements, there were even dry moats surrounding them. Not to mention, these settlements would actually act as forts and house soldiers during times of emergency and now, it seemed like such a ‘time of emergency’ had arrived for Cassandra. Their soldiers moved into a few of those large settlements while carrying army provisions and weapons. Some of these settlements were placed along the main road so Naga was bound to witness them.

Naga drew near on his horse toward a soldier who was mounted his own and called out to him with a low voice.

“Uhm, Soldier-san.”

The soldier turned around.

“I see great number of soldiers near fort. Could be, you preparing for battle?”

“That’s, not really a fort, but well…”

“Yes?”

“Does it look like a fort to you from far away?”

Saying so, the soldier explained the aforementioned circumstances to Naga.

(Hmm, I see. So they use farmers’ settlements as forts? Certainly, you can save time and costs on building them, but you really can’t expect them to be strong in defense, right?)

Is what Naga thought.

(I, still don’t quite understand how things in this world should be, like why a city and a castle are working as one. From where I come from, a castle should be a castle, whereas, a city should be a city. At least, a castle being a castle should be….. defense-wise, much stronger, but…)

According to what Naga had heard from the witches, it didn’t seem to be rare for everyone to be massacred during a war between different ethnic groups, as everyone, including citizens, merchants, and laborers dwelled inside the same city. Even if there wasn’t any war, bandits and violent animals would roam near the outskirts, so, people preferred to set up residence inside a city. Nevertheless, such a principle of this world was still incomprehensible to Naga.

(What I can’t comprehend the most is that there are beings called witches. Now, we can understand each other owing to the fact we’ve been living together, but….)

Or it could be that the witches had accepted him due to his eccentric nature. Realizing that he was a bit eccentric himself, Naga made a weak, curious smile at that and at the sarcasm of his placed position right now.

“Soldier-san.”

He ceased to smiled and called out to the soldier.

“The citizens, does mean that citizens pick up weapons during siege?”

“Depends on how the battle progresses, however, that would also be the case. The citizens too, were trained to wield weapons, so to prepare themselves for a battle when necessary, you see.”

“Are you, enrolling people, for army?”

“We are.”

The soldier who replied as much made a slightly bitter face.

“But, judging from how things look like now, it doesn’t seem like we’ll gather enough volunteers at a moment’s notice…. No, it’s nothing. Please forget what I’ve just said.”

“Still, I no luck.”

Naga said this as he looked up at the sky.

“If we no hold entertainment, we not be able to cover cost our travel to here, and therefore, return trip. Our troupe, fall into huge deficit.”

As he declared this and breathed out a sigh, the soldier showed a compassionate face.

“I guess, even leaders of troupes have it difficult too.”

After that, the soldier lowered his voice and asked.

“However, having such young and lovely girls by your side, there are probably lots of side benefits coming from that, right? With that many girls, wouldn’t you make a fortune, were you to assign them to a night job?”

“Ah no, we no do that. After all, we performers. People like us not lose dignity that way.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Naga had the feeling the soldier would visit them right away as a guest, were he to do so. The soldier replied in a fed up manner.

(Well, certainly I’ll agree that those girls, all of them are beauties. Speaking of which, could it be that someone like me is incredibly lucky to be mixed up with all these girls? Ah no, how should it be? On the other hand, I can tell my life has been put at risk numerous times.)

‘Well, whatever.’ – Naga decided not to brood over that matter any longer. As he did so, the sight of the city, seen from the top of a small hill, had finally come into his view.

(I see. Certainly, it has an impact similar to that of a giant citadel when seen from close like this, unlike that port city.)

Feeling admiration, Naga made a quick reckoning inside his head.

(Umm, so was it around 2000 soldiers in the garrison? And 2000 citizens? Assuming they recruit 500 additional soldiers from those citizens, the total number within their garrison would amount to 2500. If that’s the case, in order to capture the city, the enemy would need more than 10 thousand soldiers. I see, it’s not like I don’t get why Cassandra wants to hole up, but…)

However, Naga soon understood the drawback coming from such a heavy defense.

(The number of people holing up is way too big. If it’s like this, they will need to consume a large amount of army provisions. And that’s not including unregistered citizens. 5000, perhaps 6000, if that many people are going to hole up in the capitol, just how much in army provisions would they require? Do they have enough to supply themselves for a long time? And then, the biggest problem would be whether reinforcements would be coming or not……)

Holing up was, in the end, a defensive strategy adopted by those who couldn’t afford winning in the open field. Naga didn’t know if the Cassandra Kingdom had any allies that could send them reinforcements, but judging from what he had heard till now, it didn’t look like there were any.

(Fumu, I wonder… if we could use this as an opportunity for something.)

As Naga was working his head off, their troupe kept closing the distance and finally reached the giant entrance of the city.

Once they crossed a bridge that spanned a dry moat, Naga dismounted his horse in front of the entrance. Looking up from below, he could feel the actual size of the wall on his skin.

(Indeed, it’s big. What’s more, is it made from bricks? Or perhaps, it’s a mud wall made from tightly packed earth and covered with bricks? Whichever it is, it seems to be firm. To begin with, was there a castle with such firmly built walls like this in my world?)

Naga, whose memories were lost, couldn’t say for sure but he felt he hadn’t witnessed such a protective wall before in his life.

“Please wait here for a moment. I’ll go and contact my superior.”

The commanding officer went to the gate in order to exchange some words with the guard on duty. As Naga saw him off he looked up at the wall again.

(I wonder how I should capture such a heavily guarded city?)

As Naga pondered about that, the witches too, although they were female dancers in appearance, disembarked from the cart and gathered around him. They looked up at the massive wall just like Naga. Apparently, there was a passage on top of the wall, in which people could walk on.

(Is the top of the wall this high, so as to prevent arrows from reaching it?)

Ais called out to Naga who was staring fixedly at the wall.

“It’s big, isn’t it? With this size and massiveness, it doesn’t look like I can break it with just 1 or 2 hits.”

(So you had such a plannn?!)

As he looked at Ais with an astonished face, she smiled back with a grin.

“Perhaps, 10 hits should be enough to do so.”

(This girl, she’s just like a human battering ram.)

Naga shivered with fear.

“I guess, it wouldn’t be easy for me to climb over these walls, even if someone was to throw me up.”

Vita stated this.

(So these girls too have thought about ways on how to capture this city too? How mindful of them.)

