Zavilia had disappeared from sight...
I stared blankly at the northern sky where Zavilia had disappeared, wondering if he's really gone. However, it seemed I wasn't the only one who felt that way, as the knights around me also seemed to be in a daze, as if they were half dreaming.
Oh, is it the Daydream Festival today? I thought to myself with my brain not working very hard, when the Sixth Knight Order Captain Zachary, came to his senses first and spoke up.
"You guys, pull yourself together!" (Zachary)
...Just as you'd expect from a knight captain. He recovered quickly, and was already calling out to his subordinates, who were already feeling a bit dazed. As I gazed on in admiration, Captain Zachary looked around at everyone and continued in a loud voice.
"You seem to be confused after witnessing the terror of the Black Dragon King! Do you understand?! Most of what you thought you saw and heard are just hallucinations caused by your fear!!" (Zachary)
…Huh? I wonder what Captain Zachary had to say?
One moment I was impressed, the next I saw Captain Zachary said something incomprehensible, leaving me to stare suspiciously.
Hmm? Maybe Captain Zachary is the one who is confused and saying strange things?
However, Captain Zachary, who was in front of my eyes, was staring back at me with a straight face, as if to ask if I was okay.
"Especially you, Fia! You may think you're fine, but you're totally deranged!" (Zachary)
"What?! M-me?" (Fia)
I was suddenly called out by name, and I was so surprised that I couldn't help but asked back.
...Huh? Am I confused? I thought I was fine, but does this mean I'm confused?!
"That can't be true," I said, sending a smile to the surrounding knights as if to ask for their agreement, but when their gaze met, they all nodded their heads with straight faces.
"Y-yes, Fia! You're confused... or so I'd like to think."
"Ah, ah! Fia, I don't want to think that you're normal..."
Although I couldn't hear clearly the last part of what the knights were saying because they were whispering, they were ultimately confirming what Captain Zachary had said.
"Huh? So, does that mean I'm really in an abnormal state?!" (Fia)
I was genuinely surprised by what the knights said and my voice became completely incoherent.
Huh? Am I really confused? ...H-how can I get back to normal?!
I looked at Captain Zachary in confusion, but the Captain was already speaking to the knights.
"Everyone! I'll help you distinguish between reality and hallucinations later, so until then, you're not to say a word about what you thought you saw or heard, get it?!" (Zachary)
"Understood!!" (Knights)
All the other knights replied in unison.
…Ah, what? Am I the only one who's late? Am I really in an abnormal state?! ...W-what should I do?
In contrast to my face turning pale, Captain Zachary looked at the knights with satisfaction, then with a serious expression began giving instructions.
"Okay! The three on the right go and search for the Saint who has fled into the forest! Half of the rest will join Zachary's squad with me, and the other half will join Gideon's squad with Quentin! Both squads are likely engaged in battle with monsters, so be careful!" (Zachary)
Captain Zachary gave me a brief command, "Follow me!" and then headed east, where his subordinates he had left behind were.
Although I was concerned about my abnormal state, I ran behind Captain Zachary for a few minutes, and then reunited with the knights of Zachary's squad at the place where they had parted ways earlier. Even from a distance, there were no monsters to be seen, and the knights just stood there, scattered about, gazing blankly at the sky.
...Ah, what? I feel like I've seen the same thing before? I wonder if today is the Dream Festival after all?
As I was thinking this, the acting captain noticed Captain Zachary and quickly approached.
"Captain Zachary! Thank you for coming back to rescue us!"
"Yeah, that was my intention, but... it seems that was after the matter was settled." (Zachary)
As he spoke, Captain Zachary looked around.
"Is everyone okay?" (Zachary)
"Yes, some people were injured, but everyone is safe!"
Hearing this, Captain Zachary let out a small sigh of relief.
"What about monsters? There don't seem to be enough corpses..." (Zachary)
Looking around, there was only one corpse of Flower-horned Deer, and no other monsters to be seen.
"A while ago, the Black Dragon King appeared in the western sky! ...He was so powerful that we were captivated, and the monsters and I stopped fighting to watch the battle in the air, but ...the moment the Blue Dragon was defeated, the monsters fled into the depths of the forest."
"Ah... The battle was in the sky, so you could see it from here? If you saw that, there's no point in running away." (Zachary)
The acting captain stared in shock at the muttered Captain Zachary.
"Captain Zachary, I'm glad you're safe! When I saw the blue dragon soaring into the sky, I was overwhelmed with worry at the thought of having to face two such vicious monsters!!"
