Chapter 12: In the Royal Capital – 03
After asking Larni to cut through the spider webs in the trees, the freed Garuda Moth spread its magnificent wings and soared into the sky.
For a while, the Garuda Moth danced above us, but then it made a wide turn and quickly ascended, disappearing beyond the mountain ridge.
“It felt like it was thanking us at the end,” I remarked.
“I felt the same way. I believe your feelings reached it, Soushi-sama,” Larni replied, her eyes sparkling with wonder.
At the very least, the Garuda Moth had not attacked us after being freed, so it seemed clear that it was not a monster. I felt a sense of relief, knowing my judgment had not been in vain.
Larni carefully wrapped the collected scales in leaves and stored them in the Item Box along with the remains of the Queen Killer Spider. After a brief rest, we made our way back to the city of Barbadoza.
We arrived in town just as the sun began to set. While I was completing the delivery and paperwork for our quest at the Adventurers’ Guild, a middle-aged woman, presumably the Guild Master, approached Mariane. After exchanging a few words, she handed Mariane a letter, glancing at us before departing.
Mariane finished processing our quest completion and handed the letter to me.
“Count Lautrec requests your presence, Soushi-sama. He asks that you come as soon as you are able.”
“What could it be? Could it be that the royal family has summoned us already?” I wondered aloud.
As I opened the letter, it stated that there was an urgent message from the royal family, requesting my immediate presence.
I had thought we would have to wait three weeks, so this was quite sudden. Surely, the royal family wouldn’t summon us for something trivial. While our party had been advancing at a somewhat rapid pace, it still seemed unlikely that we had done anything to warrant such urgent attention.
After changing at the inn, I headed alone to the Count’s residence. Upon speaking with the guards at the castle gate, I was greeted by the escort, Reisei, who led me to the Count’s office.
“First, I shall present this to you. It is a summons from the royal family. You will need it when entering the capital and the royal castle, so do not lose it,” Count Lautrec said, handing me an elegant envelope. I never expected to receive a letter sealed with an official wax stamp.
“Thank you. By the way, this summons comes much sooner than the previous discussion. Is there a specific reason for this?” I inquired.
“I have not been informed of any specifics. Perhaps the details are written in the letter?” he suggested.
“May I open it here to check?” I asked.
“Yes, that would be best. Noble letters often contain convoluted language,” he replied.
With the Count’s permission, I opened the letter and began to read.
The first line instructed me to “ascend to the castle as swiftly as possible,” specifying a deadline. While the wording was indeed somewhat roundabout, that was acceptable. The troubling part was the final note: “Furthermore, during the audience, there is a possibility that a long-term, important request will be made of your party, so keep this in mind.” The prospect of receiving a request from the royal family was completely unexpected. Even considering our party’s many secrets, I doubted we had built enough trust to warrant such attention.
“What kind of ‘request’ could this be?” I asked.
“I cannot say. Hmmm… ‘long-term, important request’ is indeed a heavy phrase,” the Count mused.
“Since it says ‘there is a possibility,’ I can assume it is not guaranteed?” I clarified.
“Indeed. They will likely assess your abilities in person before deciding to make a request,” he explained.
“I see. In that case, it seems more likely that we won’t be requested, so there shouldn’t be any issues,” I concluded.
At this, the Count burst into laughter.
“No, no, quite the opposite. Given your demeanor and accomplishments, it is almost certain that you will be requested. You have the titles of ‘Dragon Slayer’ and ‘Twilight Slayer,’ along with a dedicated staff. Moreover, being the discoverer of the Wandering Dungeon, your achievements and trustworthiness far exceed those of typical A-Rank parties.”
“Ah…” I replied, realizing he had a point about our impressive titles.
“Furthermore, with the former noble lady Freinir and the high elf Sfenia in your ranks, you possess individuals that the royal family cannot afford to overlook. And the other member is the daughter of the Wolf Beastman tribe’s chief, correct? It would be unreasonable for them not to take notice,” he added.
“Wait, what? Larni is the chief’s daughter?” I exclaimed.
“What? You didn’t know? The chief lamented that she ran away to become an adventurer and has been missing ever since,” the Count explained.
“Really…? Count, do you know the chief of the Wolf Beastman tribe?” I asked, my curiosity piqued.
“The Wolf Beastman settlement borders my territory. Surely you know that they are the largest faction among the Beastman tribes?” he replied.
“I apologize; I was unaware,” I admitted, feeling overwhelmed.
The royal summons, coupled with the potential for a request, was already daunting enough, but now I had learned of yet another heavy fact.
Why was it that so many formidable women gathered around me? Perhaps it was naive to question it. Ignoring reality would yield nothing, so I had no choice but to face it head-on. For now, I needed to strengthen my abilities, build my achievements, and establish connections to solidify our party’s foundation.
“Then, we will be departing for the royal capital soon,” I stated.
At dinner, when I informed Freinir about the royal summons, she looked slightly anxious. As a former noble lady with a complicated past, meeting the royal family must bring a lot of thoughts to her mind.
“I can’t exactly refuse a summons. Don’t worry, Frei; you’re an important member of our party, and even if they ask me to remove you, I will refuse,” I reassured her.
“Soushi-sama… Thank you,” she replied, placing a hand over her heart, her cheeks flushing.
Seeing this, Larni muttered, “Honestly, Soushi…”
Sfenia, who had been watching with a faint smile, turned her gaze toward me.
“That said, the summons came much sooner than expected. Is there a reason for this?” she asked.
“It seems they have something they want from us. I suspect that is why the request is urgent,” I explained.
“A request? If it comes from the royal family, it must be something significant,” Sfenia noted.
“Hey, Soushi, have we become that famous already?” Larni asked, her tone filled with disbelief.
Her question was valid, but honestly, I was just as curious about it.
“I’m not sure about that, but the reason we are being summoned is likely due to our defeat of the Kin of Twilight. The information about us being Dragon Slayers might have contributed to our evaluation,” I speculated.
“Ah, I see. It’s easy to forget how impressive our accomplishments are when you seem so calm about it,” Larni said, reflecting on our journey.
Sfenia nodded in agreement. “Indeed. Looking back, the Soul’s Guidance is an experience that ordinary adventurers might only encounter once in a lifetime. Perhaps we are being evaluated in ways we are unaware of.”
“I can’t say this too loudly, but the Soul’s Guidance is one of the most watched parties in the Adventurers’ Guild. It is only natural for the royal family to take notice,” Mariane added, her expression neutral as she dropped this bombshell.
I wished she had mentioned this sooner, but there was no point in complaining.
As a tense atmosphere settled in, Freinir gently tapped my hand.
“Then, Soushi-sama, we will be departing the day after tomorrow, correct?” she asked.
“Yes, it seems that even with the adventurers’ pace, it will take about a week to reach the royal capital. We should prepare thoroughly tomorrow and then set off,” I confirmed.
“That sounds good. Knowing you, Soushi-sama, I’m sure you’ll do something remarkable along the way,” Freinir said, gazing at me with dreamy eyes.
Meanwhile, I could see Larni and Sfenia exchanging knowing smiles.
“That’s not something I do on purpose,” I replied, though my words felt hollow as they echoed in the air.