The plan I had in mind required the assistance of Halfa and the power of my golems.
"We’re going to deliver Halfa’s 'Song of Soothing' from the sky, using golems to amplify her voice."
The Petit Golems still couldn't speak on their own, but when I used Wind Golems, they were capable of repeating our words. It appeared they were essentially mimicking and reflecting air vibrations. I found that if I gave the proper instructions, even the egoless golems could do the same.
By utilizing this property, I could achieve sound amplification.
For instance, if I prepared four golems and had them reproduce a specific sound at almost the exact same moment, the volume would be—well, I wasn't sure if it would be exactly five times the original, but it would certainly be much louder. If they mimicked each other’s output in a chain, the volume could be increased even further. There was likely a limit since the sound waves would eventually interfere with one another, but it should be more than enough to echo throughout the entire city. It was, essentially, a golem-style loudspeaker.
Fortunately, golem sound reproduction could be given a specific direction. That meant those of us standing right next to the source wouldn't have to worry about our ears ringing from the explosive volume.
However, I did have one concern.
"The only question is whether the golems can reproduce the effect of the Song of Soothing along with the sound..."
"That’s a good point-nya. If the sound is a perfect reproduction, I think it’ll work-nya. However, since Halfa will still be considered the one 'activating' the magic, it’ll probably require a staggering amount of mana-nya."
Rache-san likely possessed an Intuition Skill. If she thought it would work, I felt confident. As for the mana issue, using a standard Magic Power Recovery Potion might cause the song to cut out while she drank it. It was probably better to use a Mana Recovery Speed Enhancement Potion instead. I had several prepared, so I decided to have her use those.
"Well, it’s not like we have any other options, so let's give it a try-nya! If it doesn't work, all we’ve done is broadcast a nice song, so the people in hiding shouldn't get spooked-nya!"
Rache-san gave the go-ahead with a beaming smile. Buffy-san, however, gave her a sharp look.
"Rache-san, you’ll be staying here on standby."
"Nya?! But we’ll be flying through the sky and standing out! The enemies might target us-nya! You’ll be much safer if I'm there-nya!"
Rache-san tried to talk her way onto the airship with a plausible-sounding excuse. Unfortunately, there was another problem.
"I’m sorry, Rache-san. The airship is already at its capacity."
If I adjusted the expansion rate of the Helium Golem, the weight of one more person wouldn't be an issue. However, the gondola was cramped, and adding more passengers was genuinely difficult. If we were attacked and a battle broke out, we would be in trouble if the space was too narrow to move. Besides, any aerial assault would likely be long-range. Rache-san, who specialized in melee combat, would have very few ways to fight back.
"No way-nya..."
"What are you saying, Rache-san? Regardless of whether the brainwashing is broken, there’s a high chance of chaos breaking out. You need to be here to lead as the Guild Master."
"Oh, you’re right-nya! If it’s not paperwork, then I’m your cat-nya!"
Rache-san, who had been wilting a moment ago, regained her spirit instantly. Buffy-san really knew how to handle her.
"So, Halfa, I’d like your help with this."
"Of course! I'll do my best!"
Halfa replied with eager determination. It seemed everyone else was on board as well.
With the plan finalized, we moved into action immediately.
Since taking off from the middle of the city would cause a panic, we boarded the airship outside the city walls. I created a Helium Golem and commanded it to inflate, causing the airship to slowly lift off. Since our goal was to broadcast the song to the people below, I kept our altitude relatively low.
Once we secured the right height, I set about creating the sound-amplification golems. First was the Microphone Golem. This one would stay inside the gondola to pick up Halfa’s voice. It had a tail as long as a cable, which it used to transmit the audio outside the vessel. Waiting there were four Speaker Golems, which I had attached to the bottom of the ship. They received the audio, amplified it, and projected it downward.
Once the preparations were complete, we set off. I was using Air Jets for propulsion, so my mana consumption was heavy. I figured I would probably need to use a Magic Power Recovery Potion myself along the way.
Halfa’s singing voice began to echo through the streets of Aingurna. Many residents looked up at the sky in confusion, but some reacted differently. A few people clutched their heads and collapsed; others fainted where they stood. They were almost certainly the ones who had been brainwashed. It seemed my hunch was right—the individuals holding the mystery keys had indeed heard the voice of Gurnalava.
I intended to fly across the entirety of Aingurna to break the brainwashing over every district. However, the enemy had no intention of letting us finish. From a building near the center of the city, something rose into the air and flew straight toward us. It was a large bird clad in black haze. Its hideous, ominous form reminded me of the Evil Dragon we had encountered in the Garond Underground Waterway. There was no doubt about it—this was a henchman of Gurnalava.