The Alliance’s Knight Order was constantly stationed on the floor we were using while we stayed at Fortress Tilia . After we left the room, Lily and I went towards Silane accompanied by one of the knights in the corridor .

We walked down the empty pa.s.sage .

The thick stone wall was broken in places, and pieces of the wall laid scattered about every now and then . This area had still been left untouched .

“Ah . That reminds me . ” (Lily)

Along the way, Lily suddenly spoke up .

“Rose said something before she left the room . ‘I have a request for Master’ . ” (Lily)

“A request?” (Majima)

“Yep . She said that she wanted to examine more magic stones . ” (Lily)

The “magic stone” Lily spoke of here was a stone that could cause a magical phenomenon, such as creating light or water .

Unique patterns were carved depending on the respective use, and some required special training to use, but they had an advantage: even those that couldn’t use magic could use them by pouring in magical power .

However, it seemed their effects were quite limited, and apart from the few simple magic stones in circulation, they were very expensive . Also, there were very few craftsmen capable of carving them . Some were so valuable that they were never to be taken off the premises, and others had their manufacturing method lost, like the barrier magic stone that protected the mountain hut I had visited before .

“Rose did, huh……come to think of it, she did act like she was interested in them . ” (Majima)

After seeing the conclusion (the attack on Fortress Tilia, the ‘Scouting Corps’ Juumonji’s death, and Kudō’s escape), Rose returned to the fortress with us, and had taken an interest in magic stones .

As a Wooden Puppet, she had the ability to make magic tools; it was no surprise that she was interested in technology she had no knowledge of . Yesterday, it appeared she had detached the lighting magic stone installed in the room, and then examined it .

“She wants to see other types of things besides the lighting magic stone . She said that she’d be glad if it was an unprocessed one, if possible . ” (Lily)

“Unprocessed? Is she going to try crafting one herself?” (Majima)

“She said she wanted to do that if she could, but if she couldn’t then she’s fine with just examining it . It looked like there was something else on her mind, though . ” (Lily)

“Being clear about what she wants must be hard for Rose . ” (Majima)

“It seems she still has no faith in herself . Actually, I think it’s precisely because she has no faith in herself that she wanted to check with you, Master . ” (Lily)

I see . So that’s the reason, huh? I nodded once .

“Then, after listening to Silane, I think I’ll ask her . ” (Majima)

“Yep . Let’s do that . ” (Lily)

While we talked, we arrived at the room close to the floor we were staying on .

We pa.s.sed by several knights coming out from it .

The girl saw them off, and then faced this way . The elven girl was wearing an eyepatch, and her blue eyes recognized Lily and I…or rather, her now only one eye did .

“So you’ve come, Takahiro-dono . Good morning . ” (Silane)

“Morning, Silane . You look busy . ” (Majima)

We exchanged greetings, and I sat down next to Lily in the chair Silane advised me to sit in .

“Not at all . Leader is the busy one, not me . Right now, I have wrapped up today’s work . ……How are you doing?” (Silane)

“My fatigue’s gone . More importantly, how are you doing, Silane?” (Majima)

“Thank you for your concern . As of now, no problems in particular have appeared . ” (Silane)

Silane smiled after saying so, but I wasn’t able to feel relieved .

Silane and I had both walked the line between life and death at the same area of carnage, but the circ.u.mstances we had were completely different . She was killed in the battle of two days ago . Forget walking it, she had crossed it and seen the other side .

After that, she’d awakened as an undead monster due to her tenacious will, and though she had degraded into a mindless Ghoul for a while, she’d regained consciousness and was now smiling here .

The Tragedy of the Undead King Carl, revered as a legend in this world, was about a king that had retained his sanity, even after he’d become a powerful undead monster known as a Lich . That anecdote was now treated as just a fairy tale, but Silane proved that it could have been possible .

Silane was currently something between a Lich and a Ghoul……she could be called a『Half Lich』, so to speak . Naturally, there were no previous cases of this in the past, and further observation was required .

