"Now everyone, let's aim to protect the people inside this mansion. For weapons... Father's hunting rifles, kitchen knives, and Grandmother, do you have anything?"
"I'll provide a self-defense pistol. It's an old one, so it's not very good."
Under Cordelia's command, the employees scattered and gathered anything that could serve as weapons.
"There should be sothing that could serve as a weapon in Lord Avondale's room."
Since it was an ergency, there was no need to observe etiquette. Instead of the laboratory where machines were running, the employees first ransacked Cider's bedroom and found a pistol that used magic bullets.
"Good."
It wasn't good. Nothing was good at all. Cordelia spoke as calmly as possible as the acting lord, but inside she was trembling. What else should I do?
"Ah, food. I need to check the food supplies. Du, is there enough to eat?"
Butler Du Husler answered imdiately.
"We went shopping a few days ago. Since we have guests, we didn't know when there might be a dinner party, so we bought plenty. Fortunately. We should be able to last at least three days."
She barely caught her breath. Cordelia gasped for air. Three days... would they be able to hold out for three whole days? Her vision grew dizzy. No, I have to endure. No matter how healthy she was, there was only Grandmother who was still an elderly person, Count Sterling who was injured, and the employees and territory residents.
No matter how inexperienced and young she was, 'Lady Cordelia of Mabelwood' had to beco the focal point for these people.
The weight of responsibility so heavy it made her vision white pressed down on her shoulders.
"It's Count Avondale! Miss Hunter is here too!"
Cordelia's arm, which had been gripping the sofa, gave way. The door opened. Almost simultaneously with the cries of strange birds covering the sky, Esperanza and Cider entered the mansion.
"Esperanza! Are you hurt anywhere? Lord Avondale, you're alright, right? I don't know what all this is."
As tension released, Cordelia practically threw herself at Esperanza while pouring out words. Esperanza had to support her with strength as her legs gave out and she nearly collapsed.
"This is the true nature of the disaster that struck Mabelwood. It's called a dungeon."
Esperanza said calmly while stroking Cordelia's back.
"Don't worry. As long as we protect the base camp well, I can handle the rest by myself."
Conquering a dungeon alone is tedious and difficult. However, since Esperanza wasn't the type to make connections in the ga, she had progressed through most conquests alone.
"By yourself? Esperanza, that's dangerous!"
"I promise it'll be alright."
Cordelia was at a loss for words. Esperanza was certainly quite skilled, but that wasn't reason enough to be so confident in front of such an overwhelming disaster.
"Cordelia, I'm confident."
"But!"
When it seed like a aningless back-and-forth would continue, Cider reached his arm in front of Esperanza and separated Cordelia.
"Enough. Lady Cordelia, I'll vouch for this matter. It'll be fine, so let her go."
Cordelia also knew that Esperanza wasn't the type to make false claims at a ti like this. Moreover, since the Count said he would vouch for it, there was no longer any justification to stop her. As she stepped back with worried eyes, Cider added.
"But shouldn't Lady Cordelia trust her friend Miss Hunter rather than my guarantee?"
Esperanza poked Cider. When she whispered "please stop," Cider just shrugged with an aggrieved expression. Esperanza clicked her tongue and changed the subject.
"Lord Sterling. You studied military science, right?"
"Yes."
Alastair answered in a stiff voice, surprised by Esperanza's attitude that was like that of a veteran soldier.
"Think of this place as a fortress on a battlefield. What would you do then?"
"Well, I would divide roles and disperse them, set defensive points and focus defense around strongholds while conducting regular reconnaissance. Commanders would gather separately to repeatedly plan and revise strategies, and patrol and night watch schedules would need to be set."
Since it seed like there would be no end if left alone, Esperanza nodded roughly.
"Cordelia should be able to do that well. Right?"
Cordelia barely managed to stand on her two legs and nodded.
"Yes. Du, we need to divide those territory residents aged 20 to 60 that I ntioned earlier into groups of five. Turn the rest to food preparation or treating the injured. Doctor, please take charge of treatnt."
Dr. lson nodded heavily. His face was already darkened thinking about the injured that would pour in.
"Grandmother, please take care of the children and elderly. Lord Sterling..."
Alastair tensed slightly. Would there be work for him to do in this Mabelwood too? Would Cordelia trust him enough to assign him work? However, if he couldn't do anything at a ti like this, it would be too miserable. Cordelia moved her small lips and spoke in a tired voice.
"Lord Sterling, help . Though you probably don't feel inclined to assist a re lady without a title."
"Not at all."
Alastair answered quickly.
"I'll do my best."
"Good. Lord Avondale will be busy. Could we ask you to repair weapons? We don't have proper weapons though. You'll need to participate in combat if necessary too."
