"Kahyu... M-My, my time has come... I'm gonna die..."
"Are you okay?"
"Tired?"
"Food?"
"N-No, not food..."
Help me... Somebody help me... Please, just listen to me for once...
As the mother and daycare teacher of our flock, my physical stamina was currently hovering dangerously close to zero. I had blown right past the red zone and into the void; I was about to transcend death itself. We finally made it to the Royal Capital, and yet I felt like I was actually going to pass away. Wh-What did I even do to deserve this? I've been working so hard and so earnestly for the sake of the flock... so why?
(What do you think these kids have done up until now, just to get to this Capital? I mean, seriously...)
They charged headfirst into someone's field and threw themselves an unauthorized salad party (compensated), chased down a moving carriage and flipped it over (no injuries & reconciled), and their curiosity exploded at the sight of their very first bridge, nearly reducing it to rubble... (temporarily repaired via Amelia-san's magic, repair fees to be paid at a later date). There were so many incidents that pushed past the boundary of "Oh, how cute" that it felt like a closing-down clearance sale crashing over me all at once.
Yeah, honestly? I wanted to go home.
But you see, just like how Dere-chan has changed a bit, the vocabulary of the other kids has been steadily growing too, you know? I knew for a fact that this journey would have a good influence on our kids' brains. Interacting with humans who speak many languages outside of myself, and seeing things they've never laid eyes on back in the highlands. Their brains are so weak it makes me want to scream, but it's not like they can't grow. Dere is a prime example of that.
That's why I worked so hard, okay? I pushed us—by sheer force of will—all the way here. But man, this mother has reached her limit... Running a one-woman show is just impossible... I should have at least waited until I raised a few more capable handlers before coming... Having completely misjudged the timing, my only choice now is to solemnly explode on the spot...
Oh, look, when I close my eyes, I can see a river... Someone is waving from the other side. Are those... two old men?
"It's too early for you to come over here! Actually, you've probably got the wrong place entirely!"
"U-turn! U-turn! Also, this is the Ostrich Victims Association!"
"......Wait, what do you mean, 'Ostrich Victims Association'?"
"Ah, she's back to life."
Just when I thought those two old men were telling me to go back, I found myself snapping back to reality. We were on top of a slight hill, and if you looked out just a bit, you could see the Royal Capital of the Heed Kingdom. Ah, seeing the Capital must have made me let my guard down. My goodness, I still have a long way to go. I need to keep training. Channeling my ostrich-like recovery skills to the max, I blew away my fatigue. Well, you could also just call this putting on a brave face.
"I think you are doing a wonderful job—in fact, you've worked so hard I want to make you rest immediately. Here, eat a little something."
"Uuuh, Amelia-san's kindness penetrates my very soul..."
"Food?"
"It's food!"
"Staaare~!!!"
"Ah, yes, yes. Just a little bit, okay? Here, say ahhn."
Taking the bread offered by Amelia-san, I sat down on the ground. Of course, doing that naturally caused my kids to gather around, begging because they wanted a bite too. Well, it was about that time when you get a little peckish, so it was only right to feed them something. "Food!" Yes, yes, I'm going to tear off some bread for you, so just stay still.
Looking out from this hill, there were multiple entrances to the Royal Capital, but all of them had quite a lot of people lined up. I suppose the guards were checking various things to make sure no suspicious people got in. If we head down there as we are, it doesn't take a genius to imagine our ostriches charging straight into the waiting crowd. I'd like to think they wouldn't outright attack them, but if any carriages are loaded with food, these kids will absolutely start eating it.
(Just like that time at the fruit shop in Plaque.)
To prevent that, it seemed best to finish our meal here, a little ways away.
Giving Matilde a look to ask for help, the soldiers began preparing the kids' food. Perhaps because I had asked this of them so many times during this journey, their movements were incredibly efficient. Thanks to their understanding that the moment ostriches lay eyes on ingredients, they become like babies who try to put everything in their mouths, their cooking speed was lightning fast. ...Hey, do you guys want to quit being soldiers and just become chefs?
"Whoa there, please refrain from scouting them, Lord Lais. These are soldiers I trained with my own hands. Besides, Plaque has a small population, so further conscription is difficult. Have mercy."
"Oh, what a shame."
"Hahaha, well, jokes aside... Resting here is actually quite helpful for us as well. I wanted to send a herald ahead to the Capital. They will need time to prepare on their end, so let us fill our stomachs before we go."
