"Master Lugis has buried herself here.

　What can I do for you, Saint Mattia?

　I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it.

　In front of her, a sign indicating that the building was a high class tavern swayed, making the golden ornaments on her body shine. It is rare to see gold decorations on a signboard in a high class bar. In a corner of her mind, Mattia thought that this was indeed a social gathering place for nobles and the like.

　It was in the middle of the night that Lugis and Bruder, the mercenaries, were brought into the room. And that the ringleader who had taken them was Vestalinu-Gorn, one of the city's guardians and rulers.

　The information about the whereabouts of Lugis and the existence of the ringleader came easily to the hands of those hiding in Belle Fain. At first, Mattia was so taken aback that he suspected that he was being given false information.

　But in a way, that was natural. After all, it was difficult for a person like Vestalines to hide himself in this city. Whenever she set foot in the city, all eyes around her would follow her shadow.

　Sometimes they are in awe, sometimes they are respectful, sometimes they are contemptuous, but no one can take their eyes off her.

　Vestalines-Gorn, the Steel Princess, was such a presence in this city. She was the unmistakable symbol and ruler of Belle Fain.

　After taking a break from Lugis, Mattia immediately coordinated with the heraldic spies who were infiltrating Belle Fain.

　This is to say, if Lugis's life was in danger, he would be able to save his life. At the same time, it would serve as a source of information to ensure that the events in Belle Fain would not be overlooked.

　Based on this information, I ended up in this exclusive tavern. The truth of the matter is unknown, but it seems that this is also Vesterine's favorite tavern.

　Mattia understood that his heart was palpitating painfully in his chest. If it were possible, she would like to remove all anguish and step into the tavern. I want to open the door and call out the name of Lugis.
　But that's not possible. Mattia knew very well that the cold calculus that was still functioning, even if only slightly, would only widen the wound and rather hand over Lugis' life to the point of the sword.

　In addition, the fact that they hired mercenaries to take him away instead of killing him on the spot suggests that the ringleader of the incident had some kind of business with Rougis.

　If that's the case, it's unlikely that they would have done him any harm immediately. I think we should try to lure Vesterine out rather than forcing our way in. I understand. Yes, I know that.

　I know that, but... Mattia understood in his own brain that this calculation was finally working in a dangerous equilibrium. If something tilted one more step, she would no longer be able to think of reason, calculation, or anything else. I will reach for the screaming of my emotions before they can turn my head.

　Take a deep breath. Calm down, calm down.

　Oh, my God, I've been telling Lugis not to do anything dangerous, and now I'm like this. I'm not going to be able to do it. Endure, endure, calm down, Mattia. That's what I keep telling myself, over and over again.

　I'm not sure what I'm going to do," she says to the herald again, her throat quivering as she slowly forms the words. 　

I'll throw a foreign object into the water and see how it ripples. That way we can see what's in the water. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.


It's dark.


　It's dark, very dark under the tavern lights. I'm not sure what to make of this. Bruder's voice.

"...... Ask again, steel princess.

　As my ears caught the sound, I felt a slight conviction begin to grow deep in my heart.

　As soon as I felt that budding, my heart started palpitating as if it were going to jump, and the blood flowed wildly through my body. Normally, I would have preferred not to feel this sensation, but for now, I welcomed it.

　The sensation that was given to me must have been a sign of great expectation.

"Do you really have memories of your childhood?

　As if in response to Bruder's murmur, he saw the steel princess Vestaline's large eyes flicker.

　It is unmistakable. In the event that you have any kind of questions regarding where and how to use the internet, you can call us at the web site.

"...... Don't say a word. Shut up. Don't open your mouth any further.

　The words that Vestalynn said were no longer just a series of words, they were no longer a human language. It wasn't a word, just a sound that she forced out of her throat.

　But even so, she did not become distraught and bit her lip to endure, perhaps because of the presence of the mercenaries surrounding her, or perhaps because the dignity piled high as a steel princess would not allow it.