‘Kukuku.’ – Naga chuckled like this without realizing.

“What? Don’t you seem to be enjoying yourself?”

At Vita, who asked this question, Naga paid attention and lowered his voice.

“That’s just manner of speech, manner of speech.”

“I, Is that so?”

*Uhen* – Vita coughed and looked up again at Naga.

“You seem to be in a good mood, aren’t you, boss?”

“….This feel awfully, strange.”

As Naga muttered this, Vita kicked up at his calf.

“Aww! What you do if someone see us like this?!”

“Hmph, I made sure that nobody was looking at us.”

Vita’s tone returned to its usual one.

“Hey, what are you laughing at?”

At Vita, who asked this question in a whispering manner, Naga replied while laughing.

“I, you, we both thought about capturing this city upon arriving. That, too funny.”

“What, you too? Well, I guess that’s the first thing you’d be thinking about in this kind of situation. Still, your manner of speech is way too unpleasant.”

Vita, who was observing the wall, shifted her gaze back at Naga while saying this. As she did so, Ais also nodded in agreement.

“Right? It creeps me out a bit too.”

“You saying, cruel things, Ais. It’s because of charm, so can’t be help.”

“Couldn’t you do something about it, Lela?

“Eh? But…. I think this way of talking suits a stranger, like Naga-san, Vita, san.”

“No, it’s nothing but gross.”

“Vita, you, worst.”

“Then, have you come up with any good ideas?”

“Right plan comes with the right number, but, for us, we not enough. Just coming up with way, hard. “

'Hmph' – Vita snorted under her nose.

“That’s some convenient reasoning coming from you.”

“I come up with something if can think calmly. More important, us return to officer.”

At Naga’s words, Vita assumed her usual, haughty attitude once more.

(She would truly be a cute kid with that peculiar face, and that attitude from before but, well….)

Naga thought so, however, by no means could he afford to let Vita know about that.

“Oi, Boss.”

Being called by the commanding officer who had returned back Naga drew near with a turn.

“Rigaya-sama said he would like to meet you.”

“Rigaya-sama, who that?”

“He’s the adjutant of our army’s supreme commander, Guiscard.”

(Again, quite a distinguished person has made their appearance, I guess.)

Naga displayed his astonishment in an exaggerated way, even though he was just a bit surprised.

“D, Do we really have to meet person of such eminence? I feeling nervous.”

The commander made a wry smile and replied,

“You don’t have to worry that much. It should be fine, as long as you can provide him with information about the fort of the witches. He may even reward you properly.”

“Thank you, very much.”

Bowing down respectfully, Naga thought.

(I’m a surprisingly good actor, I guess. Speaking of which, things have become quite interesting.)

Raising his head, Naga turned around and called out to the female dancers.

“Everyone, let’s go, inside.”

The girls returned to the carriage in a bustling manner and gathered around their boss as he took the reins again.

“Excellent, now follow me.”

Being led by the commander, Naga’s troupe passed through the big gate and stepped into the fortified city.

3

What appeared in front of them was a path that turned in a ‘コ’ shape. Once they passed through it, there was a big main street running in the northern and southern direction. At some points of the ‘コ’ shaped path, there were spare places used in case of emergency to cut off the passage. From the inside of the walls, where the path was bending, there were watchtowers put up.

(I see. This place was arranged in this way so that the watchtowers could intercept the enemy, even if they were to break through that giant gate and rush in.)

Naga quickly saw through the mechanism of this place’s construction.

Certainly, those who would manage to storm in through the gate would be further hindered by this 2, no, 3-fold defense. It was also one of the methods to shoot down the enemy from above. The enemy soldiers would crowd together inside this narrow passage while being unable to either hide or escape. A trap like this would produce heavy casualties.

On the other hand, the garrison that’s attacking from high above wouldn’t even have to expose themselves to the enemy. Because of that, the danger of incurring any losses is low. Not to mention the garrison could also rely on throwing logs and pouring down boiling oil, causing huge damage to the enemy.

(Fumu. This might become a good reference.)

Naga would be troubled if he was asked where he get all those references from, despite him having lost his memory. However, he himself considered it vaguely as intuition when looking for a way to protect his own castle.

Exiting the place where the path was bending to the spacious main street, the troupe continued to head towards a castle. Naga felt as if the number of people passing each other on the main road wasn’t adequate to the scope of this city. Could it be that the merchants left the city after sensing the danger of a potential war? Once the rumors about a war spreads, it’s natural for there to be less merchants visiting too. Obviously, with more merchants leaving than coming here, the number of people is bound to reduce inside the city.

(I guess there aren’t many travelers either so it’s likely the cost of services, such as renting a room in an inn, will rise. Speaking of which, we might be welcomed here like outsiders are supposed to be but it doesn’t seem like we’ll have the spare time to stay in this city and do performances for long.)

Apparently, some permanent stores were running their business as usual, but despite there being people passing by, not many customers could be seen inside. There were also defensive walls, placed on the 4-way crossroads that were located between each block. When necessary, the walls would be closed in order to prevent enemy troops from further advancing. As expected, there were also watchtowers built there. Naga would be suspected were he to stare at the places too much, so instead, he observed the defensive facilities in a casual yet proper manner.

Finally, they arrived at the entrance leading to the inside of the castle.

The commander exchanged some words with the guard, after which they proceeded further inside.

(Indeed, we are lucky to have this guy assist us. Not only are we able to see the city but also the interior of the castle.)

The pathway inside the castle wasn’t straight, which was similar to what Naga and the rest had seen till now. It was meandering and complex, just like a maze, making them stop and turn from time to time. Where they didn’t have to stop, there were defense zones that would hinder further movements when necessary as well as watchtowers raised here and there. The path was narrow and the wall was built on the edge, making it impossible for anyone to see what’s next unless they drew near.

No matter how smart Naga was, it was difficult for him to grasp how the inside of this castle roped off. Still, he counted his steps and the number of corners while walking. The witches looked around with curious eyes but none of them would check how the interior stretched out, like Naga. Instead, they walked forward without a single care. Soon after, the commander stopped and turned around, probably because they reached the right building. What stood in front of them was a splendid, stone-made, 3 story building with a large garrison. Naga perceived the garrison was full of well-equipped soldiers with high morale.

