By Zephyria 
“Were you very busy while we were away?”
“Yes… rather than busy, it was more like…”
“More like what?”
“I was surprised.”
“Surprised?”
This was a strange thing to say. Sienna Bicov, with her sharp, fierce-looking eyes, didn’t seem like someone who would be easily surprised. After all, she had lived her life without ever wielding a sword. She should have been no different from the common folk, but her appearance, so much like a mountain bandit, made it hard to believe.
Seeing her hesitate and unable to answer immediately, I asked kindly, “If it’s uncomfortable to talk about, shall we resume our Mabo training?”
“No, no. It’s just that I don’t know much about Divine objects or things like that. I didn’t even know they truly existed, but after meeting Lord Ernhardt, I saw spirits, heard news of being kidnapped by a spirit, and suddenly huge waves started rising…”
Sienna’s voice became very rapid. I was startled by her booming voice and the way she frantically waved her hands, shouting loudly. I thought I had only made her do easy poses, but was it that difficult for her?
Sienna’s voice was loud, her speech rambling, and she sometimes mumbled the ends of her words. Still, it wasn’t unbearable. I listened quietly.
“And then, about the Golden Turtle, even if it was just its shell, the thought that I had seen the Golden Turtle too made it feel so unreal… I was a bit dazed. It was also the first time I had seen so many Spirit Masters, and dozens of spirits were flying right before my eyes, then suddenly waves crashed, there was a flood, children were crying, people were being swept away… So my mind, yes. My mind was a bit scattered.”
“…Ah.”
“I suppose because I’ve been a traveling merchant, I’ve heard a lot of various rumors… I wondered if they were all true, and things like that…”
“Rumors?”
“Well… I heard the story of Yulan’s Golden Turtle here, but… I had heard talk of the Lake of Memories in Vivan starting to freeze over a bit earlier. That was about… five or six years ago.”
Rubel’s gaze immediately locked onto me.
So, even while doing his work, he was listening to everything we were saying. I pressed him, asking if he knew more about it, but he only gave a hesitant answer that he had only heard vague rumors and knew nothing else.
We talked about various other things after that.
As the conversation grew longer, I found the Baroness to be a comfortable conversationalist. Our ages were similar, and her actions were too. She reminded me of the people my nephews and cousins used to drag home as friends when we lived in the Central Plains. So, the questions I asked her were essentially the same ones I used to ask my nephews’ friends.
“So, how old did you say you were?”
“Ah, twenty… I’m twenty-five.”
“Are both your parents healthy?”
“My mother has passed away, but my father is in good health.”
“…Oh, my apologies.”
“Not at all. He was quite old… He must be happy in the Goddess’s embrace now.”
Twenty-five. Ivan is twenty this year, so there’s a five-year age difference. After a moment’s thought, I asked again, “I heard you have a younger sister.”
“…Yes.”
“Has she returned?”
“I don’t know… I haven’t heard from her yet. I wonder how far she went…”
Seeing her eyebrows furrow when talking about her sister, it seemed her mischievous sibling had caused her trouble. Come to think of it, Ivan’s marriage to her… it was because his fiancée suddenly changed, wasn’t it?
I didn’t want to ask uncomfortable questions in Ivan’s absence, so I changed the subject. “Does Ivan mistreat you?”
“…What? No, no.”
Sienna startled and adjusted her posture, sitting up straight. While I appreciated Ivan’s manly demeanor, if he treated his wife improperly, it was something that needed correcting. Since he had helped me, I felt I had the right to comment on his actions, so I asked again.
“He wasn’t originally like this, but this time I’ve seen him interrupt the Baroness’s words quite often. If there’s anything you dislike, please tell me. I’ll scold him.”
“Ah.”
Sienna seemed embarrassed, running her palm down her neck and looking around. She hesitated, bit her lower lip, and then smiled shyly. Her face, which had looked like a wild boar’s, now seemed as gentle as a cow’s when she smiled like this.
“That’s… not it. It’s just that… given my background, I have a bit of a lack of etiquette… I was worried I might appear rude when interacting with you two… That’s what I was concerned about. The Baron heard this and told me not to worry, saying he would handle all conversations himself, showing me consideration.”
