Sterling Central Station. Even the wind carried the scent of the sea. Cordelia pulled her hat down low against the cold sea breeze. It would have been better to wear a thin summer hat with a white, fluttering dress, but even bundled up in winter clothes, it wasn't difficult to feel like she had arrived at a port city.
"It's really been a long time since I've traveled."
Cordelia, hiding her sparkling blonde hair under a soft fur hat, said with an excited voice. Annie, who got off last, looked around the gloomy atmosphere of the station and asked.
"Miss, shall I hail a carriage?"
"It's fine, someone came to meet us."
Cordelia pointed to a large steam carriage standing in front of the station. It was a spacious carriage that could seat eight people. The gentleman who had been leaning against the side of the carriage and fidgeting with his pocket watch looked up.
The gentleman's green eyes discovered Cordelia's face wrapped in a soft sky-blue fur hat and brightened for a moment.
"Lady Cordelia. It's been a long time."
Cordelia wrinkled her nose.
"It really has been a long time. You seem to have been well?"
"Thanks to your concern. And... Miss Hunter. It's good to see you."
Alastair Renfrew slowly removed his hat in greeting. If status alone mattered, even if Esperanza had been a hundred years older, she should have curtsied first, but in the face of the great disaster they had experienced, the hierarchy of status wasn't very important. Alastair greeted Esperanza with the courtesy due to a lifesaver.
"You said you'd give me a chance to repay my life debt, but I never expected you'd come with Miss Hunter."
Even at the reproachful tone, Cordelia just shrugged her shoulders.
"What could be grander than Count Sterling coming to meet us in Sterling City? It's burdensome. Right?"
Cordelia asked, looking back at Esperanza and Annie. Annie just smiled awkwardly, but Esperanza rolled her eyes for a moment before nodding. Cordelia raised her nose as if to say 'see?'
Alastair politely greeted even Annie, the maid, and helped the three people into the carriage. Excluding shared carriages, it was the largest carriage Esperanza had ever ridden in.
"Where are we going?"
"To Count Sterling's mansion..."
When Cordelia threateningly furrowed her brow, Alastair let out a hollow laugh.
"...would be proper, but as you can see, considering Lady Cordelia's mood, we'll go to a hotel. You need to put down your luggage. Wait, where is your luggage?"
"I have it."
"Ah."
Alastair, who had exclaimed, slowly nodded his head. He didn't ask for details. Cordelia giggled and leaned on Esperanza's shoulder.
"Anyway, since you need to put down your luggage, I'll guide you to the hotel. The rooms are already reserved. Since using Lady Cordelia's name could lead to tracking, I borrowed the name of my butler's wife. Mrs. Constance Ashdown. I've also organized places to dine and tourist attractions."
"Isn't being a tour guide more suited to your constitution?"
Cordelia asked mischievously as she took the paper Alastair offered.
"My butler worked harder than I did. And if you could spare time during your schedule, we could host you at Sterling mansion..."
Alastair, who had been speaking up to that point, watched Cordelia's reaction again.
"Is it delicious?"
"The chef will do his best too."
"You won't make me run into your family members, will you?"
To the question about whether an uncomfortable situation might arise, a prepared answer came back.
"Of course that won't happen. If by any chance such a thing occurs, I'll notify you immediately."
"Then that's good. By the way, what should we eat tonight? Oh, should I try lobster? Miss Tate, have you ever eaten lobster?"
"Yes, once though."
"Really? It's my first time. It should be fine, right?"
Cordelia and Annie were busy choosing restaurants with their heads together. The inside of the carriage became a bit quieter. Esperanza, who had been looking at Sterling's streets passing by outside the window, spoke up.
"Cordelia is here for tourism, but I came to find Lord Avondale. I know he's in Dunbarton, but I can't confirm where exactly."
"Pardon?"
"It's a personal matter. Anyway, I thought Lord Sterling would be faster than an information broker at finding the location of an upper-class gentleman in Dunbarton."
"Yes, that's true, but."
If he wasn't hiding, Alastair, as Count Sterling, could quickly find out the location of upper-class gentlemen and ladies staying in Dunbarton. Most of Dunbarton high society were either his relatives, in-laws, relatives of relatives, or relatives of in-laws. But Count Avondale...
"Lord Sterling, don't you know? Or can't you find him?"
Cordelia, who had been deeply absorbed in the tourist attraction list Alastair had diligently copied, suddenly looked up and asked. Alastair unconsciously averted his eyes and said:
"It's not that. It's not that, but Lord Avondale is at Dunbarton Castle."
It was a frustratingly easy answer. Her chest felt a bit stuffy. Esperanza moved her lips briefly.
"Related to the mines?"
"You knew."
As expected.
"Then he won't come to Sterling."
"Probably not? I heard he's planning to attend the conference in Finley."
That's a relief. If so, at least Cider wouldn't get hurt by being involved in a dungeon. She could stay here with Cordelia and Annie, solve the dungeon when it opened, then go to Finley to find Cider. It was fortunate, but somehow she felt disappointed in a corner of her heart. When Esperanza closed her mouth, Cordelia looked up and said:
"Lord Sterling, I'm thinking of going to the high-end shopping district tomorrow."
