Once I finished hearing the full story and dealt out Erme's punishment, I knew I couldn't just call it a day.
First, I had to worry about the dangerous magic circles left behind in the city.
"They have all been destroyed," was Beton’s testimony.
I didn't think she would lie to Dos at this point, so it was probably safe to take her word for it.
That left the reason why Beton had sought out such power in the first place: the assassins dispatched from the human kingdoms. Since there was a possibility they would target Beton and her companions, I needed to figure out how to handle the situation quickly.
The question was, how? Should I consult the police?
Did Shashato City have a police force or some equivalent organization? I didn't recall hearing about one. Besides, if such an organization existed, they surely would have mobilized when Count Pugyal went missing. Since there had been no sign of them, I assumed no such group existed.
Despite my conclusion, I decided to verify with Bron.
"Um, the Demon Kingdom Regular Army generally takes on that responsibility," Bron explained.
I see. As expected of Bron. It wasn't for nothing that he had studied at the Demon Kingdom Academy... no, that wasn't it. It was only natural, given that he was now a teacher there. He was becoming quite reliable.
"However," Bron continued, "the Regular Army units stationed in Shashato City were mobilized to provide security for the daytime events, so it might be impossible to move them right away. Besides, their numbers are only around five hundred men."
I didn't know if five hundred was a large force for an army, but considering the scale of the city, it felt a bit small. What would they do if a stampede of magic beasts or monsters attacked?
"For the defense of the city, the plan is for the private forces held by the city's companies and the Adventurer Guild to cooperate. That should bring the total to around five thousand."
"I see. Does that also apply if an enemy comes from the sea?"
"Since this is a commercial district with a human population, a direct attack is considered unlikely. However, in the event of an invasion by another country, the strategy is to surrender the majority of the city and retreat into the fortress at the edge of the harbor. In that scenario, the city companies and the Adventurer Guild wouldn't lend a hand, but the Sea Race would cooperate. After that, they would wait for reinforcements from the Royal Capital. Though, now that the Teleportation Gate has been established, the defense strategy for this area might be undergoing changes. I’ll look into it."
"No, it was just a passing thought. You don't have to go that far."
Still, I hadn't realized there was a fortress in Shashato City.
"It is technically part of the harbor, but it’s located as far as possible from the center of the city."
"Why put it there?"
"If it were near the city, the urban areas would get caught up in the combat."
Ah, I see. Keep the dangerous facilities far away. They had really thought their urban planning through.
Anyway, the conversation had strayed. Back to the topic at hand. Even if the army couldn't move immediately, I figured it would be best to consult them eventually. Fortunately, I had a connection with Magistrate Ifuls of Shashato City thanks to Miyo.
"Um, it seems there might be a faster way," Bron said, turning toward the city.
I followed his gaze. Since it was night, all I could see were the city lights shimmering in the distance. Was there something there? Then, the city lights flickered.
It wasn't that the lights themselves were blinking, but rather that something large was passing in front of them. As the object entered the radius of Dos’s magic light, I finally realized what I was looking at.
It was the Demon King’s Group, riding atop a Flying Carpet.
I was curious why the Demon King had come all this way, but first, I had to confirm one thing. That carpet definitely belonged to my village. Once it let the Demon King and his entourage off, it curled up and tackled me.
Well, even if it hadn't done that, I would have recognized the pattern on the fabric.
"What, are you mad?" I asked it. "It's true I left you behind, but weren't you busy acting as the Cradle Carpet for the little ones? I couldn't exactly tell you to throw the children aside and come along, and you wouldn't have done it anyway, right?"
The carpet seemed to settle down at that. Good, we were made up.
Now, as for the Demon King...
Traveling with him on the carpet were Beezel, Randan, Gratz, and Hou. The Demon King and the Four Heavenly Kings had arrived in full force. I wondered why.
"Ha-ha-ha! The information we were receiving was becoming conflicted," the Demon King explained. "I decided it would be faster to just come to the scene myself."
