When Esperanza was hesitating, unable to find words to refuse, the door opened. Only Cordelia, who had no idea who was behind the door, was startled.
"Where is Sterling?"
A small face peeked through the door crack. Cordelia spoke in a deliberately stern voice.
"Jack. Didn't you learn to knock when entering a lady's room?"
Jack wasn't intimidated at all and rather boldly retorted.
"I did learn to knock before entering any room. I was wrong. So where are you going?"
"Little children like you don't need to know."
"I'd be more helpful than the young lady. Right?"
Jack, who looked back at Esperanza, grinned showing his gap-toothed smile. In that short ti, the child's gaunt cheeks had plumped up nicely. The arms that had hugged the toy Esperanza gave him had also grown quite long. If not for the mischievous cheeks dotted with freckles, she might not have recognized him.
This was the child she had tried to forget, leaving him in the hopeless gray slums. She had tried not to beco attached, but affection was not sothing that could be controlled by will. This child was the first person Esperanza had felt pity for in this world. She had wanted to offer even ager help, to comfort his sulking, and had worried about him more than necessary.
Esperanza t eyes with the little boy who was looking up at her with slightly nervous, raised eyes. The child's eyes sparkled.
"You've grown a lot taller, haven't you?"
"...Of course."
Jack answered rolling his eyes. He was trying to act nonchalant but showed signs of wanting to boast. Esperanza ruffled the little boy's hair with one hand. His much-improved hair slipped through her fingers.
"That's good."
"So where is Sterling? Why are you going there?"
The second question carried clear anxiety. When she tried to look into his wavering eyes, he quickly turned his head away. His inner thoughts were still transparently readable.
"I have business there."
"Miss Cordelia too?"
"This side is sightseeing."
Jack looked back at Cordelia and pouted. Cordelia t his eyes and asked.
"Jack. You'll keep it secret, right?"
Jack looked back and forth between Esperanza and Cordelia. Then he answered in a reluctant voice.
"If you're coming back."
Cordelia's face brightened. She had no intention of staying long in an unlucky place like Dunbarton.
"Of course we're coming back! Did you worry about such things? You're so adorable. We won't be there long either. Jack, it's a promise with . You don't know about this. Got it? I'll buy you presents instead."
The young child who never refused presents in any situation readily nodded.
"Buy lots."
"Of course, of course."
"So what are you really going to do?"
Cordelia clicked her tongue at the child's persistence. The two eventually had to include Jack in making their plans. Fortunately, Jack was cooperative.
"Don't worry. I'll pretend not to know. You can hide luggage and letters in my room."
"Hey! We're not running away. I'm going to tell grandmother honestly. You just need to keep secret where we're going."
Baron Mabelwood would allow Cordelia to travel alone with Esperanza. But it didn't seem like he would allow it if he knew the destination was Dunbarton.
"...Okay."
Jack pouted, perhaps embarrassed by his misunderstanding. Cordelia giggled and teased Jack rcilessly.
"You were going to help so earnestly? Hm? Were you worried I'd get scolded by grandmother?"
"It's not like that! Geez, I really an it's not!"
Jack, who had been pushing away Cordelia in disgust, flinched when he t eyes with Esperanza. Esperanza seed to have no intention of rescuing Jack from his predicant.
"You really like Cordelia a lot, don't you?"
"No, I don't! Why is everyone like this!"
Jack turned bright red and ran away with loud footsteps.
"That little guy has a long way to go before he can beat !"
Cordelia, who had been laughing loudly for a while, was out of breath. As the laughter gradually subsided, she lowered her voice.
"Isn't he really adorable? It's like having a little brother with a big age gap."
Affection for the small, dirty slum child seeped through the words of one of Nine Holder's most prestigious family's young ladies. Jack's attitude also showed trust in Cordelia. Even when he acted a bit cheeky or threw tantrums, he knew Cordelia wouldn't abandon him. The little boy who had feared being abandoned and forgotten now trusted Cordelia.
Even if Esperanza had taken care of Jack herself, she couldn't have helped him grow into such a bright and healthy appearance as Cordelia, the baron, and the people of Mabelwood mansion had achieved. It was truly fortunate that the hasty and irresponsible decision of that ti had returned as a good result.
"Thank you for taking good care of Jack."
Cordelia laughed as if she was hearing nonsense. And instead of ntioning the Mabelwood people's life debt, she simply said this.
"If you're grateful, never leave
behind. If you leave
behind, I'll hate you forever."
The problematic dungeon probably wouldn't have spread to the city. If it had, it wouldn't have been the first dungeon where the 'monster crisis' beca known to this world. So if she left Cordelia in a luxurious hotel in the busy district, she would be safe. She was even taking Annie, so there was no reason Cordelia couldn't go. Unlike Cider, the two weren't being directly pursued.
After much deliberation, Esperanza opened her mouth.
"...Alright."
Two days later.
The express train that ran twice a day directly from Nine Holder to Sterling. The train carrying one hunter, one maid, and one lady left Nine Holder Central Station, drawing white trails in the air.
