Chapter 8

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Thus, it was well past noon when the caravan finally arrived at the capital.

The capital of Felskeiro is built straddling the wide Edged River, including the midstream island.

The Edged River flows through the center of the continent, serving as a treasure trove of abundant blessings and forming the essential foundation of the people's lives.

From the direction the caravan arrived, the eastern side of the river houses the residential area, which includes the commercial district.

This area occupies about 60% of the city, and the races of the residents are diverse. There are also slums and poor neighborhoods outside the city walls, but the danger increases at night when monsters may appear outside the walls.

The midstream island boasts an area equivalent to three domed stadiums, lined with churches and the royal academy.

On the opposite bank, facing the hill across the island, lies the western part of the capital, where the noble district and the towering royal castle are located.

The river flows gently, and the main means of crossing are small boats, large galleys, and tourist sailboats.

For those in a hurry, the dragonfly service is recommended.

This involves a native dragonfly species called the Ryagayanma, which can grow up to eight meters in length. While the larvae are as threatening as crocodiles in the river, the adult dragonflies are docile and are tamed for transportation and tourism, flying around the city. Passengers usually include the dragonfly handler and one or two others.

However, flying over the royal castle or the noble district is prohibited, and breaking this rule can result in immediate execution.

This capital, straddling the river, was once the main battlefield where the White Kingdom and the Green Kingdom clashed, and the midstream island was the point where special items could be harvested.

"Wow... Oh my, oh my, oh my... To build a city in such a place... What were they thinking? Oh dear, oh dear... Is it really safe?"

Kena had been briefed by Ailene beforehand, but as the saying goes, "Seeing is believing." Kena's reaction upon seeing the city was one of astonishment, bewilderment, and admiration. Ailene and Arbita, seeing her reaction, nodded in satisfaction.

"What do you think? This is the city of Felskeiro, known for its scenic beauty."

"Surprised, right? Amazed, right? Incredible, right? Hmm, hmm, hmm."

For some reason, Arbita was unusually excited.

A member of the group whispered to Kena, "The captain is from here, so he's always like this," and added, "You'll get used to it," and "Just ignore him."

The carriage had already entered the city, and they were about to part ways with Ailene's traveling caravan.

They had reached the main street, avoiding the carriage park.

"Kena-sama, please visit our caravan whenever you have free time. We would be honored to have you as our guard."

"Hey, Ailene, what about our long-term contract?"

"Of course, Kena-sama takes priority."

"Nice one, miss. If you ever need a place to stay, come to us. We'll welcome you."

"Ah, ahaha... It's an honor to be so highly regarded by both of you."

"What, no interest? That's a bit cold, isn't it?"

"No, no, if I ever need help, I'll come to you."

"We're ready to have you join us right now, if you like."

"Ah, sorry."

"Just kidding. Well, Kena-sama, it was a pleasant journey. I hope we can travel together again."

"Yes, thank you for everything."

"See you, miss. Hey! Kenison!"

Ailene bowed and turned to leave. Arbita, after saying his goodbyes, called out to one of his companions. Kenison, a young man, ran over like a loyal dog.

"What is it, Captain?"

"Please escort the lady to the Adventurer's Guild."

"Got it."

After giving the necessary instructions, he returned to his companions, waving goodbye.

Kena, led by Kenison, walked down the bustling main street, which was filled with various races, and was soon guided to a building with three white towers.

"This is the guild."

"Thank you for the escort, Kenison-san."

"Not at all! I owe you my life, so I'll treasure it."

"True, I might not always be there to help. Please take care of yourself and everyone else."

"Sure thing! Have a good day."

Watching Kenison's figure disappear into the crowd, Kena sighed and dropped her shoulders.

"I was the one saying thank you... It's not something I'm used to, and it's a bit stiff..."

She cracked her neck and entered the guild.

The first thing she noticed was round tables fixed to the floor without chairs and a few sturdy-looking adventurers.

Behind them were counters, like lottery ticket booths, two or three in number.

Approaching the nearest one, a red-haired woman, probably in her late twenties, smiled and greeted her.

"Welcome to the Adventurer's Guild. How can I assist you today?"

"I'd like to register as an adventurer."

"You're an aspiring adventurer. Please fill out this form with your name, race, and profession."

Kena thought the lady was quite matter-of-fact and businesslike.

From the way she was being probed, Kena guessed it was also a test of her suitability for adventuring. She read the form from top to bottom, filled it out with a pen, and promptly returned it.

