The moment Flopp spotted the girl standing in the plume of smoke, an alarm rang in his head.

It wasn’t the sound of an actual bell resonating throughout Gwararu, but rather the warning of his own survival instincts ringing loudly, painfully echoing in his mind.

To be frank, Flopp was not a fighting man like Medium.

Even trying to build his strength led to failure, and he had no intention of robbing his sister of the role she had chosen for herself after realizing that her gentle caress of their injured brother had actually caused him pain.

Thus, he possessed none of a warrior’s intuition or the keen eyes of a soldier.

Still—

“That kid is trouble.”

He swallowed bitter saliva as he watched the girl pull her foot from the hole created by her fall.

With narrowed pupils of her golden eyes, the short girl glared at Flopp and the others.

Though she appeared to be a year or two older than Schult and Utakata, the aura she exuded was on par with Medium or Mizelda—no, it felt even more dangerous.

To the extent that it felt reminiscent of the threat posed by the ‘Nine Divine Generals’ who had taken Mizelda’s legs.

“…Hey, Red-Haired Girl, can you create an opening somehow? We need to get the butler and Miss Utakata out, at least.”

The only viable combat force present was Heinkel, to whom Flopp quietly suggested.

Having slain the flying dragons and demonstrated his swordsmanship, Heinkel could undoubtedly provide better protection for Utakata and the others than Flopp, who could only act as a meat shield.

Ideally, it would be best if Heinkel were strong enough to defeat that girl.

“Wha—?”

“Hey, Red-Haired Girl?”

With his caution aimed at the girl still intact, Flopp looked skeptically at the silent Heinkel.

It was daunting to divert his gaze from the imminent threat, but coordinating with Heinkel was paramount. Resolutely, Flopp stole a glance at Heinkel’s condition.

—Heinkel’s eyes were wide, and his pale face was beaded with profuse cold sweat.

“H-Heinkel, are you okay?”

“U-uh…”

Flopp noticed Heinkel’s abnormal condition just as Schult did.

Schult voiced his concern for Heinkel aloud, while the red-haired swordsman stiffened at the boy’s words, a voiceless sound escaping his throat.

Whether this reaction stemmed from knowing the girl’s identity remained unclear from the side. Regardless, one glaring fact stood out.

“What’s wrong, you? Scared?”

The narrowed eyes of the girl were fixated on Heinkel’s trembling knees, which quaked so much that he seemed unsure of whether he could remain standing.

What lay there was a fear and terror so palpable that no one could deny its unmistakable essence—despair.

“Hey there! Miss I’ve never seen before, can I ask you something?”

Upon seeing Heinkel’s despair in the blink of an eye, Flopp immediately raised his voice.

Suddenly, Heinkel and Schult flinched, and the girl’s suspicious gaze turned toward them. Though they didn’t feel threatened by the glare, it was a weighty presence as if it could crush them if she willed it.

Nonetheless, Flopp steeled his heart, relaxed his cheeks, and spread his arms with a smile.

“I’m Flopp O’Connell, just a humble merchant in a bit of a pickle, here. You seem to know a lot more about the situation than I do?”

“…Abyssal company? You really lucked out.”

“Oh? I’m not too familiar with that phrase. I might lack plenty, but I pride myself on having more luck than misfortune. So, why am I so unlucky?”

“The people of this city can be killed. Yes, that’s what I’m told by the old coot.”

“All of them, huh?”

With a little jerk of her small chin, she gestured around as she answered, causing Flopp to chuckle wryly. To be frank, he was anything but reassured internally—panic was coursing through him.

If their goal was to wipe out the city’s population, where was the room for negotiations?

If only he could talk to this “old coot” who had given her such orders…

“From what I’ve heard, the old man mentioned he realized destroying the city was a mistake. How about checking with your friends and allies again?”

“I have no friends or allies. The only ones here are kin and foes. —You are jesting with me. You seem to know no fear.”

“That’s a misunderstanding! I want to befriend you! I even wish to start by asking your name! So, what do you say?”

“Y-yes! I would love to know your name! I’m Schult!”

As the girl appeared on the verge of annoyance, Flopp clapped his hands to draw his ally’s agreement. Schult then pitched in, raising his hand to introduce himself.

