The villagers comforted Cordelia by saying that Esperanza alone seed to do the work of a hundred strong n. That gun spewed sothing other than fire, and the monsters all died without even making a sound.
So? What kind of excuse is that?
Long, long ago, Cordelia's distant ancestors received this land as a fief and collected taxes from the distant ancestors of the villagers. In return, Cordelia's ancestors promised to protect the villagers.
Hundreds of years, perhaps over a thousand years later, now, though she didn't have a manor like back then nor need to build castle walls to protect the land from enemies, Cordelia still lived upon the traces of that ancient promise.
Therefore, Lady Cordelia Mabelwood should rightfully protect this land from threats.
Not push an unrelated lady into the forest.
"Lady Cordelia."
"Lord Sterling. If the sa thing had happened in Dunbarton, what would you have done?"
"......I would have agonized over it, but ultimately would have made the sa choice as Lady Cordelia."
Listening to the words of the villagers Esperanza had brought and the young n dispatched to bring them, that choice was right.
"But even you couldn't have escaped the guilt of neglecting our duty."
Alastair averted his eyes awkwardly. And after a mont, he spoke toward Cordelia, who was biting only her lips without hiding the deep worry cast across her delicate face.
"There are words my father once said to . You might find them unpleasant."
"You must have a reason for bringing it up despite knowing that."
"Father used to tell
many stories when I was young, like tales of lords who saved their territories with three spoonfuls of salt or stories of driving away demons with the sll of bread. He said they weren't stories he read just to spend ti with young . Since I was quite a rigid child even then, he said he wanted to cultivate flexibility in ."
Cordelia wasn't particularly curious about Alastair's childhood stories. She listened half-heartedly while resting her chin on her hand. Alastair also knew Cordelia was uninterested, yet continued speaking gently.
"Sotis results are more important than process, and sotis there are things that must be seized even by abandoning beliefs as precious as life itself. When that ti is, experience will teach you......."
What a nasty old man. Cordelia muttered inwardly. Just from that part alone, she could tell what a malicious person the Duke of Dunbarton was. Adding the fact that he was a superstition worshipper? Hopeless.
"I still don't really agree with it."
Alastair Renfrew said with a faint smile. Cordelia was inwardly surprised and almost turned to look at him. She managed to turn her gaze away but couldn't hide her flinching shoulders.
"However, I think there are parts that would resonate with Lady Cordelia, who is currently in the position of lord."
"In any case, if Esperanza ends this disaster, it would be better for everyone than , who has never properly held a gun or sword, stepping forward."
Though it was a sarcastic response to his condescending comfort, the result wasn't bad. Cordelia stood up vigorously.
"Du, tell everyone to gather in the hall. Lord Sterling, bring the roster. Please also ask Grandmother and Lord Avondale to gather."
Du Husler bowed and disappeared. The young, neat butler glanced briefly at Cordelia and Alastair Renfrew standing behind her with narrowed eyes.
"......He's young for a butler."
"Du? Du's father was the previous butler. He couldn't use his legs after an accident, so Du has been taking over since then."
"Ah. I see."
He had asked sothing unnecessary. Alastair thought.
"He's a good person. He doted on
quite a lot. He lives in the neighboring village, and though Du doesn't show it, he must have been worried about his father."
"If it's not the village below, it wouldn't have been included in the dungeon, so it should be safe."
"At least that's fortunate."
The sa went for the other employees of this mansion. Each was suppressing their own anxiety while moving as usual.
"Has everyone gathered?"
Cordelia, who had scanned the faces of people gathered in the first-floor hall, smiled brightly.
"Thank you all for doing well. It's hard, but please bear with it a little longer. Get your als from the kitchen. It's not fancy, but it should be edible. I've prepared a night watch roster, so please follow it. Have the children sleep together, and don't forget to watch the chimneys and fireplaces."
"Yes, miss."
Since they didn't know how much food they needed to conserve, the villagers were given two stead potatoes each, a piece of hastily baked stiff bread, and a chunk of cheese and roasted ham that Cordelia generously provided. It wasn't a al to complain about.
"If we're lucky, it'll end today, and even if we're unlucky, this situation won't continue for long. Still, we need to conserve our strength, so Doctor, please take good care of the injured. Emma, make so simple snacks for those standing night watch. Rest in the morning instead."
"No. I cannot neglect preparing the master's breakfast."
Cook Emma, who answered firmly, rolled up her sleeves. Other cooks and kitchen servants followed Emma to the kitchen. Employees and villagers also returned to their respective positions as Alastair assigned them. For the children rubbing their eyes, Mrs. Wellesley offered her spacious room. When the first-floor hall was almost empty, Cider ca down.
