Chapter 77

The next morning, after finishing breakfast, we gave instructions to the soldiers in our own camp about what to do next.

We wouldn't suddenly withdraw the entire army. There are still many monsters that have overflowed from the dungeon due to the flood, and the adventurers of Arkland alone can't handle them.

So, the soldiers formed several squads to help thin out the monsters.

We loaded everyone onto the carriage pulled by Kokuyou and I sat on the driver's seat.

"Kokuyou, I'm counting on you to get us to the city."

Kokuyou responded with a nod and slowly started moving. Since there was no need to hold the reins, I used the Exploration skill while keeping an eye out for any monsters around us, but none approached us.

Kokuyou itself is a B-rank monster, so any lower-level monsters wouldn't be a match for it.

Kokuyou's carriage, which moves faster than ordinary horses, arrived in the city of Arkland before dark.

The advance riders must have already reported, as the soldiers were lined up and waiting.

In the center stood a young man, probably around twenty years old, dressed in noble attire.

...Could he be Rize's brother, the lord of this region? His face does resemble hers.

Kokuyou slowed down and stopped in front of the young man who looked like Rize's brother.

"We've arrived. By the way, Rize, isn't that your brother...?"

In response to my words, Rize, who had peeked out of the small window, frowned and glared at the young man.

"...That's my brother. That damn brother of mine. He shows up so casually now that the crisis is over..."

This was completely different from the usual Rize. She had never used such language before.

"Anyway, let's all get down."

I got down from the driver's seat and opened the carriage door.

From there, Shal, Al, Rize, and Myra got down.

The young man, recognizing Rize, approached us.

"Oh, Rize. I'm glad you're safe. And Princess, Miss Artoria. I deeply appreciate your sending troops this time. Hey, you there, adventurer. Move the carriage quickly."

...Is he talking to me...?

I couldn't help but say, "Huh?"

"Hey, don't make me say it twice. How dare an adventurer stand there in front of a princess and a lord! I'll have you charged with disrespect!"

Everyone was taken aback by the young man's words.

However, Rize seemed to have an idea and relaxed her expression.

"Brother, you're quite late. Thanks to the help of the princesses, we've successfully cleared the dungeon. We even managed to resolve the conflict with the Generate Kingdom without any issues."

She deliberately didn't mention me.

Rize disliked her brother. I remember the guild master also called him "that bastard" and said he was the type to run away when things got difficult...

"Hmph, I had to make various requests in the capital. This city was the first to be occupied and suffered significant damage. I had to go around and ask various nobles for help with the reconstruction. What about you? Could you have done such a thing? To be honest, I even asked that hero of the nation for help."

A typical noble. And he's asking me? I couldn't help but chuckle. Rize is actively working for the city, yet her brother is so different...

I couldn't help but look at Rize.

"Yes, thanks to Brother's efforts in the capital, the princesses were able to come and help. Arriving later than the princesses... Could it be that you were trembling in fear in the capital?"

Rize was deliberately provoking her brother. Gradually, her brother's mood worsened, and his gaze turned to Kokuyou.

"Hmph, I was busy too. Anyway, hey, you there, adventurer. Is that carriage yours?"

"Yes, it's mine, but... what's the matter?"

Indeed, my carriage is impressive. It's an item, and the ride is extremely comfortable. Plus, it's pulled by a black obsidian horse. It might even be better than the emperor's carriage.

The moment he heard it was mine, the lord, who is Rize's brother, relaxed his expression.

"I'll buy it along with the horse. How about three gold coins? That's a fortune for an adventurer, right? No complaints, right?"

Everyone was speechless again.

Of course, I was too. But it was so typical that it almost made me laugh.

"Of course, I refuse. I have no intention of giving you either Kokuyou or the carriage."

My firm rejection left the brother speechless.

Does he think that any adventurer would obey a noble's words...?

As his face turned red with anger, Rize sighed and stepped forward.

"Rize, get out of the way! You there, adventurer. Do you know who I am—"

"That's enough, Brother. I haven't introduced you yet. This is—Touya von Kisharagi—Duke. Yes, Brother, you've probably heard of him, the 'Hero of the Nation.' He is also the greatest contributor to the successful clearing of the dungeon this time."

"......Huh?"

The lord, Rize's brother, opened his mouth wide in shock. He then looked at Shal, who nodded vigorously without a word.

His face, which had been red, gradually turned blue, and when he met my gaze, it turned white.

I smiled gently, and he stood at attention, trembling.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Touya von Kisharagi. I've been helped by Miss Rize Lotte. Please take care of me."

As I greeted him and extended my right hand, he clasped it with both hands.

"Y-Yes, nice to meet you! Meeting the Duke of Kisharagi, the 'Hero of the Nation,' is a great honor! A-Ah... I apologize for my earlier behavior... I don't know what to say..."

"Well, anyone can make a mistake, but many adventurers were injured while protecting the city from this flood. Please be careful not to treat them like this in the future."

"Y-Yes! I will be careful in the future!"

He nodded vigorously, and Shal chuckled.

"Brother, how long do you plan to keep the princess waiting?! She just returned from the dungeon, so please guide her to the mansion."

Rize urged her brother, who then hurriedly led us to the mansion.

We got into my carriage and slowly made our way through the city.

Of course, I sat on the driver's seat. The lord initially hesitated but no one else could control Kokuyou, so it couldn't be helped.

Once we moved to the mansion, I was given a private room to rest.

Honestly, my own mansion is more comfortable, but I couldn't refuse just because of that. I called out to Felis in the room, but she only said, "I don't like this mansion" and returned to the spirit stone at my neck.

I've never heard her say that about my item house. I don't understand the difference, but there's no point in worrying about it, so I lay down on the bed.

I was to spend about a week in this mansion.

There was nothing to do, but the soldiers were hunting monsters around the dungeon with the adventurers. I couldn't return to the capital immediately, so I had to stay in the mansion until the adventurer guild and the lord declared it safe.

I actually wanted to go into the forest to level up...

"Such a duke and head of the family cannot be allowed to do the cleanup of monsters!"

Every day, my brother, Jade, comes to my room to stop me. Moreover, he comes to my room, so I can't do anything.

The reason he comes to my room is to hear about the rescue operation of the emperor and the recapture of the capital. It's good that he listens with shining eyes every time, but I have to repeat the same story, which gradually makes me feel less enthusiastic.

It's so troublesome that I decided to escape to Shal's room. Shal shares a room with Al, and as a princess, she has the largest room in the mansion.

"Lord Touya, I'll make some tea now."

"Sure, thank you."

Shal makes tea for me as I relax on the sofa.

I reach for the cup and enjoy the tea, savoring its aroma.

"Good, it's delicious. By the way, where's Natalie?"

"Natalie is hunting with the adventurers. She wants to level up more."

Natalie, known as the "Sage of Twilight," is a famous court magician but not a noble, so she can go hunting with the adventurers without any restrictions.

"Sounds nice... I wish I could go too."

I feel so stressed dealing with Lord Jade that I want to release it through hunting.

"If Lord Touya went hunting, all the monsters around would disappear."

Shal, sitting across from me, sipped her tea elegantly and chuckled.

Jade, the lord, doesn't come into this room, which is fitting for a princess.

"I came to this city to relax, but now I want to go hunting more than relax..."

I came to this city to relax, but after being involved in various troubles and finally having some peace, I feel lonely.

It's strange how people can feel, but I drink my tea.

"It should be over in a few days, so let's relax until then. In the capital, we didn't have such a chance to be together, so I'm actually happy about it."

Shal, with a slight blush, made me scratch my head in embarrassment.

"Indeed, these past few months