CH 19

Chapter 19 :  My Hero [Before].

A special district for nobles in the royal capital.

At the end of the neatly paved cobblestone street was a large elegant mansion.

In a room under the pale western sun, a well-dressed elderly gentleman said.　

"However, I'm surprised. I didn't expect a sudden visit from the deputy division commander of the Royal Guard Division."

"I'm sorry to bother you. Lord Kalendor."

Krishna sat down on the couch across from her and sipped the tea that was served.

“Afu~tsu”

"What's going on??"

"Oh, excuse me. Cat Tongue is my only weakness."

"Hohoho, even the Lady of Stone has her weaknesses, I see. This is a best product imported from the East, I hope it suits your taste."

"Yes, it's very tasty."

It has a mellow aroma and an elegant, luxurious taste.

But for some reason, the taste of the tea she had sipped in the abandoned city reminded her of it fondly.

She looked out the window and saw a backyard with a forest of magnificent conifer trees.

Even the simple well house by the flower bed is much more magnificent than that building in the abandoned city.

"So, how can I help you?"

"W...Well... That is...."

Of course, She can't say that she came here because she heard rumors of child trafficking.

Krishna scoffed at herself, wondering what she was doing.

She was led (astray) by the words of a demi-human and came to this place.　

The hotbed of illicit trade is the noble. It can't be.

Of course, She can't give such uncertain information to the headquarters.

She just here to make sure it's all just a bunch of nonsense.

With that reminder, Krishna set down the white porcelain cup.　

"Lord, are you aware that bandits sometimes invade the Special Zone?"

"I've heard of it. I think there's a band of lizardmen bandits......."

"Yes. As for us, we'll be working to further strengthen security."

“I would like to ask you so”

"Of course. However, it is not practical to cover all areas with security. We are hoping that the nobles themselves will be more aware about security."

"Hmm. That's a good argument."

"So, I'd like to take a look at the inside of your house and check out the current security system and high-risk areas."

Krishna said and looked closely at Lord Kalendar.

Zofia the Gale said that some of the children were being moved to a special room in the mansion now that the investigation was getting tougher.

No ordinary person could enter the noble mansion, and there were many empty rooms.

On the one hand, it can be a very safe place to hide.

However, there was no change in the kind-hearted expression of the man in front of her.

"That's a good idea. But if you had told me in advance, I would have been a little more prepared."　

"I'd like to show you my normal state as much as possible, so excuse me for this, I have to do this unannounced."

"Ho, ho, I see. Very well. I'm not busy until dinner, so I'll show you around."

"Thank you, for personally informing me of this."

Krishna followed Kalendar around the compound.

She observed not only the room, but also the kitchen, bathroom, and even the basement pantry, but she could not find any traces of where the child had been locked up.

--that's complete bullshit

She didn't need to come all the way here to find out.

She felt angry and disappointed in herself for being carried away by the lie, but at the same time, she felt somewhat relieved.

"How was that, Krishna-dono?"

"Yes, it's more well guarded than I thought. This will make it difficult for the bandits to break in."

"Hohoho, I'll be relieved if the deputy division commander of the Royal Guard Division gives me that kind of seal of approval."

"Well, if I may be so bold as to point out that the security......"

Then Krishna stopped speaking.

"Hmm, what happened?"

"...... Oh, no, it's nothing. Excuse me, may I borrow your toilet before I leave?"

"Hoho, please."

Krishna thanked him and left the place and went out into the hallway.

Her heart is beating a little faster.

Even with such a large estate, Lord Kalendar is somewhere between the lower and middle ranks of nobility.

She guessed she could think of it as her cautious nature, but what was even stranger was the balance of security. As she walked around the outer wall, she remembered that the security guards were much more concentrated on the back side of the building than at the main gate.

Krishna opened the window in the hallway and landed in the backyard.

——No way…….

A simple well house was in the corner of her eye.

After checking his surroundings, Krishna moved quickly to the well house, hiding behind a garden tree. Since she had to leave her magic gun when she entered the mansion, the empty holster felt strangely thin.

--just make sure it's wrong, and I'll be right back.

Pushing open the door, Krishna peeked inside.

There is too dark to see through.

She picked up a pebble, dropped it in, and heard a dry thud.　

--The water is running dry.

The inside of the well has a small handrail.

It is not uncommon for wells to have handrails in case of accidental falls.

Krishna gulped.　

With a swift gesture, She climbed down the railing and found the bottom to be a small room-sized space.

Her eyes gradually adjust to the darkness.

