After Yoshino released James's hand, his eyes widened in realization. He clasped his hands together, a gesture filled with sudden recollection. "Oh, how could I forget! I haven't yet introduced you to the people I treasure the most..."

James raised his left hand toward the two elegantly dressed women who had been silently observing the exchange. "My two beautiful daughters, who have not bothered to hide their curiosity about our conversation." Instantly, all eyes at the table turned toward the young women. Flustered by the sudden attention, they backed away slightly in their seats.

The woman in the light blue dress was the first to recover from her surprise. She gracefully rose and performed a curtsy bow, her eyes closed in an attempt to maintain some level of dignity. "Isabel Mantle, first daughter of James Mantle. A pleasure to meet you, Blinding Justice."

As soon as Isabel finished, her sister in the light red dress followed suit. "Theresa Mantle, second daughter of James Mantle. Also a pleasure." She executed a similar curtsy bow while standing beside her sister. Unlike Isabel, Theresa had her eyes open, revealing a lack of confidence compared to her older sister.

Nozomi still felt impressed by their show of manners. More than aware she wouldn't fare much better in a similar situation. Sooo coool!

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Yoshino nodded politely. "The feeling is mutual."

Upon hearing this, both sisters frowned slightly, quickly exchanging glances as if to confirm they had detected the same peculiarity. With a quick nod, Isabel took the lead. "Pardon our manners, but how old are the both of you?"

Caught off guard by the mundane question, Yoshino raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?" Just to be cautious, she moved her hand inside her schoolbag, grasping but not pulling out her pepper spray. It had proven more effective than her revolver and kitchen knife when dealing with the inhabitants of these barriers.

Isabel looked away nervously. "Well... how should I put it? I just noticed that you both look, and at least you, who speaks for her, sound young. Like how my sister sounded when she was younger. O-of course, please feel free to ignore this question if it's too personal. And excuse me for the rudeness." Theresa nodded nervously in support of her sister. James looked equally intrigued.

"I see..." Yoshino mulled over Isabel's question. It should be fine, right? I mean, the enemy isn't nearby... and I can't imagine how our age would be too much information. I don't think Nozomi would mind either. She turned her attention to the sisters. "That's a fair question. Both Blinding Justice and I are fourteen."

Upon hearing this, both sisters and James's eyes widened. They shouted simultaneously in surprise, "WHAT?!" Their sudden outburst startled both Yoshino and Nozomi. Glancing at Seiza, Yoshino noticed his body had tensed, his eyes wide in alert.

Yoshino almost pulled out her pepper spray but stopped herself just in time. Calm down, they were just surprised. They aren't a threat... yet. She took a deep breath to steady herself. "Is there a problem?" Yoshino asked calmly.

James was the first to recover, quickly waving off his surprise. "No, there's no problem... don't worry about it. We were just all surprised at how someone so young could be so accomplished." He turned to his daughters with a stern look. "Isn't that right, girls?"

Seeing an opportunity to defuse the tension, Isabel slowly nodded. "Y-yes, just like my father said. My sister and I were just THAT surprised that two young girls could have a reputation many would envy."

Envy... Yoshino thought as she frowned at Isabel's supposed compliment. She remembered sleepless nights, the constant fear of being followed, and the near-death experiences she and her best friend had endured. Was her situation truly enviable? She didn't think so. The only lives she envied were those of people who would never have to experience what she had gone through—and would continue to go through.

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Yoshino clenched her hand in rising anger at Isabel's comment. Just as she was about to lash out, Nozomi touched her hand. Turning to see her friend's reassuring eyes from the eyeholes of her mask, Yoshino calmed down. She took a deep breath, letting the anger melt away. Calm down... it wasn't meant to be an insult, and they don't know any better. Just focus on moving forward.

Theresa, emboldened by her sister's interactions, cautiously spoke up. "Hmm, excuse me, but would you mind if I asked you something as well?"

After a few seconds of consideration, Yoshino relented, figuring the next question couldn't be worse than the last. "Yes, go ahead."

Theresa nodded. "So, um... what I wanted to ask is... where do you both buy your clothes?"

Yoshino tilted her head in curiosity. "Our... clothes?" Another harmless question, she thought. Hopefully, I won't regret answering this one.

Beaming with newfound enthusiasm, Theresa elaborated. "Yes! You see, I dream of becoming one of the greatest fashion designers this country will ever have. As such, I've become knowledgeable about many different fashion styles. But this is the first time I've seen clothes like yours. That's why I'm asking where you bought them, so I can buy one for myself and learn from it! Unless... were they perhaps handmade by one of you? If so, what kind of fabric are they made of?"

"W-wait a second..." Yoshino stuttered, overwhelmed by the flurry of questions from the enthusiastic younger sister.

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Meanwhile, James, who had been quietly observing the conversation, wore a conflicted expression. Fourteen... is that really the truth? I can see no reason why she would lie.

James recalled his first impression of the spokesperson. When I first saw them, I was too nervous to look anywhere besides their masks. If my daughters hadn't pointed it out, I would still be blind to the rest of their appearance. Given Blinding Justice's reputation and all the documented feats she has accomplished, I would be foolish to look down on her or her spokesperson, who surely holds their own as well. But...

James clenched his right hand, hidden from view. He felt ashamed for not being strong enough to protect his family and having to rely on children for their safety. If only I was stronger, maybe I...

James let out a sigh, realizing the futility of such thoughts. Their help was needed, and the best thing he could do was support them in their efforts to protect his family. Turning away, he stared out the window with a resigned expression. Who would have thought one of the scariest individuals in this country would be a girl younger than my daughters?

Suddenly, James was snapped out of his thoughts by the faint sound of screams.

He noticed the girls had heard it too, judging by their expressions. Before he could speak, the backdoor of the wagon swung open, and the staff member who had escorted Blinding Justice hurriedly stepped inside. He quickly closed the door and leaned against it, panting.

After a few seconds, the staff member regained enough strength to speak. "The Rustlers... they're here!"

The atmosphere immediately grew tense, a chill running down James's spine.

The spokesperson recovered first, turning to James. "Should we go?" she asked sternly.

After a moment of contemplation, James reluctantly nodded, pulling a revolver from a hidden holster. "Yes... we can defend ourselves for a while if needed. Isn't that right, girls?"

Isabel and Theresa, now armed with pocket revolvers hidden under their dresses, nodded. James felt grateful for his unconventional parenting. In his mind, gender didn't matter when it came to survival. Remembering the harsh lesson his wife had learned the hard way. Better safe than sorry.

"Y-yes, we can hold them off long enough for you to be back," Isabel said with a nervous smile, trying to reassure herself more than anyone else.

"Be careful out there, okay? You still need to tell us where you got that dress!" Theresa added, hiding her fear behind her love for fashion.

The spokesperson nodded before helping Blinding Justice up and guiding her toward the wagon's door, with Seiza following closely. The staff member, catching his breath, moved aside, fearing their presence. He sighed in relief as soon as they exited and closed the door behind them.

James watched, praying silently for their victory as his only hope left in confronting the impending threat.

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Now alone with Seiza and Yoshino, Nozomi, mask in hand, took a deep breath to prepare for the inevitable fight. Yoshino had given her a quick rundown of the conversation with James. Even if Seiza hadn't confirmed the monster's presence, Nozomi would have guessed one of these Rustlers was the culprit.

"Okay... I'm ready," Nozomi lied through her teeth before putting on her mask. She wasn't ready, nor was Yoshino. They probably never would be. But if pretending to be ready helped ease Yoshino’s stress, it was worth it.

Yoshino nodded and opened the door to the next wagon, where the sound of screams grew progressively louder.