Author's note:
※It's in third person view this time.
12-22. Royal Capital Chaos
In the chaos of the year-end Royal Capital that's like pandemonium hell.
"Dammit, my steel sword got chipped."
"Tsk, my spear too."
The unfortunate soldiers who've encountered one of the monsters in the Royal Capital are having a hard fight.
They're the first people who got in contact with the elephant-sized cricket monster that broke through the stone pavements.
Even though they're more heavily armed than usual, the burden is too heavy for soldiers who usually fight against criminals, the tide of battle is in favor of the monster.
However, their saviors come when they've been cornered.
A group of around 30 people from the other end of the street engage the monster.
"We've come to assist you! Leave the monster to us."
"Oh! Knight-sama, thank you very much."
The knight captain is holding a mithril alloy lance on one hand which he thrusts to the monster's face.
Red membrane that appeared from the monster's body stopped that attack, but it didn't chip the lance like it did to the soldiers' swords.
After a brief clash, the red membrane cracks like a glass.
However the lance that's been resisted by the red membrane glides through the monster's head, missing its target.
"So this is red rope."
The knight rides the force and runs past through the monster.
The remaining knights began to charge following their captain.
However, the monster isn't simply waiting around to be defeated.
The monster who was fighting with its forelegs and antennas before, began to ram the knights with its body.
Like an arrow shot from its bow, the monster sends the knights flying.
Half of the knights were sent flying, and several fell from their horses, but protected by their bulky armors and tempered muscles, no one dies.
In the bloodied views of the fallen knights, a town girl stands before the monster.
"Nuoo, you monster! Your opponent is me, you damn toilet insect!"
A knight mustered his strength to stand up, and threw provoking words toward the monster at the limit of his soul.
The monster turns its attention from the town girl who's right in front of it toward the knight.
"Good kid, you really are a boy. I'll lend a hand so rest for a bit now."
The town girl tells so as if she's explaining things to a kid, and spins the broom on her hand.
Apparently the town girl intends to fight the monster.
The monster's antennas are attacking like whips, but the town girl skillfully parry to the right and left.
The monster attacks again with its forelegs but the town girl nimbly jumps, avoiding them.
"R-run. It's not an opponent that can be fought with a broom."
"It's al~right, leave it to~ me."
There's a recognition inhibition veil like a traveling noble would wear on the face of the town girl who's sending a v sign toward the knight.
The town girl hits the monster's head from below with the tip of the broom on her hand.
As if stroke by a hammer swung by a giant, the monster's head bends backward vigorously.
"Wha, impossible."
Words to escape from reality leaked from the mouth of the knight who saw an unreal scene like it was from a comedy show such as hero stories.
The town girl strikes continuously for three times more to the monster's chin.
The monster crashes to a house on the side of the road, the building turns into debris and dust cloud.
"Achaa, wonder if someone will demand compensation for this."
While the town girl is worrying such an out-of-place thing, the knights have begun to raise their bodies one after another, setting up their weapons toward the monster.
They have wounds all over their bodies, but their knights' honor won't allow them to let women and children fight.
"The knights of Shiga Kingdom are in good health even when the era has changed huh."
The town girl crosses her arms and nods proudly.
Even while being buried under the debris, the monster's antennas attack the knights skilfully. Sparks come flying every time the knights block the antennas with their swords and shields.
"Yo~sh, here's a present from Onee-san! I rarely do this kind of service okay."
When the town girl waves her hand with the broom, the knights' swords are wrapped in light.
If there were someone with Appraisal skill, they would see that it was the advanced force magic spell, [Divine Blade].
The knight captain receives the attacking antennas of the monster that's under the debris.
The antenna was flicked and sparks would fly just before, but now, the antenna is cut the moment the sword touches it.
"I can't believe it!"
After seeing that, another knight stabs the monster's body with a lance.
The lance easily pierces through the monster's body like a tofu.
"Mito, what are you playing at. Our enemy has appeared y'know."
"Ah, Ten-chan. If it's enemy, it's skewered over there see?"
A woman with long silver hair and wise gaze gets down from the roof to beside the town girl.
Her face is hidden with recognition inhibition veil like the town girl, but all the knights in this place are convinced that the face hidden behind the veil is beautiful.
"...Look at that."
The silver haired points at the sky with her shirauo-like finger.
Lured by that, people who look at the sky see the magic circle that's spread in the sky of the Royal Capital.
"Uwah, that's dangerous."
"The floating violet hair over there is probably the mastermind behind this disturbance. Let's get rid of it quickly."
The silver-haired woman points at the center of the magic circle, but the knights aren't seeing anyone there.
However, it seems the town girl called Mito is able to see it.
"Floating in the air huh. I guess it's really a demon lord candidate?"
"Dunno, we'll know if it's a friend or foe if we just fight. If it's a demon or a demon lord, simply destroy it."
The silver haired woman who said some dangerous words holds a brusque great sword with one hand, and then jumped to the roof from the road, going away.
"W-wait a minute~"
The town girl puts her broom on her armpit, holds the hem of her long skirts with both hands and chases after the woman.
