Esperanza first opened Cider's room door and poured out the luggage bags. In the room provided as a laboratory, they joined forces to organize the research equipnt.
While Cider didn't care whether luggage bags got bumped or scattered around, he was extraordinarily fussy about research equipnt, so Esperanza pretended it was an accident and stepped hard on his foot once. Annoyingly enough, the Count didn't even scream. Though he did narrow his brow.
In the end, they only cleaned up the laboratory properly and left their luggage roughly piled in their respective rooms before going down to the banquet hall.
The head seat was empty.
Naturally, that seat was for the only Count at this gathering. Cider sighed quietly. 'Lady' Cordelia took the next head seat, Mrs. Wellesley, who was over sixty, took the next, and Esperanza's seat was last.
Though it was a seating arrangent that observed proper etiquette, usually they didn't maintain it this thoroughly. At family tables, it was common for the elderly Mrs. Wellesley to sit at the head seat.
However, it was a much more enjoyable banquet than expected. Mrs. Wellesley, who rigidly observed etiquette, was also soone who thought guests welcod into the household should be entertained wholeheartedly.
The al was warm and thoughtful, and Mrs. Wellesley was kind and attentive compared to her burdenso first impression. As the al was ending, Esperanza set down her utensils and said:
"Please speak comfortably."
"......Very well, I'll treat Miss Esperanza comfortably too."
"I'd appreciate it if you could treat
comfortably as well."
Cider added. Mrs. Wellesley answered with cold eyes.
"I couldn't dare do that to a Count. This old woman is comfortable with formal speech."
Esperanza and Cordelia looked at each other and giggled. While Mrs. Wellesley looked at the two reproachfully, Cider swirled his wine glass with a sullen face. In the much more relaxed atmosphere compared to the beginning, Cordelia sighed with relief. As they returned to their rooms, she whispered in Esperanza's ear:
"Grandmother looks so stern, you know. I was worried."
"She seed like a good person. I think we'll get along well. Lord Avondale seems to like her too."
Though his request to be treated comfortably was flatly rejected, Cider also seed to be in a better mood compared to when he first sat at the head seat. Though he would deny it, that person had the strange tendency to show favor to people who treated him casually.
"Ah, Cordelia. Could I borrow so horses tomorrow morning?"
"Horses? That's not difficult, but why?"
"I want to go see the forest. Can you show
a map to the forest where the accident happened?"
"You're going right away? Then who am I supposed to play with?"
The sight of a pretty girl pouting was pitiful enough to naturally evoke sympathy. Esperanza tilted her head briefly. Is my preference blondes? She seed to have discovered a tendency to easily fall for blonde beauties.
"Play by yourself. I'll co back in the evening."
"You'll go with Lord Avondale, right?"
Esperanza considered briefly, then nodded.
"Yes. Please prepare two horses."
??????°??☆????°??????
"This one is Anne, and this one is Charlotte."
Cordelia said, pointing to each of the two horses alternately. Cider, who was coming down with mysterious objects that had definitely been in Esperanza's inventory until yesterday, asked:
"Why is Lady Cordelia here at this hour?"
"Lord Avondale, did you sleep well last night? I ca to guide you to the stables. And I was going to help choose horses too. Anne and Charlotte are the sturdiest. Um, and."
Cordelia, receiving a picnic basket from a maid, placed it in Cider's hands.
"Don't forget als either. There's a village beyond the forest where the accident happened, but everyone has moved away now, so if you want to hear testimony, you'll have to hear it from villages on the forest outskirts."
"I understand. You don't need to worry."
"But...... wouldn't it be better to take more servants along?"
"We're both ard, and other people would be cumberso."
Cordelia glanced at Cider as if she didn't find him reliable at all. Cider, who had been gauging the number of magic bullets in his modified magic pistol, looked up.
"Why?"
"Oh my, it's nothing."
When Cordelia, who had shown her disappointnt fully, finally left, Cider pointed to the picnic basket and equipnt he had brought as if he had been waiting. Esperanza opened her inventory.
"Are you paying rent?"
"Sothing like that."
The unauthorized tenant gradually filled the space that had barely been vacated yesterday. Esperanza made her mouth round, then first hopped onto a horse. And she galloped off without hesitation.
"Well, I've never seen a lady ride a horse so roughly in my life."
The stable keeper said, rubbing his dim eyes. A brief smile crossed the lips of Cider, who mounted his horse in pursuit.
Roughly?
"That's not riding well."
Leaving behind the stable keeper who opened his eyes wide at the unexpected answer, he too crossed the mansion's main gate at high speed.
Strictly speaking, Cider was the one who rode horses roughly. Esperanza was on the efficient and fast side. In other words, movents that viewed horses more as vehicles than animals. However, Cider could read a trace of awkwardness in that skillfulness.
"When was the last ti you rode a horse?"
"Last year, maybe?"
Esperanza replied, pulling the reins slightly to slow down.
"Are you confident you won't get hurt if you fall?"
"No!"
"Then go a bit slower. The forest isn't going to run away."
Esperanza slowed down just a little. The forest indeed didn't run away. The forest with its black mouth open rather sharpened its teeth and approached. Like a beast behind them.
