“Walk properly, you lot. The Royal Capital will be in sight soon.”
“Damn it… of all people, we had to ambush that famous Dragon Hunter, Seigel…”
The group of thieves, huddled together, grumbled and cursed among themselves. With no means to restrain this many, Seigel and I kept watch while forcing them to keep moving. If anyone made a strange move, I would quickly subdue them, but keeping watch turned out to be more troublesome than I expected.
“If anyone shows signs of trying to escape, they’ll be knocked out again.”
Seigel clapped his hands together. The men I had taken down all believed it was Seigel who had defeated them. He explained that they were too dazed to understand what had happened, and with a famous Adventurer right in front of them, it was only natural they would assume it was his doing. I couldn’t quite accept that.
“That’s why it’s better for me to use my name here; it serves as a deterrent, you understand?”
But I had grown stronger, so I wouldn’t get angry.
“Can you believe that Rua-chan took down all these burly men?”
“If you two hadn’t been here, it would have been dangerous…”
Cynthia and Roel had been sound asleep amidst the commotion and were completely unaware of last night’s events.
“Don’t worry, Rua. I’ll make sure to put in a good word for you. That way, your reputation as an Adventurer will rise.”
“I don’t really care about that.”
I thought I was keeping my composure, but it seemed Seigel noticed my sulking, as he let out a light chuckle. Next to Seigel, I swung my legs back and forth.
“You said your name was Rua, right? Unbelievable strength for such a kid.”
“You should train harder yourself.”
I shot back at Davitz, who had called me a kid, feeling a bit irritated.
“Davitz, I still don’t understand the reason behind your reckless behavior.”
“Oh, looks like our ride has arrived.”
A group of armored soldiers approached from the front. They were numerous, far more than the thieves we had here. Marching in perfect formation, they stopped right in front of us.
“Well, well, thank you for your hard work. Are you perhaps dealing with some thieves? I didn’t expect the Kingdom’s army to be on the move already.”
“That’s right, Dragon Hunter Seigel. I never imagined you had already captured them…”
“Yeah, it saved me some trouble. Could you take these guys off my hands?”
“Understood.”
Their efficiency was impressive. It took them mere minutes to bind the thieves with rope-like restraints, stripping them of their freedom. Iron rings were placed around the men’s necks, connecting them in a long chain.
“Get moving!”
The thieves, roughly handled, walked in line as the soldiers commanded.
“Thank you, Seigel. By the way, why don’t you ride along to the Royal Capital?”
“No thanks. I’d rather take a carriage; it’s more comfortable than that thing.”
“I see. Then please be careful on your way. I’ll make sure to report this properly.”
“Ah, thanks.”
The soldiers and the captured thieves quickly disappeared from view. Just as I thought that, a massive horse appeared from the side of a cliff. Following it was a correspondingly large carriage being pulled behind. The wooden parts looked similar to the carriage we were riding, but its size was many times greater. I wondered if those people were riding in it.
“W-What is that?! I’ve never seen anything like it!”
“That is the carriage owned by the Kingdom of Avangarde. The massive horse at the front is a Gigas Horse. It’s gentle and obedient, but its strength is beyond that of the Floor Monsters here.”
“Wow… so something like that listens to commands.”
“I’ve never seen one either.”
As Roel and I gawked at the rare sight, Seigel urged our carriage to move again.
“I hear it’s quite useful for expeditions. Inside, it’s stocked with everything needed for living, so depending on your supplies, you could live for months.”
“Then we should have hitched a ride on that!”
“You won’t grow if you take the easy way out.”
“That doesn’t concern me!”
While Cynthia grumbled from the back, Seigel glanced at me. It was true that if I wanted to continue as an Adventurer, I needed to be able to cross valleys like this one.
After that, there were no monster attacks, and soon we reached the end of the mountain pass. Beyond the deep valley lay a steep slope, and in the distance, a large river flowed. Crossing the bridge there, we headed straight toward the Royal Capital of Avangarde, sprawling like a carpet of grass.
“Yay, we made it! Everyone, that’s the Royal Capital of Avangarde!”
“It’s huge… I wonder how many times bigger it is than Queemil, where we live.”
“That place also serves as the gateway to the sea, Rua-chan.”
Cynthia pointed to where many ships were docked along the coastline. Could we board a ship directly from the Royal Capital? What kind of world lay beyond the sea?
“Seigel, how do we get down from here?”
“This slope is too steep, so we’ll take a detour.”
The carriage turned left, avoiding the steep slope as it descended away from the valley. The carriage the soldiers had ridden was no longer visible from here. Despite its size, I thought its speed was incomparable to that of a regular carriage.
“Once we reach the Royal Capital, the escort request will be complete. You can process it directly at the Guild over there, so it’s best to head straight there.”
“Yeah, it was short, but this is where we say goodbye.”
“It was fun, Cynthia.”
“I’m going to miss it… especially since we still have…”
“Shut up.”
Seigel was treated poorly until the very end. After we descended the slope, something swooped down from the sky.
【Vulture Beetles have appeared! HP 88】
A strange monster that looked like an insect with bird wings attacked us. Until we reached the valley, the monsters had at least retained a somewhat normal shape, but it seemed this area had its own peculiarities.
“There are some monsters here that are different from those in the valley, which can catch beginners off guard.”
With a single swing of his Burst Braver, Seigel dispatched them all. He held the reins firmly with one hand. Traveling while listening to the sound of hooves and the turning wheels would have to wait until we reached the Royal Capital.
The bridge was wide enough for several carriages to pass side by side, with people of various appearances bustling about. According to Seigel, this bridge was called the Avangarde Great Bridge. It was quite straightforward.