◇
"Your Majesty, tonight the monsters are reported to appear on more than seven locations."
The Prime Minister tells the report from the messenger.
Considering the most was two monsters up until now, it's probably okay to deem this abnormal.
"Is that so...."
After a rock-like silent elapses for a moment, the king declares his decision.
"Generals, notify every knight order to prepare for sortie. Put them in stand by without exception, do not let them sortie in a hurry because of their desire for meritorious deeds."
"""At your will."""
The generals send messengers to the transmission towers.
The transmission towers are used to contact the knight garrison outside the outer wall by using light magic.
"Leader of Royal Court Magicians, let Shiga 33 Wands to search for enemies in the whole Royal Capital. See that they know it comes from me, and to every transmission towers, without exception."
"At your will. ...However, as I understand, our duty as Shiga 33 Wands is to be the greatest weapon of the kingdom. His Majesty--"
In a serious tone, the king interrupts the royal court magician leader who's protesting.
"Leader of Royal Court Magicians, this is a royal order."
"....We will undertake the royal order."
The royal court magician falls prostrate with an unpleasant face, he looks to be the very picture of someone who's going to disobey.
The prime minister who has sharply seen through it, follows up.
"Leader of Royal Court Magicians, the enemy befitting of your role as the weapon has yet to appear. The one that lurks behind this matter is most likely--"
The prime minister is leading Royal Court Magician Leader who's holding his breath, and then he continues with a clear face.
"A greater demon, or perhaps...."
Royal Court Magician Leader lifts his head and mutters as if he's delirious.
"I will carry out Your Majesty's order with utmost importance!"
Royal Court Magician Leader raises the national treasure handed down by the Ancient King [Holy Wand Ophalian] overhead and then leaves gallantly.
He never notices the cold gazes from the surrounding.
When the messenger reports the 10th appearance of the monster, the king stands up from his throne.
"Prime Minister, I'm going to use 『Communique Space』 to order the citizens to evacuate."
"At your will."
The prime minister orders the chamberlains and the maids to start activating the [Communique Space] made by Ancient King Yamato, and the preparation for the king's ritual.
◇
『My dear people--』
The figure of the king is projected in the royal capital's air, overlapping the eerie magic circle. His voice comes from every transmission towers in the royal capital.
As far as the royal capital's people can remember, this function has never been used except for new year congratulatory and coronation ceremonies.
『Demons, to our Royal Capital--』
However, there are only a few people who look up at the figure of the king projected in the sky.
The people of the royal capital are desperately running away from the monsters that appeared on every place in the royal capital right before this broadcast.
It seems the king's broadcast for evacuating is slightly too late....
◇
"Oy, how many are alive?"
"Dunno, any potion left? Can't feel my left hand since awhile ago."
"Used all those things up already."
The half-killed knights behind the debris are exchanging words without vigor. The arm of the knight with pale face is seriously injured to the point like it'll torn off.
Their shields are broken, their swords' blades are too chipped, they're no difference than blunt weapons.
Five pill bug monsters on the other side of the street are swinging their antennas around, looking for the knights.
"I'll take at least one of them with me--"
"Don't be impatient. Raiss, aren't you marrying your childhood friend next week?"
"Yeah, I'd like to look at her face at least one more time..."
The knight stopped talking halfway.
A different pill bug has appeared from the opposite side of a collapsed house.
"Tsk."
The knights hold their dull swords and stand.
However as if ridiculing their determinations, the same kind of monsters roll from behind that pill bug toward them, one after another.
"You're kidding me...."
"Hah, come at me."
The rock-like monsters roll toward the bluffing knight--
However, before they could reach the knights, the monsters are struck by invisible hammers from overhead accompanied with roaring sound.
Red membranes appeared on the monsters' surface for an moment, but they were blown away in a flash, and then concentric circle-shaped cracks appeared on their hard shells.
Strong wind from the after-effect of that shock waves pushed the wall near the knights.
It seems the impacts reached deep inside the monsters, every monster has fallen and rolled sideway, they don't seem like they'll get up.
"Uwoo"
"W-was that 『Air Hammer』 just now?"
"....No, it should be a higher class of magic. Rather than that, let's escape during this chance."
"Sorry but run away by yourself, don't think I can get up."
"Shut up, I'll carry you on my shoulder."
The user of this magic doesn't seem concerned with the hot friendship of these knights either.
Next, transparent [Javelins]-like magic come flying toward a monster--it seems the aim is to finish it, the magic hits on the center of the crack on the shell made by the shock waves earlier.
While making 'Zofuri' sound, the transparent javelin slips through the monster body.
The next moment, muffled plosive sound echoes from inside the monster's body, then its body swells like the internal pressures pushing outside for an instant, and then red light leaks out from the gaps of the monster's shell.
And then, such inhumanly accurate attack befalls on every monster in this place.
The monsters are reduced to corpses with just that one attack, joining the objects such as debris in that place.
"....In just two strikes?!"
"Just, what the heck's this?"
A speck that flew from one of the monsters body together with the red light falls to the floor where one of the knight's forehead lays.
