(Apologies, I am late.)
"Forgive my intrusion during your pleasant conversationッ!"
OH, my, you startled me. What a grand, booming voice. Let's see, it's Red Knight-chan, correct? Do you perhaps possess some sort of business with this Lais-chan? Go right ahead, this big sister was getting thoroughly exhausted from talking to the Strategist next to me, so a change of pace is highly welcome. I'd vastly prefer a topic where one doesn't have to utilize their brain, though... Wait, your face is looking quite exceptionally red, are you alright? If you're feeling unwell, we can do this later... Ah! Could it be... romanceッ?!
Oh, Mama-san loves that sort of stuff! After all, I spent ten whole years living in the highlands with absolutely zero decent entertainment! Bring on other people's love stories, I am more than ready!
"I would like toッ! Request a mock battleッ!"
...Eh, a mock battle? Not a love story? Not the grand gossip topic that everyone loves regardless of gender, generation, or world? Ah, is that so, how disappointing... Then as an alternative, shall we talk about which of my children are likely to hook up with each other? It's basically free love—or rather, I just let them breed freely, so things get pretty wild. Especially the sheer volume of work I have to do during the breeding season. Ahaha, you know, when humans get entirely too exhausted, they actually become unable to sleep. Ahaha. It's rough.
While my internal thoughts are scattering into strange directions, the Strategist places a hand over his mouth and whispers to me.
"This Red Knight, Lady Dorothea, is a 'Quasi-Special Tactical Force' of our nation, however..."
I listen closely to the Strategist's hushed explanation. Apparently, this red-haired Red Knight-chan is currently in the middle of a massive slump. She was born into a strict household of knights and grew up smoothly thanks to her natural talent, but she suddenly hit a concrete wall and is currently struggling through trial and error. Because she was raised while being told things like 'You're the next Special Tactical Force!' by her surroundings, her current inability to grow has become a source of immense stress for her, it seems~.
She appears to be brooding over it so deeply that she might break if left alone, so he was hoping that by meeting us ostriches on this occasion, it might serve as a catalyst for her to break through that wall.
"Furthermore, regarding this girl. Since her family home and her entire surroundings were staunch believers in 'human supremacy,' this also serves to correct that ideology."
"...And you're leaving that to me?"
"How about we call it a favor owed—no, make it two favors?"
He says to me, flashing that incredibly charming, sociable smile of his.
...Ah~, this is one of those annoying situations where it's tedious whether I accept or refuse. Sigh, fine, it can't be helped. I'll humor you this once.
I've felt like I've been dancing right on the palm of the Strategist's hand for a while now, but the reality is that I possess the power to blow away not just his palm, but his entire upper torso. If I simply tear off a chunk of mana and go bam, everything ends beautifully in an instant. Right now, I'm refraining from violence solely because of the annoying political constraints of this country, but if it becomes necessary, I will act without a shred of hesitation. Well, just keep in mind that if you ever choose to become my enemy, you'd better be prepared.
"...Understood. Fine, I'll do it."
"My, oh my! Thank you very much."
"So? Am I her opponent?"
"Ah, no. That would likely break her spirit entirely, so to speak... especially since 'that' happened just a short while ago..."
The instant those words leave the Strategist's mouth, Red Knight-chan's face turns into a boiled octopus. She is completely crimson, an absolute apple all the way to the tips of her ears. Ah~, I see, I see. My intimidation earlier caused her to leak a grand variety of things, didn't it? Mmh, mmh, she looks like a considerably young lady, so she'd naturally care about that sort of thing a whole lot... Honestly, I'm impressed she managed to march right back over here immediately after that. Yes, she did her best. Let's praise her. Here, come over here, Mama will pat your head.
The instant I open my wings wide to welcome her into an embrace, our children who were standing a short distance away all pivot toward me simultaneously and burst into a full sprint. Their destination, naturally, is my lap.
"Called?"
"Called!"
"Yay!"
"Pat me!"
"Mama—!"
"...E-Eh, um."
"Ah~, yeah, sorry, okay? Maximum capacity reached."
In the blink of an eye, my lap is completely occupied by ostriches. You see, guys, Mama was just trying to comfort this red-haired person just now...? Well, there's no point explaining it to them, they won't understand. It can't be helped. Here, I'll pat you as much as you want, so just stay quiet, okay? Also, this alcohol belongs to Mama, so don't drink it. Understand?
