I hid in the forest near the castle with the Pegasus Sword and waited for Holly to return.
Soon, Holly came back.
"Good news, Crow! I found Iris!"
"...Phew..."
I felt a profound relief from the bottom of my heart.
I was worried about my classmate, but equally, I was concerned about Instructor Cattleya.
Just the news of Iris's disappearance had thrown Instructor Cattleya into such a panic.
She's far kinder and more emotional than someone like me.
How could I tell her that "Iris is dead"?
Just the thought of possibly having to say such words weighed heavily on my heart.
"...So, how was Iris?"
I didn't want to hear it, but I needed to confirm how Iris was being treated as a captive.
Depending on the situation, I might need to retreat immediately, bring Instructor Cattleya and Safran, and execute a rescue mission.
"She's under house arrest, but she's in a luxurious room within the castle. She doesn't seem to be injured, and there's no sign of restraint."
In the forest, I continued to listen to Holly's report.
"The castle was teeming with zombie soldiers. It was an eerie sight."
So, as expected, the user of the Underworld Sword was the mastermind behind the rebellion.
Iris must have been defeated by that user and taken captive.
"Did you see the user of the Underworld Sword?"
"Yes. However, the number of zombie soldiers in the castle seemed excessively high. I've never seen someone control that many zombies before."
"What did they look like?"
"A woman in her early twenties."
"Another woman? Why are there so many female Saintly Sword users?"
So far, the only male user of the Saintly Sword is Prince Heath. "Besides the user of the Underworld Sword, who else was there?"
"Inside the castle, the only living humans were the user of the Underworld Sword and Iris. The rest were all zombie soldiers."
"What? So, a single person started this rebellion, and it turned into this huge mess?"
"Well, yes. Even if they possess a Saintly Sword, for those who hold a divine sword, ordinary humans are just a hindrance, no matter how many there are."
"...I guess you're right."
For the time being, knowing that Iris is safe and that the Saintly Sword user holding her is female, I felt somewhat relieved.
Probably, the reason she hasn't been killed or harmed is that they want to recruit her.
So, she should be safe for a little while longer.
"Holly, I need to confirm something."
"What is it?"
"The abilities of the Underworld Sword are limited to controlling corpses and enhancing physical strength, right?"
"That's... Well, those two abilities are so powerful that it makes the wielder formidable. Moreover, the precision of the abilities can vary depending on the skill of the user."
"Then, can you tell me in detail about the abilities of the Blaze Sword Galateen and the Vacuum Sword Curtana?"
Holly tilted her head in puzzlement.
To Holly, the spirit residing in the Holy Light Sword, the abilities of the Saintly Swords might seem trivial.
However, if we can fully harness the abilities of these two Saintly Swords, it should be easy to defeat the user of the Underworld Sword Sequence.
Using the Pegasus Sword, which allows me to travel long distances, I immediately returned to the fortress from my reconnaissance mission.
Even though it's called a fortress for war, its structure is more like a castle.
Walls designed to prevent enemy infiltration surround it, and in the center are houses where soldiers sleep.
In one corner of the space between the houses and the castle-like walls, I had summoned Instructor Cattleya and Safran.
As the three of us discussed, the soldiers inside the fortress glared at me from a distance, but I decided not to mind them.
They respect Instructor Cattleya and seem to look down on me.
"Instructor, Iris has been captured in a castle to the southeast from here."
"What?!"
As expected, Instructor Cattleya reacted strongly.
"We depart immediately! I'll mobilize all available soldiers and march southeast!"
Saying that, Instructor Cattleya tried to dash back to the fortress.
As anticipated, I grabbed her from behind, immobilizing her.
Instructor Cattleya is short and slender, so she was light to lift.
"What the hell?! Don't lift me up! It pisses me off when you do that!"
"Our discussion isn't over. The three of us will now devise a plan to rescue Iris. Please cooperate."
"Huh? Three people?"
While being held in my grip, Instructor Cattleya looked up at me in surprise.
"Did you come here to win a war or to rescue Iris?"
"Well... To rescue Iris..."
"Then, let's not make a spectacle by moving in a large group, drawing the enemy's attention. Our priority is rescuing Iris. We can deal with the war after that. By that time, I'll return to the capital."
Instructor Cattleya stared at me, her mouth slightly open, seemingly shocked.
Not sure why she was looking at me like that, but since she had calmed down, I released her.
"Listen. Even with the superior mobility of the Pegasus Sword, if we carry too many people, we'll stand out. Hence, it's better to depart with a smaller group to the southeast. Ideally, that group should consist of a Saintly Sword user with unparalleled power, me, who can communicate with Holly and sense Iris and other Saintly Swords, and of course, Holly."
Instructor Cattleya continued to gaze at me with a look of astonishment, while Safran observed with a contemplative expression, arms crossed. "Well, in the first place, I'm the only one who can make the Pegasus Sword fly, so I have no choice but to go."
I touch my chin and begin speaking with my eyes closed.
"Before the rescue, I want you both to understand the true essence of the Saintly Swords I possess."
"What do you mean?"
"I've learned from Holly about the characteristics of the Saintly Swords the two of you hold. I'll explain now."
"Huh? I've been using this for over fifteen years. Are you saying I haven't fully mastered it?"
"The Blaze Sword Galateen possesses the power of explosions and flames."
"I already know that!"
"Instructor, as far as I know, you've only wielded its flame power. Can you use the explosion?"
"An explosion is the same as a flame!"
It was as I had imagined.
Up to now, she probably found the ability to control flames and enhanced physical power sufficient for combat.
As a result, she wasn't aware of the explosive ability.
I tap the ground with my foot.
"Instructor, please strike the ground with the tip of the Blaze Sword."
"...What?"
She frowns deeply, draws Galateen as I instructed, and stabs the ground.
"Now say, 'Boom'."
"Boom?"
I grab Safran's hand and move away from the instructor.
"Press the gem on the hilt of the Blaze Sword."
"Like this?"
Instantly, the ground where the instructor had stabbed exploded, sending her flying from the blast.
"This is the bomb-setting ability of the Blaze Sword Galateen. Not only can it ignite flames, but if you touch the ground or wall with the sword tip and say 'Boom', you can turn that spot into a bomb. Moreover, there's no limit to the number of bombs you can set. However, they can only be detonated simultaneously."
Safran looks at me with astonishment, probably because of the explosion that occurred right in front of us. Oh, I should have warned about the explosion.
"You idiot!"
After the explosion at her feet, Instructor Cattleya charges at me, swinging her fists.
"Instructor, the explosions and flames from the Blaze Sword won't harm its owner. You're fine, right?"
"Shut up! That's not the point! That scared the hell out of me! You should've warned me!"
"Ah, I didn't think about that. I'm sorry."
"What's wrong with you?! Why didn't you react when the ground exploded right in front of you? Are you out of your mind?"
"Well, Holly had explained it to me beforehand."
"Still, you shouldn't just watch things unfold emotionlessly, idiot! That scared the crap out of me! Damn you!"
The instructor continues to hit me, her eyes teary.
The soldiers in the fortress, drawn by the explosion and its aftermath, are staring, dumbfounded, at Instructor Cattleya's unusual behavior.