According to him, Gratz, who had been at the village, learned of my movements and had hurriedly reported to the Demon King. I wondered why he felt the need to report it, but apparently, Count Pugyal going missing was a major crisis for the Demon Kingdom. Once Gratz knew, he couldn't simply ignore it.
That was certainly true. The political weight of the situation had completely slipped my mind. It was a bit of a blunder on my part.
The Demon King, having received the report, tried to confirm the details, but because the reports were so contradictory, he decided to fly out personally. He had brought along the Four Heavenly Kings since they happened to be gathered at the time.
"As you might have heard, we found Count Pugyal," I told him. "The butler said he’s safe, but please confirm it for yourself later."
"Umu. Of course."
"And I'm glad you came. I actually have something I’d like to consult you about. Ah, please don't be so guarded. The truth is, there are people being targeted by assassins from the human kingdoms."
Regarding that, it was better for Beton to explain than me. I asked the Demon King to listen to her story.
"Yes, her. Not the one sitting over there holding a stone, but the one near Dos. Thank you."
"And... Beezel, do you have a moment?"
"Yes, Village Head?"
"I just wanted to ask something that caught my eye. You don't have to drop to one knee; I’m just curious. You’ve never acted like that before, so please, stand up."
Once I got him on his feet, I asked about the items they were carrying. Every member of the Demon King’s Group was holding a flag—specifically, the Flag of the Village of the Great Tree that we had made for the parade.
"Is there some special meaning to those?"
"It’s for identification," Beezel replied. "We’d heard you were leading a pack of Inferno Wolves."
"Ah, for Kuro's children and Zabuton's Children? I think the Demon King and the others would have remembered them regardless."
"Ha-ha-ha, it was just a precaution."
I see. This level of cautiousness must be the mark of a leader. I should try to learn from that.
Then, another group arrived, following closely behind the Demon King’s party.
It was Alfred!
"Oh, it’s been a while! Have you been well? Urza, too. There, there."
Sil had come as well, and I apologized for dragging them out in the middle of the night. Asa and Earth were present, though Mettora had stayed behind at the house in the Royal Capital.
"You didn't all need to come," I said. "Count Pugyal has already been found."
Then I noticed the girl in the middle of their group.
"By the way... why is Tiselle all wrapped up in rope?"
"Well," Alfred began sheepishly, "she went on a bit of a stampede."
"A stampede?"
When I asked for clarification, Alfred and Urza whispered to each other for a moment before Alfred decided to perform an imitation of Tiselle.
"Father has risen!" he shouted, his voice suddenly taking on Tiselle's characteristic intensity. "Now is the time to seize control of the Demon Kingdom! Everyone, rally your forces and strike for the sake of the Village of the Great Tree!"
"Oh, that was spot on." As expected of siblings.
"So, what happened? Did you reason with her, Al?"
Urza was the one who answered. "Before she could incite a single soul, Mettora restrained her with physical force. It all stayed within the mansion. But because she was shouting so loud, it caused quite a stir at the Academy. I don't think it's become a major problem, though."
I wondered if it had become a "minor" problem, then. Even as a joke, one shouldn't talk about a coup while inside the Demon Kingdom. I would have to scold her later. I also needed to apologize to the Demon King and the Academy Director. It would be terrible if Tiselle were bullied because of this.
Tiselle looked like she had something to say.
"I was planning the Takeover Plan with Uncle Beezel, Uncle Gratz, Uncle Randan, and Big Sister Hou," she grumbled. "I even had Uncle Demon King’s approval! But Mettora said I absolutely must not move until I heard the words directly from Father..."
I made a mental note to tell the Demon King and the others that even if they were just playing along with a child, they should keep the "games" a bit more obviously fictional.
And as for Mettora, I definitely owed her a gift. I was sorry for all the trouble she had to go through to keep my daughter in check.