Dele thought about it.
She thought about how she could become exactly like her mama.
"Unyu."
In reality, she might not be capable of processing such complex logic, but she has been pondering something along those lines for a long time. It could simply be that she loves her mama to pieces, but whenever she has free time, her eyes are glued to her. She is constantly observing—watching what kind of actions her mama takes, what kind of tone she speaks with, and what she is doing. Even when she's playing with Amelia, her eyes accidentally slip away to chase after her mama.
To Dele, her mama is an incredible mama.
While she has finally gained a vague grasp that her own name is "Dele," she possesses absolutely zero comprehension that her mama's name is "Wraith." The same can be said for the other ostriches, but her mama is simply "Mama." Thinking of any other way to call her is out of the question, and her mama is happier when called that anyway. The face of her mama, which has been burned into her mind ever since they were on the high plains—the sound "Mama" is powerfully bound to that image. It probably can never be changed by anyone.
Watching such an important and incredible mama, Dele thinks to herself: 'I want to become like that too.'
Among the ostriches, Dele possesses the highest intellect excluding Wraith, but her current level is still a close match for a kindergarten child. Sorting out complex emotions or thinking about difficult matters is entirely beyond her. Yet, in a vague way, she harbored an emotion akin to admiration for her mama.
"Unyunyu."
Because Dele loves her mama so much, she wants to be praised by her a whole lot. Possessing strong attachment—to the point where she was named "Dele" after Yandere—she cannot remain satisfied with just the equal amount of love distributed by her mama. If it were any other ostrich, they would play a little trick, like lining up in the queue again even though it's supposed to be only one turn per person, or throwing a tantrum to get their mama to pay attention to them. But Dele is different. After all, she is the number one ultimate genius among the ostriches. (Mama is a system glitch).
Then, what should she do to get praised a whole lot?
That's right, she just needs to become incredibly "amazing." Since Dele is smart, she figured it out instantly.
"Dele, smart!"
Then, what exactly is "amazing"? Of course, that refers to her mama.
In short, to get praised by her mama, Dele decided to try her best to achieve the same kinds of things her mama can do. She tried leading everyone like her mama does, she joined the magic classroom held by Amelia for her mama's sake, and she did lots of imitations of her mama flapping her wings to soar into the sky via Jet Propulsion.
About half of it didn't go well, but Dele's talent as a "unique variant" shines through. Incredibly enough, Dele excelled in the ability to lead others. Spotting this sooner than anyone, her mama praised her a whole lot for it. It is an unforgettable experience of success that remains in Dele's memory.
"Nn, nn. Won't forget."
She cannot fly in the sky, and she cannot use sparkly magic, but she could lead everyone in the flock just like her mama. Therefore, Dele thought she would work hard in this direction to get praised by her mama, and put it into action.
This refers to when they were returning to the royal capital the other day, and Dele was leading everyone along while singing.
In terms of Dele's current command ability, if she doesn't utilize any special tricks, about 50 individuals is her limit. Unlike her mama, she doesn't know the proper timing to call out to them, nor has she grasped the knacks of leading a flock. However, Dele is an ultimate genius that will go down in ostrich history; she vaguely remembers that when her mama was troubled, she would sing a song. And she remembers what kind of song that was.
By inventing the technique of drawing the attention of the other ostriches and making them follow her using the "Pop-po-poo!" song, she put it into practice and managed to increase her command capacity to around 200. She still doesn't match her mama, and the reason her fellow ostriches follow Dele in the first place is purely because she has received her mama's endorsement. Even so, it was a staggering leap in growth.
Initially, Dele was satisfied with this result and got praised a whole lot by her mama...
But right there, a rival appeared.
That's right, it's Lucia-chan, the young Queen.
Appearing out of nowhere, she snatched away precious time with her mama from Dele and the others. In a vague way, she understood that her mama had brought that child into their flock, but a perfect sense of fellowship only establishes itself between ostriches. Of course, as demonstrated by the time she threw a total fit when Amelia held a mock battle, Dele can comprehend that non-ostriches can be friends.
