My Death Flags Show No Sign of Ending

Yuno changes the subject as if to dispel the slightly heavier air without weighing it.

"By the way, Erica, what are you going to do about tomorrow's date?"

"Naturally I'll go. It's a great opportunity to make contact with Harold."

Erica shows a gripping mood with both fists “Mmm!" around her chest.

I was anxious to know what to do inside when they told me not to come near you right away face-to-face, but Hayden's remarks rolled my chances in. Even as Erica, I don't feel good about riding Hayden's thoughts, but I don't have a hand in missing this.

"Then I have to give you a compliment. Because of this, how about clothes that are less likely to be worn?"

"I don't need to be so intent..."

Yuno says it's a date, but you're dealing with Harold. I don't think it's going to be such a romantic air.

In fact, it would be to the extent of a pale look around the center street. The word inspection is going to be the air you deserve more than a date.

"Don't do that ~. Maidens have to be cute at all times ~"

Yuno preaches the maiden's heart like a sister, but that line is more Erica's.

I can't help but wonder what it's like to be a young maiden to spend time in cooking clothes until the holidays, even if I have no choice at work. The figure of Yuno in Erica's memory is just once worn in cooking attire without exception.

None of them were convincing when she praised her for what a maiden was like.

"Why don't you try being stylish once in a while? It's a waste because it's beautiful."

"Phew, that's a rush ~. You appeal to yourself and grab a heterosexual heart when you're here ~"

"Then I'll keep it until I get here, too."

"Yeah, it's my first date, right? Maybe I can bone Master Harold if it works out."

"You wouldn't be someone to blame for that."

I could hardly imagine Erica showing a woman a sweet face. It would be easy to imagine Harold cursing himself relentlessly for showing up.

"I found such a cute piece yesterday ~. Please wear it, Erica ~!"

"When were you buying something like that..."

Yuno begs by taking out a piece decorated with frills from his luggage. The appeal was a personal desire to see Erica in a piece through, for example, maiden possession and Harold's cage.

"Yuno, we didn't come here to see you. You understand that, don't you?

"Mmm, that's a shame ~"

Deciding that there was no room for negotiation, Yuno returned the piece to its luggage.

No matter, it's not a serious exchange. Only Yuno intentionally turned it into crushed air in an attempt to relieve Erica of her tension.

Erica doesn't have a strong appetite either because she's guessing about it, but she can't be out of her shoulder forever.

"Shall we get back to business? I'll tell you what to think when you come into contact with Harold."

"Yeah, please"

Two thoughts intersect under one roof. The fire lids of the battle under the water, exploring each other's bellies, were cut and dropped.

◇

Ichi was forced to entrust Erica's guide, but he had major shortcomings in carrying out this mission.

That means I know very little of the city to show you.

Originally Stokes territory was only portrayed in conversation sentences and event scenes, and in actual games there is not even map notation so if Norman didn't bring the map, he wouldn't be able to figure out the exact location.

And I've spent the last three months avoiding the flag. Ichigo is enough with one-handed fingers, such as the number of times I've been out to the city. None of them have visited for shopping or sightseeing purposes just because they stopped by on the move.

Rather, it was the level I wanted you to guide me to.

But Ichiki decided to see this as an opportunity.

Ichi doesn't know anything about the city, but he doesn't know how Harold was. If there was a place where my legs were thriving, I would be suspicious if I didn't know about it.

But only this time there is an exemption for "guiding Erica”. If you want to know the right place to take people, not for fun, then it shouldn't be unnatural to ask.

The hypothesis seemed correct and Ichi succeeded somewhat in purchasing information from the people in the mansion.

(Well, I'm not keeping that alive. Come on...)

I do not intend to guide Erica properly because it does not increase her fondness. I made sure I had a good chance of getting the information that might be available in the future, that's all.

Still, this situation was somewhat unexpected.

"Oh, that Harold..."

Erica speaks to Ichigo Harold at first sight.

There was pure confusion there.

"What?

"... no, it's nothing"

Erica doesn't carry on two sentences and pushes silently at Harold's reaction like she's sick of it. Awkward air dominated the carriage.

The cause is outside the carriage, a city dweller.

It was when I first got out of the carriage that I noticed their anomaly.

No, perhaps the change had occurred from the moment Ichigo entered the city.

What was there was so silent that my ears hurt.

