Advancing preparations, arriving reinforcements, and…

 
 
 ☆
 
 
 Still hot from the excitement, I left the platform and headed to the carriage.
 
 “Count-sama!”
 
 “Leticia-sama!”
 
 In response to the people’ calls, I gave a small wave of my hand and smiled.
 
 “Let’s do iiiiittt!!”
 
 “Yeaaaaahhhhh!!!!”
 
 War cries which could be heard here and there in the plaza.
 The people with their fists held high.
 
 None of them had anxious expressions anymore.
 
 (Somehow, it seems I’ve dispelled everyone’s worries…)
 
 Slightly fatigued, I felt a sense of accomplishment as I walked to the carriage.
 
 Then, when I was nearly there, I noticed someone familiar standing before the carriage.
 
 
 
 “Otou-sama!!”
 
 “Letty!!”
 
 We walked up to each other and held each others hands.
 
 “Sorry I’m late. I only just arrived.”
 
 I shook my head when I heard my father say this apologetically.
 
 “… I’m sure you also had to deal with the delegation from the Elarion Kingdom. I didn’t think you’d arrive so soon.”
 
 “His Majesty was considerate. Also, it’s thanks to this that I could come flying over with all my might.”
 
 Saying so, my father showed me a teddy affixed to his belt… the support bear I gave to him as a present the other day.
 
 “Looks like you used it right away, huh.”
 
 “Yeah. Without this I probably would have arrived tomorrow. Nevertheless…”
 
 My father raised his face and looked around at the people raising war cries, then returned his gaze to me.
 
 “It was a marvellous speech. You did a good job of bring their hearts together.”
 
 “I wanted to erase everyone’s fears, if only a little. I was desperate.”
 
 “… You’ve become a fine lord. I’m proud of you.”
 
 
 “Thank you, Otou-sama.”
 
 With my father looking at me fondly, I turned my gaze down out of embarrassment.
 
 “You’re probably tired from the long flight. Shall we return to the mansion?”
 
 “I guess so.”
 
 Otou-sama smiled, then took my hand once again and led me to the carriage.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 The next day, the entire town begun moving actively since early morning.
 
 Waking up as the sky began turning grey, I opened the curtain, cooking smoke began rising here and there, and soldiers and those of the local defence units were coming and going on the road headed to the food distribution.
 
 “Everything depends on today’s preparations.”
 
 As I muttered so while looking at the scenery outside, a knock came from the door.
 
 “Good morning, Ojou-sama.”
 
 It was Anna, showing her usual lively smiling face.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 That day, besides myself and Anna, Otou-sama also came to accompany us on our aerial reconnaissance.
 
 According to Otou-sama’s words during yesterday’s dinner,
 “I’d like to see the enemies with my own eyes if possible. Getting a picture of the fight will be easy if I knew their movement speed and movements.”
 … is how he put it.
 
 Up till now, since there wasn’t anyone else who possessed the magic power for using the flying boots continuously, it had been myself flying around with Anna coming along, but if it’s Otou-sama then there shouldn’t be a problem with him coming along.
 
 It’s just, with the amount of magic power Otou-sama has, it’d be difficult for him to use 『Auto Defense 《Auto Defensia》』^[1] repeatedly.
 
 The amount he has is at best enough for once, maybe twice.
 
 In other words, if crows surround us, it’d be the end of the line.
 
 “Otou-sama, you must absolutely not engage in any battles, ok? If devil crows draw near, don’t worry about me and please just run away with all your might without caring how you look.”
 
 In response to my serious appeal,
 “I got it. If anything happened to me, I’d even be putting you guys in danger,”
 is what my father said, a wry smile upon his face.
 
 
 
 Now then.
 Thus, as a result of our reconnaissance, we learnt of two things that were not so pleasant.
 
 One was that the monster count had already exceeded 30 000.
 
 The other was that the monster’s speed, though slight, seems to have increased.
 
