Sheryl Tusin Ogatorf
Sheryl Tusin Ogatorf
Once the escort unit's schedule was settled, they departed without hesitation at dawn the next day.
When I asked Ragnis where Gies was, she said that if he came to the capital with us straight away, the Noble Faction might catch wind of it and it could become dangerous, so they'd decided to set him up with lodgings in Ogwen for the time being and leave him there.
Still, even if he couldn't be a witness, he'd at least be able to loosely track a few people connected to the Noble Faction, and if his alignment with the Royal Faction was exposed, he might end up receiving an assassin gift basket.
Still, after having flown through the sky together, it felt like a shame to leave without seeing his face even once, but we'd meet again someday.
"So, what are you going to do?"
As I sprawled out on one side of the carriage—far too spacious for just the two of us—indulging in luxury, Ragnis, who'd been giving me disapproving looks, suddenly asked.
"Huh?"
But I was still dwelling on the lingering ache of that goodbye while enjoying the carriage's perfectly smooth ride, so it took me a beat to realize what she was asking.
"Lord Ekaf's offer and my offer. Have you decided which one you'll accept?"
"Of course I'll stay at Lord Ekaf's place. What kind of obvious question is... agh!"
"Why is that obvious?!"
Though I was kicked in the side in a surprise attack, I felt utterly wronged.
Seriously, think about it. If the choice was between living at Ragnis's villa while it was being brought back into use and commuting to Ekaf's manor every day, or staying at his house as a guest while getting the same structured meals and training as his family's soldiers, wasn't the second option obviously better?
Just in case, I reevaluated with a cool-headed intellect, but the latter was still the clear winner.
"The two options aren't even comparable. You're still young, so you don't understand how much commute time can wreck your quality of life."
Having suffered through a two-hour-one-way commute in my past life, I prided myself on being more aware of that importance than anyone in this world.
But Ragnis, who had no way of knowing about such experiences of mine, just kept puffing out her cheeks and hitting me the entire time.
The journey, continued with silly pranks, was certainly smooth. No matter how many crazy, kill-crazed psychos the world might be crawling with, only a tiny fraction of nutjobs would try to raid or attack a procession of this size.
On top of that, one of the King's Ten Swords and a battle mage who looked capable of snapping a barbarian warrior's neck were radiating an extraordinary presence at the front. Even a once-in-a-century madman would probably have the sense to step aside.
Because of that, the only things we had to do were watch the scenery go by, eat, and sleep, so even Ragnis had so much energy that she'd turned this violent.
"Maybe if the interference kept up even after you came to the capital, but since we've already concluded they won't dare try anything for a while, why would I turn down Lord Ekaf's offer and live at your place, ugh! Aagh! Just let me... finish! Let me finish talking!"
"You clueless little shit! You're just asking for a beating! A beating!"
Those were days of suffering beneath wholly unjustified violence, but naturally I refused to change my mind.
◈
The capital, which we reached after six days, was a massive metropolis that far surpassed my imagination.
Honestly, with Ogwen being like that and stories I'd picked up here and there, I'd lived without much expectation for this other world's civilization. Of course, Ogwen maintained a culture closer to a medieval fantasy you'd only see in games rather than a gritty realistic medieval setting, but even with that, it was hard to call it clean or refined even as empty flattery.
But the capital was different. It was so clean, refined, and magnificent that nobody could look at it and call it anything but fantasy. It had a kind of grandeur completely different from a modern city lined with high-rises.
With this completely unexpected culture shock, I ended up acting like a typical country bumpkin and couldn't stop marveling. But Ragnis's entry into the capital wasn't so easygoing that I could stick my body out the window and sightsee.
Because she wasn't supposed to reveal herself directly until an official announcement was made, as we drew near the capital we had to close the windows and draw the curtains so no one could see inside.
"This... this isn't the capital sightseeing I had in mind...!"
"You didn't have any interest at all."
"Now... no..."
Seriously, I was dying of curiosity—what kind of buildings were there, what they sold, how much they'd gouge you. They said there was even a proper Adventurer's Guild in the capital, but I couldn't even imagine what jobs they'd give adventurers in such a dazzling city. Was there even space for them to stay?
