Escape Route

"Wait who is this Lady Nightmare that you speak of?"

"Your four questions have been used up. I cannot answer any more questions. I suggest that we get going as soon as possible. I have been tasked with protecting you at all costs."

"Aren't you a bit too stingy?"

"Your four questions have been used up. I cannot answer any more questions."

"Okay. You win."

I silently followed her as she led the way.

"Oh by the way, act calm all the time. No matter in what state the city is, pretend that the city looks the same as it always did. Unless you wish to become elf hunt."

Saying so, she removed her helmet. "Wearing the mask can raise suspicion. I suggest that you remove it."

I was right. The face looked younger than mine. She had pale violet hair and red irises. She was probably a year younger than me. I removed my mask too. I proceeded to place it inside my "Magic Inventory". For some reason, I could still use it even without the goddess' power. The eighth handed me her helmet. It was too heavy that I could barely lift it even with my enhanced strength. I placed it inside the inventory too.

"When we're outside, I am Mary and you are Alan. Let me know if you don't like the names."

"No, I guess I'll go with them."

I wondered what happened to the other apostles, the crow in particular. It had been barely a small while after the crow left that the tentacle woman entered.

"Hey, can I just ask one more question?"

"Your four questions have been used up. I cannot answer any more questions."

Understandable.

We left the Sanctum through the front door and reached the city. Compared to the Sanctum, the city looked as normal as it could. None of the buildings were damaged. People were casually continuing their daily life as if nothing happened.

A block away, there were three little girls playing catch. They looked younger than the girl before me. Suddenly, one of them fell down. Blood rushed out from under her. She had been shot in the chest. The two other girls looked down at her.

"Oh. Emi died."

"What can we do, Ami?"

"I think we should play with just the two of us then, Mimi."

The girls continued playing catch with just the two of them. I looked at the direction which she was shot from. There was an elf just on the rooftop, laughing loudly. She looked just like described in fairy tales and fantasy novels. Tall, beautiful, with long years, with a noble look. However, the only difference was the expression of ecstasy she had on her face.

"Look at these children! You can kill one of them right in front of them and they would just not give a care! This kind of fun never gets old... JUST LIKE THE GIRL!"

I have witnessed dark humor quite a lot of times and even laughed at them, but that was my first time seeing it live. I bit my tongue to prevent myself from screaming.

"A wise choice.", Mary said. Was it that obvious?

The elf noticed us and turned around. Mary was prancing around playfully as she called out to me with a bright face.

"Alan! Come fast! It's already late!"

If it had not been for that moment, I would have never even believed that her face was capable of showing emotions. I played along with her.

"Wait, Mary! You are too fast!"

"Alan is slow as always!"

No, lass, you are definitely too fast. I doubt that adult elf would be able to keep up with you.

I followed her as we playfully ran to the restaurant nearby. The elf decided to go back to enjoying looking at the two girls. I felt helpless. I was sure Mary could defeat that elf, yet Mary stayed low. I thought she must have had a reason.

『Good morning, master!』

What were you doing all along? Sleeping?

『Yes.』

I wasn't sure whether it was sarcasm or she was actually sleeping. Do children of Iris even sleep?

I followed Mary into the restaurant. There were no elves inside the restaurant. The female elf we first saw was the only elf we had seen after leaving the Sanctum.

"We should leave the city soon. It was a mistake coming here."

"A mistake?"

"The elves burned down the forest. They wouldn't go back to the forest till they have established a certain degree of control over the city. I suggest that we go back to the forest."

"Why did we come to the restaurant then?"

"The restaurant is crowded. So nobody would notice if two kids that went in did not come out. We can dig a path back to the forest."

It was funny. No matter how strong she was, digging all the way back to the forest would take a large amount of energy and time.

She grabbed my arm and took me to the toilet. "There won't be many people here, so we can begin digging here."

She was determined.

"How do you plan to do that?"

"I am not digging. You are."

"What?"

"You can use the ultimate spell, right?"

"You mean Ultima?"

"Yes. Fire it with low power onto the ground."

"It would cause too much noise even if I did!"

"It's okay. Set up a sound barrier around us so that nobody can hear that."

"I can't make sound barriers!"

"Tch. How useless."

No, young lady. You are the useless one here.

"So you really had no other idea?"

"You have a child of Iris right? Ask her."

『I am in the middle of having breakfast. Could you wait for two minutes?』

"She is eating breakfast and wants us to wait for two minutes."

"Okay."

The eighth actually agreed. So children of Iris were actual people and not just screens?

Two minutes later, Lily sent a message on the screen.

『Set up a sound barrier and fire Ultima on the ground.』

I cannot do that, dummy.

『I have found another way.』

Say that first.

『Dig down with a shovel.』

Was she messing with me?

"She wants us to dig down with a shovel."

"That's a nice idea."

The eighth agreed yet again. Was I the abnormal one here?

Where am I gonna go for a shovel?

『There is one in your inventory.』

What was my inventory, D*ra's backpack?

To my surprise, there was one. Why did Lily know more about what I have in my inventory than myself? And how on earth did the shovel get in my inventory?

As I pondered over the questions, I began digging down the toilet.

...

...

...

『You could have just created a sound barrier and used Ultima.』

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