Chapter 105 – Fourth arc’s epilogue
‘The goodwill delegation to the Kingdom of Lyon is attacked! It is unknown if the crown prince is still alive!’
An attack on the crown prince of a country is usually kept secret until the truth is confirmed, but the news spread strangely fast among the people. The commoners were not usually interested in the affairs of the royal family or nobility unless it was the tax season or a festive occasion, but when the crown prince of their country was unaccounted for, they became concerned and an air of anxiety spread. Therefore, the people were relieved to hear the news that Alfred was safe and had entered Count Elstead’s territory as planned. But the news was accompanied by disturbing rumors: The infamous Count Elstead had murdered the crown prince and was attempting to seize the throne by putting a double in his place.
It was too ridiculous a rumor, but the reason this rumor could not be dismissed out of hand was because the Knights had recently been more active. A large number of knights and soldiers were on high alert in all the important government offices and facilities in the imperial capital. In the square in front of the gates, the market was at a standstill, and a large number of military supplies were piled in a heap. The purpose of the action had not been officially announced. No statement had been said by Emperor Alexei. However, the timing of this military action was related to the earlier attack on the goodwill delegation to the Kingdom of Lyon. At the waiting of the central knights in the square, a military flag with the crest of the second prince Neumann was waving, letting everyone know that he was the general commander of this army. And next to it was the flag with the crest of Marquis Cliffdorf, the commander of the Central Knights. If the general overseeing the knights of the empire was moving together with the imperial family, the war that was about to begin must be on a grand scale. It had been little more than a year since the attempted coup by former General Zaunas, and the people wondered if a full-scale civil war would occur again in the Empire. The air in the Imperial City gradually became tense with such a premonition.
In the Imperial City of Simurgh, in a corner near the city walls. In the area surrounding the walls housed the poorest class of residents of the Imperial City. Compared to the slums that stretched outside the walls of the Capital, the streets were in a slightly better state. Even in a place like this, far removed from the affairs of that completely different world of the imperial family and nobility, the disturbing rumors of the possibility of a full-scale war had spread far enough.
We can’t wait any longer…
The sun was about to rise in the morning. As he watched the sleeping face of his daughter, still wrapped in her blanket, the man put on his armor, trying to make as little noise as possible. The armor was a bit old and worn, but it had been carefully cared for. On the chest of it were various bruises and dents, even a piece had been torn off. The man put his right hand gently on the torn piece.
A year… so it’s been a year already, huh….
Originally, the man lived in an area of the imperial capital where the wealthy class lived. It had been almost two years since the father and daughter left home and moved into a small house where they could cook and sleep.
I don’t know how she put up with it.
His wife had already passed away and he found himself living with his daughter. Even after moving to a new area of the city, he spent his days outside the imperial capital, training in the forest and trying to make ends meet with the little money he received. His daughter put up with his poor life, which was completely different from the one she had lived before, without a single complaint.
Come to think of it, we had never spent so much time together.
It was true that he was away from home most of the time during the day for training, but the rest of the time was spent together as father and daughter. This was something that was not possible when he worked for the Order.
I’ve really put you through a lot. But no matter how it turns out, this life will soon come to an end.
There was a faint knocking at the front door, and the man turned his attention from his daughter’s sleeping face to the door. According to the preset code, one knock, then two, then one again. The man rose, sword in hand. A knight’s sword that had been carefully polished. By this time, the man had patiently endured, putting even his lovely daughter through a life of poverty.
“Are you ready?”
When he opened the door, he found his contact there, who always brought him some money and the occasional gift. The only difference was that the man was also dressed in leather armor so as not to make noise, and had a sword at his waist.
“I’ve been trying to prepare for this since His Excellency passed away.”
The contact nodded at the man’s reply and glanced over his shoulder toward the back of the house.
“…And your daughter?”
“We said goodbye yesterday.”
“I see…”
The contact said nothing more. If the man did not return, his daughter would be left in the care of his former colleague’s wife. The man again put his hand on the piece torn from the armor’s chest. At this gesture, the contact also put his hand to his chest. His leather armor showed the same rips as the man’s, where something had been removed.
