Escape
After confirming that the pieces of Kuma's flesh had completely disappeared, Rogienor let out a sigh.
"I never expected a person to turn into a monster... Even for me, that was unexpected."
The members of the unit seemed to have the same opinion, and even though they were able to quickly prepare for battle, they seemed to be once again perplexed by the fact that a human had turned into a monster.
Rogienor seemed to be thinking on the spot for a while.
However, he could not come to a conclusion at this moment, and seemed to think that his role now came first, as he looked around at the members of his unit with a grumpy expression on his face.
"Once we've confirmed the surroundings, let's go back on the path and look for Eul-dono. If it's as the report says, she's definitely here somewhere. But please don't let your guard down. Even though it hasn't been confirmed yet, there is a good chance that there are remnants of the Five Dragon Gods Sect here."
Alarming his men, Rogienor turned to the spot where Kuma's body had been.
The lump of flesh that was Kuma had completely disappeared into the air, and there was only one small ball rolling.
It was probably the thing that Kuma had pressed against his chest before he transformed into a monster.
"...? I think I've seen this somewhere before..."
Tigaro, who was staring at it, had the same impression as Rogienor, who picked up the sphere and muttered.
It was shaped like an ellipsoidal egg, with many curved lines drawn on its surface, giving it the appearance of an advanced magical tool.
He feels like he had seen that somewhere before.
At that moment, many things that had happened in this case flashed through Tigaro's mind.
Eul's body turned into a monster.
In the commercial district, Machen was using some kind of magic tool on the ground, in the name of searching for Eul.
After that, a large number of ant monsters appeared from the underground waterway.
It's the same pattern as the one engraved on Eul's magic core, which Kuma said was called the Five Dragon Gods Crest.
Eul's words and actions showed for a moment that she didn't know that she had become a monster.
The residue of Eul's mana, which does not add up to the facts, was reported at the same time as the confirmation of Kuma, a wanted criminal.
And a familiar magic tool that Rogienor possesses.
What can be derived from them is...
"...No way"
Tigaro had a bad feeling about that thought.
Even though he knew that his prediction was not a confirmed fact and there were some parts that were puzzling, Tigaro couldn't help but feel that his hunch was correct.
Tigaro thought while suppressing his impatience.
If it's as Tigaro expected, the report that there is a remnant of Eul's mana and the presence of Kuma, who they were fighting just a while ago, is a diversion.
The best of the Holy Wind Knights and Holy Water Knights have been made to participate in this operation, so even though the Knight Commanders and other powerful mages remain in the capital, the kingdom is being watched less.
If the enemy is going to make a move, it's now or never.
If that's the case, what Tigaro should do now is return to the royal capital as soon as possible and confirm the safety of Eul, who is being held captive in the basement, and check on that person's movements.
Thinking so, Tigaro turned to Aifie next to him.
Then, while suppressing his impatience, he opened his mouth.
"Aifie, do you still have mana left?"
"……Eh?"
Aifie was suddenly surprised to be called by the same name as before, and looked at Tigaro's serious expression in fascination.
Aifie stopped for a few seconds, then suddenly regained consciousness and shifted her gaze.
"U-um, I used up a lot in the battle just now, but…"
Aifie's forehead was dripping with sweat as she spoke while looking away.
Even though Aifie possesses a huge amount of mana, it seems that she has been severely depleted due to repeated battles.
In response, Tigaro realized that the current Aifie didn't have the mana left to carry Tigaro back to the capital.
Not only her, but the faces of the other members around him were also showing signs of fatigue, and just like Aifie, they had consumed a lot of mana.
Rather than the assault force that fought against Kuma here, the members of the force that had created an encirclement and were waiting outside would probably still have more mana than them.
Thinking so, Tigaro immediately started moving.
"Wait!? Tigaro!?"
"Where are you going!! Tigarokent Noros!!"
Rogienor raises his voice as Tigaro suddenly leaves the unit.
"Rogienor-dono! I found out something I wanted to confirm!! I’ll go back to the capital first!!"
While saying this to Rogienor, who was now far away, Tigaro ran back.
There were several forks along the way, but Tigaro also remembers the path he took clearly.
