The news that Rei and Set would be flying off to conduct aerial reconnaissance came as a surprise to the Centaurs.
The strong undercurrent of anxiety among them likely stemmed from just how much of an emotional anchor Rei and Set had become.
...Rei wanted to believe that the Centaurs weren't simply frightened at the prospect of being left behind with only Vihera.
"So? When are you heading out?"
In response to Asdena's question, Rei spoke while stroking Set.
"Right now."
A stir rippled through the group.
Seeing Rei's attitude, the Centaurs began to murmur among themselves. Even knowing he would ride Set for reconnaissance, they hadn't expected him to say he was leaving this very instant.
"Wait, wouldn't it be better to watch and wait a little longer first?"
"Yeah. If the Dragonias attack again..."
"No, they just attacked a moment ago, so it should take some time before they return. Considering that, I think we should move quickly while we have the chance."
"But still... what if the Dragonias come here again?"
"Then we fight them off. And Vihera will be here too, right?"
"Urk... w-well, that's..."
At those words, even the Centaurs who had been dissatisfied with Rei's departure could no longer object.
It wasn't that they were fully convinced. But they felt that voicing any further complaints in this situation would inevitably be taken as a sign they lacked confidence in their own abilities.
In truth, given the current circumstances, dealing with a moderate number of Dragonias wouldn't be all that difficult.
...The real reason they still voiced their dissatisfaction was, above all, that Vihera was the one staying behind.
There was no question that Vihera was a figure the Centaurs ought to respect. Since their kind revered strength, it was only natural for them to look up to the strongest person present.
Moreover, the combat training she had put them through had undeniably improved their skills.
However... the mock battles conducted during that training had shattered the Centaurs' pride time and time again.
At first, some had looked down on Vihera as merely a two-legged woman. And above all, her body showed no visible muscle from the outside. In reality, beneath her flawless skin lay a layer of feminine softness, and beneath that, thoroughly trained muscle. But since none of that was visible, her strength couldn't be truly grasped until they fought her and felt it firsthand.
And once they did, the Centaurs developed a profound awe of her.
...Though in the sense that his strength couldn't be judged by appearance alone, Rei was much the same. To the Centaurs, he was small in stature and didn't look particularly powerful. Yet in reality, he possessed enough arm strength to effortlessly pick up and hurl a Centaur with one hand.
The concept of a "deceptive appearance" didn't exist among the Centaurs, but if it did, there was no doubt it would fit Rei perfectly.
In any case, the fact that they feared Vihera more than Rei—or rather, the phrasing aside, why they found her so difficult to deal with—was probably because she had been the one training them most often.
"Anyway, even while Set and I are gone, Vihera will protect this settlement. Besides, like that Centaur over there just said, since they only attacked recently, the odds of the Dragonias coming again right away are slim."
The reason he didn't assert with certainty that they wouldn't attack was because he suspected the forces dispatched to this settlement came not from the headquarters but from an outpost... or perhaps even multiple outposts scattered around the area.
If that were the case, depending on circumstances, forces from several outposts might converge on the settlement at once.
(If it were Vihera, she could probably handle even that. ...Actually, in a fight among the trees, she'd be overwhelmingly advantaged.)
On the open grassland it might be different, but in a grove where trees grew thick, fighting numerous enemies would give Vihera an overwhelming edge—or so Rei predicted.
After all, the Dragonias had been ordered not to destroy the standing trees. While they lunged for Vihera's body, their movements were invariably obstructed by the trunks around them.
It would undoubtedly be a repeat of the battles from last night and just moments ago. The Dragonias numbers had grown, so the scale would be larger, and without Rei behind them whittling the enemy down with the Twilight Spear as he had before, there was no guarantee the fight would play out exactly the same way.
"In any case, Vihera is here, so rest easy. I'm leaving the excavation work and the search for clues about this settlement in Zai's hands. ...I plan to return by evening, but depending on how things go, I might be a bit late. No need to worry."
"With both Rei and Set together, there's nothing to worry about."
At Vihera's words, the others nodded in agreement. With Rei and Set as a pair, they felt that no matter how many silver-scaled Dragonias appeared, they wouldn't stand a chance.
...From Rei's perspective, he did worry that if a higher-ranked golden-scaled Dragonias showed up, it could be a tough fight. He had only encountered one once, but its strength had been on an entirely different level from the silver-scaled variety. After all, it had dodged a strike from the Twilight Spear.
"Having you say that, Vihera, gives us confidence. ...Well then, let's be off. Set."
"Gruu!"
At Rei's call, Set gave a short purr.
Seeing Set like that, those who had been working on the excavation cast reluctant glances his way. When it came to digging, Set was an invaluable partner. And he hadn't dug reluctantly, either—he had done it with genuine joy, thoroughly delighted to tear into the earth.
Losing a helper like that was something the Centaurs involved in the excavation could understandably lament.
Even so, they couldn't bring themselves to ask him to stay. In the current situation, Rei and Set locating the Dragonias headquarters was simply too important. At the very least, searching for the enemy base was undeniably more valuable than continuing the excavation here.
