"Alright, let's go exactly as ordered."
The opening move of this siege was my job. My task was to blast a massive hole in the city walls surrounding the Nagan Royal Capital.
I didn't know what specific materials the walls were made of or what kind of enhancements had been carved into them, but for now, I would just discharge a full-power mana cannon to blow the defensive barrier to smithereens. Then, I would forge a path straight to the royal palace situated at the center of the capital. This was the first phase of the plan, and currently, I was the only one who could pull it off. Well, a task like this was nothing. A walk in the park.
(But that's not 'all' I'm going to do.)
I had already received permission from the tactician to destroy as much of this capital as I pleased. Of course, I intended to show a bare minimum of consideration, but I felt absolutely no attachment to this city, nor were there any living citizens left inside. I wasn't about to hold back. Normally, I would overthink things, but this time was an exception. In fact, if it meant swiftly ending the upcoming extermination of the enemy leader, the "Thief," I wouldn't mind blowing away their entire royal palace.
My scales of priority always tilted toward the children.
(...I'm leaving the flock entirely to Dele this time without my presence. It's not that I don't trust her, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm worried.)
The "Thief" was a necromancer, right? I would handle that one myself, but as for the other opponents—the ostriches would deal with the undead. To be precise, the Red Knights and other soldiers would also provide support, but my children were the main event. Nothing beats the charge of ostrich cavalry. They were our most vital "attackers."
(It's a strategy drawn up by the tactician, and I even chimed in to make adjustments. I don't think it'll end in a catastrophic failure... but worry is worry, nonetheless.)
Even if there were multiple opponents on par with an individual ostrich, no one besides the inhabitants of the Highlands could defeat us when we moved as a flock. I understood that perfectly well. But no matter how much you prepare, the anxiety never truly fades. If possible, I should be right by their side at all times. Some members of the flock were older than me, but their minds were those of children. Infants, even. Though they had grown smarter, my honest feeling was that I didn't want to take my eyes off them for a single second.
Deep in my chest, I certainly felt rage and irritation toward the necromancer. But compared to the safety of my children, such emotions weren't worth a dime. I would choose the "children" every single time. I am a "mother," after all. My own convenience and emotions didn't matter.
(But the world isn't sweet enough to let me ignore my duties just to babysit.)
To be exact, if I simply exerted my raw power, it wouldn't be impossible. With the kind of power I possessed now, I could probably decide everything through brute force.
But children grow by watching how their mother behaves; I genuinely didn't want to set a bad example for their education. Being human, I have my moments of wavering, but on this point, I remained consistent. Tyrants are destined to be overthrown eventually. There was no way I wanted my children to walk down a path toward such a fate.
That was exactly why I needed to finish what needed to be done with maximum speed, soar back to my children, and help them grow.
Isn't that what a proper "Mama" is supposed to do?
"Therefore... I'm going to blow it all away with everything I've got."
I had explained to the tactician that I would just "poke a little hole in the palace," but what I was about to unleash was a spell meant to "obliterate the enemy along with the entire royal palace." Of course, as ordered, I wouldn't forget to shave a tiny sliver off the ground to create a line that would serve as a guide for the children. If I adjusted the angle before firing, I could manage that much. It was just that I couldn't regulate the potency of my output, not that I couldn't adjust the trajectory... Ah, sorry. Actually, maybe I can't. Now I'm anxious.
Well, I would probably get chewed out later... but he owed me plenty of favors. It would all work out fine.
I would erase the enemy in a single blow and bring this to an end.
"...Huu."
Exhaling a soft breath, I accelerated the circulation speed of my mana.
What I brought to mind was the "black" mana cannon I had used during the battle against the Beast King. I would draw out the compressed mana writhing inside my body, compress it further externally until it changed color, and fire. I had only used it once before, but it could practically be called my ultimate move. Currently, the total volume of mana inside my body was even higher and more compressed than back then. And perhaps thanks to handling elemental magic when I fought the undead in the Beast Kingdom, I had grasped the sensation of discharging massive amounts of mana all at once.
