Edelmarion, the Imperial Capital
Once we cleared the Northern Mountains, a peaceful monotony settled over our journey. There were no magic beast attacks, nor was this region known to be infested with bandits. No matter how corrupt the Empire was growing, it hadn't rotted so thoroughly as to neglect the security around its own capital.
We even had a bit of luck on our side, crossing paths with a group of Rangers near the entrance of the mountains. Granted, they looked at us as if we were absolute madmen for traversing the range at this time of year. It was a perfectly reasonable reaction, so I had no grounds to argue.
They had been patrolling to ensure the magic beasts didn't spill out of the mountains, but thanks to the influence of Dersian and Baron Isquente, we managed to secure their escort. Perhaps out of a sense of duty to offer some friendly advice, one of the Rangers shared some local intelligence with us.
"At this time of year, it's best to bypass the mountains entirely," the Ranger said. "I can see you're highly capable, but right now, anything could happen in the Northern Mountains, and no one would bat an eye."
"The sheer numbers made things a bit tedious, yes," Baron Isquente replied. "But it wasn't quite as dire as you make it sound. It seems to me that hiring a few mercenaries from the capital would be more than enough to secure safe passage."
"You were lucky. Things have changed drastically of late. Around this time last year, an entire caravan—one far larger than yours—was completely wiped out."
The Rangers were widely known as the guardians of the imperial forests. They were the absolute elite, patrolling the mountains daily and hunting magic beasts. Renowned throughout the Empire for their strict discipline, these were men who lived and breathed active combat; they weren't the type to exaggerate out of cowardice. Intrigued, I pressed for more details, and the Ranger answered readily.
"Is there something specific out there?" I asked.
"Yes. There's a particularly cunning beast. The confirmed death toll by its hand alone is already in the dozens. We've stumbled upon its tracks a few times, but every pursuit has ended in failure. We suspect it's a magic beast with red feathers, though we can't say for certain."
"Since you've gone out of your way to warn us, I'll keep that in mind," I said. "If it managed to slip away from Rangers, it's clearly no ordinary beast."
"Unless you have a Sword Master in your company, please make sure to take the detour next time."
"Haha..."
The Rangers escorted us until the capital finally came into view. Even from a distance, Edelmarion was a massive, majestic city that defied the scale of the surrounding landscape. The opulent Imperial Palace was grand enough to be visible even from where we stood, and the various temples of the different religious orders lining the riverbank caught the eye. Seeing the sights described in the original novel with my own eyes filled me with a strange, complex emotion. The author of that novel had been so obsessed with the characters that they barely bothered to describe the capital. They had just thrown together whatever settings they needed on the fly. What a garbage novel it had been.
"Well, we shall return to our outpost now."
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Of course. May fortune favor the rest of your journey."
We continued our steady march after the Rangers departed. The well-paved roads allowed us to make much better time than we ever could have in the mountains. Consequently, we arrived without further incident and were now waiting in line for the security checkpoint. With the queue stretching quite long and nothing better to do, our group gathered to pass the time with idle chatter.
"Whoa... I heard the capital's walls were so high they'd make your neck ache just looking up at them, but I didn't think it would actually be true."
"Indeed. It is quite massive."
Isha and Sirien offered similar yet contrasting reactions. Isha behaved like a country girl stepping into a city for the very first time, while Sirien looked mildly impressed but ultimately indifferent. My own thoughts aligned closely with Sirien's. The walls of the Illencia Grand Duchy were only slightly lower than these, so it wasn't a massive difference. It wasn't my first time seeing grand fortifications, so I felt no real sense of awe. Besides, it was hard to be amazed by a mere 'tall building' when I had the memories of the modern world in my head. For example... well. When I actually tried to summon those memories, nothing concrete came to mind. It felt vague, like trying to recall a dream. I could conjure up blurry images of skyscrapers, but the finer details eluded me. Had I simply forgotten because I hadn't had any reason to think about them for so long?
"Rajen. What are you thinking about? You look troubled."
"It's nothing. More importantly, do you think we'll have to wait much longer?"
"The Baron went to go check. He said the inspection is taking much longer than it did the last time he was here."
Well, it didn't matter what happened to those skyscrapers anyway. It wasn't as if I'd ever see them again. Instead, my attention drifted to the merchants at the front of the line, whose grim expressions spoke volumes. At this rate, we wouldn't even pass through the gates before sunset.
We have two nobles in our party, so surely we can pull some strings.
