The vast plains from the west side of the king's capital to the walled part of the city, where the ground is so thin that it is difficult to grow crops. It was also inhabited by numerous monsters, such as goblins and orcs, and it was predicted that it would take a lot of work to cultivate it, but Serena's mother made the decision to do so.
　That was when Serena was ten years old.
　Instead of her father, who was still busy flying around the country in diplomatic relations, her mother took Serena and Kyousuke to inspect the plains that were being cleared. Even though there were many guards, it was still a relatively dangerous area. Her mother told Serena and the others to never leave her side.

　But, well, as it turned out, Serena strayed.

　A group of orcs surrounded Serena as she wandered the plains alone.
　Even though they had dampened their ferocity and individual fighting abilities since the convergence of the Underworld Rebellion, the orcs were still a fearsome enemy to humanity. This was even more so for a ten-year-old girl with no power whatsoever.
　The one who rescued the rattling and trembling Serena was a strange old female knight.

　A single thrust of her sword, clad in a tornado, turned the orcs into minced meat. This is the secret profundity of the stabbing sword, which can only be reached with physical strength that defies human knowledge. The female knight, who easily ended her time of terror, took Serena in her arms and said: ''I've been looking for you.

''I've been looking for you. Now, let's go back to your mother.''

　The knight's surging feet as he galloped off with her in his arms were faster than any horse or carriage Serena had ever known.




'That was how my master and I met...'

　We all listened to Serena's sullenly told story with half-confidence.

　Even Kyousuke and the others don't have the confidence to instantly kill Okumura's (Orcs) large army even if they become a full cross. Even that red winged demon (Red Wing) would be impossible. In fact, a knight who runs faster than a horse is at a level where there is no need for a horseman. No matter how you think about it, I can only think that you're making up a story.
　Serena's master is entrusted with the protection of the western part of the kingdom and has been awarded the title of "Knight General". His unique title is "Knight General Splitting the Earth". It's not a metaphorical expression, but a real earth-breaking title.

　Kyousuke and the others finished eating and began to walk straight toward the castle walls. Just as they had originally planned, that they would be able to arrive before the sun went down, the castle walls gradually spread out in front of them.

''If you're such a scary person, we shouldn't piss you off...''

　Rin blurted out.

'How old are you, by the way?'
How old were you when you met me? I think I was over 30 when we met.... Huh?　Didn't we go over that?

　At the white horse's question, Serena in the saddle snapped her fingers and began to count. I could see Hakuba's expression becoming more and more cloudy. What kind of disrespectful thing she was thinking about, well, I can imagine. It seems unlikely, and since he can run faster than a horse, he has no use for Hakuba anyway.
　Kyousuke took a telescope out of the wagon and put it to his eye socket. As for being able to see without eyes, Serena explained at length, ''There's something called a conceptual organ.......'', but it mostly slipped from the right ear to the left ear. Of course, there was no right ear or left ear.

　On top of the castle walls, knights wearing light armor were patrolling. It's an unmistakable human figure. Although they are the same Caucasian type as Serena, and their attire is also unfamiliar in Japan, just seeing multiple humans in motion gives you a strange feeling.

'Utsurogi-kun, me too!　Let me see it!

　Rin is pestering me, so I lend her the telescope.

'Oh, it's a human...!　That's awesome, it's human!
Well, I'm human too, but...

　In the saddle, Serena's lips were pursed in a slightly frustrated manner.

'Kyousuke, I've basically left the negotiations to you.

　Ei said as he jumped out of the cramped lantern.

'Me?　You can't talk much. You'd be better off with Ei.
'I'll interrupt you if I have to, but I'm not the right person for the job because I go off on a tangent. You know that.
Oh, yeah. I know, I know.
Besides, this negotiation should be easier for them to like if you're a little more foolish than you are.

　If you say so, you're not afraid to get yourself to the bargaining table. But it's a bit of pressure. It's an unlikely stomach ache.

Speaking of which, there's talk of negotiating with that female general military officer to get her to move her troops, is it okay?
What?
From what I've heard, the army that's lingering on the walls is a force to prevent monsters from attacking from outside the walls.

　No matter how much he is in charge, there is still the question of whether it is really good to move the war effort with the decision of one general alone.

''Ah, yes. Well.........''

　At Kyousuke's words, Serena pondered a bit.

'Serena-chan's country is a monarchy?　Does the king have the authority to run an army or something?
'It's a constitutional monarchy. It's a constitutional monarchy.
Oh, it's pretty modern.
So it could take a lot of work to run an army. I wouldn't hold out much hope.

