The clock turned back to the night before Elsa and Mine’s disappearance was discovered. It began in a hotel room in the regional city of Ikasanat.
"......"
Back in her room, Elsa wept in silence.
She knew Marquis Eisen. Because his territory adjoined her father’s and he was her father’s former superior, he visited their home from time to time.
He had a balding head and a pudgy frame. People said he had possessed a disciplined, lean physique before his retirement, but Elsa couldn't even imagine it.
Once, when Beena had been proposed to by Earl Kuzuma, she had asked Elsa what she thought about marrying Jin.
Elsa remembered her response: she liked Jin, but she couldn't fathom actually marrying him and living together.
"But, that man..."
She loathed him. She hated even being in the same room as the Marquis. The thought of becoming such a person's wife was unbearable. A single glance from him sent shivers down her spine. Elsa bit her lip, doing nothing but letting the tears fall.
However, as a daughter of a noble house, she was expected to obey her father’s commands. If it was a match that benefited the family, everyone around her would surely celebrate. Everyone, that is, except for Elsa herself.
A knock sounded at the door.
"..."
When Elsa didn't answer, the door opened softly, and Mine entered.
"My lady."
"..."
Seeing that Elsa still wouldn't respond, Mine spoke again.
"You don't have to say a word. You hate the thought of marrying the Marquis, don't you?"
Elsa involuntarily looked up at Mine’s face.
"I understand. I have watched over you since you were a babe, my lady."
Mine smiled gently and pulled Elsa into a tender embrace.
"Mine..."
Finally unable to suppress her emotions, Elsa sobbed the nurse's name. As a fresh torrent of tears broke through, she cried out again.
"Mine, Mine..."
Elsa remained buried in Mine’s chest, weeping for a long time.
Only after Elsa had calmed down did Mine speak.
"My lady, there are two paths before you. One is the life of a noblewoman, where you obey your father and marry the Marquis. The other is to cast aside your noble status and gain the freedom to choose your own destiny."
"The freedom... to choose my own destiny?"
Elsa looked up at the sound of those words.
"Yes. We commoners have far fewer rules than the nobility. Life can be difficult, certainly. But there is a difference between hardships forced upon you and hardships you choose for yourself. I cannot say which is truly better, but if one must suffer, don't you think it's better to choose your own burden?"
Mine’s temptation had arrived at the perfect moment.
In truth, she had been waiting for the day they visited this city near her birthplace. She had been secretly making preparations for a long time—all to spirit Elsa away.
But if Elsa left of her own volition, it was better luck than Mine could have ever dared hope for.
Using sophistry and calculation, Mine worked to sway Elsa’s heart.
"The freedom to choose for myself."
Elsa repeated the phrase.
"You may never be able to see Lord Reinhard again. He is a nobleman, after all. But Jin-sama is a commoner. Once a year or two has passed and the heat has died down, you might be able to meet him again."
Mine added that as a finishing touch. It was a clever move. She skillfully played on the feelings Elsa held for Jin—the clear affection she harbored.
If it’s Jin-kun, I’m sure...
If she could find Jin, perhaps he could even find a way for her to see Reinhard again. Elsa clung to that hope.
Before she knew it, Elsa was nodding to Mine.
"I'll go."
Mine hugged her once more at those words.
"My lady! You’ve made a brave decision. Mine will protect you even at the cost of her life."
She stroked Elsa’s back as she spoke.
That night, the two vanished.
Dressed in the commoner's clothing Mine had secretly prepared, they slipped out through the back entrance.
No one expected Elsa to run away, so there were no guards posted specifically for her.
While there were security soldiers on the premises, they didn't stay in one spot; they only made periodic patrols. By timing their exit for a gap in the rounds, escaping was a simple matter.
They left behind every accessory that marked them as nobility, along with any bulky items or unnecessary luggage. Even the dagger and the ring were left behind.
The ring had been removed previously, and by the time Elsa realized she didn't have it, they were in no position to go back. The truth was that Mine, knowing it was a gift from Jin, had intentionally orchestrated things so the ring would be left.
But, at least this...
Only the brooch she had received from Jin for her birthday was tucked secretly into Elsa’s breast pocket.
Though she felt a pang of regret about leaving the dagger, Elsa walked into the darkness of the night, led by Mine’s hand.
The only ones watching them were Pensee and Lily of the Secret Mobile Unit (SP). However, they judged the departure had nothing to do with Jin’s safety and allowed them to leave without interference.
