by CHIROLU
“In that case, wait till tonight. I’ll talk with some other guys and figure things out in detail.”
“I’m counting on you. And then...”
“K-Kenneth...” Latina spoke up, sounding flustered at having seen Kenneth briskly hand out instructions.
“What is it?”
“You’re not... going to stop me?”
“Do you want me to?”
“No. I want to go...”
“Then you’ve got to prepare properly. Go get your luggage and travel clothes together. I’ll look it all over later.”
“R-Right!”
After watching Latina go flying up the stairs towards her room, Rita came back to her senses and questioned her husband. “Kenneth, what are you doing?”
“With her like that, even if we force her to stop, she’ll just sneak out and head to the capital all on her own. If she’s going to be reckless regardless, then it’s better to make sure she prepares properly and does it as safely as possible.”
Kenneth had seen in Latina’s expression that she felt so cornered that if Kenneth were to try to stop her, she’d blow past him in order to do what she felt she needed to. He thought that even if he were to somehow seemingly persuade her and talk her down, she’d go running off to the capital the second he took his eyes off of her. Despite appearances, Latina had been stubborn ever since she was little. Now that she’d made up her mind, there was no changing it.
There was a limit to how closely Kenneth could keep an eye on her. He could talk to the gatekeepers and tell them not to let her leave town, but he didn’t want to let things go that far.
Kenneth looked over at Sylvester with a frown. “To be honest, I’d like to get a party of only women to escort Latina, but...” he muttered.
“Sure enough, that’d be difficult to manage on such short notice,” Sylvester responded with an awkward expression on his face.
There were fewer female adventurers in general, and what’s more, if the condition was a strictly women-only party, even someone as well-connected as Sylvester couldn’t put one together so promptly.
“Rather than leaving Latina to some tactless men... it’d probably be better to leave things to Vint, right?” Kenneth said with some distaste, looking at the “pup” who had popped up to check out the commotion in the storefront.
“Woof?”
“Regardless of how old they may be, this is a time when it’s hard to say if we can trust them,” Sylvester added with a sigh.
As the job of adventurer was essentially removed from gentlemanly behavior, there was no guarantee that someone they hired wouldn’t try to do something untoward to Latina under the guise of comforting her when she was out of sorts worrying about Dale. It was impossible to deny the chance that her “guards” could be the most dangerous element in the whole equation.
“The road to the capital is carefully maintained, so I think Latina could manage on her own. I’d still be worried about her safety, though.”
“How skilled is the little lady as a magic user?”
“She’s apparently learned some proper attack magic. Her specialty has always been things like defensive wall and support magic. I’d say she’s capable of defending herself.”
With her delicate mana control, Latina was able to easily use magic that would normally be considered highly difficult, and though it had just been for a short time, she’d been taught by Rose, who was an exceptional magic user; the variety of magic Latina could use had greatly expanded.
“As long as she has time to chant, she should be able to manage.”
“Then... this ‘dog’ would be the safest bodyguard, huh?”
“Woof?” Sensing that he was now the topic of conversation, Vint tilted his head.
“Sylvester, how do tamers get the animals they’re using into town?”
For tamers, who primarily employed Center magic to utilize animals and magical beasts, their beasts were both their weapons and partners. One could call them their most important assets. It was only natural for tamers to take them through town and into lodgings and the like.
“I don’t really know the details myself. I think they have specialized magical devices. Hey, somebody call for Kevin,” Sylvester said, sending off a young lad by his side to go fetch a tamer he knew.
“...Ugh, fine!” Rita had kept silent for a while, but she’d apparently made up her mind. She faced the Akhdar’s message board and started looking into the latest information from around the area.
Rita also knew how stubborn Latina was. She also knew that the girl would be able to force her way through if she had a mind to do so. Furthermore, Rita understood that if the girl was going to do something dangerous, it was better to help her out.
If Latina was being totally reckless and they tried their hardest to stop her, it was still possible they would fail. She was just too skilled, which was a problem in its own way.
By the time that Kevin, the tamer Sylvester had called for, arrived at the Dancing Ocelot, Rita had prepared maps all the way to the capital, and together with the regulars she was writing down all sorts of notes, making for a bundle of valuable information. Just getting ahold of maps to start with was difficult, and as their accuracy increased, the price and rarity grew in proportion. This just went to show the potential of the network of first-rate adventurers that made up the regulars, combined with the Ocelot’s position as an information terminal.
Kevin brought a black-furred wolf with him. He was known for usually bringing two wolves with him on jobs. The female wolf who was missing was the mate of the one he’d brought and had given birth for the first time this spring. She was currently rearing her cub, so Kevin was apparently taking time off of work. As a result, even though he’d been summoned out of the blue, he soon showed up at the Dancing Ocelot.
With the entrance of an unfamiliar beast into his territory, Vint glared at the black wolf from the shadows of the counter. The wolf acted as though he didn’t care, but his ears were moving all about.
