Signs of Collision
***
Two days later, on the morning we were set to head for the royal capital.
Luina, Elia, and I packed light and made our way toward Hagen Village. The only things we needed to do in the capital today were look at houses worth living in and stop by the Mercenary Guild to complete my registration. Since we’d only be staying one night at most, a single day’s worth of light luggage was more than enough.
“Shall we get going?”
“Yes, Kael.”
Instead of calling for a carriage today, I held Elia in my arms and ran straight for Hagen Village. We’d have to visit multiple places once we arrived, so wasting several hours on a carriage ride simply wasn’t an option.
I sprinted at a speed that made carriages seem laughably slow. After about ten minutes, we reached Hagen Village, where Zenle was already waiting for us.
“Ah, Master. You’ve arrived?”
“Yeah. Let’s head out right away. Did you sleep well?”
It looked like she had already moved her luggage ahead of time. Like us, Zenle carried only a light pack on her back. We joined up and immediately headed for the teleport gate located in the center of Hagen Village.
We chatted casually along the way until we reached the teleport gate. Perhaps because using it once cost an entire gold coin, there was no line. We were able to step through immediately.
A massive gate of mana, easily five meters tall, loomed before us like a gaping black maw, radiating overwhelming pressure.
The mage managing the gate manipulated a mana crystal, and beyond the pitch-black portal, the scenery of the royal capital’s streets unfolded.
“Settings complete. Please proceed with caution.”
At the mage’s announcement that everything was ready, we stepped straight through the teleport gate.
Crackle—
***
The moment I closed my eyes and opened them again, the streets of the royal capital filled my entire field of vision.
As expected of the capital of the Shardena Kingdom, the roads were dozens of meters wide and packed with countless people. The sounds of merchants hawking goods, the clang of hammers from blacksmiths, the sweet scent of flowers from florists, and the savory aromas from food stalls filled not only my sight but every sense. The variety was truly worthy of a kingdom’s capital.
“Wooow… Daddy, is this the royal capital?”
“That’s right. This is the royal capital. First time here for you, Elia?”
“Yeah! It’s huge!”
Hagen Village was by no means small, but compared to the Shardena Kingdom’s capital, it naturally fell far short. After all, this was where His Majesty the King himself resided. How could a mere village compare?
The streets stretched out in every direction from the royal palace, whose towering silhouette could be seen even from the densely packed buildings. The area we had arrived in through the teleport gate was the southern district of the kingdom.
Unlike other districts where buildings tended to serve specific purposes, this one was a comprehensive area filled with restaurants, flower shops, blacksmiths, shoe stores, general shops, and more.
Bustling murmurs—
“Should we put on our robes first?”
“Good idea. It feels like we’re already drawing attention.”
I gently stroked Elia’s head as she fidgeted excitedly with her feet, then pulled three robes from the bag on my back.
It might have seemed a bit paranoid, but Luina and I were famous enough that people recognized us almost anywhere we went. As if to prove it, I could already feel eyes beginning to turn our way from the surrounding crowd.
They were still too far to approach with certainty, but I had no interest in dealing with the hassle.
“I can’t believe I forgot to wear the robe while chatting… Have I been getting forgetful lately?”
We really should have put them on before using the teleport gate, but I’d been talking with Zenle and completely spaced out. Better late than never. Luina and I pulled the hooded robes over our heads, then helped Elia into hers.
Zenle did the same, taking a robe from her own bag. As a knight commander, she was also quite recognizable, so wearing the robe was practically mandatory for her.
Once we were all covered, the curious gazes that had been gathering quickly faded away.
“So… shall we start by looking at houses?”
“Mm… that does seem best. The Mercenary Guild can wait until later.”
Our main reason for coming to the capital was to find a house to live in. There was no rush with the guild, so today’s priority was touring available properties and securing one we liked.
The only problem was that the process would likely be incredibly boring. It was obvious Elia would grow restless and start to droop halfway through.
That’s why I glanced down at her and asked,
“Elia, do you want to look at houses with Mom and Dad? Or would you rather go play somewhere with Zenle?”
“Umm… Can I really go play?”
Elia hesitated for a moment, checking my expression before carefully asking if the second option was truly allowed. She looked worried that she might be throwing a tantrum.
“…Excuse me? Wait just a moment, Master?”
Zenle’s voice immediately latched onto my question the moment I casually offered Elia the chance to play with her. However, handing Elia over to Zenle was exactly why I had brought her along today, so I deliberately ignored her protest and nodded at Elia.
“Of course you can. What do you want to do with Zenle, Elia?”
“No, no—Master, what are you even saying?! I’ve never agreed to—”
Zenle tried to interrupt and catch me on my words, but she soon fell silent.
“I-I’m sorry… Is that not okay, Master…?”
“Ugh…!”
