Taming The Villainesses

The creatures hooked their front claws into the wall, scaling it like an icy cliff. Watching this, Balan spoke as if she knew something about them.

“Those are legion hounds. Monsters at the lowest ranks of the Shadow Army. They’re created by mixing hounds with mantises.”

If there’s something Balan knows, it seems like her mouth would itch if she didn’t share it.

━Graaak-!!!

At last, one of the legion hounds reached the top of the wall.

Its roar sounded as if it was yelling, “You cowards hiding behind the wall, living peacefully—I’ll tear you all apart!” Which was probably what it was.

But just then, a sword flew directly at the creature’s head.

Splat!

━We’ve been breached! We need support!

The fact that this eastern fortress was holding out was probably thanks to the soldiers and warriors standing on each wall, defending humanity.

I should probably lend a hand.

─Wind Cutter.

I lightly chanted a Rank 4 spell. The crescent-shaped blade of wind flew out, slicing through the bodies of the monsters swarming around the wall.

It seemed that the people on the wall finally noticed our presence.

━There! Someone’s coming out from the forest!

The sound of bowstrings being drawn in our direction echoed in my sensitive ears. To calm them down, I raised both hands and called out loudly as I moved forward.

“Tell everyone, Theo Gospel has returned!”

━Who?

━Did he say Theo Gospel?

The expressions on the soldiers’ faces wavered for a moment.

━Come in quickly before more monsters come!

A bridge-like gate lowered over the deep moat in front of the wall. When we crossed it, we were met by countless pairs of eyes.

━Someone actually came back alive from outside?

━This is the first time I’ve seen something like this. For someone to have fallen from Sandora’s wall and walked all the way here…

We seemed to be quite a spectacle.

At that moment, a man covered in blood took off his face-guarded helmet, revealing a thick beard. Judging by his cape and epaulettes, he seemed to be the one in charge here.

“I am Baldor, the commander of this Deadbell Citadel. Sir Theo Gospel, Lady Stella of the Bellhawk family, and Professor Balan of Ark. We have been expecting you. Please, come inside.”

I see.

Mirna and the others must have already sent word that we were heading to the Deadbell Fortress here in the east. It’s good that things were moving quickly.

“Though, I didn’t think you’d actually make it here. Haven’t you run into the giant wolf Kubilai or the ogre Dordor?”

“We did, and we won.”

“Heh, that’s very funny. If you’d truly met them, you wouldn’t even have bones left. Anyway, we’ll provide you with baths and meals. I have quite a few questions.”

Behind the fortress was something that could be called a barracks or a military camp. The facilities were outdated, and rough-looking men with faces as fierce as bandits either glared at us or looked on with curiosity.

━Do we have women that pretty in our camp? Who’s here to visit?

━Beats me.

Most of the people assigned to the fortress were usually bandits, thieves, or mercenaries with a violent streak that had landed them here as part of their sentence.

It wouldn’t be strange to feel uneasy standing among such people.

But compared to the time when we were being targeted by wild monsters outside, this place felt no different than the heart of a bustling city. I felt that I had truly returned to civilization.

“The hot water is limited, so it’s best to use it sparingly. There are fresh clothes over there as well.”

“Thank you.”

Thanks to the hospitality of Commander Baldor, we were able to shower and change into clean clothes.

Considering the scarcity of water, it was quite luxurious to clean my body with hot water. While I thought it was quite extravagant, I was glad to be able to wipe away the grime.

Were Balan and Stella still washing up?

Well, it’s true that women with long hair usually take longer to freshen up.

In the meantime, I entered Commander Baldor’s quarters and took a seat at the large table inside.

Suddenly, something flew right at my face.

━Yingyingyaing!

It was very cool and fluffy, like a stuffed toy. The familiar and pleasant feel brought a smile to my face.

“You’re… Yingying!”

━Kyuiing.

It was the Draco Twins’ pet Yingying. If it’s here, it probably means Lady Draco was here as well.

“You know it? It flew in a few days ago, and we’ve been feeding it. It’s very cute. It even helped us organize the supply inventory.”

How exactly does a creature with no limbs, eyes, nose, or mouth help with inventory?

Puzzled, I decided to respond casually.

“This guy is a pet of someone I know.”

━Grrrngg!

“… I mean, a partner, not a pet.”

━Yingyingyaing.

It might sound like the same thing, but I guess there’s a subtle difference.

Despite understanding most animal sounds by now, Yingying’s cries still just sounded like bizarre noises. It’s quite the strange creature.

“Anyhow, Sir Theo, it must have been quite a journey for you to get here. As much as I’d like to let you rest, the situation isn’t so relaxed. I have a few things I’d like to ask.”

“You’ve already provided us accommodations, I’ll answer whatever I can.”

With my permission, Baldor started asking me all sorts of questions—about the situation beyond the wall, the types of monsters residing there, and how the territories within the forest were arranged.

“Wolves, centipedes, insect-like monsters… Were there no headless knights or clowns with blades all over their bodies?”

“No, there weren’t.”

Headless knights and bladed clowns? If I’d run into such horrifying creatures, there’s no way I’d forget them. After hearing my explanation, Baldor nodded.

“I see. There’s been a recent lull in attacks. It seems the forces have shifted north. That’s probably why Sir Theo’s party managed to reach here unharmed.”

I remembered what Balan had said.

The forces of the Shadow Army had withdrawn from the forest and were gathering at Gargata, the ruins of the Demon King’s castle in the north.

It seemed that Baldor, the commander of the citadel, had a vague idea of that as well.

I asked.

“But you mentioned that there wasn’t room to relax. What exactly does that mean?”

“Oh, it’s because troops and supplies are gathering from the south to retake Dolnar Citadel up north. It’s a royal decree from Her Majesty. They intend to take advantage of the gap in the monster’s forces and catch them by surprise.”

Were they really planning to march beyond the wall?

They probably don’t know that I returned. So I thought it would be best to send a message to the royal capital as soon as possible.

“Where are the carrier pigeons that can be sent to the capital?”