For the first ti, Cider showed Cordelia a smile that resembled a smile.
"I'm not a blacksmith, Lady Cordelia. I can only repair magical tools."
"Lord Avondale."
"So, I'm trying to say I'll provide magical tools?"
Cordelia let out a sigh of relief.
"If you would do that, I'd be grateful."
"Is that yours?"
Esperanza clicked her tongue and interjected.
Thanks to Mrs. Wellesley and the butler moving busily, the territory residents except for a few combatants had vacated the hall.
Esperanza thoroughly emptied the weapons from her inventory in front of the remaining people. As weapons poured out from thin air, people stared blankly at the sight with half joy, half bewildernt. Esperanza added a perfunctory excuse.
"It's a magic bag made by Lord Avondale."
Believe it or not.
Among the weapons were also the giant rifle and scythe that had been upgraded by Cider's hands.
"Where on earth did all these weapons co from... Miss Hunter, are you perhaps in the weapons smuggling business?"
"If even one of the weapons I have fell into the wrong hands, it would be real trouble."
But it was an amount of weapons that couldn't be understood without nonsense like smuggling. Alastair picked up a weapon that had the form of a hunting shotgun but looked much more toy-like with a dazed expression. The material of the leather wrapped around the handle was strange. The white, hard, glossy substance embedded in the bent part of the barrel was also of unknown identity. It seed like a weapon from another world.
"Lord Sterling, if you're good at hunting, use that. Cordelia and Mrs. Wellesley should use pistols, and just in case, carry an extra self-defense dagger. And gather the people who are most agile and strong."
"That's not difficult, but why?"
Outside the window, large and small monsters falling from the sky could be seen. They were advancing toward the residential area, smashing through the forest. Unlike the mansion with its bolted doors, the village was closer to the forest, and faced with the indiscriminate attacks of monsters they had never seen before, there was nothing they could do but tremble while holding dull tools.
"We'll evacuate the people remaining in the village to the mansion."
Esperanza moved quickly. She went up to her room briefly, then ca out changed into combat attire. Only the deep green puff blouse remained the sa, and instead of pants that revealed the outline of her legs, she wore a glossy black skirt, and instead of a short cloak, she wore a robe that ca down to the length of her skirt.
It was purely because of people's eyes. This wasn't thirteen years later when Hunters in all kinds of outfits wandered around, and if she appeared in leather pants that even Cider Claiborne had been shocked by, the conservative rural people might really fall backward.
Cider, who had been checking the magic operation of weapons, raised his head. Perhaps having grown accustod to Esperanza's peculiar clothing, he looked strangely at the rather normal combat attire.
"Is it dangerous enough to need combat gear?"
"Ah, it's not that."
"Then?"
"......Because these are borrowed clothes."
Even after answering, she rolled her eyes around to avoid eting Cider's gaze. The dress Esperanza had been wearing was indeed the forr Countess's dress that Cider had provided. That was true. Cider burst into a hollow laugh at the absurdity.
"Do you think I'd say sothing if you damaged so clothes?"
"They're Mother's clothes. Still, you'd probably care if they actually got damaged."
"Not at all. Feel free to try."
Esperanza pursed her lips in a circle while watching Cider's reaction.
"Later."
"Indeed."
Esperanza's shoulders flinched. Even though she said that, she had no intention of going into real combat wearing borrowed clothes.
"That aside. How long do you think it will take?"
"Rescuing the village people can be finished within an hour. If the others do well. For conquering the dungeon... at most, expect about eight hours. I need to check the dungeon size, special terrain might appear, and above all, I don't know the boss."
A status window that others couldn't see. Esperanza read the text written on it.
[Dungeon Occurrence!]
Type: Forest
Grade: C
Danger Level: C
Hunter, we wish you luck!
A C-grade dungeon. Ordinary. Depending on the scale, but even in the worst case, it wouldn't exceed eight hours. If she didn't consider the people still in the village, she could finish it even shorter.
"Once the team is ford, send them down to the residential area below imdiately. I'll be there first. Monsters won't appear inside houses. So place the people guarding the mansion around windows, vents, and doors, and above all, be careful of the chimney."
The chimney couldn't be blocked, and it was a good route for monsters falling from the sky to invade. If a monster with fire from the fireplace invaded, the mansion's defenses would be breached in an instant.
Having finished her instructions, Esperanza shouldered the giant rifle as tall as her torso. White light swirled around her feet. It was one of the few spells she had learned as combat support skills.
"I'll be back."
Esperanza didn't look back. The excitent of battle she had forgotten rose from her feet. Like starting a car engine, the Hunter's body began preparing for combat.
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