I wondered if a white haze had settled under my feet, and even the smell of the wind softened.
　The night shakes off its weight like a rug and gradually becomes clearer and lighter. That's the sign of the dawn. The streets of Akiba were still shrouded in darkness, but there was already none of the chest-crushing weight of midnight.
　The sky gradually changed its hue to a crystal clear dark blue. The silence may remain the same, but time is still flowing.

　After a night's patrol, Akatsuki was exhausted.
　An adventurer's stamina can't be beaten after a night or so of all-nighters, but the nerves that had been strained by the task of searching for the enemy bring more fatigue to the mind than to the body.
I'm hungry...
　I think so. I want to drink warm potage.
　Nyanta's special potage soup with a lot of corn in it.
　But we are on a crumbling elevated railway track. The friends of the Record Horizon are in their deepest sleep before the dawn. I can't beg for warmth.
　In the first place, this late night wanderings are a secret from the guild. Jealous of his fellow guild members, he wants to become as powerful as the adventurers of a large combat guild, so he sneaks out of the home almost every night to chase a killer. There's no way she can tell her friends about that.

　Looking down at the gradually brightening city, Akatsuki sighed deeply.
　You can't say that, and the reason why you are feeling tired is because you are aware that this search itself is ultimately nothing more than Akatsuki's own selfishness. The desire to gain power is an ego. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one. Moreover, Akatsuki knows that chasing a murderer is a cloud-grabbing proposition.
　It's true that if he chased the murderer, he might be able to witness the battle of the high ranking guilds.
　If they did so, they might be able to see the oral traditions they were manipulating.
　Hopefully, we'll be able to find some hints of it.
　None of this is hypothetical. It's a sloppy course of action with a lot of "maybes".
　Akatsuki is aware of such a thing. So I can't tell my friends.

　Crossing over the Chuo Street, Akatsuki walks along the elevated railroad tracks toward Akiba Central.
　The darkness is gone and the early morning has come to Akiba's streets. The cold breeze that cut through his skin, typical of winter mornings, robbed Akatsuki of his body heat from his cheeks. His body was cold after spending the night in a ninja outfit so that he could be ready for battle at any time. It had been a good half of the night when he'd been moving around, maintaining a sense of urgency, but he'd been frozen as the night dawned and he'd been looking out at the city in a daze.

　His mood wasn't very bright.
　That was no surprise, Akatsuki thought. They had been wandering around the city all night with no success. Climbing up to a large chunk of mossy concrete, Akatsuki reached further and stood on the rubble. Perhaps in the Old World, this was the platform for the central train line, which had become a hanging garden with many trees. The air was cold, but it was a bit of a relief because the wind was blocked out.
　This massive structure is not an individual zone, but an open object set up for the public to see in the streets of Akiba. That's why there is no specific exit, and you can jump down from the elevated railroad tracks if you feel like it (though of course you won't be forced to because of the fall damage).
　Akatsuki vaguely thought about going down the central staircase and slipping into the guild hall square... and then sat down on a decaying bench.
　I don't think I was that tired.
　I just didn't want to move anymore.
　When I sat down, I felt heavy in my stomach. Something felt stiff and unbearable.
　Akatsuki surprised himself.
　How could he sit down on the bench and stare at the ground like this? It made him realize that he had been thinking so hard.
　I kicked away a pebble with my toe. A pebble rolled through the hanging garden that had once been a home, cracked and shattered here and there, with a forest of ancient trees. A small bird took off and it seems that I had startled it.
　Feeling terribly depressed, Akatsuki thought about many things.
　He thought about the guild, Shiroe, stupid and vulgar Naotsugu, Nyanta and his delicious food, his juniors, the Crescent Moon Alliance, the enemies he had fought so far, and Minori.
　And about Minori.

