“First, let’s return to the mansion and assess the situation. Then we’ll decide our next steps.”
Everyone nodded at my words.
An assault on such a golden weekend?
You’d think there would be some decency left in the world.
I brooded with fury as I stepped into the mansion’s backyard, which was eerily silent, like a graveyard.
What happened to the servants? I was worried about the state of the capital as well, but the priority was to check on the servants inside the mansion.
Though they were my employees, they were still working under me, so it was only natural to ensure their safety.
I carefully led the kids into the mansion. Luckily or unfortunately, as soon as we entered, we found a fallen servant.
Was her name Florence?
“Karina. Check her condition.”
“Leave it to me.”
Karina knelt by the girl, placing her hands on her chest. Was she trying to check her heartbeat? She sat still for a moment, deep in thought, then turned to me.
“She seems to just be asleep.”
“Asleep, huh?”
Why put her to sleep like that?
What the hell was this god doing?
“First, we need to move her to a safe place.”
I quietly picked up Florence in what one might call a princess carry. I couldn’t shake the feeling that someone was glaring at me from behind, but I kept walking down the corridor without showing it.
“The caretaker has also collapsed.”
“Johann, there’s another one here.”
Did someone spread sleeping powder or something?
But that seemed a bit questionable. One by one, we placed the fallen servants on the beds and gathered in the lounge; it was clear we needed to exchange opinions.
I sat on the single sofa in the lounge and opened my mouth.
“Let Lulu and Terry sleep here for now.”
“We’re not sleepy…”
You can clearly see they’re about to doze off, yet they’re pretending. I shot a glance at Sif, signaling her. She gave a wry smile and gently laid the siblings down on the long sofa, covering them with a blanket.
“The situation is too sudden.”
I never expected things to blow up like this without any warning.
“True…”
“It was a rare weekend…”
“Disappointment aside, I think we need to grasp the situation first… Uncle, what about Rue?”
“…I just realized I didn’t bring her.”
I hadn’t thought about it since she often wandered off alone, but now it was a problem.
“Rue would be a relief right now!”
“Leave out the absent person. Right now, it’s crucial to understand the situation.”
Scratching my chin at Renny’s words, I felt like I was almost onto something.
“I think I need to take a round through the capital.”
As I spoke and looked around, everyone seemed to silently agree with me.
“Unfortunately, it appears we won’t be able to move efficiently. Until we understand the state of the capital, we’re facing an unknown enemy. So let’s move as one team.”
“What about Lulu and Terry?”
What should we do with those two? Without knowing what kind of threat we were up against, separating them or taking them along seemed troublesome.
I looked at Sif with a face full of concern, and she looked down at the sleeping Lulu and Terry with an uneasy expression.
“…I’ll create a barrier here.”
If I cover the place with barriers, it should prevent any easy attacks.
It wouldn’t be practical to carry the kids around, so it was unavoidable. Sif seemed to understand my decision, smiled wryly, and approached me.
“Can I take care of the siblings? If they wake up alone, they might get scared and go outside…”
“Understood.”
I regretted not having Sif’s sharp mind to help me.
But it couldn’t be helped.
I gently hugged Sif, then turned to my group.
“Karina, Elisa. I’m counting on you.”
“Yes. Leave it to us.”
“I’ll cast the strongest barrier!”
This should ensure Sif and the kids have basic safety covered. I infused Sif’s hand with the Power of the Phoenix.
“The energy in my body…”
“I’ll be back soon, so take care of the siblings well.”
“…Okay.”
Then, I guess it’s time to set up that barrier.
We started bustling around the lounge.
—————-
“They’re all asleep…”
“Why aren’t we sleeping?”
“Maybe the hill was out of range?”
“That could be it.”
Or perhaps my presence prevented them from trying it on those around me. Regardless, I must’ve earned quite a reputation by now from taking down gods in double digits.
I even had folks start fleeing upon recognizing me since the sixth one.
“Will people wake up by morning?”
“Who knows.”
I assumed they wouldn’t wake up easily. I didn’t think they could accomplish much just by sleeping for a night. We passed a sentry that was standing while asleep and entered deeper into the capital.
Everyone outside was asleep, but what about the inside?
The capital had bustling areas, so there were bound to be houses with barriers set up. I kept scanning around, looking for any signs of life in case someone was awake.
However, I still felt no presence besides our own.
“I think we can conclude that the entire capital has fallen asleep.”
After wandering for a third of the capital and not sensing any presence, it wouldn’t be incorrect to say the whole place was snoozing.
I sighed and looked up at the sky.
A white crescent moon was the only thing visible in the now darkened sky.
Stars were barely visible.
“Let’s head back and rest until morning.”
Will the sleeping people wake up?
Or will they remain asleep?
Or…
I shook the ominous thoughts from my head and turned my body.
“I’ll return to the mansion.”
We turned back and walked toward the mansion.
Fortunately, nothing happened to us until we returned to the mansion.
Seems like they were aiming for something other than bothering us.
I only wished they’d just come out instead.
I would’ve liked to ask them directly why they were doing such things.
“Johann? You’re back quickly?”
“How are the siblings?”
“They’re sleeping…”
We quietly returned to the lounge and sat down in our respective places. Normally, we would’ve rested in our rooms, but with the uncertainties, we agreed to sleep in the lounge together.
Though we would need to take turns as guards.
“Every two hours, we’ll take shifts in pairs. I’ll take the first shift, so arrange it and let me know.”
At my words, the women glanced at each other, then huddled together, whispering something.
Do they really need to be so dramatic just to decide the order?
“Uncle, I’ll take the first!”
“Alright.”
Unexpected.
Did they decide it with rock-paper-scissors or something?
I thought to myself with a strangely happy expression as I watched Viola approach.
“But if it’s a watch, what do we do?”
“…It’s best to look out the window.”
In the end, the only way to track time is by watching outside.
I lifted a chair and moved it toward the window. I planned to sit and gaze outside. I’m not sure how long I watched. Only the sounds of breathing could be heard behind me.
When I glanced back, Viola was leaning against the neighboring window, peering outside. Occasionally, she would steal glances my way, as if she wanted to sit.
I raised my hand to gesture her over.
Viola seemed to hesitate, stepping on her toes as she walked over delicately and whispered.
“…What’s up?”
“Aren’t you tired? Come sit here.”
“That’s a bit…”
“Don’t you want to try it?”
“…”
I pointed to my lap. Viola hesitated for a moment at my offer, then carefully climbed onto my lap. Her soft backside settled on my legs, naturally connecting us.
She was lighter than Karina or Elisa, but her soft curves comfortably enveloped my thighs.
“It’s a bit stiff… but it feels nice.”
“Lean back against me.”
“Okay…”
Viola completely leaned against me, lifting her head. When our eyes met, she looked startled and quickly bowed her head.
How cute.
Having fully appreciated the adorably shy side of Viola, I returned my gaze outside.
The moon was still a crescent…?
“Viola, look at the moon.”
“Why are you talking about the moon all of a sudden… huh?”
It seemed Viola noticed the oddity too, her eyes widening as she turned to me.
“…Wasn’t it a crescent moon?”
“…Not anymore.”
I got the idea now.
I clicked my tongue as I looked up at the full moon floating in the sky.