(In other words, only big shots are gathered here? Still, is this building made from stone? It feels like I’ve rarely seen things similar to this. A stone-made building. Stone-made? Certainly, it’s more firm than the wooden-made ones. But on the other hand, it’s much more bothersome to build.)

Naga looked at the building closely and again felt strange however the building gave off an impression of probably serving some purpose.

4

It was decided that an enquiry would be held with Naga as a representative, and therefore, he was brought by a guide further inside the building. The rest of his troupe stayed in a waiting room.

“Will Naga-san be fine by himself? If they discover his identity and arrest him…. will it be really okay?”

Ais whispered this question to Vita while looking slightly anxious.

(Isn’t it rare for Ais to be this worried about a stranger?)

Vita however, replied with a voice as if she couldn’t care less about them being overheard.

“You don’t have to worry. To begin with, there’s no reason for him to be exposed.”

“However, back when Naga-san stole Fort Ein, he exposed his face to the soldiers there. There’s no telling if those who have seen Naga-san before will recognize him by his face.”

Vita made a wry smile at Ais’ manner of speaking.

“You’re overreacting way too much, Ais. Did you forget he told us to change our skin color and hairstyle? Our way of talking is also supposed to be completely different, so I don’t think anyone will notice.”

“Then, I guess that’s fine but….”

“It will be the same for us if Naga becomes exposed somehow. In that case, we can only run wild, rescue Naga-san and escape the city. Obviously, there might be some casualties among us, nevertheless…”

Ais swallowed her saliva and nodded with a stern expression.

“Well, shouldn’t we place our expectations in Naga’s acting skills? Rather, if it’s the folks from Cassandra, they will certainly not detain some stranger upon asking him for information they need. To begin with, as long as they don’t learn of Raibaha’s identity they shouldn’t learn about Naga either.”

Being called by his name, Raibaha nodded deeply.

“If it’s Naga-sama, he will be fine. He will get through that enquiry without fail.”

“I guess you’re right.”

Finally, a broad smile appeared on Ais’ stiff face.

“Still, Ais, you act as though your lover was taken away by soldiers. Do you care that much for Naga’s welfare?”

“Eh? Noooooo, what are you talking about, Vita-san?! I-I-I-It’s not because of that, you know? Naga-san is our leader, so shouldn’t it be an obvious thing to worry about him?”

Ais insisted this, however, both her conduct and expression looked as though she was panicking. Vita was fully aware of that.

(Hahaha, this girl is still wet behind her ears.)

“Houhou, are you sure?”

The moment Vita sent a lukewarm smile at her, Ais put her hands in front of her very red face and waved with them.

“Of course I am!”

“What’s your opinion of him, Lela?”

“Eh? Uhm…… that’s righ~t. For us, the family of Haindora, Naga-san is a very important be~ing.”

Lela replied that way while carefully choosing her words. As she did so, Kay, Nonoeru, Cu, Ikushina, Linne & Linna and Arurukan nodded at once, however, one could clearly see the anxiety drawn on their faces as they cared for Naga.

'Kukuku' – Vita chuckled in a weeping manner upon seeing that.

(It looks like these girls have been captivated by Naga. Well, maybe I too feel that way. Still, I’m not sure about the world where both humans and witches can coexist. At least, he was able to show these girls a dream. They have probably become happy while watching that dream. The same goes for me and my daughters, and for Harrigan, I guess. That’s why we decided to follow Naga and most likely, Harrigan too, feels the same way about this. Indeed, he’s an interesting, yet strange man.)

4

The place to which Naga was guided to was a station, or rather, it would be more suitable to call it an interrogation room as it actually had a simplistic build.

(Well, I guess that was to be expected. There’s no way they would let a person of doubtful origins, like me, enter a guest room.)

At one corner of the confined room, there were a desk and chair, in front of which was placed a folding stool. A man with a sharp look and military uniform who was sitting in the chair threw a glance at Naga walking in. On both the left and right side of the desk, there were guards standing at attention.

(They seem to be pretty capable.)

Naga felt that way as he ran his eyes over the guards.

(Well then, should I start to brace myself?)

The reason why Naga thought so wasn’t because he wanted to be careful not to expose himself. To begin with, he didn’t consider such a possibility.

Naga had to act skillfully in drawing out information from his opponent and finding out about the current situation in this city. Perhaps, one could say that the outcome of this interview will determine the future of the witches. That’s why, this is what he meant by bracing himself.

After he followed the guide, Naga moved to the man’s front and halted there. Not standing up, the man gave him the signal to sit. Naga bowed down in respect and sat on the stool. He could sense the man becoming slightly nervous.

(Is it because he’s cautious of me? No, I don’t think so. Wouldn’t you feel this way in the face of a much more imminent threat? As expected, were the rumors about a war approaching true? However, for the atmosphere to become like this, perhaps…. I should respond to it? I guess it should be natural for me to act nervous and excited. After all, I’m the leader of a troupe who has been pulled in front of this big shot.)

As Naga was thinking so, the man ran his eyes over Naga again, as if trying to evaluate him.

“You’ve done a great job by coming from so far away. My name is Rigaya, and I’m the adjutant of General Guiscard, who’s the king's representative for this country.”

(King's representative……representative? Did something happen to this country?)

Naga thought suspiciously, but nevertheless, he bowed while feigning ignorance.

“So you’re the boss of the troupe, right?”

Rigaya’s wording was polite, but he gave an impression of being rude in intent.

“Yes, my name is, Negane.”

“Apparently, you stopped by Fort Ein on your way, but…..”

Rigaya went straight to the point without any preface.

“Yes. It happened while passing near that place. Before coming to city, we thought about doing entertainment for soldiers stationed there for few days, but….”

“Did you follow the Schwein River and reach there from Lancel?”

“That’s right.”

“And you weren’t hindered by the witches?”

“No, not really. There nobody besides us, therefore, I thought, must have been very lonely place. We crossed sea to arrive here, so we don’t quite, know current situation.”

Naga cast his eyes down and scratched his head. Obviously, it was an act, however, it probably didn’t look like much of an excuse.

“Ah no, it’s not like I’m trying to find any fault with you. Then, it was like that? Despite you walking along the river, you didn’t engage with the witches directly?”

“Yes.”

“However, you saw the witches inside Fort Ein, right?”

“Yes, they were. I was startled a bit, but, they chase us off with not doing any bad, so I stroke down chest in relief.”

