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The rattling inside the train.

No one opened their mouths.

Only the Hunter was quietly preparing the corpse of the Outsider they had just brought.

Agartha, feeling awkward, was looking out the window, while Asti remained expressionless but glaring at the Hunter with a fierce look.

And the Hunter, as if nothing had happened, was simply staring blankly into space.

Still tied up, of course.

Right, right.

Let’s think positively for now.

Fortunately, the Hunter didn’t seem to hold any ill will against me, so if we could communicate now, we could return to Rondan and dismantle the rebel group.

Then Rondan would surely return to normal.

With that thought, I looked at the Hunter.

As if sensing my gaze, the Hunter looked at me almost simultaneously.

Suddenly locking eyes, I froze.

What is this feeling?

Is it the kind of fear that prey feels in front of a tiger?

Or is it the fear of death that makes a person weep?

“Hunter.”

“….”

“How about calming down a bit? You won’t do that anymore, right?”

“….”

“I need an answer.”

“….”

Seeing them merely blink in silence, I became convinced.

Well, the moment those ropes come off, it’s going to be chaos again.

“…Now even a person who has given up on being a woman’s heart is racing?”

At that moment, the Gardener’s voice came through.

I thought it was teasing, but there was something prickly about it that didn’t seem intended that way.

No, I feel wronged too!

I didn’t do anything; it was the Hunter who just freaked out on their own!

“…I know that too.”

But still.

Having come this far, I wasn’t someone who wouldn’t know what the Gardener meant.

Let’s spend some time together later. How about a blizzard date this time?

“…!”

Maybe my sudden words stimulated them; I could picture the Gardener’s blush in my mind.

“D-do you not say anything to the Princess!”

“Woof! Woof woof!”

The Dragon Slayer, flustered, barked like Bell, who also seemed irritated.

Hmm.

What should I do?

The summoning of Outsiders seems to have a limit of twice a day.

Then, if the Outsiders could take turns, wouldn’t it be a bit more manageable?

As I reached that thought, the Outsiders were already playing rock-paper-scissors among themselves.

…It was a bit surprising that the Record Keeper hadn’t showed up even in such a situation.

They said they harbored feelings for me, but was it just a line thrown out for fun?

Well, how could I stop an Outsider acting however they pleased?

“T-Tanton.”

Then Agartha spoke to me first.

Was the silence too burdensome for her?

“Yes.”

“Are you okay? You almost went through something scary all of a sudden.”

“Yes, well. In the end, I wasn’t hurt, right? And I understood why the Hunter was behaving like that.”

At my words, Agartha went, “Ah,” and looked back out the window.

Suddenly, what’s this?

Earlier she was sneering like it was fun, and now she’s worried?

Is this person secretly a dual personality or something?

As I thought that, the train shook more violently.

“We’ve arrived at Gerun, Sir Tanton.”

The Hunter finished preparing the Outsider’s corpse and spoke to me.

“I’m just grateful that our Gerun can provide enough firewood to last us a few more years,” he said, expressing his gratitude.

“…You really brought back the corpse of the Outsider.”

“Indeed, Your Grace. Without Sir Tanton’s help, I would never have captured it.”

The Hunter displayed the cruelly prepared corpse of the Outsider before the Duke, who grimaced at the sight.

Noticing the Duke’s reaction, the Hunter quickly wrapped the corpses back in cloth, and only then did the Duke let out a sigh of relief.

“Hunter, I am always thankful to you. Even if you had help from Sir Tanton this time, you still assisted in the journey.”

“True enough, Your Grace.”

“I will provide you with the conditions you need to grow to your fullest. Now that we have a bit of time to spare.”

“…!”

The Hunter’s face lit up at that comment.

“This is all my fault. I am just receiving from you; I should have thought about how to assist you. Thank you for giving me a chance to reflect.”

“I am the one deeply grateful, Your Grace.”

The Hunter bowed his head with an expression filled with emotion, and the Duke looked at him with satisfaction.

A mix of sadness seemed to lurk in his expression, perhaps out of regret for not doing this sooner.

Having finished dealing with the Hunter, the Duke’s gaze soon landed on me.

“Now then, what should we give to Sir Tanton, who made the greatest contribution to this hunt?”

“Other than that coal I requested last time, I really don’t need anything.”

“Still, it doesn’t sit right with me. If I send you back like this, I might never see you again.”

Just as the Duke said, I would return and quell the rebels, taking the Hunter as a hostage.

After that, I would have plenty of time to stay ensconced in Rondan for the sake of its protection.

“Your kind words alone are already enough reward for me,” I said.

“You speak so beautifully, Sir Knight.”

Yet still, there was a hint of worry on the Duke’s face; he didn’t appear completely at ease.

In that case…

“Then, will you assist us every time Rondan finds itself in danger?”

“Are you saying I must always respond to requests for aid?”

“I don’t know yet, but more dangerous Outsiders could appear in the future, and the Candle Legion might come rushing in unexpectedly like last time. If you could provide support each time, Rondan could enjoy a more peaceful time.”

“Hmm… I wonder if Gerun’s army will be significant enough to help Rondan.”