In this world, noble status was incredibly useful in more ways than one. Once Hibras was officially recognized by the Empire, Sirien would be able to leverage her position as a Saintess to great effect. Of course, that also meant the Order of Hibras would draw the scrutiny of the Imperial Pantheon. We would have to work tirelessly to manage our public image so that we wouldn't be branded as worshippers of an evil god, as had happened in the original story. While all gods possessed dual natures, Hibras was an extreme case that required utmost caution. A divinity that encompassed death naturally instilled dread in all living things. In my case, since my power was specialized purely for combat, it felt particularly ominous. On the flip side, the aspect of his divinity that offered Repose brought warmth and comfort, but humans were biologically wired to remember negative traits far more vividly. Furthermore, the very method of drawing power from death was bound to cause issues.
In the original novel, the female lead, Elis, successfully convinced the Imperial Pantheon to recognize demons as sentient beings. That had been a devastating blow to the Order of Hibras, which harvested divinity by arranging funerals for humans and slaying demons. However, Sirien and I had absolutely no intention of compromising with demons. Before long, our methods would likely be branded as a form of human sacrifice. Regardless, if things went according to the original plot, Sirien would secure the Pantheon's recognition without too much trouble. We would need to disrupt the flow of events at some point, but that was a problem for another day.
Rather than worrying about events years down the line, the immediate dynamic between Dersian and Isha was far more entertaining. After fidgeting nervously for what felt like an eternity, Dersian finally summoned his courage.
"Um, Lady Isha? Do you happen to have any plans once we enter the capital?"
"Me? No, not really. I'll have to ask my dad, though."
"In that case, would you mind sparing a day for me? There is a very famous bakery in the capital."
"Hmm, if I have free time, I'll probably be practicing. Lately, I feel like I'm right on the verge of grasping something new."
"Ah, you mentioned your swordsmanship! As it happens, I am also training to become a knight. In that case, how about we spar together?"
"Should we?"
Dersian was desperately trying to secure a date, while Isha seemed completely oblivious. His intention to keep seeing her by any means necessary was painfully obvious. As a swordsman himself, he surely had his own rigorous training schedule to maintain, yet he was clearly prepared to bend his entire itinerary and location to suit Isha's whims. To sweeten the deal, he was already throwing out lures, offering her access to his family's private training grounds and mentioning the many exceptional knights in the service of House Eshk.
Sirien eavesdropped on their conversation, her eyes sparkling as if watching a highly entertaining play. Just yesterday, I had been forced to explain the whole situation to her to clarify what I meant by 'Dersian's lovesick expression,' so she was fully aware of the dynamic between the two. A tiny whisper tickled my ear.
"Look at him talk. He is completely head over heels for Isha."
"Tell me about it. But I think Dersian is in for a rough time. Right now, Isha's mind is entirely consumed by the sword."
Lately, Isha had been asking me all sorts of questions about swordsmanship, as if she were on the cusp of some grand realization. The depth of her questions had improved significantly compared to before, making our discussions quite engaging. It was an excellent sign. Her skills had been growing at an unbelievable pace recently. At her current level, she could probably trade blows head-on with an Imperial Knight. Ah, geniuses. Some of us had to struggle constantly just to survive as half-baked Sword Masters, while others grew leaps and bounds by the day. The world was truly unfair. Fortunately, Isha possessed one fatal flaw.
"Isha is surprisingly dense."
"Huh?"
Sirien tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"I mean, look at them. Dersian is wearing his heart on his sleeve, but she's completely oblivious, lost in her own world. Honestly, being that dense is practically a crime."
"..."
"She really should have picked up on it by now. It takes two to tango, after all. If she keeps acting like this, that poor guy is going to have a long, painful road ahead of him."
"I'm going inside. I'm going to sleep, so don't wake me."
"What?"
Sirien shot me a sharp glare before climbing straight into the carriage. For some reason, she seemed to be in an incredibly foul mood. She looked genuinely angry, but I hadn't the faintest clue what I had done to upset her.
In the distance, Baron Isquente came running toward us, waving his hand.
"Everyone! I did it! I managed to convince them of our urgent circumstances, so they've agreed to let us bypass the queue and get inspected first. Let's head to the front! Hm? Where did the Saintess go?"
"She said she was going to sleep and told me not to wake her. I guess she was really tired."
"Ah, I see. Well, it certainly wasn't an easy journey. But fear not, for I have already secured excellent lodgings for us in advance! Haha, you won't be disappointed!"