When we returned to the inn, we decided to change our clothes first.

Currently, I am dressed in clothing that could easily blend along with the citizens.
I’m also changing my undershirt and underwear everytime that I can.

[Should I leave the room for a while?]
[No, it’s no problem.]
[All right.]

We both turn our backs around each other and started changing our clothes.
I could hear all kinds of sounds of the rustling clothes.
I feel like the sounds we’re making were different.
I kind of feel like my sounds were rougher.
Maybe you could also find out someone’s personality at times like this…
I finished changing my clothes a bit faster than Seras.

[Well then, I guess we should start packing our things.]

Seras fastens her belt.

[Yes.]

We then started gathering our luggage and putting them back into our bags.
Pigimaru who had been house-sitting coiled around my body under my robe.

[Pyuuu~♪]

Seras charmingly smiles.

[You really like Touka-dono huh, Pigimaru-dono?]
[Pyyuu.]
[I also like you too, Pigimaru.]
[Pii! Pyuuu~♪]

I carry my backpack on my shoulders.
My luggage has increased for a bit.
Is it about time I started thinking about bringing along a luggage carrier with us?

[Now then… Preparations complete. After this, we would now wait at that bridge in front of the large front gate just as we planned.]

Finishing the formalities, we left the inn.
There are still many people walking around at this time of the night.
The night breeze feels rather cold.
However, you could also say that it’s mildly refreshing.

Kyururu~

[Unnghh…]

That sound just now…
Is that Seras’ stomach?
Seras awkwardly turns away.

[That’s quite embarrassing of me…]
[Well, we haven’t had our dinner yet, right?]

We went out to the main street.
Standing in front of the food stalls, we bought some light dinner.
This is one of the convenient advantages of being in large cities.
There would always be stalls available even at night.
As expected though, there are no stores that are open 24 hours just like those convenience stores back in my world.
I bought some cylinder-shaped meat skewer.
It kind of looks like a tsukune skewer. (T/N: Chicken meatball skewer often cooked yakitori style)

[Nom…]

Biting into it…

[Hmm?]

It hardly had any seasonings.
Well, it’s fine as long as I get full.
While eating, we started walking our skewers.

[Omnom… I’ve just thought about this while we were buying those skewers earlier.]

While eating her skewer little by little, Seras speaks.

[While you’re acting, I sometimes feel like I’m seeing an illusion that you’re just a stranger in front of me. Is that what you’re talking about, blending along the surroundings and becoming less conspicuous…?]

I remembered my uncle’s family.

[It’s because I couldn’t afford to let others see through my acting.]

I had always been acting as the “Kind Mimori Touka”.
That’s right— It’s so that my uncle’s family wouldn’t know.
If they were to see through my acting, they may become worried about me.
I understood that.
They would think that I’m overdoing it and acting like a “good child”.
If my uncle’s family were to be concerned about me, they would be worried sick.
That they may have been lacking when they’re taking care of me.

That’s why, it’s necessary for me to act like “I’m not overdoing it”.

[So, that’s something you learnt because it’s necessary?]
[…Yeah.]

I look towards Seras who still had some meat residues beside her mouth.

[On the contrary, you may be too noticeable.]
[A- As I thought, that’s the case huh? I tried to blend into the surroundings and eliminate my presence but…]

The ability to alter your appearance by the power of the spirit of light.
She can’t greatly deviated from her original appearance.
In short, no matter how much changes she makes in her appearance, she can’t completely hide her beauty.
As a result, she tends to attract the eyes of the public.
Besides her beauty, Seras also had many other factors that attract the opposite sex.
It seems that she had received several invitations from men while she’s collecting information.
Well, how should I say this…
Seras doesn’t have any hint of mobness in her.

[There are things that we can’t do even when you put in our utmost effort. And most of all, nobody is perfect. For example, like that place.]

I pointed my finger beside my mouth.
Informing her the area where meat residues were left.

[Ah.]

Seras looked surprised.
She then proceeds to take out a white cloth from her pocket.
Subsequently though, she went closer towards me.

Hmm?

[Please excuse my discourtesy… should I wipe it off?]

Seras extends her hand out closer to my mouth.
Though, I immediately hold Seras’ arm.

[Milord?]
[I’m not talking about my face.]
[Not Milord’s face…? Ah—]

It seems that she finally noticed.