 As it stands, the monster swarm will likely arrive at Cocomel around noon tomorrow.
 
 (It’d be great if the reinforcements and resources from the villages makes it in time, but…)
 
 When I heard the analysis results, I reflexively put a hand to my temple.
 
 According to Lionel’s report, after yesterday’s speech, the amount of encrypted communications seemed to have increased.^[2]
 
 Perhaps, the spy lurking in Cocomel sent out some sort of instructions to the covert operatives controlling the monsters.
 
 When I was at my wits’ end, Otou-sama patted me on the shoulder.
 
 “There’s nothing to worry about. The Unified Knights Order, and the Owleyes Knights Order too, haven’t been doing any half-hearted training. Everyone knows that, now, time is of the essence.”
 
 “… I suppose so.”
 
 Hearing Otou-sama’s words, my mind became a little lighter.
 
 Thus, I headed out to face that which I simply had to do.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 That day, you could say that I was moving around here and there from one minute to the next.
 
 Early morning aerial reconnaissance.
 
 Seeing off those evacuating to the southern area.
 
 Dropping by the workshop, requesting from Duncan the anti-aircraft rifle stand add-on manufacturing and the manufacture of attachments for mounting light machine guns.
 
 Next, the increased production of 7mm bullets shared by both magic rifles and light machine guns.
 
 Honestly, I’m worried that we’re short of hands, but thankfully, more craftsmen from the city and volunteers from the womens’ associations came to help out at the workshop.
 
 According to Duncan,
 “We’ll somehow manage if we’ve got this much help. Or rather, the lack of jigs and tools is more of a problem,”
 so it seems they’ll make it in time somehow.
 
 
 
 After giving instructions at the workshop, I went around inspecting the construction work at each encampment.
 
 Besides the anti-slope encampment that uses the northern embankment, we went around to the concealed encampment in the western forest, the multiple encampments in the eastern hills, and the encampment protecting the evacuation route on the south side, eventually circling the city.
 
 At each site, crowds of people were going ahead with the construction work, magic shovel in hand, and work was moving along well.
 
 And so, as the sun began to set.
 
 Those that we’d been waiting for arrived at the eastern and western gates.^[3]
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 “Onii-sama!”
 
 I rushed up to Graham-nii-sama who showed up at the mansion’s entrance in his knight’s uniform.
 
 “Letty, I’m glad I made it in time.”
 
 Onii-sama hugged me.
 
 “Did Onii-sama take command of the knight order?”
 
 “Yeah. As expected, His Highness can’t leave the royal capital. We discussed it, and this time I’ve been given command of a detachment.”
 
 “That’s reassuring!”
 
 “Yes, that’s right. The commanding officer of the New Territory’s detachment is waiting outside. Let’s go greet him together.”
 
 “As I recall, he’s Onii-sama’s colleague… right?”
 
 The Owleyes New Territory still hasn’t put together a territory army. The reasons are an issue with finances, and a lack of human resources.
 
 Consequently, those that came from the New Territory this time are the knights of the kingdom’s Unified Knights Order’s New Territory expeditionary force.
 
 “Yeah. He’s a light-hearted, excellent man from the same year as me in knight school.”^[4]
 
 “Err… I’m glad that he seems promising.”
 
 With a wry smile on my face, my brother moved his hand over to my shoulder.
 
 “Well, now then, let’s get you introduced to tomorrow’s comrade in arms.”
 
 “Yes, please!”
 
 Thus, I greeted the young knight named Hector who came rushing over from the New Territory.
 
 
 ☆
 
 
 Somehow, all the preparations were in the process of being completed.
 
 It was the same for the last remaining concern I had.
 
 Lionel, the territory army’s commanding officer^[5], came with a report right after my visit from brother Graham.
 
 “We’ve pinned down the rat’s hideout, Miss.”
 
 “Really?!”
 
 When I asked back, Lionel nodded and grinned.