"…I’m going."
As soon as Arte murmured those words, two wooden-block figures, clad in mithril armor, leapt into the air. They easily jumped down from the city walls, continuing their momentum as they scaled the cliffs with astounding agility.
"Wow, they’re like ninjas."
I couldn’t help but mutter my thoughts aloud. Arte, who was deeply focused, didn’t seem to hear me, but I noticed that Kamshin looked at me with interest. Meanwhile, Panamera’s attention was fixed on the puppets Arte was controlling.
"What… What kind of movement is that…?"
Panamera muttered, her voice strained. The awe was clear in her tone. I couldn’t help but smile, feeling a strange sense of pride as I explained Arte's abilities.
"Actually, I’ve heard that Arte's puppets have bewildered a knight’s army of several thousand. I didn’t get to see it firsthand, but the adventurers who were with her told me all about it."
"I… I see. I’ve seen Arte's puppets before, but I never knew they could move like that. I had no idea they could move like that."
For the first time, Panamera seemed shocked, almost stumbling over her words. Just as she said that, one of Arte's puppets reached the top of the cliff and, with the speed of a rocket, shot into the air.
While everyone’s eyes were wide with surprise, the puppet crossed paths with a wyvern that was turning to return to the cliff. In that instant, those with keen eyes would have seen the puppet swing a sword taller than itself.
The next moment, the Wyvern, which had been flying straight ahead, suddenly lost balance and spun in the air, its head pointing downward.
It was no wonder. The Wyvern’s wing had been severed with a single strike. It was like something out of a legendary hero’s tale.
"What… What in the world…!"
Panamera and the knights exclaimed in astonishment. But the puppets’ actions didn’t stop there. While the Wyvern was falling, the other puppet, already speeding across the ground, targeted another Wyvern. Realizing the imminent danger, the approaching Wyvern tried to change its flight path.
But Althe’s puppet didn’t give it the chance, climbing the cliff’s middle and leaping into the air. The jump was almost inhuman, though it lacked just a little bit of height. The puppet narrowly missed the bottom of the Wyvern and, in a desperate attempt, swung the sword with all its might.
Though the movement appeared clumsy—much like an amateur trying to make a last-ditch effort—the sheer force behind the swing was impressive, especially considering how long the sword was compared to the puppet’s height. Despite the awkwardness, the sword grazed the Wyvern’s leg.
Blood filled the air.
Though it looked like the sword only grazed the Wyvern, the creature lost its footing and plummeted from the sky. With no rider to control it, the Wyvern spiraled erratically and crashed into the cliffside, tumbling to the ground below. Arte let out a relieved sigh.
"Looks like it worked…!"
Her words came with a smile so bright, you could almost see the relief in her expression as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"Yeah, that was perfect! With the Wyverns dealt with, they shouldn’t be attacking the Cennetta Fortress anytime soon. Now, let’s go help Commander Targa and Lord Jalpa."
After saying this, Arte nodded and began calling her puppets back. However, Panamera, the commander of the Panamera Knights, and the knights of the Senet Fortress weren’t paying attention to that.
"Wait, wait! What was that? Was that really a hit? That slash didn’t even seem like it would land!"
"Well, I think it worked because it did hit the leg…"
"You can’t expect something like that to damage a Wyvern! Wyverns are tough, you know? You could hit them straight on and they’d hardly be scratched…"
As Panamera seemed to lose herself in disbelief, I couldn’t help but feel proud. She was obviously processing the insane strength behind the puppet’s actions.
"I think the sword the puppet is using is made by me. I gave it the best craftsmanship possible. Mithril, lightweight yet strong, and designed to deliver the best cutting edge. So it makes sense."
"That sword…" Panamera narrowed her eyes at me. "You’re telling me that the sword it’s using is your work?"
"Of course. I made sure to equip Arte's puppets with the best possible gear to make the most of their skills. The mithril armor, the sword… Everything’s perfect."
I answered without hesitation, my pride clear. Panamera looked at me with a mixture of disbelief and surprise.
"...I knew Arte had changed, but I didn’t think it would be in this direction…”
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