After she finished cleaning up the boar meat, Dianeia relaxed and made herself at home sitting on one of the chairs in my garden.

  She drank some tea that Sakura had brought out.

  「Thank you for your efforts Dianeia-san.」


  「Yeah, thank you Sakura-dono.」


  Because of the numerous times she had come to visit, they were able to interact on the level of acquaintances.

  「Thank you as well Daichi-dono. I’ll bring you the payment at the next available opportunity.」


  「Ok, it’s fine either way. But Dianeia, what did you come here for today?」


  Didn’t you come here for something more specific?

  「——-oh…yeah! I had something I needed to report to you.」


  「Report?」


  「Yeah, according to Anne-dono the monsters in the forest are becoming more active, but it also seems to be happening around the town.」


  Huh, that seems like a problem. I wonder if something’s happening underneath the town?

  「Umu. That’s why I came to warn you. It might not be dangerous for you, but I think you shouldn’t approach just in case.」


  「You came here to tell me that?」


  Dianeia nodded.

  She’s a really conscientious girl, isn’t she? Though this seems pretty roundabout. Anne could’ve just told me this or she could’ve sent a message.

  「Yes. But we were unable to determine when it would happen, so it turned into something like this….I’m sorry.」


  「You don’t need to apologize. Hmm…anyways, I don’t want to put myself in danger, so I’ll remember your advice.」


  I’ll tell Hesty and Sakura as well.

  「But will you be alright with the increase in monsters around the town?」


  「I can’t say it’ll be alright……but we have increased the number of defensive personnel so I think we’ll survive. We also have some more plans to deploy further around the entire town.」


  「Hm? They don’t surround the entire town yet?」


  「Yes, we don’t have enough to cover the border near the forest…so I’ve been doing the hunting there.」


  She was doing something like that? It seems difficult to be a princess…


  「I may be a princess, but I am also a Grand Mage (Archmage) so I have the duty to protect the town as well. This is just par for the course.—-Also this time is easier. We had enough time to set up our defenses.」


  No you didn’t! The border of the magic forest is completely undefended, isn’t it??

  「Nonono it’s fine. Within a day or so adventurers will come to reinforce us. After that, our defenses will be perfect.」


  「Oh? Is that so?」


  If she thinks It’ll be perfect then maybe it’ll happen.

  Be that as it may, it doesn’t have much to do with me.

  「Do your best in moderation Dianeia」


  「Ok, well then. With this I bid you——–」


  And as she was about to finish her customary farewell…


  —BOOM!—


  From within the forest an explosion happened.

  「What….was that?」


  「How should I know?」


  But somehow it looks like smoke is coming out of the forest now…


  「——this…..is it possible that this is the beginning of the monster outbreak?」


  Dianeia’s face became pale.

  This got serious quickly.

  「That’s right. There’s no way that things would always go my way…..I’m sorry Daichi-dono! Please excuse me! —《Teleport》!」


  She said and disappeared from my garden.

  *********************************

  「……man, what a busy lady.」


  「Well, Dianeia-san has her own circumstances.」


  This monster outbreak sounds dangerous.

  I should avoid approaching.

  All that’s left is telling Hesty.

  「Heey! Hesty.」


  As I was about to go to Hesty’s cabin I noticed something.

  「What the heck is that?」


  At the border between the forest and my garden…there was a small bipedal animal.

  Its entire body was pitch black and it had wings and sharp horns.

  It looked like a demon.

  「A monster huh?」


  「It appears so.」


  That monster was gathering a mass of jet-black flames in its hands and,

  「——」


  It casually threw it towards me.

  「So I guess it’s hostile…..Golem.」


  It was a dangerous so I summoned a golem to act as my shield.

  The tree golem blocked the black flame then approached the monster after being slightly scorched.

  And just like that it tried to knock the monster down but,

  「—Ki—」


  The monster moved nimbly like a monkey and dodged.

  Well, the golem was independently practically incapable of performing fine actions, so it couldn’t be helped.

  「It’s quite nimble huh? Then —Wood Armor—」


  So I’ll do it myself.

  I wore my wood armor and prepared to fire.

  What I would fire was the strong and hard wooden bullet.

  「Fire!」


  「!?」


  The high-speed bullet flew out and hit.

  [house-magic-vol2-15]

  The monster’s body was crushed.

  「Gieeee….」


  And with a groan it fell.

  It rapidly disappeared leaving only a black gem behind.

  「That was splendid Master!」


  「Mm, but something dropped.」


  「Magic stone….or at least it looks like one. It seems quite listless. It looks as though its body was made from the magic in this stone.」


  「Heh, what a strange creature.」


  As I picked up the black stone and looked at it,

  「n, it’s loud, did something, happen?」


  Hesty came out of the cabin.

  「Yeah, I beat some weird monster and this dropped.」


  I said and showed the stone to Hesty. Upon seeing it she knit her eyebrows in a frown.

  「This is a, dungeon demon magic stone. From the size, it should be a, Servant Demon. But why, would it be here?」


  「Is this strange?」


  「n…..there isn’t, a dungeon, around here. But this is something, that only dungeon monsters, drop. The dungeon monsters, might be breeding, in the forest.」


  Fumu fumu, I see. This might mean that the forest’s ecosystem is changing.

  「Will it have a negative influence on my home?」


  「n~n, no but…..dungeon monsters are combative and cunning. So, they’re a pain……see look over there.」


  Hesty pointed and there I saw another servant demon. It was quite a distance away but,

  「Wow, they really are hostile.」


  In its hand was another of the usual black flame ball.

  So, this is what she meant by combative?

  「They will, maintain a certain distance, and if you turn your back, they’ll throw fire, at you.」


  「What’s up with that harassment? Annoying.」


  「The fire is also, quite strong. Your golems, only get a bit scorched, but normally, they’d be burnt.」


  So, once they find you, they’ll continue to monotonously attack you forever. Plus, they’ll throw fire as soon as you turn your back?

  Honestly, they sound unbelievably irritating.

  「…….what a pain. I’ll go clean ‘em up Hesty.」


  「n, should I, help too?」


  「Yeah, if you see them around the house I’d like you to clear them away. I’ll do the interior.」


  「Understood」


  And so Hesty began running in the opposite direction.

  This way my house will be safe.

  All that’s left is to crush these annoyances.

  While I was synchronized with Sakura and the armor, I went into the forest to aim and fire.

  The wood bullet hit.

  Then the servant demon turned into a magic stone and fell to the ground.

  「Fuu, that should be the last one…..」


  Or so I thought, but further inside the forest I saw 2 more.

  Then they saw me…


  And they began throwing fireballs.

  「Ughhhhh…..ANNOYING….」


  「I wonder where they’re coming from.」


  「I don’t know where, but it’s annoying to go after them one by one. I’ll crush them if they come.」


  「Understood.」


  And so, Sakura and I ventured deeper into the forest while shooting down the servant demons.