But a flock, a "family," is different. If the young Queen Lucia had plastered ostrich feathers all over her body and equipped a pair of wings, there's a possibility Dele wouldn't have minded much, but the young Queen is a completely different species. It can be easily deduced that it will take a considerable amount of time to accept her completely.
And Dele feels the exact same way. No, she might be even worse than the others. She is a child with a very strong sense of attachment. If it were the same family, she could endure it a little, but a completely different child—a so-called new friend from the neighborhood—flirting and having fun with her mama is 100% unacceptable to her. In a vague way, she can understand that her mama is trying to help her, and she can understand that the young Queen needs her mama, so it's probably a necessary thing.
But monopolizing Dele's mama is crossed across the line. If she weren't a friend, Dele would have turned her into a stain on the ground by now.
"Hate!"
There are other ostriches harboring similar thoughts besides Dele, and if their mama hadn't done anything, they surely would have exploded. However, that's where "Mama" comes in; a mother who spent ten years running a solo operation while exposed to lethal dangers on the high plains is just built different. She resolved the issues at a speed akin to a harem Speedrun in a dating sim. Dele was defeated by her mama's motherly aura just like those visual novel heroines... but even so, it's only human nature to want to be praised more by her mama if possible.
To be praised by her mama using the best method available to her.
That's right, it's Operation: Work Super Hard at Commanding the Flock to Get Praised by Mama.
"Funsu!"
And so, Dele-chan, the undead subjugation in the Beast Kingdom—please do your best!
"Do my best!"
"...Dele?"
"Ah, Mama!"
"Ah, right. I'm Mama. So... who were you talking to just now?"
"Hmm~? Don't know!"
"Uh..."
Yes, and with that, we have arrived at the Beast Kingdom.
Man, it was quite a struggle getting this far. No, not the journey itself, but rather the detaining forces back home.
"I don't want you to goooo~~~!!!"
"I'll come back properly, okay? You can look after the house, right? Look, the Prime Minister grandpa is here too, see?"
"Noooo~~~!"
And well, it went exactly like that, you see?
I decided to entrust the command of the flock to Dele, but naturally, I can't just leave absolutely everything to her from start to finish. Dele is still developing; she can't unify all 300 members of the flock. If left entirely to her alone, about half of them would definitively get lost before reaching the Beast Kingdom, and another half during the undead subjugation. By the time they return here, I estimate only about 50 would be left.
Well, leaving everything to her under such conditions wouldn't be right, so I decided to follow along at the very rear of the flock to provide support whenever appropriate. Consequently, since it's naturally dangerous, the young Queen, who cannot follow along, had to stay behind to watch the house... and so, she went and wailed her eyes out.
Her head understands it, but her emotions are a different story. Watching her, she felt exactly like that. The young Queen's father went east for the war with the Beast Kingdom and died, and her mother collapsed from the mental strain. And because I also fought the Beast King in the east, I ended up on the verge of death... To her, the person she cares about going toward the Beast Kingdom must be an unbearable thing. Even though she knows it won't happen, she can't help but consider the possibility that I might not return.
(Giving her a tight hug, I intended to use every word at my disposal to reassure her... I wonder if she's doing okay.)
In the end, she somehow saw us off, but she is still a child and has unstable parts to her. The grandpa Prime Minister renewed his resolve and said, "I shall support Her Majesty—no, Lady Lucia," so I don't think she has fallen into the worst possible state... But it's still anxiety-inducing, isn't it?
Whether Dele can command properly, whether there is any danger to the other flock children, whether it was okay to leave Lucia behind, and to begin with, where on earth did the undead spring out from—there are so many things to think about. I am currently in the middle of moving toward the undead that have become a problem for the Beast Kingdom; I know I need to shift my consciousness toward the battlefield soon, but...
It's difficult, you know?
"Are you troubled?"
"...The Tactician, huh. Why are you here?"
"W-What do you mean, why..."
I exchange words with the Tactician, who has followed along for some reason. Well, I did receive an explanation, but because I'm bad with him, my mouth accidentally turns sour. Ah, man, I don't know when my children might copy me, so I have to be careful.