The Duke seemed to be deep in thought.

This wasn’t a unilateral demand for aid; it was for the development of Gerun.

Through this conversation, the Duke would likely strive to strengthen the army further to assist me, and given the unimpressive wealth, he’d probably handle most of it on a pro bono basis.

In that process, the residents of Gerun, who once struggled, wouldn’t let such an opportunity slip away.

It’s often said that in the dark fantasy world, a dragon can rise from a muddy river, and that could happen here too.

The Duke seemed to nod as if he had finished thinking and wore a more relaxed expression.

“I understand. No matter what happens, even if I cannot heed the Princess’s words, I will definitely listen to your plea for assistance.”

Uh, wait.

I didn’t expect that much.

As I showed my surprise, the Duke chuckled like it was amusing.

“I’m joking. But I must tell you in advance, don’t ever tell the Princess.”

“Of course not.”

We need to keep our humor light.

That was a bone-chilling joke.

“Yes, then I’ll take my leave, Your Grace.”

“Thank you so much, Sir Tanton. If you ever find yourself in Gerun, I will treat you with utmost respect.”

After bowing politely to the Duke, I took the still-bound Hunter with me and boarded Agartha’s train.

—

Thus, the three of us reunited and returned to Rondan.

First, since the Hunter was the boss of the rebels, I didn’t think it was appropriate to keep their female appearance, so I sought Agartha’s help to dress them up convincingly.

The voice altered by the scarf covering their mouth… It was somewhat convincing enough to consider it just a cold, so we decided to take them along.

Still, the Hunter seemed keen on keeping the rebel group intact, perhaps still harboring resentment toward the Knights.

But the Knights prioritized efficiency, telling me to adopt the quickest way to grow stronger and didn’t particularly encourage the use of Outsiders.

As we approached the Hearth, we sensed that the situation had become serious.

The number of protestors had risen dramatically.

“Uh, wait.”

The rebel group was this large?

People are easily swayed, so it might be an unavoidable phenomenon.

But still, this could end with just one word from the Hunter.

I glanced at the Hunter, who blinked and shifted their gaze to the crowd, taking a deep breath.

“Geit, enough! The rebel activity ends here!”

Fortunately, without any nonsense, he spoke the demands I wanted.

…But then I noticed the Hunter looking at me as if they wanted something, so I diligently shifted my gaze elsewhere to avoid eye contact.

Was this news like a bolt from the blue to the rebel group?

A man, flustered, rushed forward.

“W-what do you mean, Hunter?!”

He shouted as he approached us, seeming shocked to see the Hunter captured.

His hesitation was clear, a reflection of an improvised group.

Then came another man behind him, who, unlike the first, carried a calm demeanor.

“…Hunter.”

“Geit, it’s over. I command you to stop.”

As the Hunter stated matter-of-factly, Geit let out a smile that seemed desolate.

“If it’s the Hunter speaking, I’ll heed your words.”

I could see the accumulation of feelings toward the Knights on Geit’s face, which seemed frustrated.

That’s that.

I need to report back to the Deputy Director quickly and reactivate the Knights…

“What’s that?!”

At that moment, someone among the protestors pointed and exclaimed in alarm.

We instinctively turned our heads toward the sound, facing an alarming situation.

The Knights had been inactive for a long time, and the Hunter had been absent for quite a while.

This only meant that Outsiders could operate freely around Rondan.

So, it was inevitable that I gritted my teeth at the sight of women scaling the castle wall.

“Agartha, Asti.”

“Yes.”

Both Asti and Agartha responded in unison.

“Please help evacuate the people.”

“What do you mean? Are you saying Tanton will stop them alone?!”

“Leydan, no.”

Agartha and Asti tried to dissuade me, but I couldn’t just stand by.

With the Deputy Director nowhere to be found, remaining idle would only amplify the Outsiders’ damage.

“…!”

And Agartha and Asti looked surprised at my actions.

I untied the Hunter, who then stretched their body as if feeling relieved.

…It seemed like their outfit was quite different, as there was a peculiar volume swaying about.

The Hunter shot me a blank look.

“You know what I’m about to do?”

“What are you going to do? Outsider hunting, of course. Isn’t that your job?”

Perhaps due to my normal tone, the Hunter looked a bit surprised, then quickly calmed down and extended their hand.

They likely meant to request a double-barreled shotgun.

When Agartha tossed the double-barreled shotgun she was carrying, the Hunter caught it with style and fired mercilessly at an approaching Outsider.

“Ugh!”

An Outsider fell to the ground, hit in the leg.

The Hunter coolly walked toward the Outsiders, then turned back toward me.

“So it seems you are refreshing in this regard too.”

“…I decided not to repeat the same mistakes as last time.”

“Tsk, a obvious statement.”

The Hunter aimed the gun back at the Outsiders.

“Just don’t regret untieing me later.”

“…I won’t, will I?!”

“That’s a bit hard to promise.”

“Crazy.”

I retorted sarcastically as the Hunter unhesitatingly spoke insane words.

The Outsider Wars begin after the Candle Wars.

 

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