If I were to pull a similar situation out of Ichigo's memory, I was close to the frozen feeling of the moment when I was found by a life instruction gym teacher that the entire school student feared spreading a substitute for school rule violations in the after-school classroom in middle school.

And the physical education teacher in this case is Harold.

When Harold shows up, the people of the city stop moving, and if you walk, the hedge cracks to avoid it. The voiced shopkeeper's face was blue with fear, and the gaze of the inhabitants watching from afar was clearly hostile.

The city, wrapped in unusual tranquility, was uncomfortable anyway. The attitude scrapes off Ichigo's mentality.

(I left out the rumor that you killed Clara. Did you push it...)

I was thinking of hitting something with that. But Clara and Colette were safe, and they wanted to avoid the hassle of having an affair with their parents, but didn't think of very effective measures.

The result is this.

Erica, who witnessed Harold's and hence the Stokes family's abhorrence, was also stunned.

They don't know about Erica, so it's only natural that they would react like this if they were with Ichigo Harold. Well, soon it will be announced that Erica is Harold's fiancée, so it will turn into a gaze of pity directed also by Stokes' servants.

Nevertheless, I felt there was more to lose than what I could gain from a stroll through the city any more. Mainly in the spiritual part.

With a little over an hour to roll out to the city, it was time for Ichigo to be the limit.

"You've had enough. We're leaving."

"... Yes"

Erica nods in a depressed manner somewhere. There was a fatigue not thin on that face.

The cause was the continued exposure to the hostile gaze of Stokes residents.

It was the first experience in her life to be spoiled by her parents and to be exposed to feelings of disgust for her, also loved by the sidelined and self-governing people.

It never occurred to me that this would be the place to be.

Therefore, Harold's strength to oppose his words does not boil either. I choose to return home as I am told.

Then there was no conversation between us until we returned to Stokes' mansion.

"You're back early ~"

Yuno speaks that way to Erica, who has returned in full swing.

But why? Regardless.

Because Yuno has been observing from a remote position. So I knew the approximate circumstances.

"I heard the Stokes had low support from the people, but I didn't think it was as good as that."

Erica spills like that in a tired voice.

To be honest, I felt the danger of something slightly.

"It's certainly not the usual thing to be hated ~. Well, as far as I can tell, naturally ~"

The stories Yuno had heard from his servants and the rumors flowing in the alley were terrible. Especially the inhabitants are squeezed out most of their profits as taxes, and few are forced to live a minimal life to live.

The riots have even deprived them of the leeway they cause and, conversely, the Stokes have jumped through and invested in armaments even when compared to aristocrats of the same degree of territory and economic power. This is making the lives of the people even more difficult.

Now it was visible to waste death where riots and other decisions had been made.

"Looks like you're doing a great job of exploring the inside."

"That's already ~"

If you talk to the man in the mansion, he'll return ten or twenty. They seem to hate me a lot.

But it contained information that could not be seen.

"There's just one thing that bothers me ~"

"A story of interest, is it?

"Yes ~"

That's a story where Yuno doubted his ear and couldn't help but ask back, "Isn't that some mistake ~?" but enough testimony was obtained to believe.

Erica was told, but she couldn't ignore the possibility of putting her in danger by doing so. Yuno opened his mouth.

"As a matter of fact, Mr. Harold recently magically burned his servant and his family to death."

"Huh?"

Without being able to handle the meaning of the word told by Yuno, Erica leaks her breath flashly.

"She murdered a woman named Clara, a servant of the mansion, and her daughter, Colette."

"Ma, wait, Yuno! Is that true? It's just a rumor..."

"It's possible, but I got almost a similar testimony from the people I spoke to individually ~. Sounds like it's not a rumor without roots or teeth ~"

"Oh no..."

Harold has a bad mouth and a high pressure attitude. Erica herself feels that she is avoiding herself by looking down on others and hating them furiously.

Still, Harold sees hope in saving the people of Smeragi. Even if there were his own thoughts there, the fact would not waver.

So somewhere in his mind, Erica thought that Harold might be different from his parents.

That's why Yuno's words brought her no small shock. Erica's hands covering her mouth tremble in snails and small pieces.

"The mole will continue, but please refrain from being alone with Harold from now on. I don't know what it is."

"... Yep, I'll be careful"

"It's okay, Erica. I'm here."

Yuno encourages Erica with a gentle voice that softens the baby. As far as I'm concerned, it's absolutely safe.

Still, Erica's tremor never stopped for a while.