episode_0189

The ship arrived at the port and a bridge was built connecting the port and the ship. Then, people inside rushed out.

And among the passengers getting off, there is one who stands out with exceptionally white skin and purple hair.

Victoria Betts.

He walks toward me from the port with a confident expression, then looks at me and Polaris in surprise. Polaris’ face, seen through Victoria’s eyes, is also filled with surprise.

Polaris ran towards Victoria like that. Because of her height, it looked like the child was running away.

“Paula? How did you get here?”

“It’s a miracle that we met like this. So, Tori. Let’s go back to the capital right now.”

As if he didn’t need to hear anything else, he grabbed Victoria’s arm and started walking to the boat.

“Pola? Polaris? Hey, it hurts, can you hold my arm… … .”

“Ah… … , sorry.”

Polaris was startled and turned away from Victoria.

Yeah. Overreacting. Polaris is in a half-panic state.

Victoria was about to get angry, but then she noticed Polaris’ condition and carefully approached her and grabbed her hand.

“Are you okay?”

As I look at Polaris through Victoria’s eyes, fear seeps out of Polaris’ face. Her expression becomes distorted as if a dam she’s been holding back has burst.

But as he pressed it again and pushed it in, Polaris clenched his fist.

“It’s okay. Victoria. We have to go back now. To the capital. Right now.”

But that’s where I disagree with Victoria.

Victoria wants to go to Bern City, and Polaris wants to return to the capital.

“I didn’t know you’d go home alone, Victoria.”

“Oops.”

Victoria is looking at Polaris in confusion, and Polaris is trying to drag her along without any intention of persuading her. So when I say something, Victoria is visibly confused.

The tangled issues just keep pulling us in opposite directions here, so I stepped forward.

“That, Bell? How’s it going here?”

“He went home alone. Without saying a word to me.”

As I said that, I took out the note Victoria had left from my pocket. Then Victoria slowly avoided my gaze.

“First, let’s talk to each other. Let’s say this ship can’t be helped, and let’s stay here for a day. We need time to talk.”

To stay in this spot as much as possible.

I expected protests and bloodshed, but I ignored it and pointed to the village.

Polaris is glaring at him from the other side, as if asking why he isn’t helping her.

yes.

Sorry, but the events that take place in Bern City are quite warm. You will get that warmth here too.

2:1.

In the end, Polaris couldn’t resist and headed to the inn in town with Victoria.

The inn is located quite far from the town center.

Since there wasn’t even a large room, the three of us shared one room.

There’s only one bed. It’s a very narrow and musty single room. However, we paid for a double room.

Because there aren’t many rooms left in the whole village.

People who have come from far away to protest are staying here now.

The inns that were well located or had decent facilities didn’t have any rooms available.

So as soon as we entered the room, closed the door, and sat down, Victoria looked at us and asked us:

“No, why is Polaris here?”

Victoria looks at me and asks, not caring even though Polaris is glaring at her.

“I came looking for you because you escaped alone.”

“No, then how did you get here faster than me?”

“I came by airship.”

At my words, Victoria looks at Polaris with a look of realization.

“Wow, did Polar lend you the airship?”

“No. The royal family lent it to me.”

Victoria looks at me and gives me a brief exclamation. After all, I have royal ties, right?

“I see. Then, I’ll take that and go back. I’m planning to go see my parents and go back.”

“Can’t ride. The airship suddenly had a clockwork machine tearing people apart, and it shot magic to kill us on the ground! If we stay here like this, we might really die!”

Polaris screams.

Victoria looks at Polaris, who is crying hysterically, with an expression that seems to show that she has failed to understand what she is saying.

“Bell. What does this mean?”

You are asking for opinions from third parties.

“Someone doesn’t want people to enter Bern City. So they blockade the ports and land routes, and try to use clockwork machines to bring down anyone who comes by air. And to make matters worse, they try to eliminate them with military weapons.”

To sum it up neatly, this is it.

Polaris nodded in agreement with what I said, then walked over to Victoria and grabbed her clothes.

“Tori. Let’s go back. Those crazy guys didn’t hesitate to attack a ship with the royal seal on it. They’re out of their minds. And if they’re using weapons like that, then the military must be blocking this place!”

Thanks to that, my suspicions that the royal family was the culprit were reduced by half.

I thought the royal family was trying to make us disappear, but in that case, we can just deal with it at the military base. My identity is almost unknown compared to my name.

He wasn’t a particularly outstanding noble, and no one would say anything if he were killed in the royal palace.

