It wasn't long after I left Tricklis that I saw it.
As I was flying through the sky, a gigantic pillar of light appeared way off in the distance. Even from this far away the light was blinding and I couldn't look directly at it. The pillar pierced through the sky and continued up through the cloud layer. Then, after a few seconds, a rumbling sound caused by the pillar swept passed me and the surrounding landscape.
"What is this now…."
It's so tall. It's clearly taller than the Tokyo Tower or Skytree. The pillar originated from the ground and grew higher into the sky to the point where I couldn't even see the top. Considering how far away it appears to be, it must also be very wide.
It made me think of something Earth would use as its ultimate weapon against an invading alien race. Who would be using an attack like that? And what, or who, would they be using it on?
But either way, there's no doubt that someone strong is using magic in that direction.
"…."
Anyway, that should be my new destination.
If Ester-chan and the noble mage are together, one of them is likely to be the source of that attack. The likelihood of them not being involved is low. So going there is definitely my best bet.
I corrected my flight path and pointed myself towards the pillar of light.
If this means they're in a fight, I have no time to waste. It's possible that this is the noble mage's magic. If that's the case, there's no chance anyone is beating him in a fight, but even when he was fighting the Red Dragon, his magic wasn't this flashy.
It's more than likely that the source of this magic is the long-haired man.
"…."
I need to hurry.
All I can do now is fly as quick as I can.
***
[Sophia-chan's point of view]
Everyone was astonished as they looked at the vaporized castle. Naturally, I was the same. It was some time before anyone was even able to speak.
"N-No way…Liz, you also have a demon with you…?"
"Demon? That's not right."
"I'm disgusted that I'd even be compared to such lowly creatures…."
This caused Drill-san to become even more impatient.
She seemed to think it was impossible that her castle was just destroyed.
"G-Geros!"
"Master, the magic she used just now…. It's a magic that only the most ancient generations of dragons can use."
"…ancient…dragon?"
"I can't know for sure because of her appearance, but it seems likely…."
"W-What exactly does that mean? Are you trying to say they're stronger than a high demon?"
"Yes…. I have experience fighting against them long ago."
"Then –!"
"However, I would only be capable of beating an ancient dragon that was little more than a larva…."
"If so, don't you think you'd be able to manage somehow? She looks pretty small."
"Would you like to try me?"
The Dragon is intimidating.
Right now, she looks like a cute girl, but in reality, she's a huge dragon with claws as large as me.
The fact that Ester-sama has witnessed the Dragon's true appearance and is still able to act as her equal is amazing. She's such a strong person. I feel that she's a good example of how the nobility should act.
She's attractive and treats her subordinates and servants like me well.
"You're acting awfully disrespectful considering how young you are."
"It really isn't disrespectful when she's a far superior being to you."
I don't know how Drill-san can act so confident after what she has just witnessed.
"I'll ask you once more. Who killed Tanaka?"
However, this girl seems to be shaken to the core every time the Dragon speaks. She took a step backwards and glanced over at the horned ikemen.
"U-Umm, that Dark Elf, where did she go?"
"I sincerely apologize, I don't know her current whereabouts."
"W-Well, it's possible she was killed in the explosion that destroyed the castle just now…."
As she listened to the conversation between them, Ester-sama's ears pricked up once they mentioned an elf.
"Dark Elf? It was a Dark Elf that killed him?"
"Y-Yes, that's right! I wonder where she went!"
Drill-san began to tremble.
I thought she was overconfident, but at least she's able to understand the situation she's in. She's quickly jumping on the opportunity to show that she and the horned ikemen aren't responsible for Tanaka's death, and, therefore, aren't enemies of the Dragon.
"Doris, find that Dark Elf."
"Y-You want me to do that? Liz, it would be imp—"
"If you tell me it's impossible, I'll kill you right here and now in the most painful way imaginable."
"…."
The power dynamic between these two has completely changed.
"Richard's daughter, I know this may be pointless to say, but I'll say it anyway. This conflict won't end by killing this woman. I don't know who the mastermind behind this conflict is, but if you kill her, this conflict will change into an all-out war."
Fahren-sama said this with an indifferent tone.
As a citizen of the Penny Empire, I got nervous hearing his words.
"Yes, I'm aware of that."
"If so, then…."
"It doesn't matter what happens as long as the Pussy Republic is destroyed."
"…."
Fahren-sama seemed lost for words.
I want Ester-sama to recover after losing Tanaka. However, she's starting to act like it's not only okay if she dies trying to get her vengeance, but it will also be okay if the entire country is destroyed.
Is there nothing that can make this work? There's no chance a stupid girl that was born into a restaurant family like me will be able to come up with something.
All I can do is pray to God.
Please…please, guide Ester-sama in the right direction.
"…."
With this desperate feeling in my heart, I glanced up towards the heavens.
Eh? There's something up there.
"Eh, umm…."
That's a person.
***
I flew in the direction the pillar of light for a while. Eventually, a large city came into view.
I have no clue which city this is. I travelled across a wide grassland that I had never seen before. I assume I've now crossed the border. Did Ester-chan and the noble mage really travel to the enemy country?
The closer I got to the city, the more fearful I became.
This fear grew exponentially when I saw a massive crater in the heart of the city.
I can't even imagine the power it must've taken for that attack to carve out such an enormous crater.
