「What’s the situation!?」


  「Oh, we’ve been waiting for you Princess.」


  Dianeia teleported into her office in the castle that had already become a war-room.

  There she received the information from the knight captain.

  「There are several outbreaks of monsters from the East, West, and the South. They are currently approaching the town. The defensive forces have been sent to intercept.」


  Indeed, it was the case as Dianeia looked at the map spread on the desk.

  They had marked the place where they were presumed to intercept with a red cross.

  But, for some reason there was also a black colored cross in the east.

  「This is?」


  「That is where Anne-sama said she was going so we could cross that one off. She said that she was able to hold them by herself.」


  「Anne-dono huh…..」


  She’s a Dragon King so it should be possible to do it alone.

  So, I guess I should be relieved?

  「There are also many to the south so we sent the knights, but according to the reports we have the numerical advantage.」


  「Hmm, then all that’s left is…. the west?」


  We didn’t have enough time so there’s an empty hole in our defenses.

  At the moment, we have no one there to defend us.

  「Well that’s not entirely true, I heard that one of the groups of adventurers was heading over there.」


  「Huh…..? I thought we asked the adventurers to protect the north?」


  「Indeed. That’s why there’s only one group.」


  It was quite reckless for only one group to go when they didn’t even know how many monsters there would be.

  Though I am glad that we have someone to defend that area, it’s much too dangerous. What kind of group is this?

  「They’re called…『Shining Head』 I think…」


  「Them? Why did they leave the relative safety of the north…..」


  「I don’t know. However, if they’re guarding that area then it’s reassuring.」


  They were a top-class group that maintained request completion rate of 90%. They are definitely strong.

  But I am uneasy having them do it by themselves. So,

  「—I will go and reinforce them.」


  「Princess…!?」


  「Why are you acting so surprised? There’s no one else who can teleport around here.」


  「But…..」


  The knight captain started to say something, but shook his head instead.

  「I guess so. Even if I told you to stay here you wouldn’t listen, would you Princess?」


  「Yep, you understand well. As long as I am able to fight, I will. I will fight to protect this place.」


  Dianeia thought of this as her duty as an Arch-mage and as one with power. (TN: Spiderman)

  —furthermore, it is her own path through which she might reach the one she admires.

  「At any rate, I’ll leave after putting on my equipment. I’ll leave command to you, Knight Captain.」


  「Alright…Please stay safe!」


  Dianeia then headed towards her room to put her equipment in order so that she may go out in defense of the town.

  *******************

  The skinhead adventurers went to the west of the Prussian.

  「Hyahha! This is where the defense line is weakest!」


  「It’s pretty far away from the commercial district after all. There’s no one except for the ten of us.」


  They were standing on the plains separating the forest from the town.

  From the earth around them monsters were popping up.

  There was a variety. There were those who were worm and bug-like all the way to ones that looked like trolls, and they all popped out one after the other.

  「I would’ve never thought we’d be fighting Dungeon Monsters outside Leader.」


  「Hyahha, I was hopin’ for somethin’ like this.」


  They said and took out their weapons.

  「I really didn’t think that we’d get a quest like this outside of the Fort City Leader.」


  「Hyahha, me neither. Defending a town….what’s more in such dire circumstances…it’s been quite a while.」


  The enemies began to approach.

  What’s more, there were quite a few.

  The adventurers—Shining Head in both name and practice—carefully observed them.

  「Hyahha, they’re comin’. But compared to Boss Daichi, this kind of pressure is nothing.」


  「Hahaha that’s for true. When our Leader who passed out says it, it’s got some real persuasive power.」


  「Ugh, as I said before…I was just overcome with admiration!」


  The skinhead man smiled wryly while sweating.

  「Hyahha, if it was before then we might shrink back before this army. This was because of that guy’s power.」


  At those words all of them nodded in agreement.

  「Anyways, let’s go! Even though this is only the commercial district and some distance away from the residential district, there are still quite a lot of people ya’ know?」


  「Yeah, there’s farming here and hunting. There’s gotta be quite a few who live around here.」


  「Hyahha…..then we’ve gotta protect them.」


  The skinhead adventurers took their stances.

  「We were welcomed into this town, given good sake, and good food. If we didn’t protect them then our name would be trash!」


  「YEAH!」


  「Let’s work off our sake and fire ourselves up.—Let’s GO! HYAHHA!」


  The adventurers turned to the monsters and charged.

  So began the defense of the Western line.