"Am I late?"
"Trendously so."
Cordelia said, placing her hands on her hips. Cider didn't even make excuses.
"What do you have to say?"
"First, please co out on ti when called."
"Depending on the ti."
Is that on ti? Cordelia glared. Really such an uncooperative person. Compared to him, Alastair was like an angel. Cordelia glanced back and when their eyes t, she quickly turned her head away.
"We're going to the reception room. We need to prepare for the possibility that Esperanza might not return."
"You think she won't co back?"
"What I've seen is Esperanza knocking down a man who tried to force marriage with
at the Humphrey family's party venue. It was quite excellent, but I can't think that alone guarantees Esperanza will be safe out there. I don't know the basis for Lord Avondale's trust, but I hope it's rational trust."
Cordelia quietly clasped her hands together. She closed her eyes while placing trembling breath on her cold fingertips. Cider finally uncrossed his arms and spoke.
"Let's call it rational trust. Lady Cordelia, you're terrible as a friend but excellent as a lord."
"What does Lord Avondale know about friendship......."
Cider raised his eyebrows. However, instead of continuing, he got to the point.
"So why did you call ?"
"If Esperanza doesn't return before sunset, we need to prepare for a long battle."
They couldn't leave this place anyway. At first, she didn't understand why Esperanza had brought everyone inside the mansion, but when she saw magic power hitting an invisible wall, she realized painfully. They were trapped.
When the worst situation ca, they would have to fight against sothing unknown and inhuman in this limited space, with limited resources, without external help.
"I would be grateful for your insight."
Thus, in the first-floor reception room, all the owners and guests of this house gathered—Mrs. Wellesley, Cordelia, Alastair, and Cider. This was the first ti they had properly sat together like this since the incident occurred. However, Cordelia couldn't say a single word as chairperson.
Gunshots. Screams. Footsteps echoing overhead and heavy sounds following them a beat later with thud, thud.
"What is it?"
"I need to go out and see."
Cordelia said sharply and stood up. When the group went out to the first-floor hall with Cider in front and Alastair, who had difficulty moving, last, it was already noisy with people gathered from all over the mansion.
"Soone explain, what on earth happened?"
"A monster got in!"
One employee shouted.
"Where exactly?"
"The chimney, the chimney. Really through the chimney down the fireplace......!"
"What about the gun we installed?"
"It worked properly, but the thing that ca in had such long arms that it seed to have knocked it away."
Not thinking that far was an oversight, but he didn't think people instead of guns could have stopped it either. Rather, they would have been crushed between the monster's teeth without even letting out a death scream. Cider drew his pistol.
"Where is it now?"
"It seems to be at the end of the third-floor corridor. It looks like it'll move to those stairs. The people on the third floor fortunately evacuated, but......."
"I'll go."
"Lord Avondale, but."
"There doesn't seem to be another way. What do you think, my lord?"
Though he was asking for Cordelia's opinion with words, Cider was already drawing his pistol and loading it. Cordelia was speechless.
"Then take so people from here."
"They'll be in the way. They don't seem like they'll listen to
well either."
"Lord Avondale, you haven't received proper training either!"
"That's right. But I'm soone who doesn't spare my own life, and if you're not that kind of person, you're not needed."
He didn't wait for Cordelia's words and went ahead. The confused people unconsciously made way for him. Cordelia bit her lips firmly.
Cider called himself soone who doesn't spare his own life, but betting on his arrogance, he would never treat his own life as less valuable than others'. That gun in his hand would be a better weapon than any weapon Esperanza had poured out. Cordelia barely steadied her breathing.
"Miss Cordelia, there's a monster on the second floor too......!"
"It's already co down to the second floor?"
"It's a different one!"
And here was full of people who couldn't even match real fighting power. Cordelia gripped tightly the gun she had never fired.
"Everyone calm down!"
Almost simultaneously with that shout, the monster revealed itself. The gaunt monster with green skin had arms excessively long for its body. Those arms bent at three places like having another arm attached to a human wrist and were whipped like a whip.
"Get away!"
"Aaaah, it's coming this way!"
The dagger stuck in the gaunt arm was one of the magic weapons Esperanza had provided. Every ti the monster, its eyes bloodshot with pain, wildly swung its arms, flesh touched by its hook-like fingertips was torn away.
"Mom!"
There was no one to comfort the crying child covering his mother's bleeding arm with his hands. Cordelia gritted her teeth and fired the gun. She didn't hit even half her target.
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