Chapter 12: In the Royal Capital – Part 05
The journey to the royal capital, under the guidance of the “Soul’s Guidance,” progressed smoothly and without incident until the fourth day.
To be honest, simply walking along the highway, even as the number of travelers increased as we approached the capital, made for a rather dull journey.
Well, for ordinary people, it must be a perilous and exhausting trip, certainly not an easy one. However, as the adventurer party “Soul’s Guidance,” we had the luxury of camping and other conveniences, allowing us to find the journey tedious.
In fact, on a whim, I had crafted a simple set of playing cards before we set out, and we played with them inside the tent at night. While there are games using wooden pieces in this world, many of them seem to focus on “gambling,” making them less enjoyable as games.
I had come across a material called “Giant Centipede Shell,” which can be heated and stretched into thin sheets, and thought it would make for perfect cards. As expected, the members received them well. With Sfenia’s help, I burned patterns onto the surface, making it a labor of love, but it seemed worth the effort.
I was a bit concerned that one of the wolf beastfolk girls was getting too carried away with the game, but I figured if I played with her occasionally, she would be satisfied. Probably.
On the morning of the fifth day, we passed through the checkpoint between Count Lautrec’s territory and the royal family’s direct domain, and there we were, already in the royal family’s realm.
The highway widened, and the smoothness of the cobblestone road increased, strongly signaling that we were nearing the royal capital.
As we continued along the road, I spotted an adventurer party approaching from the front, accompanied by a carriage. I recognized the four of them. It was the C-Rank party from Euron, “Fortuner.” They were supposed to be escorting the adventurer Miss Shizuna from the Oz Country to the royal capital, so I had thought we might cross paths somewhere.
“Hey, isn’t that you, Soushi? What a coincidence!”
The leader, Zeal, noticed me and called out.
“Long time no see! Have you finally been relieved of your duties?”
“Yeah, we finished our request a little while ago, but since we were here, we decided to take it easy in the royal capital for a bit. The viscount asked us to pick up some supplies too.”
I noticed that the carriage was loaded with goods that hadn’t been there when they left. It made sense; they wouldn’t send someone to the royal capital and let them return empty-handed.
“Well, thank you for your hard work. How was Miss Shizuna?”
“Ha ha, she kept saying she was bored and wanted to enter a dungeon along the way. Turns out she’s quite the tomboy. By the way, are you all heading to the royal capital too?”
“Yes, we received a summons from the royal family.”
At my words, Zeal furrowed his brow.
“What did you do this time?”
“Actually, we defeated the ‘Kin of Twilight’ recently, which seems to have bumped us up to B-Rank, and that’s why we’ve been called.”
At my statement, not only Zeal but the other members of “Fortuner” widened their eyes in surprise.
“‘Kin of Twilight’!? I heard rumors that they appeared in the Count’s territory and were defeated, but I never expected it was you, Soushi! And B-Rank, huh… Last time we met, you were still D-Rank, right?”
“Yes, it was a matter of circumstance that led to the battle. It seems the B-Rank is quite an exceptional case.”
“Well, if you defeated the ‘Kin of Twilight,’ then B-Rank is only natural. I had a feeling you were strong, but I never imagined it was to that extent. By the way, the one behind you is Guild Receptionist Mariane, right? Are you perhaps her exclusive escort?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Wow, you’ve made quite the connections. Your party is still filled with cute girls, and to be honest, you’ll stand out quite a bit in the royal capital.”
Zeal said this with a slightly mischievous grin. I had hoped there would be more high-level adventurer parties in the royal capital, but it seemed that the members of “Soul’s Guidance” were indeed formidable.
“Actually, we had a bit of trouble in Barbadoza. I’ll be cautious in the royal capital as well.”
“You should definitely be careful. Well then, enjoy your time in the royal capital. It’s an interesting place.”
“Yes, thank you…”
As we were about to part ways, something suddenly came to mind.
“Ah, Zeal, I actually think a young party I know will be arriving in Euron. Would you mind looking after them a bit?”
“Oh? What’s the name of the party?”
“They call themselves ‘Ginrin.’ I think they have quite a bit of potential, so I would appreciate it. I won’t be able to return to Euron for a while.”
“Well, if they seem decent after I talk to them, I’ll keep an eye on them. They’re motivated, right?”
“Yes, they should be coming to Euron to get stronger.”
“Nice, I like that kind of spirit. Alright, I’ll keep an eye on them.”
“Thank you very much.”
This was purely a hunch, but I felt that Zeal from “Fortuner” and Kaim from “Ginrin” would get along well. Zeal might learn about the skill training methods I taught Kaim, and it would likely be beneficial for both parties.
After exchanging farewells, we parted ways with the members of “Fortuner.” Since coming to this world, I had been feeling an increase in acquaintances, and I didn’t mind it at all. Speaking of which, Lord Toronto was also in the royal capital. I was somewhat looking forward to seeing what kind of relationship we would build.
On the morning of the seventh day since leaving Barbadoza, we were set to arrive at the royal capital by early afternoon, assuming nothing went wrong.
It had been a miraculous (?) journey without any incidents, but I figured it would be wise not to let my guard down until the end… As I pondered this, I spotted a carriage that had come to a halt ahead of us.
This situation reminded me of the beastfolk merchant Gashi, but the carriage leaning slightly at the side of the highway was not a simple cart. It was a luxurious four-wheeled passenger carriage, pure white with golden decorations, unmistakably belonging to a high-ranking noble.
Of course, around it stood about twenty soldiers dressed in fine uniforms. Inside, there were four individuals who appeared to be Awakened Ones, and judging by their equipment, the quality of the guards seemed exceptionally high.
“Soushi-sama, that carriage belongs to the royal family. They’re hiding the crest, so it’s treated as a discreet visit, but I think it’s best to pass by at a distance,” Freinir whispered softly to me.
Now that she mentioned it, I noticed an unnatural cloth draped over part of the carriage. Honestly, with such an impressive carriage and guards, it was obvious it belonged to the royal family, but perhaps they were trying to maintain the facade of a discreet visit, expecting commoners to turn a blind eye.
I saw that other passersby were also keeping their distance as they walked by. Well, if the carriage broke down, the royal family would likely have help arrive quickly, so there was no reason for us to intervene. Following Freinir’s advice, we moved to the opposite side of the highway to pass by.
The guards, likely former high-ranking adventurers, intensified their vigilance as they observed us. Given that we looked like a band of adventurers, it was understandable that we would raise some suspicion. Perhaps it was also due to the mace I was carrying.
Just as I felt relieved that we seemed to be passing without incident, I heard the sound of the carriage door opening behind us, followed by a voice that seemed to belong to a girl.
“Freinir! Is that you walking over there? Please wait, come show your face here!”
“Is that voice from Margarot…?”
As Freinir turned around to respond, a girl pushed through the guards. With golden hair and green eyes, dressed in a pure white simple dress adorned with a golden tiara, she looked every bit the princess.
“Oh, it really is you, Freinir! I heard you became an adventurer, and I was worried. I’m so glad you’re safe…”
As Freinir approached, the girl named Margarot embraced her and began to cry.
Seeing Freinir also tear up and return the embrace, it felt like a touching reunion. However, given the atmosphere, it was clear that this girl was indeed the princess of this country.
Since we were summoned by the royal family, it was inevitable that the two would reunite somewhere, but I never expected it to happen in front of so many onlookers. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of the mischievousness of “Bad Luck.”