Pillar of Yita

”But that’s too dangerous for you, Roosevelt,” the man replied.

”But if not, Miss Hilveld is in even greater danger,” the young man insisted.

”I think it’s possible,” another person said, ”With mutual support, there’s no reason Roosevelt couldn’t escape.”

The others couldn’t help but look towards Hilveld.

Hilveld pondered for a moment, her eyes as shallow as the sea glanced at the young man, seemingly moved by his determination, and finally she nodded gently, ”Thank you, Roosevelt, and everyone, please take care.”

”Lady, take the items from the box, hand the suitcase to Roosevelt, we’ll split into two groups.”

Upon hearing this, Hilveld hesitated for a moment, looked at the suitcase in her hand, but in the end, she nodded. She placed her hand on the suitcase’s injury, pressed down gently, and the Rose emblem on top rotated inward before sinking in.

With a soft click, the latch of the suitcase popped open, springing outward.

She handed her gun to a nearby Rat Person, then opened the suitcase. Originally, it should have contained a sleeping, peaceful Construct Fairy, but now it was empty. Hilveld’s gaze drifted as she looked at the empty space.

It was her father’s heirloom, but she ultimately still handed it to that big boy who was the Captain, the slightly naive Captain, who must be quite angry by now, right?

Regardless, she had deceived them all.

Her rather amusing Captain—

Where might he be?

Thinking this, she became unusually distracted, while reaching for the third rose on the suitcase’s silk lining and pressing down gently. As she did so, a clicking sound followed from inside the suitcase. It was at this moment that a crisp gunshot suddenly rang by her ear.

She was slightly stunned, turned her head around, and saw the Rat Person collapsing into a pool of blood.

The gun that should have been in its hand was now in Roosevelt’s. The young man’s slender hand was smeared with blood as he shakily pointed the gun at her, his eyes alternating between fervor and fear.

”What are you doing!” The men in black seemed not to have anticipated this scene, bellowing in anger as they tried to move closer.

But Roosevelt, somewhat hysterically, shouted, ”Don’t come any closer, or I will shoot, you know what place this is!”

Hilveld quietly watched as the other aimed the gun at her, with surprise flickering in her eyes for just a moment before settling back into a state of complete calm.

”What have they offered you, Roosevelt?” she asked, ”To make you also choose this path? Let me think, this surely isn’t just your decision, your father has finally decided to change his tune, right?”

”Everything,” the young man replied shakily, ”Miss Hilveld, all of Manorling’s glory, and you—the pearl of the Rurals, they gave it all to me.”

”Including me?” Hilveld smiled slightly, ”That really is quite a bargaining chip.”

She suddenly stepped forward, reaching out to grab the gun in the young man’s hand.

”Don’t come closer!” Roosevelt yelled in fright, ”I will really shoot—”

”I know,”

the Lady Noble answered softly.

Then, to the young man’s astonishment, he pulled the trigger, but only the empty sound of the firing mechanism clicking without a bullet or flash ensued.

Nothing happened at all.

Only Hilveld gently took the gun from his frozen hand.

Another gunshot rang out. The men in black, having finally witnessed the scene, opened fire and shot the young man to the ground. He fell to the earth in despair, blood spurting out, his face filled with shock as he looked at her.

”Roosevelt,” Hilveld said softly, looking at the young man bleeding on the ground with a hint of compassion, ”Having grown up with me, you should be clear about my nature. I never trust anyone easily, a pity that blinded your judgment.”

The young man let out a hoarse, beast-like sound, stretching out his thin hand as if trying to grasp something, but in the end, he could only clutch at the air, his hand falling limply as the light in his eyes finally faded.

And it was at that moment behind everyone, a series of orderly footsteps approached.

Hilveld turned her head, looking towards the direction shrouded in smoke, from where several people were slowly emerging—every one of them dressed in the Jiefulite Red Cloak Team uniform, with the leader clapping his hands and applauding:

”I thought such a scene only existed in those bizarre and wonderful tales, Miss Hilveld, truly spectacular.”

A line of Gunslingers emerged from the smoke, their Magic Guided Guns surrounding everyone present.

”Now, you have no way to escape,” the man said cautiously from behind the Gunslingers, ”Hand over the things, beautiful Madam. I’m not like those men; I have no interest in that pretty head on your neck.”

”On the contrary,” he continued, ”For a beauty like you, actually, I would be pleased to see you live a long life.”

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