﻿\setgamedatatitle("Kiros\nFirst City Kazatoria 1")

\text("Caym")
Hmm... It's cold, though.
\endtext

\text
Shivering once, Caym casts a wind-blocking and warming spell
on himself.
\endtext

\text
Compared to Hados, which is further south, Kiros is
shockingly cold.
\endtext

\text
Looking around, there are only a handful of people on the
streets, which makes the place feel even colder.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Even in the capital, there are vagrants... It's worse than I
thought.
\endtext

\text
Caym glances around as he heads toward the distant fortress.

\endtext

\text
At first glance, Barat Horn looks like nothing more than a
city in a cold region.
\endtext

\text
But if you shift your gaze to the alleys, you can spot
vagrants hiding and watching.

\endtext

\text
Ignoring all of that, Caym keeps moving forward.
\endtext

\text
But then he has to stop. He slips naturally into an
alleyway.
\endtext

\text("Winga Cult Follower")
Drive out the army and show the power of Lord Winga! Purify
the unclean with holy power!
\endtext

\text("Follower")
Glory to Lord Winga! Glory!
\endtext

\text
A priest leads the way, followed by several believers.
\endtext

\text
Praising Winga, they pass by without noticing Caym.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
...What the hell is that?
\endtext

\text("Vagrant")
...Not all of us are like that, you know.

\endtext

\text
Without turning around, Caym responds warily to the vagrant
who spoke to him so naturally from behind.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
I don't have any money. Try someone else.
\endtext

\text("Vagrant")
Even if I had money, there's no food. You from out of town?

\endtext

\text("Caym")
...Yeah. Are there a lot of people like that here?

\endtext

\text("Vagrant")
Nah. Ever since that ritual, more people have gotten fed up
with them than not.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
...That ritual?
\endtext

\text("Vagrant")
Yeah, that's right. That flood. Everyone was hoping the
weather would get better, but look what happened.

\endtext

\text("Vagrant")
The weather just keeps getting worse, and rations are down.
But those guys...

\endtext

\text("Caym")
...Those guys were wearing nice clothes. I bet they're
eating their fill too, while you all go without.

\endtext

\text
Caym smirks. --With this, he has a chance to win.

\endtext

\text
At the very least, he can win over most of the citizens.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
Good to know. Thanks for the info.
\endtext

\text
After making sure there are no Winga cultists around, Caym
leaves the alley.
\endtext

\text
under Glace.
\endtext

\text("Vagrant")
Huh...? Did I say anything worth thanking me for?

\endtext

\text
Watching his back as he left, the man said that in a
carefree tone.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Uuugh... Where did he go, that man!?

\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
Looks like we were wrong. It really wasn't Balathorn, was
it?
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Yeah, I guess not... Ugh, everything's just going off the
rails!
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
That's how it goes... Plans are always uncertain. Just give
up. Accept it.
\endtext

\text
Risbell is comforted by Margaretta, who has already reached
a state of resignation.
\endtext

\text
The two of them had come to Kazatoria to look for the
missing Caym.
\endtext

\text
With two hours left until sunset―two hours until the
invasion of Kazatoria―they decided to call off the search.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
He'll come back, right, Caym-sama...? There's really no time
left...
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
Don't worry. When it comes to that, he'll keep his word.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
But what if he's lost... or if the Winga cult caught him...

\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
(Is she angry, or just worried... Which is it, I wonder...)

\endtext

\text
As Risbell's face grows paler and paler, Margaretta watches
their surroundings in exasperation.

\endtext

\text
For the past hour, she's felt someone's gaze on them.
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
(Now then... Who's tailing us?)
\endtext

\text
Of course, even if she can't see him, her old manservant is
here too.
\endtext

\text
There's almost no chance anything will happen―
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
(Still, coming with Risbell was the right call.)

\endtext

\text
None of the passing citizens bear any hostility.
\endtext

\text
Hungry people. How do they see us now?

\endtext

\text
It's obvious what they're after. Who they're targeting, and
that this is their only chance.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Let's just go back... Yeah, I'll get mad after that...