"""Understood!!!"""
"Yes, excellent response. ...And, sorry about that, my children are a bit much."
"N-No! Please do not pay it any mind!"
Now, what were we talking about... Right, it's better if I don't act as her opponent, was it, Strategist-san? Ah, yes, yes, and on top of that, it would be preferable to have someone whose combat capability is relatively close to hers. An opponent where they can polish each other's skills and strive for the summit together. OK, I comprehended the situation. Once she decides to do something, Lais-chan is a woman who never backs down, never flatters, and never looks back! Just leave it to Mama.
When you've been a mother for ten years, you naturally develop a desire to support the growth of young people. Plus, since I'm a reincarnated soul, my mental age is actually quite up there.
...Wait, Red Knight-san's age is nineteen? And she'll turn twenty in a few months? Ah~, if we're talking strictly about physical age, she's older than me. My body is only around fifteen, after all.
"Well, whatever. For now, could you show me a glimpse of your capability? A sword form or something along those lines is perfectly fine."
While stroking one of my children—a slightly strange child who loves having the underside of its armpits touched—I encourage Red Knight-chan. It's fine, it's fine, my eyesight is exceptionally grand, you see? I was raised in a terrifying environment, so I can judge talent to a certain extent. I can get a reasonable grasp on things just from your sword speed. Go on, let's see it.
"Y-Yes..."
Perhaps startled by the incredibly relaxed atmosphere of our camp, the energy drains slightly from the end of her sentence. She takes a few steps backward and draws the sword from the sheath she held in her hand.
(A single-edged blade, huh.)
I could already deduce this from the shape of the scabbard, but it is a double-handed sword with an exceptionally wide blade... no, judging by her stance, it's a single-handed sword. With her height and monstrous physical strength, a long, heavy weapon normally meant for two hands can apparently be wielded with perfect efficiency in one.
If I were to classify it using the knowledge of my past life, it would be a dadao. A variation of a Chinese saber, more commonly understood as a dadao or a podao. It appears to be an exceptionally high-class piece of equipment with various intricate decorations etched across the wide surface of the blade. Thanks to the numerous opportunities I've had to interact with soldiers since coming to human society, I thought I had gathered a solid amount of knowledge regarding the military equipment of this world... but this is my first time seeing one of these.
"...Then, here I go."
The instant she says so, she bursts into motion as if propelled by a spring. Ohh, that truly is a fast, incredibly heavy-looking slash.
She is considerably stronger than Matilde-san... While I don't possess a deep formal understanding of swordsmanship from either of my lives, I did undergo a ten-year boot camp regarding the pure concept of "combat" back in the highlands. Even if it's just a vague intuition, I can comprehend what kind of scenario her forms are simulating. And simultaneously, I can grasp the raw power of the wielder executing them.
(She certainly earns her title as a Quasi-Special Tactical Force... If it were a one-on-one battle, even one of my children might be in danger.)
While watching her performance, I contemplate the situation. The Strategist's order is for Red Knight-chan to fight an opponent of roughly equal caliber so she can gain the experience necessary to push past her ceiling. If I consider who among my flock matches her strength, well...
I feel like that description technically applies to every single one of my children who has reached adulthood. If I want to let her win, I should assign a relatively small-statured child. If we want to win, assigning a large-statured child will ensure things turn out that way. However, by nature, ostriches are fragile creatures that operate as a herd (at least by highland standards). When forced to fight entirely alone, an ostrich's specifications drop drastically. If luck isn't on our side, even my largest, most muscular child might end up losing.
(Well, since it's a mock battle, the win-loss record doesn't particularly matter for now... The real issue is whether it's truly safe to deploy one of my children.)
The outcome is practically written on the wall, but let us run a brief mental simulation.
I place Red Knight-chan inside my mental space, and for the time being, I have Dele-chan step forward as the representative of the ostriches to act as her opponent. Do your best~!
『I'll do my best~!』
And so, the instant Dele-chan is positioned in front of Red Knight-chan and the mock battle is about to initiate, the other ostriches immediately swarm the area.
