Pri Minister Tempton's reply arrived under the na of Sir Tidwell, one of the Pri Minister's close associates.
Early March, what if their business was urgent?
Cider, who had put down the letter on the side table, fell into brief contemplation. Did the Pri Minister know that their business wasn't urgent? Or had he deliberately set a leisurely schedule to confirm that fact?
Either way, it didn't matter much. He couldn't beat the seasoned Pri Minister in a battle of wits anyway. At tis like this, he shouldn't use his head but just go with the flow.
His gaze, which had been wandering over the letter, turned toward the chanical device on the wall. Progress was faster than expected. Since the complex work was roughly finished, it might be half complete by early March.
'Too fast.'
He hadn't intended to complete it this quickly. It wasn't that he was deliberately stalling either. However, when he ca to his senses, he could find himself completely buried in the machine.
It was truly ridiculous. Knowing what this machine was, he had imrsed himself out of habit. Even knowing he could never like the result, he couldn't slow down. It was like losing the reins on a running horse.
He could feel the end approaching even though he didn't want it. A feeling as if strings were attached to his limbs and sothing other than his own will was pushing his back.
His gaze glared at the complexly intertwined parts. Even without concentrating, he would quickly grasp this structure. What was needed more, what should be done—his thoughts raced to conclusions as if flying.
The spaceti machine with its basic structure established. Since it was rely an improvent of stability and replacent of parts based on the one from 10 years ago, the form was identical. Excluding only the central device where the Golden Claw would go, it was close to completion.
He had even confird a few days ago that it worked properly using the blood Cyrus had poured out copiously.
'The central part seems more complex than expected.'
The problem was that unlike the spaceti machine he had made before, the new machine had to move targets to precisely specified spaceti coordinates. Esperanza said she could solve it with the return ticket that would be unlocked when she obtained Daria's spaceti machine, but would that alone be sufficient? He needed to prepare for contingencies.
Cider began examining the blueprints while resting his chin on his hand. Being absorbed in modifying the magic circuits, he lost track of ti.
Much later, as he erged from the research lab, he stopped at the threshold.
Avondale mansion's study was spacious and the floor was covered with soft carpet. That was true.
But carpet was for stepping on, not lying on.
Esperanza, lying spread-eagle in the middle of the study, blinked her eyes. That was her way of greeting. Cider shook his head in exasperation.
"Basic dignity...... no, is this even a matter of dignity?"
Esperanza answered while lying down. She didn't want to move a finger.
"I was like this every day after training ended, why act surprised now?"
"There are places where it's okay and places where it's not. The study is definitely not okay. Lady, I'd appreciate it if you'd maintain your character."
Simultaneously with those words, Cider bent down and tucked Esperanza's sweat-dampened hair behind her ear. It was sincere advice, but Esperanza seed to let it slide and smiled with drooping lips.
"I'm tired. That damn dungeon, no matter how many I eliminate, they keep making them like crazy."
On the day she t Havenly, she had eliminated three of the four beginner dungeons distributed in Nine Holder, but within a few days similar dungeons had appeared again. When she eliminated them again, more appeared. Lately it was a repetition of eliminating and creating.
And despite all this back and forth, she hadn't encountered Daria even by chance.
"You could just leave them alone. They'll keep making them anyway."
"I'm applying pressure. The feeling of being chased is very unpleasant. Perfect for making mistakes."
"I don't know if pressure is being applied, but the chaser seems about to collapse from exhaustion."
"It's not that bad...... though half of it is venting anger."
"And?"
That couldn't be all. Esperanza wouldn't be this exhausted just from handling one or two basic dungeons. Cider pursued with a smiling face. Esperanza rolled her eyes.
"I briefly visited Dr. Sullivan's laboratory."
"......Didn't we have a different agreent?"
"I didn't go inside!"
Esperanza, who quickly made excuses, sat up. Her hair cascaded down, wrapping around her arms.
Cider tilted his head. Close enough that their noses almost touched. Esperanza leaned back slightly and added.
"I really didn't go inside. I just confird from outside whether that place was really a laboratory. Well, if I was lucky I might have been able to find Daria."
If she went in carelessly and left traces of intrusion, the other side would be on guard too, and then it would end before she could try anything.
Unfortunately, Daria wasn't there. She only saw Dr. Sullivan coming out.
"Did it end with just confirmation?"
His tone was certain that couldn't be the case. Cider added reproachfully.
"Lurking near the laboratory and ambushing? Are you really thinking of trying that? We said to postpone it because it's dangerous."
Though he understood why Esperanza couldn't give up her lingering attachnt, Cider hadn't liked this thod from the beginning. Then Esperanza brought up a different story.