First of all, a wind-up machine.

Even if that were true, why would I need to kill the crew with a clockwork machine? A knight disguised as a crew member could just come in and kill me.

Instead, they tried to attack and destroy the airship itself. It would be correct to assume that there was another group.

“Then, what? I can’t go into Bern City?”

“Did you see the people gathered in front of me earlier?”

Victoria nodded slowly in response to my question. I think I saw it, but I guess I can’t remember it for sure.

“Yeah.”

“People who are trying to enter Bern City like Victoria, but are being banned from entering, are protesting to be allowed to enter.”

Victoria frowned at my words. From the look on her face, I could tell she knew what I meant, but she didn’t want to accept it.

“What?”

“You heard right. It’s dangerous to go inside. Victoria.”

And I know that sounds like I’m saying Victoria’s parents are in danger.

It actually sets your eyes on fire, doesn’t it?

But, it was Polaris who held onto her.

“That’s right. Victoria. Let’s go back to the capital first. If you submit your opinion to His Majesty, you can come with the country’s soldiers. Okay?”

By the way, Polaris has really gotten weaker.

It looks like he’s trying to run away to the capital, completely different from what he’s shown so far. But this is the right thing to do.

It is foolish to put oneself in hell.

Victoria can do that, though.

“Pola. Go back to the capital first. I’ll go find my parents. You can take Belle back with you.”

Yeah, that’s right.

Victoria would say so. She has a strong will and believes that she can take risks alone.

To break it, do this:

“Are you leaving me behind? Maurice and Beatrice have a chance to accept me. And I can’t raise a dead person. Victoria.”

Worst case scenario.

If you fail because you didn’t take me when you had the chance to save me, Victoria will regret it greatly. And it’s obvious where Victoria will tip the scales between my risk and the safety of her family.

“Come with me. Bell.”

“Yes. Okay.”

That was the correct answer.

Meanwhile, Polaris looks at us with a distant expression.

“You guys will die if you do that.”

“I’d rather go and regret it than not go and regret it.”

Victoria responds firmly to Polaris’ words. The words of someone who opened their eyes in the worst situation and got out of the situation with only a crowbar are heavy.

It’s so terrifying that even in a situation where he’s transformed into a monster, he’s prepared to blow himself up along with all the monsters.

“Isn’t the bell scary?”

“Polaris Baluin Bearington.”

I will ruthlessly strike down the hand that Polaris extends. I will force a harsh reality on a young girl.

“I’m a monster. People should be afraid of me.”

That’s true, but few people realize it.

And now the way back is blocked too.

Kwaaang!

Over there. And a little faster than expected, flames shoot up from the center of town.

Soon, screams and explosions fill the town as it begins to darken. It’s easy to guess what happened.

As the protesters gathered earlier, soldiers also gathered. In this world, not all armies are owned by the royal family.

Although they are nominally owned by the crown, each noble has their own private army. Most of them have it under the name of Knights Templar, but they are different.

The nobles of Bern City have armies, not knights.

The reason this is allowed is because if the local nobles do not have soldiers, it will be difficult to deal with the wild monsters that are everywhere.

If you limit it, you’re basically asking yourself to die to wild monsters.

So it stayed for a long time, but this time the negative effects came out.

When the royal family asks how things are there, if the local nobles say that everything is going normally there, they have no choice but to believe them.

Of course, lies will eventually be found out. So I would not lie in response unless absolutely necessary.

If it’s not too much.

If the royal family says so, there must be a reason why they lied.

Either on the side of the crown, or having obtained the means to oppose the crown.

For example, those who control industries related to wind-up machinery.

In the world of faded memories, they are called international oil companies. Those who wield enormous capital sometimes surpass governments with a long history.

“What the heck! What’s going on! Why is there an explosion all of a sudden!”

I look at Polaris screaming as if she’s having a seizure and Victoria trying to calm her down in a panic.

Polaris has reached its limit. It’s nearly impossible for anyone to remain calm in this situation.

Smoke and explosions. And now, a magic circle appears in the air, cutting through the dark sky that has become the night sky.

In this world, even ordinary people sometimes use powerful magic. I came from a village that was frequently invaded by monsters, so I know how to use weapons quite well. There are also ordinary people like that.

If you try to suppress it with force, the force that pushes back is greater than the world in faded memories.

And there are a lot of people who have fallen there.

Hehehe.

“Someone is calling me, so think about where to run to.”

I left the two of them behind and went straight out.

It’s time to build a harvester.