The ship arrived at the port and a bridge connecting the port and the ship was laid. Then people came pouring out from inside.
And among the disembarking passengers, there's a noticeably white skin and purple hair that stands out.
Victoria Bete.
Walking from the port towards us with a dignified expression, she suddenly looks surprised to see me and Polaris. Polaris's face is also full of surprise as seen through Victoria's eyes.
Polaris ran to Victoria. Due to her height, it looks like a child running pitter-patter.
"Pola? How did you come here?"
"It's a miracle we met like this. So, Tori. Let's return to the capital right now."
As if there's no need to hear anything else, she tries to walk towards the ship holding Victoria's arm.
"Pola? Polaris? Um, it hurts, so my arm..."
"Ah... sorry."
Polaris was startled and moved away from Victoria.
Hmm. It's an oversensitive reaction. Polaris is in a half-panic state.
Victoria was about to get angry but seemed to notice Polaris's state, so she carefully approached and held Polaris's hand.
"Are you okay?"
Looking at Polaris through Victoria's eyes, fear is seeping out of Polaris's face drop by drop. Her expression is greatly distorted as if a dam she's been holding back has burst.
But while pushing that back down again, Polaris clenched her fist.
"I'm fine. Victoria. We need to go back now. To the capital. Right now."
But that's where her opinion diverges from Victoria's.
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."
"Ah."
Victoria is looking at Polaris in confusion, and Polaris is trying to drag her away without any intention of persuading. So when I said that, Victoria noticeably panics.
The entangled problem here is just pulling in opposite directions. So I stepped forward.
"Um, Belle? How are you here?"
"You went home alone. Without saying a word to me."
I said that while taking out the note Victoria had written and left from my pocket. Then Victoria slightly avoids my gaze.
"First, let's talk to each other. Let's say this ship can't be helped, and stay here for a day first. We need time to talk."
As much as possible, to stay in this place.
I'm expecting a bloodshed to occur with the protesters. But ignoring that, I pointed to the village.
Even though Polaris is glaring at me with an expression asking why I'm not helping her.
Yes.
I'm sorry, but the event that will unfold in Bern City is quite warm. I'll obtain that warmth from here too.
2:1.
In the end, Polaris couldn't throw a tantrum and headed to an inn in the village with Victoria.
We took a room quite far from the center of the village.
Even then, there were no large rooms available, so the three of us entered one room.
There's one bed. It's a quite narrow and stuffy single room. However, we paid for a double room rate to enter.
Because there aren't many rooms left in the entire village.
People who came from far away to protest are staying here now.
Inns with good locations or decent facilities had no rooms at all.
So after entering such a room and closing the door, as soon as we sat down, Victoria looked at us and asked:
"No, why is Polaris here?"
Despite Polaris glaring, Victoria asks me while looking at me.
"Because you slipped out alone, we came to find you."
"No, then how did you arrive faster than me?"
"We came by airship."
At my words, Victoria looks at Polaris with an expression of realization.
"Wow, don't tell me Pola lent you an airship?"
"No. The royal family lent it."
Victoria briefly exclaims while looking at me. I'm in a state of having connections with the royal family, after all.
"I see. Then, go back riding that. I'm planning to see my parents and come back."
"We can't ride it. The clockwork machines in the airship suddenly tore people apart and killed them, and they fired magic from the ground to kill us! If we stay here like this, we might really die!"
Polaris shouts like a scream.
Victoria is looking at the hysterical Polaris with an expression that failed to understand those words.
"Belle. What does this mean?"
She's asking a third party for an opinion.
"Someone doesn't want people to enter Bern City. So they blocked the port and land routes, and tried to make people coming by air crash using clockwork machines. Not content with that, they even tried to eliminate us using military weapons just in case."
If I summarize it neatly, this is it.
Polaris nods in agreement to my words, and immediately approaches Victoria and grasps her clothes.
"Tori. Let's go back. Those crazy bastards didn't hesitate to attack even a ship with the royal seal drawn on it. They're not in their right minds. Moreover, seeing them use such weapons, it means the army is blocking this place!"
Thanks to that, suspicion that the royal family might be the culprit was halved.
I thought the royal family might be trying to make us disappear, but in that case, they could have dealt with it at the military base. Despite my name being known, my true identity is hardly known.
I'm not a particularly outstanding noble, and no one would say anything even if the royal family killed me.