“For the sake of His Highness Alfred, who left us a chance for a second chance, and for the sake of His Excellency Zaunas, who fell halfway.”
◇◆◇◆◇
Crossing the Loom River and leaving the town of Clennad, the landscape, which had been dominated by deep forests, gradually changed. Tall trees gradually disappeared, and rolling hills took their place. The hillside was covered with grass, and from time to time what looked like white dots clustered together could be seen on it. They were sheep and goats from a nearby village. Only the roads that had been trodden by human traffic were devoid of grass, and you could clearly see the hill roads in the distance.
“Oh, that’s a spectacular view!” Said Abel, who was in the lead, holding his hand over his eyes.
Abel had also visited relatives in Clennad, but had gone no further. The long journey on foot was exhausting, but for him, who wanted to become an adventurer to see the world and compete a little with Wynn, the trip was exciting. Besides, his job was to act as an escort. As an adventurer, it was one of the most highly regarded jobs. Maybe it was because he was so excited, but Abel still seemed to have a lot of energy. However, Seri and Liesbert, who were walking in the rear, had serious expressions on their faces. The cause was the information Abel had obtained from the Clennad Adventurers Guild. Crown Prince Alfred’s goodwill delegation to the Kingdom of Lyon was attacked by bandits, and it was still unknown if he was alive. No, although it was announced that he was alive, Prince Neumann of Simurgh had determined that this Alfred was an impostor and so he raised an army against Count Elstead, who was believed to be the one commanding the bandits. In connection with this, it appeared that the bridge to cross into the Kingdom of Lyon beyond the border town of Peshlika had been blocked by the army.
Abel, who had obtained this information, spoke enthusiastically about the this, first, the attack on the crown prince, but it was the second that made Seri’s and Liesbert’s faces cloud over. They had both heard Paul’s whole story, so they knew what was going on behind the scenes regarding the attack on the crown prince. If the border was sealed by the military, it would be impossible to reach the Kingdom of Lyon, where Wynn and Leticia were supposed to be headed. In Liesbert’s mind was the desire to hurry the journey. However, there were other detours besides the road linking Clennad and Peshlika, but both were far away, and none of the three knew the geography of the area, so they had no choice but to go to Peshlika.
‘Hmm… looks like we’re going to be delayed.’
‘I’m sorry. I’d really like to know some other path, but…’
‘No… even if we knew some way, if there were any guards there, they would be suspicious and it would take a long time. If we can get over the border, that’s fine. If we can’t make it, we’ll think of something else to do at that time.’
‘I see.’
If it came to it, he could use magic to cross the river.
It wasn’t impossible to cross the river if magic was used to put up a wind bubble and traverse the bottom of the river. However, this method of crossing was quite well known, so if the army was competent, they would have mages who would cast detection magic. He wanted this to be a last resort, as he did not want to get in trouble for being discovered.
They could see the outline of a post town just across the edge of their vision. According to the map, it was a town called Mythos.
“What’s going on, is there some kind of roadblock?”
Abel stopped and caught the attention of the two behind him. At the entrance to Mythos, a hut-like building with a wooden fence had been erected, and soldiers with spears were walking around it. All around, there were merchants with carts full of goods, peddlers touring towns and villages on their own, and adventurers dressed in their characteristic garb. Apparently, the inspection of baggage and such was slowing them down. As they approached, a knight noticed the three and approached with two soldiers.
“This is an inspection! Who are you, what brings you here?” The knight opened his mouth.
“I recently lost my parents and am traveling to visit my relatives in the Kingdom of Lyon.” Seri stepped forward to the soldiers and spoke the sentence she had thought of earlier.
“Visiting relatives in Lyon, a woman alone?”
“Yes, sir. I also hired an escort to protect me because the road is very dangerous.”
“An escort…”
The knight then turned to Liesbert and Abel, who were standing behind Seri, and gave them a look as if sizing them up. Liesbert and Abel bowed silently to the knight.