"Grurururu!"
Toward the excavation team, Set let out a cry of encouragement. The Centaurs who had worked alongside him gazed back at him, silently urging him on as well. Even without Set, they resolved anew to do the work that needed doing.
"Rei, I don't think I need to say this, but... be careful."
At Vihera's words, Rei nodded to reassure her. He nodded, but...
"And if you find the Dragonias headquarters, make sure you come back. I want to fight too."
She pressed the point, and Rei nodded, thinking that was exactly like her. Given how much she loved battle, it was only natural for her to say so.
"I know. Don't worry about that. ...If it's their headquarters, there's no telling how many enemies will be there."
Rei couldn't help but imagine where the enemy base might be, and if there were enemies there, what kind they would be.
"If you say so, Rei, I'll trust you."
Even as she said that, her expression suggested she didn't fully believe him—probably because, despite this unit's original purpose being reconnaissance, they had been destroying Dragonias outposts and groups one after another.
At this rate, she worried that if he found the headquarters, he might annihilate it himself without even bothering to send word. And it wasn't an unreasonable concern. After all, Rei excelled at wide-area annihilation magic. If the enemy was clustered within a certain area, wiping them out wouldn't be difficult.
In any case, Rei pulled food from his Misty Ring and left it behind, in case he was delayed in returning.
"All right, we're off. Like I said, I plan to come back as early as I can today. If nothing happens, around evening. Otherwise... well, if I find the Dragonias headquarters, immediately."
"What about if it's an outpost?"
"I'm thinking of annihilating it from the air with magic. Out here, there'd be no problem even if the Dragonias became Undead. ...Actually, since they'd be fighting a living opponent, having them turn into Undead would work in our favor by reducing their combat power."
"If you do that, the normal Dragonias will die, but the strong ones will survive, right?"
"Probably. Though if they're weaker ones like the type Vihera fought... well, if they're silver-scaled Dragonias that aren't built for combat, they might go down."
"That's... well, it can't be helped. Then that's fine."
After exchanging those final words, Rei climbed onto Set's back.
"Let's go, Set."
"Grururu!"
At Rei's word, Set let out a cry, took a few running strides, and then launched skyward, wings beating hard as he climbed into the air.
"Yeah, it really was a good idea to head out on aerial reconnaissance like this."
"Gruu!"
Set purred in agreement.
Below Rei and Set, on the ground, nearly fifty Dragonias corpses lay scattered where they had fallen.
It had been only a few minutes since they took off from the grove—but those were minutes spent at Set's flying speed, so they had actually put considerable distance between themselves and the trees.
In any case, after covering that much ground, they spotted a group of Dragonias moving across the plains below.
Their destination wasn't immediately clear. They were definitely heading in the direction of the grove, but given Set's speed, it was entirely possible they were actually bound for somewhere else entirely.
Even so, as long as there was a chance they were heading for the grove, Rei couldn't just let them pass. Vihera would probably say to send as large a group as possible her way if they were coming anyway.
Either way, Rei unleashed a torrent of Flame Arrows from the air, and the Dragonias group was annihilated.
A handful seemed to survive, but most of those had sustained severe injuries and were barely clinging to life. Only a single Dragonias—one with red scales—emerged completely unharmed.
That said, the group had only numbered around fifty to begin with. Among them were Dragonias with scales of various colors, and with only the red-scaled ones left standing, their numbers were predictably thin.
On top of that, whether the Dragonias that had been issuing orders was dead or had slipped away in the chaos of the Flame Arrow volley, Rei couldn't tell. But the remaining Dragonias showed no signs of receiving commands.
In other words, the red-scaled Dragonias—the sole unharmed survivor—had no idea what to do in this situation.
Rei hesitated over what to do about such an opponent, but ultimately judged that a mere handful of Dragonias wouldn't even serve as a warm-up for Vihera, and decided to press on.
"Set, let's keep moving. As long as we don't lose sight of the grove, we can always come back."
"Gruu?"
Set turned back with a questioning look, as if asking whether it was really okay to leave the red-scaled Dragonias alive. Rei nodded, signaling there was no problem.
Seeing Rei's response, Set seemed to decide that if Rei said so, it must be fine. Flapping its wings, it left the scene behind.
"Still... the copper-scaled Dragonias that supposedly fled probably hasn't reached the headquarters or an outpost yet either, so they're moving remarkably fast."
Not that much time had passed since the battle where the copper-scaled Dragonias was believed to have escaped. And yet for them to already be on the attack again meant... whoever was commanding the Dragonias was clearly trying to wage a war of attrition.
Naturally, such an approach would also inflict heavy casualties on the Dragonias side. But despite those losses, the Dragonias—the entity that surely stood at their apex—wanted to secure that grove.
(If that's the case, then we really do need everyone to give their all on the excavation too. The more options we have for dealing with the Dragonias, the better.)
Thinking such thoughts, Rei rode Set through the sky and continued his search for the Dragonias headquarters.