[Umm—]
[I’ll borrow that for a sec.]

Snatching away the cloth in her hand, I wipe away the meat residues from Seras’ mouth.

[…Excuse me.]

I exhale out a bit.
How should I say this…

[It would be better if things don’t suddenly get strange…]

▽

I could already see the bridge in front of the large front gate.
There’s hardly any people around the area.
I walked towards the side of the bridge and stopped there together with Seras.
For the time being, we stood in a place that can’t be seen from the large front gate.
It’s so that we could avoid being seen by the guards.
Putting down my luggage for a moment, I take out my pocket watch.
We have around 4 hours until we reach the limit of time we could wait…

[It’s unexpectedly difficult to act like a stupidly honest good person who’s firm on his conviction…]

There are some easy things you could do when you’re being stupidly honest.
Most of all, Eve is…

[Do you want her to accompany us to the Demon Zone, MIlord?]

Standing next to me, Seras asks.

[She’s the strongest Blood Champion after all… I just think that it would be a great advantage for us if Eve becomes our comrade in some way.]

That’s right…

[If we were thinking about the future…]
[Whichever it may be, I will follow your decision.]

I look towards the Blood Colosseum.

[Even if she were to survive today, Eve Speed would still have to decide which way to escape from Monroy.]

The problem is “when” she will escape.

Before her duel?
During her duel?
After her duel?

[At some point, Eve would know what reality really is.]

However, we will be out of that tomorrow.
No matter whichever time it may be…
It will be troublesome for us to interfere tomorrow.
It may be possible for us to save Eve.

However, if that were to happen, it will cause a lot of fuss in the royal capital.

According to how I read her situation, Eve will not be able to leave the royal capital tomorrow.
In other words, we will need to take action in the royal capital if we want to save her.
As a result, there’s a risk that the goddess might know of my existence.
I want to avoid it for the meantime.

The whereabouts of the Witch of Taboos.
The risk of being perceived by the goddess.

These two were two sides in a balance.
And I’ve chosen to avoid the latter.

That’s why at the time that the day changes, we would leave Eve behind and depart from Monroy, aiming towards the Demon Zone just as we planned.

The time limit is until the time I designated before.

This is all the compromise I could do.

The rest would be— depending on what Eve chooses.

Seras casts her eyes downwards.

[Is there even a future where she gains her freedom as a Blood Champion and live peacefully with the young girl?]
[None.]

I refuted.

[As far as what I have heard from the citizens, Eve’s owner, Duke Zuan is one of those sh*tty bastards. There’s no bright future waiting for them. Genuine garbage like him would always be poison towards good people.]

I already know how toxic garbage could be.

[Genuine garbage would always make sure to thoroughly eat the good people. They would even go as far as sucking up their bone marrows… until they’re no longer useful.]

That is the reason why my uncle broke off with his brother, my father.
Even so, my father pushed me towards my uncle.
Because he knew that he couldn’t abandon a pitiful child.

Seras looks disappointed.

[Is there no chance of a happy ending?]
[None.]

I don’t have any confidence when the other person is garbage.

I don’t even have any hopeful observation in this situation.

[As long as Eve Speed stays as a stupidly honest good person, the happy ending will never appear. That’s right—]

Unless someone who spreads poison himself controls the poison that’s currently ruining Eve’s life.

▽

As time passed, the number of people who people who goes in and out of my sight decreased.

Humans are meant to sleep at night.
I saw such a story on the internet before.

[I wonder, will she come?]
[I don’t know… I don’t really have any confidence myself.]

Eve’s personality.
Information about Eve.
The people surrounding Eve.
The circumstances surrounding Eve.
Our behaviour when we spoke with her…

[I think we already did what we could.]

We already did our best.
After that would be which direction her eyes would turn.

Even back then, I had always been gambling.

Even back when I confronted with the Soul Eater in the Disposal Ruins…

Even when I faced Civit…

There is no absolute victory in all those cases.

There is no certainty of my victory.

That’s why, this time would also be a gamble.

Whether it would be my win or not.

Which side would the balance tilt?

[Even so—]

I snorted.

[If I don’t see any chance of success, I wouldn’t have bothered waiting here.]

As the lights in the road began disappearing one after another, we are waiting until that time arrives.