Besides, once we reached the Capital, replenishing ingredients would be easy. Matilde gave out orders, saying they might as well use up everything they brought. We had already devoured everything brought from Plaque, but thanks to them buying and restocking various things at other towns, we managed to make it this far without ever going hungry. Well, we also smashed a few monster settlements and lined our stomachs that way too~
Thanks to selling the materials from those hunted monsters, and the minister who went ahead to the Capital giving orders to provide food, we were able to eat our fill today too. Or rather, if I don't keep them in a fluffy, full-bellied mood at all times, there's no telling what they'll pull... The instant one of them says "Food!", it's like their throttles get cranked to a split-second away from starting a hunt. Way too scary.
Well, whether in the highlands or on the battlefield, that trait is what gives them power, so I don't plan on changing it. ...Oh, of course, if they attack unrelated people or cause trouble for someone, I will stop them with everything I've got, okay?
"Smells good!"
"It does! It does!"
"It's food!"
"Gonna eat!"
"Yes, yes, calm down! They're making it right now, so let's sit down and wait. What do we say~?"
"""Yessir!!!"""
Yep, they respond very well. I almost want to praise them. ...As long as I don't think about the fact that I have to repeat this every 10 seconds until the food is ready.
After that, we did a whole lot of munching.
◇◆◇◆◇
"And so, that's how we arrived here with full stomachs, but..."
"Wow!"
"Wow, wow!"
"So high!"
No, seriously, that is a really sturdy defensive wall. Plaque's wall felt like they just piled up raw stones and somehow made it function, and the weapons installed on top were mostly large-scale anti-monster weapons. Like those ballista things, you know? The kind where even we would go "Ouch, ouch!" if we got hit.
But the Capital's wall wasn't made of rocks picked up off the ground; it was the type where properly quarried stone blocks were stacked—a wall built under an actual blueprint. The height was completely different; you had to look way up just to see the top, and the weapons visible up there included proper things like catapults. If Plaque was anti-monster, this place was anti-human, equipped to face massive armies.
(If that's the case, the inside of the wall is probably pretty developed too.)
I thought about that, but as for our plans to enter the inside of the Capital on this trip... we had absolutely none. Yep, seriously. I mean, just a moment ago, I lightly asked Matilde and the others what it was like inside, and...
"If you step off the main avenue, you'll get lost."
"I believe the central area still follows the city planning, but the outer rings were built haphazardly and became like a maze, didn't they?"
"My parents brought me here when I was a kid, and I have nothing but memories of getting lost and crying my eyes out. The back alleys have terrible visibility."
...is what they said.
Apparently, when it was first built, the cityscape had good visibility, but as decades passed, the population grew accordingly. They built houses in every available gap, and now it's become a total disaster. The areas originally reserved for royals and nobles supposedly still have clear sightlines, but everywhere else is basically impossible.
Yeah, there's no way in hell I can bring my kids to a place like that. The Prime Minister's original plan was probably to have the treaty signing and the audience with the King at the royal castle in the center of the Capital, but a lost ostrich could easily mean an eternal goodbye. Or rather, while I'm off looking for one lost kid, someone else will get lost, and I'll probably get lost too.
(And besides...)
If they could move in teams of a few birds to form a new flock, it might be fine, but if a single bird gets lost all by themselves, it turns into a miserable situation. We are inherently pack animals; we are entirely unsuited for acting alone. The same goes for our mental state—if we aren't with someone, we become anxious and filled with terror.
Back when we were in the highlands, I once rescued a kid who had ended up alone, and they were so close to a mental breakdown that it was hard to watch. Part of it was being all alone in a world like the highlands where you constantly feel your life is in danger, but loneliness is deeply painful for us. Well, that kid managed to cheer up after joining our flock, though. I really hate letting them be all alone.
(Of course, there are individual differences, and some kids might like doing things by themselves. But it's certain that having others around brings immense peace to our hearts.)
So, getting lost is a serious "must-avoid." Or rather, there's no telling what a kid pushed into absolute loneliness might do. They might run around looking for someone, go wild out of sheer terror, or start viewing everything moving around them as an enemy and attack. It's no good for us, and it brings zero benefit to the Kingdom. In fact, if one ostrich goes wild, the others will start going wild too. At worst, the Royal Capital gets wiped off the map.
Therefore, we will refrain from going inside. If we ever do, it'll be after they learn to tolerate walking in a single file line, or in a place with decent visibility like Plaque. Let's save that for future enjoyment.
