[Oh, you're still small. Jigor!]
Just as I was about to scold Jigor, Tristan buzzed around teasing him.
Jigor waved his hand trying to catch Tristan, but perhaps because Tristan was too small, he couldn't easily achieve his goal.
Eventually Jigor shouted in a frustrated voice.
[Hmph, you pumpkin bee that can't even be seen!]
[You've gotten dull, Jigor!]
[This guy the size of ant shit!]
[What? A pumpkin bee is bigger than an ant, you fool!]
[Even so, you're just bird food! You ant shit!]
[This guy is climbing endlessly because I'm going easy on him!]
Tristan finally transformed into his true form. It seemed he was greatly enraged by the stigma of being called ant shit.
At this point, it was starting to get confusing who the original dispute was even with.
"Crazy, what kind of gross things are you doing?"
Seeing the two Dullahans instantly revealing their true forms, Palides shuddered. Xenon also agreed with Palides's words with a pale face.
"Lord Anelli, why are these monsters suddenly acting like this?"
[I am the brave leader of the pack! Do you think I would yield to this level of threat!]
Even Nesy's brave shout rang out in the midst of this.
It's dizzying. What kind of mess is this...?
[Come to think of it, Tristan, I was supposed to duel you too!]
[I don't duel with the weak youngest member.]
[Hey! Bring it on, Tristan! Let's settle this!]
"Ah, the paladin is coming!"
Disgusted, Palides, who had been keeping distance from Jigor and Tristan, discovered Samuel approaching and drew his sword.
"If you don't remove that dirty divine power right now...!"
Whether he felt some threat from Samuel, black smoke began to rise from Palides's body too.
Already, several trees where we had been standing had fallen long ago with loud crashing sounds.
Xenon had also fled behind my back early and was hurrying me to do something. I barely came to my senses at his urging.
'I almost pretended not to know my companions and ran away.'
Suppressing the impulse to just abandon everything and quietly disappear alone, I signaled to the black horse standing there.
"Nadab."
[Yes.]
"You can fill it up by transforming fully."
[Yes!]
As if he had been waiting only for my command, he threw himself into this mess with more agile movements than ever.
Thud!
"Ack!"
The first to be kicked by the heavy hind leg was Palides, who was still maintaining his human state.
After that, Nadab approached Jigor and Tristan, returned to his true form, and fiercely struck their backs.
[Argh!]
[Ugh!]
It was so hard that the two Dullahans on horseback staggered and fell off.
'Oh, it's refreshing and nice to see it end in one blow.'
Nadab, who had instantly sorted out the situation, trampled the rolling Dullahans with his feet.
Looking at it this way, among the Dullahans who transformed into their true forms, Nadab had the largest physique. Thank goodness Nadab is the most normal Dullahan.
[You foolish ones! If you keep getting excited so easily like this, the Captain will be troubled! If you want to fight, go into the subspace and fight!]
Nadab, you're the best.
[No matter how headless you are, to be swept away by emotions so easily! Shame of the Twelve Knights!]
[Argh, Nadab is heavy! I said heavy!]
[My arm! My arm is broken! I said my wings just healed!]
Screaming, Tristan and Jigor quickly transformed into a pumpkin bee and a small bird and fled to me. Palides also whined about being hurt and asked me for help.
And the help I could give them was one thing. I extended my arm forward and commanded firmly.
"Go back in right now."
Thus, the Dullahans who had regained their reason apologized to me like sinners and returned to their respective subspaces.
Only Nadab, who had cleaned up the situation, returned to his refreshing black horse form, lifting his head proudly and standing majestically.
[I will beat them up anytime. Just give the word.]
"...Next time, let's beat them in an open field."
Sighing and muttering, my eyes met Samuel's. He was staring blankly in this direction between the tragically broken trees and trampled bushes, with a rare blank expression.
Even I thought it was absurd.
Seeing Dullahans suddenly appear in droves, bicker among themselves, and then transform into animals, how could he not be?
Even if he guessed these guys were monsters, seeing it with his own eyes would surely be something else entirely.
I awkwardly turned my gaze away when Xenon muttered in a voice mixed with a sigh.
"It feels like the subordinates are getting more extreme day by day."
Perhaps because Xenon had already seen the Dullahans' true forms before, he didn't seem as surprised as if he would collapse like before.
With an enlightened face, he checked on Nesy.
[Next time, don't hide behind others and face them proudly, male!]
"Yeah, it was really scary, right? From now on, you should quickly take refuge behind Lord Anelli too. If you get caught up in it for nothing, you'll just break bones."
