Emperor's Capital V-3

"H-hello, I'm adventurer Taro. I'm skilled in magic."

Shoot, I messed up—

I reflexively gave my usual self-introduction from back home.

"Taro, bow before me."

Aleks casually instructs me. I quickly comply.

"Fufu, it's alright. This gathering isn't stuffy at all. Please, don't mind it—Taro, right? I've heard quite a bit about you. They say you wield very beautiful magic. I'd love to see it sometime."

"Yes, I'm sure you'll enjoy it if the chance arises."

I might have just said something awkward, given how nervous I am today.

Hehe, you're quite entertaining. I'd love to hear more from you. How about joining me for the next hunting ritual? Would that be possible?

A hunting ceremony? I've never heard of that. Some noble tradition, perhaps?

The moment the princess spoke those words, the guards around her instantly grew tense.

Lady Veronica, that is not possible. He does not have sufficient adventurer rank.

"That's too bad. Oh, it looks like it's about time. Please tell me more about your adventures another time."

With that, the princess retreated back to the inner room with several people. As she left, she was glared at by a few guards.

Especially one woman knight—she gave me a cold stare....I think I've been stared down like that before. Do I just have a knack for making guards dislike me?

After that, the party continued without incident. And finally, it came to an end.

We walked back with the same group we had come with. Matthew’s family had sent a carriage, and he planned to return home in it.

We managed to chat a bit. He’s been helping his parents with their duties as they prepare to become the new lord of their estate, all while studying.

Apparently, he’s actively maintaining contact with noble families across the empire, even though they’re far away.

It’s admirable—balancing filial piety with ambition in such a responsible way.

She was also curious about the outside world, often asking me and Alex about the places we'd explored and our adventures. Nobles seem to really enjoy hearing tales of adventurers.

Alex appeared to have had quite a few drinks, but he was acting as if nothing was wrong.

Emma was completely drunk—her steps wobbled, and she swayed unsteadily.

"Emma, stay steady. You'll fall if you keep that up."

"Ah～I'm fine～I can see just fine～"

She was facing the direction of the day after tomorrow. She looked completely out of it. I supported Emma with my shoulder and helped her walk, barely managing to keep her upright.

A little further from the venue, a large carriage had stopped. The butler came out, accompanied by Miss Marie. It seemed their ride had arrived. Thank goodness.

Inside the carriage was Miss Marie. We got into that carriage and headed back home.

"Thank goodness. Marie, I was worried about escorting Emma, half-frozen on the winter roads."

Emma was sleeping with her head resting on Marie's lap.

"You could've just carried her all the way and turned into a wolf, you know."

"I wouldn't do something like that."

"Anyway, enough joking—Taro, honestly, what do you think of the new Empress?"

"Empress Veronica, you say? Hmm. I haven't spoken with her much, so I can't say for sure, but she seemed like an ordinary noblewoman. That said..."

"That said?"

"I got the impression she was forcing herself a bit. I noticed her face stiffening a few times, quite clearly. After that, though, she seemed genuinely looking forward to hearing about the adventurers' tales."

"I see. Even though she's the Empress, she's still just a young girl, after all."

"Considering her age, isn't that perfectly reasonable?"

"Yeah, if she were just an ordinary noble, that'd be fine. But whether it's luck or misfortune, she's at the top of the empire. She can't afford to be ordinary—she needs real strength, as an emperor."

"What do you think, Alex?"

It's a world I don't understand. Alex seems to know nobles fairly well—what'll he say?

"...Ah, what? I wasn't listening."

"Alex?"

He's surprisingly quiet. He must've been pretty drunk.

You look worn out. Well then, we're near Taro's house. Sorry, but could you let me off here? The road gets too rough if I go all the way to your place.

"That's fine. This is perfect for cooling down my heated body from the alcohol. Thank you for bringing me this far."

"...Taro. You've gained power. Some will resent that. Be even more careful in your actions from now on!"

He ended with a final warning.

"I understand. Thank you for the advice."

I walk down a path lightly dusted with snow. Trees begin to line the sides. It's late, and the place is remote. I'm walking alone.

Still, I can't help but feel on edge... Could I end up being attacked by someone? Even if that were to happen, honestly, I have no idea what I should do.

I tried using a specially crafted arrow I'd been hiding to conduct a divination spell. But without a reception magic lamp, I couldn't interpret the results—so it was pointless.

Perhaps it was the alcohol making me feel unusually excited.

There was nothing around me, and I knew I was alone. Still, I tried saying aloud, “I can see you,” just to test it.

Instantly, I felt embarrassed. I hurried back home and went straight to bed.

The next day, after fully sobering up, I recalled the actions I'd taken the previous day and felt a bit regretful, then began preparing for my journey.

Though I'd taken a long detour, I was now heading toward the desert as originally planned.

I managed to borrow Emma's magic tricycle. I loaded it precisely with what I needed. This time, since I was traveling alone, I had to make sure to move efficiently...

I went into town to buy a map from the city to the Puetoji Kingdom and gathered supplies. That's when I ran into Clara and Kenny. The two of them were out shopping.

"Hey, Kenny, Clara—what are you two picking up?"

"Taro, it's been a few days. The dungeon's main explorers have finally been decided, so Kenny and I agreed to stay on guard until they get things running smoothly. That's why we're gathering daily necessities for our continued stay in the capital."

It mostly just looks like Clara is doing the shopping while Kenny carries the bags.

According to Clara, the main expedition leader for the dungeon has been decided to be Fujawara Company. Apparently, Alex arranged it. That makes sense—there's definitely trust in that company.

Now we can expect regular income. Thanks to the dungeon expedition, we've secured a stable source of funds.

Even after clearing the dungeon, it's common for sub-beasts to linger around for a while. Until then, adventurers are assigned to guard duty. Still, they're not particularly strong, and there aren't many of them, so the two of them should be able to handle it without issue.

Alek also said he'd be staying in the capital for a while, so we have no concerns about combat strength.

"What about you, Taro?"

"I'm planning to head to the Pruetz Kingdom."

"Why? I heard there's nothing there."

"There's something there for me. That place is mentioned in the legend of the heroes."

"Come to think of it, Taro, you were looking into that hero legend, weren't you? Hmm, I see. Well, good luck with that. I'm not really interested in stuff like that... Oh! If you're heading to the Pruetz Kingdom, there's someone I'd like to introduce you to. Do you have some free time later?"

Clara smirked, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Taro didn't notice, but Kenny, who'd known her for years, seemed to understand immediately.