episode_0070

When I opened my eyes, I could hear numerous sounds coming from outside as if the knights and guards were preparing. I heard the sound of armor rattling in my ears. When I heard that sound, I carefully moved my hand to open the window, and it was dawn when it had not yet dawned. I thought the knights and guards would move at dawn… … I certainly never thought that this kind of problem would arise since I share the same accommodations with the security guard.

I woke up early in the morning, so I thought, should I get ready? I got out of bed, went into the bathroom, and was washing my body when I heard a knock on the door.

“Who are you?”

“This is Xernia, are you busy?”

After hearing Zernia’s words, I quickly washed my body, changed my clothes, and opened the door to find Xernia standing in front of the door.

“You woke up earlier than expected. I don’t know if you had a comfortable sleep. There must have been security guards out in the early morning.”

“It didn’t really matter at night, but everyone seems to be busy because it’s morning.”

At my answer, Xernia smiled slightly and opened her mouth to the other guards walking down the hallway.

“Tell Karnas that you are leaving after seeing off the guest.”

“Confirmed.”

And Xernia looked at me and opened her mouth.

“Would you like to have breakfast, but since you will be eating it with the security guard, it may be quite noisy.”

“I like it.”

“Then let’s go together.”

Xernia pointed the way with her hand, and I put on my coat in the room and walked towards the restaurant with Xernia.

“Good morning, Captain Xernia.”

As we were walking to the restaurant, someone approached us and saluted. Xernia received the salute and started talking to him.

“I heard that you came back last night, but you look neater than I thought. How was your vacation? I was already planning to go to you before roll call, but I didn’t know you’d come first.”

“ Fortunately, His Majesty Chartre gave the award, and the family was very happy.”

“Thank God, I go on vacation more often. Every time I get a letter from my wife, I have nothing to say.”

“If I get the chance, I will go out. This is the wizard of rumors. His name is Karnas.”

The guard who said he was Karnas seemed to be older than I thought. As I looked at the long beard and grave face, I naturally lowered my head. As I said hello and looked at him, I noticed something of his peculiar composure, so I spoke to him.

“Have you eaten?”

“Given your age, you are not the type to eat breakfast often. Are you two going out to eat?”

“Yes, we are on our way to the restaurant now.”

“Then I’ll greet you again later.”

“Ah, Karnas. I will be coming to see Astan off, so can you do the morning roll call and training?”

“Yes, of course.”

And then Karnas left, and I walked with Xernia and asked her a question.

“He looks quite old.”

“You’re probably the second most active member of the guard after the guard captain. Soon, you might even apply to the guard captain and live as a guard in your hometown.”

“Zernia, aren’t you young?”

“I’m the same age as Lord Shurn, but I don’t know. If you’re young, you might be young. I was lucky enough to become an acting captain… … I don’t know the details, but in terms of experience and skills, there are many people other than me, but the guard captain appointed me, and when the guard captain retires, I will become the captain.”

“If I can come to the inauguration ceremony, I will.”

Xernia smiled softly at my words.

“It will take quite a while, because even if the guard captain says he will come down, he has to get permission from His Highness.”

And when I arrived at the restaurant with Xernia, many guards and knights were eating breakfast, and I sat down with Xernia in a corner seat and slowly began to eat breakfast.

“Now that I think about it, I can’t see Sir Shurn. Are you still sleeping after returning from the banquet yesterday?”

“That’s the person, the one who doesn’t know where he’s going. The Order of the Blue Rose probably doesn’t know either. Since the banquet was over, he may have returned to his lodgings, but he may have gone out again. Since he is also a member of a noble family, he came to the capital, so he may have gone to see his family.”

“What kind of family is the Berot family?”

“The Berrot family… … It’s a traitor’s family.”

At that moment, I carefully put down the fork I was holding. traitor? But a knight came from that family? I couldn’t imagine anything.

“A traitor family?”

“Not many people probably know the details, and I don’t know them in detail either. It was originally a knightly family passed down from generation to generation, but the previous head of the family committed treason and the family was stripped of its noble title, and Lord Shurn restored the family. Lord Shurn is now the head of the Verot family.”

“That’s interesting. If I get a chance someday, I’d like to ask.”

“There’s no need to ask. No fool would tell others about the family’s misfortune, and Lord Shurn is a fool, so he’s the kind of person to do that.”

After finishing the meal, I wondered if I should go to my hometown now, or if I should wait if Celesria really came, but even if I went to my hometown anyway, if Celesria wanted to come, she could come, so I left the dorm and walked towards the portal.

As I arrived at the capital’s square along a now somewhat familiar road and was walking towards the portal, I felt like someone was looking at me. I turned around to see who it was, but I couldn’t see anyone.

I scratched my neck, feeling a strange itch, and carefully moved my feet towards the portal. Someone was definitely following me, and I thought I should learn detection magic later. When I arrived near the portal, there were guards standing there. I wondered how I should talk to the guard who was different from yesterday, so I checked the dagger that Lord Shurn had given me and approached the portal, but the guard blocked my path.

“What’s going on?”

“I would like to use the portal.”

At my words, the two guards whispered softly to each other, and then one of them looked at me and opened his mouth.

“Are you Astan?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Her Highness Princess Ceresria has ordered us to wait for Astan when he comes.”

“… … When did you say you would come?”

“We don’t know that either.”

At the guard’s words, I sighed softly and looked around. There was nowhere to sit and nowhere to spend time. How long are we supposed to wait here?

“First of all, I understand.”

After some time, I heard a voice in my ear.

“You were really waiting?”

“The guards tell me to wait, how do I get there?”

“I thought that if it were Astan, he would have abandoned me.”

“I really didn’t know you would come.”

“Because I don’t lie. Shall we go now?”

“What is there to see in the countryside?”

“I’m just curious, what Astan’s hometown is like, and I haven’t been outside the capital much.”

“It’s like a deviation.”

“So you won’t use a pseudonym?”

After saying that, she came towards me and whispered softly.

“From now on, I am Seria. I will also change my speaking style. Astan should do the same, and Seria from central Araelia. Is it okay?”

“I don’t know if anyone would believe that… … Let’s try.”

“From now until I return to the capital, respectful treatment is prohibited. Do you understand?”

At those words, a small smile escaped my lips. What a strange person. Is it strange because he is a royal, or is he just a strange person? And when I told her and the guard where to move, the guard prepared a portal, and I moved toward the portal with her.

“Hmm… … Eltaor is sleeping as soon as the guard arrives.”

“I guess this is a peaceful place.”

Ceresria and I had a conversation while watching the guard guarding the portal fall asleep, and Ceresria laughed a little at my words.

“Wouldn’t this be better? If the guard had been awake, he would have definitely asked who it was. Where should I go home? Because Eltaor… … Should I go west?”

“Why are you asking when you already know?”

At my words, she raised her finger towards me.

“I said respect is prohibited. Currently, I am Seria, a commoner like you, from central Araelia, and a first year student at the academy. Do you understand?”

“So you came wearing the academy uniform? Although I am also in uniform.”

“If I had come wearing different clothes, my identity would probably have been discovered before I arrived in my hometown, but for now, I’ll just assume that I’m just an ordinary academy student.”

“There are not many people in Araelia with black hair.”

“Well, as long as you don’t get caught, it’s okay. And I said twice that no respect is allowed. If I say it one more time, I will get angry.”

“I have to be careful about that, because I don’t want Eltaor and my hometown to become a sea of fire.”

Then I took a long breath, let it out, and opened my mouth to her.

“Then shall we go, Seria?”

“Yes.”

She smiled brightly at me.