Above all, the clockwork machines.
Even if it's me, where's the need to kill the crew with clockwork machines? They could just have someone disguised as a crew member come in and kill only me.
Instead of doing that, they tried to attack and destroy the airship itself. It would be right to think there's another group.
"Then, what? We can't enter Bern City?"
"Did you see the people gathered in front earlier?"
At my question, Victoria slowly nodded. It seems she saw them but doesn't remember clearly.
"Yes."
"They're people protesting to be let in because, like Victoria, they want to enter Bern City. But it's prohibited."
At my words, Victoria greatly frowned. Judging by her expression, Victoria understood what I meant, but didn't want to accept it.
"What?"
"You heard right. It's dangerous to go inside. Victoria."
And I know this will sound like saying Victoria's parents are in danger.
Her eyes are actually burning, right?
But the one who restrained her was Polaris.
"That's right. Victoria. Let's return to the capital first. If we submit an opinion to His Majesty like this, we can come back with the country's soldiers. Okay?"
By the way, Polaris has really weakened.
The appearance she's shown until now is nowhere to be seen, and she's showing signs of wanting to flee to the capital. But this is the right thing.
It's foolish to step into hell on your own.
Well, Victoria can do, but.
"Pola. You go back to the capital first. I'm going to look for my parents. You can take Belle back with you."
Yes. That's right.
That's what Victoria would say. With firm will, she thinks it's enough if only she faces the danger.
To break that, do this:
"Are you going to leave me behind? Morris and Beatrice have a chance to accept me. And I can't revive dead people. Victoria."
Worst case scenario.
If she fails for the reason of not taking me along despite having a chance to save them, Victoria will greatly regret it. And it's obvious which way Victoria will tip the scales between my danger and her family's safety.
"Come, with me. Belle."
"Yes. Alright."
That was the right answer.
Meanwhile, Polaris looks at us with a distant expression.
"You'll die if you do that."
"I'd rather regret going than regret not going."
Victoria answers Polaris's words firmly. The words of a person who navigated through the worst situation with just a crowbar when she woke up are heavy.
It's terrifying to the extent that she was determined to self-destruct with all the monsters even in a situation where she herself was turning into a monster.
"Aren't you scared, Belle?"
"Polaris Baluin Bearington."
I'll coldly brush off Polaris's outstretched hand. I'll present a reality too harsh for a young girl to handle.
"I'm a monster. It's people who should be afraid of me."
It's true. But hardly anyone would be aware of that.
And now the way back is blocked too.
Boom!
Far away. And a little faster than expected, flames rise from the center of the village.
Immediately, screams and explosions fill the village that's starting to darken. It's easy to guess what happened.
Earlier, as more protesters gathered, soldiers also gathered together. In this world, not all armies are owned by the royal family.
Nominally, the royal family owns them, but nobles each have their own private armies. Most have them under the name of knightly orders, but these are different.
The nobles of Bern City have armies, not knights.
The reason this is allowed is because it's difficult to deal with wild monsters all around if local nobles don't have soldiers.
If you restrict that, it means you're telling them to die by wild monsters.
So it remained like that, but this time its harmful effects came out.
When the royal family asked how things were there, if the local nobles say everything is flowing normally here, they have no choice but to believe it.
Of course, lies are bound to be discovered eventually. So they wouldn't usually answer with lies unless it's really necessary.
Usually.
There must be a reason they answered with a lie when the royal family asked like that.
Either they're on the same side as the royal family, or they've obtained means to oppose the royal family.
For example, those who hold the industry related to clockwork machines.
In the world of faded memories, they're called international oil companies. Those who wield enormous capital sometimes even surpass governments with history.
"What! What's going on! Why are explosions suddenly happening!"
I look at Polaris who's shouting like she's having a fit and Victoria who's trying to calm her down in confusion.
Polaris has reached her limit. It's nearly impossible for everyone to remain calm in this situation.
Smoke and explosions. And now magic circles appear in the air, cutting through the dark sky that has become night.
In this world, even ordinary people occasionally use powerful magic. There are also ordinary people who say, "I lived in a village often invaded by monsters, so I know how to use weapons quite well."
If you try to suppress with force, the power to resist is also greater than in the world in faded memories.
And there are lots of fallen people there.
Hehe.
"There are people calling me, so think about where to escape."
I left the two of them and immediately went outside.
It's time to make harvesters.