Episode 7. The Night Before the Storm (4)
Guards on horseback approached the carriage. These were the men guarding the gates of a major city, and contrary to their image as lowly foot soldiers, a good number of them were veterans.
Even in this relatively peaceful world, deciding whether to let some unknown person inside the walls was still a weighty responsibility. So I met the eyes of the approaching guards before subtly turning my head to peer into the carriage.
A faint, peculiar aura was wafting from Eileen. It was the same kind of presence I'd sensed from the powerhouses we'd crossed paths with during our travels, now cloaking her.
Of course, it did nothing to hide the terror on her face.
“Lady Eileen Phrygia Delfinium.”
“Y-Yes….”
Bringing just the two of us into the city had seemed like a solid, rational choice. She had an ironclad, prestigious status as a countess from a kingdom. Plus, arriving late at the Versio Ruins meant she'd avoided running into the holy knights, unlike us.
But watching her tremble like that, I couldn't shake the nagging doubt that picking her had been a mistake.
“Lady, stop shaking.”
“Hup, whoo…. Hoo, haa…. O-Okay.”
Even as she answered, she stuttered and took several deep breaths. Pitiful.
“Speak and act like a noble—arrogantly, with leisure and poise.”
“Yes….”
She was a noble lady through and through, but everything she'd shown so far screamed spoiled brat, no different from any common kid.
“No more polite speech to me from here on out. I'm just some adventurer you hired, so stay in character, Lady.”
“….”
That was the problem. If Lucia Vicente Todorica Simeo had been traveling with us and taken the role, she'd have nailed it without question.
“Coachman. Hand over your identification.”
“Ah, yes. Here you go.”
Lost in those thoughts, the guards finally reached the carriage. Despite my worries, I turned to face them.
I promptly submitted my adventurer's badge and met their gaze with a warm smile.
“Mid-rank adventurer, eh? What's your business in the city?”
“Ain, adventurer from the Saravati Duchy. Just stopping to resupply. Currently employed by the noble lady riding in this carriage.”
Whenever you're facing one of these inspections, no matter where, the best policy is to keep your posture low and flash a bright, beaming smile. Even the sternest, most serious guard is still human—they won't spit in the face of someone grinning like an idiot.
“Hmm. Then we'll verify the noble lady's ID before searching the carriage, if that's alright.”
“Aigoo, is something the matter?”
And hey, chatting like this often got us the intel we'd been curious about.
“The Holy Kingdom sent an official dispatch. Said some heinous criminals are on the run, so tighten inspections.”
“What? Such a terrifying thing….”
My hunch had been spot on. The Holy Kingdom was after us. Those holy knights and priests had probably assembled a full subjugation force, tracking our trail and closing in.
“You got that right. Anyway, you just sit tight. We have to check the passengers in back and search the carriage.”
“Ah, yes! Got it. We'll wait.”
“Good man. Thanks for cooperating. Rare to see such an upstanding young fellow these days.”
I kept smiling and answered politely before plopping back down on the coachman's seat. They nodded to me and headed toward the passenger compartment where Eileen waited.
Now she just had to handle the guards like a natural noble. I'd bought her a little time, so hopefully the shaking had eased up a bit.
With that in mind, I glanced back.
And.
“Lady, apologies, but could you submit your identification?”
“Hmm. What a tiresome nuisance this is.”
The voice was unmistakably Eileen's, but the languid nuance and bored expression? Not a trace of her usual self.
“…, It's the dispatch from the Holy Kingdom—we don't have a choice. Please bear with us.”
“Of course you couldn't help it. Here, take it.”
“Yes, ma'am. We'll have it back to you shortly.”
“Sigh… Do make it quick.”
“Understood.”
Who the hell was that?
One hand loosely gripping her jeweled staff, the other handing over her ID with obvious annoyance before propping her chin. The perpetually sunny, childish lady had vanished, leaving only a jaded noblewoman in her place.
Uncharacteristically, she crossed her legs to flash a glimpse of pale thigh, idly twitching the tip of her shod foot as she watched the guards inspect her documents with clear boredom.
“All confirmed. Lady Eileen Phrygia Delfinium of the Delfinium Count family, from the Haven Kingdom.”
“Then may we enter the city now? This journey's worn me out.”
Her casual condescension was downright impressive. The speech, the gaze—textbook noble.
“Ah…, well. Sorry, but could we do a quick final search of the carriage?”
“Ha. If you're suggesting a search of a noble's carriage, that's rather offensive.”
Even her short, incredulous scoff was flawless.
“But the Holy Kingdom's dispatch explicitly orders us to search every carriage entering the city, status be damned, Lady….”
“Hmm. Think you can handle the fallout? A protest from the Delfinium Count house might just land on your desk after this.”
“….”
Damn. On paper, she sounded like a straight-up villainess noble who'd casually slaughter a hundred peasants for kicks.
The guards fell silent, fidgeting awkwardly at her words. They had to strictly enforce the dispatch from the Holy Kingdom, but now some haughty noble lady was throwing a wrench in it. Defy the Holy Kingdom and earn their wrath? Or follow orders and piss off a kingdom aristocrat? For guards who were barely nobles—or still flat-out commoners—that was a death row dilemma if there ever was one.
After a tense moment, laughter bubbled from Eileen's lips.
“Hehe, just teasing. As I said, it's hardly your fault. But do hurry it up.”
“…, Thank you. Everyone, wrap the search quick.”
Not her usual sloppy 'ehehe' or 'uhihi'—this was the laugh of someone addressing inferiors.
The moment permission dropped, the guards swarmed the carriage in perfect sync, gave it a lightning-fast once-over, then lined up again before her.
“Thank you. Carriage checks out—no issues.”
“Hmm. Then we're free to go?”
Eileen twirled her jeweled staff, lips curling into a smirk.
“Yes, ma'am. You're cleared to enter. Appreciate the cooperation, Lady Delfinium.”
“Yes, you've worked hard.”
She tossed a perfunctory farewell at the bowing guards, then rapped on the window connecting to the coachman's seat.
“Coachman, we're leaving. I want to get inside and rest already.”
“Yes, Lady Delfinium.”
I flicked the reins, urging the horses forward once more. By now, the guards watching me carried a subtle pity in their eyes. Clearly, they'd pegged me as the poor sap of an adventurer roped into a grueling trip by a nasty noble lady.
Whatever.
Our carriage rolled into the city.
“Uweeeek….”
From inside came nothing but wretched retching. Dumbfounded, I drove on while sneaking glances back.
“Hey, you pulled it off perfectly. What's with this?”
“Eup, uweeeek…. B-But that role's so not meee…. Uu….”
Back to her usual self in a flash, she was all teary-eyed and heaving.
“For someone who says that, you nailed the noble act. Where'd you even learn it?”
“Ua…, Didn't really learn it—high society’s all like that…. At balls, all those other noble ladies would sneer at me just like that…, ugh.”
Ah. So you'd picked it up while getting bullied.
“…, They even sneer at the daughter of a prestigious count house like that.”
“Hue, ah, gonna liveee…. The prestige is the family elders', not mine. Of course they bite if you look naive…, but the ladies' mind games were brutal.”
With that, Eileen chucked her pointed hat aside, dropped her jeweled staff on the mat with a thunk, and melted into a puddle.
“Yeah, just rest up then.”
“Thanks….”
And so I drove on, ferrying the wilted Eileen toward a decent inn.