Unlike the trip where he had been cautious on his way there, he didn't have to be on guard against monsters on the way back, and Tigaro ran by making use of his physical abilities trained by the martial arts-rich Noros family.
All the members of the unit who had set up a siege outside seemed surprised to see Tigaro suddenly getting out of the cave.
Then, the next thing they saw was that Tigaro was alone with a puzzled expression on their faces.
Before they could ask anything, Tigaro looked around at the faces of the members who were creating a siege both in the air and on the ground.
He looks for someone he can rely on, but everyone around him doesn't look very kindly at Tigaro, a blood relative of the Noros family.
Perhaps because only one person came out, leaving the assault team behind, the looks that were sent to Tigaro were more suspicious than usual.
However, among the people who were looking at him, a man who was looking at him with genuine concern caught Tigaro's attention.
Tigaro ran towards that one man while looking at him.
"T-Tigarokent-sama, is something wrong?"
Mofis, who was patrolling from the sky, lowered his altitude and came close to Tigaro, probably sensing that he needed something after being looked at.
"Mofis-dono. Can you take me and return to the royal capital right away?"
"Eh... well, if that's all..."
While answering that, Mofis, confused, glanced at Tebel who was flying nearby.
The commander at this moment is Tebel, who has a lazy expression on his face.
Mofis seemed unsure of what to do in response to Tigaro's request, as he was not allowed to do anything without his permission.
Tebel, who had been looking at Tigaro with suspicion, let out a lazy sigh and approached Tigaro.
"I'm sorry, Tigarokent-dono. It's bothersome to treat our precious group members arbitrarily, but..."
"I'm sorry, Commander Tebel. I know it's rude."
Tigaro also understands that, as he is essentially just a member of the unit, he should refrain from speaking or acting in a way that would disturb the unit.
But now, in order to confirm something that only Tigaro knows, he must hurry back to the capital.
It would be too late if he just waited for the troops to leisurely return to the capital.
While suppressing his reluctance, Tigaro gave an unusually serious look to Tebel and Mofis.
"Commander Tebel, Mofis-dono, please. Please bring me back to the capital as soon as possible. I can't tell you why, but... I have a bad feeling."
When Tigaro told him that, Tebel scratched the back of his head as if he was worried, as Mofis looked at him in confusion.
"I've always had a hard time understanding why the leader let you in, but I guess there must have been some meaning behind it..."
Tebel let out a big sigh and said to Tigaro and Mofis as if he had given up.
"I don't want to be scolded, so I'm going to write in my report that you have to retire early due to abdominal pain. Do the rest as you please."
Tigaro's expression brightens just a little at those words.
Similarly, Mofis, who understood Tebel's words as permission, was confused by Tigaro's sudden request, but nodded and held out the back of the magic tool he was riding to Tigaro.
---
As the sun set and the sky became dark, Mofis continued to put all his mana into the magic tool he straddled.
He flew through the sky like a falcon, traveling through the sky for about half a day.
The air in the darkened sky was cold, and the feel of the air tingled Mofis's skin.
However, perhaps because Mofis could feel the tension of Tigaro who was wrapping his arms around his stomach, Mofis was unable to simply slow down to that extent.
Then, when they finally arrived in front of the gates of the royal capital, Mofis collapsed with both hands on the ground.
"Haa, haa, haa."
Sweat drips from his drenched forehead, leaving stains on the ground.
Tigaro, who had descended from his magic tool, ran beside him.
"Thank you, Mofis-dono!!"
Tigaro said that quickly, asked the guard who was watching to open the gate, and ran through the darkened streets of the royal capital.
The royal capital was a little quiet at night.
It seems that the people of the royal capital have completely gone back to their homes, and there are only a few people visible in the city.
However, Tigaro also sensed the presence of a loud noise somewhere far away.
Though Tigaro thought that maybe a monster had appeared somewhere in the capital, he ignored it and ran, hoping that the knights protecting the capital were doing their job.
And what he arrived at was Noros' premises.
He asked the slaves of Lemalgoas to open the gate, and he ran to the detached house, gasping for breath.
From the outside, the detached house was quiet, and at first glance everything seemed okay.
Although feeling a little relieved about that, Tigaro opened the front door.
As he slipped into the hallway making a noise, one of the doors opened from the back.