　She's a girlish girl, I think. She's pretty, and she's dazzling. She's dazzling. She's cheerful, shy, and yet polite.... Each one of them is nothing special. I think that cuteness is only popular in class, and there is a part of me that tells you too much.
　I can't cook, and since I'm a junior high school student, I'm sure I don't know a lot of fashionable shops. Even the taste for pochette is childish. I'm sure that when he was talking to Shiroe, he was so excited and his voice was so high that he must have annoyed her.
　Akatsuki bit her lip.
　What was he thinking about?
　Shallow.
　I'm so narrow-minded that I'm amazed.
　The reflection in the mirror was ugly and distorted. The bitterness of the jealousy that had accumulated like stagnant water was tormenting Akatsuki. What had Minori done? I did not do anything.
　I never had any ill will toward Akatsuki, not even once. And yet, in your heart of hearts, you look down on Minori as a cocky little guy. I know that's not true. She knows that Minori is a cute, hard-working junior high schooler. But she can't help but think that she has an overly good junior high school attitude.
　When she's alone with her thoughts like this, she can't stand it. Jealousy, which she usually forgets when she's with other people, fills her mind. She felt like she was going to be swallowed up by a torrent that she couldn't control, even if she tried.

　Akatsuki took several deep breaths.
　He loosened his clenched fists.
　The deciduous trees that had lost their leaves in winter, the conifers that still had their dark green color. Their shadows fell on the clammy garden.
　From somewhere, I heard a sound like a small bell being waved. It's the same little bird I saw earlier. The ruin of the godd*mn place where there was no sign of humanity had a brilliant, crisp beauty in the winter air. Even the clear air that freezes your breath in white is an indispensable part of tightening the beauty.
　In the white light, which was more dazzling than dazzling, Akatsuki felt himself like a black stain. It's a black stain that, if rubbed, will only spread the dirt. Thinking about it, even her black hair, which she had been so proud of, was annoying.
　Thinking that maybe Shiroe didn't have black hair, but rather light-colored hair like Minori's made her feel as if her stomach was set in stone.
　Even though Akatsuki himself knows very well that Shiroe doesn't decide whether he likes or dislikes someone based on the color of their hair. Shiroe doesn't favor such a physical, mere hair color.
　And yet, "Don't you prefer light-colored hair? It was all because of Akatsuki's jealousy that he thought such nonsense.

　It was Akatsuki's jealousy that spread the filthy jealousy in Akatsuki to Shiroe, his lord.
　Even as we speak, Akatsuki's jealousy is keeping Shiroe in a state of fear.
(How dare you call out to me, my lord! (I am.)
　Akatsuki finally understands why he sat on this bench.
　In other words, Akatsuki doesn't want to go back to the Guildhall.
　He's like a schoolboy who skipped out on cram school.
　When you think of it like that, it's hilarious. It's a childish escape.
　Akatsuki felt cold, painful and miserable. It was an important and precious place to live, and he felt so happy, but after chasing after all that power all night to protect that happiness, it was hard to return. The reality that this was the end of the world blamed Akatsuki for this.

　Minori, Touya, and the rest of the younger group were gone on an overnight hunting trip.
　It wasn't like they were going to see each other when they returned to the guild house. Nyanta is well aware of the warm welcome she'll receive. Even Naotsugu (albeit with a sketchy shimmy story included) will probably make silly jokes and pay attention to Akatsuki.
　That's why you don't want to leave is selfishness on Akatsuki's part.
　Even Akatsuki knows that it's just for show.
　But I can't leave.

(I miss my lord.)
　Akatsuki thought. The wish was heartbreaking.
　I want to see Shiroe. I want to talk to her, even if only for a moment. I want to pull on my white coat by the neighborhood. I want to pour black rose tea from my canteen into Shiroe's teacup. I want to sit on the sofa with you and look out the window. I want to mimic the difficult look on Shiroe's face as she looks at a difficult document and makes an equally difficult face.

　But that's not going to happen. I don't think my selfish and vain self deserves to be at ease with Shiroe. On the contrary, if I went back there now, I would never be able to run away again. I'm sure I'd have to live as an "added bonus" for the rest of my life.
　That wasn't so bad, he thought.
　I thought I would be happy to be sneaking around next to Shiroe, basking in the sun with my lord.
　But that's deceitful.
　Minori made me realize that I was just spoiled because I was happy now.
　A swallow that can no longer fly will eventually be unable to follow Shiroe. If that happens, the only way to do it is to separate.
　I've been thinking in circles about the same thing since earlier. The subject of every one of them is me and myself. I'm tired of being so self-centered, even though it's me.
　No one would ever love a girl like that. I don't want to have friends who are so self-centered, who can only talk about themselves. That's why I can't see Shiroe right now.
　And that is also the main mission I received from Shiroe.