In the back was a heavy iron door with a padlock on it.

"You must be joking..."

Feeling mildly dizzy, Krishna stood there.

--what should I do…….

She don't have time to think about it.

Normally, she should have checked inside the house before Lord Calendor, but if he said no, that was all. And once the nobles refused, it would be difficult for even the Royal Guards to enter the house unless there was clear evidence.

This excuse can only be used once.

Now is the only time to check.

If she open it without permission, of course she will be charged with a crime.

"Even so--......"

Krishna took a slow step forward.

What if.

What if there are children trapped here?

If they're waiting for a hero to help them--

Krishna held her breath as she untied her belt and stuck the end into the keyhole. The Royal Guards Division studied the key structures in their security training. It will take some time, but they can open some locks. She managed to open the lock, put her hand on the handle, and opened the heavy door.

"Ah,......."

Krishna groaned.

Behind the bars, there were a dozen or so children.

They were all blindfolded and had iron shackles on their hands and feet.

The girl in front of her said shakily.

"A-Are you a scary person?"

"It's okay. I've often been called faceless and scary, but I'm not the one who's going to hurt you guys."

The way they huddled together and looked so frightened made her heart tighten.

Anger at Lord Kalendar and at herself swirled in the pit of her stomach.

But She've seen the evidence with her own eyes. They should be able to move headquarters with this.

"You must be scared. Wait here a moment. I'll be right back to help you."

"W, Who are you...?"

"I'm...? I'm Hero of Jus-..."

Bogu~u~tsu!

Feeling the hot heat on his back, Krishna crashed into the bars.

As She turned around, enduring the intense pain, She saw Lord Kalendar there.

In his hand was Krishna's magic gun.

"As expected, the magic gun of the Royal Guard Division has a different performance. With maximum firepower, even a captured bullet is this powerful. I guess I can use this to threaten the kid."

The calm expression on his face has disappeared, and a lecherous smile is clinging to his face.

"I had a bad feeling when you came back late, so I came to check on you. You shouldn't be wandering around without permission."'

"Da...mn..."

As She was about to jump at him, another shot was fired, sending a jolt through her left hand.

The blindfolded children seemed to sense something was wrong and began to sob in unison.

"Do......, Do you think you can get away with this kind of make-believe for free?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking, man. If I make you disappear here, everything will be back to normal. No one was here to begin with. Isn't that right?"

She coughed, and fresh blood poured out of her mouth.

Her side was gouged and her left arm was missing from the elbow.

Krishna falls to her knees dejectedly on the spot.

--This is not good.......

They resented the poor, suspected the poor, and cracked down on the poor.

But it was the poor man's words that were correct in this matter.

If you can't save a crying child, it's just a fake justice.

This is what happens to fake heroes.

"The Royal Guard Division shouldn't be doing anything unnecessary to the nobles."

Lord Calendar slowly approached with the gun in his hand, his eyes staring coldly..

She didn't even feel the pain anymore.

"All you guys have to do is shut up and crack down on these fools. Isn't that right?"

Krishna gritted her teeth and crawled away from the bars so that at least the children would not be hit by stray bullets.

"Haha, the perfect <Lady of Stone> looks miserable."　

--I'm sorry.

"I'm just messing with you, kidnapping a few dozen kids from the favelas."

--I'm sorry, everyone

"I am a nobleman. Unlike the fools, I am allowed to do whatever I want. Do you understand me, huh?".

--I'm sorry, Mother.

"I think it's time for dinner. Get the hell out of here and die."

--I've never been a real hero.

".... Eh?."

Lord Kalendor stops his finger on the trigger for a moment.

There seemed to be some kind of commotion outside.

Suddenly, there was a shout from a man who seemed to be a guard.

"Bandits. The bandits have infiltrated!"

"What the hell?"

A roar of commotion roared out from outside, and Lord Kalendor looked up.

The sound of what sounded like multiple people fighting reverberated through the space.

In the next moment, someone descended smoothly into the well.

"What, You still alive. I should have come here later."

A woman with long black hair and sharp, lifted eyes said in a languid tone.

"Zofia, the Gale......, why......?"

As she muttered, spitting out blood, she heard another voice behind her.

"You're totally reckless. You're the one who never disappoints in a bad way, you know?"

In the dim darkness, the outline of the approaching figure gradually became clearer.

"I've come all this way to make a house call. It's going to cost you to death, so you'd better be ready."

He was dressed in a black cloak, swearing in a troublesome manner, but he was definitely a hero itself.