Esperanza pulled the reins in front of the high iron fence that ford the boundary between forest and village. The galloping horse reared up and neighed loudly. When she turned around with her neck slightly wet, Cider had followed right behind at about one horse's distance.
"That's the forest."
She recalled the map she had roughly looked at and slept on last night. It was a forest shaped like a crescent moon. Fortunately, the densely wooded forest had paths beaten by people. However, perhaps because people hadn't passed through for quite a while, weeds were overgrown. It was understandable since they had erected such a large iron fence.
She thought the village would appear soon, but perhaps because the path was complicated, the village didn't appear even after walking for a long ti.
"Are we going the right way?"
"......I wonder. We'd need to see the sky to know the direction."
Esperanza craned her neck to look up at the sky. However, the leaves ford such a dense canopy that not a single ray of sunlight could be seen.
"How much further do we need to go to see the village?"
"I wonder. We definitely can't see it from here."
That place would probably be closer to ruins than a village by now, but it still wouldn't be as stuffy as here, so she wanted to get out quickly and rest a bit.
Just as she was thinking this while stepping on a place where grass had grown tall like the garden of Avondale mansion 13 years later, it happened. Almost simultaneously with a sharp sound cutting through the air, Esperanza reflexively reached her hand high. Sothing long was caught in her hand.
"An arrow?"
What is this archaic weapon?
"Why an arrow?"
"It flew from over there."
It was so far away that it was difficult to sense the presence. If they hadn't co on horses, the other side wouldn't have known of their existence either.
The two headed in the direction the arrow had co from. At the sound of two horses walking busily, the other side shouted angrily.
"Who's there!"
"Answer, or we'll shoot!"
There wasn't just one person. Looking back, she could see several arrows stuck in trees. They seed to have shot multiple tis, but only one had reached Esperanza. Could there be such sloppy work? It was certain they weren't dangerous opponents.
"There seem to be quite a few people. At least one of them should know the way, right?"
Esperanza brightened up. She was ready to rush over there imdiately.
"We seem to be under attack right now, what do you think about that problem?"
Cider replied with a hollow laugh.
"I don't think it's a problem."
Simultaneously with those words, Esperanza jumped down from her horse.
Before she knew it, Esperanza had weapons in both hands. They were neither guns nor swords. Long wooden clubs without even sharpened edges. Objects too embarrassing to call weapons.
No intention to kill?
He thought lightly and drove his horse forward. The gang seed quite nurous, more than expected. To soone with Esperanza's level of martial prowess, he wouldn't be of much help, but he could provide rear support.
"Those bastards saw us."
"What if they report to the authorities?"
"Let's just cut their throats!"
A conclusion seed to be reached quite quickly. The gang simultaneously shouted battle cries and charged.
The enemy numbered about twenty with generally poor weapons, but there were definitely people with firearms. A gathering of n in shabby clothes with weapons, fearing the authorities.
Bandits.
Cider and Esperanza judged almost simultaneously. And simultaneously with the judgnt, Esperanza threw herself into the heart of the enemy.
"She's, she's a woman?"
She was also the one who started the attack first. Her limbs moved flexibly, instantly incapacitating enemies.
[Combat Mode ON]
Combat Disabled 4
Status Abnormalities 0
Deaths 0
Esperanza, glancing at the status window occupying one side of her vision, used a tree trunk as a shield to dodge attacks. Swords could be avoided just by seeing them, but arrows and bullets were a bit annoying. Mainly because the shooters were far away.
"Uaaah!"
She stabbed the solar plexus of a bandit charging with a battle cry and roughly beat him unconscious. Almost simultaneously, she deflected an incoming arrow with the club in her other hand. Once entangled with the enemies, arrows and bullets couldn't fly anymore for fear of hitting allies. The foot that had run up a large tree trunk as if it were stairs kicked the face of an approaching bandit.
[Combat Mode ON]
Combat Disabled 17
Status Abnormalities 0
Deaths 0
'You're doing ranged attacks. Where did the other one go? Did he run away?'
Bang. Esperanza whipped her head around. A magic pistol, which had a different sound quality from guns made with gunpowder, had cleanly pierced through a bandit's arm. When their eyes t, Cider, who was still sitting on his horse watching like a spectator, waved the arm holding the pistol and said:
"I guess I looked easy."
Indeed.
Esperanza finished off the remaining gang mbers who had been providing support from afar with peace of mind. And she returned to the horses she had left standing, stepping over the scattered people as if it were flat ground.
"Esperanza."
"What?"
"Um, they're running away."
Esperanza confird the sight of a few people who could still move getting up and running away, then tilted her head.
"Where are they going?"
"Where else? There's only one place."
The only hideout where bandits could stay in this area was the village.
Though it was no different from ruins with buildings scattered sparsely, it was still under roofs where they could shelter from wind and rain, and since it was a place people avoided to the point of putting up iron fences, they could be free from people's gazes. It was perfect for a bandit gang to use as temporary lodging. This forest wouldn't be touched by anyone either, so it was suitable as a travel route.
Then was Mabelwood okay? Cri was a more substantial threat than unexplained accidents.
"Let's follow them for now."
Cider took the lead.
Reviews
All reviews (0)