Chapter 65

The buildings near the castle were all about three to five stories tall. The streetscape, unlike that of Marshall Raid, made my heart race.

After passing through several narrow alleys between buildings, I had no choice but to follow the Duke, who was leading me by the hand, as I didn't know the way to Galleo's workshop.

(It's like a maze.)

I tried to remember the route in case we got separated, but it seemed too large to memorize.

"Such a complicated network of streets makes it easy to get lost."

"This is a fortress city, after all. It's intentionally designed to be confusing."

"Intentionally?"

Of course, there were also large, well-maintained roads for carts to pass through. The Duke, however, kept moving forward, saying this was a shortcut.

"Attacks aren't limited to monsters... That's what the previous dukes must have thought. But being confusing also means there are many blind spots. There are countless people with ill intentions. Maintaining order is a difficult task."

Indeed, I had already encountered patrolling knights in various places. When we passed through narrow streets, they always stopped and made way for us. It seemed they did this for everyone, and they didn't recognize the Duke in disguise, so we weren't stopped.

However, the residents were different. When they saw my clothes, they said "Congratulations" or whistled teasingly, and I began to understand the meaning of this 'Parushia' attire.

(Sure, we are engaged, so it's not wrong...)

I started to feel embarrassed meeting the eyes of people we passed, so I shifted my gaze to the buildings. When we arrived, I hadn't noticed much from the air, but the gray stone buildings were adorned with what looked like magic arrays everywhere.

(Ah, there too. Magic arrays and monster drawings?)

The drawings looked like children's doodles, but they caught my attention, and I tried to decipher the drawings and magic arrays on the wall. The Duke noticed my hesitation and immediately stopped.

"Does that interest you?"

"Yes, I've never seen a magic array with a drawing before."

"Is that so?"

The Duke stopped to explain. Among the three magic arrays, one was familiar to me.

"The magic script here is to ward off Nels."

"Ah, they are everywhere, aren't they? By the way, the magic array next to it is also for Nels, right? The residents here seem to really dislike Nels."

Nels are long-bodied pests that primarily feed on grains. In Marshall Raid, we also drew magic arrays to ward off Nels in the kitchen and grain storage. However, the contents of the magic arrays seemed slightly different.

"Your Highness, if that's the case, is this cute monster drawing also a magic array to ward off Nels?"

It had a round head with a large single eye and a long, thin tail. I tried to recall if there was a similar creature among the monsters I knew, but none seemed to match.

"That is a 'Baldryus,' a monster that once lived deep in the Elzenie Great Forest. It is an ancient dragon that is now extinct. According to legend, it could see everything with its eye, so it is drawn here to ward off thieves."

"Baldryus. It looks more like a round-bodied snake than a dragon. Hehe, it's quite charming."

The Duke then said, "Is it cute, that thing?"

"Yes, I think it has very cute eyes. I don't know how it tastes, though."

"You're the only one who cares about the taste of a Baldryus. But, since it's only a legend, there's no way to confirm. I'm sorry I can't let you taste it."

"Hehe, there are many delicious-looking monsters in the Elzenie Great Forest. Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."

I thanked the Duke with a smile. Even though the worship of spirits isn't widespread, it's rare for someone to respect my unusual interests.

The Duke then made a subtle, indescribable face.

"By the way, Melfi."

"What is it?"

"Technically, we are incognito, or rather, we are concealing our identities as the lord and his fiancée."

I realized my mistake. I had been unconsciously calling him "Your Highness" all this time. Even in the town of our own domain, it was careless to do so without a guard.

I was about to apologize, but the Duke placed a finger on my lips.

"There's no need to apologize. Just, from now on, call me 'Aristide' or 'Roger.'"

"Aristide... or Roger?"

"Yes. Roger is a name I rarely use, but it's perfect for being incognito."

The Duke, who seemed to be hiding his embarrassment with a light cough, made me repeat "Roger" softly. Since his full name is Aristide Roger, I decided to use "Roger" for our incognito mission. Both names were embarrassing for me to call, as I wasn't used to them.

The Duke, as if to push me further, said,

"It's a bit sad to be called 'Your Highness' by my fiancée all the time..."

I had no choice but to try harder. Eventually, we would call each other by our names as a married couple, so it was good practice. Besides, I had been able to call him by his name without thinking (or so I thought).

"I'll try... Roger."

"Yes, yes, that name is no longer called by anyone. It feels fresh!"

The Duke's genuine smile made me happy too.

As we walked hand in hand, the residents whistled and cheered us on. The Duke waved and smiled at them, but I, a novice fiancée, couldn't do that!

After walking for a while, we reached a large street. It was bustling with people, and shops lined both sides of the road. There were many stalls, making it feel like the capital.

The buildings on this street were all impressive.

(Oh? Those people...)

I noticed a particularly sturdy building. A sign reading "Galbreath Hunting Association" hung from the five-story building, and a group of people with a different aura from the knights gathered at the entrance.

"Roger, are those hunters?"

Compared to the hunters in Marshall Raid, they were all well-built. Moreover, the weapons they held were clearly not for hunting. They gave off a vibe closer to 'mercenaries' than hunters.

"Technically, yes. They are 'monster hunters' permitted to enter the Elzenie Great Forest."

"Oh, you need permission to enter the great forest?"

I had never heard that before. Indeed, the vast Elzenie Great Forest is entirely within the Galbreath domain, so it makes sense to have a permit system. However, it was surprising that people would seek permission to enter a forest full of dangerous monsters.

The Duke must have seen the surprise on my face and explained.

"Anyone could enter before, but seventeen years ago, monsters became more active, leading to many injuries and deaths. Additionally, some monsters provide rare materials that are valuable to Galbreath. Therefore, we established regulations and an organization to manage the hunters."

"Valuable materials... Yes, the feathers of Bergenyon and the fur of Royamoodler are very precious."

Monsters possess horns, tusks, and hides that are highly sought after by the nobles and merchants in the capital. These materials can only be obtained by someone taking the risk to hunt them. The Galbreath Hunting Association is made up of people who make a living by selling such materials.

"Unfortunately, the Galbreath knights alone can't keep up with the monster hunts. The monster hunters also serve as a military force. It's a mutual relationship. However, to prevent the deterioration of public order, the knights must keep a close eye on things. That's how the world works."

I see, it's an organization formed by mutual interests. As the flow of people increases, so does the flow of goods, leading to the development of the city. However, with the good comes the bad. The 'Baldryus' anti-thief magic array must have been implemented for such reasons.

"By the way, I'm considering organizing a 'Monster Food Association' in the future."

"That's a big project."

"What are you saying so casually? Of course, you will be the president, Melfi."

I was so surprised by his serious tone that I inadvertently pulled on the Duke's hand. A Monster Food Association? President?

"We need to establish proper procedures to use your research correctly. Once the monster food industry is on track, it will be busy."

"My research?"

"Yes. However, it's a somewhat dangerous technology, so we will need to regulate and monitor it for a while."

Could such a dream come true? The research my mother and I have been doing for the benefit of the people might finally see the light of day.

Even though I knew I shouldn't get my hopes up, I was happy that the Duke was thinking so much about it, and I squeezed his hand. He squeezed mine back firmly.

"Today is the first step toward that goal. Melfi, we've arrived. That's Galleo's workshop."

We had reached a street lined with metal and weapon shops and stopped in front of a particularly impressive building. The large, thick wooden door had a drawing of crossed swords and battle axes. A metal sign read "Lusseur Workshop," and in the center of the thick door, a massive sword, about my height, was embedded.