Chapter 40
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 40
Chapter Title: Capital Dunholm (1)
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The carriage wheels, which had been rumbling along a well-packed dirt road, now glided smoothly over cobblestones for the past two days.
Deguldegul.
The sound of the carriage rolling seemed even smoother now.
Four days after fending off the bandit raid.
Leaving the anxious forest path behind, we entered the grand highway stretching to the horizon, and only then did the tension ease from my grip on the reins.
'Wow, this is basically a highway.'
The main road to the capital Dunholm was on another level entirely. The endless procession of carriages and crowds reminded me of the Gyeongbu Expressway from my past life.
Streetlamps stood at regular intervals along the roadside.
On one side, countless carriages and horses raced along the road. Glancing around, I spotted a whale-like shape floating leisurely across the sky toward the horizon.
"Whoa! Reti, look at that! A real airship! It's just like the one I wanted to import from the mines!"
Mani poked her upper body out from the driver's seat and shouted. Her red twin tails trembled with excitement, catching my eye.
"Calm down, Mani. You're shaking the carriage."
Even as I warned her, I could hardly keep my own mouth shut.
Ku-kung!
At that moment, a steam locomotive spewing black smoke thundered past us on the rails with a deafening roar. Right beside us was a railway I hadn't noticed before.
In the distance, beyond the horizon, mage towers rose like skyscrapers in majestic splendor.
The capital really was just around the corner.
"Reti, look over there! So many people!"
"What's that?"
Sena was pointing at a massive stagecoach inn, on a scale that dwarfed anything we'd seen so far.
Dozens of horses were being swapped out nonstop, and citizens in splendid dresses and refined attire alighted from carriages in a dazzling scene.
"The capital sure is different. Prices must be insane, right?"
I fiddled with the pouch full of silver coins.
It had felt like a fortune, but facing the capital's splendor made me suddenly anxious.
'How long will this money hold out for us?'
All I could do was pray that Polly's cost-effective list would work its magic.
As we entered the capital region, the density of travelers noticeably increased.
That's when I spotted a pair of small ears darting through the crowd.
It was a familiar yet alien sight, something like what I'd seen in Oakwood.
"Sunflower seeds, roasted fresh! Get yours here!"
"Freshly baked bread too, squeak!"
Ratkin peddlers with carts around their necks weaved between carriages. They resembled Polly's group, but their movements were different.
Apostle Reti! Behold, those are city rats!
City rat girls nimbly slipping between carriage wheels to sell their wares.
Their eyes gleamed with shrewd survival instincts. Were ratkin living in this harsh urban ecosystem somehow different?
They suddenly noticed the rat girl figurine on our carriage and paused for a moment. Did they recognize Rodentia?
"Squeak! Bread for sale!"
No.
They quickly lost interest and turned away, dashing to the next carriage.
We traveled on like that until the grand walls of Dunholm came into view.
Kiiya aaaak!
Rodentia, who had been lounging leisurely in the cargo hold, suddenly shrieked and hid in the corner as her illusion appeared.
Oh no! Apostle! It's the cat! That fearsome cat bitch!
"A cat?"
That bitch! Felicia! She's in the capital!
Rodentia trembled, tail tucked between her legs.
From what she said, it seemed the cat goddess we'd seen deep in the dungeon had come to the capital. Had she caught Felicia's scent that we couldn't detect? All traces of her previous dignity were gone.
Oh no... Apostle... We're doomed! Now she'll lick us! Pull our cheeks!
Her small-animal terror was pitiful to behold.
"My Lord, calm down! No way she's actually in the capital, right?"
Reti! You don't know! That cat bitch is the embodiment of vanity! She's definitely up to something in the capital...!
I rummaged through my pouch to soothe Rodentia.
The item was a walnut from Polly.
"Here, eat this and perk up."
Ah...! That's...!
"It's a walnut. An offering for you. Cheer up and help us out, so your divine power and followers can grow!"
Yes! That's right! Even a rat can bite a cat!
I placed the walnut inside the Hamster Wheel totem. Rodentia, as if she'd never cowered, beamed brightly and clutched the walnut tight.
Gajak gajak.
Only after seeing Rodentia munching contentedly on the walnut did I finally relax.
As the carriage neared the Dunholm checkpoint, the traffic jam worsened. We crawled along like turtles amid hundreds of other carriages.
"Phew, this is boring. Reti, want to check the mount?"
Mani climbed onto the roof. The ballista mount was hidden under a tarp on the ceiling.
Our party's secret weapon, which had wiped out the bandits, was always at the ready.
"Mani, don't mess with it too openly. This is a checkpoint."