The Beast Kingdom declared war on the Heed Kingdom, but since Heed and Nagan had formed a military alliance, the moment the declaration was made, Nagan followed along too. And the unconditional surrender was also made to both Heed and Nagan. Considering the ratio of military exploits in the previous war, it seems the talk is that Heed will take a massive majority of the share, but apparently, Nagan also has a bite of the Beast Kingdom's vested interests to some extent. From their side as well, it would be troublesome if the situation grew too large.
And though it was said straight to my face, it seems they have an underlying motive of wanting to stay on good terms with us both personally and nationally. After sending the Red Knight-chan back to their country to report, the Tactician apparently decided to lead the remaining soldiers to participate in the battle against the undead. Well, that's fine, and as long as they don't turn hostile, it's fine by me too... but is it really okay? Without the Red Knight-chan around.
"Yes, it is perfectly fine. If the opponent were a special strategic force, I would naturally desire about 2000 more soldiers, but the opponent consists solely of quasi-special strategic forces, and they are undead with many weaknesses. Though it was a hasty arrangement, measures have been thoroughly prepared."
"Wow."
"Of course, it is not just for the Nagan soldiers, but we also have portions for the soldiers under Lord Mathilde's banner, the Beast Kingdom civil militia who will merge with us along the way, and everyone among the 'Ostriches,' you know?"
Saying so, he points toward the rear. Before I knew it, a long row of carriages packed with supplies was lined up.
Apparently, fire attributes and holy attributes work well against the undead, so he collected or ordered a massive amount of related weapons and tools to prepare them. Spears and swords used by humans, claws and clubs used by beastmen, and claws to attach to feet for the ostriches—he plans to release all of it. ...Wait, what kind of quantity are we talking about?
"Let's see, we have prepared roughly 4000 weapons. As for holy water and gunpowder flasks, we have prepared around 6000. For this kind of monster extermination, it is crucial to seize the attribute advantage from the start, after all. Even without employing clumsy tactics, I have made it so we can win as long as we discern the proper moment to withdraw."
Wow, incredible. I mean, it hasn't even been a week since they received the request for aid, right? You managed to collect—or rather, prepare—this much in that time? Wow. What can I say, as expected, this guy is exactly the type of character who looks like he would say, "Victory or defeat is decided right before the spear-walls clash; in short, it is a matter of how much preparation one was able to pile up," while holding a wine glass.
(Though it's the special strategic forces that turn all those preparations into absolute nothingness.)
...Ah, come to think of it. Regarding the weapons for my children, I think it's better if you stop them from even getting close to them. To begin with, they don't have that kind of culture, and I don't think the concept of handling weapons has even crossed their minds. Rather, if you approach them holding weapons saying, "Please use this if you'd like~," it might turn into, "They're holding something dangerous! Enemy! Defeat them!" I'll just take the thought, thanks.
"...Is it to that extent?"
"Well, we're from a different cultural sphere, after all. For now, it would help if you run things through me first."
"Understood. Then, setting aside the items prepared for the ostriches for now... this is the information on the opponent which we obtained and analyzed through hearings with the people of the Beast Kingdom. ...Ah, regarding the text..."
"Ah, right. It's fine. Thanks."
Oh yes, Wraith-chan comes from the high plains where even the concept of language, let alone text, was fading away, but her reading, writing, and abacus skills are absolutely flawless. Did I mention it by some chance before? Or being the guy he is, he deduced that we came from the high plains. Well, setting that aside... why am I able to read it? I don't really get that part myself.
Now then, let's see...
(Just like normal undead, they are weak to fire attribute attacks, holy attributes, and holy magic handled by people of the church factions.)
However, compared to normal undead, their capabilities are higher; even a mere graze can result in a poison that can be fatal to the weak, or acid attacks that dissolve metal. Furthermore, there are numerous long-range units that fire negative energy or dark magic from the rear. There are two points worthy of special mention: first, those who are defeated instantly turn into undead and become enemies; second, the generals who participated in the invasion army—individuals of the quasi-special strategic force class—have been turned into undead.
"It appears there was someone among the surviving civil militia who was an acquaintance of that Lord General, and they claimed to have spotted other faces resembling generals as well."
