It was a windowless room.
　The room, illuminated by a magic lamp, was aptly called the "office.
　A bookshelf filled with books and documents. A desk lined with pens and documents. A moderately luxurious leather chair. All brand new.
　Not a single piece of furniture, not because of the room's owner's taste, but simply because it hasn't been unpacked yet.

"Chief!　Comms. We can't send reinforcements. ......!
Well. Then we're abandoning this base and getting out of here.

　Derrik, the chief of the Night Python Keelys, nodded languidly as he listened to the report of his men rushing into the room.

　At first glance, Derrik was a nervous little man of about forty.
　But in reality, he is a dynamic and bold character, and ruthless to his opponents. Those who know Derrik never underestimate him.
　And above all, he is smart and good with numbers.

　This is one of the mansions in an upscale residential area in the city of Vonnegut.
　Disguised as a purchase by a trader, it was the headquarters of the Night Pythons.
　But the truth is, they've only just moved here. And yet, their chief, Derik, has abandoned the base and is leaving.
　The minion who brought the report was upset when he heard Derrik's answer.

"Are you sure?　We just moved here. ......
"That's because 'fight' is based on the assumption that reinforcements will come. Otherwise, you can't win.

　Derrik speaks plainly. For him, fighting is not about mentality, but about calculation.

　The best Night Python has is three bouncers.
　Udanosuke, a katana wielder who can cut through mithril. Est, a female assassin skilled in disguise and the use of dark weapons. Godo, a dwarven fighter who once struck and killed a tiger. All three are fierce warriors and are said to be of the sixth rank (elite) or higher in the adventuring world. If I could have borrowed even one of them, I would have been able to kick the crap out of an elite force that a small lord could barely scrape together.

　Humans who have trained their bodies to the extreme will be able to draw power through the circulation of biomagic power, and will have power that transcends the limits of the living. It is as if the body is casting a buffing spell on itself. It is said that sometimes the body alone can withstand the breath of a dragon or even smash an iron golem. All of the bouncers had reached that level.
　On the other hand, none of Count Keeley's men were of that caliber. If the Dragon's Throat, a party of the fourth rank, had come out to fight, it might have been troublesome, but Derrik had already set a trap and captured the Dragon's Throat's wizard, Iris. The wizard Iris.
　"The Dragon's Whistle would be greatly reduced in strength, and the hostages could limit their movements. We could have won if the bouncers had come to reinforce us, but that request was denied.
　The top brass decided that it was better to reduce attrition than to win a local battle.

To tell the truth, we've even been told that we can temporarily withdraw from the Earl of Keeley's territory. So the fact that no reinforcements are coming means that you should run.
"...... Really? I don't believe it.
It's okay. The Earl of Keighley's territory will soon be lost in a land transfer anyway.

　Derrick laughed at the surprised faces of his men.
　This is information that is only being passed around privately at the moment. This is something that Derrik, the executive of Night Python, could have known.

The reason we moved our base to this city (Vonnegut) in the first place is because Count Keeley's territory will soon disappear and El Talev will become less important. It's a town with little meaning other than the Count's castle. The new territory will probably be centered here.
　Well, it could be merged into a neighboring territory. If that happens, I'll be demoted from a territory to the head of a city.
Demotion? No way!
That's all right. If that stone-headed count disappears, you'll have a chance to rise again. The old county is my garden.

　In fact, Derik was not at all concerned about the possibility of demotion.
　He knew the area he was in charge of both inside and out, and he had his own connections, not Night Python's. As long as he was in the organization, he couldn't ignore Derrik's presence.
　For the same reason, he thought that it would be possible to recover the lost ground even if he pulled out of the Count's territory now.

I've heard that the Count's men in Korga are on their way here. The Count's men will be in Vonnegut tomorrow.
　Round up the rest of them. We'll get our asses out of here tonight. Tell anyone who can't make it to Vonnegut to get out on their own.
"Yes, sir. ...... By the way, Chief. What do we do with the kid adventurer we caught?
Huh?　Let's see. ......

　I'm not sure what to do with them, but I'm sure they'll be fine.
　It's a captive hostage that you've prepared for battle, but what if you want to escape without a fight?

I'm not sure what to do with it, but I'm sure it's a good idea. ......
　You're right, we should take it with us. If the adventurers come after you, you can use her as a hostage. She's a female, a kid, and a sorceress. Her face isn't bad either. Even if you don't need it, you can make a lot of money selling it to someone who does.


I understand.

　It was snowing that night.

　It was snowing that night.
　The white snow blowing eerily from the depths of the blackness was an eerie view that made me feel uneasy just looking at it. I felt as if I would never be able to escape this darkness.

　There were several horse-drawn sleighs with box-like carriages, holding up magical lights that had been rigged so that the light could not be seen from a distance. The thirty or so members of Night Python are fleeing along an old road that is rarely used by people.
　In addition to cash, the sleighs are loaded with a few magic items, ledgers, proofs of debt, and expensive drugs (all illegal). The members of the group are riding in the gap between these large packages, and one hostage is being rolled away.

I'm sure it's safe to go on. No demons, no travelers.
Thank you.

　A member of the neighboring territory who was acting as a scout reported from the small window of the horse-drawn sleigh, and Derik riding inside answered.
　The scouts in their winter gear disappeared into the snow again.

　Everyone took their turn to act as a guard, but Derrik, who was sitting badly with his feet on the luggage, naturally did not join in.
　He was staring into the darkness of the carriage, calculating what he would have to do.

How far are we going?
I'm going to hide in the nearest tees until the Count can't move. It may be tight, but we'll be patient for three months at most.

　That's when Derek said it.

"That's not good. You'll have to take me to the big boss.

　A voice came from inside the luggage, and soon after, the horse-drawn sleigh that Derik was riding on flew apart from the inside.