"...Let's stay at the inn today.
　Akatsuki forced his heavy body to stand up.
　It's not supposed to be tired, but it's probably because of the feeling.
　This foreign land that the winter wind caressed was so vast that Akatsuki had no voice to answer her.



　◆



　When the young man's visit was announced, Raynesia had a surprising feeling.
　She knew him, of course, and he was an important person, but she found herself never imagining him visiting her, or anyone else for that matter.
　In aristocratic society, a "visit" is supposed to be made with a few days or months' notice, but for better or worse, this was Akiba's town, and the servants at the house of the waterfowl where Reinesia lived were accustomed to "sudden visitors".
　Again, the visitor was ushered into the reception room and Reinesia received her report.
　With Elissa's help, Reinesia lightly fixed her hair and freshened her clothes. I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's been in the same boat as you. It was decided that there was no need to dress up as much as for an evening party, so he chose to wear a slender, one-piece dress with long sleeves.
　It was a gift from Marielle of the Alliance of the Crescent Moon, a meek gift from the Crescent Moon Alliance, and although Reinesia did not say it in words, she liked it.
　The guest in the reception room stood up to greet Reinesia as she rushed over a bit faster.

'It's been a while. Mr. Raynesia.
　The one who bowed his head with a polite gesture was a young man. His name was Violet Star (Kinjo). He was the young chieftain of the Kunie clan that lived in the city of Akiva.
''Sorry to keep you waiting,''
　Reinesia returns a supple thank you.
　A delicate silence passes as Elissa prepares the tea.
　Reinesia did not know much about this young man. Rather, she only knew that he was the young chieftain of the sacrificial clan. The sacrificial clan is an unusual clan among the Earthlings, and it could be said that they are, in a sense, the most powerful clan in Yamato.
　There are five main areas of the Yamato clan.
　The Ezzo Empire, which was founded in the wasteland to the north. The Nine Tail Autonomous Region, a maritime and commercial nation in the far south. The Duchy of Forland, a dangerous island now overrun with monsters. And then there's the Holy Empire of West Runde, which is descended from the Imperial West Runde dynasty. Finally, there is the League of Free Cities of Eastal, which includes the capital of Maihama, ruled by Reinesia's grandfather, and which has its roots in Eastern Yamato.
　The same coins circulated in these five regions. Half gold coins, quarters, and regular gold coins - usually collectively known as gold coins. Reinesia had heard that exactly the same coins were in use not only in Yamato, but also on the continent.
　It is the sacrificial clan that controls the circulation of gold coins, or 'banks' that have been in use since ancient times, in many places.
　They have inherited some of the technology of the ancient Arv and can exchange goods with remote areas in a different way than the inter-city gates. Using this technology, the sacrificial clan operates "banks" in various locations.
　However, they are not a family of 'banks'.
　It is their mission to manage the magical technology of the ancient Arv era.
　While the Bank is the most representative of this family, the Free Cities Alliance Eastar is also responsible for maintaining the defensive magicians' formation in the Conjoined Cities.
　The Alliance of Free Cities Eastar's thirty or so warded cities have ancient facilities built underneath the cities themselves to transmit magic power. This magical power is used to prevent monsters from entering the city, as well as to transmit power to the guards.
　With the exception of a few cities in the Holy Empire of West Runde, which did not want the nobles to rebel, most of the ward cities in Yamato are supported by the sacrificial clans.
　Of course, they are a family with such a heavy responsibility. In a sense, they are a family that is even more necessary for Yamato than the nobility. Reynecia's grandfather had properly sent word to her about the sacrificial family when she was assigned to Akiba.
　However, on the other hand, this sacrificial clan has been known since ancient times as a clan that strangely does not seek prosperity or authority. It was the unanimous impression that the nobles of Ystal had of them that they only cared about passing down their mission and carrying it out.
　In general, the Earthmen and Leinecia generally thought of the sacrificial clans as a mysterious, but eccentric clan of earthmen who had always been instrumental in the preservation of the world.