“…Hmm.”
“He can seem a bit… gruff, so people often misunderstand him, you know, originally.”
He? The term made my own fingers tingle.
Speaking of terms, I had another question. “…So, calling Ivan ‘Baron’ is also…”
“That’s… he said I could just call him comfortably…”
“Is that the most comfortable for you?”
“…”
Why is she blushing at such a question?
I suddenly felt like a man who was teasing a woman and became very awkward. Just as I was about to say something more, the informants who had been with Rubel left the room, and Ivan Bikoff entered through the open door.
He first bowed to Rubel, showing respect, then glanced at his wife once, and then at me, his expression turning cold. What did I do to make him so angry? It was particularly unfair that Sienna, who had been fine moments ago, was showing this side of herself when he walked in.
“Why are you bothering someone else’s wife?”
“What?”
“I didn’t take you for someone who would…”
“No, what nonsense are you talking? That’s not it. It’s just…”
“Just?”
“I was wondering why you’re calling me with such extreme honorifics.”
“…Ah.”
Then Ivan also smiled.
It was the first time I had seen him smile so warmly, as if melting. Sienna Bicov, at the end of his gaze, blushed crimson and stared intently at Ivan. She seemed very tense, unsure what words would come out of his mouth.
Ivan said in a relaxed tone, “We agreed to use pet names only when it’s just the two of us. Unlike some people.”
“…”
I should have neither asked nor heard.
There was a brief commotion. Seeing Ivan and me bickering, Rubel intervened. We decided to hear the news Ivan brought together. Naturally, Rubel sat beside me, and Ivan sat beside Sienna, filling the empty sofa.
Ivan, noticing Sienna’s sweat-soaked shirt, muttered some nonsensical words again, but I didn’t pay attention. A man should build his body by sweating. No matter how precious his wife is, she’s not a toddler to be coddled in product.
As Ivan continued to chide me, Rubel, who had been listening quietly, gazed at Ivan and then handed me a large, fluffy cookie. No one spoke much while I ate the cookie. It was quiet all around.
Instead of babbling nonsense, Ivan pushed the documents he had prepared towards Rubel. Then, he unceremoniously boasted about what he had done.
“All accommodations and provisions for the envoys departing from Sierren have been prepared. We prioritized unoccupied noble residences, and took measures to ensure at least two informants from the Nobility Yearbook department could be discreetly embedded in each residence.”
“And?”
Rubel didn’t check the documents immediately.
There was one more thing Rubel had asked.
Our plan was to entrust the location of the Golden Turtle and future matters to the people who would arrive from the Sierran Empire, and then move to Felix. It was the troops gathered under his name. Even if they were to be sent back to the Sierran Empire, wouldn’t Rubel need to meet them himself before issuing orders?
Therefore, we had ordered him to find the fastest route from Yulan to Vivan, and from Vivan to Felix, and to enlist people to guide and assist us.
If Rubel’s identity hadn’t been revealed to the world, it would have been enough to just hold him close and leave. But he couldn’t appear as a Prince sleeping rough in a foreign land. It felt like a troublesome formality, but I had grown so accustomed to these troublesome matters that I accepted it.
Ivan looked at me with a calm gaze. Rubel, as if he already knew everything and didn’t need to hear it.
“The direct route from Yulan to Vivan is blocked by deep cliffs, making passage difficult. The usual way is to go all the way to the border with the Sierran Empire and take a long detour.”
“…I know that. Yes. I’ve heard talk of salt trade routes and such.”
“Do you know that all trade between Yulan and Vivan was halted seven hundred years ago when their marriage alliance broke?”
“Well… yes. That the route changed…”
I had learned this during my first year at the Academy when studying the political situations of various kingdoms.
The reason Vivan and Yulan couldn’t interact directly was due to the terrain.
The Indus Canyon resembled a dot in shape. The Makabi Cliff, stretching horizontally from the Indus Canyon we crossed, divided Vivan and Yulan. At the point where the cliff gradually became shallower, allowing people to pass on foot, the Sierran Empire lay.
The point where these three countries met was called Centrum, the intermediate border zone.