　But there's no mistake now. That certainty is breathing down my neck. If I only had one more breath, one more chance... The truth that Vestalines had held so dear stagnated and faded.

　Even now, you have doubts. It would have grown into doubt. They must be filling Vestalines chest. But she still holds it close in her heart and tries to believe it to be true.

　That is to say, that she is the biological child of Mordor-Gorn, and that everything Bruder tells her is nothing but nonsense. He's holding on to that thought for dear life.

　One more breath. It's over. Just when you think it's over. There's a loud bang.

　--Boom, boom.

　A knock at the door of an upscale bar.

　In that dimly lit space with limited visibility, sound resonates especially well. Vestalinu and the surrounding mercenaries. All of them looked up. The distorted world that Bruder had told them about. As if to escape from that story. As if to seek salvation in the outside world.



　Vestalinu's high, piercing voice echoed through the door.

"Who are you? No one is allowed to enter this place now.

　The pounding on the door brought her back, and she must have finally regained her fluency. Vestalinu's lips quivered as she spoke.

　That's not good. My throat rumbled, and I felt my eyebrows naturally furrow. It seems that this visitor has brought bad news for us. Vestalinu's voice and eyes were beginning to regain some of their light.

　Because of this special space of the darkened tavern, Vestaline's heart was in turmoil. Because it was a place far away from the outside world, Vesterine's spirit could not escape, and she had to accept everything Bruder said.

　But now, due to the suddenness of the visitor, Vestalines lungs were momentarily sucked up by the air of the outside world. It was horrible and tasteless. In this situation, the mind, once shaken, regains its composure, and one is more inclined to cling to the known falsehoods one has already accepted than to the new truths one has been given.

　A visitor's voice roars into the interior of the tavern.

"There you are, Master Vestalines. Mr. Mordor has ordered you to return at once. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I must ask you to return.

　And I see, this message is-- it's bad. Mordor, Vestalines beloved father. That word alone could force Vesterine's mind back to reality.

　Yeah, but that's why it's here. This is the only place to take action.

　Right now, he's struggling and suffering under the water, almost suffocating, and he's finally coming out of the water and taking in air. Sure, he's gotten a lungful of air. But that's not necessarily a relief. Once his heart is relieved, if he is pulled under again, it will no longer be able to resist and will be submerged.

　So, here it is. I felt my lips twist.

"Hey, do you have any ...... seeds left? Something that could pull his ankles out from under him.

　I whispered to Bruder and threw him a look. But Bruder's eyes wavered in a complicated way at my words, and he gave me a strange, unreliable look in return.

　I've never seen eyes like that before, even in the past, and I couldn't help but twist my eyelids. Hey, what's up? Where's the dignified talk you had just now?

Come on, man. You're all I've got right now, Bruder.

"...... You're an irresponsible employer, aren't you? What is it, then? What are you gonna do when I tell you I'm out of ideas? Will you die with me?

　The words that came out almost immediately in response to my words made me grind my teeth. The words that came out of Bruder's mouth had a strange, agitated tone to them. On the contrary, my mouth spat out words that were calm and natural.

"How can I die? When the time comes, we'll find a way to survive together. We'll find a way to survive together.

　He whispered. I thought to myself, "That's a long shot.

　But that casual exchange reminded me of the time when I could call Bruder my best friend. It made my heart flutter. After all, Bruder was the only person I could call a friend and be on equal terms with, so my heart was in turmoil.

　There was a moment of hesitation before the words came back to me. A blank space, if you will. This time Bruder rolled his eyes and blinked his eyelids a few times. What's with the strange reaction?

　Then, looking away from me, Bruder shrugs his shoulders and says. The way he said it really did remind me of the Bruder of old.

Good words. Don't underestimate me, employer. I've got my ways. ...... Unfortunately, I've been hired. I'll do everything I can.