Chapter 5

Thank you for the bookmark!

After setting out from the town of Metau and driving the cart for about two days, we caught sight of the buildings of the capital, though they were small.

A membrane-like covering, forming a hemisphere, was spread over the entire capital, shimmering in the rainbow hues of the setting sun.

"Lily, that's the capital's famous protective barrier. It looks transparent from the inside, but it glows faintly from the outside."

"Hmm."

Mother Emma tried hard to explain about the capital to catch Lily's attention, but Lily, who harbored a dislike for the capital, responded half-heartedly.

"It doesn't let external attacks through, but it does let rain and wind pass. Isn't that strange?"

Indeed, it was strange that it could repel physical attacks while allowing matter to pass through. If there were no issues, Lily would have listened intently, but she was sulking and refused to hear anything about the capital, turning away with disinterest.

"Come now, don't be so down. The eastern fortress will be safe for a while. You can't reach the Holy Aurum Kingdom from the Ouro Empire without crossing the desert. They can't advance immediately."

She was being summoned to prepare for any eventuality. ——But if that's the case, it should be fine to bring Lily along.

"Lily, whether there's a war or not, you have another problem. You mustn't forget it."

"That might be true, but—"

"Do you remember when you were about what age? When we all went to the beach, you walked a little way onto the rocks, and you were almost pulled into the sea by a mermaid and drowned."

You felt called and walked, only to find a mermaid child washed up on the sand. You hurriedly returned it to the sea, and it said it wanted to thank you, so it pulled you into the sea. The mermaid didn't know that humans can't breathe underwater, so it was surprised when Lily nearly drowned and let go, saving her.

"After that, you were missing for three days. We were very worried."

You found an injured fairy in a familiar meadow, healed it with a healing spell, and were invited to a banquet as thanks. You had tea and returned immediately, but when you got back, you were told you had been missing for three days, which was a shock.

"There are many more! Lily, you tend to get involved in mysterious events, so your mother and father are too scared to take you to unknown places. The eastern fortress is unfamiliar, so please wait for us in the safe capital."

"…I understand."

When rejected so thoroughly, Lily had no choice but to accept it. For now—

(It's fine. I'll go to the eastern fortress with Cousin Noah and earn merit with light magic to be assigned to the medical team.)

Light magic.

A magical power specialized in defense, healing, and purification, it would undoubtedly be very useful in battlefield medical activities. If she could prove her worth, she could convince the authorities to let her go.

"I'll work hard with Cousin Noah."

"Thank you for understanding, Lily."

Emma was relieved to hear Lily's words. She had no idea that Lily had switched to a plan to join the eastern fortress officially later. She hugged her daughter tightly, feeling sentimental about the short time left before they parted.

(So sweet, Mom. If asking doesn't work, I'll find a way that doesn't require asking.)

Whether it would work or not was another matter, but having a goal made people more positive. Lily's gloomy expression since leaving the western fortress turned into a smile, and Adam, Emma, and the others were relieved.

They spent the rest of the journey in a pleasant atmosphere and arrived at the capital. They would stay for three days, complete the formal transfer procedures at the castle, and prepare their equipment. The soldiers who arrived with them happily talked about spending the remaining time with their families and friends.

Lily learned that the soldiers who saw her every day had left their families in the capital.

"Everyone's family lives in the capital. Aren't you lonely?"

Adam gently stroked Lily's head, which looked sad as if it were her own situation.

"We had a system of regular reports to the capital on a rotating basis, and we could visit during leave, so it was fine."

"Is that so? What about when you go to the eastern fortress?"

"Well, we'll see. We don't know who will be in command."

The thought of not being able to see Adam and Emma made Lily's chest ache, and the thought of the soldiers not seeing their families for a long time made her even more sad.

After the group dispersed, Adam, Emma, and Lily headed to the Tynam Earl's mansion. When they asked to be announced, Noah himself came out to greet them.

"It's been a while, everyone. I'm glad to see you all well."

"Noah looks well too. How old are you now?"

