Chapter 41

"Alright, let's talk about what's next."

Beside the twins who were curled up in their coats, Aldis began to speak.

It was dawn on the prairie.

After spending the first night out of the city of Tria, Aldis and the others were preparing breakfast while discussing their future plans.

"I think we should head for the capital."

Traveling southwest from Tria for about five days on foot would lead them to the capital of the Naglas Kingdom, Gran.

"From there, we have three options: stay in the capital, go to the Union of City-States, or go to the Empire."

To the west of the Naglas Kingdom, there exist various small and medium-sized city-states, each independent.

These city-states form a loose alliance, resembling a confederation.

To the southeast of the kingdom lies the Empire of Ermenia, a country ruled by an emperor.

Located in the southeastern part of the Robles continent, this country has had a long-standing feud with the Naglas Kingdom, and they have frequently engaged in conflicts throughout history.

Currently, both countries consider each other as potential enemies, or in other words, sworn foes.

"Is the north not an option?"

"That country... well..."

North of Tria, across the plain, lies the Republic of Bronchel.

It is a republic where the president is elected by the wealthy class, and the country itself is prosperous, but the reason it is not an option is due to the strong patriarchal culture.

"If we go to the Republic, Nere will be in trouble. In that country, female mercenaries are not recognized."

In Bronchel, it is rare for women to have jobs.

By law, only men can hold public office, and in the private sector, there are almost no employers who hire women.

Naturally, only men have the right to vote.

Aldis does not want to take the twins to such a country, so he did not consider it as an option from the beginning.

"The Empire doesn't seem like a comfortable place to live either. If we're going to leave the country, the Union of City-States is probably the best option."

The Empire of Ermenia has a strong aristocratic mindset and is not a particularly comfortable place to live.

On the other hand, the Union of City-States, with its strong independence in each city, is more tolerant of diverse values.

While the lack of strong national unity is a drawback, in terms of livability, it is not much different from the kingdom.

"Let's first observe the situation in the capital. If there's a capture order from the country, we'll head west to the Union of City-States."

Having decided on their immediate plan, Aldis and the others rested during the day and started moving when night fell.

Traveling by air at night is better to avoid being seen, and they were also wary of pursuers from Tria.

There were no signs of pursuers, and Aldis and the others flew through the night, reaching near the capital by morning. They then hid in a forest about two hours' walk from the capital.

"First, we need a temporary place to stay."

Aldis began the conversation.

It was unclear how the capture incident in Tria had been reported to the capital.

While it was unlikely that the news had reached the capital before Aldis and the others, if there were any prior arrangements, they couldn't just walk into the capital.

It would be better to gather information and lie low in the capital for a few days.

Moreover, in case of an emergency, one of them—Aldis or Nere—should enter the capital alone to gather information.

They would set up a temporary base here, with one person gathering information in the capital and the other guarding the twins.

When Aldis explained this to Nere, she agreed readily, saying, "If my lord says so."

"Nere, please drive away any dangerous beasts in the area. And bring back some prey for food."

"Understood, my lord."

Though not as extensive as the Forest of Kosus, it was an area untouched by human hands. Carnivorous beasts were naturally present.

There was no need to eliminate them all, but they didn't want them to come close.

Nere would understand Aldis's intentions and skillfully drive the beasts away.

"Then, I'll start setting up the base."

"Is Aldis building a house?"

"Is Aldis building a big house?"

The twins, who had slept well during the day, were energetic despite it being night.

They clung to Aldis, asking curiously.

"It's more like a hut. For now, we just need something to shelter us from the rain and wind."

Since it was still early, Aldis cast a faint magical light to avoid making it too bright and began digging up trees with magic.

He cut off excess branches and roots with the wind, compacted the soil to create a foundation, and stacked logs on top.

He used fresh logs without drying them, as this was only a temporary home, and time was precious.

For the ceiling, he laid logs side by side and covered them with baked clay tiles to protect from the rain.

He dried the leaves with magic and spread them inside as a makeshift bed.

