Chapter 18

After spending the night in the rest hut, the group got up while it was still dim in the early morning and left the hut after having a heavy breakfast of Almar's grilled meat (seasoned only with the table salt that Ichiro had brought). The sky was still dim, and the road leading to Isteria through the forest was as dark as a night.

The other members of the group, except for Ichiro, occasionally picked edible mushrooms and wild herbs, and it seemed that they could see the forest well. However, Ichiro, with his vision of about 1.5, could only see enough to make out the ground in front of him. Still, he walked cautiously, staying close to Valleta, who was walking next to him. As they walked, his eyes gradually adjusted, and he could vaguely see his surroundings.

Ideally, he would have wanted to use the portable lantern he had brought, but he couldn't use it recklessly in case someone came from the direction of Isteria.

"Even in such darkness, you can see so well, everyone must have really good eyes. I can finally see the surroundings faintly."

When Ichiro said this to Valleta, she tilted her head curiously.

"Is that so? I think it's normal... Oh, but Rozuru seems to have really good eyesight."

Ichiro had suspected as much from the moment Rozuru hunted the Almar last night. It seemed that the people in this world had very good eyesight. Perhaps, since they didn't have books to read for long periods and lived a life that followed the sun, they had developed such excellent vision. Rozuru's good eyesight was probably due to his work as a hunter.

"Yeah, indeed. Last night, he shot the Almar in the pitch-black forest with one arrow. It's amazing how he could spot a black animal in the dark."

"True. I could never find a black Almar in the dark."

While talking with Valleta, they continued walking down the forest road. As they walked, the sky gradually brightened, and light began to filter into the once dark forest. After a few breaks, they walked for about five hours through the forest. When the surroundings became much brighter, they emerged from the forest.

"Hey? Could it be that we've already arrived at Isteria?"

Looking at the scene before him, Ichiro asked Valleta, who was walking next to him. Beyond the forest, fields stretched as far as the eye could see, with occasional houses visible.

"No, this is the grain belt surrounding Isteria. Isteria is beyond this grain belt."

"The grain belt... It's quite something. I can't even see the end of the fields."

Ichiro tried to find the end of the fields but saw that they extended endlessly, seemingly to the horizon. People were tending to the fields here and there, but the plants were small and looked weak, as if they lacked water. Some had even withered. Ditches that seemed to be irrigation channels were dug along the sides of the fields, but they were dry and empty.

"It's quite extensive. The fields surround Isteria, and there are villages and towns scattered throughout."

"Hmm, it seems they are producing food on a large scale... By the way, how many people live in Isteria now?"

When Ichiro asked this, Valleta put her hand to her mouth and thought for a moment.

"Well, I remember my father saying that there were about 200,000 people a few years ago..."

"Valleta, there should be nearly 300,000 people now."

"Hmm, 300,000... So, 300,000 people live there!?"

Ichiro turned to ask Rozuru, who had supplemented Valleta's answer.

"Yes, right after the ceasefire four years ago, Isteria's population had decreased to about 200,000. However, by the order of the royal family, thousands of people from other lords' territories are incorporated into Lord Narson's territory each year. If another war breaks out, Isteria, which shares the longest border with Barbeur, will likely become a major battlefield."

"I see, so that's why they are gathering people."

It seemed that Isteria was a large city. When he had asked various questions in the village, he had learned about the city's appearance and the types of shops, but he had not asked about the city's size. However, it was a pleasant surprise to learn that it was much larger than he had imagined. While it was concerning that they were gathering people for the war, the ceasefire treaty still had four years left, so it was unlikely that anything would happen in the near future.

"Let's keep going a little longer. We're almost there, so let's try a bit harder."

"Of course, I'll try harder! Ouch..."

Thus, despite the pain in his feet, Ichiro walked eagerly toward the big city of Isteria.

After walking for five hours along the road that stretched alongside the endless fields, they finally arrived at the massive city gate that served as the entrance to Isteria. The sun was slightly tilted, but it still had some time before it set.

"Wow, are these all defensive walls? They surround the entire city?"

In front of the large gate leading into Isteria, Ichiro was amazed by the length of the defensive walls that stretched on both sides. The stone walls, which were about five meters high, extended endlessly around the city. The gate was a large wooden door, reinforced with bronze and about four meters high. Soldiers with spears were stationed every few hundred meters on top of the walls, occasionally looking around. The walls were still under construction in some places, and people were working on them. It seemed that towers were also being built, attached to the walls, and the wooden frames inside the unfinished stone walls could be seen from a distance.

