Inside the rattling train, silence reigned.

Hunter was quietly occupied, working on the corpse of the Foreign Entity she had brought with her. Agarta seemed uncomfortable, staring out the window, while Asti sat expressionless, casting a fierce glare toward Hunter. And the one at the center of it all, Hunter herself, looked blankly into space, her face emotionless, as though none of this affected her in the least, still bound in rope.

R-right. Let’s try to look on the bright side here.

At least Hunter wasn’t hostile toward me. If we could manage a conversation, maybe she’d agree to dismantle the rebellion upon our return to Londan, allowing the city to return to normal.

With that hope, I looked over at Hunter. She seemed to notice my movement and locked eyes with me almost immediately.

Frozen in place, I couldn’t shake the feeling of dread. Was it the kind of terror prey might feel facing a predator? Or the fear a person facing death might experience?

"Hunter."

“…”

“Feeling calmer now? You won’t, you know… do that again, right?”

“…”

“Could you at least answer?”

“…”

With nothing but an indifferent blink in response, a certainty settled in my mind: the second these ropes came off, chaos would ensue.

「…Are you trying to set hearts racing even from people who’ve given up on being women?」

Then, the Gardener’s voice echoed, a teasing tone laced with unexpected sharpness.

Hey, it’s not like this is my fault! I didn’t do anything! Hunter went off on her own!

「…I know that too.」

Still, I knew where this was headed.

How about we spend some time together later, Gardener? How about a date in a snowstorm this time?

「…!」

For a moment, I imagined her red-flushed face reacting to my sudden invitation.

「Wh-what! And you say nothing to me!」
「Woof! Woof woof!」

The Dragon Slayer and Bell both made disgruntled noises, caught off guard.

Hmm. How should I handle this?

It seemed I could only summon Foreign Entities twice a day. Maybe assigning them turns would help simplify things.

As the thought struck, the Foreign Entities were already rock-paper-scissoring amongst themselves. Even now, it was odd that the Record Keeper hadn’t shown up. They’d once claimed to love me; was that just something they threw out for fun?

Who knows? You can’t exactly rein in a Foreign Entity that acts on whim.

"T-Tanton…"

Agarta spoke up suddenly, perhaps feeling burdened by the silence.

“Yes?”

“…Are you okay? That was quite an ordeal back there.”

“Yes, well… I didn’t actually go through with it. And now I understand why Hunter tried what she did, so I can live with it.”

With an “Ah, I see,” Agarta looked out the window again.

What’s with her? Laughing at me one moment, then worrying the next. Maybe she had a split personality or something?

As I wondered, the train rattled even harder.

“We’ve arrived, Sir Tanton,” Hunter announced, finishing her work on the Foreign Entity.

“I’m grateful you’ve provided enough firewood for Garen to last a few more years,” she added, expressing her thanks.

“...You really brought back the corpse of a Foreign Entity.”

“Yes, Your Grace. Without Sir Tanton’s help, it would have been impossible.”

Hunter spoke, unrolling the corpse in front of the Duke. Despite the tidy preparation, the Duke grimaced.

Noticing his reaction, Hunter quickly wrapped the body again, and only then did the Duke let out a sigh of relief.

“Hunter, I’m ever grateful to you. Even with Sir Tanton’s help, you played a crucial role in this journey.”

“That may be true, Your Grace.”

“I’ll make sure you have every opportunity to continue growing. Now, you’ll have more time.”

“…!”

Hunter’s face lit up at his words.

“This is all my failing. I’ve been receiving so much from you without even thinking of how I could help. Thank you for allowing me the chance to reflect.”

“I-it’s my honor, Your Grace.”

Hunter lowered her head, her face a mix of gratitude and humility. The Duke watched with satisfaction, perhaps regretting not doing this sooner.

With his business with Hunter concluded, the Duke’s gaze shifted to me.

“So, what should we give to Sir Tanton, who made the greatest contribution to this hunt?”

“Other than that coal I requested, there’s nothing I really need.”

“That doesn’t sit right with me. If I just let you go, who knows when we’ll meet again?”

The Duke was right; once we returned, I’d be keeping Hunter as an informal hostage to dissolve the rebellion. After that, most of my time would be back in Londan, safeguarding the city.

“Your Grace’s kind words alone are already enough reward for me.”

“You have a way with words, Sir Knight.”

Yet the Duke’s face still bore a trace of concern, as if he couldn’t quite relax.

Then...

“Then, would you consider supporting Londan in times of need?”

“You mean, like a pledge to assist in times of crisis?”