　Ei's words end the conversation in a watered-down way at the end.

　The castle walls get even closer, until we can see the knights on patrol. The knights notice us and we see that some of them are going down the stairs, perhaps to report. The air is hectic, with a sense of urgency. Naturally, this one, too, the air is tense. If this is effectively the first contact, we'll have to be cautious.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find a lot more information on this. There is also a figure of a mage who has his staff ready to chant.

'Serena-san.
Yes, I know.

　Serena gulped and spat, showing her spear high up on her horse. Here, her words would divide the good plan.

''We are not the enemy!　Lower your bows and tell the Knight General!　Your apprentice, Serenade, has returned!

　When she shouted high, the knights who had been nipping at their arrows lowered their bows as they said. They held the reins on the unicorn, trying to identify the girl who was raising her spear. Apparently, both the knights and the mages had an idea of what Serena's name was.
　Or rather, Serena's real name is Serenade? I didn't know that. Looking at Rin's reaction, it seems she hadn't heard of it either.

　But what she said next was even more surprising.

'I'll say it again!　Please tell the Knight General!　It is the return of Princess Serenade, the first princess of the kingdom!
""Eeeeeeeeee!"

　Thanks to the startled voice that sounded slightly biting, Princess Serenade had to say the same line again.




''Because you wouldn't have believed me when I told you...''

　When I pursued what she had been hiding, Serena said that with a somewhat disgruntled twitch of her lips.

　The First Princess (Princess) Serenade. It was her identity. I had expected her to be a nobleman, or maybe even royalty, but she was a bigger person than I had imagined. From the attitude of the other side, it seems that a large scale search had already begun, but it was nothing but luck that we did not run into such a search party. If they had encountered it on the way, the situation would have been more complicated.
　However, even though it was the return of the Princess, Kyousuke and the others, and Serena as well as the original, were not allowed inside the city walls. While the knights were heavily guarded, it still wasn't convenient to leave the Princess's Highness standing, and Serena was sitting a bit on a luxurious chair for nobles that was brought in from inside.

''Oh, please bring out a chair for them as well.

　Serena said, and one of the knights brought in three more chairs with a salute. As expected, she thought that they wouldn't be able to provide chairs for the white horse, but instead, a canopy bed was brought in. The white horse also has an apologetic look on his face and puts his hooves on the bed. In his momentum, he tore the curtains with his corner and his face turned pale.

''Whoa!　

　The moment Rin puts her body on the chair, the legs of the chair break and break.

'Now that's a lot of water compressed in the princess water. It weighs a lot.''

　Ei was calmly explaining and scorching the plush chairs as he calmly explained.

''I feel like we're being incredibly rude right now, is it okay...?''
I'll be fine. I'm a princess...!

　Serena tells her with a smug look on her face, clenching her fists. After glancing at Rin, who sits fearfully in the chair that has been brought in again (this time it didn't break), Kyousuke asks Serena again.

'I mean, you're the first princess and you volunteered for the survey team?　Are you an apprentice knight?
''Not so much since your father's and mother's generation.... The royal family in this country highly respects military service. Originally, it was a grand duke territory in the westernmost part of the central empire. It was a country to hold off monsters and unidentified armies that were approaching from the west.

　That was two hundred years ago, Serena said.

''I don't understand what it is like to have two royal children with two sisters and a brother, or to send one of them off to a dangerous place without a care in the world...''
"Well, it was supposed to be a safe investigation, but......... It's true that I volunteered for the danger zone, but........
But if she's the first princess, Serena is going to succeed to the throne, right?
''I don't know. Kyouss... oh no, my brother is better than me, so I think he'll take over...

　Even so, it seemed somewhat careless to deal with a royal heiress. However, having thought this far, Kyousuke shook his head. He felt that thinking of Serena as the "first princess" more than necessary was synonymous with thinking of her as a tool of political strategy.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends.
　Her father is Japanese, as we all know, but it's a different story when it comes to the king of this country. It is said that he actively seeks out the people of the original world who have been transferred to this world and protects them if necessary. However, whether or not this applies to the case of Kyousuke and the others is a difficult question. Changing one's appearance into a monster when transferring is unprecedented.

　The knights and mages who were standing upright and unguarded seemed to be wondering about the monster army that was exchanging words with Princess Serenade in a friendly manner. You could probably guess the situation roughly from the end of the conversation, but even so, you'd have to be skeptical.

''Sorry to keep you waiting, Your Highness.

　One of the knights softly gives Serena an earful.

'The General has arrived, sir.'
'Oh, yes. Thank you.