Centrum was a trading city belonging to the Kiadris Duchy. Merchants from Yulan, Vivan, and Sierren all gathered there, making it bustling. It was possible for John Macbeth, with a small number of people, to achieve great wealth by managing the trade between Grimsvein and Vivan precisely because Centrum was located in the Kiadris Duchy.
“Yulan has salt in abundance, but Vivan has none. At the time, the King of Yulan harbored deep resentment towards Vivan and prohibited the salt trade, but Vivan was buying salt at such exorbitant prices that merchants selling other goods frequently brought salt obtained from small coastal villages to Centrum secretly.”
“…”
“So, the King of Yulan at the time used extreme measures. He prohibited all Yulan merchants from entering Centrum, banned trade, and implemented a policy of isolation. Yulan merchants, forbidden from entering Centrum by royal decree, personally built bridges between the cliffs separating Yulan and Vivan to cross.”
“…Perhaps.”
Ivan nodded his head with a calm expression.
“Yes. To travel from Yulan to Vivan and then to Felix in the shortest distance, crossing the bridge built between the cliffs would be best. As long as Wesley Kiadris still holds sway in his territory, entering the Kiadris Duchy trusting only Edwin Kiadris would be a bad move. Let’s go straight through.”
403 – 403
But that strange isolationist policy ended over a hundred years ago, and the Yulan people now freely entered and exited Centrum, buying and selling various goods, including salt. Thinking about whether anyone had crossed that cliff since then felt daunting.
Wyverns lived in the Indus Canyon. Wyverns were large monsters. I was so surprised to see creatures that seemed like they should only be found in the highlands of the Yuil Mountains. Yulan had not had many martial artists capable of dealing with such large monsters recently. After a moment of thought, I asked again.
“Is that path still there?”
“Yes. Of the several temporary bridges that were built, I found one that is still somewhat intact. I spent some time cross-referencing the bridge locations.”
“Then… are we going by carriage?”
“No.”
“…Hmm?”
“The path itself will serve as an excuse.”
Seeing that I didn’t understand immediately, Ruben took my hand and explained kindly.
“According to protocol, we are supposed to be escorted by over twenty people, including four Yulan guards, and three carriages, until we are outside the Yulan Kingdom. But we can’t travel leisurely by carriage like tourists, can we? This is a time when we cannot have anyone observing our every move.”
“…That’s true.”
“So, I used the excuse of passing through the cliff. If we say we need guards of Sword Master level or higher due to the large monsters, a country like Yulan, with its low Mana Concentration, would have very few such individuals to spare.”
“…Ah.”
However, there was still one thing I didn’t understand. So I asked again.
“But… isn’t it said that one shouldn’t camp in another country?”
“If you think about it that way, traveling by carriage is also camping. We aren’t staying at an inn. If we say we’re crossing the Makabi Cliff and heading north, we just need to ensure the number of people is appropriate.”
“How many people are we taking?”
“At least twenty, including myself.”
That many?
I looked at Rubel, myself, and then… just in case, at Ivan and his wife. Ivan nodded his head as if it were obvious. Seeing that, Ruben declared,
“I plan to go with Mika, Baron and Baroness Bikoff, one doctor, and fill the rest of the personnel with laborers from the Eldos Merchant Guild. Depending on the situation, Baron and Baroness Bikoff can return to Yulan or head to Centrum.”
“…Why a doctor?”
“…”
The child’s gaze was sharp.
No, but the more I thought about it, the more absurd it felt. I casually rolled up the sleeve of my left arm and extended my forearm to Ruben. It was perfectly intact, with no scars, and the muscles bulged clearly when I tensed them.
“Look. I’m fine even after several battles, aren’t I? In the beginning, I acted cautiously just in case, but now, I truly don’t need it anymore.”
“…But.”
“It’s a long journey. Even a doctor is a civilian, and she’s too old to be sent on horseback on a path where we won’t be taking a carriage. I don’t want to add cumbersome luggage.”
“…”
“It’s excessive worry. Even for Rubel…”
“…For me?”
The child’s dark eyebrows drooped. Only then did I realize. In my frustration, I had made a mistake. Ruben, who had been covering my hand, withdrew his, showing his displeasure, so I quickly grabbed it again.