\endtext

\text
A hand reaches for Risbell's waist as she hangs her head.
The culprit is a young child.
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
Hold it, brat. That wallet belongs to Risbell.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Huh?
\endtext

\text("Child")
Ah...
\endtext

\text
The boy's hand is stopped just as he's about to snatch
Risbell's wallet.
\endtext

\text
Margaretta grabs his slender arm.
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
Honestly... Stealing is never the answer. Here, go get
yourself something warm to eat.
\endtext

\text("Child")
......
\endtext

\text
Margaretta then took some bills from her own wallet and
handed them to the boy.
\endtext

\text
...The boy ran off without even saying thank you.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
...Did I almost get robbed?
\endtext

\text("Margaretta")
If I hadn't noticed, you would have. It's a common thing in
a starving city. Come on, let's get back to the labyrinth.

\endtext

\text("Risbell")
Ah, okay!
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
(Even kids like that...)
\endtext

\text
Just as she turned to leave, Risbell glanced back and saw
the boy from before staring at them from the alley.
\endtext

\text
He was small and skinny. ...And he wasn't the only one.

\endtext

\text
In this city, everyone is starving.
\endtext

\text("Risbell")
(This is a problem that goes way beyond the Winga faith...)

\endtext

\text
If that's the case, then that's where things need to start
changing.
\endtext

\text
................
\endtext

\text
........
\endtext

\text
...
\endtext

\text
The view of Barathorn from the throne room only gets worse
with each passing day.
\endtext

\text
The clouds never clear. There's no sign of the weather
improving at all.
\endtext

\text
Glace thought that the only way to break this situation was
to offer herself up.

\endtext

\text("Glace")
...But will that really be enough?
\endtext

\text
Her anxiety slips out in words. What if nothing changes,
even if she sacrifices herself―

\endtext

\text
That train of thought is interrupted by a visitor.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
Günther?
\endtext

\text("Caym")
...According to the intel, that's the name of the Supreme
Commander.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
Who are you?
\endtext

\text("Caym")
Caym. By a twist of fate, I've been given the title of Demon
Lord. Pleased to make your acquaintance.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
I see. So you're the Demon Lord. To come here alone to see
me... I'm surprised.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
You don't look surprised at all... Haha, so you're the cool,
expressionless type?
\endtext

\text("Glace")
...?
\endtext

\text("Caym")
A fitting trait for the Empire of Ice. Makes me want to see
that face of yours break...!
\endtext

\text("Glace")
...So, what are you here for? Did you come to kill me?

\endtext

\text("Caym")
No, I came here to make you my woman. Won't you come with
me?
\endtext

\text
―If taken at face value, he's telling her to come with him,
isn't he?
\endtext

\text
If that's the case, Glace shook her head, as if to say she
couldn't do that.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
I... Everything I am is for Lord Winga. So I can't do that.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
I've already made up my mind.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
I said I can't.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
You can have as much sex as you want, you know?
\endtext

\text("Glace")
I don't really get it, but your face right now is ugly.
Rejected.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
I've got food, clothing, and shelter covered. And most
importantly, it's not cold. If you go through the
underground, you can get anywhere in Nilt.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
I lack for nothing. I don't dislike the cold. There's
nowhere I want to go. I refuse.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
...Then how about this. If I conquer this country, become
mine.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
...You're persistent. I belong to Lord Winga―
\endtext

\text("Caym")
You mean Kiros, right? If I make Kiros mine, then you'll be
mine too.

\endtext

\text("Glace")
............
\endtext

\text
At that, Glace's rebuttal finally stopped. His logic was so
absurd she was left speechless.
\endtext

\text
That was all there was to it, but Caym smiled triumphantly.

\endtext

\text("Caym")
While I'm at it, I'll take down this Winga too. No
complaints then, right?
\endtext

\text("Glace")
...As if you could.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
No, I will. When I say I'll do something, I do it. That's
right... this is a contract.
\endtext

\text("Glace")
Don't decide things on your own. It's troubling.
\endtext

\text("Caym")
As long as I'm not troubled, it's fine. See you.
\endtext

\text
And with that, Caym left the throne room as boldly as he had
entered.
\endtext

\text
The reason no commotion broke out was probably because no
one saw him―
\endtext

\text("Glace")
............
\endtext

\text
For a while, Glace gazed thoughtfully at the door Caym had
exited.
\endtext