『What is it?』
『Hunting?』
『Food?』
With that, the battle begins. From the perspective of the other ostriches, this spectacle looks entirely as though one of their comrades is actively being assaulted...
『Enemy!』
『Defeat it!』
『Help!』
『Wow—!』
Once that happens, it immediately devolves into a brutal group lynching until the opponent stops moving...
『We won!』
『Amazing!』
『Good job!』
『Praise me!』
(Yeah, absolutely not.)
I repeated the simulation several times inside my brain, but every single scenario reliably ends with Red Knight-chan's tragic demise. If I constantly shout commands from the sidelines, we might barely manage to pull it off, but the reality is that we only just finished our battle against the Beast King the other day. Out of the 300 children, at least one of them likely still harbors a faint, lingering memory of that brutal clash. If the memory of a scene where I or their comrades came one step away from dying flashes back into their minds, it wouldn't be surprising at all if they went all out to completely eliminate her. In fact, even if they don't remember it, I'm pretty sure they'd still rush to eliminate her.
Ah~, what should I do. The Strategist sitting next to me—while his tone of voice expressing worry for Red Knight-san earlier probably wasn't a lie—fundamentally just wants to gauge the exact combat capabilities of my children, doesn't he? I don't think I can accommodate that request.
While I am mulling over these thoughts, Red Knight-chan's performance concludes before I realize it. She offers a polite bow while lightly regulating her slightly elevated breathing. For the time being, I offer a round of applause to praise her. In truth, it was an exceptionally well-refined display of martial technique. Here, you guys applaud too, can you do it? Look, push your wings forward like this, and lightly strike them together repeatedly. Like this, clap-clap~.
"Clap-clap?"
"Clap-clap~!"
"Slap-slap~?"
Yes, yes, exactly like that. Though "slap-slap" is a bit off, okay? It's "clap-clap," got it?
"Ah, sorry for the delay. I don't comprehend swordsmanship at all myself, but I can see an immense amount of dedication etched into your strikes. It's truly spectacular. That being said, regarding your opponent... I feel it might be a bit too difficult for my children due to a variety of reasons, you see? Would it be alright if I requested a different person instead?"
Saying so, I glance toward the Strategist and speak in a hushed tone.
"As long as it achieves the purpose of correcting her 'human supremacy' ideology, any non-human opponent works perfectly fine, correct?"
"Yes, that is perfectly acceptable."
"Then that's a relief."
Receiving the Strategist's confirmation, I scan the surroundings to locate where Dele is. ...Ah, there she is. Hey there, Dele! Can you see me? Ah, you can. Mmh, mmh, I was looking for you. Yeah, could you do me a quick favor and go fetch Amelia-san? Amelia-san. Do you comprehend who that is? The one with the long ears whom you like so much. ...Ah, you get it. Mmh, mmh, go find that person for me~!
◇◆◇◆◇
"...And so, you summoned me?"
"Yep, exactly. Could you do me this favor?"
With Dele—who took roughly ten minutes to successfully track down Amelia-san—perched right on my lap, I speak with Amelia-san. Along the way, an accident occurred roughly twenty times where Dele completely forgot why she was running around in the first place, but thanks to Amelia-san happening to spot her wandering state, she managed to successfully achieve her mission. Look at this face. She doesn't quite comprehend why she's being praised, but she's completely overjoyed, going 'Ehehe~!' anyway.
She is so incredibly cute!
"Well, I suppose I have come to comprehend your... habits? If that is the correct word. So I understand your reasoning, but... fine. Just make sure to repay this favor to me in some form down the line. Furthermore, make sure you watch closely."
With the unspoken message to watch her movements and tactical construction to learn from them, Amelia-san grants her consent. Wow~, she truly is a lifesaver. I was just thinking that if she turned me down, I'd have to step up as the opponent myself as a absolute worst-case scenario, so this is a massive help. If Dele ever enters a breeding cycle and has children in the future, I'll grant you the right to help name them! And while we're at it, I'll ask you to act as our midwife too! Because a single-mother operation is absolute hell! Save me!
"Um, Lord Lais. She is..."
"Hmm~, this is Amelia-san, an elf. She is my magic teacher, and... Dele's friend? Caretaker? Nursery school teacher? Well, something along those lines."
"I-I see..."