Tea, please.
　But for that reason, Reinesia didn't know what to say to her, so for now, she safely recommended the tea Elissa had made for her. Placed on the low sofa was the green tea she had recently purchased.
　The violet star gently lowered her usual half-eyes and sipped at the cup.
　Elyssa had told me that he was a young man, and there was no other way to describe him, even though they were now relative like this, but this man with violet eyes and black hair and wearing a standing collar formal dress, his age was not clear even as he stared at her.
　He's older than Reinesia, of course, but how does he compare to the Youkai Warrior (Krusty)?　The smooth lines of her cheeks could be considered much younger, and her stringy hands could be considered much older.
'I apologize for my unexpected visit today. A serious incident has come up, and I'm here to apologize again to explain to Lady Reinesia.
　Putting the cup back on the saucer, Violet Star frowned at the expression on her face.
''What are you talking about?''
A matching suit of movable armor has been stolen from the guard quarters.
What--?
I assume the thief is from one of the guards, my sacrificial clan.
　Normally, Reinesia doesn't consider herself to be a perceptive person, but for once, she seriously missed the point.
　Then, she was clearly aware of the blood draining from her own head.
　A nasty feeling of dizziness sets in, and your eyes seem to darken.
　Power Armor is a special type of armor, a part of the ancient Arv heritage, used to protect certain zones. The main difference between it and ordinary armor is its ability to receive a supply of magical power from the outside to greatly improve the wearer's physical abilities.
　The fighting ability of the Earthman is not high in this world. Not only are they no match for adventurers, they are also no match for monsters of intermediate or higher rank. The reason why the Dirtbags are able to protect their own territory in this world is that they have a few things to help them.
　These include the legendary heroes of the Earthmen, known as the "Old Ones," and the adventurers, the rangers who take on the enemies of the world, as well as the technology that protects the major cities and highways from monsters.
　The guards, equipped with powered armor, are another important element.
　Strengthened by powered armor, the Daichijin could in some cases surpass the abilities of higher-level adventurers. Furthermore, although limited to cities, they have the ability to shift and imprison themselves. The guards use this ability to maintain the security of the city.
　Of course, this ability is not something that can be used indefinitely. The power armor, which requires an enormous amount of magical power just to operate, should only be used in a limited number of cities.
Yes, that's right. That's right, that's right. Power Armor can only be used in large cities, and unless the wearer is constantly supplied with magical energy from the huge magical corridor underneath the city, the wearer will be unable to even move. Also, the powered armor is tuned to the magic wavelengths of each city, so if you go outside of Akiba, you'll be wrecked.
　Violet Star continued to speak as if answering Reinesia's stunned.
''Having said that, the gravity of the situation remains the same. If you take it outside, it's crap, but that thing is incomparably strong inside this city.''