"What if I just go in and smash everything? If the spaceti machine they worked so hard to make gets destroyed, it should really set them on fire."
There would be no thod that could provoke Daria more certainly than that. Since they didn't have proper technology either, they'd end up starting over from scratch or choosing a shortcut.
Naly, stealing this machine. Without having to search around, couldn't they lure them to a location advantageous to this side?
It was a thod he had once rejected, but excluding the danger, it might be okay. Excluding the danger.
"No. What if you accidentally activate the machine while destroying it?"
Of course she had thought about that part too.
"I can destroy it when Daria isn't there. Daria has the Golden Claw, and without it the machine won't work anyway. I'll go in and check first, and if the Golden Claw is already installed, I'll either run away or bring it out."
It felt like getting hit on the head. She was right. This was just his unfounded worry. Excessive concern created by extre anxiety. If he was worried about such things, he should have blocked her from entering and leaving his research lab too.
He didn't know when he had beco such a coward.
He could bear any degree of risk. Wasn't there danger in the Sterling pirate problem? Back then, Esperanza had even planned to face Daria and Cyrus single-handedly. However, unlike that ti when everything was vague, now that the completion of the spaceti machine was approaching, he was more unstable than ever.
Cider briefly looked back at the research lab where the spaceti machine was. His vision beca briefly blurry, then returned to normal. His muddled mind beca a bit clearer.
Right. If they chose the timing well, the provocation plan might be surprisingly good. Since Daria wouldn't gamble by sacrificing the precious Golden Claw to an incompletely finished machine, the danger would be lower than expected. Since they didn't know this side knew the location of Dr. Sullivan's laboratory, the possibility they had anticipated an ambush was also low.
"So, what do you think?"
"......Not bad. It won't work now, but let's wait for a good ti."
He was reluctant to destroy all the results of their research. Whether as a researcher or as an enemy. Of course, Cider thought his research would succeed, but separately from that, it was better to have insurance.
However, insurance was only insurance. Destroying the insurance wouldn't change the conclusion that his research would succeed.
Though it was a radical plan, if they coordinated the timing well, it might have surprisingly good effects. Separate from the fact that he was still emotionally anxious about Esperanza's safety.
"Then this is approved."
With those words, Esperanza forcefully pulled Cider's arm. Before he knew it, he was lying on the carpet. Golden hair embroidered the dark carpet.
Cider blinked slowly. Esperanza smiled triumphantly.
"Now you have no right to say anything about
lying on the carpet."
"You were holding onto that?"
Cider didn't bother getting up.
Lying on carpet felt similar to lying on dirt ground. He had never once thought in his life that he would do such a thing. But with Esperanza lying beside him in the sa way, looking up at the ceiling, it wasn't so bad either.
'I've lain on grass before.'
When he thought about it that way, it wasn't such a big deal. While fixing his eyes on the ceiling and finding and grasping the fingertips tickling the back of his hand, light laughter flowed from beside him. In that position, Cider began the story he had planned to tell when Esperanza returned.
"A letter ca from His Excellency the Pri Minister. We have an appointnt in early March, so let's observe the situation until then."
"You're telling
not to go out?"
"I'd like you to play with ."
As if they were going to play or sothing. Esperanza grumbled quietly. But knowing he was holed up in the research lab all day, she didn't refuse.
"Fine, then. I won't do anything for a while."
Since she said this much, there was no choice.
He could feel the fingertips entering between his fingers were cold. When he unconsciously withdrew his hand, Cider laughed low. Then he suddenly spoke as if filling the silence.
"I'll be able to complete the machine before sumr cos. It's a bit regrettable."
She couldn't ask why. Esperanza quietly put strength into their clasped hands.
"It would be nice if we could go on a picnic with you wearing the sumr hat I gave you as a gift."
Playfulness remained in his voice. But the listener couldn't laugh. When she roughly turned her head, Cider smiled broadly.
"Don't make that expression. We can go on picnics even if it's not sumr."
That wasn't what he ant. Both of them felt the approaching end equally.
"......It'll be cold."
With grumbling she didn't an, she burrowed into his embrace. Cider slowly stroked the hair of Esperanza nestled in his arms. Hair cold as if holding outside wind and dampened with dew.
"It'll be cold, there won't be much to do, the food will get cold quickly, but it's much more elegant than lying on carpet."
"Ah, yes."
A sullen answer ca back. Sa as always. At tis like this, it seed like she would never leave. Though it was an illusion.
In their eting gazes, the sound of the second hand seed to be delayed by one beat. And when they reached the mont when the next second would never co, then it really didn't matter at all.
But the next second never fails to co. March would co, May would co, and before sumr ca, Esperanza would return. Cider reminded himself of that fact once more.
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