For her profession, she hesitated a bit and wrote "mage." She was a bit puzzled by the pencil; she had expected something more fantastical, like a quill pen.

"Here you go. ...Oh?"

The lady quickly scanned the form and widened her eyes at one point.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that High Elves are quite rare."

"Really? Are there no others of my kind here?"

"At least, you're the only one I've seen since I started this job."

Kena inwardly thought, "Oh no," and worried about the risk of being a rare race and possibly being traded.

Seeing her concern, the lady, who had been professional, smiled genuinely and waved her hands to reassure her.

"Don't worry. The capital has strict regulations against slavery. Besides, if anyone were to mistreat a High Elf, the High Priest would be furious."

In exchange for the form, she received a wooden tag with the number "4" written in the local language.

(What is my son threatening the common people with...)

"The card will be ready tomorrow. You can come by anytime to pick it up. Do you need an explanation of the guild's job requirements?"

"No, I think I'm good. The leader of the Flame Spear group explained it to me."

"Oh, you're a friend of Arbita. You should have mentioned that earlier."

She apologized for initially looking at Kena with a probing gaze.

Kena, who wasn't particularly bothered, left the counter and looked at the wall to the side. There, on a space about two meters high and four meters wide, were numerous pieces of paper, each about half the size of a postcard, densely packed together.

Each paper listed a simple request, the reward amount, and the name of the requester. Kena casually scanned them from one end.

(Something about capturing a monster for the arena committee? ...Urgent guard needed, the job is to guard a research mission? ...Would you like to join us in searching for a utopia? What is this? ...Investigate my husband's infidelity. Is this really an adventurer's job? ...Oh, this one)

Among them, a simple paper caught her eye, which read, "Please provide a potion. Reward: 2 silver coins." She immediately opened her item box to check its contents.

(Oh, the last of the minor potions I gave to Arbita and his group... I have some high potions I made a long time ago, but I wonder if they'll be appraised as being 200 years old...)

From the dozen or so bottles of red liquid (100 ml each) she had, she took one, shook it to confirm it wasn't clotted, and took it to the counter she had just left, along with the paper she had torn off.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, you're Kena, right? Is there something you need?"

"I don't have my card yet, but can I take this request for a potion?"

The lady at the counter took the paper and the potion, shook the bottle, and examined it closely. She seemed to be using a skill called "Appraisal." After a moment, she nodded deeply, put the potion away carefully, and stamped the request form.

"Sure, that's fine. But is this potion okay? It seems quite good."

"I haven't used it in a long time, so I can only hope it hasn't expired."

"Given its clarity, I don't think it has. Here, your reward of 2 silver coins."

"Thank you."

She put the silver coins in her item box and thanked the lady before leaving the counter and stepping out of the guild.

"Well, first, I should find an inn... I think Ailene said to go left from the guild... How many houses down was it again?"

It seemed that inns were clustered around the guild, and most of the signs she could see were for inns. They were mostly decorated with images of bedding or doorways.

Avoiding the crowd, she walked along the edge of the road and found a sign with a dog holding a bone. Nodding, she entered and found a space similar to the inn in the border village of Maleer.

Compared to the Maleer inn, this place was bustling with people.

However, looking around, she saw very few humans; instead, there were short, dog-faced dog people, slender cat people with cat ears the same color as their hair, upright dragon-like dragon people, dwarves, elves, and more.

A somewhat plump, middle-aged cat person, who seemed to be the innkeeper, greeted Kena with a scrutinizing look.

"First-timer, huh? You look like an elf. Are you staying or just eating?"

"Both, actually. Ailene recommended this place for a long stay."

The innkeeper, who had been wary, relaxed and smiled genuinely, patting her chest.

Kena couldn't help but wonder if being a bit plump was a requirement for being an innkeeper.

"Really, a recommendation from your husband. Don't surprise me like that."

"Is it a no for humans?"

"Well, there are still many humans who give us a hard time."

Relieved, the innkeeper went behind the counter and gestured for Kena to sit at a counter seat.

"Staying will cost 30 copper coins per night. It might be a bit expensive, but is that okay?"

"Then, I'll take five days' worth, please."

Kena handed over three silver coins and secured a place to stay for a while. She enjoyed the interaction with the various races she hadn't seen in a long time and savored the innkeeper's cooking before going to bed early that night.

The next day, Kena woke up early, brimming with excitement, and amused the innkeeper.

After quickly stuffing her stomach with breakfast, she set out to explore the capital.

