Chapter 20: “Dragon Cradle,” and to the Beastmen Village 15
Our journey to the Kingdom primarily involves heading south along the highways within the Imperial Territory.
When we came to the Imperial Capital, we stopped by Sakurahime-sama’s hometown, Zanzagil Territory, and the Dwarf Village, but this time we’re aiming almost directly for the border with the Kingdom.
Our first destination is the town of Ruarl, located near the border with the Kingdom.
Gasherra, the border town where we defeated the “Chaos Flare Dragon” when coming to the Imperial Capital. Ruarl is said to be about a day and a half west of there. Of course, that’s where Marianne’s hometown is.
The journey was quite comfortable. Geshura had actually improved the carriage, with a suspension-like mechanism that absorbed shocks, making it more stable and comfortable.
The weight is heavier than an average carriage, but thanks to the ‘Spirit,’ it can be pulled with ease, and the speed is even faster than an average carriage. Furthermore, soundproofing Magic Tools have been installed to enhance the quietness inside the carriage, giving it the feel of a luxury car from my previous life.
On the fourth day of our journey, Marianne and Dorozitte were riding in the same carriage as me. By the way, who rides in the carriage is on a rotation. With eleven people, groups naturally form, but the ‘Guidance of Sol’ is surprisingly flexible with these groupings.
“What kind of town is Ruarl, Marianne’s hometown?”
“It’s a town governed by a Viscount family. The scale is about the same as Euron Town in the Kingdom, and I think the atmosphere is similar.”
“Euron, it feels like a long time ago since I went there. Come to think of it, I met Marianne in Euron, didn’t I?”
“That’s right. I initially thought of Soushi-san as an odd person. He didn’t seem to mind my curt responses.”
Marianne smiled faintly at that. I was a little surprised that she was aware of her cold attitude.
As I was wondering whether to tease her about it, Dorozitte chuckled.
“I’m surprised Marianne was aware of that. But Soushi-san, you kept asking Marianne for help despite that, right? Is that because Marianne is beautiful?”
“It’s because she did her job properly. What’s important is not the attitude, but whether they do the job. Of course, I also thought she was beautiful.”
“So, there you have it, Marianne. Isn’t that nice?”
Dorozitte grinned at her, and Marianne turned away.
“By the way, what kind of house does Marianne have? Could it be a rather large one?”
I asked because there are many noble women in the ‘Guidance of Sol.’ Marianne seemed to understand this, as she softened her gaze and shook her head.
“No. My parents and grandparents are all cooks, and they run a diner in town. It’s a large diner, but not surprisingly so.”
“Is there someone to take over the business?”
“Yes. My older brother and his wife are planning to take over, so there’s no problem.”
“What do you mean by ‘no problem’?”
Dorozitte grinned again, and Marianne turned away.
“What about you, Dorozitte? Is it okay for the Grand Master to come along as a member of an Adventurer party? I think Sub-Master Aloy-san is worried.”
“Haha, that’s old news. Like Marianne, I’m also at the age where people around me are getting noisy about settling down. Actually, one of the reasons I’m traveling around is to avoid that.”
“I’m hearing about that for the first time.”
Marianne retorted, and Dorozitte shrugged.
“It’s not something I usually talk about. Besides, the previous Grand Master forced me into this position. I’ve managed to stabilize the Guild’s operations, so I’d like to have some freedom.”
“I don’t think the Grand Master’s wanderlust is something that can be described as ‘some freedom.'”
“Isn’t ‘wanderlust’ a bit harsh, Marianne? I’m just confirming with my own eyes what I need to see directly. Joining the ‘Guidance of Sol’ is the same thing. Soushi-san will undoubtedly face situations that will determine the fate of this continent. I have to see it with my own eyes.”
“You don’t consider whether the Grand Master needs to see it directly?”
“I can’t make accurate judgments as a Grand Master without seeing it directly. It’s that delicate of a matter.”
“I see, let’s leave it at that.”
Marianne gave her a cold look, and Dorozitte shrugged again.
“I’ve been thinking about it for a while, but you two are close, aren’t you? Come to think of it, Marianne has always seemed to be able to communicate directly with the Grand Master.”
“Well, yes. I personally scouted Marianne as a potential exclusive staff member during my travels. I never expected it would come to this, though.”
“I am very grateful to the Grand Master for that. I never dreamed that I would have such encounters as a Guild employee.”
“Hehe, perhaps it’s the same for both of us. It’s because Marianne keenly noticed Soushi-san that we were able to learn about such a special existence early on.”
It’s obvious, but there seem to be various interesting connections behind these encounters. If we are where we are now because of several coincidences, then we must be grateful for that good fortune. I doubt my ‘Celestial Fortune’ had anything to do with it, though.
Perhaps because my ‘Celestial Fortune’ didn’t play any tricks, we were able to reach the town of Ruarl in about ten days without any particular trouble.
According to Dorozitte, “It’s amazing that we can get from the Imperial Capital to the border in ten days by carriage. And this carriage might be more comfortable than His Imperial Majesty’s personal carriage,” so it seems that our journey was extraordinary, as expected of the ‘Guidance of Sol.’
The town of Ruarl, with mountains, forests, and rivers in the distance, was indeed about the same size as Euron Town.
We got out of the carriage in front of the castle gate, and I stored all the carriages in my ‘Item Box,’ which made a nearby traveler’s eyes widen.
We were able to pass through the castle gate without any problems by identifying ourselves as the ‘Guidance of Sol.’ We are such a conspicuous group that we attract curious glances not only from the guards at the gate but also from the people waiting to enter. However, I’ve gotten used to this. Rather, I’m relieved that the reaction here is much less than in the Imperial Capital.
“So, we’re going to eat at Marianne’s place, and then find an inn, right?”
Lani sniffed and looked around as we walked along the street before noon. She’s probably looking for a stall that serves delicious meat dishes.
“Soushi-sama is a Marquis, so it would be possible to have the Viscount family host us, but you’re not considering that, are you?”
Maricier is too well-known, so she’s trying to hide her face in town. However, she can’t completely hide her noble aura.
“We’re here without prior notice, and we’re supposed to be incognito. What did you do when you were traveling, Maricier?”
“When I was active as ‘Water Lily Lions,’ we often stayed at inns. All of us were children of noble families, and it was troublesome to be taken care of by the lord.”
“Ah, I see. Well, we’re kind of the same. Let’s find an inn first and then eat.”
So, we took rooms at the best inn in town and headed to the diner run by Marianne’s parents.