The ship arrived at the harbor, and a bridge was placed to connect the ship to the dock. Immediately, people started rushing out from the ship.
Among the passengers disembarking, one person stood out: her exceptionally pale skin and purple hair.
Victoria Bet.
With a confident expression, she walked towards us from the harbor but suddenly stopped, shocked, looking at me and Polaris. Even Polaris’s face, seen through Victoria's eyes, showed a clear expression of surprise.
Polaris rushed toward Victoria. Due to her height, it almost looked like a child running energetically.
"Polaris? How did you get here?"
"It’s a miracle that we met like this. So, Tori, let’s head back to the capital right now."
Without needing to hear anything else, Polaris grabbed Victoria's arm and started walking toward the ship.
"Polaris? Polaris? Hey, it hurts, let go of my arm..."
"Ah... sorry."
Polaris, startled, pulled away from Victoria.
Hmm, she’s overreacting. Polaris is in a semi-panic state.
Victoria, almost about to get angry, seemed to notice Polaris’s condition, so she cautiously approached and took Polaris’s hand.
"Are you okay?"
Looking at Polaris through Victoria's eyes, fear was visibly leaking from her face. Her expression twisted, as though a dam that had been holding back emotions had suddenly broken.
But despite that, she suppressed it and clenched her fist, forcing the emotions back in.
"I’m fine. Victoria. We need to go back to the capital. Now."
However, that was where Victoria’s opinion diverged.
Victoria wanted to go to Vern City, while Polaris wanted to return to the capital.
"I didn’t think you would go home alone. Victoria."
"Ah."
Victoria was flustered as she looked at Polaris, and Polaris, without any intention of persuasion, tried to drag her along. After a brief comment from me, Victoria became visibly flustered.
The tangled issue only led to the two pulling in opposite directions. So, I stepped forward.
"Bell? How did you...?"
"You went home alone, without telling me."
I said that as I pulled out the note Victoria had left from my pocket. Victoria subtly avoided my gaze.
"First, let’s talk. We can’t do anything about this ship, but let’s stay here for a day. We need time to talk."
We need to stay here as long as possible.
I anticipated a protest and possibly even bloodshed from the demonstrators. But ignoring that, I pointed to the village.
Over there, Polaris shot me a glare, as if to ask why I wasn’t helping her.
Yeah.
Sorry, but the events that will unfold in Vern City are likely to be quite heated. The warmth of that situation will be here, too.
2:1.
In the end, Polaris couldn’t argue further and headed to the inn in the village with Victoria.
The inn was quite far from the center of the village.
Even then, there weren’t any big rooms, so the three of us shared a single room.
There was only one bed. It was a very cramped and musty single room. However, we paid for a double room.
Because there weren’t many available rooms in the entire village.
The people staging the protest from afar were staying here.
If the inn was in a good location or had decent facilities, there were no rooms left.
After entering the room, closing the door, and sitting down, Victoria looked at us and asked.
"Why is Polaris here?"
Ignoring Polaris’s glare, Victoria turned to me and asked.
"I came looking for you because you left alone."
"No, then how did you get here so fast?"
"I came on an airship."
Upon hearing this, Victoria looked at Polaris with a look of realization.
"Wait, did Polaris lend you the airship?"
"No, it was borrowed from the royal family."
Victoria gave a brief expression of admiration as she looked at me. After all, I do have ties to the royal family, don’t I?
"I see. Then go back on it. I plan to visit my parents and come back."
"I can’t. The airship’s spring mechanism killed the crew, and they used magic from the ground to try and kill us! We might actually die if we stay here like this!"
Polaris shouted in panic.
Victoria, unable to comprehend what she said, stared at the hysterical Polaris.
"Bell. What does that mean?"
Asking a third person for their opinion, huh?
"Someone doesn’t want people entering Vern City. So they blocked the harbor and land routes, and used the spring mechanism to try to make those coming from the air fall. And if that wasn’t enough, they planned to use military weapons to eliminate us."
To summarize neatly, that’s what happened.
Polaris nodded in agreement, then immediately grabbed Victoria’s clothes.
"Tori, let’s go back. These crazy people attacked even a ship with the royal seal on it without hesitation. They’re out of their minds. Moreover, using such weapons means the military is blocking this place!"
Because of that, suspicions about the royal family being the culprits were halved.
I thought the royal family was trying to make us disappear, but in that case, they could have handled it at a military base. Considering how little is known about me despite my name being famous.
