They got bitten and started acting weird? Kind of sounds like that general of the Demon Lord the young lady taught me about from the book.
“Arwf, arwf. (What was her name? Panna Cotta?) ”
“Squeak. (Carmilla—it was Carmilla. Where did you even get that name? It doesn’t even sound like it,) ” offers Len, exasperated. “Squeak. (But as you say, infecting others with one’s own blood to increase one’s followers is a trait of immortal monsters such as vampires and corpse-eaters.) ”
“Arwf, arwf. (Mm-hmm.) ”
“Squeak, squeak. (But if this one is able to turn a race with very high magic resistance like elves, they must be a very powerful vampire. The kind spoken of in legends. Your prediction may turn out to be correct.) ”
It was less a prediction and more you literally just explaining everything, but whatever.
As I continue to run, I eventually see smoke rising in front of us. However, it’s not the kind of thin billowing that comes from cooking—it’s black smoke, from things being on fire.
“Woof, woof! (Is everyone safe?!) ”
I run to the village, and there I find a hellscape of pandemonium.
Elves, running around with bright-red bloodshot eyes, pouncing on fleeing elves, digging their fangs into their necks. And then those bitten elves attacking other elves in an endless chain.
The elves’ village didn’t have that many people to begin with, so it probably won’t take much time for everyone here to become a vampire.
“Woof, woof! (How do we fix it?! Isn’t there any way to turn them back to normal?!) ”
“Squeak! (There is!) ”
There is?! That’s way too convenient. I’m going to start calling you Blue-emon.
“Squeak, squee-squeak. (It would appear as though they’ve only lost their reason and are raging about. They’ve only recently been infected. If we destroy the vampire at its source, the spell embedded in their blood will dissolve and they’ll eventually return to normal.) ”
Then you mean they’ll be like this until we do that? If the elves turn and go for the mansion where the young lady and the others live, things will get bad.
“Squeak! (Oh, it’s a simple matter to prevent the infection from spreading!) ”
“Arwf? (How do we do that?) ”
“Squeak! (We knock them all unconscious!) ”
Len climbs off me and cancels her tail’s mouse-ification.
Her dragon’s tail undulates, hard as steel, and with a crack it slams into the elves nearby.
Wow. I never knew elves could fly.
The knocked-away elves drop to the ground, eyes rolled back in their heads.
“A-arwf… (Wh-whoa…) ”
No mercy at all.
“Squeak! (Mm. Excellence from me yet again! I held back the perfect amount.) ”
This is what you call holding back?
Actually, if Len seriously swung her tail, she could probably smash the entire village to smithereens. In that sense, I guess she certainly did hold back.
I’d never want to be on the receiving end of that, though.
“……!”
And look. Ururu is so shaken she can’t even react. She looks like she’s dazed. Is she really all right?
“Squeak. (Good. Let’s keep this going!) ”
Len’s tail snaps and cracks as it whips about, slithering through the village like a serpent, gently slamming into the necks of the elves and knocking them out. Gently, I say—but gently by Len’s standards, it must not be forgotten.
Boy, they’re all going to have some crazy whiplash after we take out the root cause and get them back to normal. Forgive us—it’s an emergency. A thousand pardons.
Still, Len is being very skillful in moving her tail around this cramped village. It’s almost like it has a mind of its own as it neck chops the elves.
“Mew. (Lady Len, you don’t look it, but you have a lot of subtlety.) ”
“Squeak? (What do you mean, I don’t look it? I’ve always been subtle. Wait, have I not?) ”
“Arwf. (No, you definitely look the part. I mean, you’re knocking everyone out, including the elves who haven’t turned into vampires yet.) ”
“Mew. (Ahh, yes, it turns out Lady Len is as unsubtle as she looks.) ”
“Squeak! (Why do you keep bringing up my looks?!) ”
Her accuracy in knocking out the elves is perfect, unparalleled. You could certainly call that subtle. At the same time, though, her mind and body aren’t subtle at all, taking everyone down like this. And that’s what your looks indicate.
“Mew, ew. (Oh! I’ll go put out the fires. When I was brought to the snowy mountains recently, I left an anchor there. If I connect this place with that one using spatial magic, I should be able to use cold snow for it.) ”
“Arwf. (You can? Sure, go for it.) ”
“Squee-squeak! (Neither of you have answered me!) ”
Though angered, Len continues disabling the elves one after another while Nahura puts out the fires with snow summoned by spatial magic. Eventually the village falls quiet.
“Arwf. (Phew. That should do it for now.) ”
Well, I didn’t do anything. I was just watching idly, alongside Ururu, as the village grew quieter and quieter.
“Squeak. (Still, beloved, I believe it somewhat optimistic to assume this elven village is the only one under attack, given we are up against a general of the Demon Lord.) ”
The thought had crossed my mind, too. Despite all the craziness happening, there’s no sign of Garo and the others showing up.
I have a bad feeling about this.
“Arwf. (Ururu, sorry, but I have to go back to the mansion for now. Will you wait here?) ”
“……No, King Routa, I’ll go with you. I can’t ignore the one who made my sisters into this!”
I didn’t expect that response. I’ve only known her for a short time, but I don’t remember Ururu being one who wanted to fell enemies instead of care for her sisters.
To be frank, she probably won’t be any help if she comes along, but if she wants to stay together, dissuading her now would be a waste of time. And if we left her here, if the elves-turned-vampires woke up and started moving, Ururu would be in danger.
In which case she’d be better off coming with us. My mind made up, I lower myself in front of Ururu.
“Arwf! (Grab on tight then! I’ll be going fast!) ”
“Okay! Thanks, Lord Routa!”
After confirming everyone’s on my back, I set off at a sprint straight toward the mansion.