“I’ll repeat this again and ask you, one more time. Were you, able to grasp how many witches were there?”

“4, maybe 5 went to deal with us. But, since we no enter inside, we not able to see how many there, exactly. I, apologize.”

Surely, Rigaya had already been able to obtain this much information. Being neither irritated nor fed up, Rigaya carried on his interrogation unconcerned.

“Is that so? By the way, did you remember how they look?”

Naga expected this question to appear, so he pretended to remember.

“Umm…. there was bluish black hair, with a large build, was giving orders to everyone. I think, she was leader.”

“Is this, what the witch looked like?”

As soon as Rigaya gave the signal, one of the guards showed Naga a personal description. There he saw a drawn face of a heinously smiling witch, however, it certainly gave off Harrigan’s aura.

(That woman, if she sees this interpretation, she’ll surely murder the guy who drew this! This picture just screams for that to happen.)

“Ah… certainly, that witch, that witch.”

“I see. As one would expect, it was the clan of Harrigan?”

Judging from Rigaya’s way of talking, it seemed that Harrigan was a famous witch, even among humans.

(Well, I guess that’s understandable. Until now, she’s been the one who’s borne the full brunt of humans’ attacks. And then, her party is the one that has been repelling the enemy’s attacks.)

Naga could recall Harrigan’s fighting style that’s based on controlling a large wooden puppet, and scattering Cassandra Kingdom’s troops from the cliff.

(I guess, she can’t avoid being seen when fighting in front.)

“Then, those witches that are occupying the fort, were they preparing for something?”

Rigaya’s voice brought Naga back to his senses.

“No, it not feel like they preparing anything in particular. I saw wall strengthening construction, but, atmosphere quite leisurely. Even some witches, threw down tools and drank.”

'Fumu' – Rigaya folded his arms and groaned in a low voice.

“So, it doesn’t seem like….. the witches will threaten us anytime soon, does it? If that’s true….”

Rigaya pondered for a moment, so Naga stayed calm and awaited his next words. After a while of continued silence, Ligaya raised his head and asked Naga,

“Did you notice something else that was unusual? Anything will do.”

“Something, unusual….. That’s right, all witches, fine girls. And wore awfully small, piece of cloths. I think maybe they want appeal to troupe…. ah, pardon me.”

Rigaya, who had a stern face all the time, couldn’t resist making a wry smile at Naga’s words.

“Well, for someone of your status, I don’t think it’s impossible…. so it was like that?”

Rigaya pondered again as if hitting upon something.

(Hmph. So I was given a chance to explain and didn’t get scolded? Since they’re the ones trying to exterminate the witches, I thought they would be much more biased against the witches, but….)

“It looks like, all the members in your troupe are girls. Were you the only one who dealt with the witches when stopping by the fort?”

“No, female dancers, I, together with them.”

“I see. I guess, we need to consider the possibility that the witches…. didn’t lay their hands on your troupe, since they were all girls.”

(What? So this guy is able to reason that way? I wouldn’t have expected this from him, I think)

“Then, what do you plan to do afterwards?”

Rigaya suddenly changed the topic of their conversation.

“If possible, we like to perform inside city. If not, there no meaning in coming. And if that the case, we be much in red.”

“You mean it? I feel pity for you but that would be a difficult request.”

“Is it, really difficult?”

Naga put on an act and dropped his shoulders disappointedly.

“There’s a chance that, a war might break out soon, so we’re patrolling this city. Our soldiers and citizens are making strenuous efforts for the war, so it isn’t the right time for them to be watching performances. We need to remove any factors that can thwart our preparations. Even if you were to try to do so, there’s no way you would receive permission for that.”

(As expected, they’re quite at their wits’ end.)

While thinking so, Naga hung his head and replied powerlessly.

“That right. Then, no other way than return to Lancel.”

“You’re going back the way you came from, right?”

“This is only option. We bit scared when, passed near the witches. However, nothing happened to us, so I think…. we be fine with retuning back.”

Rigaya gazed fixedly at Naga with a stern expression.

(What? Could it be that he saw through me?)

“I thought about giving you a reward if you plan to pass near that fort again, but well…”

“Eh? Yes? W, What you mean to say?”

Naga was half acting, however, he was honestly bewildered, as he couldn’t grasp Rigaya’s true intention.

“There’s been no local who managed to meet the witches, so your visit before might be the first and the last one. Also, there’s no doubt that the witches have already memorized your faces, right?”

“Is…. this true?”

“That’s why I wanted to ask if you feel like paying them a visit, once more, but this time with one of our messengers.”

“Wha…What?!”

As one would expect, Naga too became dumfounded at Ligaya’s words.

“Even if we send a messenger, there’s no guarantee the witches will hear us out. In the worst-case scenario, you might all be murdered without being given a chance to argue.”

(I haven’t given it any thought, but….. it’s not impossible for them to do so. That’s because, Harrigan has talked before about assassins sent by the church to aim for their lives. It could be that the witches had considered Cassandra’s messengers as assassins….. therefore, resulting in these guys thinking this way. I guess, they reap what they sow.)

Not revealing his thoughts, Naga waited for the next words from his opponent.

“Therefore, we’d like to entrust you with our messenger. And we shall reward you, provided you decide to go back there. Obviously, we can’t cover the cost of your trip, but….”

“Still, we driven away, last time we drop by. We go there, but, I think it result in same.”

“You don’t particularly need to talk with them. We’ll prepare a letter here for the witches, so you only have to pass it to them.”

“Ah….. yes, if that case…. I think it be doable.”

Naga bent his neck and worked his brain hard.

(What’s he trying to make me do? Could it be….. he’s testing me?)

“We return there either way. If just stopping by, we take care of request.”

“You mean it? Then, I shall make the arrangements. Please return to the waiting room.”

“Understood.”

Naga bowed down multiple times and left the station. As soon as he took his leave, Rigaya called out to one of his subordinates who was standing behind him.

“Now that it’s come to this, go and compose a letter to the witches immediately.”

“Still, are you really fine with this, Rigaya-sama? Having that group of vagabonds deliver our letter.”

“I don’t care. Will those performers be captured or killed by the witches? It’s no skin off my nose.”

“Nevertheless, I think we should also worry about them possibly fleeing.”

“Of course, even if they run away with the reward, it won’t be a big deal, since it’s not a big sum of money. On the other hand, if our plan goes favorably, there might be more gain to us….”

