Sunlight streamed into the room within the fortress.
*Clang, clang, clang, clang!*
A loud sound erupted from the magical clock placed at the edge of the bed, equipped with a timer function.
"Morning already...? I slept longer than usual."
Allen silenced the magical alarm clock and realized he had woken up much later than usual.
(I guess I should hold back on my morning routine today. Before a boss fight, it's best to hold back from my usual routine. Hawk, I'm awake now. Start your activities. Tsubamen, you too.)
Allen shared his thoughts with Hawk, instructing the bird to begin its activity from where it was stationed in the ghost swarm.
Upon waking, Allen adjusted his bracelets, switching the settings from cooldown reduction to prioritizing Intelligence and Agility.
Today was the important battle against Nestirad.
The reason Allen had worn the cooldown reduction bracelet before bed was to reduce the cooldowns of his summons.
The only way to enhance summons was through buffs.
By equipping the accessories before bed, the summons' cooldowns would be reduced by the time he woke up.
(It's always been , but it might soon change when the Generation Skill advances. Merus might be able to re-summon others or equip new cooldown-reducing accessories.*
Merus and the [ - ] S summon were able to equip items through the Generation Skill. When equipment was remade, its cooldown would reset. This was far faster than any Skill or equipment that reset cooldowns.
Allen donned his equipment and descended the stairs.
"Good morning, Master Allen Allen. Everyone has already started eating."
"It's fine. Sorry for being late. Also, could you pass me the newspaper?"
"Of course, and here's some hot tea as well."
Allen sat down and casually quenched his thirst with the fruit juice Sophie had poured for him.
"What are you, married? Cecile will get mad!"
Dogora, who had nearly finished his meal, couldn't help but interject at Allen's usual antics.
"Oh my! That's not true at all, Dogora."
Teased by Dogora, Sophie blushed, her pale face turning red.
"Hey, if you're so jealous, I'll pour you some too... even though your table manners are atrocious. Oh well, it can't be helped."
Shea poured fruit juice into Dogora's wooden cup and began tidying up the mess he had made on the table.
"What the heck? Are you my mother or something?"
Shea frowned at the notion of being treated like a mother, and the dining hall filled with laughter.
(It seems everyone’s morale is in good shape before facing a formidable foe.)
"Is everyone ready to go? Allen, are you all set?"
"Of course. Alright, let's move out."
After a light meal of Mormo fruits and meat slices, Allen finished his breakfast.
"Oh, you've arrived. It's finally time, huh?"
"Yes, thank you for being here."
Abigayle and the others were waiting outside the building, seeing them off for the challenge ahead.
"If things get too tough, don't hesitate to retreat to the fortress."
Such a statement required a deep sense of resolve.
"We'll likely just evacuate to another world first, so you can rest assured. After that, we'll try to lure him deep into the ghost swarm."
The Bird A summon responsible for placing the nest was set to relocate the [Nest] on Nestirad's side.
After retreating, the plan was to fully utilize the summons and divert Nestirad's attention away from the fort.
Allen once again checked the status of his companions.
[Name] Kiel von Carnel