“I am fine . As you can see, I can even call small spirits now . ” (Silane)

Silane pointed overhead, where a child-like clay doll-looking spirit was floating .

Among the Elves, there were those referred to as『Spirit Users』who could use spirits as the characteristic ability of their race . Silane was one of them, and what was floating above her was one of her contracted small spirits .

Her magical power had become unstable after she’d become a Half Lich, so summoning a spirit could only be called “impossible”, but it appeared that she’d become able to use spirit magic again in just two days . She wasn’t the strongest knight in the monster-infested Northern Sea of Trees for nothing .

“Though it is a bit embarra.s.sing, summoning one still takes up all of my power; asking it to search for enemies around me is likely impossible . As for that, I will have to gradually adjust . ” (Silane)

“As long as you’re doing well, that’s fine……please tell me if something happens . There may be something I can do . ” (Majima)

Silane, now an undead monster, originally had a personality as a human being . Her circ.u.mstances were a lot different from Lily and my family, who were monsters with the same will . I could hardly call her “my family” .

But at the same time, her being of the same quality as my monster family was a fact . When a problem came up, I might be able to help her somehow .

And even if she wasn’t my family, my feeling of wanting to help her didn’t change . I liked this n.o.ble elf girl enough to where I could think that .

“Thank you . ” (Silane)

Smiling broadly, Silane thanked me, and the question at hand arrived .

“So, the reason you came here today was to hear about the current state of the fortress……correct?” (Silane)

“Yeah . I heard from Leader-san the day before yesterday that a general plan would be decided by today . Could you also talk about that?” (Majima)

“Very well . ” (Silane)

Silane nodded, and then began speaking about the fortress’ current state .

“First is the burial of the deceased . It seems it will take several days as expected The people of the army are mainly the ones working, but there is a limit to the number of personnel that can move, and we have to watch out for Ghouls . ” (Silane)

“There’s no helping that . ……Have any Ghouls appeared?” (Majima)

“There were two that turned into Ghouls yesterday . Both were dealt with . The Alliance’s Knights immediately rushed over, so the damage ended with only a few people dying . ” (Silane)

“I see . ” (Majima)

“It might’ve been different if I was there”, that thought briefly crossed my mind .

……That’d be difficult . There was no way there would be so many cases like Silane . And even if there was, if they didn’t dispose of the Ghouls and tried to stop them from eating people, the damage would needlessly increase . That would be putting the cart before the horse .

Silane’s case was an exception . I knew that, but I couldn’t give up hoping .

“It is known that the rate of Ghouls will increase as time pa.s.ses, so we have to decrease the number of corpses as quickly as we can . It is regretful that we cannot give them proper funerals, but……” (Silane)

“Is there anything we can do to help?” (Majima)

“No . That would……” (Silane)

Silane’s expression clouded, and her words trailed off .

Lily elbowed me next to me . It appeared I’d said something unnecessary .

“Sorry . I didn’t mean to bother you . ” (Majima)

“……My apologies . ” (Silane)

“You don’t have to apologize . You weren’t in the wrong . ” (Majima)

I scratched my head . Just because I didn’t mind it didn’t mean the person I was talking to didn’t as well . I needed to reflect on this a little .

“Anyway, back on track . Knowing the current situation is important . It’s fine, so can you please tell me? ……What do the survivors of the fortress…think of me?” (Majima)

The humans of this fortress knew I had the ability to lead monsters .

The Alliance’s Knights I fought alongside naturally knew this, and there were some who’d seen us moving throughout the fortress, albeit only a few . Hiding that was no longer a possibility .

Monsters were the greatest threat for mankind .

In the long history of humanity, their fear was deeply rooted in human instinct, the targets of hatred and rage that had actually taken away the lives of many important people .

That was why in this world, there was a history of persecution of the race where spirit users came from one after another—the Elves . They were “a subspecies of monsters”, a “traitor of mankind” .