Peeking out from there was Kenna, her black animal ears moving.
"...? Welcome back, Tigaro-sama."
Kenna's expression was as expressionless as usual, but she seemed to have doubts about Tigaro's return home much earlier than planned.
Tigaro asked Kenna while running down the hallway.
"Kenna! Is Mother okay!?"
"Yes. She's going to bed now, but――"
While receiving Kenna's report, Tigaro opened the door on the floor of his room that led to the basement and ran down the stairs.
He opened the basement door, wasting no time in turning on the light in the passage.
When Tigaro turned his gaze, there was a red-haired girl.
Her body, with its large breasts and buttocks, has undergone a slight change.
The nails on her fingertips have grown sharp, and thick lion-like hair has begun to grow on various parts of her body.
And, below her navel, that distorted pattern was flashing.
Tigaro also knew that this was a sign of change.
Eul slowly turned her gaze towards Tigaro, who suddenly came in, and saw large fangs growing out of her mouth.
"Tigaro, kent...? Uu... guh, grrr..."
"Eul-dono, are you conscious!?"
Tigaro ran up to Eul, whose cheeks were beginning to grow scales, and asked her.
Eul's face seemed to be holding back something, and there was a look of confusion about what was happening to her.
"W-what's going on――"
Just as she was about to ask Tigaro, Eul frowned in pain.
Then, the distorted pattern that appeared under the naked Eul's navel flashed brightly, and Eul's eyes changed into snake-like pupils.
"――――"
Eul lets out a roar with her sharp fanged mouth.
At the same time, Eul's right arm suddenly became swollen.
Perhaps unable to withstand the rapidly growing body, one of the locks made of magic alloy that was restraining her cracked and fell.
"What!?"
Even while Tigaro was surprised, Eul used her enlarged arms to destroy the restraints attached to her body.
A small amount of fresh blood was scattered on the floor, as if Eul's own body was also slightly injured by the swollen arms and claws that destroyed the restraints.
When all the restraints made of sealing magic alloy that obstructed the flow of mana were removed in an instant, mana overflowed from Eul's body.
"Gaaaahh!!"
Eul roared like an excited beast, and wings sprouted from her delicate back.
A lizard-like tail extends above her buttocks, and its surface is covered with hard scales.
With that, Eul turned a part of her body into a monster, flapped her wings, and slammed her huge body into the ceiling.
The entire basement room shook violently.
Seeing the cracked ceiling, Tigaro realized it was too late and jumped back.
When Eul hit the ceiling again, the ceiling of the basement collapsed.
"Kuh!?"
Tigaro shielded his face with his hands and took another step back to avoid the falling debris.
When he brushes away the smoke floating in the air with his hand, he sees Eul, whose body has become a monster, flying towards the ground.
If left as is, it is not difficult to imagine that Eul will completely turn into a monster again and go on a rampage in the royal capital.
Tigaro caught sight of Eul's back and gritted his teeth, realizing that he had come back too late.
However, that only lasted for a moment, and he turned behind and spoke to Kenna, who was surprised.
"Kenna!! I'll follow her!! Kenna, make sure Mother is safe!!"
"I've got it."
The basement is not directly below the detached house, but is located a little further away, so even if the ceiling of the basement collapses, the detached house will not be affected.
Moreover, the room where his mother, Tesia, is located has a barrier set up using magic tools that Tigaro spent money on, so there shouldn't be any danger even if the ceiling of the basement falls down.
However, perhaps because he was worried that he hadn't confirmed the situation properly, Tigaro decided to send Kenna to his mother, while resisting the urge to go and check it himself.
"[Spirit Tail]!!"
With the magic tentacles that came out from behind his waist, he grabbed the ceiling of the basement, which had been pried open, and pushed his body to the ground.
When he looked at the pitch-black sky, he saw Eul waving one of her thick arms and trying to break the barrier that surrounded the Noros family compound.
"――Guahh!!"
The barrier was cracked by the thick arms and hard claws that hit it over and over again.
It should be hard enough to block people, but perhaps it wasn't intended to block monsters, part of the barrier was broken like broken glass.
Eul leaned towards it.
"Wait!!"
Tigaro hurriedly chased after Eul, who was flying from the hole in the barrier to the night capital.
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