Hunter and Mad Scien Chapter 41

Rummaging through the inventory, it ca out right away. Esperanza pulled out a Rubik's cube with all the colors mixed up.

"This is originally an item where sothing cos out when you solve it completely, but I'm weak with this kind of thing."

I tried a few tis, but I couldn't do it alone, and when I tried following the formulas, my head hurt so I gave up. Sothing would definitely co out, but I couldn't solve it to the end so I don't know what cos out. It probably wouldn't be anything great anyway.

"Like this, you turn it like this so that all the pieces on every face beco the sa color. This face all red, that face all blue, sothing like that."

Since there wasn't anything to do until the automaton returned anyway, Cider began awkwardly turning the cube based on that ager explanation.

However, soone who's good at it is definitely good at it. The long fingers wrapped around the cube moved steadily, and he began flicking the cube with his fingertips instead of turning it with his palm. And even to Esperanza's eyes, she could see pieces of the sa color gradually gathering together.

Finally, Cider turned the cube, and when all the colors matched up completely—pop!

"Ah......."

Cider held the cube that had split in half and let out a bewildered sigh. Esperanza also flinched at the sound.

"Wait a mont."

Taking the opened cube, Esperanza found a round bead inside it. After examining it front and back, Esperanza put it into her inventory and sighed.

Ah, if this had been five years ago, it would have been an equipnt enhancent stone she would have wanted to get even by paying real money. Up until five years ago, that is.

[Blue Enhancent Stone—Interdiate (887)]

As ti passes, items are bound to beco dirt cheap. Esperanza's inventory was already packed full with 887 interdiate enhancent stones.

"What ca out?"

Cider leaned his head closer and asked.

"Nothing special. Ah, if only I'd opened it five years earlier."

"If you had co five years earlier, we wouldn't have even t. Father was still alive then. I might have been kicked out."

Ah, so if she hadn't t him, she wouldn't have been able to open it? Nothing to say to that. It's irritating, but it's the truth. Esperanza lanted her own hands that couldn't even solve a single cube.

Since the equipnt enhancent stone she finally got was precious, she decided to give it to Cider. Even Cider, who actually received it, said it didn't seem to have much use, but sothing would co out of researching it. She put it in Cider's toolbox and threw the whole box into her inventory.

"That's how events are, after all......."

All show and no substance. A pretty but worthless fruit.

There are two ways to get really good equipnt within the Golden Claw world. One is to pay real money. But an unimaginably large amount. Or work hard to build connections with excellent magical engineers or blacksmiths. Either way isn't easy.

Using enhancent stones to roughly upgrade equipnt isn't bad in the early stages, but once you eventually get really good equipnt, they just pile up in your inventory. When items start accumulating, it ans that item's usefulness has declined.

Esperanza reflected on the truth she had gained in her seven years as a Hunter. Then Cider got up from his seat.

"What is it?"

"It's here."

Esperanza also raised her head. A small dog was walking over with brass feet. What had changed was that its tail, which had looked fine, was now shaped like a hook.......

"What is that?"

Esperanza said, grabbing Cider's arm. Her face had gone pale as she bit her lip. The owner of the groaning sound wasn't an animal.

It was a person. No.

"Is it a corpse......?"

"Are you afraid of corpses?"

Cider tilted his head and asked. It was pure curiosity without any mockery. Esperanza hesitated and shook her head.

"I've seen many. It's not that I'm afraid......."

I've even killed people. Out of necessity, or because they deserved it. I could give various reasons, but it's never a feeling I could like. However, even that had been within the ga. No matter how real it seed, it was okay because it wasn't real.

But now everything is real. If I kill soone here, I'll beco a real murderer.

Even in the ga, I generally avoided killing, but after realizing that fact, I didn't kill a single person. The reason I deliberately used a club against bandits who were even carrying guns was also that.

If they were real people, I didn't want to see them die unless it was truly unavoidable.

"It doesn't get better."

"You don't need to like it."

Cider replied dryly and lifted the automaton that had approached his feet, placing it in Esperanza's arms. Then he himself lifted up the collapsed man.

The large man who had fallen unconscious with water-soaked clothes couldn't have been light, but he lifted him easily with both hands as if it took no effort at all.

"He's alive. Lucky you don't have to see a corpse, right?"

Esperanza belatedly replied.

"Ah, yes."

But they couldn't wait for the rain to stop while leaving soone who was barely breathing and might die at any mont. The two left their sowhat cozy spot and mounted their horses while getting completely drenched by the rain. When Cider pointed to the pipe he had clumsily set up, Esperanza said firmly.

"Leave it."

"If you say so."

"Ah, I'll take that person with ."

Seeing Cider naturally pick up the collapsed man and mount his horse, Esperanza said. It was a natural judgnt that would be better. But Cider grimaced and said.

"Don't talk nonsense. You're only half the size of this person's body—if you tried to ride with him, he'd slip off."