Thus, the girl who had received introductions from Flopp and Schult furrowed her delicate brow, and said:

“I’m Madelin Eshault. The dragon is, ‘the Nine Divine Generals.’”

“Ky…!”

The girl, now introduced by name—Madelin returned her title matter-of-factly, leaving Heinkel in shock.

Feeling fragile enough to tremble, his legs threatened to collapse beneath him even further upon hearing her credentials. It felt like a miracle that he didn’t fall flat on his face.

Flopp couldn’t afford to laugh at Heinkel’s plight either. The adversary he had thought was on the verge of being safely dangerous, had so plainly turned out to be one of the ‘Nine Divine Generals.’

And then—

“…Utakata.”

Flopp quietly saw a change in the situation and called out the name of the one who had instigated it.

Utakata, called by Flopp, had been targeting Madelin all along, poised to do something. She lowered her bow and nocked an arrow, aiming directly at Madelin.

The distance between them was seven or eight meters, inherently close enough that she wouldn’t miss.

That said, was she at an advantage? Far from it.

“That foe’s at the peak of the flying dragon horde. The one from before and the current one are the same. If we knock that foe down, the fight will end.”

“Is that so?!”

“Utakata’s assessment is likely correct. However, it begs the question if other ‘Nine Divine Generals’ are present.”

Flopp stole a glance at Madelin, who appeared unperturbed, choosing not to add anything.

Given her prior behavior, it was evident she responded somewhat to their words. If anything was blatantly incorrect, she should show some form of reaction.

In other words, Madelin was commanding the assault on this castle city. Utakata’s deduction that neutralizing her would divert the flying dragons felt spot on.

The troubling part was that it was hard to believe that defeating her was even remotely possible.

“You are a warrior, and you are a warrior, and you are…not running away. You are warriors.”

“E-eh? Are you talking about me?”

“Yes. You are also a warrior.”

Caught by surprise with a sudden finger pointed in his direction, Schult blinked in confusion at being so evaluated.

The surprise in Schult’s expression only fueled Madelin’s fury as she pointed with her small hand at Utakata, Flopp, and then finally directed her finger toward Heinkel—

“You are not a warrior. You may have killed dragons, yet you are cowardly.”

“Ugh…!”

“Draw your sword. The dragons shall strike. As much as blood you have spilled.”

Saying so, Madelin slowly took a step toward them.

She tightened the gap towards Heinkel, oblivious to Utakata’s aimed arrow.

“—Hit!”

In unison with her resolve, Utakata’s arrow was released, targeting Madelin’s chest. However, it flew straight and was caught between the two fingers of Madelin’s raised hand with ease.

Madelin didn’t even glance at Utakata. Her gaze was fixed solely on Heinkel.

“Red-Haired Girl!”

“Heinkel!”

Realizing the impending danger, Flopp shouted, while Schult tried tugging Heinkel’s arm. Yet, with Schult’s lack of strength, Heinkel stood unmoved.

On the contrary, Heinkel snarled at the advancing Madelin, shaking off the arm Schult had on him.

Schult stumbled and fell flat, while Heinkel gritted his teeth.

“O-Oooo…!”

Heinkel’s grip tightened around his sword, and his cheeks flushed red as the flow of blood surged, attempting to suppress the trembling of his legs.

Still, Madelin kept her feet steady, closing distance to Heinkel.

The girl before him was small and would remain dwarfed compared to the flying dragons.

For that tiny girl, Heinkel prepared a single devastating blow wrought from the strength of his sword—

“—Uoh!”

With a high-pitched sound, the sword slipped from Heinkel’s trembling hand, tumbling down.

The moment he was to unleash his ultimate swordplay, his arm simply would not rise, and the sword fell from his grip.

And then—

“Indeed, you are no warrior.”

Madelin’s disdainful words struck Heinkel along with a powerful punch.

The strike sent the tall Heinkel crashing to the ground with tremendous momentum, smashing into the stone wall, leaving a dent in his shape.

That blow, wrapped with a fierce gale, struck so hard that Heinkel was sent reeling, leaving him in an upturned state of capsizing to unconsciousness.

While devastating, it wasn’t much to write home about when aligned with a barrage of missiles raining upon the city, but it was enough draw the red-haired swordsman to white-eyed oblivion after just one strike.