"Seriously, what's going on…."
Considering the sheer size of the crater, that pillar of light is the obvious source.
The crater had created steep cliffs all around it, so there wasn't any place for me to land.
I also need to be cautious in case the long-haired man is here. He's faster than anyone else I've encountered. He was even able to cut off Mercedes-chan's arm without me even noticing his movement. I need to keep at least fifty metres between us at all times. Actually, 100 metres might be better.
As I dropped my altitude, I was able to spot someone I recognized at the edge of the crater.
"…thank God."
I said this without even thinking. It was Ester-chan.
Ester-chan is down there. The noble mage was also standing by her side and Sophia was with them as well. Eh, why is my maid with them?
In addition to her, an unfamiliar black-haired loli was standing near Sophia.
This girl looks much younger than Ester-chan. I could feel my heart pounding at the sight of her perfect loli body. Loli's are the best. I want to impregnate her. A woman conceiving a child is the finest of arts.
In this world, the number of people with black hair seems to be rather low. In the capital city of Kalis, I'd say only ten percent of the total population has black hair. The majority have brown hair, and I'm surrounded by girls with blonde hair, so they're not uncommon to me. The more familiar black hair from my previous life has become a rarity in this world.
Opposite this group, the long-haired man and Drill-chan were there. There's no mistaking them, even from this distance.
"Ester-san!"
I cried out Ester-chan's name as the force of my landing caused a whirlwind to form.
I used my momentum to slide on one knee across the ground towards the group. I must look pretty cool right now. I'm sure I just earned some points with the black-haired loli. I stood up and patted the dirt off my pants while attempting to strike a cool pose.
Actually, the impact from the landing caused both my knees and waist to start hurting.
"…eh?"
The reaction I got from her was rather lackluster.
She was just silently staring at me with her mouth wide open.
Actually, looking at everyone else's face, isn't everyone reacting the same?
Everyone's focus is on me. I think I might be sick.
"…."
Was the situation serious before I got here?
I wonder if I should've tried to read the atmosphere before deciding to land.
I thought I made a cool entrance but now I'm feeling embarrassed.
But the enemy won't wait for me to overcome my embarrassment.
I've already experienced the power of this enemy firsthand. The perfect big-breasted loli that convinced the Dark Elf to betray me was staring at me in disbelief. Her masochist demon that had proved to be a formidable enemy also couldn't believe his eyes.
I can't be careless around Drill-chan.
"Stay back, Ester-san! That man is incredibly dangerous!"
I took a few steps forward and placed myself in between the long-haired man and Ester-chan.
"A-, eh…u-umm…."
"…Ester-san, please, retreat quickly."
The blonde loli was acting strangely.
Actually, if I look closely at her, she's holding a familiar soy sauce faced head in her arms.
"Ester-san!? Get a hold of yourself!"
I couldn't stop myself from worrying about her.
Then, she finally reacted to me being here.
"A…aa…aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"
"Eh!?"
I was suddenly hugged.
The blonde loli suddenly hugged me.
Due to this, the head she had been holding dropped to the sound with a grotesque sound. It started rolling in the direction of Drill-chan. With little hesitation, once the head got near her, she kicked it away. My soy sauce face flew through the air in the direction of the next player.
Sophia-chan has entered the game.
"Eh!?"
She avoided it.
She was desperate to avoid coming anywhere near my head.
Well, that is only to be expected.
Most people would try to avoid a decapitated head flying at them.
Immediately after she avoided it, she turned her gaze to me. She looked almost apologetic as she stared at me. That face she's making is cute. The fact that she's showing any sign of concern for me makes me very happy.
At the same time, an image of Allen holding Sophia-chan in his arms appeared in my mind.
Has Sophia-chan been ruined for me?
"Aaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"
And what's happening with this girl? Has the lolibitch finally gone mad?
Her loud cries echoed out in the courtyard.
Her hug was surprisingly powerful and her whole body seemed to be stuck to me with glue. The warmth of her body was being directly transmitted to me. If things continue like this, my son is likely to awaken from his slumber. This is bad. I feel like my hands might move on their own and touch her thick thighs.
No, now isn't the time for that. I have to be cautious of the long-haired man. He is the type of enemy I can't afford to be careless around. I doubt I'd be able to beat him with my fireballs. Unlike Christina, he's a much more cautious and tactical opponent. He'll be dangerous if I don't carefully consider my actions here.
But, before I could even attempt forming a fireball, a beautiful girl started hugging me for the first time in my life. I have to fight against my own desires to enjoy this warmth a little longer.
"Ester-chan! I don't really know what's happened, but please calm down!"
Ah, my stomach is hurting.
There's too much going on.
I'm not sure what I should do.
"A-Ah~, warm. You're so warm. You're alive, right? You really are alive?"
"Yeah. Well, it's hard to explain…."
She looked up at me with her teary eyes.
And with that, my erection is now complete. It stood at full attention as it rubbed against Ester-chan's thighs. Her body would occasionally tremble, causing her thighs to rub against me even more and cause me indescribable pleasure.
"You're warm…so warm…."
"…."
Because of all of the blood rushing towards my crotch, I was able to think a little more clearly.
My gaze moved to the head on the ground. It's pretty obvious what's happened now. Just like Allen said, we should've taken care of it properly.
No, I guess I should've just incinerated it right there and then.