"Are you serious right now?" Cecil stared incredulously at the ongoing war between the humans and the beastmen. Right in front of the party, the human army was actually besieging the city of Galhorne.

"Wow...aren't we lucky, right Cel?"

"Uhm, should we help the humans? Or the beastmen?"

Cecil was looking around the battle field with his mana sense and frowned. He didn't quite like how the humans were wantonly killing all the beastmen regardless of whether they were elderly or young.

It was rumored that the humans took hostages and kept the beastmen alive in order to send them back over to Midgard to use as slaves, but from what Cecil was seeing, it wasn't the case.

Old and young, men and woman were being slaughtered. Cecil didn't see any **** or anything because of obvious reasons, but it was a good thing he hadn't or it might have scarred him for life. Seeing a human and essential a bipedal 'animal' getting it on wasn't the prettiest of scenes.

Cecil quickly made up his mind and decided to just wait things out and follow after the humans when they were done with their attack.

He felt pity for the beastmen who were being slaughtered, but Cecil didn't want to go out of his way to help them. They did try to kidnap and torture him after all and he was still holding a grudge for that.

"We're helping neither side. Silver take us around and bring us to the rear of the human army. When the humans make their retreat, we'll follow after them."

"Rah!"

Silver gave his response and began heading towards the rear of the human army. It was a sizeable army and since they were winning, the retreat might actually take a while. Cecil had Lucia dispel the party's beastman transformations and changed it to their human transformations.

Being in their humanoid forms was much better than staying as a beastman. Serilla stretched happily and began clinging onto Cecil.

"Serilla, not now, I'm still observing the battlefield."

"Just a bit, okay~?"

"..."

Cecil sighed helplessly and let the girl be. He continued monitoring the situation with his mana sense and made sure to steer clear from battle, but something odd was caught under his radar.

"Beastmen?"

He noticed a large concentration of beastmen hiding in the forests just behind the human army. There were a lot of them and Cecil couldn't help but notice the familiar designs of their uniform.

"So it really was the Empire's scheme!"

Cecil gnashed his teeth in anger when he saw the familiar black clothed beastmen. They were a little different than the ones he encountered back then since the insignia on their clothes had different number of fangs on them.

When he saw the were-wolf commander in the back directing this army of beastmen, he knew that without a doubt it was a part of the Empire and not some rogue bandit group that the Empire had claimed these black-robed beastmen to be when the Kingdom had asked the Empire for an answer regarding the monster tide and why beastmen were the ones that caused it.

Cecil was angry, but he was still able to think straight. He didn't want to fall into a trap like before. However, he found it odd that these beastmen didn't notice his probing.

The previous ones that attacked him were able to detect his Mana Sense probing and would immediately run away when they noticed it, but these ones didn't.

"...That means they prepared those specific magic tools just to capture me... Hehe, I guess it's time I take a little revenge for what you guys were going to do to me back then..." Cecil mumbled under his breath.

He deduced that the weird tools that the previous beastmen had used against him weren't present so it was time for a little payback.

"Lulu, Seri, Yuna, Silv...get ready for battle."

"Hm?"

"There's a large army of beastmen hidden in the forest just behind the human army. We're going to wipe them out."

"Eh?"

"Darling?!"

"This is just a little payback," Cecil said as he got ready. "It's those black-clothed beastmen who tried to kidnap me..."

"!"

"I-I thought they were dead! Didn't the Empire also say that those black clothed people were terrorists that tried to sow discord between the Kingdom and Empire?!"

"Well they lied. I won't forget the stupid insignia on their clothes. These beastmen have the same insignias as the ones who attacked me before. They're a little different, but the design is the same."

"..." Serilla looked on at Cecil's frightening countenance and wanted to speak up but couldn't. Lucia saw her hesitation, but she had different thoughts than her.

"I'm right behind you Cel...I won't forgive those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who tried to take you away from me! You're with me on this, right Seri?!" She was still holding a grudge against the beastmen for trying to harm Cecil. If this could act as revenge and closure for both her and Cecil, she'll gladly help out her beloved in enacting his revenge.

Serilla was a little hesitant, but seeing how Cecil looked ready to rush out at any moment, she reluctantly could only agree with Lucia.

"Y-yeah! They tried to hurt, darling! Now that we know for sure who was behind the attack, i-it's only natural that we take revenge!"

Serilla wanted to say something else, but she couldn't open her mouth seeing the cold, unfeeling look on Cecil's face. Lucia saw her and quietly said,

"Seri...I know this is wrong, but..."

"I get it Lulu...let's just support him after this is over...he has to experience it himself..."

"..."

Cecil coldly observed the beastmen army and quickly formulated a plan. He immediately informed Silver to proceed as is, but move a bit closer to the rear of the human army.

"...we'll act as the rearguard for the human army. This way we'll be able to earn a favor from them and it'll make it easier for us to blend in later."

Lucia asked Cecil to stop for a bit before they continued onward. Cecil was a little impatient, but seeing the unyielding look the girl was giving him, he conceded and had Silver stop.

Silver immediately received the order and stopped the wagon. Lucia began to quickly hand out some of the new equipment she was able to make in the span of a week to everyone. She also readjusted Serilla's armor to the way it was before she made the readjustments for her beastman form.

"What's with these clothes, Lulu? Aren't they a bit too...casual?" Cecil said as he a.s.sessed his new attire.