Occasionally, beasts drawn by the sound and light approached, but Aldis calmly hunted them with short swords while working.

The twins clung to him, but it was better than having them wander off and be attacked by beasts, so he continued working without paying them much attention.

Within two hours, Aldis completed the temporary base, carried the tired twins inside, and sat down with a floating light.

(Maybe I should have made the floor a bit flatter.)

He frowned at the uncomfortable seating, despite the dried leaves.

He cut down a few more trees, split them into boards, and laid them inside.

"I'm back, my lord."

Nere returned while he was doing this, carrying two prey animals in her hands.

"Good work. How was it?"

"There weren't any particularly tough ones. There's no need to worry much. Also, there's a swamp nearby. The water is dirty and unusable, but there might be groundwater since there's no river. It's worth digging a well."

"A well... Let's dig one tomorrow. For today, rest."

"I'll prepare the prey first. You should rest, my lord."

She lifted the prey to chest height and went outside.

It was almost dawn, about an hour before sunrise.

(When the sun rises, I'll make breakfast. Dig a well. Build a fence around the hut. Explore the area. Eliminate dangerous beasts. And... maybe improve the interior a bit.)

Feeling Nere's presence outside, Aldis wrapped himself in his coat and began to sleep.

The next day, Aldis and Nere started to set up their temporary base and the surrounding living environment.

After the sun fully rose, they had a late breakfast with the meat Nere had prepared and immediately began their work.

"First, let's dig a well."

Aldis used magic to test the ground around the hut and found water on the third try.

He dug a bit further and chose the spot with the best water quality and quantity to set up the well.

Next, they cut down more trees, cut them to the right length, and built a fence around the hut in a diagonal grid pattern.

Thanks to their abundant magical power, it took only about three hours to complete the well and the fence, which would have taken over ten days with manual labor.

The twins, unaware of the extraordinary nature of the scene, were delighted by the new facilities being added one after another.

"Aldis, what are you making next?"

"Aldis, let's make something big!"

"Let's wait for now."

"Aww!"

The twins pouted, disappointed.

Compared to when they first met, their expressions had become much richer.

In Tria, they had been afraid of being seen, but here, humans were unlikely to come by.

Thinking about it, it might be better to live in such a place rather than in the city, as long as the twins' safety was ensured.

(Maybe I'll make a garden and a playground later...)

Adding this to his plans, Aldis called out to Nere.

"I'm going to explore the area. Please take care of Filia and Liana."

"My lord, if it's exploration or driving away beasts, I should go."

"No, I need to understand the surroundings myself. I'll be back by 'Pale Sky.'"

Aldis entered the forest, dealing with carnivorous beasts he encountered along the way.

He walked in a circle about a thirty-minute walk from the hut.

As Nere had said, there was a swamp nearby, and aquatic creatures like 'Carapace Cows' and 'Crawlers' were living there, which was unusual for a forest.

But that was the only peculiar thing.

The beasts they encountered were not much of a threat to Aldis and his companions, and there were no monsters.

The only humans who would come to such a place were mercenaries.

Since it was far from the road, it was unlikely that merchants or travelers would wander in.

It was a good location for a temporary base.

Aldis caught two small beasts as a gift and returned to the hut before dark.

The next day, Aldis built a playground for the twins inside the fence and left Nere in charge while he entered the forest again.

He drove away any beasts that could be dangerous to the twins with overwhelming force and eliminated any foolish ones that approached.

He also actively hunted for food.

They still had food from Tria, but it would be difficult to go hunting while carrying the twins.

They needed to stock up while both Aldis and Nere were present.

Fortunately, both Aldis and Nere had cheat-level magical power.

Creating an ice storage and maintaining it was easy for them.

Five days had passed since they left Tria.

It was the time it would take a traveling merchant to reach the capital from Tria.

The messenger's horse would have arrived long ago.

It was a good time to enter the capital and gather information on how the Tria incident had been reported.

"Nere, please take care of the twins and the base."

"Understood, my lord. Leave it to me."