　Hearing those words, Kyousuke and the others spontaneously corrected their appearance.
　When they turned their gaze toward the gate, they heard a clatter, clatter, clatter, and a strangely aged woman dressed in armor showed up for a look. Her steeplejack-colored hair was tied up in a tuft. She has a sharp face reminiscent of a drawn blade, and her appearance is just like a 'female knight', but there are painful scars left on her face.
　It was impressive when Rin said, 'It looks like an evolutionary form of Tsurugin'. He certainly looks like Kenzaki (Dullahan).

　But the sense of intimidation was much different. Even though he wasn't tall or well-built, he was neither tall nor well-built, yet he exuded every time he creaked his armor and walked...what can I say? Aura?　Combat?　Anyway, a kind of "awesomeness" that is hard to put into words can be felt in Kyousuke and the others' bodies.
　If Kenzaki is a member of the "public morals committee," then this is...no, a "general"? No, that's right.

"Welcome home for now, Your Highness. Your Highness. Please allow me to greet you in this manner.
Oh, no......... I was the one who wanted them to sit with me.... I'm sorry for causing you to worry. My master.
I'm so glad you're safe. If anything had happened to you, I would have had to cut you in the gut.

　Seeing Serena exchanging words with that knight general without a care in the world, Kyousuke felt comfortable looking at her again for the first time.
　The general glanced straight at her, turning his gaze to Kyousuke and the others. They couldn't help but freak out. Rin and others had fallen off their feet and tumbled over in their chairs.

'Well, you are the ones who delivered His Highness to me. I'd like to thank you. I'm sure Her Majesty is very worried about this case.

　The female general's army chattered their armor and spoke to me in a somewhat shattered tone.

"Skeletons and slimes, wisps and unicorns....... According to reports, you can speak human language?
Oh, um. Yes, I can talk.
Mmm, you're more fluent than I thought...

　Kyousuke glances at the others. Ei seems to be maintaining a sense of normalcy, but the fire is less intense than usual. Rin is struggling to fix her fallen chair, and Hakuba, to say the least, looks a little sad as she turns her eyes to the female general's army. She was certainly a beautiful woman, but I don't think it was something to be put off by....
　The white horse remained in place, its hooves slamming against the bedpost twice. What's the signal? Are you saying it's a report on the number of people experienced? Totally superfluous information.

''No, I would normally like to give you a warm welcome as the person who protected Your Highness, but this is the first time I've ever had a guest like you guys...''

　The General makes a difficult face as he scratches his head.

'It's also different from elves and lizardmen.... This is the first time I've seen a monster with intelligence. Moreover, they can communicate with us through language. To be honest, I'm confused.
Oh, no. Um.....
Master, Mr. Utsurogi and his friends are trippers.

　Instead of Kyousuke, who was confused in his head, Serena started the conversation. She was a reliable princess. The mistress army looked at her in surprise.

''Tripper?　Did they?
'Yes, sir. From what I've been told, he came from the same homeland as your father and the people he's protecting in his kingdom.
I've heard that there were no demons like this in His Majesty's homeland?
When I was in transition, I was able to change my appearance.

　Kyousuke replied clearly, though it was nothing more than speculation.
　Kyousuke decides to explain their situation in detail. As he speaks, his tongue (or lack thereof) gradually warms up. The fact that they are experiencing a trip in the group unit of a school class, plus they were transformed into monsters when they were transferred. The proprietress army didn't deny it without thinking, but listened to the story carefully.
　Kyousuke then explains what happened after he met Serena. How he rescued her from being chased by the Wilderness Worm and offered her protection in class. He explains how he engaged the Red Winged Demon that destroyed Serena's investigation team and took one of her classmates away.

　The General's army squints at the red-winged demon crap and checks with Serena.
　When Serena nodded that there was no doubt about it, the knights and mages who were standing upright and immobile around her suddenly buzzed.

''What, what?　What?

　Rin makes an uneasy sound.

"If it's a 'red winged demon', we'll make sure it's one on our end.

　The landlady's army looked up to the heavens and said so.

''Really?!''
''Mm. With red wings and black armor, this is a fiendish enemy with fearsome physical strength and magical attack power. The day after His Highness the Princess's troops disappeared, this city wall was also attacked. We managed to repel it, but we missed two of the three.
Three?

　Kyousuke couldn't help but shout and stand up. Serena's eyes widened in surprise as well, and Rin, Hakuba, and even Ei couldn't hide their surprise. Perhaps this reaction from Kyousuke was unexpected, the female general's army was also a bit stunned before replying.

