Chapter 13

"Be careful, Rio-kun."

"Yes, thank you, Tonos-san. I really appreciate you giving me a ride this far."

Tonos-san and Fred-san were such good people that I felt guilty for being on guard, thinking something might happen. I was able to come to the port without being noticed by my family, and I felt lucky.

"Oh, by the way, this is a small thing, but if you'd like, you can use it."

"Huh? Is this a magic tool?"

"It's not much, but I thought it might make the inside of your magic car a bit more comfortable."

As a token of gratitude to Tonos-san, who had often treated me to lunch and refused to accept the fare, I gave him a magic tool I had made during the journey. It was a simple device that could be used for heating and cooling, but it was small and compact, utilizing the attributes of a magic stone. I hadn't even drawn a blueprint, and I had adjusted the magic circuit core by hand, so it couldn't be mass-produced. To mass-produce it, the magic core would need to be standardized, and the magic circuit would need to be improved. If Cornelia-sama saw it, she would probably frown, but it would be better than nothing.

In ancient times, only magic tools with a similar structure to the one I made were created. For heating, a fire-attribute magic stone was needed, and for cooling, an ice-attribute magic stone was required. Only the wealthy could use them because they had to transport magic stones from hot countries to cold ones and vice versa.

Now, with the development of technology that strips magic stones of their attributes and uses them as pure power, such restrictions no longer exist. However, as Tonos-san had bought, there were still magic stones with poor attribute processing on the market. He had bought them from a store that was out of stock of guild-certified magic stones.

Usually, when the attributes are stripped, the magic power also decreases significantly, and in severe cases, it can cause the magic tool to malfunction. However, the supply of guild-certified processed magic stones cannot keep up with the demand, so there are times when unlicensed magic stones must be used.

I had known about the supply and demand of magic stones in theory, but this was the first time I had experienced it firsthand in a world where high-quality magic stones were abundant.

For someone like Tonos-san, who frequently travels from north to south for business, he could buy ice-attribute magic stones in cold regions and fire-attribute magic stones in hot regions to use in different climates. Once the attributes in the magic stones were used up, neither warm nor cold air would come out, and there would be no temperature control. If the air conditioning was too strong, the only option would be to switch the device on and off.

The high-end magic cars used by the Aggette family had built-in heating and cooling systems, but they were designed with the engine's internal structure in mind. Tonos-san's car didn't have such a system, so I made something that could be easily attached to the window and the car body, covering the gap. This also helped with heat dissipation to the outside air.

One advantage was that once the attributes were used up, even a second-rate magic stone could be used more safely. If it broke down in a remote area, it could be dangerous.

However, it would only be useful for someone like Tonos-san, who travels to both the north and the south.

"Ah, welcome back, Fred-san. Thank you for your help as well."

Feeling relieved to have repaid my debt, I greeted Fred-san, who had been away from his seat. I gave him a potion, thinking he could never have too many.

"Well, I don't know if I helped much. You always took care of the meals when we were outdoors... Ah, thinking about going back to bland travel food makes me sad."

"Hehe, I'm honored to hear that."

According to the story, I was supposed to leave on the afternoon ship today, so I was saying goodbye to the two of them. Tonos-san, with a good-natured smile, said, "Let me know when you open your own workshop," and I waved back with a smile, blending into the crowd at the port.

Now, they think I went to the ticket office for the ship. Without a proper ID, I can't leave the country by normal means. Moreover, there are soldiers at the ticket window, clearly on guard.

They must be looking for me on the duke's orders. When I went abroad with my brother Germain for diplomatic reasons, there were no such stern-looking people. I don't think it's just my paranoia. It's been ten days since I left home, and the investigation is still intense.

I can't afford to be suspected at all. If I'm suspected, they will eventually find out that I'm the runaway daughter of the Aggette family.

What should I do? Sneaking onto a ship through shady means is a bit much. I want to leave the country, but I don't want to commit a crime. Perhaps I should cross the border on foot. Keldu is close to the neighboring country. However, I should probably stay in town today to avoid accidentally running into Tonos-san or Fred-san.

I entered a relatively large, old but clean inn on a major street. I chose it because it was not entirely family-run and had employees. A place where the relationship between guests and staff is more casual is better. Larger inns might be more distant, but it's often difficult to stay without an ID in a larger place. It's better not to take the risk.

The first floor was a restaurant, and I could see a girl, who seemed to be the daughter of the inn, working as a waitress. There were adventurers among the guests, but the atmosphere was not rough. I chose this place for safety reasons.

I paid a slightly higher than average room rate and was shown to my room, even though it was still early. I didn't want my face to be remembered at the reception, so I put on my coat again. I planned to have dinner at the restaurant and stay inside until the next day.

My worry about how to get on the ship was quickly resolved. The next day, I heard about regular ship travel from a foreign man staying at the same inn. Apparently, for the cheaper cabins on civilian ships, anyone could board as long as they paid the fare.

I had only experienced traveling with Germain's diplomatic mission, so I had assumed the process would be the same as when Anna, who accompanied me, went through the procedures. But it seems that was a special case. I didn't have to submit any documents because of the Aggette family's status, but I thought crossing the border by ship usually required some paperwork.

It turned out that the strict checks were only for the diplomatic ship. I had been trying to figure out how to get a different ID to avoid the military's attention, but it was all for nothing.

I almost regretted stepping in to help a guest who was having trouble communicating with the inn staff, but it was worth it. Because no one else understood the language, I could ask detailed questions about the ship travel without drawing attention. Only one person in the prince's office and two in the foreign ministry could speak the language of the Blue Country, so there was no risk of the military finding out about my "I want to travel alone for the first time" inquiries.

It seems I can board the ship without any problems, so I might as well leave the country early. I don't think they can keep searching for a runaway daughter for that long, and in a week, the people conducting the checks might relax, making it easier to leave. But I don't want to wait that long. Even now, the investigation doesn't seem to be that strict. They might recognize my face, but unless they know me personally, they won't realize I'm Lilianna based on appearance alone.

I feel guilty about the inconvenience I've caused, but I hope they can accept that Lilianna, who was never acknowledged by her family, had no sense of responsibility.

The next day, I checked the bulletin board for the earliest available cabin on a ship to one of my chosen countries and bought a ticket. I was a bit nervous about the soldiers at the ticket office, but I was relieved when nothing happened.

I stopped at a market I happened to pass by and saw a used musical instrument. The price tag said it was broken, but it still seemed usable. For some reason, I was very drawn to the old vial, and I ended up buying it.

The departure is in three days. I don't have anything to do, so maybe I'll spend the time repairing this instrument. I should be able to fix it well enough for an amateur like me to play.