“Hey! You bumped into me, and that’s all you have to say?!”
“Well, I did apologize… it’s such a hassle.”
“What did you say at the end?!”
As we approached the middle of the bridge, a young woman was being harassed by a man with a build like Grundom and another with a face resembling a thin rat.
“Geez, who does that in a place like this nowadays?”
“Stop talking and help her!”
“Leave it; she’s fine.”
“What are you saying?! If Seigel won’t do it, then I will!”
Ignoring Seigel’s restraint, I stepped in front of the two men to shield the woman. The two were startled by my sudden appearance. At this point, it was clear they were no threat.
“W-What the hell?! You scared me!”
“Hey, big brother, is this kid serious?”
“Serious?! A kid like you?! You think you can take me on?!”
They were incredibly loud. Their voices were too boisterous. It was unnecessary; I could hear them just fine.
“If you apologized, you should just let it go.”
“That’s not it! I’m telling you to pay up with money or your body!”
“Hey, kid! You must have heard of the C-rank ‘Combo’!”
I had no idea who that was. Besides, being C-rank meant they were on the same level as us. Wait, what were they doing as Adventurers?
“Rua-chan, we need to resolve this peacefully…”
Before I knew it, Roel had rushed over, not even glancing at the so-called Combo.
“Don’t ignore me!”
Combo swung the club he was holding at me. It felt like a piece of styrofoam was coming at me; I smashed it upward with my fist, shattering the club.
“Huh?! What the?!”
“Uh, Rua-chan means no harm. If you go any further, you’ll get hurt, so please leave now!”
With a slight bow, Roel subtly expressed her disdain. No, I didn’t think he meant any harm. She maintained a proper posture while bowing.
“Y-You monster…!”
The rat-faced man bolted, leaving his companion behind.
“Y-You better enter the Combat Tournament! I’ll show you my true strength there!”
The club followed after him.
“Those guys are entering the Combat Tournament too…”
“Are you entering the tournament as well?”
The woman who had been harassed asked.
“Yeah… but are you okay? You weren’t hurt, right?”
The woman who had just been harassed stood still behind us, not moving an inch.
“I see… so you’re entering the tournament… what a hassle… sigh…”
She rested her chin on her hand, letting out a series of sighs.
The strikingly straight white hair gave off an impression that was both captivating and somewhat mysterious. She seemed older than us, embodying the image of a mature woman.
“Thank you for your help. Well then, I’ll be on my way soon…”
With her long, flowing white hair dancing in the wind, the woman vanished toward the Royal Capital.
“She’s a strange one.”
“That’s why I told you it’s fine… Stop being so nosy and let’s hurry to the Royal Capital.”
“Not fine… What are you talking about?”
“Ugh, I’m so tired! But once we get to the Royal Capital, I’m selling it! The Royal Jelly! Oh, I almost forgot! Here you go, both of you!”
I was handed a glistening golden Royal Jelly. It looked so appetizing that it hardly resembled a healing potion. I wanted to save it for a critical moment.
Slurp… “Hey, Lua-chan, what should we do?”
“I’ll save it for later.”
How long could Roel hold back her drool? It was entirely up to her when to eat it, but it might be necessary at some point. I couldn’t use healing magic, and if Roel found herself unable to Heal…
“Come on, stop daydreaming and let’s go!”
Pushed forward by Cynthia, I snapped back to reality. Right, we need to head to the Royal Capital. What should we do first when we arrive? Is the festival still going on?
“After we settle up at the Guild, we need to find an inn.”
That’s right, the Guild and the inn. I understood from Roel’s unwavering gaze on the Royal Jelly.
///
“I’m back… sigh”
“Welcome back! You must be tired!”
“Ritta, you’re always so dramatic… Just a simple ‘welcome home’ would suffice… sigh Why do I have to say everything… so annoying.”
“I-I’m sorry!”
“Your speech is weird… sigh“
To the rookie soldier Ritta, the person who had just returned felt like a towering, dazzling presence. A girl who had joined the ranks of the Avangarde Kingdom’s soldiers, inspired by her admiration for them. Despite passing the grueling entrance exam, she was barely keeping up with the training and had yet to show any real progress. The calm demeanor of her female colleagues only amplified her feelings of inadequacy. Her sole admiration was for a woman who stood at the pinnacle of the kingdom.
“Ritta-chan, you’re off duty today, so you should go have some fun…”
“No, if I don’t train on my own, I feel like I’ll be left behind…”
“But if you’re swinging a spear around in the castle courtyard like this, you’ll get scolded… sigh Talking is such a hassle…”
“That’s true, I’ll just practice in my room.”
“Ugh, even responding is a hassle… sigh“
Watching Ritta’s lethargic figure disappear, she left the courtyard with her spear and headed back to her room. Even on a rookie’s salary, she could manage to pay the rent for this place. It was just enough to fit a desk, a bed, and a wardrobe, but it was a steal since it had a shower.
“Today was so cool, Master Knight Tiferia…”
Imagining herself wielding a spear in her room, Ritta immersed herself in a world of fantasy. She began to shadowbox, as if battling some unseen foe.
“Master Knight Tiferia… I want to be like that someday!”
Just as she felt a surge of motivation, she accidentally knocked over her favorite plate that had been resting on the desk. Her momentary excitement plummeted, and negative thoughts crept back in.
“Ahh… Am I really that hopeless?”
Monster Compendium
Vulture Beetle HP: 88
A creature that seems to be a fusion of an insect and a bird. With the strength of an insect, it can be more troublesome than typical bird-type monsters when it ambushes from the sky.