Because Elia was looking up at her with eyes full of earnest longing. Combined with the slightly watery tone in her voice, Zenle swallowed a groan and bit her lip. It looked like a fierce internal battle was raging between her desire to refuse my convenient handoff and her inability to resist Elia’s plea.
But I could already predict exactly how that inner conflict would end.
“…Of course it’s okay. Shall we go play together, my lady?”
In the end, Zenle’s determination to call me out on my scheme crumbled beneath Elia’s cuteness.
“Yay!”
“Sigh, come here.”
Zenle roughly ruffled Elia’s hair with both hands as the little girl threw her arms up in delight.
“Ehehe…!”
“Honestly… I’ll allow it this time, but next time you have to help me stop her too, my lady.”
“Yes, Master!”
“That’s a nice, energetic answer.”
I let out a small chuckle at Zenle’s vow that this wouldn’t happen again. Was it just my imagination, or did it seem unlikely that next time would be any different?
Regardless, it was decided that Elia would spend some time playing with Zenle. After removing her hand from Elia’s head, Zenle looked down at the small hand now gripping hers and muttered,
“Now then… where would my lady enjoy going…? The royal palace is just flashy with nothing much to see… and there aren’t any gladiatorial matches at this hour…”
It seemed she had no idea where to take her. While the capital had plenty of entertainment, Elia wasn’t particularly interested in puppet shows or toy shops like normal children her age. What she loved instead were rough, intense things like gladiatorial fights and the Monster Colosseum where monsters battled each other.
Because of Elia’s particular tastes, Zenle looked quite troubled about where to bring her.
After thinking for a moment, I offered a suggestion.
“How about showing her around the Mercenary Guild? Martin should be there anyway.”
“Oh, that’s actually a good idea.”
“And if I remember correctly, today is the day they hold the mercenary exam. You could let her watch that too.”
“That sounds perfect. Understood. Then we’ll head to the Mercenary Guild first and look around. I hope you find a good house, Master.”
If there was nothing else worth showing her at this hour, the Mercenary Guild was probably the best option. Zenle seemed to agree with my thinking and nodded immediately.
Now that our destinations were decided, all that remained was to handle our separate business and meet up later.
“We’ll be going on ahead, Master.”
“Daddy, Mommy, see you later!”
“Take good care of Elia, Zenle.”
“Have fun, Elia, Zenle.”
We waved back at Elia as she waved enthusiastically. Once the two of them disappeared down the street toward the Mercenary Guild, Luina and I began walking as well.
“Shall we head to the real estate office then?”
“Yeah. I hope there are still some good houses available.”
Hoping we’d find a house we truly liked, Luina and I made our way toward the kingdom’s real estate district.
***
Meanwhile, in the kingdom’s underground sewers.
In that filthy place filled with waste, stench, and maggots, a man and a woman were having a conversation.
“Ugh, the smell… Did we really have to use a place like this as our meeting spot? Every time I come here it feels like my lungs are rotting.”
“We’ll be moving locations soon, so just endure it. Right now the mercenaries are scouring the underworld with fire in their eyes. It’s better not to show ourselves unnecessarily.”
“Haa… That bastard guild master… Of all times, he had to post that request right when things were going so well.”
The man answered the woman’s complaint in a flat voice.
The two were criminals operating in the underworld. What set them apart from ordinary criminals was that they served as lieutenants under a single leader known as the Strategist, currently stirring up chaos throughout the underworld.
More precisely, they were executives carrying out the leader’s will—eliminating those who refused to submit.
And for the past two days, they had been lying low, holding their breath because of the request posted by Martin, the Mercenary Guild’s master.
“But since he gave us such a grand warning, it’s only right that we return the favor.”
“Indeed. That’s what the leader ordered.”
They had no intention of simply hiding in silence after Martin’s warning. When asked why, the answer was simple: their leader had commanded it.
The man in the robe checked whether the upcoming clash between underworld organizations—scheduled for late this afternoon—had been properly prepared.
“They’re all in position, right?”
“Yeah. They’re waiting near the Mercenary Guild right now. They won’t touch the guild building itself, but the ‘unavoidable’ collateral damage should be considerable.”
“Good. That’s enough.”
They had lured one of the underworld organizations with promises of an important position beside the leader and massive rewards. The group had been prepared as a sacrificial pawn to cut ties with later. They were currently hiding in the back alleys near the Mercenary Guild after provoking other organizations that refused to follow the leader.
The clash between the two groups would likely occur sometime late this afternoon. Since directly attacking the guild building would mean being crushed by Martin, they planned to cause simultaneous disturbances across multiple back alleys nearby.
Even Martin wouldn’t be able to stop every single incident perfectly.
“If they dare touch us so recklessly, the price will be paid with the lives of the citizens.”
The man smiled faintly, imagining the royal capital’s streets overflowing with countless screams and rivers of blood—something he didn’t even need to witness to picture clearly.
Unfortunately for them, it just so happened to be today.
He continued to indulge in fantasies that would never come to pass.