"I'll guide you."
"Good. Actually, I didn't bring a single coin."
Cordelia had said it half-jokingly, but Alastair answered with a rather amused voice.
"I'll consider it repaying my debt to my lifesaver."
"Huh? Did that life debt apply to me too?"
The carriage arrived at the hotel. Alastair opened the carriage door and answered:
"That day, if it hadn't been for Lady Cordelia, I would have died. No one would have wanted to save me."
White sunlight poured over his red hair. Alastair extended his hand with a calm attitude. Cordelia grasped that hand and even after getting out of the carriage, she kept her lips tightly closed and said nothing. Annie glanced at the two with sidelong looks and stuck close to Esperanza's side.
While the three people went to put down their luggage and came out, Alastair was in the middle of making various requests to the hotel. Esperanza, who was coming down the stairs, spotted Alastair making detailed requests like a faithful attendant and stopped. When she first saw him at Mabelwood, the characteristic indifference of upper-class youth had been prominent.
Alastair, who had finished his requests to the hotel manager and turned around, spotted Esperanza and smiled awkwardly. He seemed like he was going to say something, but when Cordelia came down, he quickly closed his mouth.
"Oh, Lord Sterling. You were still here?"
"...Yes. I have something to do. Oh, I've arranged with the hotel to have a carriage on standby, so please use it."
"Really? Miss Tate, where did you say you were going?"
"The central post office."
Annie, who added that she had a brother working at the post office, said so with a not-very-enthusiastic face.
"I'm thinking of looking around the harbor area. Then you can drop me off at the harbor first and then go to the post office. What about you, Esperanza?"
"I have something else to do. And don't go to the harbor. All three of you. Whatever happens, you mustn't board a ship or go near the harbor."
Esperanza said this with a somewhat stern face. Annie, who had first heard about dungeons on the train, glanced at Esperanza with a pale face.
"I was going to go see it today... won't today be fine?"
"You never know. Absolutely not."
Esperanza planned to install dungeon detectors near the harbor today, but dungeons by their very nature were the end if you got swept up in them. Esperanza had already given the two people weapons that even beginners could easily use on the train, but if the situation came to that, they could be taken away by people stronger and more panicked than them.
The best thing was not to get involved at all.
"Absolutely, absolutely don't go."
Cordelia pouted with dissatisfaction. However, as someone who had experienced a dungeon, she felt with her whole body how precious that advice was, so she didn't complain.
Annie, who always listened well and had no particular interest in the sea, nodded without hesitation. And when gazes turned to Alastair Renfrew, he tilted his head and asked something unexpected:
"Are all three of you going to different places?"
"Something like that. I came because I have other business, and Cordelia is here for tourism. Annie is..."
When their eyes met, Annie winked and smiled.
"I'm just meeting my brother while I'm here, and I'm worried about Miss."
"What is there to worry about me for?"
Esperanza let out a hollow laugh. Alastair nodded and confirmed again:
"Miss Tate said she's going to meet family, and Miss Hunter, I'm not worried about you."
Alastair Renfrew had also experienced the disaster at Mabelwood. He had seen Esperanza fight giant monsters with a single rifle. It would be ridiculous to worry anew. If something was dangerous enough to threaten Esperanza, Alastair would have died.
"But for Lady Cordelia to go around alone too, would that be alright?"
"I'll mainly visit tourist spots, so what could happen? Well, if not the harbor, where should I go?"
"How about I introduce you to a guide? With Lady Cordelia's connections, no one would refuse."
Even though her status had dropped because of someone before her eyes, Cordelia Mabelwood was still one of the most sought-after brides in Nine Holder, and Baron Mabelwood was like a godmother of high society. People from northern Dunbarton generally preferred to find marriage partners within their small internal high society, but no one would be reluctant to receive an introduction and advance into Nine Holder high society. After all, where more people gathered, there were more opportunities.
"Thank you, but no. I don't want to engage in social activities after coming all this way."
"I thought you enjoyed social activities."
"I do! But just because you like something doesn't mean it's always enjoyable, right? If you're that worried, why don't you take on the guiding yourself, Lord Sterling?"
At the grumbling words as if shaking off something bothersome, Alastair seemed to ponder for a moment before nodding.
"If it wouldn't be inconvenient, I'll do that."
"Are you in your right mind?"
Cordelia's face turned white. Esperanza, who looked back and forth between the two, clicked her tongue.
"Then I'll go first."
"Huh? What? Aren't you taking the carriage?"
Esperanza, who responded by shaking her head, left the hotel with unhesitating steps.
The trust and goodwill Cordelia showed toward Alastair were built while overcoming the same disaster back-to-back. Esperanza also had such a person. Here, not far away.
'I don't know if he'll meet me.'
That's why she felt a bit gloomy. Esperanza deliberately shook her head to brush away the thoughts. She'd think about it later.