“Elves.”
Apparently, Liesbert’s distinctive ears gave him away as a forest-dwelling elf. Elves were generally considered to have more powerful magic than humans, and their warriors were known to be brave and fearless. The soldiers whom the knight had ordered to do the physical examination carefully examined Liesbert’s well-trained body, even though he was ill. Since none of the three were carrying anything suspicious, they were allowed to enter the town immediately, unlike the merchants whose luggage was inspected.
The town of Mythos had a large square in the center of town with many stores lined up side by side. Itinerant merchants could also do business in the square, and each would spread out a mat and lay out vegetables, mushrooms, poultry and wild meat, and rare dried seafood. It was a similar scene to the morning market at Simurgh, though on a slightly smaller scale. There were several inns around the square, probably taking advantage of the wandering merchants, and Seri and the others settled into one of them. Seri was going to stay in a private room and Liesbert and Abel were staying in another.
‘It’s bustling, but not as bustling as what I saw in Simurgh. Perhaps it is because of the struggle for imperial power.’
As Liesbert was led to his room on the third floor, he unloaded his luggage and looked out the window onto the square and muttered.
‘Well, that’s not far-fetched. With all those armed people walking around…’
At the center of the square. There was a large pile of burlap bags and large wooden crates, and soldiers armed with spears stood guard. People coming to shop looked at them with anxious expressions on their faces, bought what they needed quickly and left. If he looked out the window too much, the soldiers might see him. With that in mind, Liesbert shrugged and looked back inside. His eyes met those of the young human sharing the room with him. Liesbert, who spoke only Elvish, and Abel, who spoke only the tongue of men. Without Seri who could speak both languages, they were unable to converse, and an indescribably uncomfortable air hung in the room.
Hmm… what should I do now?
In these cases, as the elder, he should take the initiative. Thinking about this, Liesbert decided to suggest to Abel that they eat first. For both humans and elves, the best way to deepen friendships was to drink and eat well. They still had a long way to go to Lyon. Until then, he would share the journey with this young man.
Chapter 105 – Fourth arc’s epilogue
‘The goodwill delegation to the Kingdom of Lyon is attacked! It is unknown if the crown prince is still alive!’
An attack on the crown prince of a country is usually kept secret until the truth is confirmed, but the news spread strangely fast among the people. The commoners were not usually interested in the affairs of the royal family or nobility unless it was the tax season or a festive occasion, but when the crown prince of their country was unaccounted for, they became concerned and an air of anxiety spread. Therefore, the people were relieved to hear the news that Alfred was safe and had entered Count Elstead’s territory as planned. But the news was accompanied by disturbing rumors: The infamous Count Elstead had murdered the crown prince and was attempting to seize the throne by putting a double in his place.
It was too ridiculous a rumor, but the reason this rumor could not be dismissed out of hand was because the Knights had recently been more active. A large number of knights and soldiers were on high alert in all the important government offices and facilities in the imperial capital. In the square in front of the gates, the market was at a standstill, and a large number of military supplies were piled in a heap. The purpose of the action had not been officially announced. No statement had been said by Emperor Alexei. However, the timing of this military action was related to the earlier attack on the goodwill delegation to the Kingdom of Lyon. At the waiting of the central knights in the square, a military flag with the crest of the second prince Neumann was waving, letting everyone know that he was the general commander of this army. And next to it was the flag with the crest of Marquis Cliffdorf, the commander of the Central Knights. If the general overseeing the knights of the empire was moving together with the imperial family, the war that was about to begin must be on a grand scale. It had been little more than a year since the attempted coup by former General Zaunas, and the people wondered if a full-scale civil war would occur again in the Empire. The air in the Imperial City gradually became tense with such a premonition.
In the Imperial City of Simurgh, in a corner near the city walls. In the area surrounding the walls housed the poorest class of residents of the Imperial City. Compared to the slums that stretched outside the walls of the Capital, the streets were in a slightly better state. Even in a place like this, far removed from the affairs of that completely different world of the imperial family and nobility, the disturbing rumors of the possibility of a full-scale war had spread far enough.