As I warned her, Mani stuck out her tongue and covered it back with the tarp.
At that moment, a commotion erupted from behind the carriage.
A gilded noble carriage barreled toward us aggressively, as if to shove us aside.
"Hey, move it! How dare a lowly rat cart block the way!"
A burly coachman cracked his whip and bellowed.
"What did you say? We were here first!"
As Sena started to protest, I blocked her.
"Hold it. Checkpoint's right ahead. No good causing trouble."
"But... Oh, right, that thing? Got it."
Sena, about to speak up, glanced under the carriage and changed her attitude.
We bowed our heads subserviently and pulled the carriage aside.
As the noble carriage passed haughtily, Rodentia chittered.
Apostle Reti! We must pluck every hair from that arrogant human's head! How dare he scorn our children!
"My Lord, no choice. We've got our own skeletons. We need to enter quietly for now."
I soothed Rodentia while checking the carriage corner.
There lay the double-barreled pistol from Mace, disassembled and hidden.
In the Winster Kingdom, where adventurers weren't fond of guns, unlicensed firearms were a serious crime.
'Shouldn't get caught.'
I'd hidden the trigger assembly among tools.
The barrel under the carriage floorboard. The grip under the crossbow. Individually, they'd look like ordinary metal scraps or parts.
Fortunately, it was our turn soon.
"Next...!"
Military police in blue uniforms approached with clacking boots.
Their stern gazes on travelers twisted oddly at our carriage.
They looked at us like a ridiculous toy or with condescending pity for a cute animal, snickering openly.
"Oh my, ratkin girls."
"The carriage looks sturdy enough."
A burly policeman tapped the wheel with his boot.
"Capital toll is 20 copper coins. Pay up and pass."
As I reached for my pouch,
"Hold."
A voice like freezing ice stabbed from behind. The policemen's shoulders visibly flinched. A middle-aged man in impeccably pressed uniform without a speck of dust parted the line.
"I-Investigator!"
The policemen saluted hastily. The man ignored them, stroking his mustache as he scanned our carriage. His eyes, sharp as icicles, held no human warmth.
"Inspect by the book."
"But Investigator Coldwell, they're just travelers from the provinces... ratkin, right?"
"I make the judgments. Slacking off because they're ratkin is dereliction of duty."
Called Coldwell, the man tapped the carriage exterior with his gloved hand.
I gripped the reins tight and swallowed dryly.
"Do they look like mere travelers? Ratkin? Easy targets? This kind of complacency lets crime seep into the capital."
"That's..."
"And look closely. These are adventurers."
Coldwell's gaze stopped at the Rapid Bowgun machine mount on the roof. At his order, the tarp was pulled off, revealing the ballista.
"Wh-what? It's a cannon!"
"One heavy hunting crossbow. Confirmed... and..."
The investigator poked around, rummaging through our cargo. My heart shrank.
Please, just let it slide. Please.
After scrutinizing us for what felt like ages, Coldwell spoke coldly.
"What's this?"
He was pointing at our bowgun.
"Hunting crossbow."
"Adventurers would have badges, right?"
We carefully showed our adventurer badges. The policeman checking them seemed dissatisfied.
"Hmph, multi-bolt rapid-fire design... a malicious workaround for gun regulations."
"The Oakwood Guild officially approved it for use."
I answered as calmly as possible, forcing steadiness into my voice. Coldwell glanced at my badge, stared at the bowgun, and snorted.
"Hmph, typical adventurer loophole. You adventurers love skirting the law."
Never seen such a nitpicky inspector.
Kung!
Coldwell returned to his post and roughly stamped the pass on our papers.
"By current kingdom law, adventurers' powder-fired weapons are strictly prohibited... so no violation."
He'd scared us with his words, but the inspection passed. As he said, crossbows were fully legal.
"Go. Passed. No funny business."
"Then we'll be off."
Only after glaring piercingly to the end did Coldwell step aside.
"You adventurers are trouble magnets."
"Pardon?"
"Suspicion's stain doesn't fade easily. I'll be watching you myself."
The low growl from behind drew an involuntary laugh from me.
'What nonsense?'
We passed the checkpoint and entered Dunholm's bustling streets. Rodentia crawled out from the cargo hold.
Apostle Reti! That mustachioed jerk clearly looks down on our children! I'll deny him even a crumb of cheese later! My tail's bristling with rage!
Sena chimed in too.
"Yeah, the other policemen were gonna let us through."
Discrimination against ratkin? Maybe.
At least the pistol didn't get found.
"My Lord, calm down. We got in safely, didn't we?"
I let out a sigh of relief and headed for guild headquarters.