Startled by his gaze, which was looking at me with such earnestness, I felt a pang of distress. Gently stroking the tips of his fingers as if to soothe him, I spoke carefully.
“…It’s precisely because it’s Rubel that I’ve been able to endure this long.”
“Then, you could endure a little longer, couldn’t you?”
“No, what I mean is…”
“…Excuse me, but could you two please give me a moment to speak?”
Ivan, who had been watching our bickering, interjected.
Ah, this guy was here too. Embarrassed that I had completely forgotten, my earlobes flushed. Ivan, as always, had a neutral expression and a casual demeanor, but his voice was laced with a deep sigh.
“First, Mikael, let’s have you get another examination. If the doctor thinks further treatment is necessary, we can discuss it again then.”
“… ”
“…Very well.”
“And the two of us… if you two are okay with it, we’d like to bring Biban along.”
This was also a puzzling statement. I blinked in surprise, and Ivan shrugged.
“The basic principle of trade is buying goods in one region and selling them in another. For the goods sold, we have to buy something else here… As you know, Yulan has suffered a major flood, making it difficult to find usable items. It seems recovery will take some time, so I’d like to visit Biban and look around.”
“…Hmm.”
“Of course, if Your Highness permits it.”
Ruben didn’t hesitate for long and returned to his composed princely demeanor, granting permission.
Leaving Ivan and his wife in the reception room where the Golden Turtle was visible, I immediately went to meet the wide-eyed quack.
He put on a needlessly serious face and once again scanned me with that long stick. Still, it was a relief. The physician, with eyes that seemed to see the inexplicable, examined me several times, muttering “This can’t be, this can’t be” repeatedly, before saying this:
“You… are completely healed. No, really. How can this be?”
“See? I told you I was completely healed.”
“…”
“…It’s all thanks to Rubel. Thank you.”
Ruben’s lips, pouting with displeasure, were so cute that my throat suddenly felt dry.
After coaxing Ruben a few more times and expressing my gratitude, Ruben finally allowed me to go without the physician. The physician, who had been listening nearby, widened his already large eyes in surprise and asked,
“What? Me? Where to?”
“No, it’s not like that. You can just stay here. We were just talking amongst ourselves.”
“Y-yes…”
“You’ve worked hard. About the medicine…”
“It seems you don’t need the medicine either. However, please keep the remaining medicine well and take it if any pain arises.”
“Yes.”
After that, everything went smoothly.
Ruben and Ivan became busy again. Mika and I did bodyweight exercises in the reception room every day. In between, at the request of the Yulan royal siblings, I performed Jin Gi Do In on Yulan’s fifth prince, Elijah, once more. I also caught and removed from the garden a person who had trespassed, begging to touch the Golden Turtle just once.
Thus, a few more peaceful days passed.
❖ ❖ ❖
Monday of the second week of February. The mages from the First Magic Tower arrived.
Three wizened mages, brimming with Mana, stood before the villa’s door, shouting loudly. Their lack of manners was very characteristic of mages. Fortunately, some of the informants recognized their faces, allowing them to be brought into the reception room without much fuss.
One of them was someone I knew well.
A mage with brownish-red hair, drooping eyes, a face in his early fifties, and the expression of a late teenager.
It was Mage Boulder, the one who had tormented me with a transparent golem during my academy days and had been a great help in developing the Hip-Circulate Method.
The one who burst into the reception room barely greeted Rubel before rushing to my feet.
I was already accustomed to Boulder acting as if he had lost his guts and sanity. However, seeing my brow furrow, Sienna Bikoff, who was doing sit-ups, startled and sat up.
It was natural that he would hear about the request for mages to the capital, but I had completely forgotten. While it’s more comfortable to deal with someone I know than a stranger, my ears were already ringing before I even heard a greeting.
Without surprise, I calmly pushed him away with my toe. I sat on the sofa first and beckoned him to a chair placed far away. Mage Boulder quickly sat down, smiled broadly, and chattered loudly,
“Young Master Ernhardt! I heard the news. I saw the Golden Turtle on the way. It’s fortunate you are in Yulan. From the moment I heard about the first mutated monster, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the day we’d meet again. Truly, truly, truly. How did you end up in Yulan? If I had known, you should have sent a telegram in advance. Even though the Yuil Mountains are off-limits, I can freely enter and exit Yulan!”