We can’t wait any longer…
The sun was about to rise in the morning. As he watched the sleeping face of his daughter, still wrapped in her blanket, the man put on his armor, trying to make as little noise as possible. The armor was a bit old and worn, but it had been carefully cared for. On the chest of it were various bruises and dents, even a piece had been torn off. The man put his right hand gently on the torn piece.
A year… so it’s been a year already, huh….
Originally, the man lived in an area of the imperial capital where the wealthy class lived. It had been almost two years since the father and daughter left home and moved into a small house where they could cook and sleep.
I don’t know how she put up with it.
His wife had already passed away and he found himself living with his daughter. Even after moving to a new area of the city, he spent his days outside the imperial capital, training in the forest and trying to make ends meet with the little money he received. His daughter put up with his poor life, which was completely different from the one she had lived before, without a single complaint.
Come to think of it, we had never spent so much time together.
It was true that he was away from home most of the time during the day for training, but the rest of the time was spent together as father and daughter. This was something that was not possible when he worked for the Order.
I’ve really put you through a lot. But no matter how it turns out, this life will soon come to an end.
There was a faint knocking at the front door, and the man turned his attention from his daughter’s sleeping face to the door. According to the preset code, one knock, then two, then one again. The man rose, sword in hand. A knight’s sword that had been carefully polished. By this time, the man had patiently endured, putting even his lovely daughter through a life of poverty.
“Are you ready?”
When he opened the door, he found his contact there, who always brought him some money and the occasional gift. The only difference was that the man was also dressed in leather armor so as not to make noise, and had a sword at his waist.
“I’ve been trying to prepare for this since His Excellency passed away.”
The contact nodded at the man’s reply and glanced over his shoulder toward the back of the house.
“…And your daughter?”
“We said goodbye yesterday.”
“I see…”
The contact said nothing more. If the man did not return, his daughter would be left in the care of his former colleague’s wife. The man again put his hand on the piece torn from the armor’s chest. At this gesture, the contact also put his hand to his chest. His leather armor showed the same rips as the man’s, where something had been removed.
“For the sake of His Highness Alfred, who left us a chance for a second chance, and for the sake of His Excellency Zaunas, who fell halfway.”
◇◆◇◆◇
Crossing the Loom River and leaving the town of Clennad, the landscape, which had been dominated by deep forests, gradually changed. Tall trees gradually disappeared, and rolling hills took their place. The hillside was covered with grass, and from time to time what looked like white dots clustered together could be seen on it. They were sheep and goats from a nearby village. Only the roads that had been trodden by human traffic were devoid of grass, and you could clearly see the hill roads in the distance.
“Oh, that’s a spectacular view!” Said Abel, who was in the lead, holding his hand over his eyes.
Abel had also visited relatives in Clennad, but had gone no further. The long journey on foot was exhausting, but for him, who wanted to become an adventurer to see the world and compete a little with Wynn, the trip was exciting. Besides, his job was to act as an escort. As an adventurer, it was one of the most highly regarded jobs. Maybe it was because he was so excited, but Abel still seemed to have a lot of energy. However, Seri and Liesbert, who were walking in the rear, had serious expressions on their faces. The cause was the information Abel had obtained from the Clennad Adventurers Guild. Crown Prince Alfred’s goodwill delegation to the Kingdom of Lyon was attacked by bandits, and it was still unknown if he was alive. No, although it was announced that he was alive, Prince Neumann of Simurgh had determined that this Alfred was an impostor and so he raised an army against Count Elstead, who was believed to be the one commanding the bandits. In connection with this, it appeared that the bridge to cross into the Kingdom of Lyon beyond the border town of Peshlika had been blocked by the army.
Abel, who had obtained this information, spoke enthusiastically about the this, first, the attack on the crown prince, but it was the second that made Seri’s and Liesbert’s faces cloud over. They had both heard Paul’s whole story, so they knew what was going on behind the scenes regarding the attack on the crown prince. If the border was sealed by the military, it would be impossible to reach the Kingdom of Lyon, where Wynn and Leticia were supposed to be headed. In Liesbert’s mind was the desire to hurry the journey. However, there were other detours besides the road linking Clennad and Peshlika, but both were far away, and none of the three knew the geography of the area, so they had no choice but to go to Peshlika.