Since they were leaving the twins behind, one of them—Aldis or Nere—needed to stay.

While either would be fine in terms of strength, emotionally, Aldis wanted to stay.

However, if the Tria incident had led to a capture order in the capital, it would be unwise to draw attention.

Considering this, Nere's appearance would be too noticeable.

After some thought, Aldis decided to go to the capital.

Fortunately, the twins had become more accustomed to Nere, and he felt confident leaving them with her.

His trust in Nere had also increased significantly.

"I'll be back by tomorrow evening or night."

"Aldis, have a good trip!"

"Aldis, don't forget to bring back a souvenir!"

With the twins' farewells, Aldis used 'Floating Step' to leave the forest.

It was probably too early for the capital's gates to be open.

Fortunately, he did not encounter any humans on the road.

He walked along the road for about forty minutes and arrived at the north gate of the capital without being seen.

The capital of the Naglas Kingdom, Gran.

With a population of about 300,000, it is the largest city in the Naglas Kingdom and one of the largest on the Robles continent.

Located south of the Canobis Mountains, Gran, like Tria, is a famous coastal city known for its beautiful scenery.

It is a major crossroads where the trans-continental highway and the road leading to the southeastern part of the continent intersect.

Traveling northeast from the city would lead to Tria and then the Republic of Bronchel, west to the Union of City-States, and southeast to the Empire of Ermenia.

Gran has flourished as a trading city since ancient times, attracting people, goods, and vast wealth from across the continent.

Its wealth has even pushed Gran, once a city-state, to become a kingdom with a vast territory.

The capital is composed of the old city, with houses dating back to the city-state era, and the new city, which was expanded after the kingdom was established.

The old and new cities are separated by a wall that surrounds the old city, a remnant of the city-state era.

Originally, the new city was built with plenty of space, but Gran's population has continued to grow, and the available land for development has become scarce.

There are suggestions to expand parts of the outer wall, but the high cost and the current tense relationship with the Empire make it difficult to implement.

Aldis recalled the story he had heard from Noris as he walked toward the outer wall at a normal pace.

The soldiers were just preparing to open the gate.

(Well, I hope I don't get stopped at the gate...)

Hiding his tension, Aldis called out to the gatekeeper.

"Can I go through soon?"

"Yeah, just wait a bit. We'll be ready soon."

The gatekeeper answered without changing his attitude when he saw Aldis's face.

It seemed the gatekeeper had not received any specific instructions.

Aldis waited, looking around while the gate preparations were completed.

"You're up early."

The gatekeeper spoke, probably indicating that the preparations were complete.

"I actually wanted to enter the capital last night. I was attacked by a Glass Wolf on the way and couldn't make it before the gates closed."

"Wow, that's tough. You're lucky to be... Are you a mercenary?"

"Do I look like a merchant?"

"Well, you don't look like a merchant..."

The gatekeeper smiled kindly.

"I see, you're a talented mercenary despite your youth. But camping alone is dangerous. We can't delay the closing of the gates, but we can turn a blind eye to camping in front of the gate. There are night guards and bonfires, so it's safer than camping in the open. I recommend you try to reach here even if it means pushing yourself a bit next time."

Aldis's caution eased a bit with the gatekeeper's friendly attitude.

He paid the 'gate tax' and completed the formalities to enter the city.

During this time, merchants and mercenaries leaving the capital passed by Aldis.

The number of early risers was a testament to the capital's importance.

"Alright, you're good to go. Is this your first time in the capital? If so, I need to give you some advice."

"No, I've been here before."

"I see. Then there's nothing I need to tell you."

Aldis thanked the gatekeeper and stepped into the early morning air of the capital.

(First, I need to confirm the escape route and secure a place to stay for tonight.)

Aldis looked around and disappeared into a back alley.

2017/11/02 Typo correction: 様子伺い → 様子窺い

2019/07/30 Typo correction: 登り切って → 昇り切って

*Thank you for reporting the typos.*

2020/01/27 Misuse correction: 様子窺い → 様子を伺い