﻿\setgamedatatitle("Gluette_01")

\text("Man A")
It's the Magician!! The Magician has returned!!

\endtext

\text
A frontier town a little south of Bram in the Nilt region.

\endtext

\text
Usually a quiet, lifeless place, but today was different.

\endtext

\text
People burst out of their homes, surrounding a woman
entering the town through the gate.
\endtext

\text("Man B")
Oh, it really is the Magician!!
\endtext

\text("Woman A")
Welcome back, Magician-sama!!
\endtext

\text("Woman B")
Mayor, hurry! The Magician has returned!
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Huff, huff... Oh, Gluette-sama. Thank you so much for coming
back to us.
\endtext

\text
The elderly man who governed the town bowed deeply to the
woman.
\endtext

\text
The woman surrounded by the townsfolk―called
Gluette―gathered a handful of her silky long hair and smiled
gracefully.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Thank you for coming out to greet me.
\endtext

\text
Her voice was as cool as the wind.
\endtext

\text
A beautiful voice, so enchanting even women couldn't help
but be captivated.
\endtext

\text
Her beauty wasn't just in her voice; her appearance was so
dazzling it seemed almost unearthly.
\endtext

\text
A voluptuous chest, long slender legs.
\endtext

\text
A narrow waist and a large, eye-catching ass.
\endtext

\text
Her eyes were as vivid as malachite, and her very presence
exuded the aura of a work of art.

\endtext

\text
She looked about twenty... perhaps a little younger.

\endtext

\text
Yet she carried herself with a dignity and presence that
belied her age.
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
S-So... how did it go...? Those... the bandits...?

\endtext

\text
The townspeople's hopeful gazes all turned to the young
magician.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Of course, I turned every last one of them to ashes.

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
There's no reason to let people who become bandits live,
after all.
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
O-Oh... Thank you so much!!

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Now, there is no one left to torment you.

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
From now on, work hard for your country, your town, and your
families.
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Y-Yes! Thank you so much!!

\endtext

\text("Man A")
Thank you so much!
\endtext

\text("Woman A")
Thank you, Magician-sama!
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Fufu, well then, I'll be going. Farewell.

\endtext

\text
With that, Gluette waved her hand lightly and started to
leave.
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
P-Please wait, Gluette-sama! We haven't given you your
reward yet!
\endtext

\text
The mayor tried to hand Gluette a pouch heavy with coins.

\endtext

\text
But Gluette refused to accept it.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Oh my, did we agree on that?
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
All I heard was that you wanted the bandits taken care of.

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
N-No... but still, after all you've done for us, not giving
you a reward would be...
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
You want me to accept money from you? I'm afraid that's out
of the question.

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
H-Huh? B-But...
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
I hope you don't misunderstand, but please don't lump me in
with your average mercenary.

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
I am a woman of the distinguished Auric family. Gluette
Auric.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
As a noble, it's only natural to lend a hand to those in
need.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
And to ask for compensation for that would be unthinkable.
Now, put that pouch away.

\endtext

\text
She wasn't raising her voice at all.
\endtext

\text
Yet Gluette's words echoed through the air as if enchanted
by magic.

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Y-Yes, I'm so sorry!!

\endtext

\text
The mayor hurriedly tucked the pouch of coins back into his
pocket and bowed his head.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Good, that's how it should be. That money is what you all
worked so hard to save, isn't it?

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Then use it for yourselves.

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Dealing with bandits is something your noble protectors
should be doing in the first place.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Honestly, what is the lord of this land even doing?

\endtext

\text
As a fellow noble, Gluette felt anger toward the lord who
wouldn't protect his people.
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
N-No, with all due respect... The lord truly does care for
us very much.

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
But given the current situation... it seems he just can't
manage everything in his domain right now...

\endtext

\text("Man A")
Y-Yeah, that's right. The bandit gang only started showing
up near our town... recently...

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
This 'situation'... what exactly do you mean? Would you mind
telling me more?

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Y-Yes... Gluette-sama, are you aware of the unrest currently
happening in the Nilt region?

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Yes, of course. I heard Diabolica raised a demon army and
started a war.
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Yes. Apparently, a man named Caym, who calls himself the
Demon Lord, is rampaging through the Nilt region...

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
So, since we're close to Nilt, we've had to send our defense
forces to the border to keep the trouble from spilling over
here.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
...I see, so that's why the inside is left unguarded.

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Yes...
\endtext

\text("Man B")
Huh? I heard the Demon Lord is a woman. Something like
Riz... something.
\endtext

\text("Woman A")
I also heard the Demon Lord is a woman. Wasn't her name
Risbell? Or was it Rizabel?

\endtext

\text
At the name the woman mentioned, Gluette tilted her head
slightly.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Risbell? Could that woman also be Diabolica?

\endtext

\text("Woman A")
Uh... yes. That's what I heard. But it's just a rumor, so I
don't know how true it is...
\endtext

\text("Man A")
Isn't it weird for the Demon Lord to be a woman?
\endtext

\text("Man B")
But a merchant who stayed at the inn said so, you know? I
thought the same thing, so I asked again, and he said she
was definitely a woman.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
A woman... Diabolica... Risbell... No way, it can't be...
but...
\endtext

\text
Gluette furrowed her brows, deep in thought.
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Um, is something wrong?
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
No, it's nothing.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
(Risbell... My rival from the magic academy, the one I
competed with for the top spot...)

\endtext

\text
Gluette herself didn't have very good feelings toward the
Diabolica race.
\endtext

\text
But Risbell was the one exception.
\endtext

\text
Gluette considered Risbell, who could think calmly and
logically, a worthy rival.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
(And yet... she's with the Demon Lord's army, an
organization that throws the world into chaos?)
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
(No, I don't know for sure. It could just be someone with
the same name...)
\endtext

\text
Gluette looked up and asked the mayor a question.
\endtext

\text("Gluette")
I'd like to go to Nilt. Are there any carriages running?

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
T-To Nilt!? No, with the war going on over there, all the
stagecoaches are...

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Isn't there any way? There's something I want to look into.

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Hmm. In that case, there's a town called Bolero on the
northern border...

\endtext

\text("Mayor")
I've heard that from there, merchant caravans regularly
organize guarded carriages to Nilt.
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
I know the mayor of that town personally, so if I ask him,
he might let you ride along.

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
That would be a big help. Could you do that for me?
\endtext

\text("Mayor")
Y-Yes! I'll write a letter right away, so please wait just a
moment!

\endtext

\text("Woman A")
Um, my family runs an inn. If you'd like, would you come
stay with us?
\endtext

\text("Woman A")
I'm not sure if our food will suit a noble's tastes, but
we'd be happy to serve you a meal.

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
Oh, I'm actually quite hungry. I'd also like to rest a bit,
so yes, please.
\endtext

\text("Woman A")
Y-Yes!♪ Right this way, please!

\endtext

\text("Gluette")
(Is that Risbell-san really with the Demon Lord's army? I
have to see it with my own eyes...)

\endtext

\text
Guided by the woman, Gluette headed toward the inn, glancing
up at the northern sky.
\endtext