　The power armor can be tuned to increase its output. In this city of Akiba, its capabilities exceed level 100. The purpose of this is to crack down on the adventurers who commit violent acts in the city, so it's not surprising, but their fighting ability is set to exceed even the highest level of adventurers.
　The fact is, Reinesia was able to get a job as a woman in a city governed by the Adventurers because she had the backing of powered armor and guards to protect her safety. Of course, he had the temerity to take responsibility for causing the Zantorieff War without the approval of the Council of Lords, but that was the extent of Leinecia's understanding that her grandfather had the right to assign the defenseless princess of the Earthmen to the city of the Adventurers, with only a little company.
　However, the backing of their fighting ability has been leaked to the outside world. The news also pointed to various other things.
''Then, you don't think........the murderer is........''
　Violet Star nodded at Reinesia's question, which had turned pale.
''Yes, the Sacrifice Clan was involved in that crime. I am embarrassed to say that, but I have to affirm that.''
　It was truly a scandal that froze Reinesia in its tracks.
　The sacrificial clan, and even more so, the guards, should never have caused such a situation. In fact, it was something that the Earthlings had never imagined for hundreds of years.
　But if this is the case, there are several mysteries to explain.
　It is not surprising that the murder was not detected by Akiva's city guard system. That surveillance network's function is to detect when an adventurer or an earthling has harmed a fellow human being. When the guardsmen engage in combat, it is not a crime, but a security operation.
　In other words, this murder cannot be detected (,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,).
　The killer, who wears a power armor, may have more power to fight than the Adventurer. It's not clear to me how much more than "more than" is true for Leinecia, who doesn't have the power to fight, but I know from the rumors I've heard over the past few days that no small number of people have already been killed.
　Above all, the fact that the sacrificial clan was involved in this case was fatal in two ways.
　Firstly, the clan was too transparent and natural as air. Whether it was the Transitional Guards that guarded the city's security or the network of banks that stretched across Yamato, the system was too pervasive in both the Earthmen and the Adventurers' society. The convenience and security of the system is the very foundation of society.
　But isn't that why the cracks in the system are so frightening?　Raynesia, who had no professional education, couldn't imagine what kind of disaster it would cause exactly, but she was as anxious as a black cloud.
　The other was more direct. This was the fact that the Daichijin had killed the Adventurers, even though they were an unusual type of sacrificial clan.
　The Adventurers were completely different from the Daichians. Because of their similarities in appearance, the Adventurers and the Earthmen may be misunderstood by each other, but there is a huge difference in their potential as living beings. The Adventurer's abilities increase dramatically with repeated brutal combat, and once they reach a high rank, they are capable of fighting a hundred knights of the Earthmen alone.
　Up until now, the Adventurers of Akiba's streets had defended Leinecia, and they had supported her. They were supportive. But was this not because she and her fellow adventurers were weak?　Leinecia feels that's part of the reason, if not all of it.
　When it collapses, the relationship between the Adventurer and the Earthman may be in for a fatal rupture.

(How did this happen?
　Reinesia's head is filled with regret and vindictiveness.
　That's exactly how I feel. Why does so much needless trouble arise only when I'm assigned to a post, only when I'm out in the open?　This incident didn't have to happen. It's hard to understand why the sacrificial family, which has not had a single incident of misconduct for hundreds of years, would do such a mess at this moment in time, and in Akiba, where Reinesia lives.
This is our fault for the incident. We are very sorry.
Can't the........sacrificial clan, I mean......can't you do something about it?
　Raynesia asked.
　She had a hunch before she asked, but she couldn't not ask.
'I'm sorry, Miss Reinesia. Of course, if the magic supply is cut off, the 'power armor' will stop functioning. But in that case, the city's defensive magicians will also lose their abilities. I can only tell you that it will take a decade or so for it to resume operations.
　A magic circle that cannot be stopped in order to protect the city of Akiva from outside monsters.
　Reinesia is devastated by the fact that the magic circle is giving power to the killer.



◆



　Akatsuki was sent into the waiting room, and with a divine look on his face, he warmed the cup in his hand.
　It wasn't that he was cold, but there was nothing else he could do.
　I don't know to what extent it was an accident or a conspiracy by the maid, Elissa, but the 's keen perceptive abilities allowed her to hear the conversations in the next room almost inescapably.
　However, the content of these conversations is, by all accounts, beyond Akatsuki's control. It's the kind of crisis that only a major guild like the West Wind Brigade or D.D.D. could handle, or the Roundtable would have to act - a crisis in Akiba.
　Maybe I shouldn't just pretend I didn't hear about it and leave, Akatsuki thought.
　The beautiful princess who had been bewitched by the light of the moon was wondering whether or not to tell the Adventurer. Before she made that decision, she felt it would be too much of an influence for her to hear part of the mystery of the murderer's case.
　So my decision to at least look him in the face might be the result of an overly fickle whim, in hindsight. The reason is probably the mission given to Shiroe. Since it was my lord's word, I thought I should at least look at Reinesia's expression. That was about the only reason. In the first place, the current Akatsuki didn't have the slightest bit of time to care about others.

