After knocking out the two ex-convicted bandits, Hill and the others began to make their way into the mountains behind them. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

The decision to knock out was a decision after some hesitation, both men had been bandits for many years, and basically, even if they were sentenced to death by hanging. Even if the net is opened now, there is no way to repent in the future - although they claim to have washed their hands of gold, the act of rushing forward without hesitation when they see Alex is enough to confirm that it is a lie.

Whether it's out of a sense of justice or for the sake of the victims who may come after, taking their lives now is the best option - if it were the other members of Kiss of Death, it would almost certainly have done so, but the situation with Hill and Alex is a little more complicated.

Although he has long been an experienced ace of the organization, Hill has never beheaded anyone other than his target, and he does not show resistance to the matter of "killing", but he is not necessarily enthusiastic, and he is afraid that he himself does not know what he really thinks; Alex is a complete novice, not only has she never had blood on her hands, but she also has a vague and immature cowardice hidden in her heart. When their eyes met, Alex couldn't see Ciel's thoughts, but she hesitated and decided that she couldn't make that choice at this moment. "If only I had seen the scene of their murder," she even thought for a moment. After wrestling with this ambivalence for a while, she and Ciel knocked them unconscious, tied their hands and feet with ropes and placed them in the middle of the trade road, leaving their disposal to the passing caravans.

After that, the mood turned bad, and Alex remained silent as she explored the mountains and forests. I don't know if I felt empathy or was aware of Alex's mood, Ciel stopped humming like before, and the two of them just walked silently on the vegetation in the woods.

The bandits had always caused trouble for passing caravans, and it was only natural that the victims should be left to deal with them - such self-soothing excuses could not deceive Alex's own heart, and what made her most ashamed was not her cowardly evasion, but the way of thinking that she was content to leave the dirty business to others because she didn't want to get her hands dirty.

"Ahh

The emotions in her heart twisted together, and Alex suddenly raised her hands and shouted loudly into the sky as if venting, and the sound of birds fluttering their wings sounded in the forest.

For the girl's inexplicable behavior, Hill just turned his head slightly to glance at it, and then turned his head again without saying anything.

“…… Ah~ Sanwu is really good, if I am also Sanwu, I don't have to worry about this kind of thing——"

Seeing the boy's cold reaction, Alex felt a rebellious imbalance in her heart, so she deliberately sighed loudly in a performative tone.

As she spoke, she quietly spied on the reaction from there.

Hearing her words, Ciel turned his head to stare at her.

"Sanwu, who are you talking about?"

"You don't have to think about it to know it's you! Don't you even have this level of self-knowledge? ”

Hearing her words, Hill blinked expressionlessly.

"I'm not a three-no."

"No, no, no, what are you talking about now......" Alex showed an unbearable expression: "No matter how you look at it, you are a three-nothing, and now you are still a three-nothing." ”

"Liar, everyone, they all say that I have a lot of expression."

"You're absolutely lying!" Alex complained loudly: "By the way, what do you mean?" ”

"Master, and Shalom."

"Well, there's not a single one that can be used as a reference." Alex had a "I know" expression on her face: "Miss Shalom who is suspected of being a stalker won't mention it for the time being, and the scum in front of me needs to be considered even if he can be regarded as a human being......"

- And if there are only two of them, you can't call everyone at all, right?

Alex thought silently as she and Ciel made their way down the mountain trail. After complaining loudly, the depression in her heart seemed to have cleared up a lot, and she began to look around and focus on what she was doing.

"There is no trace of anyone at all, do you mean, could there really be someone hiding in such a barren mountain?"

"But, that's what they say."

The two men didn't look like they were lying, and that's why the two of them were now exploring the wilderness.

But this is not an easy task, and here the slopes are one after the other, and the dense trees are all over them. To their worst disadvantage, the sun had sunk in the west, and only a faint twilight could shine through the gaps in the leaves. The surrounding light has gradually dimmed, and it will not be long before the night is completely enveloped.