There was no way the residents of a world like that would not feel disgust towards monster tamers, the ones who lead the very beings . That general notion wasn’t something that could be changed overnight .

Silane, an elven spirit user, would know best about this . Her eyebrows hung and she made a smile .

“If I am being honest, I think they are confused . After all, an ability to turn monsters into allies is unheard of, even for a summoned hero . ” (Silane)

Her expressing it as “confusion” made me think of a set of scales . Unstably tipping this way and then that way .

If I tried to stabilize it and failed, it may end up toppling over . Thoughtlessly getting involved was something I couldn’t do…… .

This was another reason why I had taken up the disposal of the monsters’ corpses .

Regardless of the Alliance’s Knights all unified under Leader’s will, we couldn’t work alongside the soldiers of the Empire’s Army .

The single compartment we reserved and the fact that the Alliance’s Knights were protecting it wasn’t just VIP treatment . In fact, the Alliance’s Knights were acting as a buffer between me and the fortress’ soldiers .

“In this world’s long history of transferees, only Kudō and I have had this ability . It’s no wonder that it isn’t accepted easily . I was prepared from the beginning, and it’s better than I thought it would be . ” (Majima)

To rephrase it, this world was not yet ready to accept me, someone who led Lily and my family of monsters .

Humans weren’t heartless robots . They had their own sense of values . “When in Rome, do as the Romans do”……the nuance would be a little different if it was like that, but if I tried to force them to accept me, it would only cause chaos . Both sides would just end up unhappy . That would be nothing but willfulness .

At the very least, as long as we didn’t do anything strange then they wouldn’t interfere . That was plenty .

“……Actually, I thought there’d be more rejection . ” (Majima)

“After that battle, many people were rescued by you and them, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane)

Like Silane said, two days ago we confirmed that Kudō had left, and then worked with the Alliance’s Knights to rescue the survivors of the fortress . Some were healed by Lily with recovery magic, and others were dragged out from the rubble . Naturally, a lot of screaming happened .

“As you killed Juumonji Tatsuya and made Riku Kudō retreat, it could be said that everyone in the fortress was saved by you guys, but……having your life saved firsthand does leave quite the lasting impression . I cannot say for sure that there is no one feeling any animosity towards you, Takahiro-dono, but I do think that they are few in number . Few enough that I believe we can take care of them . However, I am sorry that this is all we can do . ” (Silane)

“It’s fine, I appreciate it . ……Speaking of which, is there anyone dissatisfied in the Alliance’s Knights?” (Majima)

“The Alliance’s Third Knight Order is made up of personnel chosen by Leader, and I, an elf, am the Deputy Head . There was never a dissatisfied person to begin with . ……Though, thanks to that, Leader is partly treated as an elf-loving weirdo . ” (Silane)

“I see . So that’s why both you and Mikihiko were captivated by her?” (Majima)

My shoulders shook with laughter .

Silane smiled, showing she agreed, and then looked this way with a calm gaze .

“Takahiro-dono, what will you do after this?” (Silane)

“……What…will I do?” (Majima)

“As soon as we finish burying the dead, we will abandon Fortress Tilia . ” (Silane)

My breath caught a little at her words .

“I see . Leader-san…made that decision, right?” (Majime)

“Correct . Currently, only about two-thirds of the survivors can move normally . Maybe half or so of which can fight . I said this earlier, but everyone is so exhausted that even if someone had ill intentions towards you, they do not even have the energy to try and harm you . ” (Silane)

Recovery magic wasn’t omnipotent .

For example, Lily’s third-rank recovery magic could reattach severed limbs if the conditions were right . However, she couldn’t do anything for a limb eaten by a monster .

And, this “third-rank” was the highest cla.s.s of magic that a human of this world could reach . Even in Fortress Tilia the only one who could use that was Silane, but now that she had become an undead monster she’d lost her recovery magic . There were many cases where the treatment was too late, and for many people fighting was out of the question . They needed rehabilitation .