As I worried about such things, we first came to a halt at Lord Ekaf's manor. When the carriage stopped at the training grounds attached to a pure white mansion that gave off the feel of a Greek temple, Ragnis, brimming with dissatisfaction, spoke.
"Get down. We've arrived at your destination."
"Why are you getting all pissy again. It's just a stone's throw away anyway."
"Hmph! Just wait until Lady Ogatorf gives you hell. Then you'll regret it!"
Ragnis practically shoved me out, slammed the carriage door, and left the Ogatorf estate.
Without even giving me a chance to stand there dumbfounded after being abruptly left alone, one of the mounted knights who'd joined the escort unit approached and spoke to me.
"Come along. The family head told me to explain about you to his family and the servants, and then give you a room."
Seeing that he called Lord Ekaf 'family head,' he was apparently a knight of the Ogatorf family as well. He didn't seem to have any intention of exchanging introductions, so I just nodded without a word and followed him.
As I entered the manor, where an atmosphere flowed as if every single blade of grass and every servant lived prudently and composedly so as not to tarnish the family's honor, an elderly gentleman who was the very picture of a butler greeted us.
"You've had a hard time, Sir Randa."
"It's just beginning, Head Butler. Are the lady of the house and the young lady present?"
"They are currently absent, attending a tea party hosted by Baroness Aridene."
"If it's her tea party, they'll be a while. Then first, could you prepare a room for this boy to use?"
The knight named Randa turned as if he meant to hand the problem off to someone else and gestured toward me. The old gentleman asked a silent question with his eyes; Randa shrugged and answered.
"He's a child the family head took notice of and brought along. For now, please treat him as a guest."
"I see. I'll show him to a room right away."
After giving a light bow of his head, Randa turned around and strode out of the manor. From the looks of it, he hadn't just been shirking—he simply didn't have time to wait for the lady of the house who'd gone out and was just handing me over.
"I am Yan Gridsi, the head butler of the Ogatorf family. Might I ask your name?"
A mustached head butler who used honorifics even with a boy. So people like him really existed.
"I'm Eldmia Ega."
I didn't need to explain at length, and since I didn't know what I'd be doing at this manor, it felt awkward to say I was pleased to meet him in advance, so I just gave my name and shut my mouth. Even so, head butler Yan, with a faint smile and a slight bow of his waist, ascended the stairs of the central hall and spoke to me.
"This way, please. I'll show you to your room."
The room I was politely guided to was so impressive that I wondered if it really was a guest room.
Yan, without a word, closed the door behind him with a brief greeting, gifting me freedom, but in my not-so-clean state, I couldn't bring myself to sit on that plush, ridiculously sophisticated-looking bed or sofa, leaving me feeling like I was tap-dancing on a bed of thorns. In the end, unable to do either, I went into the bathroom in one corner of the room and crouched down inside the bathtub.
"Somehow... this just doesn't feel right."
Still, it was definitely better than dirtying those expensive furnishings. In a storm of oddly settling yet gloomy emotions, I just sat there blankly without a thought and eventually fell asleep.
How long did I sleep like that? My eyes snapped open at the sound of rough, unknown footsteps approaching from afar.
-BANG!
"Young lady! What on earth are you...!"
In that moment, I nearly forgot where I was and almost drew my sword from the sleeping bag I'd been hugging. Only after my half-awake mind belatedly registered that the thunderous noise was the sound of the door to my room being kicked in, and I took in the voices that followed, did I manage to set down my gear.
"Oh dear, young lady! Your father said to treat him as a guest!"
"He's not here?"
But I couldn't fathom why she'd made such a violent entrance. As I stood there momentarily confused in that incomprehensible situation, the footsteps heavy with presence approached and the bathroom door was violently opened.
-BANG!
There in front of the now-open door stood a figure, clearly having kicked it open with her foot, looking down at me with absolute confidence.
Unlike Asilie, the girl had long platinum-blonde hair with a much stronger golden cast, and purple eyes just like her father's. Those features alone told me exactly who she was when she spoke.
"I am Sheryl Tusin Ogatorf."
What the hell?
Was she someone who shared a similar creed to mine?