Mine, who had saved most of the wages she had earned as a nurse for this very day, told Elsa they wouldn't have to worry about money for a while. They escaped with little more than the clothes on their backs.
Mine’s family home was in Sasado Town, next to Ikasanat. They were quite wealthy merchants, but she had no intention of relying on them, as they would be the first place the authorities searched.
In the darkness, Mine headed toward the fixer she had hired. She had already established contact on the journey here; everything was proceeding according to her plan.
"Well now, welcome. And is this the young lady in question?"
"Yes. I brought her out tonight. Proceed as we agreed."
"I know, I know."
Since Mine had originally intended to kidnap Elsa in Ikasanat, the arrangements for their flight were already in place.
"Well, there's not much of the night left. Stay here until tomorrow evening. Don't worry, you'll never be found here."
The fixer guided Elsa and Mine to a room with a bed. It was a room that could be securely locked from the inside. Mentally exhausted, the two fell asleep immediately.
The next day, they waited for dusk to act. The hours felt agonizingly long. When they finally left the fixer’s hideout, both women looked haggard.
They first traveled northeast on horseback.
There were ways to enter the Celuroa Kingdom besides passing through Ikasanat, though most were illegal.
The narrow trails winding through the mountains were used by those in the underworld moving between the Celuroa Kingdom and the Kingdom of Egerea. Elsa and Mine followed these paths on their mounts.
The mountain trails were so narrow they were barely more than animal tracks. The ridge line served as the border, and stakes marking the boundary were driven into the earth at intervals. These stakes were magic tools; if a human crossed between them, an alarm would sound.
Because of this, the method of their manufacture was a closely guarded secret. Of course, if Jin were to see them, he would likely analyze their structure in an instant.
"Rest here until morning."
There was a small hut near the border line. it was a base used by fixers for such occasions.
Having traveled through the dark on horseback half the night, Elsa and Mine were spent. They did as they were told, wrapping themselves in the blankets they were given.
"...This doesn't taste good."
"Please endure it just a little longer, my lady."
The two satisfied their hunger with bread and soup provided by the fixer. The taste was abysmal, and Elsa couldn't help but voice her complaint.
The plan for the day was to slip through the border line where it had been pried open by a border-runner, enter the Celuroa side, and wait for nightfall at a hut on a hill overlooking the Torres River.
A border-runner was a middle-aged magi who used magic tools to construct a kind of tunnel in a location where the stakes were spaced far apart.
By passing through that tunnel, they bypassed the alarm, and Elsa and Mine successfully crossed the border.
"Alright, all that's left is to head down the mountain to the river. Once you ask a ferryman to take you across, you'll be in the Celuroa Kingdom sub-central district. No pursuer is going to catch you easily after that."
The fixer who had accompanied them led the way to the hut on the hill overlooking the Torres River.
"Stay still here until night."
With those words, the fixer left. Elsa and Mine looked at each other.
"My lady, just a little further. Once we cross the river, we won't have to live in fear of pursuers. Let's rent a house and live together, just the two of us."
"Okay."
Exhausted from the journey, Elsa accepted Mine’s gentle embrace and soon fell asleep. Mine watched her sleeping face.
"Lovely child. I will protect you no matter what it takes."
Mine softly brushed the hair back from Elsa’s forehead with her fingers.
Outside, the light faded until the long-awaited night finally arrived.
"Right, time to go."
The fixer's voice called out as the door to the hut opened. It was pitch black outside.
"Watch your step."
Despite the warning, navigating by only the moonlight was difficult. Stumbling several times, Elsa and Mine eventually reached the riverbank.
A small boat was waiting there.
"That's the ferryman."
A silhouette on the boat gave a brief nod.
"Thank you. You’ve done well."
Mine pressed a bag of gold coins into the fixer’s hand.
"Heh, well then, stay safe."
The fixer peeked into the bag to confirm the contents, gave a polite smile, and vanished into the darkness.
"Come, my lady."
Mine took Elsa’s hand and boarded the craft. It was a small boat designed for five people.
Elsa went first. With the ferryman’s help, she boarded without incident.
Once Mine was aboard, the boat immediately pushed off from the shore, heading for the opposite bank. The ferryman used an oar-like tool to propel the vessel.
"Now we just have to wait until we reach the other side."
Mine let out a long breath and put her arm around Elsa’s trembling shoulders.
The moon in this world was small. Even so, the river surface caught its glow, reflecting countless flickers of light like silver sand scattered upon the water. Elsa gazed at it blankly as the small boat slowly crossed the river.