The knight picks that up, it's a red stone that's like a fragment of a magic core.
The knights never know--
The first magic was a non-lethal elementary force magic called [Remote Stun].
And the second magic was an elementary force magic, [Remote Arrow].
Above all, the second strike sniped the magic cores that were inside the monsters, rupturing the magic cores from the inside by overloading it.
--The knights never know.
There are things better left unknown in this world for the peace of your mind.
◇
"Oy, we've witnessed a miracle and all. Let's live on until we can thank the magician who saved us."
"....You're right."
The knight encouraged his co-worker as brightly as possible, but his partner knight's face has gone past pale, the darkish color of the death are floating on it.
Right at then, someone sprinkles cold water.
"What are you doing!"
What the knight, who reflexively shouted at such a miscreant conduct, sees is a small knight who's wearing golden armor under its pink mantle.
It doesn't seem to understand why the knight is exasperated, the golden knight who sits while holding its small knees inclines its head in puzzlement.
The knight who was going to catch the golden knight is stopped by his partner knight who was dying just now.
And that's with the arm that was going to be torn off just now.
"Calm down.... It was a magic potion."
The golden knight peers at the knight who's sitting on the ground from below.
"Your hand alright?"
"Thank you. It's really an amazing medicine."
"You can have this~?"
The golden knight hands a small bag with three magic medicines inside.
"Is it alright?"
"Supply support~?"
The golden knight nodded to the questioning knight.
"I am indebted."
"Don't worry be happy~?"
The golden knight looks restless for a bit, and then it disappears only to appear on the other side of the street.
Apparently, the golden knight is doing the same thing over there.
Pink mantles and bandannas become popular items as good luck charm among the soldiers and the knights who were saved by the golden knight's medicines at this day.
◇
"Has the hell's lid been opened?"
"What do we do Yasaku. That one's dangerous. My body is tingling all over."
"Yeah, according to Rin Jou-chan who saw it ahead of time, it's 『Floor Master』 class."
Some explorers are peeking from behind the remain of a wall toward the big frame of the giant tree-like monster that has turned a section of the city into debris during the little time since it appeared. There are citizens they're protecting behind them.
"Can we win if the Mithril explorers gather here?"
"Baro, you know that it's impossible."
A man with stubble shook his head toward his witch companion's words.
"All the people who were present when those guys defeated the 『Floor Master』 aren't all here. Even the preparation is far off. Besides--"
He cuts his words and points at the two same-class monsters that have appeared. A pink dango-like monster, and a silver monster with a human body, six arms, and a crocodile head.
There are also several small bipedal monsters around them.
"Oh--N--o--"
The big-breasted explorer who's wearing priestess uniform points her bishop wand to one of the monsters that have appeared with a carefree voice like it's not a grave situation.
"That's--a deemon--,moreover--at the very least--a middle clas demon--. The ones--around it--seem to be--lesser demons too."
"Demons huh, leaving aside the small fry lesser ones, the middle class is bad news."
One of the explorers, a magic warrior with handsome face raises his eyebrows looking at the demon.
He can says that the lesser demons are small fry since his level is high, they're formidable enemies for normal army.
"It looks strong nanodesu!"
"Don't be careless so I advise."
"Let's go you two."
When the explorers look at the out-of-place voices, three people wrapped in golden armors are standing before the big monster that's been classified as [Floor Master] class.
One of them has small build, either a dwarf or a child.
"When did they...."
Featherkin children wearing masks suddenly appear in the air in front of the muttering explorers.
"Please evacuate before it's too late, we will guide you."
"Lead~"
The featherkin children with silver armors called the explorers.
They've decided to trust the words of these beckoning children and leave the place.
Behind them--
There are the figures of the golden knights who fell the giant tree monster like felling a decayed tree, while leaving blue tracks of light.
The knight who chantlessly uses advanced magic like the hero, the spear knight who freely uses the concealed secret art (hi-ougi) of the Shiga Eight Swords' Chief, [Magic Edge Cannon], in rapid fire to restraint it, and the small knight who uses a great sword with blue light assaulting the giant tree and making big holes on it while moving erratically.
They escape from the peril while looking with sidelong glances at the unreal anomalous knight like it's a daydream tale.
On later days a rumor has begun circulating, 'aren't the real identities of the golden knights who saved the royal capital the Pendragon Seven Braves headed by the lizardkin spear user who smashed the shiga eight sword...'
The king announces the identities of the golden knights during the new-year congratulatory broadcast.
Their true identities are--
Author's note:
It's Satou's point of view in the next chapter.
●Profiles
【Mito】 A woman who appeared on Zena's intermissions. Fought against a lesser dragon, and won.
【Ten-chan】 A person who appeared only in name on Zena's intermissions. It seems she lives at Fujisan Mountains.
【Yasaku】 An unfortunate explorer who's linked by fate with greater demons one way or another.
【Shiga 33 Wands】 Royal Court Magician people.
【Golden Armors】 Identities unknown. There are witnesses who saw it in Labyrinth City.