Chapter 38

We set out from the village of Abatox and headed for the capital.

Following the map we had, we proceeded straight down the paved road.

On the cart pulled by Entia, I watched the changing scenery as we went along.

Incidentally, this was my first long trip outside of that village and the market city.

The boars, despite the considerable distance, didn't complain once.

They were happily singing "Kora♪ Kora♪" while transporting the goods.

...They were singing a tune, right?

As the sun began to set, we found the inn along the road that the lord had introduced us to and checked in.

The next morning, we set off as soon as the sun rose.

"Hey, I can see the farms."

At Ram's words, everyone turned their gaze.

Around noon, we could see farms and ranches along the road.

Judging from the map, this was proof that we were getting closer to the capital.

"Ah, cows! There are so many cows!"

"Maul, it's dangerous to lean out of the cart."

"There are sheep too!"

"Oh, they're eating the grass so happily."

Maul, Meala, Fressa, and Orchidea were getting excited as they watched the scenery.

And then—

"Wow! Is that it?!"

Finally, we could see the capital.

The outer perimeter was surrounded by a massive wall.

Beyond it, the city was designed to rise towards the sky in the center.

At the peak, a castle was visible—probably the king's residence.

The large mansions on the high ground around it were likely where the nobles lived.

"Amazing... the castle."

"Yeah, but our destination is the lower part of the city, far from there, so it's not really relevant."

I told Meala, who was amazed.

At one of the entrances to the capital—a huge gate—we showed the letter to the gatekeeper.

The letter, provided by Lord Weeblue, proved that we were coming to open a store in the capital.

We also showed the letter from Iksa, and the initially suspicious gatekeeper let us through smoothly.

...Well, a group with boars and wolves pulling the cart would naturally be suspicious, so it couldn't be helped.

In any case, we finally stepped into the capital.

(...Hmm, but...)

I was a bit anxious about leading the group, but it was good that no major problems occurred.

Actually, it seemed too easy.

...Probably because I knew how troublesome it could be to lead adults from my former life as a salaryman.

Bosses, important people, and older leaders—those kinds of people tend to complain a lot...

In any case, once we entered the city, we split into two groups.

The five Beowulfs, Orchidea, and the children were to go to the inn we planned to stay at and handle the procedures.

The remaining Beowulfs, myself, Gurai, Entia, and the boars were to head to the construction site with the building materials.

"Lord Mako! This way!"

When we arrived at the designated location, the lord was already there.

"I was waiting for you, thinking you would arrive soon."

"Thank you, Lord."

I reconfirmed the location where we were standing.

It was a bustling area in the vast capital, lined with shops.

A street where mainly food and drink establishments were located.

There were no adjacent shops, but looking right and left, shops lined up everywhere.

We started unloading our goods in this empty lot.

"So, we'll be building the shop here."

"Yes... but you're really building it from scratch, aren't you?"

Seeing the lumber and other materials being unloaded, the lord was understandably perplexed.

Well, that's understandable.

"But, 'We built the shop with wood directly from the village!'—I think that will be a very impactful advertisement."

"That is certainly impactful. The idea of doing something like this never crossed my mind. Hmm, I feel a sense of defeat as a merchant..."

"Come on, Lord. No one would normally do something like this."

I chuckled.

Yes, without my abilities and everyone's cooperation, it would be impossible.

Well, after unloading everything, we decided to send the two Beowulfs and the boars back to the village.

As a precaution, we left a few boars behind, and the rest of us parted ways.

"Thanks, everyone! Get some rest when you get back, and please help with the next delivery of goods!"

"See you, boss, Kora!"

"We'll be back, Kora!"

We waved goodbye to the departing boars.

"Be careful on the way back, Kora!"

"The trip isn't over until you're back, Kora!"

"Mako, what are you going to do today?"

Gurai asked, and I took out the schedule I had prepared.

"Let's just do a final check of the plan today and then head back to the inn to rest. We'll start the work in earnest tomorrow."

"Got it."

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

After completing the unloading, we returned to the inn.

It turned out to be quite a large inn.

The facilities were as good as the one we stayed at in the market city.

In my room, with the lord, we did a final check of the plan for the next day (there were no major changes to the plan).

Then, in the evening—

"Cheers!"

We had dinner in the inn's bar and recharged for the next day.

After that, we had free time.

"Maybe I'll take a look at the city at night?"

It was late, so Maul and Meala went to bed early.

On the other hand, I decided to go out and explore the capital.

After all, it was the most prosperous city in the country.

I wanted to see at least a little of it.

"Going out? Mako."

As I left my room, I ran into Gurai in the hallway.

"Yeah, since we're here, I want to see the city."

"...It's late, let's go together."

Gurai offered to come with me.

I didn't really need to be careful.

If a pervert appeared, I could take care of it with a metal pipe.

...But thinking about it, swinging a metal pipe around makes me sound like a Mad Max character.

In any case, thanks to Gurai's gentlemanly offer, we set out into the night of the capital as a pair.

"Wow..."

When we reached the main street nearby, I sighed at the sight.

...Isn't this just like Shinjuku or Harajuku in modern times?

I knew the capital would be quite large.

Maybe not as big as Tokyo, but there were various districts within the city, each with different shops and streets.

The people walking on the streets were dressed in various styles, making it feel multicultural.

There were restaurants and stores selling furniture and other interior items.

On the other hand, there were also stores selling weapons and suspicious potions, like in an RPG.

"Hey, is that the Adventurer's Guild?"

"...Yeah, it looks like it."

In the middle of the city, a particularly large building caught my eye.

It had a solemn appearance.

The people entering the building were dressed like adventurers, carrying weapons and armor.

It really felt like a fantasy metropolis.

"...Starting tomorrow, our shop will be built in a corner of this town."

Thinking about it, I felt a bit emotional.

A warm, fuzzy feeling welled up inside me.

"Ah!"

I got lost in thought for a moment and bumped into a passerby, causing me to stagger.

I need to be more careful.

Suddenly, a hand circled my shoulder.

It was Gurai.

"There are a lot of people in a hurry. Be careful."

He gently pulled me away from the person I had bumped into.

I couldn't help but smile at his casual action.

"Hehe"

"...What's wrong?"

"Gurai, let's work hard from tomorrow."

I felt a surge of excitement.

But it's probably not a bad thing.

Maintaining a high level of enthusiasm is the best approach.

'In a battle, the one with the better mood wins,' as Momotaros from Kamen Rider Den-O said.

I'll go to bed early tonight and rest to recover my MP.

We'll need hardware, tools, and various other things starting tomorrow.

"Alright, let's do it!"

"...Mako, I think you should tone down your sudden outbursts."

I got scolded.

But I'm going to go all out! (That's a line from a different rider).