Oh, yeah, three of them. You called yourselves 'pawns'........ To tell the truth, we've suffered a lot of damage too. I think it's time we talked about this in detail.

　With that, the general urged them all to leave their seats.

'Let's talk in my room. As you can imagine, the sun is too hot outside.
'Oh, um. Are you sure?
I don't mind. For now, I was wary of being a monster, but it looks like there's a complicated situation, and if you guys have any strange ideas, I can shut you up in less than two seconds.

　Without being particularly uptight, the female general's army says so flatly. Perhaps it's true to their words.

　However, it is not the words and actions of the knight general who is full of confidence that are ruling Kyousuke's mind right now. It's the fact that there were at least three of those "Red Winged Demons". The power of that evil demon that had absolute fighting ability was not a one-of-a-kind thing.

''Hey, a "pawn" is a chess piece, right?''

　Rin blurts out.

It is also the weakest piece. But the word "pawn" as they call it doesn't necessarily have the same meaning as chess.

　That said, Ei's voice was also slightly strained with tension. As I recall, that demon had uttered the word "king" just before he flew away. A pawn to the king. There is no definitive proof at all, but it's more than enough to make one imagine something unpleasant.
　What if the red-winged demon with that much power is really just the 'pointman' of that force?

"For your information, Hino-kun, how many pawns are there in total?
Eight per camp.

　The calm Ei's words were accompanied by a somewhat sullen sound.




　Apparently, the city walls were themselves a long north-south fortress. Kyousuke and the others were led to the Knight General's private room in one corner of that fortress. It was a room with a calm atmosphere like a study, and the walls were decorated with a large lance (lance) of nearly three meters and a tower shield. Next to it is a portrait of a mature man with an eagle nose. The general's husband---he is somewhat too old to be the general's husband, so he must be his father.
　Incidentally, as for the large number of books stored in the bookshelf, Serena secretly told me that half of them are knightly romance tales and romance novels. Despite the fact that she told me secretly, the female general's army seemed to have heard her, and a chuckle was directed at her with a chuckle.

'It's bad for the street to be a general forever. I'm Carol. Please take care of me.
Oh, no, it's a moron.
'Utsurogi.... Do you write that as a feeling of movement?
'That's Utsurigi...'

　It seems that Carol, the landlady, has a good knowledge of Japanese to the extent that she can make such mistakes. If that is the case, then the story of the protection of Japanese people in this country to a certain extent will have some credibility.

　Kyousuke stopped to drink the tea that Carol had brewed for him. If he drank the tea here and now, wouldn't it make a stain on the fancy-looking sofa he was currently sitting on?

'Utsurogi-kun!　I'll catch it all!
No, um, yeah......... You're strong, Himemizu........

　The one who was more puffy than sturdy was Ei, and he was firmly scorching the luxury sofa.

''Come to think of it, it's a skeleton, so if you drink tea, it will spill over....... It's not quite so easy to greet a monster...''
'Oh, I'm fine!　I'll take care of everything!　

　I pinch up the biting slime with all my might.

Well, okay. Let's talk. First, let's talk about the Red Winged Demon.

　Carol told me a story about the Red Winged Demon that attacked this fortress in the past.

　There are three demons. In addition, they also led monsters such as small demons (Imps) and wights (Ghouls) as their foot soldiers. Coincidentally, just like Kyousuke and the others, those demons, which we'll call Red Wing Demons (Red Wing), apparently slaughtered knights and mages with their overwhelming fighting abilities.
　Unfortunately, Carol had left the fortress for a little while that day to receive a guest from the royal capital, and her arrival at the scene was delayed. Nevertheless, as soon as he arrived, he was said to have been as active as a demon god and shot down one of them. With one of the commanders defeated, the enemy easily withdrew.

''Is the strength of this fortress enough to surpass the attacks of those three demons...?''

　When Ei pouted, Carol shook her head.

'I told you. He said he suffered quite a bit. At that level, it's hard for an ordinary knight or mage to stand up to a bunch of them.''

　Is it because he is aware that he himself is not normal?
　Kyousuke gingerly clenched his fists and looked at Carol squarely. She would be able to cross over to Red Wing more than evenly with Red Wing.

''Carol-san, will you cooperate with us?
Hmm?
There's a chance they could come back to our base. And they may come in their own numbers.

　This is the main issue we've finally been able to cut out.
　Right now, Ryuzaki and the others are working on refurbishing the heavy cruiser as a means of escaping the base. But it's already been five days since Red Wing attacked the base. It would not be surprising if Red Wing were to reach there again at any time.
　Furthermore, the situation is more serious than we had originally thought. "The self-proclaimed 'pawn' and the number of them, three. The next number of Red Wings to attack the base could not possibly be one.