Rigaya slowly stood up from his chair.

“In the end, the matter regarding the witches is just something we are doing on the side. Rather than that we should, right now, prioritize the direct threat coming from the extermination group against the witches that’s heading south. There’s no telling if those guys will take the opportunity to attack us, so we better hasten ourselves with the preparations.”

“Yes, understood. We shall prepare the letter immediately.”

Soon after Naga returned, he retold the whole story to everyone, making them drop their jaws at this unexpected turn of events.

“Those guys, what are they thinking?!”

Vita asked as if spitting it out.

“It’s just assumption, but, possible. I guess, their way of proposing ceasefire.”

And then, she made an expression of wanting to doubt.

“For real?”

“I am, serious.”

“Ah no, that’s not what I mean. I wanted to ask if those folks from Cassandra are seriously considering a ceasefire.”

“Will depend on what they want convey.”

“However, if they really do, it would be ridiculous.”

'Kukuku' – Vita chuckled while saying so.

“So basically, we will be both delivering and receiving the letter, right?”

Naga put up his hands, so as to have Ikushina pay more attention.

“Lower voice, Ikushina, or someone overhear.” “Ah, sorry about that.”

Ikushina hurriedly blocked her mouth using her hands.

“That’s true, I’ve similar thoughts to Ikushina’s.”

Vita cast her staring eyes at Naga.

“In other words, Naga, you’ll be the one delivering that letter, right?”

“I will. Once I do, we check content and discuss with Harrigan regarding what we do. This time, there be messenger tag along but he should no suspect anything, even if let him stay at fort."

“Certainly, I’m curious about what they want to tell us, will it be good news?

With that, their discussion reached its conclusion. And then, they waited a short while. Being accompanied by his men, Rigaya turned up in the waiting room.

“This is the letter I’d like for you to bring to the witches.”

One of his subordinates handed over a letter, sealed with wax, to Naga.

“Remember, you only have to pass it to them.”

“Understood.”

Naga bowed down deeply while thinking about this.

(It looks like things have taken an unexpected turn. However, we can make use of it. No, we definitely have to seize this favorable opportunity.)

7

Naga and his troupe of performers were assisted by the guards on their way to one of Cassandra’s forts that was nearby the witches.

Once they arrived, one of the soldiers spoke,

“We’ll excuse ourselves here, as our presence might hinder your interaction with the witches.”

The soldiers gave an impression as if being prepared to flee, however, Naga and the rest would rather avoid the soldiers meeting with the witches.

“This much do. Thank you, very much.”

Naga bowed down. And then, the troupe left the fort, went south and returned to Fort Ein. Because there might be someone watching, just to make sure, they were received as guests. Naga called out to the witches, who turned out to be Narcissus and Selena, that were there.

Selena, who could check the surroundings using her Heaven's Eye, sensed Naga and the rest approaching, so she brought Narcissus with her to welcome them. However, upon their immediate meeting, it seemed as though Naga was distant in his attitude. Like that, all the concerned visitors were escorted and brought inside the fort.

8

“What’s the meaning of this?!”

Harrigan, Naga and the rest faced each other inside a single room of the fort’s residential building. The head of the Haindora clan opened her eyes widely in surprise as she was retold the whole story of Naga’s interrogation.

“With that, we’ve been entrusted with this letter and arrived here to deliver it to you, who is the head of the witches. They hope you’d be interested to know its contents.”

Lela returned the charm on Naga to its usual level, so all the witches could understand Naga’s manner of speaking like they used to.

“Is that so? Then, shall we open it quickly?”

Harrigan received the letter from him and broke the seal in a casual manner. And then, she took out its contents and quickly ran her eyes over it.

“Fumu, it’s just as Naga predicted. They are asking us indirectly if we want to stop fighting each other. What’s more, their style of writing is condescending.”

“So it was just like I thought, eh?”

“However, despite their haughty way of expression, it seems like the Cassandra Kingdom is at its wits end if they’re making this request to us.”

Saying so, Harrigan made an expression filled with mixed feelings.

‘You’re right.’ – Naga nodded.

“Losing to us this badly, and eventually, their fort. On top of that, they’re being threatened by a large army of 3000-4000 enemy soldiers. Misfortunes never comes singly, or so they say. I guess, it’s not impossible for them to want to grasp at straws.”

“So we’re the straws?”

Harrigan made a displeased face, however, Vita laughed enjoyably.

“Hahaha, rather than straws, I’d say we’re more like poisoned steam buns.”

“Is this something to laugh about?!”

“Ohhh, Vita, that’s a nice comparison.”

“Naga, you too! Is this the right time to be praising others?!”

“Don’t be so grumpy, Harrigan.”

“Still, Naga, they might be putting their hands up and offering us a ceasefire due to them being in a crisis right now, but, don’t forget they’ve been causing us lots of pain, so they can’t be fully trusted. Maybe, it’s better to let them get attacked and crushed?”

“I’ll agree with you on the part that they can’t be trusted, but, with how things look right now, we’ve got to make use of this situation.”

“Make use? What do you mean?”

“Isn’t this a favorable opportunity to demand gratitude from them?”

“Gratitude? You mean accepting their request? What good will come from doing that? Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for us to let the Cassandra Kingdom perish in a fight with other countries?”

“That would probably work short-term, however, there are more gains for us in the long-term if they survive.”

At Naga’s words, Harrigan frowned and made a doubtful face.

“Is that…. true?”

“The information regarding the approaching troops is partial, so I can’t tell for sure, but according to what that adjutant Rigaya said, the troops are led by the Church. If the Cassandra Kingdom suffers a complete defeat, we’ll be next in line to receive the Church’s onslaught. Rather, they will become even more motivated to charge at us after gaining victory over the Cassandra Kingdom. And at that rate….”

Naga shrugged his shoulders a bit.

“We’ll be forced to throw away the fort we captured and retreat back to the forest. However, whether we can protect it or not remains questionable.”

“But…. just because we comply with the ceasefire, it doesn’t mean the Cassandra Kingdom will turn into our ally. Also, there’s no telling if those folks will really fight against the extermination group.”

“That will depend on how we play it, you see.”

“W….What do you mean?”

“We will create a situation where both sides won’t be on good terms with each other, even if they don’t fight. This will become our advantage.”

“W….What?”

“What do you mean, Naga?”