“…It’s nice to meet you too.”
If only it were just that one person.
Somehow, he brought friends who were just like him. Two mages, around Mage Boulder’s age, clung to the back of Boulder’s chair, nodding and opening their mouths as if wanting to speak too. One mage was enough, but dealing with three at once was overwhelming.
I quickly looked back at Rubel. He approached with a businesslike smile. Rubel squeezed in between me and Mage Boulder, blocking Boulder’s crazed eyes from my sight.
Sienna Bikoff tried to slip away quietly, but I gestured for her to sit on the sofa. If she were to be alone and far away, and something happened, I would surely be scolded by Ivan. Though he made a pouting face again, I didn’t relent.
“Let’s introduce ourselves first. This is Baroness Sienna Bikoff, the wife of my close friend. Please treat her with respect.”
“Huh? Oh, no. It’s fine. Please, just be comfortable…”
“Please, with respect.”
Mage Boulder looked at Baroness Sienna Bikoff with round eyes. It was better to give a heads-up in advance, as it would be a big problem if something happened due to a casual introduction. The unbiased mages greeted her with smiles.
“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Mage Boulder. It means ’round stone’! It is an honor to meet Baroness Bikoff. You are as beautiful as I’ve heard. How are your children these days?”
“I am Mage Johnson! Baroness, you are very tall! Have you personally touched a Golden Turtle as tall as you? What was it like? I really want to hear your impressions!”
“I am Mage Laura. I wish you, Baroness, endless turtles in your future. It was truly a pleasure to meet you today! I am always ready to respect the Baroness with utmost sincerity and passion.”
“…”
Baroness Sienna Bikoff looked at me.
What could I say? As I remained silent, Rubel skillfully changed the subject.
“Yes, you arrived earlier than expected this week. Where did you leave your carriage? Did you come on foot?”
“The Golden Turtle has come ashore, and the creator of the Hip-Circulate is said to have massacred ancient spirits. How could we come by carriage? We used as much Mana as we could to cast Blink repeatedly. This friend here almost died from Circle overload in the middle! Haha!”
“Hahaha! I’m a bit weak-hearted for a mage. But I’m fine now! So, can we go inside the Golden Turtle’s mouth now? I heard we just need permission from Your Highness and Lord Ernhardt.”
“…Did you come alone, the three of you, leaving everyone else behind?”
“Well, knights can’t use Blink, so it can’t be helped! They’ll be here soon.”
“So, about going inside the Golden Turtle’s mouth? I can sleep there tonight. I even brought a sleeping bag.”
“…”
Ruben maintained a gentle smile throughout. The child turned to me with a tender gesture. Once the person in charge arrives, we’ll leave them here and depart quickly. He communicated this with his eyes, and I immediately nodded.
404 – 404
The three mages forgot about the erosion from that day on and clung to the Golden Turtle.
Every time they scraped the Golden Turtle’s skin or trimmed its claws, those Yulan people would come and wail. Various analysis spells were used to meticulously examine the turtle’s insides. What had once been a mere flash outside the window of the drawing-room where I sat was now a chaotic mess of flashes, noise, and resonating mana.
In turn, informants from the Nobility Yearbook who had experience handling corpses were drafted to suffer alongside them. I heard it was a method where mages would analyze the composition of a corpse, guess the age of its bones, and abstractly infer the color of its hair and eyes, then use that to identify the individual.
It was a task that felt impossible just hearing about it. I wondered what on earth they would use that information for, but since it was necessary, I just accepted it.
Three more days passed, and nobles from the Yeldidus Duchy and Kiadris Duchy began to arrive in succession. Given the nature of the matter, most of them were from the Nobility Yearbook Administration Department or graduates of the Sierun Academy’s Academic Department.
Rubel assigned tasks to each of them as they paid their respects.
And two more days passed after that.
Early Saturday morning of the second week of February.
Another Sierun noble entered the drawing-room to pay his respects. Rubel then sprang to his feet. Without a word, he welcomed them, walked around his desk, and even offered a handshake first. Rubel smiling at a stranger like this? It was completely unheard of before.