[I'm telling you to break the habit of running away!]
"Okay, okay. You were scared. Hey, paladin over there. If you're done praying, hurry up and pack your things."
At Xenon's words, Samuel also came to his senses and moved his body. However, with his still uneasy expression, it seemed I would need to explain about this situation.
'I wanted to just pass it over as if nothing happened, but that won't work.'
Pressing my eyes firmly and pondering, I eventually approached him first and spoke.
"They're my subordinates."
"I didn't say anything."
"I'm telling you not to attack them later either."
"I won't."
"They're mentally unstable but they're good kids."
"...Those Dullahans just now?"
"Yeah."
At least to me, they're good Dullahans. Just... easily excited, that's all.
Samuel seemed to have a lot he wanted to ask, but he didn't ask any more questions. That was fortunate. Even if he asked more, there wasn't really anything I could say.
[I will apologize on their behalf, Captain. It seems like it's because they've been in a headless state for so long.]
"Let's talk about it later."
Since Palides's rampage, the Dullahans' condition seems to be getting a bit strange. Or maybe they're just getting stranger as time passes.
Or it could be a side effect of regaining their memories.
It would be a big problem if they become uncontrollable. Should I keep taking in Dullahans?
I tried to just understand and move on, thinking they're peculiar Dullahans following me, but the situation of inevitably getting deeply involved was uncomfortable.
It would be nice if this too would be a problem that gets solved when I hear about the Twelve Sinners.
Lost in thought, a voice quietly spoke from beside me.
"If you learn what crimes those monsters committed, does it help you in dealing with them?"
At the too-calm question, I almost nodded unconsciously. I quickly narrowed my eyes and glared at Samuel.
"These guys aren't the Twelve Sinners."
"It was impressive that despite being Dullahans, they don't carry their heads."
"I said they're not?"
Samuel said nothing and gazed at Nadab.
"They're definitely not."
"I understand."
"They're just pitiful Dullahans who lost their heads."
"Yes. I see."
He nodded with a face that wasn't convinced at all. Looking at his complexion with mixed feelings, I subtly asked.
"But Sir Samuel. You said God buried the sinners' heads. Didn't you write down specific place names?"
"Didn't you say they're not sinners?"
"This is intellectual curiosity."
I know too. How forced my words are.
But I was thick-faced enough to push through with absurd claims confidently.
At my confident appearance, Samuel let out a hollow laugh.
"Since you protect them like this, they must be fortunate Dullahans."
"I told you. They're my subordinates. Don't pick fights with the kids for no reason."
"While you can't trust humans, why do you not distrust dangerous monsters at all?"
"That's because they're...."
Because they call me Captain.
The answer that was about to come out naturally stopped.
It was because I realized that being called Captain wasn't grounds for trusting the Dullahans. Strictly speaking, it was a situation where it wouldn't be strange for me to fear them.
"...because they're trustworthy guys."
The Dullahans who introduce themselves with excitement saying which number knight they are, and try to protect my side as if it's natural.
"They just protect me a bit excessively."
The Dullahans who say they've known me since long ago.
"Humans are the ones who put me on the execution platform, and humans are the ones who earnestly wished for my death. Is it strange that the resurrected me trusts monsters more than humans?"
The Dullahans who firmly believe I will find their peace for them.
Remembering their blind trust and faith, my mood became strange.
I was confused whether their faith was directed at me, or at the 'Captain' who only exists in their memories.
Feeling strangely unsettled and rubbing my forearm, Samuel lowered his voice and said.
"I didn't put you on the execution platform. Also, I didn't pray for your death."
When I lifted the gaze I had idly placed in the air, I met gray eyes looking straight at me.
"So would you share that trust with me too?"
"My trust is useless to you."
"That's for me to judge."
"Why do you need that?"
"Personal greed."
That was a very unexpected answer. He must have seen the bewilderment on my face, but Samuel rather emphasized expressionlessly.
"Selfishness."
At the unexpected words, I froze without being able to answer, when a gruff voice interjected.
"Aren't we leaving? If we keep delaying, we'll be camping again."
It was Xenon standing with his arms crossed crookedly. While speaking to me, his eyes were glaring at Samuel.
Samuel ignored Xenon's glare and turned his body. Xenon, who was glaring at Samuel's back as he went to collect his words, approached me closely.
He looked at me with complicated eyes, then messed up his own hair.
"I told you."
Perhaps because there was no laughter? Xenon's low voice sounded particularly cold.
"His obsession with Lord Anelli is at a very dangerous level."