　He quietly slipped out of the window of the waiting room and onto the balcony. That figure, combined with his or her plain, everyday clothes, will look like an oozing shadow. Jumping onto the balcony of the parlor, three meters away, is easier for a high-level adventurer's physical abilities than straddling the edge of a tatami mat.
　Behind the elaborately carved window frames and behind the bubbly lace curtains, Raynesia was there. The young man she had been talking to earlier must have left, too, because he was alone on a sofa in the reception room, burying his face in a large cushion.
　Strange, Akatsuki thought vaguely.
　Reinesia had always been a beautiful girl, calm, bright, honest, straight-backed, with a backbone that one could only envy. Even more than her beautiful silver hair and slender neck, her demeanor, always reserved and polite, gave her a decidedly different vibe than her fellow adventurers. It's the kind of girl who can convince any adventurer that upbringing is what makes a human being, and this is the girl called Reinesia.
　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one. It's not a sloppy gesture, but I felt an uncomfortable feeling that it wasn't like Reinesia.

'I'm screwed,'
　It was through the glass, but I heard such a voice.
　The thin voice was like a silver bell, but there was a throwaway confusion stuck in it.
'Really, no.'
　Every time you shake the cushion, your smooth silver hair spills out like a waterfall.
.........Why is it now? .........Why me?
　I felt Leinecia's body squirm and squirm.
　The long breaths escaped and Reinesia became a small, frail girl.
I can't stop--
　Akatsuki nodded on the winter veranda. I know that feeling. There are too many difficult things in the world and too few things I can do well with my hands. It's so frustrating and miserable.
'Can't you do a little more to help?　...would you be willing to serve me?　Will you take it easy on me - please?
　Even Akatsuki had wished for it before. But it never comes true.
　I don't think there is anyone who has never been betrayed. Everything you wish for doesn't always come true. The things we think we have obtained, the things we think we have finished, and the things we think we have alone will eventually fade and leave our fingertips.
　Sometimes I'm tempted to think that it's too small, that maybe it was wrong to hope for it. It's so tempting to give up that the main ingredient of the world is tinkering.