“This is the magical device,” Kevin said, pointing out a collar with a metallic plate hanging from it that was around the wolf’s neck. “To be blunt, animals instinctually hate this, so when one is wearing it, it’s proof that they’re either being controlled with Center magic or that they’ve been thoroughly trained. That’s the minimum requirement for an animal to be allowed into town.”
“So if Vint wears this, he could accompany Latina?” Kenneth asked, looking over a spare magical device Kevin had brought. He held it out towards Vint. After sniffing the device as it drew close to his face, Vint made a disgusted expression. Even though he was an animal, the look was quite clear.
“Yuck. Don’t like this.”
“You have to choose between Latina leaving you behind, or putting this on and going with her.”
“Put up with it. Can do,” Vint immediately replied, just as expected.
“I’d heard the rumors, but for a mythical beast to do that of his own will, without Center magic... Just how out of the norm is she?” Considering his occupation, Kevin was utterly perplexed by what he was seeing.
“It’s best not to think about it. We’re talking about the little lady, after all,” Sylvester replied, seeing off the man with a lukewarm gaze.
And like that, the preparations were hurriedly carried out.
Latina’s traveling gear was primarily what she’d once used for her trip to Tislow. The cape had become rather small for her, but on the plus side, it was an effective magical device, so she still ended up using it. The design wasn’t one where size mattered much to start with, and she wouldn’t have to worry about getting cold considering the season, so she decided it would still work fine. The passenger carriages that ran between towns were set up so that one could just stop in towns along the way and not have not to camp outdoors. Adventurers never failed to have a cloak or overcoat on them, as they could use them to sleep on when camping, but she didn’t need to prepare for all that.
“You had a
staff for magic users, didn’t you, Latina?”
“Yeah. But it’s not really an issue for me to use magic without it.”
“That’s true. But it also serves as a way to say, ‘I’m a magic user’ to the people around you. In form only, at least, it makes you look like an adventurer.”
“Do you mean I should take it because people don’t take female travelers seriously?”
“That’s the long and short of it.”
The rod that Dale had once bought for Latina was meant for children to practice with, but it was still more than good enough when compared to the sort of equipment used by adventurers who were just starting out.
To people with wicked intentions, frail women traveling on their own looked like nothing but prey. But when the woman was a magic user, it was a different story. She gave the impression of someone with a strength that couldn’t be gauged based on their outer appearance. If a single staff alone was enough to give that effect, then it was definitely worth bringing.
After Kenneth, Rita, and the regulars finished helping her prepare, Latina left the Dancing Ocelot early the next morning.
“Take care. Seriously, be careful,” Rita said, looking concerned. She had left Theo asleep back in their room.
“I know. I’ll be alright,” Latina responded. Rita’s expression made her feel guilty, but more than that, she felt truly grateful for being allowed to do what she was doing. “Thank you for letting me go.”
“Don’t make any bad choices. Keep your wits about you,” Kenneth said with a firm nod.
“Right,” Latina responded, bowing to the two of them again. “I’m off.”
With Vint walking by her side, his tail wagging calmly, Latina left the Dancing Ocelot behind her, feeling the couple’s gazes on her back.
As she was instructed, she headed towards the carriage stop, (there were no direct carriages to the capital, so she’d need to transfer on the way there), but she suddenly stopped halfway. Her eyes darted around as she confirmed that she could no longer see the people who saw her off. She then squatted down next to Vint.
“Hey, Vint...”
“Woof?”
“There’s something I want to try... but I want to keep it a secret from everyone else.”
“Woof?”
“Do you think I could ride you, Vint?”
When she was staying in Tislow, Master Cornelio had once lectured Latina about the capital, and she’d learned that the highway between it and Kreuz was purposefully set up to be an indirect route, with the intention to buy time to set up defenses in an emergency. There was also the matter of the geography and the placement of bridges, so it was difficult to head straight to the capital from Kreuz or the port town of Qualle farther along the way. That was why it was overwhelmingly faster to take a flying dragon, which could go in a straight line, rather than taking the land route.
Knowing that, Latina wondered if she could rely on her friend to travel by air rather than taking carriages.
“I’ll use magical wall and gravity reduction magic together. I’ll do my best to not get in your way when you’re flying, so do you mind giving it a try?”
“Woof!”
Unfortunately, nobody was around to point out just how ridiculous and out of the ordinary it was to maintain multiple magics for a long period of time. Latina was trying something absolutely reckless that the adults around her hadn’t even considered, and perhaps most surprisingly of all, she had the ability to carry it out.
After leaving the town, the two practiced a few times at a low altitude, then took to the sky and started their trip.
She had done it.
Being just a cub, Vint wasn’t able to fly as quickly as a flying dragon, a magical beast specialized for the task. It was still difficult for him to fly for a long time, or over a long distance all at once. Latina also needed breaks from continually maintaining her magic.
Latina was plenty calm and knew all of that, so rather than letting her feelings rush her, she made sure she and Vint rested when they needed to. They stopped for a night at a town along the way and then arrived at the capital the following day.