“Countess Ereira. We’ve been waiting for you.”
“…What? Why are you acting so scary?”
Holding Rubel’s hand, the woman who scanned the child up and down with a hesitant expression was pale and rosy-cheeked. She had shiny brown hair, as if coated in resin, and pale green eyes. She was so tall and slender that her head rose well above Rubel’s shoulders.
Is she close with Rubel?
If she was close with Rubel, I wanted to greet her too. While helping Sienna maintain her Mabo Stance, I stole glances at her. Rubel shook the other person’s hand up and down twice, then held her hand firmly with both of his.
…Who on earth is that person? My stomach began to churn more and more.
Rubel continued to smile brightly, radiantly.
“Please, come this way.”
“What, suddenly you need someone… you called… Oh my!”
Rubel pulled the woman’s hand and led her to his desk, then unceremoniously placed a stack of documents he had piled beneath the desk onto it. My eyes widened in surprise. This friend… she’s going to take over Rubel’s responsibilities.
Only after carefully placing the woman’s hand atop a thick binder did Rubel let go.
“From here to here are the status reports, from here to here are the personal details and business lists of the Yulan nobles coveting the Golden Turtle, and this and this are the threat response manuals I prepared just in case. And this is paperwork related to mutated monsters from Grimsvein. Also, the current King of Yulan is gathering jewels and beasts. It seems connected to black magic, and they’re smuggling it in from Owen, but the route isn’t specified, so please look into that too. You should consult with Mage Johnson on this matter.”
“Excuse me. Surely. Surely, Your Highness.”
“There are three mages dispatched to analyze the Golden Turtle. All from the First Magic Tower. Mage Boulder, Mage Johnson, and Mage Laura. Mage Boulder specializes in monsters, Mage Johnson in black magic, and Mage Laura in myths and legends. I’ve assigned five informants for corpse analysis, but I plan to increase that to seven more, up to twelve.”
“No, excuse me, junior?”
This woman was Rubel’s senior at the academy.
Rubel had lived in this world before me. He had taken many classes I didn’t know about and known people unrelated to me for longer than I had. Every time I realized that obvious fact anew, my heart ached.
Why didn’t he introduce her to me and speak so intimately?
Feeling upset, I looked back and forth between Rubel and the woman.
“There’s no one better than a senior for this kind of work. You published your graduation thesis on an analysis of the temporal changes in Yulan’s four great myths and fishery production trends, didn’t you?”
“…You read it?”
“To be honest, I haven’t. That’s why I’m asking. You’ll do a much better job than I would.”
As Rubel feigned a respectful tone to coax the woman, her previously sharp, bewildered eyes softened.
Countess Ereira let out a snort in a much gentler voice, then took out a pen. The sound of her quickly scribbling a few words filled the quiet drawing-room.
“…Alright. I’m grateful you trust me that much… So, what’s the goal? What are you trying to achieve by analyzing this?”
“I’m trying to prove that the black magician who has turned the Sierran Empire upside down is Young Lord Wesley Kiadris. The corpses before that might not have any connection to him. However, I believe the corpses provided as food for the Golden Turtle over the last five years are somehow connected to him.”
“…Hmmmm.”
“I can’t trust people I don’t know, so I’ve distributed the work among other nobles. I’ve compiled and noted that separately here for your reference.”
“Then what will Your Highness do?”
“I have to go secure the next piece of evidence.”
“…Ugh. Alright. I’ll do it.”
“Good.”
Good about what?
Unable to wait any longer, I signaled Sienna to release her Mabo Stance. She straightened her trembling, bent knees and walked to the sofa like a newborn goat, then sat down. I, too, composed my expression and cleared my throat briefly to make my presence known.
“Ahem.”
“…Oh.”
“Nice to meet you, Senior. I am Michael Ernhardt.”
“I’m Miguel Ereira. I’m not Young Lord’s direct senior, but we’ll be seeing each other often from now on, so let’s get along.”
I accepted the handshake she offered.
Rubel looked at me with round eyes and smiled radiantly. It was a clearer, brighter smile than the one I saw when Miguel entered the drawing-room. Only then did I feel shy. Embarrassed by my unseemly behavior, I kept coughing dryly.
