Chapter 86

Stepping out of the train, Aine took a deep breath and tightly held the letter containing the secret given to her by her mother.

---

Leaving the capital, it took about half a day to travel.

As they moved north over the long distance, she showed Ein unfamiliar landscapes.

Although they had heard that it was a land with harsh cold, they had already seen snow a few hours earlier, which surprised Ein.

The mountains that had been shining brightly in the afternoon were now showing their night faces under the large moon.

Suddenly, when she opened the window, the cold but fresh air filled Ein's lungs.

Just as the scenery she had been looking at began to fade like an illusion, the royal train finally arrived in Balt.

"The time is... yeah, we managed to arrive before the day changes."

Unlike regular trains, the royal train does not run on a fixed schedule.

This is because it adjusts its speed based on the conditions of the route, prioritizing safety.

However, this time, they arrived earlier than planned.

"Wh-What? It's so cold!? Is this really the same continent?"

"It is the same continent... Come here, Ein. Your neck will get cold, so let's keep it warm."

Ein was about to ask if she would be warmed, but of course, it was a misunderstanding.

A soft, long-fibered scarf. Krona wrapped it around Ein's neck.

They are about the same height now, but by the time the new year comes, Ein will probably surpass her.

Thinking back to the significant height difference they used to have, she could feel how much Ein had grown.

"Thank you, Krona. I didn't expect it to be this cold just by opening the door."

They didn't immediately leave the train upon arriving in Balt. They only went as far as the door leading outside from the lounge.

Even so, it was this cold. When she touched the window, she could feel the tips of her fingers freeze.

"So cold!? This is so cold!"

"Why did you even try... Here, give me your hand?"

Ein obediently extended her fingers, and Krona enveloped them in her palm, warming the cold fingers.

"Really, they're so cold... Ah, I'm worried about what's to come. What are you doing all of a sudden..."

"By the way, is the Crown Prince who makes an attendant do this kind of thing, like me, the first?"

"My, Your Highness, you are aware of it, aren't you?"

"...I'm sorry."

Even as she scolded, Krona only had gratitude for the one who cared for her fingers.

But the way she was holding her fingers seemed a bit provocative. Was it because her heart was dirty? ...I feel a bit guilty.

"Alright, that's it. ...Oh? What's wrong, your face is red. Are you blushing?"

"It's just from the cold."

"Huh... I understand, Your Highness."

If this continues, it will look like they came just to be affectionate.

...I'm glad Dil and the others are in a different car.

"Let's go then. This is our first landing in Balt."

She cleared her throat and regained her composure. She would hold back on being friendly with her for now.

Thus, Aine took her first step into the adventurer's town of Balt.

---

Crunch, crunch, they walked on the snow.

It wasn't deep enough to hide their feet, but in some places, it was deep enough to hide their shoes.

Looking at areas off the path, there were places where the snow exceeded 1 meter, suggesting that the roads were probably cleared.

"Lord Aine... It feels a bit strange, but it's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Come to think of it, we haven't seen each other since the morning of yesterday."

Dil was busy yesterday.

He was preparing for today's journey and had many meetings.

And this morning, they didn't see each other either. Dil and the others had gone to the train earlier to prepare.

Hearing this, Aine was grateful for their thorough preparation.

"That's right. Above all, I'm glad we arrived safely. ...So, um..."

She glanced at Lloyd standing next to her.

He seemed to want to say something but couldn't find the words.

"...In this case, it's appropriate to call you Lord Lloyd. Indeed, in the past, it would have been Marshal."

Lloyd, who was taught this by Dil, was wondering how to address him in this situation.

His father couldn't separate his public and private life, but he wasn't a marshal either. This was what gave him hesitation.

"When we're in this group, call me Father. It will be easier for you that way."

Looking around, Krona was on Aine's right, and Dil and Lloyd were walking on the opposite side.

