The seemingly endless travel preparations were barely finished an hour before the train departure ti. Annie had packed clothes and essential items, and important things were in the inventory, yet for so reason she kept feeling like they needed to bring more.
"Hurry up. We'll be late at this rate."
Cider looked down at his pocket watch and urged. However, the cause of the tardiness crisis wasn't Esperanza. Annie was holding onto Esperanza and tilting her head this way and that.
"Miss, won't you change to this ribbon instead? The hat is pretty, but I think this ribbon would suit the outfit you're wearing now better. It's so pretty, I think you'd be even prettier if we just changed this one ribbon. Right? I'll change it for you in just one minute."
"They say we're late now."
"We're not late! Since when do trains leave on ti?"
"Esperanza. If you're late, I'll leave without you."
Of course, it was a threat that wouldn't work on him at all, but Esperanza gestured aningfully toward Annie as if for her to hear. Annie reluctantly let go of her hands. However, unable to give up her attachnt to Esperanza's hat, her hands kept twitching repeatedly.
Esperanza boarded the carriage while deliberately ignoring Annie. As the steam carriage clattered away from Upper Lane, Cider gazed at the ribbon Annie had failed to change.
"It looks fine to . She's fussing for no reason."
Esperanza said with pursed lips, feeling embarrassed.
"Really? I think the maid was right. It's not bad now either though."
"If I had accommodated Annie, we really would have missed the train ti. Once she starts, she never stops."
Fortunately, they had plenty of ti for the train. The clock towering high in the center of Nine Holder Central Station pointed to 1:30.
Arriving at the train station, they were uniquely modest among the many people. Without a single piece of luggage, yet their attire was refined enough not to be embarrassing even at gatherings of high society celebrities, making them quite strange. They hadn't brought along a single maid. Looking sohow shabby, yet sohow splendid, every passerby glanced at the two of them.
"It would have been better to bring at least one. Everyone's staring."
"You're not the type to care about others' gazes, are you?"
Esperanza retorted. When there are many people, it becos difficult to move. What Esperanza could take care of in an ergency was about Cider, who had athletic ability and knew how to use magical devices freely. Taking employees who knew nothing about the situation might look proper, but couldn't guarantee safety. Hearing this, Cider asked:
"We're not going to find a dungeon right now. We're going to find traces of where a dungeon existed."
That was true. Esperanza looked toward the platform while gripping her hat brim. A fierce wind blew from the north.
"Would it look foolish if I said I have an ominous feeling?"
She definitely wasn't the type to be swayed by simple emotions. But feelings sotis co under different nas. Under the na of intuition.
And a warrior's intuition was sotis sharper than a blade forged by a skilled blacksmith.
"Either way, I have a premonition we'll be able to reach a conclusion."
"Since you said it's ominous, I can guess which way it'll be. Ah, the train's here."
Spewing steam so white it blinded the eyes, a black locomotive arrived at the platform.
"Turtin, two o'clock train to Turtin!"
The NT line connecting Nine Holder to the eastern tropolis of Turtin had arrived. To Mabelwood, which was about halfway, it was five hours. If they arrived without any problems, it would be a little past seven.
"People going to the final station won't arrive until the next day. That must be inconvenient."
"It would be. We won't have that problem."
Actually, Esperanza had suffered from taking a train during the ga. A Hunter's body was so sturdy and had few aftereffects that she recovered quickly, but her neck had been stiff for a while. Back then she was a beginner without money, so she went sitting in third class, which was surprisingly uncomfortable. More so than riding a horse-drawn carriage. The seats shook violently and the people slled bad, were dirty and noisy.
That was a train from 13 years later. The current train would be much worse. Esperanza was ntally preparing herself.
However, Count Avondale had a lot of money. Cider, who had rented an entire compartnt of first class that Esperanza could only ride after making it into the rankings, showed the conductor a ticket with four seat numbers printed on it and received guidance.
"This way."
The conductor who opened the door watched Esperanza enter first and Cider take a seat facing the opposite direction, then smiled kindly and closed the door.
"Have a pleasant trip!"
When the door closed, Cider took out a desk. When Esperanza placed a snack box on top of it, he frowned.
"I'm going to read a book."
"How can you read a book in a place like this when it's shaking? And you're currently riding backward. You'll get motion sick."
"That would be you. I'm fine."
"Have you tried it?"
"Of course I have. How do you think I travel between Avondale territory and Nine Holder every year?"
"......I thought you traveled by steam carriage."
Cider chuckled. Esperanza pursed her lips and made excuses.
