The Dandole March, said to be the City of the North. It had always prospered as a center of trade, but several years ago, unusual products for women began to appear in its shops.
New cosmetics, clothing, and daily necessities. Initially, they only caught on with women adventurers who liked new things, but they soon spread to noble young ladies and female knights, gaining immense support, primarily among relatively wealthy young women.
“…Come to think of it, that dwarven armor shop owner recommended various things to me, didn’t he?”
“Is that so?”
“Aria… what you’re wearing is one of them, right?”
Aria really has little interest in such things, doesn’t she…
Anyway, until then, cosmetics meant scented oils and face powder, and underwear was the drawers type. In rural villages, it was common for children not to wear underwear until they were over ten years old. But now, from expensive items for nobles to cheap ones for commoners, anyone can get them if they want.
The Dandole Family was the one who made those first items. Rumor has it, it was their young lady, who wasn’t even ten years old yet, they say.
This place we’ve arrived at is a small viscount’s fief, a few days south of the Dandole territory.
One town and two post towns. Other than that, just ten villages and large cotton fields spreading out—a place that would normally be cramped even for a barony. It seems it was originally directly controlled territory of the Dandole Family.
As far as Aria investigated, this land, which was governed by a baronet, a vassal of the Dandole Family, as a proxy lord, was a place for making the Dandole Family’s new products. But it was made into the territory of a new, young viscount.
“…Truly, the young miss did favor us, y’see. We were all really lookin’ forward to her becomin’ Queen-sama, we were. But if she’s to be the Lord-sama of this land, then we gotta give her our all, aye.”
An old man from a stall in the post town (from Samantha’s child’s generation) said so with deep feeling.
Samantha, who was much older than the quite elderly old man, had tried to charge into a tavern the moment we arrived in the post town and was restrained by Aria’s pendulum.
“Samantha. If you’re going to drink, eat something with it.”
“More huge amounts of mutton?! You’re a demon wife!”
…I wonder if this is also what peace means?
At any rate, perhaps because it was originally directly controlled territory, and she provided work and showed her face many times, that young lady seems to be adored by the populace.
By the way, the lord of this ‘Lovino Viscount Territory’ is a former prince, but I wonder if the populace doesn’t even know his face?
Well, given the circumstances, they probably won’t appear on the public stage as nobles in their generation. Still, there was a high chance they would have died in the battle between me, Aria, and the demon, so just being alive without being under house arrest is probably better.
Though, it’s not something I, who tried to massacre everyone in the Royal Capital, can say.
“Snow. I’m going to show my face at the Adventurers Guild, what will you do?”
“What about that old lady?”
When Aria, who had returned, said that, I tilted my head, wondering about the old lady who had disappeared at some point.
“Samantha’s old too, so I had her get a room at a nearby inn for today. I think she’s probably drinking on her own.”
“Well… isn’t that fine?”
Come to think of it, that’s right. Aria was treating Samantha like a normal old person, and I was more surprised by that.
“More importantly, is there an Adventurers Guild in such a small post town?”
“Basically, they’re in towns where the lord resides, but even in post towns like this, there are outposts equipped for emergency communications.”
“Huh…”
Long-distance communication magical tools are expensive because they use precious adamantite, but the price seems to be proportional to the communication distance. So in a small territory like this, there’s apparently only one in the guild in the domain’s capital capable of communicating with the Royal Capital.
But that’s for making calls. If it’s just for sending short messages, like the ones they had at the Magic Academy, they can apparently be placed even in post towns like this using mithril as a substitute.
Well, they’re military supplies, so it’s not like anyone can buy them; ordinary people need permission from the state.
“Here it is.”
While we were talking about such things, we found the Adventurers Guild outpost.
How should I put it… it’s just an ordinary house. When we went inside, there was only one middle-aged male staff member-san, and a man who looked like a traveling merchant was talking to him.
The Guild outposts also buy Magic Stones from low-rank Monsters defeated by traveling adventurers, local residents, or travelers, I hear. If you’re just selling Magic Stones, you get a bit less for them, but you don’t need to be a registered adventurer.
I wonder if this traveling merchant also came to sell Magic Stones, or perhaps to make a request? As I thought that and observed the situation, it didn’t seem like such a peaceful atmosphere.
“—So, I’m telling you, do something about it already!”
“Like I said, you need to take such matters to the guard station or to the Lord-sama.”
“I have told them, but it’s been quite a while, hasn’t it!”
“The number of soldiers is limited, you see… I think we can only wait for some Knight-sama to come from Dandole.”
“When will that be!?”
“The Lord-sama has put out a request, for what it’s worth, but there’s no one to take it.”
“…What’s wrong?”
It looked like it might become troublesome, but Aria, sensing that the conversation wasn’t going to end, spoke up, and the traveling merchant turned around before the staff member-san did.
“Young ladies, are you adventurers? If so, then take care of those bandits for us!”
“Hey you, what are you saying to these young girls!”
Rather than ignoring the Guild, the traveling merchant tried to push the bandit extermination onto two young women, and the sensible staff member-san had started arguing with him.
Well, it can’t be helped. Aria is cute, after all.
“〝What’s wrong?〟”
“–!?”
The two of them froze at Aria’s words, repeated without any change in expression or tone of voice. Perhaps even a Rank 3 Monster would freeze…
“Actually…”
The staff member-san explained.
Apparently, bandits have been appearing around here recently. I thought bandits were just good-for-nothing farmers who couldn’t get fields, or a side job for farming villages during the off-season, but according to the traveling merchant who interjected, there’s someone strong among them, and they seem to be quite organized.
In short, they’re bandits in name only; a group like a troop of soldiers or a mercenary band, and they’re ignoring travelers and only attacking merchant caravans.
Knowing that this territory is making a lot of profit, they’re definitely targeting it.
Are they really bandits…?
There are soldiers in this territory too, but in this small viscount territory, their numbers are limited, so it must be tough. If they patrolled the highways with only a small number of soldiers, they might be defeated and killed by the organized bandits.
The Dandole Family should have assigned at least a knightly escort for their daughter and the former prince, but even for them, guarding the two of them takes priority, and their numbers aren’t large either.
The young lady has apparently put out a request to the Adventurers Guild as well, but after a Rank 2 adventurer was defeated and killed, the staff member-san said that even Rank 3 adventurers are hesitating.
“Snow.”
“Yes, yes.”
It can’t be helped, can it… Even though she doesn’t trust others, she can’t leave them alone.
Honestly, I don’t really care. I have no interest in toys that have left my hand.
But… if that’s what you want to do, Aria, I’ll gladly go even to the depths of hell.
“We’ll take that request.”
When Aria said that, the staff member-san and the traveling merchant looked surprised, but when Aria showed her Rank 5 tag, their eyes widened and they fell silent.
Besides… I said they were strangers, but they’re not complete strangers, are they. I also owe the princess a little.