Princess of the Ruins
"...Stop."
Click!
I stared at the princess, one of her pupils shifted into a heart shape.
It was seductive yet menacing.
'Scary, scary.'
The mana coalescing into a bullet alongside her skill felt anything but ordinary.
Still, I judged she wasn't about to pull the trigger right away.
She just looked confused, and I quickly scanned her and the surroundings.
'No allies... Did she not bring the sniper rifle? Or is it behind the wall?'
At least she wasn't holding her main weapon—that was a small mercy.
Even in the worst-case scenario, that one factor dramatically boosted my chances of getting out unscathed.
"I've stopped. Lower the gun, and let's talk."
The haughty aura she exuded reminded me of Ichinose and Noah.
So, with a glad heart, I decided to match her with polite speech.
"... ."
As I did, she showed signs of conflict but didn't lower her gun.
That attitude was right.
I'd anticipated this scenario. No matter how I approached, she'd be on guard.
A random human shows up out of nowhere, reveals the tracker on her, and then—
Thinking I was the guest she'd been waiting for, only for me to turn around and leave without explanation? No way she'd know if it was goodwill or not.
'If it were me, I'd draw first too.'
As I casually grabbed another macaron to recharge on sugar,
her voice broke the silence.
"Who are you?"
"For starters, I'm no invited guest. And the ones you were expecting? They're not coming."
"You killed them."
I nodded emphatically at her guess, confirming it with a refreshing tone.
"Yeah, pretty much."
"...This isn't something to brush off so lightly."
She snapped back, and I grinned like I was enjoying it.
Her finger on the trigger trembled faintly.
"Anyway, let's pretend we never met. You waited, no one showed... something like that?"
I offered her the macaron box, saying take one,
but she glanced at it briefly before glaring at me fiercely.
"Why should I?"
"It'll benefit you to know things you didn't, like just now."
"... ."
Instinctive reaction.
She fiddled with the tiny tracker.
"...I don't understand."
"How I knew about that device?"
"Everything, including that."
I knew it.
Her mind was spinning furiously, grappling with unsolvable riddles.
"You'll have a ton of questions with no answers."
"!"
"What the hell happened to the elves living in Tigrova's coniferous forests?"
Her eyes sharpened, aura flaring wildly as she stepped toward me.
The gun barrel pressed right up close.
"...Tell me everything you know."
"I need time to gather info too."
"So you want me to let you go unharmed?"
"Yes. I'm kinda busy."
"You're shamelessly bold."
"Necessary for survival."
No way was I spoon-feeding her every detail here.
Just like revealing the tracker, I had to dole out info in small, digestible bits.
"You're asking me to release some mysterious person on a whim?"
"No issue there. Not when your elders tag you with trackers and summon weird crowds."
"You even know about the elders... ."
I skipped answering that one.
She was forcing a tough vibe, but I lightly poked at her occasional clumsiness.
"If it were me, I'd at least ask who these elders are."
"... ."
She lacked that brazen edge. Not a skilled actor.
That's why no info overload.
Too much confusion would make her actions awkward, only arousing the old elves' suspicions.
'Slowly.'
The conclusion was simple.
I needed time and opportunity to kill those old geezers.
When that chance came, as long as she didn't shoot, I'd be fine.
"I could've left after dealing with your 'guests.'"
"And?"
"The fact that I came all this way voluntarily? Tells you plenty."
"... ."
"Pull that trigger, and whether I live or die, you'll never get answers."
She shut her mouth at that.
Convinced she wouldn't shoot, I munched another macaron, debating whether to buy bottled water.
Whoooosh—.
Quiet night sky, only wind whispering.
Her pupils returned to normal.
The gun barrel slowly drooped toward the ground, mana dispersing.
"Second time I'm saying it. Shameless."
"I'll take it as a compliment."
"Sigh... Fine. You're free to go."
"You sure?"
Ridiculous, questioning her after she agreed.
But it was the most crucial question here.
I stood still, watching what she'd say.
"Don't get the wrong idea... My decisions don't need the elders' permission."
"I see."
"If I want it done, they do it. If I don't want to speak, they don't care. All authority is mine."
This wasn't for me.
A self-affirmation, a vow not to lose her last shred of status.
I nodded quietly in agreement.
She was right. The elders existed to obey her whims originally.
'She knows something's off too.'
That was enough. A satisfying answer.
She needed to hold onto that mindset till the end.
Click.
She holstered the pistol and stared at me.
Then asked.
"One question."
"Shoot."
"What do you want by giving me this info?"
"Believe me if I say I'm an ally here to help?"
She shook her head slightly at my words.
"No. I don't buy convenient stories like that."
"Exactly."
"I get it. You think no matter what you say, I won't believe you."
I didn't answer.
Time would reveal it naturally.
"You should have a feel now for how to use that tracker."
"... ."
She looked at the small device in her hand.
The fact she hadn't smashed it on sight meant something clicked for her too.
"Got paper and pen?"
"Why ask...?"
She trailed off unusually.
"Gonna give you a number for contact."
No smartphone for her—just a radio linked to the elders.
To call, she'd have to head to the city and use a payphone.
"Paper and pen? Funny you mention it—I picked some up on the way."
"?"
I blinked, wondering what she meant,
and she averted her gaze for the first time, opening a pocket on her vest.
Click! The button released, revealing...
I widened my eyes at the item.
"Ahem... ."
She hesitated as she pulled out a notepad illustrated with a crying dragon and a goofy-looking shark, plus a ballpoint pen.
Familiar characters to me.
"...Figured it might come in handy, good luck it did."
Claiming she found it, not bought it.
But even a hardliner could see she'd purchased and kept it pristine.
I took the notepad and pen, glancing at the cover.
'Isn't this the one Ichinose likes?'
I hadn't known the princess had this taste.
Hidden lore that'd only surface if she were playable.
I stifled a ticklish urge to comment, pretending nonchalance as I opened it.
Midway pages had her diligent notes, but I said nothing about it.
Just wrote the number.
"You know I'm taking a huge risk giving this out?"
"... ."
I said it, but I wasn't handing it over thoughtlessly.
Low odds, but I'd planned for if she blabbed to the elders—or if they found out anyway.
Causing a ruckus in Academy City was the last thing those old elves wanted.
Trapped in self-preservation, their moves topped out at hiring goons.
Plenty of ways to handle that inside the city, so I joked as I handed back the scribbled notepad.
"Anyway, nice meeting you. I noted rough times I'm reachable—call even for non-urgent stuff."
"What do you mean?"
"Got worries? Craving sweets 'cause you're stressed? Even small talk's fine."
"Trying to pry info through chit-chat? That won't work."
I laughed off her thick suspicion, urging her to take it easy,
then hurried to leave.
'Did what I could.'
What she needed now was an escape hatch—a glimpse of a bright future—when her mind hit rock bottom. Something to endure.
I'd scattered hints as much as possible.
"I'll be off then."
"Gathering intel?"
"That too... but I've got studying and a part-time job."
"Hmph. Not sharing a thing about yourself."
Her distrustful eyes.
That was fine too.