‘Hmm… looks like we’re going to be delayed.’
‘I’m sorry. I’d really like to know some other path, but…’
‘No… even if we knew some way, if there were any guards there, they would be suspicious and it would take a long time. If we can get over the border, that’s fine. If we can’t make it, we’ll think of something else to do at that time.’
‘I see.’
If it came to it, he could use magic to cross the river.
It wasn’t impossible to cross the river if magic was used to put up a wind bubble and traverse the bottom of the river. However, this method of crossing was quite well known, so if the army was competent, they would have mages who would cast detection magic. He wanted this to be a last resort, as he did not want to get in trouble for being discovered.
They could see the outline of a post town just across the edge of their vision. According to the map, it was a town called Mythos.
“What’s going on, is there some kind of roadblock?”
Abel stopped and caught the attention of the two behind him. At the entrance to Mythos, a hut-like building with a wooden fence had been erected, and soldiers with spears were walking around it. All around, there were merchants with carts full of goods, peddlers touring towns and villages on their own, and adventurers dressed in their characteristic garb. Apparently, the inspection of baggage and such was slowing them down. As they approached, a knight noticed the three and approached with two soldiers.
“This is an inspection! Who are you, what brings you here?” The knight opened his mouth.
“I recently lost my parents and am traveling to visit my relatives in the Kingdom of Lyon.” Seri stepped forward to the soldiers and spoke the sentence she had thought of earlier.
“Visiting relatives in Lyon, a woman alone?”
“Yes, sir. I also hired an escort to protect me because the road is very dangerous.”
“An escort…”
The knight then turned to Liesbert and Abel, who were standing behind Seri, and gave them a look as if sizing them up. Liesbert and Abel bowed silently to the knight.
“Elves.”
Apparently, Liesbert’s distinctive ears gave him away as a forest-dwelling elf. Elves were generally considered to have more powerful magic than humans, and their warriors were known to be brave and fearless. The soldiers whom the knight had ordered to do the physical examination carefully examined Liesbert’s well-trained body, even though he was ill. Since none of the three were carrying anything suspicious, they were allowed to enter the town immediately, unlike the merchants whose luggage was inspected.
The town of Mythos had a large square in the center of town with many stores lined up side by side. Itinerant merchants could also do business in the square, and each would spread out a mat and lay out vegetables, mushrooms, poultry and wild meat, and rare dried seafood. It was a similar scene to the morning market at Simurgh, though on a slightly smaller scale. There were several inns around the square, probably taking advantage of the wandering merchants, and Seri and the others settled into one of them. Seri was going to stay in a private room and Liesbert and Abel were staying in another.
‘It’s bustling, but not as bustling as what I saw in Simurgh. Perhaps it is because of the struggle for imperial power.’
As Liesbert was led to his room on the third floor, he unloaded his luggage and looked out the window onto the square and muttered.
‘Well, that’s not far-fetched. With all those armed people walking around…’
At the center of the square. There was a large pile of burlap bags and large wooden crates, and soldiers armed with spears stood guard. People coming to shop looked at them with anxious expressions on their faces, bought what they needed quickly and left. If he looked out the window too much, the soldiers might see him. With that in mind, Liesbert shrugged and looked back inside. His eyes met those of the young human sharing the room with him. Liesbert, who spoke only Elvish, and Abel, who spoke only the tongue of men. Without Seri who could speak both languages, they were unable to converse, and an indescribably uncomfortable air hung in the room.
Hmm… what should I do now?
In these cases, as the elder, he should take the initiative. Thinking about this, Liesbert decided to suggest to Abel that they eat first. For both humans and elves, the best way to deepen friendships was to drink and eat well. They still had a long way to go to Lyon. Until then, he would share the journey with this young man.
