Chapter 306 - Kailiens (2)
The city of Riverungr, through which the Hefin River flows from the Republic of Beldirn.
This place, forming part of the city-state alliance of Kailiens, prospered by drawing life from the river.
The native fish, boasting high fertility, and the grains sprouting from fertile soil formed the foundation of its self-sufficiency.
On top of that, trade with the Republic by way of ships allowed them to escape, to some extent, the isolation peculiar to city-states.
They generated profit through trade, and received the central continent's culture from the Republic. For that reason, the cityscape transformed into something far more refined, in step with the age.
Riverungr, also known as Kailiens, the cultural heart.
It was treated as a sort of tourist destination, and many outsiders often came to visit. Even now, many people were moving to and from the ships.
However, ever since demi-humans began appearing in spring, the flow of visitors arriving by land had almost completely dried up.
"Haaaam."
A soldier guarding the city gate let out a long yawn.
Standing idle with nothing to do was tedious labor. Nodding off, he squatted down, leaning his back against the wall.
The soldier beside him frowned.
"Hey, the Guard Captain will be making rounds soon. If you get caught like that, you'll get an earful."
"It's fine, it's fine. Our job isn't to stand all day, it's to hold the post, so what's the problem. Honestly, isn't that true? My legs hurt, I sit for a bit, that should be allowed. The Guard Captain's just nitpicking for nothing."
The city gate guard is the face of the city, blah, blah…
That was the Guard Captain's favorite saying.
At first, you might think, oh, he's got great pride in the profession, but after a few days, it quickly turns into the most annoying nagging of all.
"Anyway, when's this damned demi-human subjugation going to end…? What on earth do they find to eat around here, for so many of them to keep showing up?"
"How should I know. Even the adventurers say they've got no idea."
"Ugh, I'm sick of it, sick of it. The year's almost over, and still it's subjugation, subjugation…! I used to enjoy seeing outsiders pass through, but now it's always the same faces at the gate."
Especially troublesome were the demi-human corpses being hauled into the city guild warehouses.
Most of the time there was no issue, but sometimes the corpses reeked. Wasn't it that one time a poison sac burst and ruined a magic item?
That stench, piercing straight through the nose, was unforgettable.
"Well… that's true, but I think it might end soon. I only learned this recently, but apparently a really famous adventurer came just the other day?"
"Eh? Who's that?"
"A mithril-rank adventurer. A woman, apparently. And wow, when I heard from one of the adventurers who went on subjugation with her, they said she was unbelievable."
A giant serpent coiled atop a mountain peak, a giant troll still moving even after its head was severed, and even man-eating monsters capable of wielding magic.
Beasts that had forced many adventurers into hard battles, she had supposedly cut them down alone, without trouble.
"And this time, in the front-line subjugation, she's going out as one of the three commanders."
"Wow… just hearing it sounds amazing. But is she pretty?"
"I don't know. Last time I saw her, her face was covered. But they say the subjugation force is returning tonight, so why not go have a look?"
"Hm, the way you say it makes me curious. Maybe I'll sneak a peek after work."
The trivial chatter went on for a while.
Then, in the distance, they saw a lone carriage approaching.
"Outsiders?"
But something was strange.
Looking closely, there was no horse where there should be. Instead, only a man sat in the driver's seat.
"What, what is that?"
"Beats me…?"
In the blink of an eye, the carriage came near and stopped.
First, a tall man in a blue robe alighted.
Then, when a man with ashen hair stepped down and gestured, a violet light shimmered, and the carriage vanished without a trace.
The guards had never seen such a thing before.
That man, Verden, began to walk forward.
The guards, snapping back to their senses, hurriedly spoke.
"Y-your identification, please…"
Ssshhh. Verden showed a medal.
A quick glance revealed a sharply engraved shield upon it.
What's this?
The guard didn't know what it meant.
But it was unmistakably the flag of the Kingdom of Estiria, a foreign nation. He knew from experience how he was supposed to handle such a situation.
"Hey, go fetch the Guard Captain."
Pretending to know better than you do only leads to trouble.
It's always best to pass the responsibility along.
***
"At last, we've arrived."
They successfully entered Riverungr without incident.
The usual procedures were skipped, of course. With Verden's guarantee, Adrian didn't even need to issue a temporary ID.
Until the two disappeared from sight, the Guard Captain bowed with a smile plastered across his face.
Unlike other nobles, honorary nobles bore no duty to administer territories, only the authority fitting their title.
Far more useful than expected.
The identity given by Silis was becoming quite to his liking.
They hired a carriage to move within the city.
The top priority was Adrian's treatment. Upon reaching Riverungr's church, a middle-aged priest welcomed them.
"You must be new faces. If you've come to pray, I'll guide you directly…"
"We've come to make an offering."
Offerings meant a miracle was needed.
Since directly trading healing was against church doctrine, such euphemisms had come into use.
In Riverungr's church, the highest rank was bishop.
To the Luas Church, noble rank was meaningless.
Authority was nothing, fair payment was everything.
Verden ostentatiously filled the offering box.
A sum worth tens of millions of Elk—at that, the priest's surprised expression flickered, before he whispered softly.
"Currently, Bishop Lena is absent, having gone to support the adventurers."
"When will she return?"
"She is expected back in Riverungr this evening. We can provide you a room to wait, if you wish."
Verden turned his gaze to Adrian.
"If moving is difficult, perhaps you should rest here at the church."
"No, that won't be necessary. As long as I don't overexert, I can move."
Adrian tapped the floor lightly with his toes.
Unlike when they were in the autonomous territory of Midros, his body had recovered somewhat.
According to him, unless he tried to unleash his techniques or moved too quickly, he could even fight for short periods.