Perhaps overwhelmed by my energetic momentum, the Strategist offers a slightly pressured response. However, the exact instant I uttered the name "Amelia," I feel like the aura surrounding him—or perhaps his facial expression—shifted ever so slightly. It was a minute change that an ordinary person would likely never notice or pay mind to. You bastard, you know Amelia-san, don't you? Hehehe~, an ostrich-chan possesses exceptionally grand eyesight, you know! ...Well, knowing this guy, he probably executed that subtle reaction completely on purpose.
For the time being, you're going to play the role of "not knowing" her, huh. Understood. I'll play along with your little game.
Besides, didn't I just vomit up a substantial amount of valuable information during our previous exchange? Shouldn't that be more than enough to satisfy you so you can pack up and go home? Lais-chan is already thoroughly exhausted from utilizing her brain. From here on out, I am going to roll around with my children to release stress and recover, so please do not strike up a conversation with me!
"Well, Amelia-san is apparently a Quasi-Special Tactical Force herself, so it should be the perfect match, shouldn't it?"
"Is that so! Then by all means, we request your assistance. Red Knight Dorothea, the win-loss record does not matter. Make absolutely sure you grasp something before you return."
"...ッ! Yes, sirッ!"
Red Knight-chan's spirited response echoes through the area. Mmh, mmh, perhaps thanks to executing her forms, the deep crimson face she displayed when she first arrived has completely vanished, replaced by an exceptionally sharp, focused expression. Mmh, mmh, this looks like it will be an excellent match! This might be my very first time being allowed to watch other people have a proper, serious fight! This is going to be highly entertaining!
...Ah, Amelia-san just glared at me. O-Of course, I'm not just going to enjoy myself, I'll study properly too! After all, this is my very first time seeing Amelia-san engage in actual combat as well! Even though I'm a complete novice who still hasn't managed to escape the basic stages of mana manipulation practice, rest assured that I will channel mana into my eyes and completely copy-paste everything you do!
After observing my behavior for a brief moment, she lets out a small sigh and begins walking slowly toward Red Knight-san. Including this current matter, I have truly received an immense amount of care from her. I have no idea when it will be, but I will reliably repay every single ounce of kindness I have received. Amelia-san herself seems to feel a deep sense of gratitude because we saved her life back in the highlands, but the reality is that we have already been repaid in full. I must remain conscious of the fact that I am receiving entirely too much.
Well, for now, do your absolute best, Amelia-san~! Lais-chan and Dele-chan are both cheering for you! Come on, Dele, let's cheer for her. Do your best~!
"? Do your best~?"
Ah, so she still doesn't quite comprehend what is about to happen. From here on out, Amelia-san is going to have a match with that red-haired person. They're going to execute a mock battle, which is a form of combat practice. "Hunting?" Hmmm, it's not quite a hunt. It's a game. They're going to decide who is stronger while playing around. That's why you must absolutely never interfere while they are fighting. Just for right now, okay? "Just for right now?" Yes, yes, just for right now. So let's sit properly on Mama's lap and spectate the match together.
"Understood!"
"Mmh, exceptional girl, exceptional girl. Well then, let's say it together."
""Do your best~!""
Combat Capability of an Ordinary Ostrich Beastman
If we are speaking strictly of raw physical capabilities, they do indeed possess a level roughly equivalent to a 5,000-class individual like the Red Knight, just as Lais suspected. However, because they completely lack any sort of refined technique to utilize that strength, their practical evaluation drops drastically. Furthermore, when isolated as individuals, they suffer from an immense psychological burden (loneliness, fear of being alone), causing their combat capability to deteriorate even further. For this reason, if a single ostrich were to fight the Red Knight one-on-one, the Red Knight would emerge victorious.
However, the moment two ostriches gather together, no matter how much she struggles, victory becomes an absolute impossibility for her.
While a single individual might be a bit weak (by highland standards), as long as everyone is together, they feel secure. And as long as Mama is present, an ostrich-chan becomes exceptionally powerful.
As a side note, even if Dele-chan had participated in the mock battle, there was an exceptionally high probability that she would have completely forgotten what she was doing mid-fight, leading her to instinctively call her comrades to launch a brutal group attack. Consequently, it can be said that Lais-chan's choice was entirely correct.