Chapter 46: Siege
Tobil picked up the brooch, turning it upside down and examining it closely. He seemed to be pondering if there was some sort of mechanism hidden within, but after a thorough inspection, he placed it back on the table.
“So, the matter at hand is… a tour of the castle, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct. I’m quite curious about what the inside of the castle looks like. Back in my homeland, there were various tours for tourists to explore castles.”
While castles in Japan have mostly become mere tourist attractions, I wasn’t lying. Even the Imperial Palace can be visited, so I figured the castles in this Otherworld might be similar.
“I see… Unfortunately, we don’t offer such services in this castle. Please wait a moment.”
With that, Tobil set the brooch down and left the room, deep in thought. It seemed they really didn’t have castle tours. If that was the case, it wasn’t a big deal. I had already passed through the Castle Gate, and I knew I could simply head straight towards the tall spire.
“It looks like there really aren’t any tours available,” I remarked.
“Yeah,” came the reply.
As we exchanged words, my gaze fell upon the brooch once more. Now that I thought about it, wasn’t this thing a tracking device? …Why did I bring it with me all the way here? I felt a bit foolish for not realizing it sooner, but strangely, the more I looked at the brooch, the less it mattered.
Still, I wondered just how much they knew about our whereabouts. Even if they could pinpoint our location accurately, the information would have to be relayed through others. I didn’t know how many people would be involved in that, but it should take some time for the message to get through.
That said, magic exists in this world. I hadn’t seen any spells that functioned like emails or phones, but surely there must be some means of communication.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” Tobil returned quickly, taking his seat once more.
“I’ve reported to the higher-ups, but honestly, I’m not sure what will happen next.”
It seemed the brooch’s effect was indeed significant. Even if they didn’t offer tours, I hadn’t expected him to advocate for us.
“I see… By the way,” I began.
“What is it?”
“Tobil, how much do you know about us?”
Curiosity prompted my question, and Tobil responded with a wry smile.
“Honestly, I know almost nothing. I’ve only been told your names and instructed to contact them immediately if someone possessing the brooch appeared.”
“Oh, I see…”
But why didn’t he inquire further about who we were? Was he simply aware of his position, or did he think it was better not to know?
“Then let me ask you in return: do you know what this brooch is?”
“No, I’m afraid I don’t. In fact, I’m not well-versed in its specifics. However, the emblem on that brooch is the royal crest of the Arclight Kingdom.”
“Really? Is that so?”
My surprised exclamation caught Tobil off guard, and he looked at me in astonishment.
“What? You didn’t notice? The same crest was on the gate when we entered the city, right?”
“‘Huh?’”
“Ahaha, you both didn’t realize, did you?”
Tobil’s laughter echoed as both of us exclaimed in unison.
“The gates of cities directly governed by the royal family bear the royal crest.”
“Wow, I had no idea…”
I hadn’t noticed at all. Perhaps it was because I had been focused on disguising myself while entering the city, making it hard to pay attention to my surroundings.
“…Hmm?”
As I conversed with Tobil, I sensed a gathering of people nearby.
“Shuu…”
It seemed Rio had noticed too, gripping the hem of my clothing tightly.
“What’s wrong?”
Tobil, noticing our demeanor, asked, but he seemed oblivious to the commotion outside. He claimed to know nothing, but I couldn’t help but wonder how true that was.
“It seems people are gathering outside. Do you know anything about it?”
In situations like this, the best course of action was to ask directly.
“Hmm? Is that so? We shouldn’t be able to hear much from outside here… Just a moment.”
With that, Tobil stood up and stepped outside to check the situation. Indeed, even with enhanced hearing, I could tell someone was speaking, but I couldn’t make out the words.
“Tobil doesn’t seem to have a clear idea of what’s going on either, does he?”
“Looks that way.”
“Hmm… It seems the Royal Guard and the Mage Division are gathering.”
Rio seemed to be able to hear the conversations outside. I could faintly sense her Magic Power; she must be using Wind Magic to pick up the voices. I wasn’t skilled enough to perform such a feat with magic. But the Royal Guard and the Mage Division… that sounded rather ominous.
“Oh? Are they coming to capture us?”
I wasn’t sure about the knights, but the Mage Division didn’t seem to radiate much Magic Power despite their name.
“Actually, it doesn’t seem that way. They seem to be celebrating Tobil’s safety, so they might be here to suppress any chaos if we caused a ruckus.”
“What does that even mean?”
Hmm… Considering the possibility of being attacked by everyone, it might be safer to stay holed up in this stone room. There was no need for me to go out.
“Either way, let’s wait until Tobil returns.”
“Looks like he’s coming back already.”
As Rio spoke, I sensed the presence drawing closer. The door burst open, and a group of armored knights wielding drawn swords stormed into the room.
“Don’t move!”
With a single command, three knights positioned themselves at the entrance, followed by three robed figures who appeared to be from the Mage Division.
“Wait… just a moment!”
Tobil rushed into the room, calling out to stop them.