(Besides, fatigue has been building up in me too. If I were fully recovered, I might have managed somehow, but in this state, it's impossible.)
So, I had the messenger carry a note to the Capital that basically said, "If you want to sign the contract, come outside~ ♡ If you don't, we're going home~ ♡" Well, now we were just waiting for that to get through to the other side, so thinking we could at least do a little sightseeing, I brought the flock near the wall. Doing the "Come over here~ ♡" thing at the Capital is still better than doing it from Plaque~
"By the way, what are you guys doing?"
"Hard."
"Stiff-stiff?"
"Stiff-stiff!"
"In the way?"
"In the way!"
""Destroy!!!""
"Wait! You dummies!!!"
Grabbing the neck of the kid who had raised their leg high in the air, I pulled back with all my might. The blow that was meant to slam into the defensive wall plunged into the ground instead, sending up a cloud of dust along with quite a loud boom. Ah, honestly! You little troublemakers! I mean, back in the highlands, didn't you guys break a rock because it was in the way and end up getting your butts bitten by a monster?! Don't make the same mistake twice!
"This wall is super important! You can't break it!"
"Important~?"
"Got it!"
Even if you get it now, you're just gonna forget it immediately, aren't you? Look, it'll be a pain if a crowd gathers, and the soldiers guarding the top of the wall look startled, so we're leaving! Hey, you over there digging a hole the moment I look away! I mean, you can play, but clean up after yourself... wait, you won't understand that anyway! Here, I'll stretch out my leg, so grab onto it and climb up. Yes, yes, you can bite it with your beak, up you go!
I hurriedly rushed over to the deeply dug hole and extended my leg. As expected, or rather, before I even knew it, about three birds had fallen into their self-made pitfall, so I hauled them out. After that, quickly fill the hole, and retreat—! Come on, let's move away!
"Kay~!"
"Got it!"
"Food?"
"We just ate a moment ago! I mean, whoever just said 'food'! You were the one who ate the most! Your stomach is completely stuffed, isn't it?!"
"Ate!"
"Ate...?"
"???"
Ah, seriously! What? Did your curiosity explode and instantly burn up everything inside your stomach? There's literally food inside your belly right now! It's fine if you forget that you ate, but don't forget the sensation of having something in your stomach! ...Wait, our numbers are short! Where did they go?!
"What's that!"
"Mysterious!"
"Spinny-spinny!"
"Ah, geez, that's the line for the inspection gate! We took the trouble to stay away, so don't go over there! Come back—!"
"Let's go!"
"What is it~!"
"Going!"
Daaaaah!!!!! The kids I was commanding over here reacted too! I mean, these kids have definitely become more curious than back when they were in the highlands!!! It's a good thing! It's a good thing, but it's a problem! Let's talk! Listen to me talk! Look, your mother looks like she wants to say something! Face over here! We're going to do something fun now!
"What!?"
"What, what!"
"Excited!"
"Going back~!"
Good, good, good! You did great coming back...! Ah, no good, the forty-or-so who ran off toward the inspection line aren't coming back! Ah, honestly! Being energetic is a good thing!!! But I wish you'd express it in a slightly different direction! Alright, everyone who gathered up! We're playing tag! The ones we're chasing are those kids! Do you understand?! The kids who ran over there! We're going to chase them!
Here we go! Follow me!
"""Yay!"""
Lais-chan's commanding ability is currently halved due to overwork.
〇 Ostriches Who Hate Solitude
Because ostriches live in flocks, they are not very good at acting alone. It is not impossible for them, but it applies a massive psychological debuff to their mental state, such as their stress tolerance, compared to when they act in a flock. This holds true whether they were originally solitary or part of a flock, and the reason is that they end up forgetting they were ever part of a flock to begin with.
They can be observed wandering the highlands all alone and lonely, not even understanding why they feel so anxious. Whether they can safely merge with another flock after that depends entirely on the individual's luck.
Supposedly, depending on the individual, some do not feel any stress at all, but the probability of that is incredibly low. There are reportedly a few such individuals in the flock Lais commands, but it doesn't mean they dislike acting in a flock. It might just be that they have a high tolerance for solitude.
To survive in the highlands, it was necessary to rely on the power of companions other than oneself, and because individuals could not survive alone, it is thought that they evolved this way. Much like comradeship, they likely grew to live not as individuals, but as a collective flock.