No matter how strong and quick her reflexes were, she couldn't be confident she could catch an unconscious man slipping on a running horse. But she wasn't half his size. The man was just a little shorter than Cider and a little bulkier. When Esperanza closed her mouth, Cider drove the point ho.

"And when we return, if you're carrying an unconscious person on your horse, what will beco of my dignity in front of the Mabelwood family?"

That was a very understandable reason. When Esperanza finally nodded and turned back, Cider sighed audibly.

"If you accept that reason, it really makes

look like trash."

"What."

When Esperanza trailed off, Cider rolled his eyes. Though with the pouring rain in the forest, it wasn't even properly visible.

Cider's horsemanship shone in the forest late at night with the rain pattering down. Amazingly, even while managing an unconscious person, Cider was maintaining the sa stable speed as Esperanza. This despite riding a horse he'd t for the first ti today.

His marksmanship was considerable, and his horsemanship was as skilled as Esperanza's. However, where he truly displayed genius was in magical engineering. At this point, it would be more surprising if he hadn't been created by humans.

A long stream of water splashed horizontally across Cider's cheek as he rode ahead. His soaked hair and eyelashes glead even in the dark forest.

His profile as he concentrated on guiding his horse was still full of confidence, but no longer looked arrogant. It wasn't a matter of ability. It was his natural appearance that ca out when he wasn't facing others.

A quietly fixed gaze. Not radiating anything toward the world.

Esperanza watched that appearance for a mont, then directed her gaze forward. The sound of hoofbeats pierced through the sound of rain. The forest rapidly receded behind them.

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"Oh my, oh my. Co in quickly."

Seeing the guests who had arrived soaked and even carrying a dying person, Cordelia scread. At a ti when they should have been eating dinner and resting, the maids busily moved to bring towels and heat bath water.

After finishing her bath, Esperanza gave an apologetic look to the maid who brought her a large towel. Cordelia hesitantly entered the room. On the tray she was carrying, heated milk was steaming.

"It rained so much...... I'm sorry. You weren't waiting, were you?"

"We ate first. Grandmother was disappointed, but with the rain coming, we thought you'd probably stay in the village and co back. But what's with that person? And one who's dripping blood like that."

"He was collapsed in the forest. He seed badly injured......."

He didn't seem like an ordinary person. Though his face wasn't clearly visible covered in blood, his clothes and well-maintained hair gave off the air of soone raised preciously.

But why had such a delicately raised person suddenly appeared in Mabelwood injured?

"I've called for a doctor. We'll know when he wakes up."

"What about Lord Avondale?"

"He went up to his room. The servants brought up bath water. He's probably sleeping by now."

However, Esperanza knew Cider Claiborne better than Cordelia did. What was she thinking.

"There's absolutely no way he's sleeping. It would be fortunate if he's not holed up in his laboratory."

As if proving this true, tapping sounds could be heard from upstairs. Esperanza nodded her head as if to say "see?" Though he seed to have so conscience, the sound that had continued briefly soon diminished. Cordelia let out a sigh of relief.

That relief lasted exactly half a day. It wasn't because of Cider. Not that he had been quiet and courteous—he had simply overslept as usual and heard the news a bit late.

The doctor ca down to the reception room where the three people excluding Cider had gathered early in the morning.

"He's awake. But......."

"But?"

"Ah, no. I think you should see for yourself."

Mrs. Wellesley and Cordelia looked at each other and shared their confusion. They eventually got up from their seats.

"Esperanza, will you co with us?"

Esperanza, who had nothing else to do, readily followed. Worry about leaving the two 'delicate ladies' to face the mysterious man also followed.

'In that sense, wake up properly now.'

Cider was still in his bedroom. It seed he had been doing sothing all night, and apparently fell asleep late in the morning again.

Of course, it wasn't that Esperanza couldn't protect the two without Cider. But having a sturdy man around reduced the number of people who would try anything in the first place. That alone made things ten tis easier.

"We're going in."

When the doctor knocked after arriving in front of the guest room, a hoarse voice flowed from inside.

"Co in."

It was a younger voice than expected. Early twenties at most. Due to his considerably trained physique, she had unconsciously estimated his age to be about five years older. An early twenties, probably noble youth. The door opened.

Short red hair was the first thing that caught the eye. Though scars remained on his face, he had handso features that would be popular anywhere.

The man seed to have been trying to sit up but failed due to pain and ended up sitting awkwardly on the bed with an embarrassed expression.

"You must be the master of this mansion. Please forgive the rudeness of greeting you while seated."

"......."

However, no one answered. Cordelia was one thing, but even Mrs. Wellesley, who strictly observed etiquette, said nothing.

Esperanza, who had entered first, felt puzzled and looked back at them. Cordelia was frozen with her lips parted, unable to even breathe.

"Are you alright? Co......."

Her fine face was horribly contorted. Cordelia whirled around and ran out.