Chapter 126: The Grosenhang Empire
We traveled south along the highway, aiming for the sea. Growing weary of walking, we decided to ride on Nil, who had returned to his original size, and even took to the skies for a bit. We spent a day sightseeing in a town we passed through, and by the fourth day, we crossed the border into the border town of Railei on the Empire’s side.
As expected, crossing the border brought a dramatic change in scenery. My first impression was that the narrow roads and chaotic streets were quite different from what we had seen before.
“I guess nothing can really compare to the beds at Beldran Workshop,” I sighed, reminiscing about our comfortable stay.
“That might be true. If it’s not a big city, it’s unlikely to find a cozy inn,” Rio replied, her tone thoughtful.
Railei, the border town, was no exception. I searched for a high-end establishment along the Main Street, but all I found were disappointments.
“Honestly, the inn we stayed at in the commercial city was way too luxurious…”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
So far, the only place that could rival the beds at the Camping House was that inn in the commercial city. The suite there was incredible, thanks in part to the overly attentive maid service. Still, that didn’t justify avoiding other inns. Staying at an inn was part of the sightseeing experience.
“By the way… do you think there are a lot of slaves in the Empire?” Rio suddenly mused as we strolled down the Main Street.
Throughout our journey, I had been using my Appraisal Skill extensively, which included appraising people. Since entering the Empire, I had started to notice individuals with the status “Condition: Subjugation.” It was clear from their appearance that they wore Collars of Subjugation around their necks.
“That might be the case,” I replied, feeling a twinge of discomfort. The thought of slaves reminded me of my classmates, and I couldn’t help but wonder if they were treated poorly.
“But they don’t seem to have gloomy expressions,” Rio observed.
That was true. I had been observing various slaves, and they appeared no different from ordinary citizens. There was no sign of despair in their demeanor.
“It might be a proper system with human rights,” I suggested, and Rio nodded slowly in agreement. Despite the negative connotations I had associated with the term, it didn’t seem to be as bad as I had imagined. I realized I didn’t know much about how slaves were treated in this world. I should have asked Fleur about it.
“Let’s gather some information at the Guild,” I said, shaking off my thoughts and heading toward the Adventurer’s Guild. It was always a convenient place for information gathering, regardless of the city. Although I had recently joined the Commercial Guild, the Adventurer’s Guild was far more ubiquitous. In smaller towns and villages, the Commercial Guild often didn’t exist, making the Adventurer’s Guild my go-to choice.
Before long, we entered the Adventurer’s Guild. Surprisingly, we didn’t attract any unusual attention today.
“Hey, hey! What’s a kid like you doing at the Adventurer’s Guild?” a raucous voice boomed.
We stumbled upon a scene where a rough-looking adventurer was teasing a boy about my height.
“I’m not a kid! I’m twelve years old and a proper F-rank adventurer!” the boy shouted defiantly.
The rough adventurer didn’t seem inclined to stop his mockery.
“Ha! Doesn’t change the fact that you were sucking on your mama’s breast just yesterday!”
“What did you say…?!”
The boy clenched his fists, but before he could retort, our eyes met.
“Then what about that guy? He looks way more like a kid than I do!” the boy shouted, pointing at me.
“Huh?”
The rough adventurer turned his gaze toward me, then shifted to Rio, and finally landed on Nil, his expression shifting to one of mild interest.
“Are you stupid? You think I’d pick a fight with someone I don’t even know just based on looks? That’s why I’m calling you a kid,” he said, rolling his eyes.
With a sigh, I turned my attention back to the boy.
“Huh?!”
The rough adventurer’s words seemed to ignite the boy’s temper, but he was oblivious to the fact that his reaction was exactly what made him seem immature.
“Honestly… come on, I’ll give you a little roughhousing today,” the adventurer said, grabbing the squirming boy by the collar and walking away.
The onlookers watching the boy seemed to share a warm, almost amused gaze.
“…”
I had expected a typical scenario to unfold, but this was different from what I had imagined.
“He seems like a surprisingly caring person,” Rio remarked.
I completely agreed. I had called him a rough adventurer in my mind, but I felt a bit guilty about it. He was more of a caring Common Sense Person. In fact, I felt like the boy might turn on me next.
“Looks like it. Anyway, let’s focus on gathering information,” I said, as I activated my Appraisal Skill and headed toward an empty counter. There were various professions represented, but it seemed that entering the Empire didn’t change the general trends.
“Welcome to the Railei Adventurer’s Guild. How may I assist you today?” a serious-looking staff member greeted us.
Instinctively, I activated my Appraisal Skill again, and to my surprise, the results were different from usual.
“Oh—excuse me,” I coughed, trying to cover my surprise.
I never expected my Appraisal Skill to level up here.