(Let's go with the absolute maximum I can achieve right now.)
I forcefully drafted the equivalent of five Demon Kings from within my body, slowly venting them outward and gathering them right before my eyes. What I was forming was a black sphere capable of drawing in and incinerating everything. Deliberately, carefully, and while applying pressure, I wove the mana even deeper together.
(Of course, with me doing something like this, the enemy is bound to move. I can see undead holding staffs atop the city walls... but it doesn't matter.)
The "Mana Cannon" was a technique devised by the Beast King and copied by me. Its greatest advantage lay in its incredibly short execution time. If you possessed a ridiculous pool of mana like me, or monstrous mana control techniques like the Beast King, its destructive power would skyrocket accordingly. However, the true essence and primary strength of this magic was its "speed." While other elemental spells required some form of incantation, a 'Mana Cannon' could be unleashed with zero motion.
When you take such a convenient attack method and unleash it after letting it simmer and stew slowly... what do you think happens?
The world itself screams.
"『Mana Cannon』, fire."
The black mass conjured before my eyes was unleashed.
Distorting the surrounding space as it was released, the mass stretched into a thread-like line for a mere fraction of a second before instantly expanding. A pitch-black flash enveloped my vision in the blink of an eye, immediately erasing the targeted defensive wall. Naturally, the undead stationed there were completely vaporized along with it. The black light eroded everything as if purifying the world, blanking out the canvas of reality with black paint. It was as though nothing had ever existed there from the very beginning.
That black god of destruction stretched straight toward the royal palace, and then...
It was deflected upward.
"What?!"
An astonished voice echoed from behind me. I didn't know who said it, but this was no illusion. It was a phenomenon that had undeniably occurred right before my eyes.
The lingering mana proved it.
The one who had deflected my black mana cannon into the sky, the entity that had generated a white, transparent shield-like barrier to protect the royal palace... I knew this distinct style of mana control. I recognized this magnificent, artwork-like technique. There was no way I could forget it. Though it seemed to have quite a few impurities mixed in, the technique belonged to the man whose skills I had learned from firsthand, and whose final moments I had witnessed. It was the mana control of the man who could be called my second "teacher" in magic.
Ahaha, right now, a slight sense of relief was winning out over my surprise. ...No, rather, if it were him, I'd be troubled if he couldn't at least manage that much. Becoming an undead generally boosts one's capabilities, right? Then it was only fitting that he could repel my full power.
"It's been a while, hasn't it? Beast King."
While this was happening, a sensation hit me as if my mana was surging, consuming the residual energy left behind.
This feeling of the mana circulating through my body instantly replenishing itself meant my maximum mana capacity had increased again. It felt like the number of Demon Kings had definitely grown from six plus change to a solid seven. Seven is a lucky number, so it was a good omen. It would be nice to take advantage of such a wonderful number and sacrifice these Demon Kings to blast everything away once more, but...
As long as I couldn't see the exact depth of the opponent's true strength, it was better to avoid relying blindly on a power whose underlying principles I didn't understand.
I couldn't explain how my mana recovered, how the mechanism behind its increase worked, or for that matter, why I didn't die even when my brain was blown to bits. I couldn't provide a single explanation for any of it; I could only say that it somehow just worked out that way. In other words, there might come a time when it stops working, or I might hit a ceiling. Of course, there was a possibility I could use it forever, but it was best to refrain from relying on it too heavily. Especially when dealing with a battle against an equal or superior opponent.
"Tactician, you can hear me, right? Let's proceed as planned. ...This is no time to be frozen in fear, is it?"
"Ahem! Quite right. Well then, let us begin. Come now, everyone, it is time! Wake up! All forces, commence operational maneuvers!!"
I called out to the tactician, who was likely stunned by what had just happened right in front of him, forcing him to restart his gears. Well, it couldn't be helped. It seemed everyone besides the tactician failed to comprehend what had occurred before their eyes. Though it might be rich coming from the person who actually did it... that attack had the appearance and destructive power of a "Doomsday Strike." And it had been deflected. Of course they were terrified.
