"Are you close with Viscount Sutherland?"
"We only t once at Firth Mansion last ti."
"Hmm... Co to think of it, you know many good marriage prospects."
Mrs. Humphrey's eyes lit up.
"Oh Mother, really. Esperanza, just ignore her. I already have a fiancé."
"When did you get engaged?"
"Three months ago!"
Sylvia added that she was relieved to finally escape the marriage market and pulled Esperanza's hand. Esperanza, who had brought the drinks and desserts she ordered from the counter, briefly checked her watch.
'Interrogation would need at least thirty minutes.'
There seed to be ti for conversation.
"What kind of person is he?"
"Baronet Arthur Powell, do you know him by any chance?"
"No... I don't think I've t him."
Since she couldn't say she'd never heard the na, she trailed off her words, and Mrs. Humphrey imdiately continued as if she had expected this.
"He has an estate near Riton, which is quite wealthy and prosperous. Lord Avondale might know of him. Oh, right! Sir Arthur also does so kind of research, so you might know him. We'll be staying at his place after our trip ends, so please visit anyti."
And Mrs. Humphrey smiled triumphantly toward Frederick Gordon. Esperanza brushed it off with a laugh.
'Wait a minute. Sylvia Humphrey's fiancé, researcher, Baronet Powell... I can't rember the na.'
What was the na of that disgusting guy who did chira research? She vaguely rembered his face but couldn't recall his na at all.
Sylvia's engagent to that guy was at least a year later than now, so it couldn't be him, she thought, but the fact that he was a noble researcher bothered her. Even counting all fields, there weren't that many such people.
"Really? If it's research your husband might know, is it magical engineering?"
"Not really, he said he does so kind of pharmaceutical research."
Pharmaceutical research. What kind of research was that guy officially doing back then?
She couldn't rember at all. It had been nearly 10 years since that incident, and the shocking matter of transplanting monster parts into humans had overshadowed other details. Though vague mories remained, detailed mories like what the culprit originally did weren't there.
Then she had no choice but to probe.
'I should have brought Cider.'
It would have been better if Esperanza handled the assassin interrogation and Cider handled this side. But she couldn't bring him now, so she had to do what she could.
"Pharmaceutical research. Then at least you'll sleep well at night. Our house is noisy all night because of machine sounds..."
Not a speck of noise leaked from the expensive laboratory lined with soundproofing materials, but Esperanza tried this approach.
Take the bait, take the bait.
"Not necessarily. Sir Arthur's mansion has many experintal animals, so at night you hear sounds like dogs and cats. Sotis it sounds like human voices..."
Sylvia shuddered. Then Mrs. Humphrey quickly grabbed Sylvia's arm.
"This child, saying unnecessary things! Lady Avondale, don't mind her. This child is just timid. I slept soundly."
"If you're a light sleeper, that could happen. There isn't a hunting ground nearby, is there? It would have sounded scarier mixed with sounds from the hunting ground."
"I think so."
When Esperanza covered for her pretending not to know, Mrs. Humphrey readily agreed. No matter how much the fiancé didn't et the lady's high standards, once they were engaged, there was a need to protect him.
Unless there was reason for the engagent to fall through.
Mrs. Humphrey pinched Sylvia's arm while watching Esperanza's expression.
Arthur Powell was a young, wealthy noble, making him the best prospect among the marriage candidates they could find, but he had a personality that didn't reveal his inner thoughts well. If there were any flaws, they needed to find out before the wedding. The wife of Count Avondale, this century's greatest magical engineer, might know things they didn't.
Even while guessing all these anxieties, Esperanza pretended not to know and smiled.
"Ah, my husband will be waiting. I should take this back now."
Esperanza, who had picked up the dessert plates, ordered two more drinks from the bartender.
While the bartender skillfully prepared the drinks, the train ran without rest. The scenery outside the window rushed by too fast to recognize.
"Madam, here you are."
It was the mont Esperanza was about to extend her gloved hand to receive the glass. With a thud, vibration occurred and the drink filled in the glass overflowed. Her white silk gloves beca soaked.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry, madam. It's my mistake. I'll quickly make another drink. First, this... Madam?"
Esperanza had stopped in the sa position as when she was holding the glass. It wasn't vibration from the train running.
As if confirming that expectation, the bracelet around her wrist opened.
'It's a dungeon.'
Esperanza threw off her silk gloves and took off her hat and shoes, putting them in her inventory. Instead, she put on military boots. Sylvia was startled and covered Esperanza with her body.
"Esperanza? What are you doing? For a lady to show her feet...!"
"Can you shoot?"
Even though her words were cut off, she couldn't get angry. The eyes that t hers were fierce. Even while bending down to tie her shoelaces, Esperanza overwheld the standing Sylvia. Sylvia moved her lips and replied.
"I've shot for fun before. But I wouldn't say I'm good..."
"That's enough. Use this."
"A pistol? You brought this on board?"
"Mrs. Humphrey. Take this."
Esperanza, ignoring that question, distributed guns to Mrs. Humphrey as well.
"They're magic weapons, so don't waste them. When magic power runs out, they're worse than useless. First, these, these..."
"Wait, madam! Bringing weapons onto the train is prohibited!"
The waiters who saw the pouring weapons turned pale and rushed out.
"Listen if you don't want to die."
Thud.
The train car shook greatly. It was different from ordinary vibration. It was a heavy, large movent as if sothing was pushing the train to one side from inside. The window that had been illuminating the forest swayed, filled with bright blue sky, then returned to normal.
"Kyaaaah!"
Several ladies who had stood up lost their balance and sat down heavily. It wasn't just the won. Frederick Gordon, who had barely managed to maintain his balance, ran to the window.
"What on earth is this? I should go find the conductor!"
One lady declared courageously. As if refuting those words, Esperanza whirled around.
"From now on, guard both doors leading to the dining car. Let people through, but don't let anything that isn't human pass. Don't let them leave here or enter from outside."
"What are you talking about? Esperanza, explain so we can understand...!"
"It ans the disaster of Sterling Harbor has appeared on this train too."
Gasping sounds ca from various parts of the not-small dining car. The voice of so lady soothing a whining child who didn't know the situation was trembling terribly.
Dungeons generally appeared once every few months, or once a month when they appeared frequently. Their range was all of Osdern, and Esperanza alone couldn't block them all. When dungeon detectors malfunctioned, or when she confird their operation and rushed over but was already too late.
So, though not to the sa degree as Osdern in 'Golden Claw' ruled by Daria, all these people knew about the existence of dungeons.
They knew.
"Lord Sutherland. Find people here who are forr military, have good shooting skills, and have dungeon experience to guard both doors. As for weapons... actually, there aren't many."
She had never dread such a thing would happen on a train of all places. Quite a few of the weapons in her inventory had been left behind for inspection. Today might be a bit short on weapons unlike other tis.
"For now, I'll give you two more guns. And things like scythes or axes might help too..."
The floor thudded. From outside the door ca the sound of a monster growling, then it roughly ramd the door. Everyone wanted to scream but kept their mouths tightly shut.
"Stay quiet. You all know the safety rules, right?"
"Understood. But Lady Avondale..."
It was a question with many implications. Esperanza answered only one of them.
"I have to go find my husband."
She took out a long gun from her inventory. The golden barrel glead. A familiar notification window appeared before her eyes. It had been quite a while.
[Dungeon Occurred!]
Type: ???
Grade: B
Danger Level: A
Hunter, we wish you luck!
She threw open the dining car door. The mont she faced the large boar-shaped monster filling the narrow corridor, the gun spewed bright blue magic power.
It was the salute announcing the start of battle.
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