'What can I do about it?'
　Reinesia was at a loss, so I answered her.
'Do you want to talk to the meeting?'
But if we do that, won't we be fighting the Adventurers?
It's no secret, though. I can't say I'm fully aware of the situation.
　I slipped in through the minimally open window and stood in front of Reinesia, not even shaking the curtains.
　I felt a little nostalgic. I once looked down at the slumped lord in this position. We've come a long way since then. The silver-haired princess was in front of me, not the black-haired Grantor.
''I still have to tell you...''
I don't know about that.
''Why isn't that youkai here at this time? --You've been showing your face like that when you don't have anything to do, but it's really not useful.
"Lord Krusty set out for the goblin castle at Seventh Falls Fortress.
'I know. But that doesn't mean ... oh, no.
....
No, not that!
　Reinesia raised her forehead as if she'd been played. The edges of her drawn-up lips were trembling, and the corners of her eyes were just a little red, though she was trying desperately to make an expression.
Oh. That,
　Akatsuki hurriedly sat back down and stood in front of Reinesia, who stretched her back. Since they were dealing with a small Akatsuki, even if Reinesia was sitting down, if she straightened her back, her gaze would not change much. Maybe the reason Reinesia lowered her gaze was because she was uncomfortable. Akatsuki is sorry for making you feel that way.
　Even Akatsuki had no intention of eavesdropping or entering the room like this.
You know what? I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of your time. It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.
　Time passed between the two of them as they seemed to be at a loss for words.
　Akatsuki had no choice but to pull out the anchovy he had bought for lunch from his bag and hand it to Reinesia. The two girls sat side by side on the sofa and ate the small pieces of bread for a while.
Is the killer the Daichijin?
　In response to Akatsuki's question, Reinesia started to answer vaguely.
Yes, that's right........ It seems that the power armor has been stolen from the sacrificial clan, a clan that controls the city's guard. The power armor is the equipment of the guards, so even if an incident occurs in the city, it won't be reported, and it is said to give them great fighting ability. I'm really sorry.
Why?
What?
How did it get stolen?　Who stole it?
The person who stole it is also missing. We don't know if the person using it now is from the sacrificial clan that stole it. We don't know what he wants or where he's hiding.
I think the hiding place is in the sewers.
Sewage, sir?
　Akatsuki told him what he thought.
'As far as I'm concerned, I don't think he's hiding out from the streets of Akiba. If that's the case, the only place we haven't been able to find them yet, and the only place where they won't be seen is in the sewers.
　As far as the story goes, the killer seems to have gained the power of the guards.
　Akatsuki was surprised at the moment he heard that story, but that made him understand several things.
　The killer's fighting ability is probably beyond level one hundred and nearer to level one hundred and one. It's no wonder that Akiba adventurers with a level of about 90 can't achieve this.
　At the same time, if they're using the power of the guards, they're unlikely to go outside the city of Akiba. If they went outside, they would lose their fighting ability. With that in mind, the hiding place is limited.
　However, capturing them was expected to be extremely difficult.
　The guards have a "transfer" (teleportation) function that allows them to immediately take down criminals in the city, a reassuring feature when punishing PKs and the like, but nothing is more useful as a means of escape when the criminals are willing to use it.
　Even if a large guild surrounds you with an army of raid units, your opponent will certainly be able to escape if they just want to escape.
''I see........''
　Akatsuki looked at the girl in front of him.
　The daughter of the largest aristocrat in Eastern Yamato - the Corwin family.
　A beautiful, legendary girl whose name is well known in Eastal.
　She was the driving force behind the Zantorif siege, bridging the gap between the Earthmen and the Adventurers.
　The Silver Moon Priestess.
　The girl in front of me was different from all of them, she looked normal.
　She was an ordinary girl everywhere, with an expression of melancholy anguish, but still eating a small piece of bean paste bread. And it must be the same for me in her eyes, Akatsuki thought.
'Troubled?'
I'm troubled.
　The two nodding heads probably couldn't afford to be in each of their own affairs. Akatsuki, at least, saw himself in this silver beauty.

　Akatsuki's lord said.
　You should protect Reinesia, Princess of the Earthmen, he said.
　Akatsuki understood his words to mean that he was on guard duty. But he now realized that this might not be the case.
What did my lord tell me to protect?
　You wouldn't have had to attend that tea party if it was for the protection of Reynecia, would you?　If it was only for protection, what was the point of holding a tea party for her, either?　Am I missing out on something important?　Didn't Marielle, Henrietta and the others realize that long ago?
　The only thing Akatsuki wants to say to Reinesia is, "I can't help it.
　A lot of unreasonable things happen. There are many things that are beyond my control and many wishes that cannot be fulfilled. It's inevitable. Akatsuki herself does not have the talent to draw miracles from her hand. So "it can't be helped" is the only thing I can say to Reinesia.
　If I could add another word, it would be "I'm doing my best".
　Akatsuki has seen the work she did at the Council of Lords. He also heard Shiroe's words of praise. And for a while now, he has been lurking close to her and watching her. So, I can say, "You're doing your best.
　But am I qualified to say those words? As the daughter of a nobleman, the representative of the Daichijin, or a girl who has a heavier responsibility than the eleven guild masters of the Round Table, I'm worried that I'm not the right words to write to this girl.
　Thinking that far, Akatsuki realized that he himself had just a little bit of respect for this silver-haired girl. That's why he has come here every day and watched over her closely.
　Even though she's dying to get her fighting ability (tikara) every day, to the extent that she still cares about it, even now that she feels it's hard to return to her guild house.

I'll find him.
　Akatsuki stood up.
　If the person you're looking for is a Daichijin and has a special transferable item, that's another way to look for them. I'm sure that during the day they are probably hiding in the sewers, but at night they are transferring to a place where they can see the entire city - and where ordinary adventurers cannot enter and observe it.
"Eh--?
I'll do my job. I saw that you were doing your best.
　Reinesia's outstretched hand grabbed the air.
　With a clue, Akatsuki sailed out of the open window and into Akiba's city again.