"...That's what Dil said. ...Indeed, it's because you're incompetent that you're troubling His Highness, so be grateful."

"Sorry, Lord Aine... I will study again in areas like this..."

"It's fine. So, what did Dil want to say to Lloyd?"

Earlier, Dil had glanced at Lloyd and seemed to want to say something.

It seemed he had something to tell Aine.

"Ah, that's it. What Dil was about to say was probably about the command structure for this mission. As the highest authority in the group, including the royal guards, I will be in charge. I was going to tell you that."

"Ah, I see. But it makes sense, if Lloyd is here, everyone should learn from him. If possible, I'd like to hear what it feels like to have a son who aims to usurp his father."

"Hahahaha! I'll be honest!"

Aine's words seemed to hit the mark.

Dil, like Aine, was curious about what his father would say.

"Since you're hesitating about something like this now, let's go back to the desk first."

Start over from the basics. Lloyd's son showed a hint of regret as he looked at his father.

"...I can't deny it, but I will definitely make you say 'Gyafun' one day, Lord Aine."

"Heh. I'll be waiting, Dil."

It will be difficult to make this man say 'Gyafun'... But I won't forget to support Dil.

"Let's get back to the topic. So, the command and leadership of the guards and knights will be left to me. I will show the Crown Prince that I am not rusty."

Thinking back, this will be the first time I see Lloyd in command.

His skills, praised by Chris, will be one of the highlights of this mission.

"And Aine, any trivial matters related to the servants... No, all the servants will be handled by me. So, leave it to me."

"Understood. Wait, do I even need to be here?"

"Lord Aine, as our commander, you should remain composed."

"Indeed, if Lord Aine has an aura that only you can feel, please let us know."

In other words, if you feel anything about the Red Fox.

The influence of the Dullahan and the Elder Lich. There might be something special because of that.

In other words, it might not make much difference if you're not there.

"...Yeah. It's fluffy."

Thinking this, Aine felt a bit empty, so she enjoyed the softness of the cold-weather gear.

This cold-weather gear, wrapped in fur, was warm and had a good texture.

The scarf that Krona wrapped around her was fluffy and felt good.

"Even at night, many stores are open."

"Indeed, it is an adventurer's town. Many adventurers are about to start their work."

It's not something you'd want to think about, but many adventurers start their work at this cold hour because of the target monsters.

Therefore, many stores remain open.

"Unlike the capital and Isth, it's interesting to come to a city we don't usually visit."

The characteristic of Balt can be simply described as stone and bone, and iron.

Rocks that are closer to boulders and large bone signs can be seen.

As Chris mentioned when Aine was in Isth, there were many blacksmith buildings.

Do these blacksmiths not feel the cold?

They were smoking pipes and taking breaks in open storefronts. Their attire, consisting of overalls and tank tops, made them look very masculine.

Moreover, there were even open-air taverns with roofs, where the adventurous adventurers looked strong.

"That's right... By the way, Lord Aine, those large bones actually indicate the rank of the store."

Lloyd pointed to a large bone sign.

"The bones indicate the rank of the store? Lloyd, what do you mean by that?"

"To put it simply, those bones are expensive. So, large and sturdy bones indicate how prosperous the store is. However, obtaining such bones is extremely difficult and requires a lot of luck. Therefore, they serve as a clear indicator."

This was a unique aspect of an adventurer's town.

Upon checking, it was indeed true that larger stores used larger bones.

In other words, those stores were prosperous.

"Except for inns. For inns catering to tourists, even nobles stay, so there's not much difference from the capital or Isth."

The inn Aine and the others were heading to was the same. While the interior and atmosphere were adapted to the region, there were no large bones in front of the store like in taverns or blacksmiths.

"I see... By the way, it was quiet when we arrived, which was a relief."

"Come to think of it, is that so? Lord Lloyd, is the Crown Prince not usually welcomed by adventurers?"

Aine's question made Krona ask Lloyd.