"What're you talking about Cel? I just made them practical and easier to move around in!"

"But...these are just your normal, everyday clothes!"

Lucia had handed Cecil a pair of pants, a s.h.i.+rt, and a coat which were all white in color, just like the spider threads originally were, and for some reason, the clothes kind of reminded him of his academy uniform.

"Isn't this...almost like our uniform?"

"Hehehe~ I modeled it after the Academy Kings' uniform! I have a set for myself and Seri, but it's still not finished yet! I still have to work on the vests, your scarf, and our ribbons~!"

Cecil felt that the accessories weren't needed, but it was Lucia's call because she was the one who was making it.

"...But Lulu...the enchantments on the uniforms are what made it usable during battle—"

"I know that! But the natural toughness and flexibility of the Night Plague's silk is already enough to rival the uniform's defenses alone. Also, I had you set up that flame array and I've been bathing the silk in my Solaris Flame using that array ever since!"

Lucia said excitedly, before pulling out an unfinished piece of clothing that was most likely Cecil's scarf.

"Look closer! The silk conducts mana really well and after bathing in the Solaris Flame-powered array, it has grown incredibly resistant to flames! The only weakness of the clothes has been extenuated. Since it conducts mana really well, much better than that of the academy's uniform, all that's left to do is have you inscribe your runic arrays onto the clothes and presto! We have clothes much stronger than any other armor or equipment!" Lucia excitedly and proudly announced.

Cecil nodded in understanding. The design was finished, only the enchantments weren't placed just yet, but it was still usable as is since the material itself was strong to begin with.

"I'll inscribe the runes later. Why didn't you tell me about this before?"

"I-I forgot...and, you were training all the time with Seri, so it was hard to bring up, ehehehe~"

"Jeez, don't hesitate next time. Our gear is equally as important as our training," Cecil said as he patted the girl on the head.

Cecil changed his clothes and put on the new equipment that Lucia had made for him.

"Hmmm... It's comfortable, but it does feel weird to be wearing it without the vest..."

"Ehehe~ I'll finish them quickly! For now we can just head out like this. I also want to test out the performance of the equipment and see if I can further improve it later. We have plenty of Night Plague Silk after all~"

"Hm. I'll give you a report later."

"Me too, Lulu~ also, if you have time, I want you to modify the armor my daddy made for me! I don't care what you do, dismantle it or whatever, it's up to you! I just want you to combine it with the gear you're making for me!"

"R-really? Are you sure about that Seri?"

"Yup~"

"Okay, nice! I'll just combine and remodel some parts of Seri's clothes with the armor!"

"I'll look forward to it later Lulu~ as for now, thanks for letting me have this!"

Once the party was fully geared in their new equipment, Yuna and Silver had some things created for them as well, the party continued to make their way over to the human army's rear.

When they got into position, Cecil sensed that the beastmen army hidden away in the forest were about to make their move.

He stepped out of the wagon alongside Lucia and Serilla with their weapons drawn, waiting for the army.

Cecil turned to look at his two companions and couldn't help but worry that their equipment looked to be a little lacking in places. They were only wearing skirts and stockings, no leg armor. Also, for some odd reason, Lucia's upper garment that was under her cloak was...a little revealing.

It showed her skin around her abdominal area and it didn't fully cover the area above her chest. The girls back in the academy didn't wear a vest, but Cecil was sure that this wasn't a part of their academy uniform, so where did she get that design from?

He was relieved that at least Serilla was fully geared in armor. Although Lucia would be modifying it later and combining it with her father's armor, she would have all her parts covered, including her legs later on. Cecil was very concerned for Lucia, but he had to throw the thought to the back of his head because the beastmen army began to move.

The hidden beastmen army had long since noticed the 3 humans who had stepped out of the wagon with their swords drawn as if they were waiting for them to come out.

"...What are they doing?"

"They seem to be waiting..."

"For us?"

"I don't know how, but it seems like it...these 3 children somehow got wind of our location..."

"This changes nothing! How foolish. If they had gone to warn the rest of their army then they'd be able to retreat before it was too late! But not anymore! Let's make an example of these 3 death-seeking fools!"

"Right!"

"GO! SLAUGHTER THE HUMANS!"

"RAAAAHHHHH!!!"

A deafening battle cry originated from the forest and the humans immediately noticed it. The human army's commander turned to look back and saw the large army of black clothed beastmen rus.h.i.+ng at them from their rear.

"What?! This was a trap?!"

"How vicious, they left the city and its inhabitants as bait just to lure us out and strike at us from behind! Quickly, call back the soldiers!"

"Yes, commander!"

"Sound the horn for retreat! And prepare the back lines to defend against the beastmen's charge!"

"S-sir! That...what's that wagon or carriage doing back there?!"

"Huh?"

The commander looked around and saw the wagon sitting at the back of the army and a large wolf with a girl on top of it pacing around the wagon while growling and roaring at the beastmen who were charging at them.

When he saw the human girl sitting on top of the beast, he couldn't help but exclaim. "That foolish girl, what does she think she's doing?!"

"S-sir, what do we do?!"

"Send out a detached force to rescue that girl! Once our forces in the city have regrouped with us, we'll slowly retreat while attacking the beastmen army! We do not leave one of us behind! We are not like those beastmen!" The commander righteously declared.

"Yes sir!"

Just as the adjutant was about to go hand down the order, a large magic circle appeared below the large beastmen army and an explosion ensued right after.