Rita pulled aside the tent flap in front of Johnson’s tent, only to have a huge paw slam down right before her face, as if it wanted to tear her entire face apart.
Rita quickly dodged aside and took advantage of the moment to clearly see what exactly was attacking her inside Johnson’s tent.
It was a bear—a massive bear standing at least two meters tall, staring at Rita with hollow eyes and letting out a warning low growl from its throat.
Though it was just as unbelievable as the ox on the city lord’s mansion rooftop, Rita was absolutely certain of what she saw.
“Rita?!” Momoka, who had turned her head back out of worry for Rita, couldn’t help but shout out at the shocking scene.
“I’m fine! Hold them off for now!” Rita called out, drawing her sword and engaging in close combat with the giant bear that lunged at her again.
As soon as they clashed, Rita immediately realized what this creature really was.
This bear, unlike ordinary beasts or even Rita herself before, fought primarily on instinct.
But within its fighting movements, there was an unexplainable rhythm that made Rita feel oddly familiar.
Some of the moves had changed form, but these were undeniably the techniques of one of Valfis’s specially highlighted fighters—every strike and move was unmistakable.
At first, Rita was confused.
Johnson’s strength was a bit lacking compared to others, yet Valfis had still singled him out.
No mistake—hard to believe as it was, this bear was definitely Johnson.
Johnson had saved Rita once before, and with his honest, simple appearance, it didn’t seem like he’d be someone scheming within the army.
This situation looked more like he had no choice.
Besides, even if he really intended to harm people, Rita needed to get to the bottom of it.
That meant, no matter what, she couldn’t deal a killing blow.
There were enemies in front of her, and Johnson had somehow become like this behind her—caught between two impossible choices.
Then so be it!
Rita nimbly twisted her body, slipping behind the giant bear-Johnson, resting herself on its shoulder.
Before the bear could react, Rita stretched out her hand to cover its large nose.
A trace of charm energy flowed through her sleeve into her palm, then slipped directly into the bear’s nostrils.
Having seen Sumily’s control over charm energy, Rita wasn’t as precise, but she certainly wasn’t just blindly smearing it on her face.
Small dose, compact size, high hit rate, directly into the nose with no residue—perfect.
The giant bear roared in anger twice, struggling to shake Rita off, then staggered toward her.
After taking just one step, the bear’s footing wavered.
Its massive body swayed unsteadily but still bore a ferocious glare and let out a furious roar before lunging toward Rita.
After two steps, the bear completely lost control and collapsed to the ground with a heavy thud.
Phew.
The last time she’d encountered charm energy at this concentration was with Cecilia, but it was ineffective due to Cecilia’s special constitution.
It seemed to work perfectly on Johnson, though.
Still, according to the game’s logic, she had just completed a Random Emergency Quest—but the real crisis was yet to come.
Rita was about to turn back and rejoin the fight when the cold, cutting sensation of metal glinting in the firelight struck her from behind.
“Push forward! Advance!”
The girl’s shout echoed through the night, and the ground trembled in response.
The heavy clash of metal sounded like a giant steel beast, advancing from afar and closing in behind Rita.
“It’s a group of Steelclad Soldiers! We’re saved! Hold on just a little longer!”
“Don’t lose focus! Block them! Hold the line a little longer!”
The warriors fighting desperately against the insect swarm saw hope and fought even harder.
Back when some had been captured by the vine traps in the forest, it was this group of Steelclad Soldiers who led the way, clearing all obstacles.
Everyone had already witnessed their strength.
“Students! Mercenaries! Fall back! Leave this to us!” Maggie shouted as she dashed onto the battlefield with her Greatsword still in hand, too rushed to change out of her casual clothes, commanding the Steelclad Soldiers to shift formation and advance steadily toward the front line.
The armored soldiers wielded Tower Shields, lining up behind the warriors in a straight line.
Whenever a warrior fighting at the front found a chance to retreat, the soldiers would immediately raise their shields and take their place.
The clang of chitin hitting Tower Shields rang out loudly, a chaotic racket like rain battering a windowpane. The hard shells of the beetles left only a few scratches on the giant shields at most.
Spear tips thrust between the gaps in the Tower Shields, each strike killing an insect, as the formation of Steelclad Soldiers steadily pushed forward, expanding the once compressed front line.
“Truly a formal army—so much stronger than our ragtag group.”
“I thought… I thought we were here to protect them, but it looks like they came to protect us.”
“But how long will this fight last? We still don’t even know how many enemies remain!”
That last comment was like throwing a stone into calm water, stirring unease in the hearts of those just now calming down.
The Steelclad Soldiers were powerful, but their heavy armor meant they couldn’t fight for extended periods. The number of insects left was unknown, and the balance could tip again at any moment.
Just as everyone was contemplating those unwanted possibilities, a Wall of Fire suddenly rose from the ground, cutting the charging insect horde cleanly in two like a guillotine blade.
Several beetles caught off guard were immediately engulfed by the roaring flames, white smoke billowing out as the foul smell of burning mixed with the scent of ash and charred wood, causing many to gag.
