"It would be better to move a bit. We might get caught if we stay here."
No wait. Esperanza suddenly changed her mind.
"It might be fine to handle one now before we go?"
If all three people were inside the secret passage, they only needed to guard this one door. And if they could take out the young Cyrus before Daria joined up, even in the worst case scenario it would be one-on-one against Daria. If they were lucky and their Cyrus was in fighting condition, they could even fight two-on-one.
At that level, even if Daria pulled out Golden Claw like at Sterling Harbor, they could handle her sufficiently.
"I'll go out."
"That's a dangerous idea."
"But it's worth trying."
A music room with soundproof walls installed. There was no better place to hide the noise of battle. If Daria was still in the audience chamber, she wouldn't be able to hear sounds from the music room.
"Even if I told you not to, you wouldn't listen anyway, would you?"
Cider lightly tapped his ear with his fingertip.
"Keep it connected."
Esperanza, who nodded vigorously, smiled.
The fra door opened. And closed again. When the light seeping in disappeared, Cider turned on a small light and concentrated on operating the communicator connected to Cyrus.
"Aren't you worried?"
"I would have worried if there were two of them."
If there was only one opponent, no problem. Esperanza looked to be in good condition. She seed a bit tired, but that would be the sa for Cyrus, who had had one shoulder torn by Cider. The potions they had would perform worse than what Esperanza had.
"She won't co back injured."
As long as there were no unexpected situations.
"If Daria joins up too, Your Excellency should take His Highness and evacuate first."
"What about you?"
"I must show courtesy to the lady who ca all this way to find ."
You speak well. The Pri Minister clicked his tongue. His gaze fell to the boy with glittering blonde hair. Prince Louis, who had suddenly beco dejected after Esperanza disappeared, reluctantly took Tempton's extended hand.
Tempton, who pulled the boy that had no resemblance to the queen except for liking to wander around everywhere, nodded toward Cider. They would wait at a position not far away, but deeper inside.
'And.'
Cider, who had succeeded in sending the short four words 'Second floor music room. Planning escape' by vibration, roughly shoved the communicator into his pocket and headed toward the fra.
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Bang! With a short, crisp sound, Cyrus's hair was cut away. The magical bullet pierced through an expensive piano. Broken porcelain and shattered chair pieces were spread on the floor like carpet. Esperanza, who had briefly glanced at the obstacles on the floor, quickly closed the distance despite holding a ranged weapon.
"It's not like I can't do close combat."
The golden gun barrel filled with bright blue magical power rcilessly knocked away Cyrus's sword. Cyrus, who had been showing passive movents due to his hastily potion-treated shoulder, was instantly pinned under Esperanza's feet.
"Ugh!"
"I don't have any hard feelings."
The past appearance of a forr colleague she had now severed ties with. A young face that seed maybe twenty years old. Though she was conscious he was an enemy, she didn't particularly hold a grudge. Of course, she didn't think he had done well either.
Esperanza pressed the hot gun barrel against Cyrus's thigh. He had one shoulder injured and the other wrist bent from being stepped on by Esperanza's foot. He could only make throat-scratching groaning sounds and couldn't move.
"Sorry, it's going to hurt a bit."
She wouldn't kill him. However, for a person to hurt another person, especially one-sidedly, wasn't easy either. It was completely different from hitting soone in the heat of anger. The hand moving the gun barrel down his leg, searching for painful spots as coldly as a torture technician would, was trembling. Looking down at the still-soft jaw and the eyes filled with fear, Esperanza felt one corner of the morality she had learned and upheld her entire life snap off.
But there was no other way.
"Wait."
Cider, who had strode out from the secret passage entrance, pushed away Esperanza's gun barrel with the tip of his cane.
"I'll do it."
Ahhh! The sharp scream drowned out the gunshot. Cyrus, clutching his thigh pierced by magical power, gasped for breath. Just right, 'an injury that potions of this era couldn't instantly heal completely.' Esperanza blankly looked up at Cider.
"Why you?"
"Being chased wasn't very enjoyable."
It was revenge, but it probably wasn't just that. Such thoughts occurred to her watching Cider remove the gun barrel without regret.
"Do you have sothing to wipe with?"
Esperanza, who took out a towel from her inventory, asked in a sowhat dazed mood.
"Are you okay?"
"Which part? Blowing away the leg of soone who tried to kill ?"
Cider tapped the floor a couple tis with his cane, now with the gun barrel closed. Esperanza gave a hollow laugh.
"Thank you."
"Don't ntion it."
Her mood wasn't great. But there was definitely relief that 'one was taken care of.' If she had done it with her own hands, she couldn't have ended it with such feelings.
"Don't let your heart weaken."
Those words were right.