??????°??☆????°??????
The end of the railway that stretched north across the vast landmass.
At Sterling Central Station, which was bustling with port workers and travelers as usual, a strange chill could be felt.
Half of the ships that traveled to and from Sterling's port were rchant vessels whose main business was colonial trade with Great Paolun, a quarter were warships, and the remaining quarter were ships heading to other dostic cities or neighboring countries.
Now that the main route between Osdern and Paolun was blocked, ships bound for Paolun did not co, and those that had departed were of unknown fate. It had been long since job postings for sailors had been put up. Though there were many docked ships, they lacked vitality and looked like a ghost port.
The crimson hair of a woman sitting on the roof of the largest building in the port fluttered in the fishy sea breeze. Her gaze looking down at her handiwork while leisurely swinging her toes was indifferent.
The sight of the port where anxiety and impatience could be felt touching the skin couldn't be pleasant for anyone watching. This was the sa even for the person who had directly created this situation. Though she felt no great emotion.
Daria, who had been watching the moving sailors with narrowed eyes as if viewing a movie set, flicked her fingertip. As if to flick aside a passing sailor. Of course, her finger only cut through empty air, and the sailor went on his way unhard. However, Daria's gaze still seed like she was watching walking toys.
"Stop changing your hair color. It's hard to find you."
A young man who lightly landed on the roof said. His youthful face couldn't hide his displeasure. Daria flicked her fingertip. This ti too, her hand rely traced through the air, but it wasn't without change. The long flowing crimson hair gradually changed to calm black short hair.
"That guy says such features are necessary for gas too. Customization? It's good for hiding identity, not bad."
"What am I supposed to do if you hide your identity from
too?"
Cyrus, who was already tired and had to circle the port twice, didn't hide his irritation. Daria got up and kicked Cyrus's shin.
"Shut up."
Cyrus, who had been standing diagonally on the sloped roof, swayed for a mont but quickly regained his balance.
"How's the Dunbarton side?"
"It seems like they're heading toward rejecting the policy in parliant, but internal infiltration is tricky so I couldn't confirm how many votes were gathered. It seems almost no votes were gathered in the upper house, but surprisingly there seem to be quite a few votes in the lower house."
Daria sat down heavily on the roof and muttered.
"It might really be decided toward rejection. We can't give them a chance to resolve their hostility. We need to reach a conclusion before the parliantary session. Since we've withdrawn the pirates, there will be reactions from either side. I did instigate pro-royal figures as Havenly suggested... but I can't do such delicate work twice."
Pri Minister Tempton was a rarely handso and capable politician. He had a story of being ignored as the second son born to a low-status second wife of so distinguished marquess. When Daria was chopping up Osdern into pieces, he would be an obstacle, but when presenting the deliciously kneaded Osdern to the world as a feast, he would be excellent decoration.
'He has character, you see.'
It was sothing the two people who had been busy making a living their whole lives couldn't think of, but their new business partner was knowledgeable about such aspects. Even setting aside the favor of users who didn't yet exist, it was difficult to find soone more capable than Tempton as an administrator. He was also good to insert for cleanup purposes in the early ga when no one knew what incidents might break out.
For these various reasons, Daria was unusually creating a sche to corner Raymond Tempton. The bureaucrats under him were already in a panic state due to this unprecedented situation, and the decision to nationalize mines was one that would inevitably corner himself, having almost no enemies, due to the unavoidable decision made.
For Pri Minister Tempton himself, food should have been put under state control first. However, the magic stone supply was so urgent, and if they had proposed food first, the central and southern lord factions that made up the majority of parliant would definitely oppose it. On the other hand, magic stone mines were mainly located in the north. The north had little political influence and traditionally had bad feelings with the mainstream forces of the central and southern regions.
"That Havenly guy was smart. The duke who's picky about social background wasn't keeping him around for nothing."
"Seems useful."
"So-so. I'm thinking of using him for sothing like information managent."
"That wouldn't be bad either. We'll need managers even when we're not around."
Because they would get busier and busier. Not just this year-end, but continuously in the future.
As if urging them on, heavy bell sounds ca from the clock tower in a nearby square. Daria got up from her seat.
"There's still plenty of ti, so you stay here and watch how the Dunbarton side cos out. Also check if that Havenly guy isn't having second thoughts. See you on dungeon day."
"What? But this ti...?"
Cyrus's voice was drowned out by the sudden sound of fireworks exploding. Daria grinned and waved her hand. The golden blade in her hand traced through the air. By the ti the light that burst out like a flash disappeared, Daria was no longer there either. Cyrus, left alone, muttered with a pale face.
"What exactly does she plan to do alone? There, we're nothing."
The voice filled with anxiety scattered. Cyrus jumped down from the roof with a hardened face. Since Cyrus couldn't leave this place without Daria anyway, he had no choice but to do his assigned work properly. He could only hope that their reality selves were also okay.
It'll be okay. It will be okay.
This toy-like world would make it so.
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