Esperanza held tight to her gun. She could feel the magic stone exploding inside. Without ti to replace it, she imdiately poured in magic power. The gears stuttered. Esperanza forced more magic power in to make the parts turn. To keep the stream of magic power from breaking.
The snake scread. It sounded like a scream. Its massive body convulsed in the agony of its organs burning away. Poison poured from its mouth like blood.
"Ugh..."
There was no way to block the pitch-black poison. The black breath was close enough to touch Esperanza's cheek. She could feel the outer layer of her gas mask lting. She could turn her head, but she couldn't escape. If she stopped attacking now, there would never be another chance like this.
Her mind grew hazy as poison seeped through her skin. Excluding the magic power used to keep her body floating a span above ground, she was pouring everything she could into the gun barrel, so she couldn't do anything beyond maintaining that state.
That's why she didn't hear the locomotive door opening. She only realized that hands wrapped in black leather gloves had picked up a shield after her vision was half-obscured.
"How..."
"There's no danger of overturning, so don't worry."
That's all Cider said.
Holding up the already half-corroded shield in front, he pulled the trigger one last ti. So much magic power burst out that her vision spun.
'Poor efficiency.'
Now she finally had the leisure to grumble.
The snake's movents gradually subsided. Esperanza slowly lowered her gun. Then she approached, holding in one hand the shield she had received from Cider.
The snake's corpse—no, was it okay to call it a corpse already? Esperanza kicked off the pipeline and leaped up onto the snake's head. Then she forced open its eyelid and shoved the gun barrel inside. Bang!
No movent whatsoever.
Good.
Having confird the 'snake's corpse,' Esperanza slid down.
"I'm so tired I could die."
"It's because it's been a while since you depleted this much magic power."
That's right. How many years has it been? It seed like the first ti since the day she operated the spaceti machine. Cider took off his gloves and threw them away, pulling out a handkerchief from his pocket to wipe Esperanza's sweat-soaked forehead.
"I feel like I'm going to die..."
"Not a chance."
"Ah, why not?"
Esperanza, rubbing her forehead against Cider's tie, leaned her body completely against him. Being exhausted after just one battle and acting spoiled—while she thought she had developed bad habits, she had no intention of fixing them.
"I'll put you straight in the bathtub when we arrive, so just bear with it a little longer."
"Put in colored bath salts too."
"As you command. What else?"
"That expensive wine I saw in the wine cellar last ti..."
"So that's what you were after. Why didn't you take it out and drink it earlier?"
"It's too precious."
She was used to getting reactions of complete incomprehension. Esperanza giggled and got up.
"Well then, shall we start dismantling this?"
"We should. If nothing else, the teeth look useful."
Since you never knew when a dungeon would disappear, monster byproducts couldn't be carelessly discarded either. Esperanza, who had taken out Cider's work gloves from her inventory, checked the sword that had beco gaunt from long exposure to poison and clicked her tongue. What a waste.
"This... we can't use an expensive sword because of the poison."
"There should be sothing useful in my toolbox."
Esperanza pushed the entire toolbox toward Cider and took out a cheap dagger she couldn't even rember buying for a few coins in a back alley, stabbing it into the snake's gums. Cider took charge of the poison sacs. Both of them were well-practiced at this kind of work.
Esperanza stored the separated byproducts in her inventory. The snake's corpse was pushed outside with the cooperation of other passengers. Several anxiously glanced at the corpse that had rolled into the grass.
"Is it okay to leave it like that?"
"Usually it's fine."
What wasn't fine was the state of this train. The train that had advertised itself as a luxury train was in tatters. It would roll along, but passenger cars might separate in the middle. It was heavenly luck that they had stayed attached without falling off so far.
To make matters worse, a crew mber ca running to report that a train was following not far behind, so if their train stopped, there might be a collision.
There were various problems, but the train could sohow run along the rails even in its tattered state. The steering wheel returned once again to novice engineer Count Avondale, but fortunately there were no major problems.
"To think I'd have occasion to drive a train in my lifeti."
Though it sounded like a lant, Cider looked quite pleased for such a thing. She had seen him pressing buttons the engineer hadn't told him to press earlier too.