“It’s just a precaution. Stronger Foreign Entities may show up in the future, or sudden threats like the Candle Legion might appear again. If Your Grace could provide support during such times, Londan would enjoy much greater peace.”

“Hmm… Frankly, I’m not sure if Garen’s forces could contribute significantly to Londan’s defenses.”

The Duke seemed deep in thought.

This wasn’t simply a one-sided demand for aid; it would contribute to Garen’s development. If the Duke wanted to support us, he’d likely start strengthening his forces, managing resources strategically. For Garen’s citizens, often seen as the underdogs, this would be a golden opportunity to grow stronger, something that could easily happen in a dark fantasy like ours.

Finally, the Duke nodded with a more relaxed expression.

“Understood. No matter what happens, I’ll heed your call for assistance, even if it means ignoring orders from Her Highness.”

W-wait. I didn’t expect that much dedication.

The Duke laughed, amused at my surprise.

“Just kidding. But seriously, don’t tell Her Highness.”

“O-of course not.”

Some jokes could be funnier. This one only sent shivers down my spine.

“Yes, then I’ll be off, Your Grace.”

“Thank you, Sir Tanton. Whenever you’re in Garen, you’ll be treated with utmost respect.”

After bowing politely to the Duke, I left and joined Agarta on the train with Hunter, still bound.

The three of us returned to Londan. Since Hunter was the rebellion’s leader, we dressed her up with Agarta’s help, keeping her appearance presentable. Her muffled voice, distorted by a scarf, could pass for a cold if anyone asked.

Though Hunter seemed reluctant, almost wanting the rebellion to continue, she didn’t resist as we approached the square. There was an intense feeling in the air.

There was an unbelievable number of people gathered in protest.

“W-what’s going on?”

I guess the rebellion had grown. People were easily swayed, so it wasn’t surprising to see it escalate.

But this could be ended with a single word from Hunter. I looked over, and she, blinking, turned to face the crowd, took a deep breath, and called out.

“Guet, Gueril! Enough! The rebellion ends here!”

Thankfully, she complied with my request, though she glanced at me afterward with a strange look. I avoided her gaze, knowing she probably wanted something in return.

The news seemed like a thunderbolt to the rebels. One man stumbled out, wide-eyed, seeing Hunter’s bound state.

“L-Lady Hunter! What’s the meaning of this?!”

Another man, contrastingly calm, followed behind, his gaze steady.

“…Lady Hunter.”

“Guet, it’s over. I’m ordering you to stop.”

Hunter’s words seemed to crush something inside him, leaving him with a hollow laugh.

“…I suppose I must obey Lady Hunter’s command.”

The resentment on his face made it clear he held a grudge against the Knights.

But now, I needed to report back to the vice-captain and reactivate the Knights…

“What’s that?!”

A man in the crowd suddenly pointed, horrified.

We all turned toward the commotion, stunned at what we saw.

The Knights had been out of commission for too long, and with Hunter away, Foreign Entities had gathered around Londan.

Women-like figures scaled the walls, making us grind our teeth in frustration.

“Agarta, Asti.”

“Yes?”

Both responded in unison.

“I need you to evacuate the people.”

“What? You’re going to face those things alone?!”

“Raydan, no.”

Asti and Agarta tried to stop me, but there was no other way. With the vice-captain nowhere to be found, waiting idly would only increase the casualties.

“…!”

Both were taken aback as I removed Hunter’s bindings. Finally free, she stretched her limbs, showing off a curious fullness beneath her new clothes.

Hunter looked at me with an uncharacteristically soft expression.

“And what exactly do you think I’ll do?”

“What you do best. Hunt Foreign Entities. Isn’t that your job?”

Perhaps because I spoke as usual, she seemed slightly surprised, but then collected herself, holding out her hand.

Clearly, she wanted the double-barrel shotgun.

Agarta tossed the shotgun over, and Hunter caught it expertly, loading it and firing mercilessly at an approaching Foreign Entity.

“Graaagh!”

It fell, struck in the legs.

Walking steadily toward the horde, Hunter turned back to me.

“Looks like you’re back to acting bold.”

“…I’ve decided not to repeat my past mistakes.”

“Obvious words.”

Hunter raised her gun toward the oncoming Foreign Entities.

“Don’t regret freeing me later.”

“…I just won’t regret it.”

“That’ll be hard to do.”

“Crazy woman.”

I muttered, walking forward, dodging her crazed taunts.

The Foreign Entity War had begun, right after the Candle War.