"Then we'll need to properly create an identity. So that even if soone digs into it out of curiosity, they won't be caught."
"Who would investigate soone's background as persistently as Your Grace?"
"There are quite a few such people in this world. You'll beco familiar with them too."
The Duke answered with a faint smile.
"I'll create an identity for you. So that no one will discover it."
"Besides that, there are several more things you'll need to do for us."
Cider added. He had co with the full intention of extracting what he could, and had no plans to end with just an identity. The Duke seed to realize this fact too, as the smile lingering at his lips disappeared.
"...What else is needed?"
"First, you'll need to help install trackers to identify the locations of dungeons that will appear for at least the next ten years. We're aiming to install them at train stations nationwide by the year after next."
'About' ten years had transford into 'at least' ten years. Esperanza inwardly clicked her tongue.
"I'll connect you with the clock company that supplies train stations."
"And you'll need to give us priority rights to rare magic stones that will be mined in the future."
It was outright robbery. Esperanza slowly rested her chin on her hand. Would magic stones like the one in the Golden Claw really exist? At least Daria hadn't found any in 13 years.
"Do you think I'm an emperor or sothing?"
"Of course not."
He had intended to be sarcastic but didn't even break even. Duke Galliston sighed.
"I'll try to secure priority purchasing rights for Paolun magic stones. But Avondale, if you're going to make such demands, you'll need to make concessions too."
The people who wanted magic stones were predetermined anyway. Factory owners, inventors, refiners, collectors. Factory owners had no reason to buy rare magic stones for large sums. Collectors didn't have purchasing rights to begin with. So he just needed to eliminate two categories of competitors. Accordingly, the nature of the concessions he had to make beca clear.
Exchange. Cooperation. All the things he had avoided until now because they were botherso.
From now on, he wouldn't be able to live and research as freely as he had until now. Creating a new spaceti machine would require innovation in many fields. Completely new interpretive magic theory, thods to dramatically improve magic efficiency, and accordingly new magic stone refining techniques. Perhaps new paradigms in physics and philosophy.
These were things he couldn't do alone. He needed collaborators. A great many of them.
Truly a once-in-a-lifeti project. Changing the way he had lived wouldn't be easy, but...
"I can accept that."
Esperanza turned her head sharply. Even though he could clearly see her busily drawing horizontal lines on the back of her hand, Cider took that hand, interlaced their fingers, and turned it over. Leisure perated his smile.
"Even soone like you changes."
Galliston looked at Cider with blunt eyes. Then he sighed.
"Let's have our al."
The lunch at Pinent House was tasteless. Though it was elegant cuisine using good ingredients, it was very lightly seasoned. Esperanza very slowly emptied half her plate. She was already on her third glass of wine.
"Are you doing this on purpose to make us feel bad?"
To her sly question, Cider, who had also left about half his plate, replied.
"They probably don't even know what the problem is."
Even Duchess Schodny could barely touch her al.
"It's good for your health..."
If she wanted to eat sothing good for her health, she would have taken dicine. Whose lunch was this really for? Esperanza glanced at Duke Galliston with a displeased mood.
"Does the food not suit your taste?"
"It doesn't seem to suit anyone."
The Duke hesitated briefly, but soon smoothly put down his glass.
"Regrettable."
He called the chef and gave several instructions. The dessert that ca out afterward was excellent enough to erase the taste of all the dishes served so far. This alone could raise the score that had fallen to rock bottom back to 0.
"No. I can give it 50 points."
"What part raised it that much?"
"The wine is incredibly good wine."
"Even though you don't particularly like alcohol."
"I drink when I drink."
Esperanza, who replied while looking at the brilliant color of the wine, slowly emptied her glass.
Among the alcohol she had drunk since coming to this ti period, there hadn't been any bad liquor. The ones in Cider's cabinet were also magnificent collections. But this was truly wine that would be auctioned for hundreds of millions. A trendously precious body that the Duke's wine cellar probably didn't have many bottles of.
'If I hadn't stayed here, I wouldn't have been able to drink sothing like this.'
She could tell how much care he had put into it. Esperanza smiled with the glass to her lips. When she said she liked the dessert, he even packed several more for her.
"So you could be this considerate after all."
Regarding dostic magic stone priority purchasing rights, the Duke said he had no political influence so they should talk to Pri Minister Tempton, but he still wrote several letters. In this field, one letter from a person with wide connections usually wielded more power than individual negotiating ability, so this was doing enough.
"Ah. And."
"Is there sothing else you need?"
His face looked completely fed up. In reality, the only thing Esperanza had extracted was the wine the Duke had voluntarily offered. The rest had been extracted by Cider, and Esperanza had just been laughing beside him. Even that alone seed to be threatening though.
"It's nothing major, but did you find Havenly?"
"He was in Sterling. Seems he was looking into mines, but he probably didn't expect Daria's era to end this quickly either."
The traitor was dragged in instantly. The Duke didn't forget grudges. Esperanza tapped the armrest with her fingertips, lost in thought. How detestable. Detestable, but still.
