Normally, it would be considered reckless for His Highness, the guardian general of the fortress, to infiltrate into enemy territory.

　However, there is no individual fighting force equivalent to her in this fortress. Although Raquel-san could play a unique role as a heavy cavalryman, she would use a sword when on an infiltration mission, and she was one step short of His Highness Astina's sword skills.

　Even so, Raquel-san was the second best swordsman in the fortress. I've been told that if you let Presha-san use a one-handed spear, there's no one else on the right - with the addition of Deite-san, the leading archer, I'm still holding out hope that if these four people are together, they'll be able to accomplish a difficult task.

(The question is, will I be able to stand up to the enemy mages? Leslie will be there, but neither of them have any experience fighting a combat mage. (If you were able to participate in a mock battle when you were at the academy: ......)

　Compared to a combat mage, we would be treated as amateurs. Even if we're demon warriors, if we're molded against a mage, we may not be able to use our strengths and be sealed off.

　My role is to contribute with what I can only do with spirit magic. And with Leslie accompanying me, I can plan a strategy that makes use of her spirit.

''I thought that the danger of being detected by the enemy would inevitably have to be risked when crossing the river, but with the ...... 'Spirit of Air', you can completely cut off any sign of it.
''Yes. With my magic power alone, it will be depleted as soon as I lose the presence of a large number of people. But with the help of Your Highness, the time I can maintain it will be very long.

　Leslie took off her glasses, revealing her bare face. Ms. Raquel's eyes widened at first, but when she saw that Mr. Deethe had calmed down, she simply coughed one out to follow suit and returned to her usual calm demeanor.

'...... So it's Leslie, not Lendl. Let's not ask now why you accompanied Glass as a man. Only that it was necessary, I suppose.
If a man is sneaking in dressed as a woman, he may need to be punished, though. But there are a lot of soldiers of the right age in this fortress, and I'm sure some of them would be disappointed to find out that they are women.
'I can interfere with the air that flows around me and change the impression I make on my surroundings. Before I'm a man or a woman, I can make you unrecognizable if you make your presence go away.
'Is that so ...... that's great. Do you mean to say that you have always done so as much as possible?
'Yes. It will be difficult to interfere with a large area of air, but in a limited area, you can alter the air in a variety of ways.

　The more I learn about Leslie's spirits, the more I think about them.

　I think I know why she hasn't tried to talk about spirits much before - because they are too good for 'infiltration operations'.

　Completely obliterate the air and transform the air - for example, depriving the air of the ingredients necessary for the human body and attacking the target by suffocating it. If the Renklus family had known they could do such a thing, Leslie might have been brought home sooner. It would be optimistic to say that an ambitious man who wanted to use his daughter for political maneuvering, knowing the power of the air spirits, would not plot anything.

'Glass, Leslie ...... it is not in our nature to send you along on dangerous missions. But we are unlikely to get out of this phase without the help of magic ...... and you must forgive us for that.
''The enemy army also has the help of mages. Only mages can counter the mages. ...... We are not combat mages, but we are both mages. We will prevent you from being defeated without even knowing what you are doing to us.
'Thank you, ...... doctor. If it's true, you're more .......

　He gave up being a court mage and worked in the royal capital as a doctor. That was certainly a choice, too.

　But I don't think I should have done so at all. I consider it a sincere honor to have been allowed to accompany His Highness in this way.

　The people in the fortress, the people of the territory - there are many people who need to be healed. I want to do my best to restore the Garden of the Divine Tree to a more beautiful state.

　I knew one day that Zirconia had to be stopped. If we don't accomplish that, nothing will get done - that's why.

I'm talking about a very serious ...... story. Wouldn't you be creeped out, Ray?
"...... summoner will not die. We will protect you.
'That's right!　Summoner, we want you to rely on the power of us and all our friends. If we wanted to, we could even summon a bunch of Ray's friends to the bad guys' nooks and crannies to take them all out!

　We were talking in the ops room as we prepared to leave, when Alraune and Ray were peeking in.

''I know, ...... I'm thinking that Dr. Glass would be incredibly strong if he really didn't go easy on you.
'Mmm ...... Since Glass arrived, he's always been a contributor. Sure, we haven't had a massive attack like a combat mage, but I'm sure you've got quite a bit of power behind you from the shadows.
That's not all, dear. Dr. Glass takes care of you at night, too.
...... Dite, what does that mean?

　It's a thoughtful way of saying it, but I know what Deite-san is trying to say, so I dare to keep my mouth shut. It could be because His Highness Astina's nonchalant tone of voice felt powerful in some way.

'I talked to him about my lack of sleep, and he told me about some good flowers. I just put them in my room and for the first time in a long time I had good dreams.
Yuh, I don't mean to sound like a dream: ...... Mr. Deite, don't you think that's a strange thing to say on purpose?
"Huh ...... you guys look so miserable. It's dangerous to sneak into enemy territory, but that's when you should be as calm as usual. But that's when you have to be as calm as usual. The Grim Reaper is only accessible to those who are afraid of him.

　Everyone's expressions softened as Deete-san smiled. I felt like I understood once again what role she had played in this fortress.

''Well ...... I'm sure you've already prepared your equipment for the infiltration, so let's go change your clothes. Your Highness, I'll be happy to help you with your equipment.
'No, you'll be fine on your own ......, but you should check each other's equipment.
'Your Highness, will you use a small boat to cross the river?　Or ......
'When you cross the water, you can ask for the help of your friend's plants. My summoner, may I borrow your ear?
What's ......?

　I bend down beside Alraune and she whispers in my ear.

'I see ...... 'Such plants' exist in the spirit world, too: ......!
'Yes, that's right, I'm sure I can help you. I will go to the spirit world and call you!

　A plant that can be used to cross the water - if I summon it, I can cross the canal effortlessly and cover my tracks by repatriating it.

　I decided to finish my equipment while Alraune was back in the spirit world. I heard that they don't have any men's equipment, but the armament maintenance staff in the fortress will adjust what they have and prepare it for us. It's not every day that a military doctor is armed, but it's necessary to be prepared to protect your life.

　The time of the operation is about an hour after the sun changes. While thinking about what else I should prepare for, I went to get my armor.