"Kazura, we're going into the city."

Valleta called out to Ichiro and Mira, who were standing side by side, mouths agape, staring at the city walls and gate, with a smile. Ichiro replied, "Ah, yes," while still gazing up at the massive gate with his mouth open. After passing through the gate, they encountered several guards. They informed the guards that they had come from Glesia Village to sell firewood and Arcadian bugs, and Valleta showed the guards the proof of her origin from Glesia Village. It seemed that weapons could not be brought into the city, so they handed over their weapons to the guards and received a wooden token in exchange. Valleta also paid a few copper coins as an entry fee, but the storage of weapons was free.

"Wow, this is amazing, it's like being in a medieval movie..."

Upon entering the city, Ichiro exclaimed in amazement at the sights before him. Unlike Glesia Village, there were many buildings. On both sides of the straight road, which was about seven meters wide, wooden and stone buildings were built at regular intervals, and many people were walking on the streets. In the distance, a large domed building made of stone could be seen, and there were many impressive two- and three-story buildings. Behind the city gate, there was a wooden hut that seemed to be a guard post, and guards were climbing the stairs on the wall to take their shifts.

"Are we going to sell the firewood right away?"

Ichiro, trying to suppress his urge to take pictures with the digital camera he had brought, calmed himself and asked Valleta. Mira, standing next to him, was still staring at the city with her mouth open.

"No, since it's already starting to get dark, we're heading to the communal lodging. We'll sell the items and buy nails tomorrow."

"Communal lodging... like an inn?"

"Not exactly. It's not like an inn where each person gets their own room. It's a large, communal facility where many people sleep together. It's a public facility run by the city, so it's very cheap, and meals are provided. However, only dinner is included."

It seemed to be a facility similar to the rest hut they had stayed in the previous night, but on a larger scale. People with enough money stayed in inns, while those who were short on money or wanted to save money stayed in such public facilities.

"Also, be careful of thieves. It's quite common for belongings to be stolen while people are sleeping. We'll take turns watching the luggage, so it should be fine."

In response to Valleta's explanation, Ichiro and Mira, who were new to Isteria, replied in unison, "Yes."

After walking for about 20 minutes in the city, the group arrived at the communal lodging where they would stay for the night. The building was a wooden, single-story structure with a ceiling that wasn't particularly high but was as spacious as a school gymnasium. There was another building at the back, which seemed to be a kitchen from the smell. After Valleta paid the fee to the man at the reception and they entered, they found that many people were already seated in various spots.

"Wow, it's quite crowded."

"When I came before, it wasn't this crowded... Ah, there's an empty spot over there, let's rest there."

Valleta, looking around the lodging, found a space where they could rest and carefully made their way to it, being careful not to disturb the people already sitting or lying down. Once they reached the empty space, they put down their luggage and took a break.

"Still, this is a really big city. There are so many buildings, and I never imagined the entire city would be surrounded by walls."

Ichiro, who had unwrapped the bandages on his feet and was disinfecting the blisters with hydrogen peroxide while hiding under his cloak, took a drink of water and spoke to Valleta and the others, who were taking a break. Mira was secretly taking drops from a bag and putting them in her mouth under her cloak.

"When my father brought me here 10 years ago, there were no walls. They started building them after the war began, but it seems they haven't been completed due to lack of funds."

"Since they are also building large fortresses along the border with Barbeur after the ceasefire, it's probably delaying the completion of the city walls. However, with four years left in the ceasefire, I think they will be completed by then."

"Hmm, fortresses. That sounds interesting..."

As Ichiro and the others were talking, a door at the back of the lodging opened, and a wooden cart with a large pot was brought in. The people who had been lying on the floor quickly got up and formed a long line in front of the pot.

"It seems the meal is ready. Should we join the line?"

"Yes, we should."

Since they needed to watch their luggage, they took turns going to the line to get their food. The meal was a thin soup with a few vegetables in a wooden bowl, and there was no spoon. Given the extremely low cost of the communal lodging, it was not something to complain about. Ichiro and the others, who had gotten used to the canned food from Japan and the salty rice, made unsatisfied faces when they tasted the thin vegetable soup.

"Is the food at this lodging usually like this?"

"No, at least when I came here two years ago to sell furs, there were more ingredients, and the taste was stronger. I think there was also a piece of bread."

While talking, they secretly added the table salt Ichiro had brought to the soup, making it taste stronger before drinking it again. It tasted like just warm salt water, but it was better than drinking it plain. They selected edible mushrooms and wild herbs they had picked in the forest, soaked them