A man awakened to aura.
His body's recovery speed and vitality were on an entirely different level from that of a mage.
"I see. Hm, since you're not in immediate danger… please return tomorrow afternoon. If you give me your name, I'll inform the bishop in advance."
The priest's manner was flexible.
It didn't seem like this was the first time such a situation had occurred.
Verden gave the name Asher, and Adrian too gave a temporary alias, before they left the church.
Next, it was time to stop by the blacksmith.
"Mm, with how I've been burdening my lord's steps like this, I can hardly lift my head. Now that I can move somewhat, how about I go to the blacksmith on my own?"
"I don't mind, but, are you truly sure you're fine?"
"As long as I don't run into a Transcendent on the way, I'll be fine."
In such a case, even Verden would be in danger.
"Very well. In the meantime, I'll rent an inn and look around the city. Let's meet at the central plaza once we've both finished."
"Understood."
"And take this."
First, he pulled out a bag from subspace.
It was the spatial bag he had used before obtaining Raindia, inside were emergency cash, valuables, and food supplies.
It was more suitable to entrust it to Adrian than to leave it lying around.
Next, he handed over a card.
In truth, this was the main item.
Riverungr had a branch of Dyna Bank.
There was no need to carry cash, one could simply draw upon the money stored in the bank.
And in Verden's account, a vast fortune lay sleeping.
"Consider it without limit, use it freely for whatever you need."
Verden was wealthy.
***
Adrian was once one of the central continent's top four.
In other words, he was a famous figure, there was a high risk of his identity being exposed if he met someone from the same continent.
Even with several years of absence, it was not long enough for everyone's memories to forget him.
Thus, he would conceal himself.
So as not to burden his lord.
"Uh, so, vambraces and greaves, a scabbard, that much I understand… but you want me to make a metal mask as well?"
"That's right."
With a mask covering the lower half of his face, and a robe concealing the rest, hardly anyone would recognize him.
So long as he did not reveal his unique movements, his violet aura, and his techniques.
This equipment was necessary before heading to the central continent.
Of course, it wasn't a random choice, Adrian's aesthetic sense—his taste—was also reflected in it.
"Mm… I understand what you want. With your detailed explanation, I can picture it clearly. Then I'll begin crafting right away."
"Pay with this."
After completing the payment, the blacksmith politely returned the card.
Lately, only requests for weapon and armor maintenance had come in, so an expensive commission like this was a welcome sight.
At that moment, a newspaper caught Adrian's eye.
On the front, the name Republic of Beldirn stood out.
As he stared at it in silence, the blacksmith cautiously asked,
"…I was reading this, but if you need it, I'll give it to you?"
"No, I don't need it. It just reminded me that the spatial teleportation array in the Republic of Beldirn was recently shut down."
"Ah, yes. Ever since the Republic closed its borders, it's been chaos."
Closed borders?
He hadn't heard of that.
Adrian casually asked,
"Do you know what happened in the Republic?"
"I know a little. My younger brother had gone there, and returned just before the closure. He told me what had happened."
To a valued customer, the blacksmith had no reason to hide anything.
"So───"
***
"They say the Republic of Beldirn's High Councillor was assassinated."
"…The High Councillor?"
The Republic of Beldirn was, literally, a republic.
Council members were elected, and among them, five High Councillors were chosen. They stood at the very peak of the Republic's power.
If such a figure had been killed, it explained the current crisis.
With the teleportation arrays sealed and the borders shut, it must still be unresolved.
Verden stroked his chin as he spoke.
"Anyway, how long did he say the crafting would take?"
"He said about fifteen days, to be safe."
Fifteen days.
That's reasonable enough.
The promised meeting with the Ark was in about ten days.
If they returned after attending the Ark's council, Adrian's treatment and equipment would be just about ready.
The problem is the Republic.
The closed borders could be overcome somehow.
But the fact that the teleportation arrays couldn't be used was a serious issue. They couldn't just activate them at will.
To reach the central continent, the Republic's situation had to be resolved.
Otherwise, there's still the option of crossing the continents directly…
But that wasn't the lesser evil, it was the worst.
It would take several months, fraught with dangers along the way. Some regions even made Flight impossible, enough said.
"…This isn't something to solve by worrying now. We'll find a way later, for now, let's eat."
He had already picked out a place on the way.
The sun had set, and darkness descended on the city.
Magic stone lamps lit the streets here and there. Verden and Adrian headed to a high-class restaurant near the Hefin River.
On the way, an unfamiliar crowd caught their eyes.
"Ah, I swear I saw it myself?!"
"So you're saying a driverless carriage ran through the demi-humans? Don't lie so ridiculously. Do I look like an idiot?"
"There were other witnesses too, you know? The carriage suddenly charged in and wiped out the demi-humans with magic!"
"Hmm, it hasn't been confirmed, but it's true that such reports have come in."
"See, they said it's unconfirmed! You just got exhausted and mistook the demi-humans for something else."
"No, I'm telling you, it really happened!!"
The sound of noisy chatter filled the air.
"It seems some of the adventurers from the subjugation have returned."
"Judging by their equipment and plates, high-ranking adventurers…"
Verden suddenly stopped speaking.
His gaze locked on the mithril-rank adventurer at the head of the group.
A black cloak draped over her back.
Beneath it, thin armor of red and black, a dark-crimson helm covering her head.
And golden hair, and at her waist, a crimson sword.
The traits were unmistakable.
The adventurer who had hunted the Soul Tree with Verden in the Principality.
And one of the Ark's candidates.
The Bloodstained Sword, Leira.
Suddenly, she lifted her head.
From beyond the helm, their eyes met.
"…Asher?"
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