Preparing to Attack

  Goran stayed like that for a while. He was thinking about whether or not he should allow Serulis to go.

  As we knew it was a serious matter, the rest of us remained quiet.

  However, Grulf alone looked happy as he lapped at my hand.

  And then Goran opened his eyes.

  “Locke. Eric.”


  “What?”


  “She will slow us down……are you fine with that?”


  “.……I don’t mind. You decide, Goran.”


  “I don’t mind either. Serulis is a good fighter.”


  “I’m sorry.”


  Then Goran looked at Serulis.

  “Let me be clear. I don’t think that you are ready, Serulis.”


  “Yes.”


  “But if you still want to come with us, you have to understand what that means.”


  “Yes! I do!”


  “Then you can come.”


  “Thank you!”


  Once that was settled, I turned to Kathe.

  “What about you? Will you come, Kathe? Or will you stay as part of the defense team?”


  “Indeed…… It is a tough decision.”


  Kathe said as she looked towards Leea, Grand Chamberlain Morris and Nia.

  “Hmm. We don’t know how large a scale this attack will be, or if there will even be an attack…… But I am sure your team will be fine, Locke. Considering all the possibilities, I think I shall stay here.”


  “I see. It will be a great relief to me to know you are here.”


  “Indeed. Indeed!”


  Kathe said with satisfaction.

  Leea also looked happy about this decision.

  “So Sister Kathe is going to stay with me?”


  “Indeed I am! And Nia can play with us too.”


  “Yes.”


  Nia said with a smile. Dorgo looked conflicted.

  He wanted to scold her about wanting to play at such a time, but it was hard for him to do so in front of Nia.

  “Your Majesty. Please show the appropriate amount of gravity towards the situation.”


  After mulling over it, he decided to admonish her not as his daughter, but as the ruler.

  “I know that. Now, I would also like for Grulf to stay with us.”


  “Grr? Groof!”


  But Grulf clearly wanted to go with me.

  He now wrapped his paws around my right hand.

  “Well, it looks like he’d rather come with us.”


  “I see. That is truly unfortunate.”


  I took Grulf’s paw and looked at him.

  “Grulf. Are you sure? There will be lots of running you know?”


  “Groof!”


  “And lots of enemies……”


  “Groof!”


  His resolve could not be shaken.

  After that, we prepared to attack.

  Shia contacted the chiefs of the beastkin tribes and they made their own preparations.

  Dorgo and Eric chose a shield and began the work of turning it into a teleportation device.

  I called Philly from the mansion and she helped them.

  Eric tried picking up the shield.

  “It is a little on the heavy side……”


  “Still, if we made it any smaller, it would not be usable as a teleportation circle.”


  Dorgo said. And he was an expert in such things.

  “I see…… Well, it cannot be helped then. I should be able to manage, even if it is a little heavy.”


  “Your Majesty, may I speak?”


  Philly said in a very nervous voice.

  “Philly. Say whatever you want. This is not a public place. You do not have to act like that here.”


  “Thank you. If we were to use a shield that was made of an orichalcum and mithril alloy instead of steel……”


  “I see. Yes, that would be lighter without compromising its strength…… Still, it will take too long if we had to buy one or search for one now.”


  “I have a shield from before that I made as a test. I can bring it to you now. If you wish it……”


  And so it was decided that we would use an old test shield Philly had made.

  In the meantime, I went with Leea and Grand Chamberlain Morris to inspect the area surrounding the settlement.

  As I was sure that Grulf would run around and get tired, I made him wait at the palace.

  “I have enhanced the intruder detection magic for now.”


  “Thank you.”


  “But it might get annoying, as it will detect every little weak monster that gets in……”


  “Considering the circumstances, it is no problem. Thank you.”


  “However, it cannot detect deactivated magic machines, so please be careful.”


  “Yes. We will be very cautious.”


  I enhanced the magic and connected it to the bracelets that Leea and Morris wore.

  “Thank you, Ruck.”


  “You be careful too, Leea.”


  “I will!”


  And then we returned to the water dragon palace.

  “Oh, Ruck. You’re back.”


  “Is that the teleportation shield?”


  “It is. Pretty nice, eh? I think Philly has a knack for smithing as well.”


  Eric held the shield up and swung his sword in the air.

  He was testing it to see how it felt.

  It was a simple, undecorated shield that was practical and in a beautiful platinum color.

  The teleportation circle that was connected to the shield was placed in a small shed outside of the settlement. It was then surrounded by magic barriers, just in case the enemy got their hands on the shield.

  Just then, Shia came running.

  “I have additional news from the beastkin tribes. It is about the location of the enemy base. They wanted me to tell His Majesty.”


  Shia pointed to the place on the map.

  “Oh?”


  “Not only is this area protected by lots of concealing magic, but vampires are crawling all over the place.”


  “Well, there is clearly something there. In any case, we can figure that out after we have crushed them. Give my thanks to the beastkin.”


  “Thank you, Your Majesty!”


  Shia began to talk to someone on her bracelet.

  Apparently, the beastkin had them too.

  I watched her and then said,

  “Well then, we should hurry.”


  “I can take you on my back as a dragon.”


  Dorgo was fast enough that even if the enemy saw us coming, they would not have enough time to prepare.

  “Let’s go then.”


  And so it was decided.