Both Harrigan and Vita, as well as the other witches turned their puzzled looks at Naga.

“In other words, if we make Cassandra Kingdom and the extermination group glare at each other, we can thwart the church’s plan, right? They won’t be able to charge at us with their full army while having Cassandra Kingdom at their backs. Naturally, this will slow down their military movements. Our aim is to buy us some time, proceed with our preparations and try to counter the extermination group with all that we’ve got.”

‘I see.’ – Harrigan nodded.

“Still, is there any guarantee that the Cassandra Kingdom and the extermination group won’t join their forces together?”

“True, there isn’t. Far from that, it’s possible that the Cassandra Kingdom will do so due to them suffering a crisis.”

“In that case, shouldn’t we consider our plan with that in mind?”

“That’s why, I’m telling you we won’t be relying upon others but ourselves to create our desired situation. And then, prolong it.”

“No…. I don’t get your idea.”

Harrigan, whose face looked pitiful, turned her sight toward Vita. However, the latter merely lightly shook her head.

“I also can’t comprehend that. Do you mind, explaining it in a more simple and concrete way, Naga?”

“That is...like this, you see.”

Naga explained his strategy as best he could..

“….With that, we’ll put on the Cassandra Kingdom Army’s uniforms and give the extermination army a hard time. If we do that, it’s inevitable for both sides’ relationship to turn worse, right? Not to mention, the extermination group will put the blame on Cassandra for something the latter hasn’t done, so they will no longer be able to come to an agreement.”

All the witches shook their heads up and down with dumbfounded faces.

“You’re truly an evil person.”

Vita stated so with an astonished expression, following that Harrigan also nodded in agreement.

“Good grief. And to think we witches are regarded as heinous by humans. Don’t we look the same as babies in front of Naga?”

“Naga-san, you’re quite vicious, aren’t you?”

This time it was Kay’s turn to carry on.

“No no, I’m surely not vicious, right?”

“That’s right. I think you’re exaggerating, Kay-chan.”

“Ais, you do understand, right?”

“Rather, there’s no end to him being treacherous.”

“Doesn’t it make me look even worse?”

“Just how did you come up with such a heinous idea?”

“As expected, isn’t it because of his character?”

“Vita, Harrigan, don’t say those cruel things.”

“They aren’t. We think they reflect the truth.”

“Ah no, this much of an idea is normal for me.”

Harrigan pulled her head back and glared at Naga with scornful eyes.

“Really?”

“I wonder about that.”

“That’s probably like him.”

“Well, regarding how vicious he is, let’s leave that matter aside.”

“Don’t just leave it aside!”

“Then, will this really work? This is the real question. And how are you confident of its success?”

“…..You usually tend to find a solution when seeking a way out of a desperate situation, Vita.”

“As if!”

“It’s not necessarily false, but well, I guess it will only show during a contest. Till now it’s always been like this for me, I think. Back then, when we fought against 2000 soldiers, did you think you’d win?”

Harrigan responded to Naga’s remark.

“Umu, that’s right. We thought it was useless for us to fight back, without even trying. I guess it’s a bad habit of ours.”

“That’s right, Harrigan. You should always try to do your best. And if it fails, try something else. And if, again, it doesn’t work….”

“If it doesn’t work?”

“Then run away. Run away and start again from the beginning.”

'Kukakaka' – Naga laughed while saying so.

(So there was such a way of thinking? Good grief. Whenever it comes to this guy,)

“I think humans… no, even us witches can’t comprehend your way of reasoning. But for a fool to be able to break through these obstacles, perhaps you’re no longer different from a genius.”

Saying that, Harrigan leaked out a scornful laugh which she couldn’t hold back.

“If I were to say, rather than Naga-sama being a genius, he’s more of a natural disaster. Especially, for his opponents.”

As soon as Raibaha stated this, the present witches smiled and broke into laughter.

A fearsome being that could be regarded as a natural disaster for its opponents, but conversely, a trustworthy being for its allies. In fact, wasn’t it because Naga had won easily against the advancing army of Cassandra just like stopping a violently blowing storm? Recalling that event, the witches told themselves they could place more hope in their future.

“Then, let’s make the best of our time and proceed with our preparations while the Cassandra Kingdom and the extermination group haven’t struck a deal, Vita.”

“Umu…. that’s right…”

“What? Is there still something on your mind?”

“Well, I agree with what you’ve just said. Still, there’s one more concern.”

Naga squinted his eyes and urged Vita to speak.

“One more concern? What could it be?”

“If memory serves me right, among the information which you acquired in Cassandra Kingdom, there was one regarding troops that fall under the direct control of the Church. That is to say, information that’s supported by the rumor we had heard in Lancel. Apparently, those guys are strong, you know?”

Naga leaned his body forward while making a serious expression.

“Are they that strong?”

“Umu. I too have only heard about them from rumors, so I can’t say for sure, but, apparently they’re combat troops that are referred to as brigades. Their soldiers wear silver armor, which is highly resistant to magic and dulls it.”

“To what extent?”

“We won’t know that unless we try. It would be different if it’s just 1 or 2 soldiers, but, we’ve never fought a troop consisting of all soldiers wearing silver armor.”

“For real….? Then, does it mean that everything will depend on the outcome of this battle?”

Naga made a difficult face while groaning in a low voice.

“And that’s not all.”

Naga raised his head at Vita’s words.

“We still don’t know how many of those brigades there are. I’ve only heard about this, but I think there are supposed to be 7- 8. That’s why, I’m worried about the number of brigades coming here this time.”

“So, based on Vita’s statements, should I understand that….. those brigades each possess a different fighting strength?”

(As usual, this guy is sharp.)

“That’s right.”

“What part of them is bothering you?”

“There are 3 rumors that describe their exceptional strength, especially the one in which apparently there’s that annoying troop referring to themselves as ‘the Brigade of 88′”

‘This too, is a rumor I learned from hearsay, but…’ – Vita revealed the meaning behind the brigade’s name followed by a story of the brigade holing up.

“Hohou. Indeed, they’ve got some terrific fighting style there.”

Naga ooh’ed in admiration.

“That’s why, I think we should avoid any hard fights involving the Brigade of 88 if they come.”

“I guess, we need to check more on that Brigade of 88.”

“How do you plan, to do that?”

“By kidnapping 1 or 2 soldiers and questioning them?”

