Spending a few days sharpening her nerves in response to the Empire's trends, Aldis was attacked from an unexpected location.
Aldis!
Suddenly, Aldis turned slowly to the voice he heard from behind.
And he was utterly vigilant, for he knew that he was the lord of the voice, which he had no hostility, and was more accustomed to hearing.
Two girls jumped into Aldis's chest like that.
Platinum blonde hair shakes fluffily and a pale green pupil is directed from underneath.
"Filia, Riana... why are you here?"
You're so worried about Aldis!
I heard that Aldis fell!
Filia and Liana opened their mouths with Aldis's eyes wide open.
The expression was serious in itself.
"Hey, are you okay!?" Aren't you injured or something!? "
"Are you okay to be awake?!" Where does it hurt!? "
Apparently, I overheard that Aldis had been out of his mind for a while after being hit by Viktor.
I don't know who it was, but I think Moore or Maredda contacted the hideout.
"The body is fine." As you can see, it's perfectly fine. "
To reassure them, Aldis laughed as he spread his arms left and right.
In fact, Viktor didn't inflict any special pain on Ardis just because he was pruned to his consciousness.
At best, there were a few places to hit me, but I had less physical pain when I collided from the air to the ground.
"Nevertheless, don't mess with Rona too much." As expected, he's the one who puts the two of them together, but it's about time for Kitsuida Waxi "
“What are you talking about?”
If it's Rona, it's a hiding place.
Aldis sees another possibility, thinking he just put Rona on his back to get here.
So you brought me to Neret?
No, it's not.
"It's just the two of us."
"Huh...?"
Liana sighed tinyly to Aldis, who didn't quite understand.
"Aldis, we're sixteen this year."
"... that's right."
"It's been four years since I started using magic."
"It's been so long?"
"In four years, you can build a scaffold, and you can fly alone."
"... is that so?"
When Ardis asked Philia to confirm Liana's words unexpectedly, she returned a delightful smile.
"Yes, it is."
Apparently, without the help of Rona and Neret, they really came here from that magic realm.
I didn't expect you to shut up with the Nerets, did you?
I've got Neret's permission.
Moreover, if Nelle had already given me permission, I would have had enough strength to be able to survive a monster attack in the air.
"Aldis, we're not kids anymore, are we?"
“You decide what you need to do.”
“Our way of life is up to us. I told you before, didn't I, Aldis?"
"... well, I told you."
Aldis cannot help but be nodded as he brings out his past remarks.
"That's why I decided." I'm trying to help Aldis. "
"That's why I decided." Let's fight with Aldis. "
"Huh? No, wait a minute!"
Somehow, the twins start to say the same thing as Minerva, and Aldis panics.
"It's true that Aldis is strong. It's something we know better than anyone.”
"But even Aldis can get stuck like this." We couldn't do anything. It's not what it used to be. "
"I want to repay you for protecting me so far." I am not unaware that you want us to protect Aldis. Just a little help... let me help Aldis with what he's trying to carry. ”
“That's the path we both chose. Even if they say no, I will follow them on my own. By our own will, for our own good."
"Ah... eh..."
Pushed from both directions, Aldis loses his words.
To be sure, Aldis has so far said, 'Choose your own way, and bear the responsibility for it'.
At the same time, I remembered that Aldis promised not to say anything about the choice.
Bending their will here was tantamount to denying their words.
If they were weak people with no power, they might have let them down.
However, in reality, these two are two people who, as sorcerers, have been called geniuses by Cyril, who was called a heretic at Mariules School.
Just because it's strong enough to fight against monsters flying over the Canovis Mountains, it's too weak a basis just because it's dangerous.
In the first place, I looked for more powerful magicians than these two.
"No, but... the mercenaries aren't fighting only beasts and monsters." Sometimes we fight against humans. I don't want you to kill me... "
Cursing her formerly strange self, Aldis speaks of her painful claim as a proxy.
But Aldis himself knew best how selfish that was.
“We're not here to kill. I'm here to protect Aldis."
After all, the only thing that keeps the twins from choosing the path of battle is Ardis' self-satisfaction, in view of his actions.
In the end, Aldis was likely to accept it in a way that respected the will of the twins.
The impromptu walls that surrounded the city of Grok were being built and strengthened day by day by Aldis, Cyril, and Eleanor's Sorcerers.
With the addition of Filia and Riana, highly capable magicians, the work has progressed greatly, and the brittle wall has been transformed into a solid one.
I could no longer call it a citadel for defense alone.
The problem is the lack of manpower to support it.
Although the consciousness of the residents has changed in the wake of the recent attack by the Toria army, and the number of volunteers trained as militia has increased significantly, there are still fewer than 500 volunteers.
No matter how strong the barrier was, it was difficult to make effective use of it in the number of 500 people.
The biggest problem for the troubled town of Grok is the trend of the Empire.
Many people have left the city since the last battle.
Gran, the former capital of the kingdom, towns in the old kingdom, and the Raitin, the eastern city of the national union, have already returned to daily life.
Naturally, many people would like to return to the town where they once lived and live their lives again.
Only people like Minerva can remain in the city for that reason, such as those who are unsettled by the rule of the Empire, or those who have lost their loved ones to the barbarism of the Imperial soldiers and burn in vengeance.
The anti-Robles coalition gathered in Grok to be attracted, and as a result, the population that emerged significantly after the Toria battle is once again showing a growing trend and regaining its former size.
At the same time, with the presence of Minerva, the town of Grok was recognized as a gathering place for those who carried the banner of the anti-Robles alliance.
"Of course the Empire will leave this town alone - there's no way."
As if to affirm such a blur of Moore, a report of the approach of the Imperial army has been brought to our attention.
Do you know the number?
Cyril questioned Moore, who had come to be considered a full member of the Guard in one of the lockups.
Three thousand, that's it.
That's another thoughtful number, isn't it?
Eleanor opened her eyes in surprise.
She is also part of the Guard as a valuable force for Cyril.
Eleanor, who was highly educated at Mariúlez School, was also a sorcerer and a valuable force for Groc.
"You must have learned the lesson from the last Tria defeat." Well, maybe there's nowhere else to send an army. "
That's why there are so many people who are targeted
Originally, it was not a person who would make a living from the battle, but Mariida was also involved in the discussion because he was responsible for the management of supplies.
"But please don't come, it's not like you're going home."
"Our Lady is right. If they were going to attack us, we would just have to protect them. Fortunately, compared to the time of the Tria Battle, the barrier has been considerably strengthened...."
“Is there a problem?”
Ardis answers Cyril's question on behalf of Moore.
"To be honest, I don't really want to fight in the castle."
But you reinforced the barrier for the castle, didn't you?
“That's for sure. But there was a six-fold difference in strength, and there was a clear lack of defense against the size of the bulwark. Surrounded by 3,000 soldiers, it would create a defensive hole somewhere. In Tria, we had too few troops and limited time, so we had no choice but to fight before the city was surrounded if possible."
Cain of the Guard questioned Aldis' words this time.
"What do you think you're doing in the field? Isn't that the difference in strength too big?"
Aldis's answer to this was a fair one, but rather reckless.
"If only the enemy commander were defeated, that would be the end of it."
"Are you going to go in there by yourself again?"
You must have remembered the Toria Battle.
Aldis shook his head in a reprimanded tone as Moore frowned.
"All I have to do is prepare." I'll leave it to the Moors to take the head of the enemy general. "