57. Adventurer City Sotohaim
The adventurer's town, Sotohaim.
Located north of the Hainzworth Kingdom, on the border between the kingdom and the Sea of the Great Tree.
A town serving as a breakwater for the Great Tree Sea on the kingdom's side.
Situated along the Fraser River, which flows north and south from the Great Tree Sea, and also the capital of the frontier lord Amandel.
Due to its proximity to the Great Tree Sea, a wide variety of monsters—from low to high rank—can be hunted here.
This makes it a popular town among adventurers, as rare materials can be obtained. Merchants come here seeking those materials, giving the town a lively atmosphere.
The city is surrounded by high, sturdy-looking walls.
"Whoa—look at that! Walls! Walls! They're tall—probably ten meters, at least?" Shiro exclaimed with delight.
"Shiro, are walls really that rare?" Shestia asked.
"Huh? Ah, no, in the country I grew up in, they basically don’t exist," Shiro replied.
The castle atop the hill by the distant river is the residence of the frontier lord Amandel. From the city gate, it's barely visible in the far distance.
"Look at that! Castle! A real castle! I can see it!" Shiro’s excitement this time was impossible to hide.
"Shiro, you’re overdoing it," Shestia smiled, watching him.
"Shiro, you’re acting like a child," Aria said, exasperated.
"Huh? Well, I’ve always dreamed of seeing a real castle. My homeland never had castles like this. European-style castles are the best!" Shiro answered.
"Y'know, I don’t get what ‘you’re so excited’ means, but Shiro, there’s even grander castles in the capital. Let’s go together next time," Shestia said, tugging at Shiro’s sleeve and smiling straight at him.
"Huh? Really? I’d *definitely* wanna go..." Shiro’s voice cracked with excitement—but then he froze, just a little, at the words *next time, together*, spoken straight into his eyes. And then, meeting her earnest gaze and that soft smile, his pulse kicked up again.
While Shiro was still buzzing, it was their turn at the gate. They stepped forward to enter the city—when suddenly, Shiro paused.
"Uh… now that I think about it, I don’t have any kind of ID or passport with me… or Mitoka, either…?"
"Ahh, right. You two are new here—new to the city, new to the country," Aria nodded.
"We’ll vouch for you. Just get registered as adventurers later," Shestia said.
As they approached the gate in the city wall, Shiro suddenly felt something off.
"Hmm? A barrier?" he muttered.
"Shiro, the whole city’s under a barrier. Not as strong as a sanctuary, but it’s designed to keep out certain magical beasts," Shestia said.
"I see. So this kind of barrier is common here?"
"Not exactly. This is an artifact. Nobody can make one like it anymore," Aria said.
"Wait—really?" Shiro blinked.
"Yes. The core device is said to be hidden near a temple, but it’s kept secret. Major cities are built near dragon veins—more like, they’re built *on* them, apparently. That’s what powers the barrier. Research is ongoing, but nobody knows the exact mechanics or how to operate it," Aria explained.
"Ah, I see. That's quite interesting," Shiro replied.
As Shiro thought about the artifact—ah, what a pleasant sound that was—
"Shiro, are you thinking of something bad?" Shestia asked.
"Hey, why would you say that?"
"Because you've got this weird grin on your face," Shestia said.
"...," Shiro thought, a little deflated. Did he really wear his thoughts so plainly on his face?
"Next!" The gatekeeper called, and Shiro and the others approached the gate.
The caravan from Nagato handed over their Guild Card and passed through without pause. When it was their turn,
"Oh, Lady Aria...," the gatekeeper started to say,
"We’re going through too. Here, Adventurer Card. And this man is Shiro, and the maid over there is Mitoka. Our guest. Please hand over the temporary entry permit. We’ll bring our official card later," Aria explained.
The gatekeeper saluted respectfully, "Understood!" and immediately complied.
Watching the exchange, Shiro thought to himself, *Could Aria be noble-born?* But he said nothing, keeping quiet.
"Then we’ll leave you here. We’ll sort out the paperwork at the Adventurer Guild later. If you need anything, come anytime to our shop," Nagato said, then parted ways with Shiro and the others.
"We’re heading to the Guild to report. That’s as far as we go. See you again at the Guild soon!" The group split from Lary and the others.
"Then we should be off too," Aria said.
"Where to?" Shiro asked.
"Shestia’s home. It’s also the home of their grandmother—their master, and mine. We all live there," Aria answered.
Walking through the city, Shiro observes its surroundings. It’s fairly well-maintained. The streets are properly wide, paved with clean cobblestones. Buildings are either stone or wood—those facing the main thoroughfare tend to be two or three stories tall.
The shops visible from the main road display goods that are both neat and plentiful. The foot and cart traffic is heavy, making it clear this is a bustling, lively town.
"Population’s about thirty thousand—sanitation’s more or less in place. Not bad for a border town," Mitoka explained.
"Mitoka, you know her well," Aria says. Then, Aria takes over the explanation.
That’s right—about twenty percent of the population are wandering adventurers who don’t settle down, and roughly ten percent are traveling merchants. This town’s built around the Demonwood Sea or the nearby dungeon. Plenty of desperate souls chasing quick fortunes, so keep your distance. Then there are the merchants who come specifically to buy adventurer gear. Normally, monster materials are sold to the Guild, but if you’ve got connections, you can sell directly to merchants too. If things go well, you might even get a better price. If you’re thinking of starting a little trade, Shiro, you should talk to Nagato about it.
Shestia’s home was a manor situated on a plain beyond a forest to the southeast, further past the southern side of the city where the castle stood.
"Ooh, quite the estate. So, the three of you are nobles, then?"
And, Shiro heard it.
Fufu. Well, we'll talk about that later, shall we?
And Aria smiles faintly, replying in a vague way.
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