“That measure is way too extreme!”

“Having you say it’s extreme, kinda makes me feel uneasy.”

“What’s the meaning of that?!”

“Ah no, nothing in particular. Don’t mind it.”

“Shouldn’t it be fine, to have Linne and Linna overhear some soldiers?”

Harrigan suggested.

“…….True. I guess it’s more convenient that way, isn’t it? There’s the possibility that the Cassandra Kingdom might become wary if their soldiers are kidnapped. They might even consider it as a surprise attack, so it’s better not to have them be alert. That being said, in addition to Linne & Linna sneaking inside the city, we need to determine the position of the extermination group. I think I can only entrust Yuuki and Selena with that task.”

“It can’t be helped. Well, shall we get moving then?”

—Why is Yuuki always acting this high-handedly?—

Kay whispered this question to Nonoeru.

—Isn’t it because her head’s always in the clouds when she’s flying?—

—Nonoeru, that was good!—

“Hey there! what are you whispering to each other?!”

Yuuki raised her eyebrows and stared at them both.

“Nothing~~”

“Nothing in particular”

‘Hmph’ – Yuuki snorted and turned her face.

“Anyway, I’ll set off tomorrow and fly near the royal capital to conduct a regular scouting.”

“Then, will you take this mantle with you and place it near the city, so that I can teleport with Selena?”

Eliushune made such a suggestion.

“There are also guards inside the city, so they might notice something strange. Maybe, if you add some more mantles…”

“That’s right. It should be much more convenient if we increase the number of spots where Eiushune can teleport to. And If we mark the targets, it will be also easier to transport Selena. I’ll be relying on you, Eliushune.”

**Biku* – Once Naga lightly bowed, Eliushune drew back with a start.

“Ah…. yes, I, I’ll take care of that.”

(For some reason….my heart, skips a beat whenever this person bows down.)

Unaware of Eliushune’s bewilderment, Harrigan faced toward Naga with a stern expression.

9

“By the way, how do we reply to the letter? It was written they would like to receive an answer from us, but…”

Naga quickly responded, following Harrigan’s question.

“It should be fine if we just say we don’t plan to interfere with them.”

“Will they believe in such an ambiguous reply?”

“For now, it’s better that way. Still, that’s right, should we also add they better do the same?”

‘Fumu’ – Harrigan folded her arms and groaned.

“So it’s come to this? Indeed, it’s hard to strike a bargain.”

(I don’t think so. After all, you have done so way too many times.)

“It should do if we hand our reply to the troop nearby, watching us. We’ll just compose a proper reply and have them deliver it to their superiors.”

“Have you considered…. they might try and arrest us when trying to hand the reply?’

At Ais’ question, Naga denied with full confidence.

“I don’t think one or two soldiers from a scouting troop will attempt to catch you. If they could, they’d have long since won this war.”

“You’re right. If there are just 10 or 20 soldiers, then we can somehow manage. Speaking of which, Lela, I’m sorry, but, could you please take care of writing the reply? Once you’re done, go together with Kay and Cu to where the troop is stationed and pass it to them. Selena will observe their position, so you’ll know where the scouts are hiding.”

“Understood, Ane-sa~ma.”

“Apart from that, Harrigan, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask. Can someone from your group go to Lancel?”

“Lancel, again? For what purpose?”

“I happened to see slaves there on sale back when we were visiting Lancel.”

Harrigan made a doubting face after hearing Naga’s words.

And it wasn’t just her either. The other witches, as well as Raibaha, had doubting, or rather – curious expressions, while being unable to understand what Naga was trying to imply.

“Certainly, slaves are bound to be there as well. After all, that port city is a place which thrives in trade. What’s more, there’s no limit to the amount of food and articles sold.”

“Oh and by the way, we managed to sell your gadgets and jewelry for high prices.”

“I guess, that’s very like of you…. Speaking of which, I received a brief report from Ais and Lela the other day, when you had passed through here on your way to the capital of the Cassandra Kingdom, but…….”

The complexion on Harrigan’s face, which seemed to express her doubt, turned more and more thick in color. Rather than doubt, perhaps it was better to say, of misgiving.

“Sorry, but, can we sell more gadgets and jewelry from your warehouse?”

“Haaa? What, are you talking about? What do you intend to do?!”

“If possible, I’d like to have you, Vita, help us too.”

Being told so, Vita couldn’t hide her puzzlement.

“That’s why, I’m asking what do you intend to do with the money…. hmm? Don’t tell me, you plan to purchase those slaves?”

“Ohh, how sharp of you, Vita.”

“What? You!”

“W, What are you angry about?”

“Despite us being in a life-and-death matter, you’re telling us to sell our items to buy young female slaves… no, just what are you making us do?”

Ais stood up while swaying.

“Naga-san, so it’s all about that? Is this what you’ve been thinking about?”

‘Oh, that’s right!’ – Kay looked up in the air as if recalling something.

“Back then, Naga-san would frequently ask about slaves.”

“I misjudged you, Naga.”

Harrigan’s hair drifted in the air.

“Wait wait wait! You lot are misunderstanding something!”

“How are we supposed to misunderstand you?”

“I told you I want to buy slaves, however, I didn’t say they will be females. They’re male slaves! On top of that, robust ones!”

“Naga-san, could it be, that you swing in that direction?”

“You’re running your imagination too far, Ais!”

“….Am I wrong?”

“Ah, for god’s sake, these girls are. Why won’t you first listen to what people have to say?”

Naga held his head.

“Isn’t it because there’s a problem in your behavior?”

“Right? Suddenly falling into a bathroom and rubbing Ane-sama’s chest. You could only think of Naga-san buying females when he mentions slaves with that in mind. Don’t you think your conduct is what forces us to think that way?”

“Ah, no, Ais, why are you….”

Harrigan, whose face was red, chided Ais.

“Ehhh? Naga-sama, have you really done such an envious…?”

Raibaha looked at Harrigan with an envious face.

“D, Don’t look at me with such eyes!”

“So, Harri-nee had her chest already rubbed by Naga-san?! I’m envious too. Right, Nono?”

“Noooo? I, I’m not particularly, not at all, envious about that!”

“That’s why, don’t tell people things that are easy to misunderstand!”

Harrigan gazed at Ais with fearsome, murderous eyes.

“Eh? But, isn’t it true? Isn’t this what Yuuki, who witnessed the event, clearly said?”