"Yeah……" (Zachary)
"Then, this time the Black Dragon King appeared in the sky, and... Ah, that's right! Captain Zachary faced off against the Black Dragon King, right?! Up close! ...I-It's amazing you're safe!!"
The acting captain happily took Captain Zachary's hands and shook them up and down. And then, as he clenched Captain Zachary's hand, the acting captain began to tremble violently.
"That was the very definition of the 'Black Terror'. Overwhelming, complete monster strength. When I saw the Black Dragon King defeats the Blue Dragon, to be honest, all I could see was our total annihilation... We all just stood there, gazing blankly at the Black Dragon King. And yet, the Black Dragon King didn't even look at us, instead flying off to the north. How should I put it, we ended up being kept alive at the whim of the Black Dragon King..."
"...Yeah, that's right." (Zachary)
After agreeing with what the acting captain had said, Captain Zachary seemed to regain his composure and continued speaking.
"Okay, listen carefully! The black dragon rampaged so spectacularly that the monsters probably won't come near for a while, but today's monster movements are unpredictable. We don't know what's going to happen, so get out of the forest as quickly as you can. Also, this battle involves classified information, including the black dragon. Everyone, keep quiet until I give you instructions. Got it?" (Zachary)
"Understood!"
Turning his back on his subordinate who nodded, Captain Zachary began to move further east.
"The black dragon moved so dramatically, it's highly likely that the monsters facing Gideon's squad have fled as well." (Zachary)
And in fact, before joining Gideon's squad, they met Captain Quentin and his men, who had turned back.
"Zachary! All of Gideon's squad are safe. It seems the monsters fled on their own accord in the face of the noble figure of the Black Dragon King. Just by appearing from afar, it can scatter the monsters, as you'd expect from the Black Dragon King!"
"......I see." (Zachary)
Captain Zachary looked disappointed for a moment, but accepted it without denying it.
Well, as expected of Captain Zachary! In terms of generosity, you're number one, you know!
"Okay, let's go through the forest too!" (Zachary)
Captain Zachary let out a powerful voice, then hunched his shoulders and sighed in deep disappointment.
"Hmm, I brought my luggage with the intention of camping for a week, but to only stay for an hour... This is worse than a picnic." (Zachary)
After about ten minutes, we arrived at the entrance to the forest.
"Okay, let's split into groups and have lunch! After lunch, we'll have a talk for each group!" (Zachary)
Captain Zachary shouted orders and the knights all took action at once. I decided to help out too, so I started walking towards the knights from Zachary's squad that I had originally joined, but Captain Zachary grabbed me by the collar. As I turned around in surprise, Captain Zachary gave me a twisted smile.
"You're over here. Quentin and I are having lunch." (Zachary)
"Heh?" (Fia)
...Oh, what's that? Something black is coming out of Captain Zachary.
"Hey, something sinister is showing up that is unlike the fair and honest Captain Zachary. Lunch with two captains is too much for me. Hey, let me go. Please let me go. I have something I'd like to think about alone." (Fia)
I wanted to take my time to think about things like Zavilia who had left and when he would come back. However, after hearing what I said, Captain Zachary nodded with a straight face that was clearly fake.
"Well, I'm still a knight captain. I've lived longer than you and have more experience. Come on, talk to me about your troubles." (Zachary)
As he spoke, he dragged me along.
"Hey, that's a bit pushy. Captain Zachary..." (Fia)
As I was being dragged, my eyes met with a few knights, so I looked at them in the hope that they would help me, but they just waved back at me with wry smiles.
"Damn... people of this hierarchical society." (Fia)
I was dragged to a separate location and made to sit on the ground with Captain Quentin.
"Okay, Fia, Quentin, I'm sure you two have something to tell me! I'll listen carefully, thoroughly, and as much as you want, so talk to me!!" (Zachary)
Captain Zachary sat down heavily on the ground, crossed his arms, and looked back and forth between me and Captain Quentin. Glancing at him, he had a rock-hard, determined look on his face.
...Ah, I know this atmosphere! I can feel the interrogation about to begin. So, is the interrogator Captain Zachary?
On the other hand, my only ally was Captain Quentin...
Yes, the numbers were 2 to 1, an overwhelming advantage. But why? I could only see a future of complete defeat...
Author's Preface
Sorry for the delay. Thank you to everyone who waited.
It took me a while to write a novella for publication (I've finished it).
It will be published as a book by Earth Star Novel on Saturday, June 15th.
Thank you so much to everyone who reads, bookmarks, comments, ratings, reports of typos, reviews, fan art, etc.!!
Author's Afterwords
The character rough drafts for publication are posted in the activity report.
Please take a look if you'd like.