I Favor the Villainess

"Ray!"

"Dear Claire..."

I lifted my pitiful voice and hugged Master Claire as she jumped into the dorm room.

Lady Claire held me in her arms and once she held me strong, she asked as she glanced into my face.

"Is it true that Mae and Allea were kidnapped?

"Yes...... It's my alarm. I'm sorry."

It doesn't even solve the problem of crying.

Now is the time to squeeze your wisdom into resolving things.

Yet my feelings blew like a storm and I couldn't stop thinking.

What Mae and Allea are being seen by now.

Just think about it, it's hard enough that you're about to get strained.

In case something happens to you two...

"Calm down, Ray. It's not your fault."

"I suppose so. Claire and I, who took our eyes off the two of us, also have responsibilities. It's okay to hold him alone."

"But... but..."

If only I had taken more careful measures.

We have to leave a message alone or something.

If I hadn't left Eve or Lana so far behind.

Isn't that how this didn't happen, or shouldn't seem like it?

"Ray, look in my eyes"

……

Lady Claire stared at me in the poles of agitation.

He had strong eyes.

Perhaps you are just as worried about May and Allea as I am or more, but Master Claire's eyes had not lost the light of strong will and reason.

"Ray, we need your help to get those kids back. So, huh? Go back to your usual ways."

Every word, Master Claire says to bite it off.

The words felt a deep trust in me.

There was no blaming color or dust.

It was just that there was a strong will to get them back together.

My heart calms down so that I can be dyed by Master Claire's hissing thoughts.

"... I'm sorry. It's okay now."

"Thanks, Ray"

"No, welcome."

As I wiped my tears with a handkerchief, I slapped my bread and cheek with both hands.

All right, it's okay now.

"You should check the situation first. You're pretty sure Mae and Allea were kidnapped?

Master Dollar asked as he stroked his beard.

"I thought I was pretty sure. Eve's testimony assures us that Lana is an associate of Suras"

According to Eve, the first time she met Lana was in the city of Eucleod.

Lana came to the tavern where Eve worked.

Strange and intentional, gradually getting along, Eve told Lana what had happened to her.

And here's what Lana said.

'That was hard. Hey, I have some magic to soothe my hard memories, but aren't you willing to give it a try?

Eve said no at first, but conditionally accepted that if only a little bit was to be rooted in a persistently sticky Lana.

It was the wizard of the beauty of the silver-haired red-eyed who hung the magic on her then, he said.

Eve's memory has been cloudy since just after that.

To my mind, she must have been used.

Suras must have manipulated her into the way Eve thinks of Master Manaria.

He's from Euclid, or Lana's hometown, he slipped into it later.

"Neighbors are also witnessing where Lana takes them outside. The gatekeeper who checks in and out seems to have been stunned..."

"Hmm...?

"And there's this letter in the two rooms."

It's what was left of May and Allea's room.

The sender is - Saras-Lilium.

"Did you change the inside?

"No, I thought we'd see it together after Lady Claire got back."

"Let's open it"

We looked inside.

Here's what it says there.

- I was able to get to a designated location by sundown.

- Except that Ray-Taylor and Claire-François are the only two to come.

- If you see other human beings, you don't have children's lives.

The designated location was a ghetto off the capital.

It is also outside the boundaries of the exorcism.

I don't care what you think, it's a trap.

Master Dollar frowned and said.

"But you can't just not go. They're being held hostage."

"I know that. It's just too honest to go helpless. Take care of something."

"We don't have time for that anymore until the evening. Whether you have time to work out a plan."

I'm just in a hurry.

"Don't panic, both of you. You know his character, don't you? There's no guarantee that Mae and Alea will help him if he's honest."

"But!"

"I know. Still you guys are going, aren't you? I'm worried about May and Alea, too. That's why I want you to narrow your wisdom down to the critical"

Master Dollar says in a calm tone after working.

Thanks to you, Master Claire and I both regained some calm.

How comforting it is to say that there are elders you can count on at a time like this.

"The only way to get to the scene is for the two of us. The other side will be monitoring this move. Unfortunately, I don't need your backup."

"Yes."

"I don't know what he's gonna say, but it's no big deal anyway. The important thing is not to give in a single step until you can be sure that Mae and Allea will be helpful."

"Even if you two are in danger?

"Still, so. I'm going to see how hard that is for both of us. But don't let them take the lead in the conversation. If they dance in his palm, they probably won't help either of us."

That was the only way to avoid it, and Master Dollar repeatedly pushed his mind.

"From now on, I'm going to teach you two a few patterns of conditions that he's going to put out. I don't have much time, but I need you to slap me in the head and go."

"Please."

"Please"

Negotiation training by Dear Dollar lasted until the full time.

◆ ◇ ◆ ◇ ◆

"... Ray, I need a favor"

After receiving Dollar's teachings, Claire mentioned that to her fake as she hurried toward the place designated as Suras.

"No."

"You haven't said anything yet."

"I can almost imagine. Absolutely not."

"Ray......"

Master Claire frowned.

Daikon, if I had to sacrifice someone, I would have said something about myself.

I was wondering if you'd let me do that.

"As long as you sacrifice Master Claire, I will die."

"Ray!"

"- And that's what I've said so far."

"This time it's none either. I'll make sure all four of you return, Master Claire."

"!... That's right"

Even if someone is missing and the rest helps, it's bound to be an indelible wound.

Of course, you two young people can't let Master Claire get hurt like that.

Take them back, all four of them go home.

That's what I told myself.

"I see you, Master Claire."

"Yes."

There was an abandoned house on the verge of collapse at the designated location.

Was it originally a fine building there, so big that it's out of place in the Glades?

Most likely, it seems to be worn out.

"I'll be in first"

"Be careful."

When I opened the doors of the abandoned house, I smelled dust from inside.

A voice that sounds right after.

"I've been waiting, Sense."

It was Lana-Rana who welcomed us.