That night, to be precise after having dinner together, none of us immediately left the dining room.
We stayed there, because Hime and the others said they wanted to discuss something important.
Since I didn't know anything about it, I chose not to leave, because I felt that it probably had something to do with me as well.
And then… somehow, it really did seem that important, and I felt like I was obliged to listen to it.
"You want to talk about those ancient ruins? So how was it, did you find anything?" Loki-san asked.
Oh, the ruins. Could it be that the three of them went out earlier to visit the ruins?
Besides, I don't know anything about those ruins yet, since Iris invited me out at that time, which means they must have discussed it beforehand without me.
"Loki-san, unfortunately, we didn't find anything inside. There were only ruins and an artificial passage that you've already seen as well," Luke replied.
"A passage? Wasn't that a new room?" Loki-san asked again, seemingly feeling that what Luke said was a bit strange.
He also looked slightly confused, as if he thought Luke's words didn't match what he had seen before.
Luke and Hime exchanged glances for a moment, before he answered Loki-san's question.
"After taking a closer look, that room was more like a passage connecting that place to another."
"But we didn't go inside. We were worried that something might happen and cause us trouble," Luke replied.
"From what we saw there, there didn't seem to be any threats like monsters or thieves, but I think we need to be very cautious about that passage," Hime said.
"In that case… should we go there again? I think that's the only way to find out what's at the end of that passage," Loki-san said, offering a suggestion to us.
"I don't mind. How about tomorrow? This situation needs to be resolved as soon as possible, to avoid anything undesirable," Luke said.
Loki-san slowly nodded after hearing Luke's words.
"I agree with you. Then—"
Before Loki-san could continue his sentence, the door to the room was suddenly forced open by someone from outside.
Since the door wasn't locked, that person opened it with great force, creating a sound like a small explosion.
The impact startled everyone in the room, and we immediately turned our gaze toward the door to see who had just barged in.
That person… was an elf, wearing neat clothing that looked slightly different from ordinary residents, and holding a spear in his right hand.
Is this person some kind of guard or special unit in Riruyo? I think my guess might be correct.
"How dare you! Who gave you permission to enter this place?!" Loki-san shouted in a raised voice.
He really looked like the leader of a force, someone who clearly held a high status here.
W-well, he really is the leader here…
The person who had forced the door open immediately stood upright and apologized for his actions.
"M-my apologies for the rudeness!" the man said.
"It's fine. So what's the problem that made you rush over here?" Loki-san asked.
"I just received information from the scouting group stationed outside the barrier."
"They said they saw a force moving slowly toward the barrier. It's estimated that they will arrive in front of the barrier tomorrow morning," the man continued.
"What!? How many are there?" Loki-san asked.
"Probably around several thousand," he replied.
Loki-san immediately stood up from his seat and stepped in front of the man.
"Order all of our forces to prepare and move several hundred meters behind the barrier. I'll take care of the rest," Loki-san said firmly.
"Yes, sir! I'll do it at once! If you'll excuse me," the man said while saluting Loki-san, then slowly closed the door.
—
After Loki-san sat back down among us, he began discussing what was currently happening.
Rather than talking about the uncertain ruins, we had to deal with the problem happening right now.
"You four understand what's going on, right? So, what will you do?" Loki-san asked us.
Judging from his tone, it felt like he was earnestly asking for our help.
Then I looked at Iris's expression. She seemed slightly uneasy, pressing her hand to her chest as if it felt tight.
I, Hime, Yuu-chan, and Luke exchanged glances for a moment before nodding to each other.
Alright, it was settled—there wasn't a single person in our party who didn't want to help protect this place.
"Of course. Since we're still here, we'll definitely help protect Riruyo from a threat like that," Luke said.
"That's right. Besides, if tomorrow morning's threat is resolved, Iris and I can relax more and strengthen our relationship, right?" I said.
Iris's eyes seemed to sparkle when she heard my words, and I could tell she was very happy.
Her cheeks flushed slightly when I said that, and I could see her smiling faintly.
I was quite sure she felt relieved deep in her heart after hearing that.
"Thank you very much for your help. So, shall we make a plan?" Loki-san suggested.
——
Until around midnight, all of us discussed what might happen when the enemy force arrived in front of Riruyo's barrier.
We carefully considered various plans and strategies, though not all of them could be carried out.
The forces this place possessed probably numbered only two or three hundred.
Meanwhile, other settlements had even fewer guards stationed in their areas.
The number here had also been increased by people coming from other settlements.
Until now, the elves of this place had always been protected from attacks or malicious intentions from anything trying to enter Riruyo.
In addition, elves naturally excel at archery and magic, allowing them to hold out longer.
However, their weakness was that they only had around twenty people capable of fighting on the front lines.
They were those who could use swords, spears, or shields.
Hime, Iris, and Forn-san went to the kitchen for a while and returned with cups of tea they had prepared for us.
Forn-san could still join the discussion since he was used to staying awake for an entire day.
As for Iris, she had already fallen into a deep sleep. The same went for Hime, who had also fallen asleep a few minutes earlier.
Of course, we covered both of them with blankets so they could sleep more comfortably.
Meanwhile, Yuu-chan was still awake. Maybe it's because she's my status screen, so she doesn't get sleepy easily?
I suggested that she should sleep as well, but she said she was still fine staying awake for a few more minutes.
I suppose… this preparation was extremely sudden, but we did our best to think everything through for tomorrow morning.
If it turns out to be a group from the Abyss trying to attack this place, I'll use the last bottle of potion I bought in Vannis back then.
Before the potion expires next week, I need to drink it.