Realizing that it was out of the ordinary to be riding a mythical beast, Latina wisely chose to have Vint land a ways from the capital rather than right next to it, and they walked the rest of the way. Because of that, the guards fortunately didn’t take her for someone suspicious and mistakenly shoot her down.
Unlike Kreuz, which was a town fueled by travelers, it was difficult to gain entry through the gates surrounding the capital, but the abilities of the regulars of the Dancing Ocelot—who were amongst the foremost adventurers in Laband—were not to be taken lightly.
The letters of introduction that Sylvester had prepared for Latina were all addressed to people well known about the capital. Just Sylvester’s signature alone, written in his strong, steady handwriting, was valuable. After all, he was a popular adventurer highly renowned for his exploits. It was hard to imagine from seeing him always drinking cheap booze, but he was just that famous of a man. The magical device attached to Vint was also a legitimate, high-quality good.
The girl’s guardian was Dale Reki, who was also famous in the capital; she carried letters of introduction from the legendary adventurer, Sylvester Delius; and she was accompanied by a mythical beast. Nobody would blame the gatekeeper in charge at that time for feeling overwhelmed.
For better or worse, the people of Kreuz had grown used to how extraordinary Latina was. That couldn’t be expected of people in the capital, though.
For that reason, the inspection during Latina’s first time entering Ausblick was surprisingly light.
With the festive streets of the capital sprawled out before her, Latina was at a loss. “What do I do now...?”
“Woof?”
Thanks to the presence of her friend at her side, she wasn’t crushed by anxiety.
Kenneth and the others had warned her in advance: even if she went to the capital, that didn’t mean she was guaranteed to be able see Dale. He was staying at the estate of Duke Eldstedt, who was an elite amongst elite even in the capital. Even if she was Dale’s adopted daughter, Latina was ultimately still just a mere commoner. If she showed up uninvited, it would only be natural for her to get turned away at the gate.
The numerous letters of introduction Sylvester had prepared didn’t change the fact that it would be difficult, but they at least made it a lot more likely than if Latina tried to make an appointment to visit the Duke’s estate all on her own.
“What should I do...?” she muttered as she thought. Just then, she remembered that a particular someone was supposed to be staying in Ausblick. “Lady Rose is supposed to be in the capital right now... Should I try talking to her?”
“Woof?”
“Anybody should be able to enter the temple of Niili... and she may be able to act as an intermediary for me, right?”
“Woof!” Vint replied in agreement, which made Latina feel relieved, and her expression brightened a little. Since the temple of Niili also served as a clinic, anyone she asked around town should immediately be able to tell her where it was.
Having decided her next destination and with Vint by her side, Latina headed for a row of shops aimed towards travelers.
“And then, I got Rose to introduce me while she was out doing volunteer work for the temple.”
Currently, Rose was in the care of the ducal Eldstedt family, so she had no issue entering and leaving the estate without permission. She had also mingled with the people of the Eldstedt family since she was young, so in spite of their actual social statuses, she was in a position where she was allowed to make personal visits.
Accompanied by Rose, Latina had visited the duke’s estate, and Rose introduced Latina to the duke himself, something the girl had never expected. She was truly glad that she had changed into her most formal dress at the temple, having figured it would be improper to visit the residence of an elite noble in her travel attire.
Recalling the etiquette Rose had taught her alongside magic in the attic of the Ocelot, Latina somehow managed to properly introduce herself to Duke Vladimir Rot Eldstedt. Seeing Rose’s indigo-blue eyes look a little calmer, she sensed that she’d gotten a passing mark and felt relieved.
One of his servants had already reported to the duke that Rose had brought a troubled young girl accompanied by a mythical beast to his mansion, the very adopted daughter that Dale was always talking about and doting on. Even the grand chamberlain, who had served the estate for many years, had trouble deciding how to deal with this visitor for a moment. He figured he should at least give an immediate report to the duke, at which point the duke himself said he’d like to meet her, so Rose and Latina were immediately ushered into his presence.
The duke had accompanied Latina when she visited Dale’s room as a mere bit of mischief. As a veteran of a world filled with plots and trickery, he would naturally have learned that even though Dale appeared to be recovering, he was at a peak state of agitation. So he’d just have a chuckle, as if to say, “Got you.”
“And so, Lady Rose brought me here, but... Dale? What’s wrong?”
“Just give me a second... I’m still trying to grasp the situation...”
Dale’s expression had stiffened as he listened to Latina’s story, until he ultimately ended up holding his head in his hands. The pup had played a bigger role than he’d expected.
Did this girl understand just how abnormal it was to manage to travel through the air without being a Center magic user or receiving any special training? Though with that said, she had been able to pull it off because she and Vint didn’t have a master/servant relationship; rather, they were friends and she was making a request, which was excessively unusual in and of itself. But after his long years of watching over Latina, Dale’s common sense about such things had grown numb.
When the duke asked about how Latina had gotten there, how should Dale explain? Up until now, there hadn’t been anyone who could personally travel through the sky. It wasn’t a matter that could be overlooked, both in terms of military defense and strategy.