"Really, why are all these people hiding in such a desolate place, what a bunch of shady guys. Can you really find it before dark? ”

Alex grumbled as she stepped down the hill.

However, as soon as she stepped one leg, she tripped over the clothes she was pulling backwards, and the sudden situation almost made her lose her balance.

"Hey! You three-nil! Don't suddenly grab a lady's clothes! ”

However, Ciel's face didn't look at her disgruntled, he was holding out his finger at the leafy ground a few meters away.

"There, there are footprints."

"Huh?"

※

The building in front of me was exuding an ominous aura.

Following the footprints of the presumably "Cook" and his group, Hill and Alex climbed four peaks in quick succession to get here. When I was wondering why the footprints on the ground had suddenly disappeared, I looked up and saw a black silhouette standing on the top of the mountain opposite.

Checking the shape of the silhouette again, Alex rubbed her eyes.

That shape, sure enough, is it "that"? ”

Hearing Alex's tone of confirmation, Ciel nodded as if confirming her speculation.

"It's a theme park."

"No, who's going to build a park in a place like this? No one will be patronizing. ”

"Well, the Castle Hotel."

"Hill-san? Did you just listen to me? Didn't you say that this kind of place would never be frequented? ”

"But, here we are."

"We're not customers! How can there be a customer in this world who has murderous intent against the operator!? ”

"......" Hill thought blankly, then looked up at Alex.

"The master's tavern is often there."

"Super convincing rebuttal!" Alex was startled, and slowly held her forehead: "Indeed, even me, I have already had murderous intent towards that person more than once." In a sense, that bastard really breaks common sense. ”

After saying that, she quickly perked up: "But it's not that kind of problem!" First of all, it's not that kind of facility at all! ”

She pointed to the massive object towering over the hilltop opposite—from the conversation between the two of them and from the chapter titles, you should have known that it was a castle—and it was now bathed in moonlight, accentuating the darkness and gloom.

"Alex, that's the castle."

"Why is it a smug face that tells me the same!? It's a big fire! ”

"Speaking of castles, it's the Demon King."

"What's up with your RPG-like perception? It's okay to think without being so extreme? Generally speaking, will there be that kind of final boss in the first volume? ”

"Alex, let's go."

"Why is it like the final battle!? Do you remember what we're really here for? ”

Despite shouting, Ciel didn't stop, so Alex had to complain loudly and follow.

※

After entering Uncle George's study, I saw what he called "new daughter".

It was a girl like honey, with golden hair like honey, golden eyes like honey, and a sweet smell like honey, like a doll made of honey. Girls are made of candy - I've heard this before, and at this moment I believe it's true.

Even when she saw me walk in, she just glanced this way, and then looked back at the book in her hand, as if it was a gust of wind, a cat, or a leaf slipping in through the crack in the door.

"Well, that, Uncle George asked me to play with you."

Because of the nervousness, my voice was a little distorted, and it was inexplicably loud, which made me feel very frustrated.

"I'm not interested in accompanying you players to drink." Her voice had a cold feel and an adult-like composure.

"But, but, I've promised Uncle George."

"Then, you can just go to the street and hold someone's hand and treat him (her) as if it were me." She didn't raise her head and said, "Anyway, for all of you, it's the same no matter who you are, isn't it?" ”

"That's not right!" I said, "No. ”

What's next? What should be said next? I couldn't figure it out myself, so I could only repeat the same sentence.

She turned her face and looked at me. Her eyes were beautiful, and I felt like she was looking through her eyes to see my brain. At that moment, I felt my chest pounding fast.

"Hmph." She chuckled softly, then closed the book in her hand.

"I can promise to play with you, but on one condition." There was an inexplicable glow in her pupils—

"You have to treat me like a 'specific person.'"

She said in a slightly deep voice, like the whispers of demons in the story.

I nodded, and she smiled happily and held out a hand to me.

She was like a princess, and I wiped my sweaty hands against my pants, pressed my legs, which were almost jumping with excitement, and walked up to her.

There was a cold touch in my hand, and I felt like a knight.