“To make matters worse, one of the great heroes……in particular, Tatsuya Juumonji of the ‘Scouting Corps’, turned traitor . He was someone well known by the soldiers . Naturally, that was a huge shock . Some are confused, thinking ‘there’s no way a great hero could do such a thing’ . ” (Silane)

“But, that’s the truth . ” (Majima)

“Indeed . We saw it with our own eyes, and there are a few people that survived in the inner wall, though they are in the army . That is why many people are beaten . ” (Silane)

We transferees were treated as heroes in this world .

The heroes were this world’s hope, and they were even the support of their mostly religious hearts . The reality of this world was so harsh that they couldn’t live without having faith in a certain hope—the heroes .

If those heroes were to use their powers for selfish reasons, they would be shocked and confused . Their hearts breaking wouldn’t be out of the question .

Now that the battle remained fresh in their minds and the threat of Ghouls was still looming, they were managing to hold out, but once that ended it was unclear what would happen .

Taking that into account, it may be more amazing that they were diligently working now . A large part of that was due to Leader-san’s ability to direct them, though .

She gave them strong encouragement “You guys are still soldiers that protect humanity, are you not? Get up!”, not even giving the soldiers time to fall to their knees and hang their heads . She was definitely trying to get the soldiers to evacuate while they could still move .

“The fortress’ facilities are almost all completely destroyed . Large-scale repairs are needed, but this will take thousands of people and several years and months of careful rebuilding . There is nothing that we can do here now . ” (Silane)

“……It’s impossible to defend this vast, hole-filled fortress with a few hundred or so people, you mean?” (Majima)

“Correct . We have already sent messengers with a request for aid, but it takes three to four days to get to the nearest town even by horse . And then it will take even more time for reinforcements to come . If we were to stay like this, it would only increase the damage in vain . ” (Silane)

“Which is why you’re evacuating . ” (Majima)

Silane nodded, and the shadow of gloom fell over her expression .

She had risked her life until now fighting to protect Fortress Tilia, the wall of the human world . This decision would mean abandoning that, so it was no different than heartbreak for the knights—including her .

“Fortunately, the number of monsters in this area has been reduced dramatically, if only for this moment . Within ten days, new monsters will come from the surrounding areas, but the evacuation should still be in time . ” (Silane)

“Kudō attacked with all the monsters here, after all . That decreased their numbers, right?” (Majima)

“Yes . There will not be a reconstruction plan if the fortress has become the home of undead monsters, so the burial of the deceased will at least be finished, but Leader has decided that as soon as that is done, we will depart from the fortress . ” (Silane)

Suuuu . Silane took in a breath . It was slightly tense, but her expression was stiff .

“In that case…I would like you to come with us, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane)

“If you want me to help, then of course I’ll cooperate . ” (Majima)

“I see, so she’s heard about my future plans, huh?”, I thought in my mind .

Nearly five hundred people would move in the evacuation of Fortress Tilia’s survivors .

The road through the Sea of Trees was used by the army, and it seemed that some extent of maintenance and safety were guaranteed, but it was still difficult to eliminate all encounters with monsters . Considering that the people in Fortress Tilia were what kept that safety in the first place, you couldn’t deny the danger along the way . If we were there, we might be able to reduce the damage, even by ourselves .

However, when Silane heard my words, she made a bittersweet smile as though I’d troubled her .

“Of course, I am happy if you will cooperate, but what I am saying now isn’t like that . ” (Silane)

“What do you mean?”, I raised my eyebrows and then Silane spoke:

“Leader wants to invite you to our country, Takahiro-dono . ” (Silane)

“……Um?” (Majima)

“Fortress Tilia has fallen . This is a major incident . Leader will have to go around to explain the situation after this . So, she planned to first return to our country for now . And, she wants you to come with us . ” (Silane)

……I still didn’t fully get it .

If I remember correctly, Leader-san was the princess of a small country . The “country” Silane spoke of was referring to that country .

