The Day After the Attack
After we ate breakfast, Dorgo said,
âIf itâs true that they are not only making the Foolâs Stone, but also magic machines... It may no longer be enough to just defend this place.â
âThat being said, we cannot allow the defense of the settlement to weaken either.â
Eric was right.
We didnât know when there would be another attack.
âSo weâll have to continue to defend this place while searching for their base.â
I said. Goran groaned.
âMmmm. You say that. But how can we find it? It will be hard to use Adventurers, you know?â
With the dark ones, especially vampires, there was always the issue of Charm.
It was a horrible fear, that Adventurers could be charmed or turned into thralls.
And if they put up a public request at the guild, then the dark ones would find out about it.
They may even set up a trap.
âPerhaps we will have to ask Shia and the beastkin wolves.â
âWe could send an A-rank Adventurers party on a secret mission. The kingdom will pay them.â
âIn that case... Well, it could work.â
Kathe had been silent up until now, but she now spoke with a grave look.
âI shall search from the sky as well.â
âWill you be able to find anything from so high up?â
âSurely it is better than not searching at all.â
In general, Kathe had a lot of time to spare. So it was good that she had some work to do.
âKathe. Thank you.â
âLeave it to me!â
We continued to talk after that.
Ultimately, it was decided that Eric, Goran, and Dorgo would search for the enemy base.
Of course, Eric and Goran would be searching for it by sending out their subordinates.
âI will try to stay around here as much as possible.â
âRuck, thank you.â
Leea said happily.
As Eric had duties at the palace, he returned in a hurry.
I also needed to return to the mansion to make preparations.
And so we all went outside of the palace.
âAh, Mister Ruck!â
âThank you for what you did last night!â
The water dragons all came running towards us.
There were about thirty of them today. The rest were probably on watch duty.
âHas anyone been hurt?â
âNo one has, thanks to you! Everyone is fine.â
âNo one was hurt badly. At worst, they will heal in a week.â
âThatâs good.â
It was an intense battle. They could not avoid some damage.
âBut all you water dragons were amazing. Not only did you fight the lesser and arch vampires, but you fought ten magic machines without anyone getting badly wounded.â
âEhehe.â
âOh, it was nothing.â
The water dragons all looked bashful at one. Their tails wagged up and down.
âMister Ruck, your apprentices were great too.â
âThey did so much!â
They were probably talking about Nia.
When I asked them, they apparently meant Serulis, Shia and Nia.
âWe cannot help but miss some of the small vampires.â
âAh, I see. Yes, Iâm sure itâs easy to miss them when dealing with the magic machines.â
There were similar ambushes when I, Dorgo and Morris were fighting near the gate.
When we focused on the evil dragons, a vampire would suddenly appear.
Lesser vampires could not turn into mist, but arch vampires could.
It would be very dangerous to be attacked by arch vampires when you were distracted by the machines.
âIt was those times when Miss Shia, Miss Serulis or Miss Nia would help us.â
As they talked about this, Leea started to pull at my sleeve.
âI did a lot too.â
âReally? Thatâs amazing.â
âYes. It was quite impressive.â
Kathe agreed. Apparently, Leea had fought as well.
âYou think so too, sister Kathe?â
âI do. I do.â
âEhehehe.â
Then Leea said,
âSerulis, Shia and Nia also did so well for being so small.â
âWell, dragons and Vampire Lords aside, lesser and arch vampires are no match for the likes of them.â
âExactly! It was amazing!â
âBut you did well too, Leea?â
âYes, but I am big. Shia and the others are small but amazing.â
Leea was very impressed by them.
After that, Kathe and Dorgo flew away and I returned to the mansion.
Milka was waiting for me there.
âWelcome back! Will you be eating breakfast?â
âNo, sorry. I already ate.â
âI see.â
Luchila, Lord Gerberga, and Tama also came out.
âHow was it?â
âCluck-cluck.â
Lord Gerberga flapped his wing and flew into my arms.
I hugged him tightly.
Tama ran in a circle around me. I petted Tama as well.
âI would like to tell Philly as well, so can you gather everyone together?â
âYou want me to call Master Philly? Leave it to me!â
Milka ran off.
Everyone quickly gathered together in the drawing-room.
Milka, Luchila, Lord Gerberga, Philly and Tama.
And then Shia, Nia, and Serulis joined us.
And so I explained to them what had happened the previous night.