"I'm seventeen. I need to decide what to do with my life soon."

As the second son, Noah would not inherit the title and had to either become a son-in-law in another family or join the knights to make a name for himself.

"Oh, I heard you were chosen to serve the crown prince?"

"Yes, it's a great honor."

Noah was on a fast track to a prestigious position as a personal attendant to the crown prince, which was a great honor for the earl's family.

"Let's go inside. You're staying, right?"

A guest room was prepared for them, but Emma exchanged glances with Adam and shook her head slightly.

"We plan to stay at an inn. We want to spend the remaining days as a family."

"I see. Actually, there's something difficult to say—"

Noah straightened up and began to explain. Apparently, the client had been eagerly awaiting Lily's arrival and wanted to conduct a magic test as soon as possible, either today or tomorrow morning. If the client heard that Lily was doing something else, it would be very problematic.

"Wouldn't that just make things difficult for you, Cousin Noah?"

"It would also make things awkward for you, Lily."

Lily couldn't refuse when put that way. This cousin was quite persuasive, making him a strong ally but a troublesome opponent.

"Alright, I'll go now. Dad, Mom, see you later."

"Be careful, dear."

"Don't overdo it."

Waving goodbye to her parents, Lily got into the carriage with Noah and headed to the castle. On the way, Noah explained the day's schedule, and Lily asked about her concerns about coming to the capital.

Her bad feeling turned out to be true. The rumor that the capital was recruiting a holy maiden and a crown princess was indeed true. Currently, the castle was holding a recruitment and examination for holy maiden candidates.

However, the person who had requested Lily's services was someone else, and it was explained that the holy maiden examination was not directly related.

The reason for the "apparently" was—

"Since Lily hasn't come, they've started looking for candidates among the holy maiden candidates. But it seems they haven't found anyone they like."

So, if Lily didn't come, they might have asked a holy maiden candidate who passed the examination. Hearing this, Lily, who had been worried about becoming a holy maiden and crown princess, felt ashamed of her hasty imagination. But another worry arose from Noah's words.

"If the holy maiden candidates aren't good enough, I don't think someone like me would be hired..."

The capital was the first city in the country, with ancient magicians' bloodlines among the nobility and many talented people from the regions coming to make a name for themselves. It was a treasure trove of talent. If they searched so widely, there must have been many people more capable than Lily. If none of them were satisfactory, Lily would surely not be hired.

"People often need to confirm things for themselves, even if they know the outcome. Plus, it's better for your parents to know the results while they're staying in the capital."

Lily was moved by Noah's consideration. The way he put it made it sound like there was a good chance she wouldn't be hired. If she didn't get the job in the capital, her parents might reconsider and take her to the eastern fortress.

"That's a good idea!"

This conversation made Lily completely trust Noah. She felt the tide turning in her favor. She had a sudden idea to beg her parents to take her on a tour of the capital after the examination and spent the journey happily looking out the window, searching for interesting shops.

When they arrived at the castle, a man in a white coat approached the carriage. Seeing him, Noah covered his face with one hand and hung his head.

"Sir Daniel, you didn't have to wait here..."

Getting out of the carriage, led by Noah, a man with a beaming smile was eagerly waiting for an introduction.

"Sir Daniel, at least let's move to the reception room. Greeting us here is a bit—"

Despite Noah's reluctance, the man answered with a beaming smile.

"I want to take her straight to the laboratory. I don't like interruptions."

On closer inspection, he wasn't smiling but had narrow eyes. Lily, who had been observing Daniel, jumped when their eyes met.

"Hello, I'm Lily. I'm thirteen years old."

She introduced herself reflexively, even though it wasn't asked. It was better than being caught observing him.

"Hello, I'm Daniel Aurum. I'm thirty years old."

Daniel introduced himself, including his age, matching Lily's awkward introduction. He seemed to have an interesting personality.

"Come on! Hurry up!"

Like a child, Daniel urged them on and led the way. Lily followed quickly to keep up.

Lily had no idea that Daniel was the current king's younger brother and the Duke of Aurum himself.