"In our ti, many people traveled that way."
"Current steam carriages can't run that long, and if you traveled that distance by steam carriage, it would take twice as long."
"How far is Avondale from Nine Holder?"
"About two and a half to three hours by train."
Closer than expected.
"Assuming no delays."
Cider added as if fed up. Esperanza looked at the scenery outside the window that was slowly beginning to move and asked:
"Surely this train won't be delayed, right?"
"Trains are bound to be delayed. Give up."
And looking at the book he had taken out, it seed certain he had given up. What kind of encyclopedia-thick book had he brought?
"What's the content?"
"About materials for magical devices. Shall I explain?"
"No, I think I'll get motion sick if I listen."
The train raced along the rough railway tracks. The clattering sounds and high sounds of spewing steam, long smoke embroidering a single line in the sky.
They were rapidly leaving Nine Holder, the center of civilization.
??????°??☆????°??????
A drawing room shrouded in shadow.
The man sitting deep in his chair was lost in thought while fingering a black bishop. Black leather gloves wrapped his hands seamlessly. Where the gloves ended, white shirt cuffs appeared, then were enveloped by the black fur draped over his shoulders. The jet-black fur had a sheen, but wasn't as elegant as the man's black hair.
"Everything matches."
What the subordinate with bowed head showed before the man were ten pairs of bills. Ten pairs of bills identical in amount, design, color, and serial number. The bishop that had curled inside the black leather was now only visible at the top. The man spoke in a low, scratching voice:
"Bring in the doctor."
The door opened, and an elderly man entered, hunched over.
The one called only doctor without a na knew what to do. He ca in with several tools, examined the bills with a magnifying glass, went through several procedures including dropping chemicals on them, then trembled.
"Doctor."
"Yes."
"What are the results?"
"I regret to say, both sides are genuine."
"I heard that in all of Osdern, there's no one to match the doctor in counterfeit currency appraisal."
The doctor silently hunched his dry back, counting the patterns on the carpet spread on the floor while waiting for angry shouts. However, instead of rage-filled screams, only a voice low as a beast's threat continued.
"But now, are you saying that two bills with completely identical serial numbers are both authentic? Currency issued by the central bank in the na of Her Faithful Majesty the Queen?"
"I apologize. However, staking my 30 years of research life, I can say without a shadow of doubt that both currencies are genuine."
The agate bishop hit the wooden chessboard with a clear sound. The man who tapped the chessboard as if to focus attention spoke:
"Today's events should be known to no one. If word leaks out, I'll assu it was because the doctor's lips were loose."
"......That's an inappropriate statent. I saw nothing today."
"Good. Henry, escort the doctor."
The chief attendant who had completely lted into the drawing room like a shadow took the doctor away.
"A second appraisal won't be necessary. Tell
what you've discovered."
The subordinate with black bob hair stood up, placed his hand on his chest and bowed. His brown robe stood out like a foreign object in the luxurious drawing room.
He pointed to one pile among the bills neatly arranged in two rows of ten and spoke:
"Of these, eight were received by my own hand, and two were found at a bakery near Alter District."
"'Found'?"
"I left bills of the sa value."
"Good. We must not harm the faithful subjects of Her Majesty the Queen who work diligently."
'Especially those like you.' It seed audible without being said. The shackles of origin that couldn't be forgotten even if one tried.
"Continue."
"They ca from the sa person's hand as the bills I received. And while they're not counterfeit, these ten bills that ca into my possession are clearly old at first glance."
"The conclusion?"
"If they're the sa bills, the ones I obtained are older and ca from one person's hand. Most importantly, if two bills with the sa scratches in the sa places even have the sa serial numbers, there's only one possibility to consider."
However, even trying to speak, his mouth wouldn't move well. He had lived on raw reality. To say such absurd words made resistance surge from deep in his heart.
"The conclusion?"
The man asked again. Finally he spoke as if spitting it out:
"The conclusion is, though it's hard to believe, I presu the bills I received are from the future."
"It's hard to believe."
The man dismissed it.
"However, it's not impossible. These past few years, things have been happening that we've never even suspected. It's worth suspecting. Luke Havenly, who was the one who had the future bills?"
"Since bills are objects passed from hand to hand, it's difficult to specify who first brought the future bills."
However, there was conviction in his words.
"The one who gave
these bills is soone who can face dozens of people with personal force alone, and draws a sword from empty air where there's nothing. Their killing intent is extrely developed, and I presu they're accustod to slaughter."
"Their na?"
"Esperanza Hunter. A lady currently staying as Count Avondale's ward."
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