After waiting for Ivan to return, the five of us, including Miguel Ereira, had dinner. Upon hearing that Ivan and Sienna were married, Miguel was so surprised that he dropped the fruit he had skewered on his fork five times. However, at the very end, he offered his warm blessings in a trembling voice.
Sienna Bicov kept her head bowed so low over her plate throughout the meal, looking restless. Ivan held Sienna Bicov’s hand tightly until the meal ended. It was an excessive display, but I let it be, finding it endearing to see such a devoted couple.
❖ ❖ ❖
Sunday, the second week of February.
Before departing, Rubel sent Ranunculus one last time to the individuals in Felix.
This time, the message was not directed at Hugh Benson but at the leader of the unit waiting in Felix. It stated that the group, including Rubel, would soon head to Viban, and after passing through the Lake of Memories, they would proceed to Felix, so a small number of personnel should be selected to meet them at the lake first.
After waiting quietly until Ranunculus departed, I asked, “What do you mean by selecting only a small number of personnel?”
“Well… Felix borders the desert and has many nomads, so you know the border defense is a bit lax.”
“Yes.”
“Viban is not like that. Since all the country’s borders touch those of other nations, there are many watchtowers looking down from above, and they meticulously record those who come and go. Therefore, a group of over fifty armed individuals cannot enter all at once.”
“…Hmm.”
The Sierran Empire has many Sword Masters. But other countries do not.
The difference in land area between kingdoms and empires is tenfold to twentyfold, and the population difference is even greater. If dozens of Transcendent Peaks from outside were to enter, it would naturally pose a significant threat. Even knights of the Empire with clear identities would not be easily welcomed.
Rubel continued, “When an armed group selects a small number of personnel, the position is the most important, isn’t it? Miss Philodendore is a mage, so she’ll inevitably be among the first selected, for whatever reason. Then, the rest of the group who know her can be seen together, right? They won’t send Marienne alone.”
“…I suppose that’s likely…?”
“Lord Hugh Benson, Lord Elvin Brooks, Miss Philodendore, and Lord Claudian – that’s already four. If it’s more than five, it’s a bit ambiguous to call it a small group. At best, the new leader and one person closest to him might come along.”
“…Is the intention to pressure us with numbers first?”
“Pressure… rather than that… it’s to observe from an advantageous position. To see what kind of people they are.”
Rubel seemed a little anxious.
Perhaps it was because the unit dispatched to Felix had been neglected for such a long time?
We arrived in Yulan on January 27th, and it’s already been nearly three weeks since we arrived in Yulan. The capital of Yulan is too close to the coast. Therefore, from here to the Lake of Memories, even in a straight line, it would take three weeks of riding. We would have to cross large cliffs and might encounter large monsters. That would take even more time.
While occasionally agreeing with Rubel’s worries, I headed towards the stables. I knew well that Ivan and Sienna, who had more luggage to unload compared to us, had been carrying various items to the stables since the day before.
Now, all that was left was to mount our horses and leave. My heart felt light.
However, the further I walked, the more suspicious it became. As I got closer to the stables, a stench that stung my nostrils filled the air. A stable should normally smell of horse manure, so why such a foul odor? There weren’t many people at this villa who would emit such a corpse-like smell.
Indeed, among those waiting at the stables, there was a familiar face.
“Young Lord Ernhardt!”
As soon as he spotted me, he rushed over and quickly knelt.
I slowly looked at the horses, which had been startled and caused a commotion since morning by his behavior, the workers glancing this way and that while tending to them, and Ivan, who stood close to Sienna, enveloping her as if to protect her.
And then I looked at Mage Boulder, who was kneeling before Rubel and me again.
“No, Lord Ernhardt! Take me with you too! I eat well, I listen well, and I greet people well!”
What kind of merits are those?
If he had any sense, it would be more mature and proper to first mention that he was a 7th Circle, good with monsters, or skilled in magic. He was in his late forties when he attended the academy. He must be over fifty now, so why boast about eating well?
Yet, on the other hand, I could understand. Mage Boulder was desperately trying to compensate for his greatest weakness, his social skills, with all his might…
Knowing that so clearly, how could I scold him? All I could do was sigh.