第２８６堀：空の旅 (Part4)
Eris, standing beside her, offers a word of support.
Meanwhile, Eoid, also standing nearby, remains frozen stiff alongside Amanda.
"I see, just as I suspected. Lady Amanda, please, do not worry. You have achieved the great feat of taming a dragon, yet you remain humble and treat me with such courtesy. There is no one who would dare call that disrespectful or ignorant of common sense. Should anyone attempt to do so, I would personally see to their removal."
"Ah, th-thank you very much."
"Not at all. It is only natural. And these individuals here—are they the members of the mercenary corps you mentioned would be accompanying you?"
Having finished his greetings with Amanda, Vixen turns his attention toward us.
"Ah, yes. We are a mercenary corps, but we are also representatives of Zilba, Enaria, and Roday, so, um, I would appreciate it if you didn't treat us too roughly..."
"I am well aware. A pleasure to meet you. Are you the Yuki I have heard so much about?"
*Rumors, huh? Well, I suppose if you’re gathering intelligence, news of the major events in Enaria would be easy to come by.*
"Yes. I’m Yuki, the one leading this mercenary corps. And what exactly are these rumors?"
"I have heard that during the incident in Enaria, you commanded a group of remarkably beautiful mercenaries and successfully saved the people."
*...Remarkably beautiful?*
*Ah, he must mean my wives.*
"We just happened to be in the right place at the right time."
"No, one does not simply decide to save people when they happen to be in the right place, especially without knowing the strength of the enemy."
He has a point.
Normally, if you don't know the enemy's strength, the standard procedure is to fortify your own position and watch how the situation unfolds.
*...Is he suspicious of me?*
"Our mercenary corps relies on the people, after all. Food, weapons, a place to sleep—and besides, at the time, we were also guarding the princess of Zilba, so it was only natural."
"I respect your 'natural' course of action. Both as a knight and as someone living in this land."
I have to keep in mind that there might be an ulterior motive, but Vixen himself seems to be a sincere knight.
"My apologies, I have been rude. This is hardly the place for a long conversation. I have already spoken with the village chief and secured lodging for you all. If you would follow me, I shall lead the way. As for Lady Amanda's dragon, I am afraid I must ask you to leave it at the village entrance."
"Yes, I understand."
With that, we begin our walk toward the village.
"Jessica, Cleena, Samantha, have you ever heard of this guy named Vixen?"
When I ask, Cleena shakes her head, but Jessica and Samantha nod and open their mouths to speak.
"If I recall correctly, he was an aide to General Sura of August, just like me—a fellow Magic Sword User."
"That is what I have heard as well. Though, it is no wonder Cleena doesn't know him. His name only began to spread about seven or eight years ago, and by then, Cleena was already a bookworm, wasn't she?"
"...Nn. I can't deny that, which is frustrating."
"Ah, come now, you two. Don't tease Cleena."
"Big Sister Ria, they're being mean."
Ria and Cleena hug each other tightly as they say this.
The two of them have been like sisters since the moment they first met.
Well, that’s fine, I suppose.
"To think someone that famous would be the Vice Captain of the Royal Guard sent to meet us... I just hope nothing goes wrong."
"There is no harm in staying vigilant."
"True."
"Indeed. It is quite telling that such a high-ranking official is acting as our guide."
I continue to watch Vixen walking ahead of us while chatting with Jessica and Samantha.
Incidentally, Amanda, who is still standing next to Vixen, hasn't managed to shake off her stiffness, and Eris is still trying to help her out.
*...That’s another issue.*
I’m starting to think I should consult with Vixen later and find a way to get her a bit more accustomed to this before we reach the royal capital.
*Raise your hand if you’ve ever been on an airplane.*
*Though, whenever I fly, I rarely get a window seat.*