"Oh? Do you have some clever idea?"
"We will skin the upper half of her body and have tomorrow's blood fight winner wear that skin. As a decorative mask."
"Oh, wonderful! We will promote that person as the 'Leopard Slayer'!?"
"And before the next blood fight, we will hold an event where the winner eats Eve's flesh. This will definitely be a huge hit."
"Eating the flesh of the strongest and becoming the next strongest! My, what a splendid idea! That kind of staging will surely delight the audience! As expected of Duke Zuan! I am deeply impressed!"
"With this, we can prepare the next popular star. So even if Eve disappears, the blood arena will remain safe for a while."
"But what if Eve survives tomorrow's blood fight?"
"Hm? We will kill her anyway, of course? If that thing is left alive wandering around the royal capital or elsewhere, what will the audience think? Every time they see Eve's face, they will feel 'the strongest blood gladiator is still here.'"
"Hmm… they would feel something lacking in the blood arena without Eve Speed."
"Exactly. However, once she is dead, the audience will have no choice but to accept it. Besides, even if we install another popular star, having that thing still alive would get in the way."
"You really are excellent at seeing ahead. But can we kill her that easily?"
"No need to worry. Preparations for the worst-case scenario are already complete."
"As expected of Duke Zuan. By the way, you already know this, but… about the story that Eve is trying to buy back the freedom of a certain former slave girl—"
Twitch.
Eve's ears reacted.
"You mean the dark elf from the White Foot Pavilion?"
The branch chief had not even finished speaking before the duke interrupted.
"Yes. Thanks to that girl, Eve continued as a blood gladiator longer than planned. What do you think? As an act of mercy, shall we grant that girl her freedom?"
"Hahaha, actually I have already decided to take that girl in myself."
"Oh? So even you have some compassion—"
"She is still a snot-nosed brat for now, but she will grow into an incredibly beautiful woman. I have wanted a fine dark elf specimen for a long time. Fufufu… once I take her in, I plan to train her thoroughly with these hands."
"So until now you could not lay a hand on her because Eve was there?"
"Unfortunately, that is correct. Still, living with a failed imitation of a human would be far less desirable than being kept by a noble like me. Well, once I grow tired of her I will sell her to a brothel… Dark elves are rare, even if not as much as regular elves. She will surely be a good draw for customers! Wahahaha!"
"Ha, hahaha… However, I believe you have spent quite a long time with Eve. Do you not feel even a little affection?"
"My, branch chief, you say the strangest things."
"?"
"There is no way I would feel affection for a mere beast that is less than human."
"——"
For a moment she thought about bursting into the room and killing them right there.
At the same time, Eve felt ashamed of her own blindness for not seeing it until now.
(Was he this much of a monster?)
Eve forcefully suppressed her rage.
Costelo was standing in front of the door.
His strength was unknown.
If she struggled, it would be over.
If it took too long, the other private soldiers would gather.
She might be killed by sheer numbers.
"…"
If it were only her own life, she would not care.
(But if I die here, what will happen to that child…?)
Eve did not like the mistress of the White Foot Pavilion.
She could not leave the child there forever.
(I must save that child from the duke's evil clutches.)
Swallowing her killing intent, Eve left the spot.
She returned to the first floor while taking care not to make noise.
On the way back to her room,
"Oh my, if it isn't Eve Speed."
The one who called out was a man wearing a hood.
A man with narrow, thread-like eyes.
(When did this man… ? Who is he?)
She had not sensed his presence at all.
"I am looking forward to tomorrow's blood fight."
"…Yeah."
Eve gave only that reply.
As she started to leave,
"So you were here, Lord Muaji."
A man in a robe came running over.
Eve turned around.
It seemed the thread-eyed man was the one being addressed.
"There has been a small problem."
"What happened?"
"Earlier, some of the men who drank too much alcohol attacked their comrades in a drunken frenzy—"
(Muaji? So that man is the one leading the Ashinto…)
However, she had no time to deal with the Ashinto right now.
(I must hurry.)
She returned to her room and began packing her belongings.
(In the end…)
"I understand the way scum think."
(So it was exactly as that man said.)
▽
Eve quietly slipped out of the blood arena.
She began moving while hiding herself from sight.
She could not take most of the money she had earned.
Most of the money would be handed over when she gained her freedom.
(It cannot be helped.)
She avoided the main street and advanced through back alleys.
While avoiding places with many footsteps, Eve passed through one alley.
(I may have been closing my ears…)
She had been running away.
From reality.
From that man's words.
(I wanted to make the dream of living quietly and peacefully come true.)
It had felt like it was almost within reach.
She had believed that just one more step and she could grasp it.
She had thought that once tomorrow was over, she could seize that dream.
She had been tired.
Of this life.
She had wanted to become free quickly.
She had wanted to leap toward the easier future.
(But deep in my heart, I think I already knew…)
That reality was not kind.
And,
(Perhaps I was only using that child as a reason to save myself…)
The one who had wanted to be saved was actually herself.
(I—)
Eve pushed aside her idle thoughts.
(No…)
In any case, if things continued like this, that child would become unhappy.
First she had to save that child from the duke's evil clutches.
"Pointless self-pity can come after that."
▽
Eve reached a spot where she could see the great gate.
The White Foot Pavilion she was heading to was located at the edge of the royal capital.
The area in front of the great gate was a place she could stop by on the way.
She checked the surroundings.
(For now, I came to check before heading to the child's place…)
There was no sign of those two.
(They have already left.)
Footsteps came from behind her.
(No, that is not them…)
There were two presences.
She placed her hand on her sword.
Eve slowly turned around.
"You arrived earlier than expected."
A single figure stepped out from the darkness.
That man—Hati.
"Since you came here, that means—"
"Yes, it was exactly as you said."
"Well, there is nothing more convincing than the 'reality' you learn with your own eyes and ears."
He spoke as if he had been certain she would come here.
She removed her hand from the sword hilt.
"I am sorry for doubting you."
"It does not matter. As you said yourself, it would be unreasonable to blindly trust someone you only met yesterday or the day before."
"…"
"So, are you bringing that important girl of yours?"
Behind him stood that female swordswoman as well.
Eve looked in the direction of the White Foot Pavilion.
"Of course. I cannot leave that child behind here."
"In other words, you will go with us to the demon zone right now. Am I correct in understanding that?"
"A place where that child and I can live in peace… at this point, the only place I can think of is the witch's home…"
She no longer felt like leaving the child with someone else somewhere.
(This world… is far too cruel for that child to live alone…)
Eve made up her mind.
She would take the child to the witch who lived in the demon zone.
Even if it cost her own life.
"With conditions, but I intend to tell you the witch's location."
"Kuku, then it is settled for now. In that case—"
Hati turned toward the White Foot Pavilion and smiled wickedly.
"Let us go kidnap someone."