Yet despite the disgust, joy filled their hearts much more.
“This is…!”
“It’s Lady Dorothy! She’s intervened!”
The Wall of Fire rapidly spread, drawing a fiery circle over a hundred meters long around the camp, protecting everyone inside. Countless beetles threw themselves into the flames, letting out sharp screams.
“Thank goodness! We’re saved! So it wasn’t a lie when she said if she acted, it might burn down the whole city.”
Momoka shaded her eyes, admiring the fire wall stretching before her. “Amazing. Now that’s what I call burning down the mountain.”
“First, this isn’t a mountain, it’s a plain; second, last time you actually set the forest on fire and nearly killed us all—totally different,” Albert muttered in rebuttal.
The Wall of Fire cut off the insects’ advance, but some remained trapped inside. The Steelclad Soldiers thrust their spears fiercely, clearing out the few stragglers.
At least for now, most were safe.
“Phew… thanks…” A mercenary slumped onto the ground, looking toward Rita and loudly expressing gratitude.
“What?” Rita frowned, finally able to catch her breath.
“If it weren’t for your warning, I’d have been devoured by the bugs long ago,” the mercenary said, patting her blood-stained chest. “But looks like you don’t need us for now. Ah, it’s good to be alive.”
While she was still speaking, Rita suddenly leapt up and delivered a flying kick that sent her several meters away before she rolled to a stop.
“Wait, what the hell—”
Her unfinished question was cut short.
Where she had just been sitting, the ground had bulged into a mound, and a beetle was squeaking as it clawed out from underneath.
But before it could even show its head, Rita’s sword pierced through its mouthparts. With a flick of her wrist, she smashed its head to pieces.
Some weren’t so lucky—several had been pierced through the body in the few seconds everyone had let their guard down. Even a Steelclad Soldier holding a Tower Shield in front of the swarm was caught off guard, claws stabbing into his abdomen.
The soldier groaned and sank to his knees. Promi stepped forward immediately, taking the soldier’s shield to hold the line.
“Watch your backs. Keep formation tight,” Promi whispered orders.
“Watch the ground! They’re tunneling through!” Rita’s shout was louder, jolting many out of their stupor to raise weapons once again.
To fight them, Rita’s sword and the physique granted by the Nightmare were already more than enough; the Nightmare’s other abilities were useless against the insects.
Besides, the ones tunneling underground were fewer—much easier to deal with than the overwhelming swarm.
Wait, tunneling underground means…
Rita had been at the front line from the start to hold back the swarm and prevent the beetles from breaking into the Central Camp.
But now, with the beetles advancing underground, the center was no longer absolutely safe.
Cecilia was in danger!
“Momoka! Albert! I’m going to check on Lady Cecilia! Cover me!”
“Got it!”
“Understood!”
Though this was their first time coordinating, their extraordinary strength ensured seamless cooperation. The two fought their way through, gradually closing in on Rita’s position and opening a path.
“Thanks! And watch out for that big furry guy—might be Johnson. Take care of him!”
Rita seized the chance and darted through, dodging countless beetles bursting from the earth, sprinting straight toward the camp.
Cecilia’s tent was close at hand. Without hesitation, Rita slipped inside.
Fortunately, there was no bear paw smashing her face this time. Inside, Cecilia sat calmly.
“Lady Cecilia! I’m so glad you’re okay!” Rita breathed out, feeling an unexpected sense of relief.
“Rita, what’s really going on outside?” Cecilia’s hands were clasped together, but Rita noticed them trembling slightly—apparently, even Cecilia couldn’t stay perfectly composed facing the unknown threat.
“It’s the swarm—the Nightguard Sacred Beetles have suddenly attacked our camp. It’s not safe here!” Rita barely paused to explain before stepping forward and gathering Cecilia into her arms, heading out of the tent.
“Rita, what are you doing?”
“The insects have tunneled up! Fighting is everywhere. Staying inside the tent risks an attack. To minimize casualties, I have to fight—I can’t protect you otherwise.”
As she spoke, Rita burst out of the tent. A few beetles were already surfacing nearby but were too slow to catch her at full speed.
The soldiers around naturally parted without a word, seeing Rita carrying Cecilia without resistance.
Rita headed straight for the flagpole at the Central Camp, lightly leaping onto its top.
She casually tied a knot in Cecilia’s skirt and then hung her from the flagpole.
“You… what are you doing?”
“I don’t trust others to protect you, and I can’t guarantee keeping you safe every moment. They can’t climb here. Lady Cecilia, sorry for the trouble!” Rita said, leaping down from the flagpole and raising her sword to rally the troops.
“The Princess is here! Protect the Princess!”
The guards surrounding them saw Cecilia dangling from the flagpole, weapons raised as they swarmed around.
“Protect the Princess!”
“Swear to protect the Princess with our lives!”
It was well known that Cecilia rarely showed emotional fluctuations.
Unless she was truly pushed beyond endurance.
“Rita! Are you crazy?!”