The combat that had started unprepared seed ntally burdenso. Life-or-death combat against humans, not monsters. It was different from Sterling when she had simply thought of 'taking away Golden Claw.'
However, if the ti ca when she had to cut off an opponent's lifeline next ti, she would do it herself.
It was amazing even to herself. She had lived without ever dreaming she would make the resolution to kill soone. But she didn't think she would regret this resolution. Esperanza deeply realized that in the year since coming here, she had changed irreversibly from her deepest essence.
It was never a montary change. It wasn't just a problem of this one thing. It was only the result that appeared after countless inflection points, people clashing with people bit by bit.
"You know."
Cider, who had been opening the fra door, turned his head. Esperanza, who had hesitated even after starting to speak, took a deep breath.
"If I were to stay here, it wouldn't be just because of you."
Cider hesitated for a mont. But soon he smiled as if understanding and shook his head.
"Heartless lady, I know well even without you saying so."
Cider, who bowed his head and lightly kissed her, entered the secret passage first. Esperanza, who followed in, was about to close the fra when she suddenly asked.
"Is it right to leave Cyrus like that?"
"Do you want to treat him?"
"I thought we could use him as a hostage."
"Ah. If I have to carry him, I'll pass."
"Since I can't carry him, well."
Simultaneously with the sound of the fra's locking chanism engaging, Cider turned his back and walked ahead.
"Did you finish him?"
The Pri Minister, who had been waiting inside the passage covering Prince Louis's mouth with his hand, asked. Esperanza made a motion of slicing her throat with her fingertip. The Pri Minister's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"No."
"Right. Miss Esperanza didn't seem like she could easily kill people."
Annoying insight. Just like soone else. When she looked up at that annoying soone, Cider just smiled as if he knew nothing about it.
"Let's go."
It was strangely peaceful.
Esperanza thought as she looked at Cider's back walking two steps ahead. They were being chased now, walking through secret passages with two non-combatants who could beco hostages, yet unlike before, her heartbeat was no different from usual. Esperanza deliberately stomped her feet on the floor to raise her heart rate.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm too calm. It'll be troubleso if I enter combat like this."
Tempton, who had been walking at the front, turned his head at those words.
"Did you receive military training?"
Strictly speaking it would be completely different, but... Instead of explaining in detail, Esperanza mumbled.
"Sothing like that."
Cider laughed quietly beside her. He seed quite amused that Tempton's insight had missed the mark.
"Is now the ti to laugh?"
Prince Louis, who had escaped from Tempton's grasp while attention was off him, stuck close to Esperanza's side.
"Your Highness, Your Highness should be over there."
"I don't want to."
The little prince apparently found Esperanza, whom he had only seen twice, more comfortable than the large politician his mother disliked. But Esperanza coldly knocked away the child who tried to slyly hold her hand.
"It's troubleso when non-combatants are scattered during fights."
Prince Louis, who had never been rejected in his short life, made a tearful face. Cider laughed again.
"It's been fun for the first ti in a while."
"Ah, yes."
Is now the ti to have fun? Esperanza made a tearful face, wondering if she was the only one preparing for combat.
"How do we face Daria while bringing these people along?"
"Well, she's not here yet."
Cider took Esperanza's free hand and placed it on his arm. The passage was a bit narrow for two people to walk side by side, but Esperanza didn't refuse. Prince Louis, who had been sent to Tempton, looked back with a face full of betrayal but was ignored.
"If you go that way it's the exit. I can see the end."
That was right. They could see an exit where light was faintly seeping out.
"What do we do now?"
That was the problem. Since they had taken care of one Cyrus, it would be good if they could ride this montum and deal with Daria too. At this rate, it didn't seem impossible.
"You go back, and I'll deal with Daria..."
"If you're going to kill her it's a good thod, but that's not our purpose."
Cider pointed out.
"Don't we need 'Golden Claw'?"
Right. And Daria hadn't taken it out yet.
She had used it once earlier when trapping Esperanza in Dr. Sullivan's research facility. Even after that, she would have consud considerable magical power fighting Cyrus. Recalling Sterling, there was a high possibility that Daria currently didn't have enough magical power to create a proper dungeon. It was worth pushing once.
Then what they needed to do was...
"Rabbit hunting."
That was impossible in this palace. They weren't familiar with the geography, and it was too advantageous for Daria. There were many obstacles and many people. It would be troubleso if hostages were taken.
Cider, who had been looking down at Esperanza lost in thought, suggested.
"How about luring her to the house?"
"Would that work?"
If Daria had any sense, she probably wouldn't follow them into a place disadvantageous to her in this situation.
"Even if it doesn't work, we have nothing to lose. We can just go ho and rest. You're tired too."
"Ah. Ah, yes."
That seed to make sense too.
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