“What kind of significance is there in me going there?” (Majima)

“We want to invite and give a warm welcome to the honored guest from another world, do we need any other reason? And, you are our benefactor that fought Tatsuya Juumonji and saved our lives, as well as a friend that fought alongside us . Of course, if you have other plans, then feel free to decline . ” (Silane)

“No, I don’t have anything like that……” (Majima)

“It is customary for the heroes from another world to be invited to the royal capital and given a warm welcome . The other heroes will do so . But, I imagine you will not be going to the royal capital, right?” (Silane)

“Yeah . Considering my ability, it’d be difficult to live as a hero, and I never intended on doing so to begin with . ” (Majima)

There were no lies in the words I’d told Kudō two days ago . The most important thing to me was being with my family as their master .

“I need a place in this world where I can live quietly with my family . ” (Majima)

“If that is how you feel, then I believe that this isn’t a bad thing for you, Takahiro-dono . While you are staying here, how about you slowly consider your future plans as you discuss with Leader about what is best to do next?” (Silane)

That was a very appealing invitation .

My goal was finding a safe place where I could live with my family .

Though, it would be difficult to move in another world without having any connections or knowing anything . At worst, if I could only obtain a supply route for goods or something, I was planning on living in the Sea of Trees .

If I could consult with Leader-san, someone who was also the princess of a small country, then alternatives would open up . At least, it was better than going to the royal capital—somewhere I’d never gone to before, and relying on humans that I didn’t know if I could trust or not .

The remaining question was, how much could I trust Leader-san’s decision…… .

I briefly glanced at Lily, and she returned a smile . I nodded .

“Alright . I will accept that proposal . After discussing it with my family, I don’t think there will be any opposition, probably . ” (Majima)

“That is good to hear . Then, I will speak to Leader about this later . ” (Silane)

Silane broke out into a happy smile, and I asked her:

“By the way, what will you do after this, Silane? From how you spoke now, it seems you will return to your country with her . ” (Majima)

Right now Silane’s position was very complicated .

It was hard to tell that she was now an undead monster by looking at her . The only ones who know her situation, save us, were the knights in the Alliance’s Knight Order that saw her revive as a Ghoul and rage about .

Silane was their reliable Deputy Head; there was no way they’d go around spreading her secrets . However, on the off chance it was exposed, things would become complicated .

“Truth be told, I was at a loss……but thankfully, Leader told me to continue being a knight . ‘You’ll get it when you aren’t relieved of your duties as Deputy Head’ . She scolded me . ” (Silane)

“Seems just like her . ” (Majima)

In that battle, I knew that their bond was more than a boss and subordinate (Leader and Deputy Head); they were comrades in arms .

She, a supposed Amazon-type woman, wouldn’t let go of her trusted subordinate due to anxiety about the unclear future .

“Fortunately . ” (Silane)

Silane spoke in a tone as though she was reflecting, and picked up the object hanging on the end of the chain hanging on her chest .

It was a ring fitted with a red stone .

It was the ring that was proof she was a knight…and now something she could never again wear in public, but she still couldn’t just throw it away .

“I can be a knight, just like I’ve always been . I can fight for what I need to protect . I cannot thank Leader enough . ” (Silane)

The magic stone fitted into a knight’s ring had the function to indicate humans as green, and Ghouls as yellow . The red color, neither of the two, indicated that she was a Half Lich .

But, before that she was a knight .

Silane was strong . She wasn’t worried that she’d become an undead monster, but instead was looking forward to what she could do without wavering .

Her awareness as a knight must’ve been supporting her .

“Of course, I am thankful to you as well, Takahiro-dono . I am glad I met you . ” (Silane)

“Same here . I’ll be with you for a while after this too, so please treat me favorably . ” (Majima)

“Of course . ” (Silane)

At my words, Silane’s half-covered face lit up with a smile .

Thus, after we left Fortress Tilia, we went towards the small country—Silane and Leader’s homeland .