In a nutshell, she was like a student on a school trip who had gone wild. For Kena, who had never experienced anything like school life, this was a new experience, and unfortunately, there was no one to stop her.

"First, I should get some supplies... Maybe I'll start over there."

Kena's gaze was drawn to the church building that stood majestically even from the shadows of other buildings.

However, her steps were halted by the many unusual items in the market she passed along the way.

She browsed through stalls selling props, textiles, and accessories, and eventually stopped at a section of the market where most of the stalls sold food.

"Oh, Kirina grass. I might as well buy some since I'm here?"

The round root with a flower similar to a white daisy was a material for potions. According to the stall owner, it was used to remove the smell from meat dishes, much like garlic. Kena, who had never cooked before, was unfamiliar with such things. She bought all the Kirina grass available, surprising the stall owner.

Next, she bought a heart from a bird called a Coltbaud, which was known for its spicy and delicious meat, from a stall selling organs. This quickly turned into a reality of Ailene's concerns.

With these two items, she could make a simple potion, so it was a good idea to always have a few on hand. In the past, she had to gather everything herself, so it was much easier now, and she felt a sense of nostalgia.

As she occasionally looked up at the Ryagayanma flying overhead and bought some skewers, she arrived at the Edged River's dock.

The dock was not a single place but a series of piers and moored boats along the residential area by the river, making it difficult to determine where the river's boundary began. However, among them, there were small sailboats for tourists and regular citizens.

This area had been expanded by adding more docks to the riverbank, and it was the narrowest part of the river. Even so, it was about 400 meters wide to the midstream island.

There were ways to walk on the water using magic, but she decided to take the regular sailboat to the other side, just for the experience.

From this side, the midstream island looked like a small island. On the right, a large white building, resembling St. Peter's Basilica without the dome, stood prominently, and Kena thought it looked like a wedding cake with a lot of cream.

In the center, a beautiful park with neatly planted trees spread out, and on the left, there were buildings that resembled a monastery, connected by cloisters.

This was the Royal Academy, open to anyone with the necessary qualifications, regardless of race or poverty.

Further to the left, there were large buildings that looked like sports arenas, where ships were built.

All this information was what she had heard from the inn the previous night.

She paid two copper coins for the round trip and boarded a wide sailboat with a capacity of twenty people.

The sailboat was a simple construction, with three long boats used for river cruises tied together side by side, with masts and sails added.

The river water was a deep navy blue and had low visibility.

During the great war, the defenders would hide underwater and attack those trying to cross from below, and sometimes friendly fire incidents would occur, which became a laughing matter.

As she reminisced, the boat slowly reached the other side, and the passengers dispersed in various directions.

Some young people headed towards the academy, while some older people went to the church.

Kena, taking in the surroundings, walked slowly and entered the church through the open main doors.

"Wow, it's like a mix of medieval architecture."

The interior was a patchwork of parts, from Greek marble columns to Byzantine and Gothic styles, reminiscent of a Japanese mixed MMO.

In front of the beautiful stained glass windows of the cathedral, a young nun was acting as a tour guide for visitors. After a moment's thought, Kena decided to ask a nearby older nun, "I'll give it a try."

"Is there something you need?"

"Um, I heard someone named Scalgo is here?"

"You mean the High Priest. Yes, he is here, but..."

"Can I meet him?"

Kena took a pleading pose, and the nun in front of her sighed and looked up at the sky, causing Kena's cheeks to twitch.

"The High Priest is a very busy person. You can only meet him if you have a prior appointment."

"Ah, I see. Well, I can't force it. I don't want to ruin that child's life with my selfishness."

"Child?"

"Well, that's it. I'll be going now."

The elf girl, who looked both disappointed and amused, saluted and left, leaving the nun with a puzzled look.

Kena, who had retreated from the church at a run, looked up at the buildings of the Royal Academy and headed towards the shipyard.

"Since I'm here, I might as well take a look."

On this side, the construction site was open, and it seemed that entering was not a problem as long as one did not interfere with the work.

However, it was necessary to be careful as wood and hammers might occasionally fly around, according to a dragon person she had met at the inn, who was an aspiring craftsman and a part-time adventurer studying at the academy.

"But still, where did the gathering points go?"

Kena's country was generally on the north side, where the land was black or purple, so she was not very familiar with the situation here. She had only heard about the guilds in the game or seen live broadcasts of the war situations in various countries in the lounge.

The gathering points here were somewhat dangerous. First, one had to gather materials to create a special item and throw it at the point