08-08 The Escape
Turning back time a little, to the night before Elsa and Mine disappeared. In one of the rooms of the hotel in provincial city Ikasanaato.
After returning to her own room Elsa wept without making a sound.
He had no hair on his head and a plump figure. It was said that before he retired from military service he had a toned body, but Elsa couldn’t imagine it.
Elsa remembered thinking at that time that while she did like Jin, marrying and living together with him was unimaginable.
She hated him. She hated being around him. She would hate being married to someone like that even more. Just being looked at by him gave her the chills. Elsa could do nothing but bite her lip and cry.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
Elsa did not respond, the door softly opened, and Mine entered.
“…”
“You don’t have to say it. You most certainly hate this marriage with the Marquis, right?”
“I understand. Because you’re the young lady that I’ve watched over since you were a baby.”
“Mine…”
“Mine, Mine…”
For a while Elsa stayed like that crying into Mine’s chest.
When Mine estimated that Elsa had calmed down a little, she spoke.
“Freedom, to decide, for myself?”
“Yes. Common people like me assuredly have less rules than nobles. That way there are also hardships, but it’s the difference between hardships pushed onto you and hardships you yourself chose. There’s no telling which one would be the best no matter what, but don’t you think that it’s as well to choose your own hardship?”
Mine’s tempting took time.
However, if Elsa were to sneak away of her own volition, Mine would gladly say there was no greater fortune she could wish for.
Using sophistry, using schemes, Mine was trying to make Elsa receptive for the idea.
“Freedom, to decide, for myself.”
“You may not meet Reinhardt-sama again. Because he’s a noble. But Jin-sama is a commoner. Maybe in one or two years if things calm down you could meet him.”
“If it’s Jin-kun, then surely…”
Then before she knew it, she nodded to Mine.
“I’ll go.”
“Young lady! So you’ve firmly made up your mind. Mine will protect young lady even if costs me my life.”
She said and gently brushed Elsa’s back.
That night, the two vanished.
No one at all was expecting Elsa to run away, and so there weren’t anything like lookouts keeping watch.
They left behind all accessories that would immediately reveal that she was a noble, bulky objects, and everything unnecessary. The dagger and the ring included.
(But, just this is.)
Mine led Elsa who had wanted to take the dagger too by the hand, and Elsa walked into the night with some reluctance.
The only ones who saw them were Pansy and Lily of the SP. But as it did not involve Jin, just like that without doing anything they watched the two leave.
Mine who had saved most of her pay as a nanny for this day had told Elsa to not worry about money right now, so she ran with nearly nothing but the clothes she wore.
In the dark, they went to the place of ‘Mr. Handy’ whom Mine had fired. She had already made contact with him for the journey out, in that sense things were going as planned.
“That’s right. I brought her out today. Please proceed as planned.”
Mine who had originally intended to run off with Elsa from Ikasanaato already had escape plans prepared.
Mr. Handy said and guided Elsa and Mine to a room with beds. It was a room that could be reliably locked from the inside. The two were mentally tired and so they immediately fell asleep.
First, they rode horses northeast.
There was a narrow path through the mountains between Celuroa Kingdom and Egelia Kingdom, people from underground businesses went back and forth on that path, and now Elsa and Mine rode horses through that path.
For that reason their manufacturing method was a secret. Well, if Jin saw them he could probably quickly analyze their entire structure.
Near the border there was a small hut. It was a location ‘Mr. Handy’ used in times like these.
Mine and Elsa were tired from riding horses in the midnight darkness, and so as told they wrapped themselves in blankets handed to them.
“…It’s not tasty.”
The two satisfied their hunger with bread and soup Mr. Handy had prepared. The taste was of course irrelevant, so Elsa accidentally voiced her dissatisfaction.
The person called ‘Mr. Through’ was a middle-aged magus who could using the help of a Magi Tool erect a sort of a tunnel between the stakes in a place wide enough for it.
“Now, next is descending the mountain to the river, where with the help of ‘Mr. Ferry’ ye’ll cross over to Celuroa Kingdom’s subcentral district where ye simply can’t be found by pursuers, I hope.”
“Wontcha wait here patiently ’til the night.”
“Young lady, just a little longer. Once we cross the river, there’s no need to be afraid of pursuers any longer. Let’s rent a house where we two can live together.”
Mine affectionately hugged Elsa who seemed to be worn out from the journey. Elsa fell asleep just like that. Mine looked at Elsa’s sleeping face and,
She said and gently combed Elsa’s hair that reached her forehead with her fingers.
The outside gradually darkened, and before long the awaited night came.
Mr. Handy said, and opened the hut’s door. It was already pitch black outside.
He said, but even so with just the moonlight it was fairly difficult. After falling over multiple times Elsa and Mine got down to the riverbed.
“That’s ‘Mr. Ferry’.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
“Hehe, well then, be well.”
“Young lady, come now.”
First Elsa got on the boat. Mr. Ferry lent a hand, and Elsa safely got on board.
“Now you need just wait until we arrive at the other shore.”
This world’s moon is small. Nevertheless, in the moonlight the river’s surface glittered with countless of reflections like silver sand. Elsa was absentmindedly gazing at it.
The boat slowly kept on crossing the river.
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