"I'd like you to hand him over."
"What do you plan to do with him?"
"Put him to use."
It wasn't easy to find competent people in this area. Information sotis had more value than a well-trained military unit.
"He's not a trustworthy person."
"That's not Your Grace's concern."
"...I'll transfer him soon."
The Duke, whose cheeks had beco haggard in those few hours, briefly moved to the cigar room. He lit a Paoran cigarette and exhaled deeply. Both this person and that person only thought about taking their share.
Still, their demands could be resolved within reasonable limits, and most importantly, their intentions weren't dangerous. It was much better than Daria gaining power. He couldn't avoid losses entirely.
"Really, you couldn't say a word."
Cider, who had opened the cigar room door and entered, said. Though his face had softened sowhat, perhaps liking the Paoran smoke, he declined the cigarette the Duke offered.
"Where is Miss Esperanza, and why are you alone?"
"Her Grace the Duchess wanted to show her an auction catalog of jewelry, so I sent her there. Even if I don't know about Your Grace's spending habits, your taste is at least respectable."
"She was saying there were good items too. Probably treasures from so fallen royal house."
"That's not bad either. Though giving jewelry as gifts to soone else's lover is bad."
Though it was a shallow trick, he hadn't expected to be criticized in this way.
"It's a gift from my aunt."
"Who would believe that?"
There was no one in society who didn't know Duchess Schodny's financial situation.
"That wasn't the intention."
"It should be that way."
"Miss Esperanza is, so to speak."
The Duke, who had paused briefly, looked down at the burning cigarette. Acrid smoke filled his complicated mind.
"So to speak, a dragon living next door."
It was a cute taphor that didn't suit his stern face. Cider rested his chin with a face devoid of any amusent. As if telling him to continue.
"Generally docile but threatening by existence alone, and if wrongly provoked, would breathe fire. Then even my house wouldn't be safe. So I have no choice but to hope the dragon remains docile for a long, long ti."
The Duke, who had stubbed out the nearly finished cigarette in the ashtray, stood up.
"Avondale. Make an effort so that Miss Esperanza likes you for a long ti. For all our peace."
Count Avondale, who was only interested in Miss Esperanza's peace, smiled broadly.
"I'll do my best."
And he left the cigar room without looking back. He felt unpleasant, as if smoke had stuck to his body. His returning steps quickened.
'I should quit Paoran.'
When Cider arrived in front of the reception room, Esperanza was in the corridor.
"Why are you out here?"
"Alice said she wanted to express her gratitude."
Only then did Cider realize that maids and servants were packed around Esperanza. At the end of the bustling crowd stood Henry Bayman, the Duke's attendant. When he t eyes with Cider, his face looked embarrassed.
"I too should greet my life's savior."
Esperanza received greetings from all those many people. Duke Galliston pretended not to know and didn't co out of the cigar room so his employees could greet their life's savior, and Duchess Schodny, having received auction funds, left in high spirits.
"Saving people unexpectedly suits my temperant."
In the returning carriage, Esperanza suddenly spoke. The combative look she had shown when receiving Duke Galliston's invitation was nowhere to be seen—her face was completely clear.
"Did you feel good receiving greetings?"
"It's rewarding. Naturally. Of course, even if it hadn't been rewarding, I would have saved those people."
That was simply doing it because she could. But after receiving greetings, she felt like doing a bit more.
"Unexpectedly, maybe sothing like a firefighter was my calling..."
Esperanza muttered while frowning.
"Anyway, if it's as you say, dungeons will keep appearing for ten years, and whether I like it or not, I'll save people. It's better if it's work I enjoy doing."
"Is that so? As long as you don't beco dangerous, I don't mind either."
"I'm not dangerous. Have you seen
get hurt in a dungeon?"
At her confident answer, Cider closed his mouth. Co to think of it, there really hadn't been a single ti. Except for slightly scratched wounds. It was this side that had co back all beaten up.
"I have nothing to say, but I don't feel bad about it."
Soon the carriage was filled with laughter. Esperanza hugged a cushion and looked up at Cider with just her eyes.
Originally, Cider too was fated not to survive this year. She didn't even want to imagine what kind of death it would have been. It certainly wouldn't have been a peaceful end.
'Though it would be inappropriate to say I saved him...'
Still, if she were to say so, Cider Claiborne was more valuable than anything else Esperanza had saved. Valuable enough to make her consider staying here because she wanted him.
'Of course, that's not the only reason.'
Esperanza, who had added this internally, turned her gaze out the window.
The steam carriage crossed the streets of Nine Holder. Ti when lights ca on in the streetlamps one by one. Sunset gathered on her cheeks. The large bell of the clock tower rang six tis.
"You know what. When another dungeon appears, will you co with ? Though it might be dangerous."
Cider's eyes widened. It was an unexpected statent. It was the mont Esperanza was about to add sothing.
"Yes. Let's go anywhere together."
"I didn't say anywhere."
Even at her quick retort, Cider didn't mind. Suppressed laughter leaked out of the carriage. The rattling carriage was racing toward ho.
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