"No, that's not the case. In fact, Lord Aine is highly regarded, having single-handedly defeated a sea dragon."

Lloyd's answer was the opposite, stating that Aine was highly regarded. This raised the question of why.

"Then why? I'm not saying they should welcome Aine, but it feels very different from the capital..."

"It's a simple matter. The information about Lord Aine's arrival is posted at the guild. But here's the problem."

Aine and Krona swallowed hard.

Dil also seemed curious about the reason and was staring at Lloyd.

"They don't read official communications from the country in any guild. So, it's probably the same this time. Hahaha!"

Indeed, while top adventurers read a lot of information, the majority don't check it in detail.

They often just take a job and head straight to the site.

It might be considered rude, but it's not something to nitpick about.

"I see..."

Emergency notifications like the sea dragon are posted, but other royal matters are posted in a separate section.

While Aine, as a royal, wished for more attention, she also felt a sense of joy at the adventurers' character.

---

"By the way, Aine, you have plans for tomorrow, so be prepared."

"Huh? I thought tomorrow was a day off."

Aine, who had arrived at the inn.

Most of the rooms were reserved for the investigation team she was leading.

There were some crafts and monster taxidermies in the hall.

In the room where Aine was staying, there were a few similar decorations.

However, since it was for tourists and nobles, most of the facilities were not much different from the capital or Isth.

While there were aspects that made her feel happy, there were also aspects that made her feel unsatisfied.

When she opened the window in the room, the cold wind blew in, and her breath turned white.

There was a small balcony, and Aine went there.

"It will get snowy, you know?"

"Come on, Krona. It's beautiful."

"...Alright, alright."

Thus, she came to stand next to Aine.

She had been trying to explain something earlier, but was drawn into Aine's pace.

"It's really beautiful..."

A fantastic scene appeared before their eyes.

The town of Balt, even at this late hour, had many stores open.

Compared to Isth, this town was not inferior, with warm lights shining in many places.

The illuminated lights and the large snowflakes falling steadily made it look like a snow globe with scattered jewels, beautiful indeed.

"To think that the Demon Lord's territory is near such a town. It's hard to understand."

"Oh, it might be the other way around?"

"...Huh?"

Feeling a bit cold, Krona naturally moved closer to Aine.

"Maybe the Demon Lords came first. They might have liked this snowy landscape first."

"...I see."

Thinking back to the image of the Demon Lord, it didn't seem entirely wrong.

With her beautiful silver hair and cute appearance, this snowy landscape would suit her.

"What kind of town was it?"

"...The Demon Lord's territory?"

"Yeah. Was there a beautiful landscape like what we're seeing now?"

"It might have been... Looking at this scenery, it makes you think so."

Would the town still be there? What remains in the old Demon Lord's territory? Aine was very curious.

Seeing Krona shiver a bit, Aine moved.

"Thank you..."

"You're welcome."

Aine put her coat on the cold-looking Krona.

She could have just closed the window, but neither of them wanted to leave this spot.

Krona also accepted Aine's care naturally.

In front of them, large snowflakes continued to fall, some as thick as a few centimeters.

"By the way, what plans do you have tomorrow?"

"Yes, there's a greeting scheduled. ...Just a little while ago. I wish they had informed us earlier."

Krona seemed dissatisfied and, unusually, complained.

"Am I going to greet someone?"

"No, someone is coming to greet you. It will only take a short time, so please bear with it?"

Aine, seeing Krona's apologetic expression, said, "Don't worry about it."

After all, she hadn't done anything wrong.

"That's fine. ...But who is coming to greet me?"

"Um... The lord of Balt. In terms of nobility, it's a baron."

"The lord is coming to greet me. That didn't happen in Isth..."

"Of course not. In Isth, your visit was kept secret, right?"

Indeed. Aine agreed with Krona's words.

Thinking back, because her presence was hidden, she encountered the troublesome Viscount Sage.

"Come to think of it, that's right