There's a word for it.
　Words have power, and sometimes they affect reality. ...... cannot be laughed off as a story because we know that there is magic and witchcraft, the art of transforming words into power.

　Or - is it because this is how it happens in reality?

Sorry about that ....... I'm sorry, we were just saying too much.
No, it's not that kind of joke that causes this to happen. You don't need to feel sorry for yourself.

　Although he smiled wryly at that, the unexpectedly serious look on Leeds' face as he bowed his head may be a sign of the seriousness of the situation.
　Thinking about this, Allen turns his gaze out the window and squints.
　Now, what to do.

　--The short version of the current situation is that the city has been sealed off and you can't get out.

　That happened this morning.
　I've been able to replenish the magic stone and get enough rest yesterday, so now we're going to get back into the swing of things: ...... We were chatting over breakfast when we suddenly heard the call.
　The entrance to the city is blocked off and no one is allowed to go out of the city.

　If the reason for doing so is unknown, then how long the blockade will last is also unknown.
　But if it was nothing serious, they wouldn't have shut down the city first thing in the morning.
　I don't even know whose decision it was, but at least there was something going on.

Well, we don't know what's going on, but we can only force our way through ...... when the need arises.
I wouldn't want to do it if I could. I don't know where it would affect me. ...... And I'm telling Curtis that he's not much of a fighter.
"I feel like ...... Allen wouldn't be surprised?
Well, we're already doing a lot of things.

　Even though many things are said, it's only a wash and a bath at best.
　It's also surprising to see that he has a high performance storage system magic tool, but it's Leeds', not Allen's. At least it's not Allen's.
　At least it's not Allen's fault.

It's all well and good to know about ......, but at any rate, we'll have to wait until we know a little more about it.
Yes, ...... and maybe we can work something out.
"...... depends on Curtis
That's it.

　Allen and the others are currently in the same hotel where they stayed yesterday.
　Since we don't know what's going to happen, we've chosen to stay indoors for now.
　Yesterday, Allen, Rees and the others had separate rooms, but they're together now for discussion and just in case.

　But Curtis is the only one out there with an escort.
　To gather information and, depending on the situation, to negotiate if we can get out on our own.

　If Allen and the others go out poorly because of not knowing the situation, it could cause problems, but as an imperialist and a member of the royal family, that risk is minimal for Curtis.
　The risk is still there, of course, but Aren and the others have to get to the imperial capital as soon as possible.
　You can either wait for this all to be over without taking any risks, or you can take action so that you can leave the city as soon as possible, even if it means taking some risks.
　Allen and his team ...... or rather Curtis chose the latter.

　And while we were talking about this, there was a knock at the door of the room.
　I was not alarmed by it, but I responded casually because I knew who was coming.

　The door opened and Curtis appeared.

Welcome back. How was ......, do you think I don't need to ask?
But at the same time, I guess I need to ask you to elaborate?

　Allen and the others said that because Curtis' condition was clearly depressed.
　It seems that, far from being able to get out of the city, the situation is much worse.

　To affirm our assumption, Curtis let out a sigh and nodded weakly.

...... yes. Honestly, it was as close to the worst situation I could think of.
"Close to the worst," says ......, "what the hell happened to you?
"If you say so at ......, did you get the information?
Yes, fortunately I have an understanding of the current situation: ...... "Well, I'll start with the conclusion: the Kuro Wolf Knights were the ones blocking the city. It was the Kuro Wolf Knights who blockaded the city.
...... I see, that sure sounds close to the worst.

　At that moment Allen was convinced because he could read exactly what the words meant.

　Due to the nature of the mission ...... , that is, because the Kuro Wolf Knights have to perform extremely difficult tasks in many ways, basically everyone participates when they go on a mission.
　They may be scattered for mission reasons, but they will not be assigned to different missions at the same time.

　And even though they are two or three days ahead of each other, the imperial capital is still a long way off.
　That means that the mission is still ongoing, and if you encounter the Kuro Wolf Knights under any circumstances other than ...... catching up, that is--

From what I've learned, they're looking for something, and that's why they've gone to the trouble of locking down the city. And there is currently only a limited amount of what they are looking for.
"Something that could lead to the Emperor's assassins: ...... or--
"We (・・・・), are we (......),
...... Yes, I wish I could tell you that they just happened to have some information here that could lead to the Emperor's assassins. I hope they just happened to get a tip that there is something here that could lead to the Emperor's assassins: ......
It's too good a time to be true, or too optimistic.
"...... means you got caught?
At the very least, you had better think about it and act accordingly.

　There is a firm sharing of information about what the Kuro Wolf Knights are all about.
　This is probably why everyone seems to be well aware of the current situation.

　In short, it's possible that the Kuro Wolf Knights are aiming at you and that Curtis was swept away.

　The reason why Curtis had gone into hiding for two days was because if he was found out, he would be suspected.
　But what if the truth is that he was found out and was overlooked?
　What if he pretended to be unaware that he was being surveilled?

　In that case, Curtis would have fallen right into the trap.
　He asked Allen and the others for help.

　Without knowing the specifics of the story, it seems that he asked for help and then went on to the Imperial City.
　From this, it is not far-fetched to think that he is trying to recapture his captive Henriette.
　And it's equally plausible to think that Allen and his team were Henriette's collaborators.

　That doesn't have to be true.
　It's important to be able to make that claim.



　There is no doubt that the empire is in dire straits at the point when Henriette is captured.
　Perhaps, if you don't reveal who assassinated the emperor at any cost, many things are beginning to get in the way.

　It doesn't matter if it's a false accusation or not, it still needs to be convincing.
　In such a situation, Allen and his team's move can reinforce the story that Henriette is the culprit.
　There's no reason not to catch her.

　Then why they didn't catch her is simply a matter of strength.
　According to Curtis' story, the number of the Kuro Wolf Knights was small.
　It's about five people and that's why they were able to stay hidden, but I'm sure the other side knew there was a chance they would miss with that number.

　That's why this city is here.
　According to Curtis, this city is a basic stopover on his way to the imperial capital.
　So it's not hard to keep a net here.
　That's how they sealed off the city and locked it away.

　of course this is possible overthinking.
　But it's too good to be true.

　And if it's not, there's no problem.
　We'll just laugh about how we overthought it.
　But if that's true, then there's only a problem, and we should have worked on that assumption for now.

　However, there's not much you can actually do.
　There was almost no chance of getting off the hook.

"Well, ...... I wonder what's going on?

　While looking around the place, Allen muttered as he let out a sigh.