"Well, let's consider it good experience."
Outside was peaceful as if nothing had happened. The train ran cutting through the middle of that peaceful scenery.
After running for a long ti, a train station and tall clock tower began to appear at the edge of their vision.
It was Avondale Station.
"Ah, thank goodness."
Esperanza confird the familiar scenery and let out a sigh of relief. It was lucky that the nearby station happened to be Avondale; if it had been sowhere else, they would have had to transfer to a carriage and travel until midnight to reach the mansion.
"You can stop here. You need to keep pulling this until the train cos to a complete stop."
Cider pulled the lever according to the engineer's instructions. The train began to slow gradually. When Esperanza placed her hand on top of his and added her strength, the train made clattering sounds and ca to an abrupt stop.
"Was that not right?"
"It was right, but..."
They fell far short of where they were supposed to stop initially. The station attendant who had been waiting for the train's eyes went wide.
The train station began to bustle with the sudden situation. Transport carriages filled the area in front of the station and sent patients to the municipal hospital. Railway company directors and journalists, insurance company employees, and even the mayor all crowded together.
"Please."
Cider whispered upon spotting that crowd that could only be called a mob of people. Esperanza nodded resolutely.
"Ah, my head...!"
As soon as she got off the train, Esperanza clutched her head and bent over deeply.
"It's not sothing good for a lady to experience, as you can see. If you'll permit us, we'd like to go inside now."
The role-playing prejudices of those who talked about gentlen and ladies were helpful at tis like this. Esperanza smiled bitterly and leaned her body completely against Cider's arm.
Just then, she saw familiar people getting off the train.
Ah, right!
A problem she had almost completely forgotten due to the dungeon ca to mind. Esperanza quickly tapped Cider's wrist with her fingertips. When soone who noticed this was about to speak, Cider's gaze turned toward him. The half-opened mouth closed.
Cider then checked the direction Esperanza had indicated.
"Mrs. Humphrey, Miss Humphrey."
The mother and daughter were fortunately making their quiet exit without any injuries. Due to the unexpected crowd, they needed to leave now to secure good lodging, but when gazes focused on them, they had no choice but to turn around.
"If you have no other plans, how about joining us for a al?"
Since there were no additional words, it naturally ant they would also prepare a place to stay. Color returned to Mrs. Humphrey's face.
"Oh my, shall we? I hope we won't be a bother."
"Not at all. My wife's friends are my friends too. Please stay comfortably."
Mrs. Humphrey, who couldn't quite hide her expression that said 'ever since he got married, he says all sorts of embarrassing things,' got into the carriage with a pleased face. Sylvia Humphrey glanced worriedly at Esperanza, who was walking while being supported as if in distress.
Once they got in the carriage, Esperanza straightened up.
"Oh my, are you alright?"
"I was fine from the beginning."
Sylvia's eyes went wide.
"So this is what Cordelia was talking about."
Though she didn't know exactly what had been said, she could roughly guess.
Since word had been sent ahead, the servants of Glailly House had prepared so hot water could be used imdiately. The Humphrey mother and daughter clapped their hands in delight. They must be quite tired too.
"Goodness, such a pretty dress has beco a rag!"
The maids of Glailly House looked tearful. Esperanza felt embarrassed and rolled her eyes while keeping only her eyes above water.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"What would I be hurt from?"
"They said there was a train accident!"
"Well, that's true, but..."
"Of course, you're soone even monsters would avoid, my lady!"
A young maid who seed to truly believe this nodded and traced the holey dress with her fingertips as if it were precious.
"It's embarrassing since it's ruined, but if you want it, take it and make ribbons or sothing."
"May I really? Thank you!"
If Annie had seen this, she would have clicked her tongue saying 'not a single word of refusal.'
Esperanza lay her ward body on the bed. Wrapped in cool blankets, she felt like she was coming to her senses for a mont, but then drowsiness rushed in.
'There was sothing I needed to do...'
But she only thought it; her body felt heavy and she didn't want to move. Esperanza closed her eyes as she was.
'I'll do it tomorrow.'
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