Even my children had faces that said, 'Whoa! Pitch black, went poof!' Hehe, cute.
Spurred by the tactician's command, the soldiers regained their senses and began moving in unison. ...Now then, before I start my own job, I need to say a quick word to the children.
"Every~one?"
"Ah! Mama!"
"It's Mama!"
"Pitch black! Black! Pretty!"
"I want it!"
"Do it again, do it again!"
"Whoops? My little babies, aren't you all letting your guards down a bit too much? Come on, it's time to prepare for 'battle'! Tighten your resolves!"
"""Yeees!"""
Watching the children reply energetically, I tightened my own resolve as well. The opponents I had to face were the "Beast King" and his "Master." I would package them together, eliminate them swiftly, and return to these children.
"Dele, I'm counting on you. If there's anything you don't understand, ask Matilde. When you're in trouble, call me, 'Mama'."
"Yeah...!"
"Matilde, I'm counting on you too."
"Leave it to me. Though I may be nothing but baggage to them... I will do everything within my power."
I massaged the cheeks of Dele, whose expression was a tiny bit stiffer than usual, to help her relax while making my request to Matilde. Whoops, Matilde looked a bit nervous too, didn't she? It's fine, these children have gotten much smarter compared to the old days. They probably don't remember faces or names... but Dele should be able to manage at the bare minimum through a vague sense of the atmosphere. There would likely be many things these children wouldn't understand, so please support them.
Ah, and also. Make absolutely sure they don't wander off.
"Understood. I shall exercise the utmost caution."
"Thanks. ...Now, Dele. Did that loosen your tension a bit? Mama will be back soon. I'm counting on you, 'Big Sister'."
"! Yeah! I'll do my best!"
Receiving her response with a smile, I kicked off the ground and took flight into the vast sky. Prioritizing pure speed, I opted for mana-driven propulsion rather than my "jet-style" movement.
I had succeeded in destroying the defensive wall and creating a path, but I had failed to blow away the Thief along with the royal palace. In that case, all that was left was to finish off the opponent swiftly. The Beast King was an entity that, under different circumstances, might have become a friend. If he had been properly brought back to life, I might have given him a thorough beating as settlement for harming the children, and then asked him to be friends afterward... but well, a moving corpse had no need for such things.
Sending him back to the other side as fast as possible was the only tribute I could offer.
"The mana reaction is... over there, huh."
Pinpointing the opponent's location in a corner of the royal palace, I immediately kicked off the air.
I touched down in what appeared to be an outdoor courtyard of the Nagan Royal Palace, but...
"They aren't here."
I had been flying while tracking the Beast King's mana signature up until midway, but right before I landed at the palace, that reaction completely vanished. I had flown here by blasting mana from my feet like a jet, so it hadn't even taken five seconds... Talk about quick feet. An impatient personality won't make you popular in the "Highlands", you know? The more relaxed you are, the more your popularity shoots up, and everyone will plunge right in to be with you, so you should try it out. Well, you'd only be popular as "easy-to-hunt prey," though.
(The mana signatures I felt earlier were two. One was an active pool of mana roughly the size of half a Demon King in a combat state. The other was an inactive pool slightly larger than Amelia-san's. The former must be the Beast King, and the latter the necromancer.)
That teleportation magic circle the tactician prepared apparently borrowed its techniques from the mastermind of this incident, the "Necromancer." The fact that I couldn't locate the culprit when I killed the Beast King, and the fact that they had vanished from where they were just moments ago, made perfect sense if they were a user of teleportation magic. The issue was that teleportation magic itself demanded a level of mana that didn't seem to match its effects, but...
The opponent was who they were; they must be managing that part skillfully.
(I've only tracked their mana signatures, but it seems wise to remain cautious of both.)
"...Hm? A welcoming party?"
As I scanned the surroundings to search for where the Beast King and the other had gone, I sensed a rather large mana reaction around me. ...This sensation was likely teleportation magic. It really was a convenient spell; it's terrifyingly strong when spammed.