　If only the Knight General in front of us could give us some help.

''I'm afraid I can't do that.

　With a cup of tea in hand, Carol said simply.

'Oh no, Master!　Why!
Calm down, Your Highness. After everything we've said so far, you should know that this fortress line could come under attack at any moment. This fortress line could come under attack at any moment.

　There is no way Kyousuke and the others have the power to send in reinforcements to this fortress that has suffered a fair amount of human casualties. What does it say about you that you need the help of Carol herself? She's just as much of a trump card against a powerful enemy as the Full Cross in the second year group of four.
　If only Ryuzaki and the others could get their heavy cruisers refurbished as quickly as possible. If their classmates could break out of their base sooner than they were attacked by Red Wing, they wouldn't need the help of the knights here. But that's a thin hope, though.

''I'm sorry. 'Sorry, Utsurogi. You saved Your Highness's life.

　Carol, perhaps sensing Kyousuke's heart, however, reiterated her refusal.

'Master, even if you use my name, will you not listen to me!
"With all due respect, Your Highness, I have been delegated carte blanche by Their Majesties to operate this fortress line in a forceful manner. Formal operations, of course, require the approval of Parliament, but...

　Even though this case is an urgent matter, we can't let it be heard, Carol tells her.

　Serena stands up and sits back in her chair with a frustrated look on her face. She was not lying when she said that her name had diplomatic value. Or if this fortress hadn't still been attacked by the Red Winged Demon, Carol might have been willing to accept Kyousuke and the others' request.
　But the situation was bad.

''I'm sorry.... Utsurugi-san........everyone.......

　Serena grabbed the hem of her own clothes and gave a squeeze.

''Uh, yeah. It's not Selena-chan's fault...''

　In a somewhat powerless voice, Rin says. Yes, she's not bad at all in this matter.

"I don't know if it's any consolation to you, but I can promise you protection on this fortress line if you want it. Once you return to that base of operations and bring your friends with you, that's fine. We can shelter 40 or so monsters, but that's about it.

　It was the maximum concession that Knight General Carol could make. If he could receive direct protection from her, a powerful trump card, in the event of an attack by the Red Winged Demon, there was nothing more reassuring than that.
　However, if they hurriedly returned to their base from here, it would be three days at the earliest. If they were to take everyone with them from there, they would have to look at a week, including preparations. It's no different than waiting for a heavy cruiser to be refurbished, and there's no guarantee that we'll be able to avoid being attacked in the meantime. The more time that goes by, the less safe that base and the wide open wilderness will be.

'It's almost nightfall. 'It will be dark soon, and you may stay here for the night. If you're in a hurry to get back to the base, I can lend you a fast horse.... Oh no, yes.

　Carol slurred her words a little as her eyes met with the white horse.

'I'll have them get you a room. I'll have a proper one for that unicorn as well, not a stable. I'm afraid I can't share a room with His Highness, but you can talk to me late if you call on me.

　After saying that much, Knight General Carol left the room. I'm sure he'll get a bedroom ready for me right away.

　Negotiations are not a failure. It was a success in getting cooperation.
　But even more than the failure to get direct reinforcements, the unfathomable and uncanny identity of that Red Wing and those connected to it brought a heavy silence to everyone. I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to tell that to Ryuzaki and the others, but it's frustrating that I don't have the means to do so.

It's a good idea to skip the fast horse and return to the base of operations first thing in the morning.

　Ei blurted out.

'Hey, what about me?'
'The white horse can stay here. It's probably safe. Even though the white horse's legs are quite fast, they probably aren't as fast as the horses trained for combat here. If we can get Kyousuke or someone else to ride with us and straighten the horse out... well, if we can get there in two days, we'll be good to go.
It's your only choice...

　Kyousuke nodded. First of all, it's of the utmost importance to transmit the information obtained here to Ryuzaki and the others. If we reach this fortress line, we will be guaranteed to be safe. That alone would be a considerable advance. It's also the country where the trippers live, and we might be able to get a clue to return to the original world.

''Ugh, I'm sorry.... I'm at a crucial point....
'So Serena-chan isn't bad...'

　When Rin popped Serena's back, there was a 'gofu' sound like air being knocked out of her lungs, and Serena groaned profusely.

　A short time later, Carol returns to say that the room is ready to go. They all prayed for the safety of the base and decided to take a break from the trip for now.




　It was that night that the incident occurred.