“Ugh…”

Madelin pressed forward, Heinkel’s defeated form having yet to crumple beneath her.

She targeted Heinkel’s nose, smashing through it with a punch, forcing him against the wall until he ricocheted off the impact, only to be met with a kick that split his ribs as he tumbled to the ground.

The collision made enough noise that the nearby houses, set for demolition, crumbled and fell under the pressure. With Heinkel still enduring as rubble filled the space around him, Madelin was all uncaring as she captured Heinkel’s foot and threw him away with brute strength.

Heinkel’s body hit the ground with a thud, rolling across the street.

This time falling onto the other side of a building that had just caved in, the impact shattered windows, sending shards of glass raining down on his prone figure like rain, creating inside scratches across his body.

He lay motionless on the ground, the viciousness of the hit leaving behind wounds that threatened his life’s essence.

Flopp, in that moment, thought that would have delivered a fatal blow.

It seemed that any common human would have died under such an onslaught; even Medium might not have survived such repeated blows, leaving Heinkel’s life hanging in the balance.

However, someone like Madelin, whose life revolved around combat, would never permit such a half-hearted conclusion.

“You spineless coward.”

Her voice held nothing but contempt as she stretched her hand behind her back. Undoing the button of the bag strapped across her, instantly, the items within tumbled out with a clattering sound.

It was a long, folded sharp blade—a weapon, shaped like a large pair of opened scissors. Flopp had seen a similar item used by nomadic hunters traversing the vast fields.

This thing, known as a “Wing Blade,” was a magnificent tool that could return to its thrower whirling through the air if hurled right.

However, what Madelin wielded was far larger than her petite stature and held a handle for purposes besides mere throwing, morphed into a spear-like weapon.

She directed it mercilessly toward Heinkel, who lay helpless on the ground. After such a barrage of punches, should she strike him with her weapon, there would undoubtedly be no recognizable remains left.

“Stop, Miss Madelin! I understand your rage. You’re incensed over your allies being killed, and rightly so. But, if they’ve attacked, then a counterattack is unavoidable. The side that gets attacked must assert themselves.”

Flopp’s grip tightened around his lips as he held his breath, attempting to catch Madelin’s attention. With a Wing Blade at the ready, she remained turned away from him and replied, “Don’t mistake me.”

“The dragons are the mightiest creatures in this world. If you lot dare bite at them, it’s only natural that you’d be exterminated in return. That also—”

“That also?”

“An act from cowardly wretches like you is unforgivable.”

Madelin’s golden eyes flickered with a violent rage, and Flopp realized her reasons for being angry.

While she was undeniably furious over the death of her fellow dragons, her deeper wrath stemmed from Heinkel’s inability to rise against such an undignified opponent.

She resented not just Heinkel, but also the insult to the life of the flying dragon he had slain.

“Uggh!”

In a split second, Flopp felt a jagged rock propelled toward him, kicked from Madelin’s foot. It struck the feet of Schult and Utakata, blocking their advances.

In the meantime, Madelin brandished the Wing Blade, prepared to crush Heinkel.

But—

“Stop it! You’re harming him!”

While Flopp and Utakata were busy recovering from their stumbles, Schult, who had been standing at a safe distance, darted forward recklessly. The frail boy spread his arms wide and stepped between Madelin and Heinkel, casting his fragile body like a barrier against a tempest.

However, Madelin’s heart was unflinching, and she would not halt upon seeing such audacity.

“None shall be spared in any case.”

With narrowed eyes, Madelin brought the Wing Blade down toward Schult’s head.

“Hey! This isn’t good. We have to help!”

Realizing the danger, Flopp rushed in to intervene, grabbing hold of Schult, who remained resolute, jaw clenched tight against the inevitability.

As Madelin’s weapon bore down, Flopp’s heart quickened, leaping forward to shield Schult from the incoming attack.

“—Great duty indeed.”

At that unexpected yet undeniable voice ricocheting through the air, Flopp’s senses went numb as overwhelming energy washed over him, blinding him momentarily.

From above, the Wing Blade dropping dangerously fast crashed into the red sword, colliding mid-fall, sparking an explosion of light.

Flopp’s eyes stung amidst the strange glow enveloping him.

