"Pl-please, this way!"
Guided by a trembling guard, who seemed like a freshman in the baseball club showing up to visit his graduated seniors, I made my way through the capital. The main street, though old, had an exotic charm that was interesting. Buildings with walls resembling clay or plaster lined the street, and many shops selling clothing and food could be seen. However, there were almost no people around. Those who were there were either adults or guards. The scene in the city clearly wasn’t normal, and both Till and Arte, who were in the same carriage, looked uneasy.
"…Are they being cautious?"
"…Yeah, I suppose they’d be cautious."
"You don’t have to whisper, both of you."
Till and Arte spoke in low voices, probably out of fear, since we were in enemy territory. I gave a wry smile and said this, then Kamshin, with one hand on the hilt of his sword, poked his head out of the carriage window.
"...If anything happens, I will make sure to protect you."
"Yeah, I’m counting on you."
I smiled at Kamshin’s strong words. I felt like I was starting to see him more like a father figure, but then I reminded myself that Kamsin had always been an excellent knight.
As I thought that, Dee, who had been riding on his horse, turned his chest toward us and laughed.
"Wahaha! Well said! As the commander of the knights, I can’t afford to lose!"
Dee’s voice echoed loudly through the quiet streets, and some of the guards, startled, let out strained voices. Well, Dee, carrying a great sword on his shoulder while riding his horse, exuded a certain presence even when not in battle.
"It looks like you’re both feared quite a bit."
Kusara, who had overheard, casually commented. I couldn’t let that go unnoticed.
"No, no, it’s Panamera who’s feared. There’s no way people would be scared of a cute little boy like Van, right?"
I pointed this out, but Orto and the other adventurers just exchanged glances and smiled awkwardly.
"Van-sama, that’s a bit hard to believe…"
To my surprise, even Pluriel, with a wry smile, said something like that. I was a little shocked, and the adventurers, whispering, said things like, "Well, he’s done so many things…" and "With that and this…" laughing softly. Damn, these tax-evading adventurers.
As I decided to raise the price of Van-sama’s special weapons in my mind, I looked at Orto.
"What’s the usual atmosphere in this city?"
When I asked, Orto glanced around and then opened his mouth.
"Well, I suppose it was as lively as one would expect from a capital city of a major country. Honestly, among the cities I’ve visited, this one was probably the richest."
Orto replied. It would have been cruel to ask if he had ever visited the capital of the Scuderia Kingdom, so I just nodded and replied with, "I see."
Looking closely, I could sense the gazes of people from the second floors and alleyways. It was clear this was a city with a large population. It seemed wise to stay on alert. As I tightened my focus, we soon approached a large castle.
The castle was a simple structure, as if made by combining squares, but it had a certain charm. It seemed like an old stone castle with a long history. Perhaps this castle had been built as a fort before the town even existed. If I asked Espada, I’d probably end up in a history lesson, but since I had mostly forgotten the history of the Yellenetta Kingdom, I hesitated to ask.
When we reached the castle, the guide-like soldier turned back.
"...This is the royal castle, Three Points. Many of the royal family and their retainers, including His Majesty, are under house arrest in this castle. I hope you can clear up any misunderstandings quickly..."
He started speaking in a slightly stern tone, but when Panamera gave him a look, the soldier gradually seemed to lose confidence. Apparently, he was upset at the rough treatment of his own royal family, but it looked like he was intimidated by Panamera's gaze.
It must have taken a lot of courage for the guard to voice his opinions to a noble, so I suppose it was understandable. However, Panamera clearly didn’t like his weak attitude.
With a glance at the guard, she spoke in a low voice.
"In that case, tell King Yellenetta. Don’t make any futile resistance."
Panamera only said that, and the soldier, without responding, simply bowed silently.
After that, the guards at the castle gate opened the gate. As the entrance opened, we immediately saw what looked like a grand hall inside the castle.
The hall seemed quite large, with a massive staircase at the back, and from the ceiling, we could see part of a magnificent chandelier.
And, there were dozens of people dressed in luxurious clothing.
"...I’m glad you’ve arrived. Count Panamera. And, Viscount Van."
An elderly man standing in the center said this with a stern expression.
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