Yuuki, whose name was suddenly called out, turned away and averted her eyes. On the other hand, the other witches who were unaware of that fact besides Ais and Lela drew back their heads and looked at Harrigan with scornful eyes.

“I’m telling you it’s wrong!”

“Harrigan.”

“W….What, Naga?”

“Do you now understand a bit this pain of being misunderstood and ignored by others?”

“I do…. However, being pointed that out by someone, who tries to fulfill his lust by buying slaves, makes me incredibly annoyed.”

“Just how untrustworthy can I be?”

Naga sighed while having a miserable expression.

“Just as I said, I’m going to buy male slaves.”

“What do you plan to do with them later? Make them help with strengthening this fort? Certainly, someone else’s hands would be welcomed for construction jobs, but, it’s meaningless for now, isn’t it? Weren’t you also the one who said that?

“Obviously, I won’t be using them for that purpose. I’m going to make them into soldiers.”

“What?!”

Vita bent her face in amazement, whereas all the other witches and Raibaha opened their eyes widely.

“No matter how many of you are mighty warriors, the number of witches is way too scarce. After all, your enemy is an army of 3000-4000 units. What’s more, if the war continues to escalate, we’ll need hands for carrying food, weapons, and armor. Not to mention, you may also have to cross swords or strike each other if a battle becomes intense. I’m not saying you lot possess no hand-to-hand combat skills. It’s just you’re more suited for long range fighting. Now that it’s been mentioned, we’ll also need people who can shoot with bows and those who can march into an enemy’s camp with swords and spears. We’ve gotta supply ourselves with those soldiers.”

Despite Naga finishing his explanation, everyone was left open-mouthed while being unable to utter a single word.

“What are you amazed at? A battle is primarily more about quantity than quality, so raising the number of soldiers is the basic of the basics.”

Harrigan and Vita exchanged looks.

“Are you of the same mind, Vita?”

“I’ve never participated in a big war before, so don’t ask me.”

Harrigan pulled herself together and faced toward Naga.

“Still, even if we buy those slaves, will they do as they’re told? Will they fight for our sake? Or will they go against us?”

“Slaves probably consider their buyer as their owner. It doesn’t matter to them who that person is, or from where it is.”

“That may be true….. but…”

“In that case, you shall be their owners. Or could it be that only humans can trade slaves?”

“Ah no, I don’t… think so.”

“Then, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“Even if you throw out your chest like that…”

“Slaves usually tend to live in harsh surroundings. They might thank us If we provide them with proper meals and warm beds. And if we promise to set them free after they perform well in battle, they might become even more excited to work for us. Be it humans or witches, for slaves, it should make no big difference. It’s how they’re going to be treated that matters the most.”

“You’re talking about slaves as though you can understand them, aren’t you?”

Despite Vita saying this in a teasing manner, Naga puffed up with pride and answered while remaining calm.

“I don’t. More like, I can picture them. Since we can’t raise soldiers using straightforward methods, using slaves as soldiers is the easiest and fastest way. Don’t you think?”

“If I were to say…. Yes, you might be right.”

“Now then, Harrigan, I’d like for you to carry your items to Lancel, convert them into money, and then use it to purchase the slaves. Vita, you too, I’ll appreciate it if you could help us.”

“I don’t mind, but….. just how much time would it take to transport our load from a village to the city?”

“Is that so? Since Eliushune won’t be coming with us….”

“No, even if that girl did, she wouldn’t be useful at all. After all, she can’t carry things using her mantles, not to mention, the clothes we put on.”

“Yeah. Certainly, it’ll take way too much time to load the cart and transport the items.”

“Then, how about we use Yuuki?”

Yuuki had been deliberately turning away all this time, but, she couldn’t help it when everyone’s gazes were focused on her, so she turned back around

“Fine with me, but, I’ll have to go and return many times, since my board can’t carry that much, you know?”

“We don’t mind. However, I still think it will be much faster than carrying it on the cart. Also, as I fear, we’ll need to have someone who can evaluate the items, so…”

‘Well, certainly, that’s true’ – Yuuki puffed her cheeks in displeasure, but nevertheless, she answered reluctantly.

“I’ve no discerning eye when it comes to an item’s value.”

“I’ll have to return back to the forest to get my items. Then, how many slaves should we gather?”

“I don’t know how much a single slave is worth, and also, how much can we gain from selling your items, so probably, it will depend on the outcome. We’ll gather as many slaves as possible based on their costs. I’d like to have at least 100 of them, but, I’m not sure if there are slaves capable of fighting at a reasonable price on sale. In the worst case-scenario, I won’t mind even if we manage to get just 10-20.”

“You mean it? I guess, we’ll just have to play it by ear.”

“Right. Then, we need someone who can take care of them…..”

Naga looked around at the present people and stopped his sights on a single one.

“I entrusted you with the sale of the items the previous time, but, as expected, the only one who can choose and buy slaves is you, Raibaha.”

Raibaha whose face looked stupefied pointed at himself.

“Eh? Me?”

“Yes. If it’s you, who has led soldiers before, then you will somehow be able to manage the slaves, won’t you?”

“That’s, well, yes.”

“On the other hand, the same can’t be said about the witches. Don’t you agree, Harrigan?”

Harrigan shrugged her shoulders.

“Right. We’ve never swung swords or spears, so we haven’t the slightest idea about what kind of a person is suitable to become a soldier.”

“And with that, Raibaha, you’ll be in charge of supplying us with slaves.”

“Understood. I’ll try to do my best.”

Later, a talk regarding each person’s duty would be decided, with Naga being the main character.

10

Early the next morning.

Having confirmed the reply addressed to Cassandra, Lela took Cu, Kay, Nonoeru and Selena with her and left Fort Ein. The remaining witches worked in a hurry to bring the items from their village hidden inside the forest, and prepare to repel the extermination group.

Lela and her team quickly returned after they passed the reply to a scouting troop’s leader they had discovered. Soon after Naga received the report from Lela, he started to do calculations inside his mind.

(Well then, I wonder, how much time did we manage to gain? Even if the extermination army reaches Cassandra Kingdom, they won’t be able to simply move, so perhaps we have around 10 days. If that’s not enough, should we put on the Cassandra army’s uniforms and attack the extermination army’s troops? I guess, I’d rather utilize that additional time and fully prepare before meeting them.)

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