Undead presumably sent out by the necromancer surrounded me. Since undead were rarely seen back in the Highlands, I didn't know their exact names, but I had heard a fair share of names and characteristics from the tactician. The headless suits of armor were Dullahans, those clad in black robes were Liches, and the other masses of rotting flesh were likely golems known as Carrion Puppets.
"Roughly estimated, a little under a thousand? Quite a lavish spread you've prepared."
Going by intuition, the strength of each individual was around the quasi-special designated threat level. If it had been the old me, this was an opponent I would have had to be extremely wary of. If I had been moving with the flock, it was a level where I would have immediately ordered a retreat for the sake of the children. Because the undead offered no nutritional benefit to us, their strength and numbers would make them an opponent we would absolutely never consider fighting.
(However.)
To the current me, such things could never pose an obstacle.
"Out of my way."
I channeled mana into my legs while lowering my stance slightly.
Normally, I would observe the opponent's movements a bit to improve my own combat techniques, but I had no such time right now. I would kill them via the shortest, most certain route. Using the leg that wasn't accumulating mana as an axis, I swung my other leg in a sweeping circle. Naturally, I did this at maximum output while discharging a mana cannon.
A pure white light enveloped the area, completely mowing down all the undead. Even if they were quasi-special designated threats, a Demon King was a being whose name was etched into fairy tales. When a human possessing a reservoir of mana far exceeding that unleashed a torrent, the only ones capable of enduring it were those with equal or greater power. Whether in the Highlands or here, if the weak stepped into a place where they didn't belong, they would be blown away. It was the law of nature.
"Cleanup complete. ...Over there, huh."
Channeling mana into my eyes to scan the area, I felt a exceptionally powerful presence of mana in the central part of the royal palace. It was the Beast King.
"Normally, I'd politely enter through the front door, but..."
I circulated mana throughout my entire body, applying physical reinforcement. Rather than increasing my physical capabilities, I allocated more resources toward enhancing my bodily durability. Then, I dumped all the remaining mana into my legs.
—Tsu!
I kicked off the ground with everything I had toward the source of the reaction. Simultaneously discharging mana, I forced my way forward while cracking the very space around me, piercing through walls and floors until I reached my destination.
And then.
"So it's here."
The room I crashed into was likely something like an audience chamber. Breaking through a section of the floor, I stepped into the room.
The place was generally dark because it was saturated with the negative energy that served as the root of the undead, but it was adorned with brilliant decorations. If they had let in the sunlight and cleaned up the rotting flesh smeared all over the walls and floors, it might have been somewhat presentable... but well, there was no point in thinking about that now. Since it had been soiled to this extent, it looked like it would be cheaper to rebuild it from scratch rather than clean it. The fact that it was perfectly fine to break things made it wonderful for going wild.
"So, the one who did something so infuriating this time is you?"
The moment I entered this space, my gaze immediately locked onto the target. It wasn't the Beast King, but a woman sitting upon a throne that featured a prominent, sinister skull design fit for a Demon King. Since she kept the Beast King by her side, she was undeniably the mastermind behind this. She must be the "Thief" necromancer I had been searching for.
Despite me crashing through the floor, her expression didn't change a single bit. A sickening, faint smirk remained plastered on her face.
"Oh my, I was wondering what kind of guest would arrive... Do you perhaps not know what a 'door' is? How about it, shall we teach you manners again from scratch?"
"Ha! Before you start talking about manners, someone who plays around with people's corpses doesn't even have the right to speak in the first place!"
The woman spoke while resting her chin on her hand. It was an obvious provocation, but that was something permitted only to equals or superiors. It wasn't something to be spoken by someone who relied on the corpses of others. As I spoke, I instantly drew out my mana and unleashed it as a seamless, motion-less mana cannon, aiming straight for her detestable face.
"....."
"Sigh, well, of course it would be blocked. Even though my attack is much faster than before."
As expected, it was blocked by the Beast King.
"Fufu, he is my finest masterpiece at the moment, you see. Please, enjoy yourself to your heart's content."
"Unfortunate for you, but I happen to be the type who likes to wrap things up all at once. I'll finish this instantly."