I’m not particularly an outstanding noble, and it’s not like anyone would complain if the royal family just killed me.
Most importantly, the spring mechanism.
I could accept that, but why would they need to kill the crew with a spring mechanism? They could have just sent someone disguised as a crew member to kill me.
Instead, they attacked the airship itself and tried to destroy it. It’s more likely there’s another group behind this.
"So, what does that mean? We can’t get into Vern City?"
"Did you see the people gathered earlier?"
When I asked, Victoria slowly nodded her head. She seemed to have seen them, though she couldn’t clearly remember.
"Yeah."
"They are people protesting because they are being banned from entering Vern «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» City, just like you wanted to."
At my words, Victoria frowned deeply. Her expression showed she understood what I meant, but she didn’t want to accept it.
"What?"
"You heard me right. It’s dangerous inside, Victoria."
And I knew that this meant her parents were in danger too.
In fact, her eyes lit up with fire, didn’t they?
But, it was Polaris who held her back.
"That’s right, Victoria. First, let’s go back to the capital. If we send a report to His Majesty, we could come back with soldiers. Okay?"
That’s right, Polaris seemed to be much weaker now.
The confident demeanor she had shown before was nowhere to be seen. Now she was trying to escape to the capital. But this was the right choice.
Stepping into hell alone would be foolish.
She could do that, but...
"Polaris, go back to the capital first. I’ll search for my parents. We can bring Bell with us."
Yeah. That’s what Victoria would say. With a firm resolve, she believes she can face the danger alone.
To break that resolve, this is what I should say.
"Are you planning to leave me behind? Morris and Beatrice will have a chance to accept me. And I can’t bring back the dead, Victoria."
In the worst-case scenario.
If they don’t take me even though they have a chance to save me, Victoria will deeply regret it. And when it comes to the danger of me and the safety of her family, it’s clear where the balance will tip.
"Come with me, Bell."
"Yes, alright."
That was the right answer.
Meanwhile, Polaris looked at us with a distant expression.
"You’re both going to die."
"If I’m going to regret not going, I’d rather go and regret it."
Victoria firmly answered Polaris’s words. When someone who faced the worst situation and survived with nothing but a crowbar speaks, their words carry weight.
It’s terrifying, even in a situation where she’s becoming a monster, she’s prepared to self-destruct with all the other monsters.
"Isn’t Bell scared?"
"Polaris Balluin Barrington."
Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.
I coldly slapped away Polaris’s extended hand. It’s too cruel for a little girl to handle, showing her the harsh reality.
"I’m the monster. People should be scared of me."
It’s true. But most people probably don’t realize that.
And now, even the way back was blocked.
KWAANG!
Far in the distance. And a little faster than expected, flames rose from the center of the village.
Screams and explosions quickly filled the darkening village. It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened.
As the protesters gathered, soldiers gathered too. Not all the armies in this world belong to the royal family.
On paper, yes, they belong to the royal family, but nobles each hold private armies.
Most of these are knights, but these are different.
The nobles in Vern City have actual armies, not knights.
The reason this is allowed is that without soldiers, the local nobility would struggle to deal with wild monsters that roam the area.
If that’s restricted, it would be as if they were saying, "Die by the wild monsters."
So, they’ve kept their armies, but the consequences have come out now.
When the royal family asked how things were going, they had to believe that the local nobility said everything was running smoothly.
Of course, lies always get exposed eventually. So they wouldn’t lie unless they had to.
If they did, there must be a reason.
They’re either on the royal family’s side or have found a way to oppose the royal family.
For example, those controlling the spring mechanism industry.
In the faded memories of the past, these were called international oil corporations. They wield enormous capital and can sometimes even overthrow governments with a history.
"What’s going on! Why is there suddenly an explosion!"
I looked at Polaris, who screamed like she was having a seizure, and Victoria, who was trying to comfort her.
Polaris had reached her limit. It’s almost impossible for anyone to stay calm in such a situation.
Smoke and explosions. And now, a magic circle appeared in the air, cutting through the dark sky.
In this world, even ordinary people sometimes use powerful magic. I’ve lived in a village often invaded by monsters, so I know how to use weapons pretty well.
If you try to suppress with force, the resistance is even greater than in the faded memory world.
And there are fallen people all over.
Hehe.
"Someone’s calling me, so think about where you’ll run to."
I immediately stepped outside, leaving the two behind.
It’s time to create some harvesters.