When the noise dissipated, the earthen noise of substance slamming against one another reached Flopp’s ears.

“…Ugh.”

When he looked up, failing to comprehend the overwhelming aura, he witnessed Madelin crash hard into the stone building, with a hesitant ambiguity.

“Princess!”

“Miss Priscilla!”

“Eggh!”

“Well done as expected. In moments like these, one ought to simply shout praises toward me.”

As she gracefully brushed off the edge of her dress, Priscilla appeared unruffled amid the ensuing chaos.

With dragons unleashed upon the city as well as the ‘Nine Divine Generals’ on the attack, her consistent composure was a source of confidence beyond any comparison.

She had struck Madelin in one devastating blow, saving Flopp and the others from the precipice of peril.

“Yet I never envisioned I would be held up in a place like this. Naturally, I thought one would have gone directly to the council—”

“Ah, I debated on that too. Trying to decide if I should head to your place or the mansion with that husband of yours, or perhaps the hall where Marehead is…”

“That is not the case. More so, the objectives of that general attacking the city.”

With a pointed gesture, Priscilla interrupted Flopp’s words, pointing towards Madelin.

Despite grappling with an incalculable thought for a brief second, Flopp could quickly relinquish it as inconsequential in that moment and addressed Priscilla.

“Thanks for the save. I’m intending to evacuate with the butler and Miss Utakata, but I would appreciate any advice you can give on where to go. We should take that red-haired girl along too.”

“Hoh, can you select wisely? If so, then head towards the mansion. It is safer than the hall, which ought to draw fire. And also—”

Priscilla diverted her gaze from Flopp and glanced over her shoulder at the downed Heinkel. Her crimson gaze narrowed as she exhaled lightly.

“That one can be left behind. If he cannot be useful, then it’s no concern of mine.”

“Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be that simple. The red-haired girl could become a valuable asset when she regains consciousness. Moreover, she was protected by your dear butler with much pain.”

“—”

With that delivered, Priscilla’s gaze snapped towards Schult.

For a moment, overwhelmed by his master’s appearance, tears welled in Schult’s eyes. What stirred his emotions further was that his eyes were still ablaze with flames.

However, Schult didn’t express worry over the strange phenomenon affecting him; instead, he firmly grasped Heinkel’s ankle, saying:

“I’ll take Lord Heinkel with me…! Miss Priscilla has—”

“There are things I must do. You understand that.”

“Yes! It’s something you can only do… something amazing!”

What kind of impact do Schult’s innocent faith and conviction hold for Priscilla?

While her expression remained unchanged, Priscilla nodded quietly, absorbing Schult’s words. Then she turned her gaze to the alley.

“Avoid the main street and proceed past the tall buildings. Schult, remember the way?”

“Yes! I walk there every day!”

“You have my praise.”

Recognizing the common thread of urgency driving the conversation, she turned her back.

The implication that further delay was no longer an option weighed heavily upon all present. Flopp’s instincts echoed the notion that lingering was undoubtedly ill-advised.

While remaining alongside Priscilla would shield them from the threat of the flying dragons.

“Lead the way, butler. I’ll manage to haul that red-haired girl. Utakata, maintain vigilance on the route. You’re familiar with hunting, so I trust you!”

“I-I understand! I’ll do my utmost to guide!”

“…Umo, got it.”

For a fleeting moment, Utakata hesitated against the idea of retreating, yet she nodded, accepting her role.

With that, their roles were divided, and now—

“Princess! Once again, thank you!”

“There’s no need for thanks. Simply praise me.”

Priscilla remained facing away, responding to Flopp’s gratitude in an assertive manner. Flopp couldn’t help but grin despite the calamity surrounding them as he hoisted Heinkel’s limp body.

His robust form was heavily built, but all the practice running with Medium and planning his escape worked in Flopp’s favor, and he was determined to get moving.

“Don’t forget this.”

Schult snatched up Heinkel’s sword, gripping it tightly in his small hands.

They shared a moment of resolute affirmation, and together, Flopp and the others dashed into the alley, aiming for the mansion.

Before fully distancing themselves—

“Miss Priscilla! I’ll definitely light this fire… thank you very much!”

With eyes wide, ablaze with fervor, Schult called out his gratitude toward Priscilla.