"...Could it be."
"Yes, the story we heard at the town along the border about 'the number of corpses being few.' I believe it connects to that."
After the battle with the Beast King, we returned to the battlefield to bury their remains... But the Beast King's corpse had vanished, and the corpses of the other soldiers had vanished as well. It's true that I blew away many enemy soldiers with my magic cannon, but even factoring that in, I remember the numbers being far too few. Since the corpses that couldn't be discovered at that time are now running rampant in the Beast Kingdom, it means nothing other than the fact that a "thief" is present right there.
"...Is the Beast King there too?"
"Even if one is turned into an undead, the magic that individual possesses does not alter drastically. In other words, if he were there, traces of the magic cannon that was the Beast King's trademark should be visible, but..."
"There weren't any?"
"Yes. Therefore, they are either conserving him as their maximum military asset, or... it is the thief, the 'Necromancer.' There is a possibility they have placed him as a guard near where they are lurking. ...They are not necessarily within the massive horde of undead. It would be greatly appreciated if you could leave the investigation of those traces to us."
"I see~."
Moving my wing, I point a gaze toward him while forming a "1" with the tip. Seeing that, the Tactician nodded slowly.
Well, I intend to have him return the favor. To put it plainly, I'm a bit pissed off. I don't really care about the undead themselves; I'm sure there are people who fight using that kind of method, and if they received permission from the humans while they were alive, I wouldn't have anything left to say. But you see, that guy—the Beast King—was worrying about his own country until the very end. To turn him into an undead and make him attack his own country... that's just unacceptable on so many levels.
For now, before entrusting the command of the flock to Dele, I'll use Jet Propulsion to get a bird's-eye view of the battlefield from the sky. Over there, if there are troublesome quasi-special strategic forces, or if the Beast King's undead is present, I will blast them out of existence to secure safety. After that, I'll place myself as a reserve force, and leave the rest to my daughters and the soldiers. If the Beast King is there, I'll erase him instantly; the same goes for the thief. If they aren't there, the Tactician will search them out, and once found, I will erase them.
The "1" from just now was the "1" for 'Once found, I'll handle it, so hand it over.' If it's the Tactician, he might come up with a strategy like ignoring the Beast King to kill the caster first, but I'll have him yield that to me. Honestly, I have to make them pay their dues.
"...Well, looks like it's about time. Mister Tactician."
"Yes, leave it to me. Let us proceed with a safe plan of zero casualties."
I will entrust the entire army excluding the ostriches to him. Well, he'll likely pull off matching his words with action with ease.
Using Jet Propulsion, I solidify the air and leap forward. After sharing information with Amelia, whom I've asked to assist Dele... it's cleanup time.
〇 Regarding Dele's Command
For normal beastmen ostriches, the method of deciding the leader of a flock of about a dozen on the high plains is determined through competitions of strength (pushing contests, speed contests). However, in the case of Wraith's flock, it is a unanimous decision due to overwhelming Mama Power. The leader has been decided without holding any such strength competitions. In fact, since a standard where Wraith sits at the apex and everyone else is equal has already been configured within their heads, they don't really think about such difficult matters.
Dele also understands this unconsciously, and she only takes command—and is only able to take command—after receiving a direct request from her mama in front of the place where everyone is gathered, saying, "Please listen to what Dele says from now on~." However, once that interaction establishes itself, even if she forgets her mama's request halfway through, she can continue listening to her instructions by thinking, 'Somehow everyone is listening to what Dele says, so I'll do the same,' or 'I was listening to what Dele said until just now, so I'll keep going.'
Naturally, there are children who forget even that or stray halfway through due to Dele's command limit, but during those times, the mama sitting at the very rear provides support, so it is safe and secure.
Note that when there is no leader at all, the ostriches of Wraith's flock appear to have a high probability of moving with the objective of "the word someone said last."
"Digging holes!"
"Running race!"
"Nap time!"
"Play!"
"Grub!"
"Grub?"
""Grub!""
My apologies. Rather than what someone said last, it appears there is a high probability of it simply being "Grub."