Setting Out
Vivian came back out after changing her clothes several more times, but she had yet to earn my approval.
The same held true for Weller.
Weller, however, was far worse, because she showed zero intention of improving anything.
"...Sister. Vivian is one thing, but don't you think you should know better?"
"What I wear is my own business. Mind yours."
Her response practically dripped with frost. I scanned her from head to toe.
She wore a hat with a brim that bordered on absurd and a ridiculously extravagant dress held out stiffly by wire hoops. Anyone looking at her would think she was heading out for a leisurely picnic in the garden.
"Hmph... Well, do whatever you want."
"I was planning on it."
Letting out a prim little scoff, she casually examined her fingernails before speaking up as if an afterthought had just struck her.
"Come to think of it, how do you plan to dispose of the magic tools and magical prosthetics? There's no way you have connections through those channels. And even if you did, you know selling them is strictly illegal, right?"
"...? What are you talking about all of a sudden?"
When I stared at her blankly, genuinely bewildered by the out-of-the-blue remark, she released an exasperated sigh.
"Don't play dumb. What, do you think I'm going to snatch them from you? I'm just asking out of curiosity."
"No, seriously, I have no idea what you're on about..."
Her brows pulled together in sheer irritation, and she glared at me with sharp, narrow eyes.
"Don't you dare dream of doing anything bizarre with them. Just sell them to our Mage Corps. I'll make sure you get a fair price."
"I'm asking you what on earth you're talking about. How am I supposed to understand if you don't explain? Sister, are you feeling sick or something?"
"...Are you telling me you really don't know? Didn't Father tell you?"
"You're driving me insane... Tell me what, exactly? Just spit it out."
Annoyance began creeping up my throat as our conversation ran in futile circles, so I tipped my bottle back and gulped down a mouthful of liquor. Weller watched me, looking utterly dumbfounded.
"Cambello's makeshift workshop. You were the one who provided the coordinates. Did nobody really pass the message on to you?"
"...Ah."
Come to think of it, the moment we repelled the demonic assault, I blurted out the coordinates and practically passed out cold from exhaustion. I had completely forgotten about it.
"So what does that have to do with me?"
"...Father decreed that the ownership of the workshop belongs to you. Because of that, not a single soul has been able to lay a finger on it."
"Huh, the Duke did? What was he thinking?"
"My thoughts exactly. Regardless... that workshop holds countless critical assets. Various magical implements, grimoires, magical prosthetics... and plenty more."
"I see. So that's why you were asking how I'd dispose of it?"
"Yes. And since we're already on the topic, just hand it over to the Mage Corps. I'll pay you an amount you won't complain about."
"Hmm..."
Since I hadn't spared the place a single thought until now, I felt zero interest in it. I simply swallowed another draft of booze.
"Hey. Can't you hear me? Stop guzzling that alcohol and give me an answer."
"Just take it yourself, Sister."
"...What? Excuse me?"
She blinked in disbelief at the unexpected response, and I waved my hand dismissively.
"Seeing how much you're pestering me over it, there must be plenty of toys in there that catch your eye... Just take the whole lot. I won't bother with it."
"...Are you saying you'll sell everything to us?"
"Well, money's never a bad thing to have. But squabbling over the price sounds like a massive drag. Handle it however you see fit."
"Aren't you treating this far too casually? Those items are worth vastly more than you imagine. Converted into gold coins, we're easily talking several thousand."
"Good for you. Just give me some generous pocket money down the road, then."
"......"
Ignoring the peculiar stare she leveled at me, I turned my gaze toward the female knight standing nearby, rigidly poised yet awkwardly testing the atmosphere. With brown hair, warm brown eyes, and a dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, she carried the charming air of a rustic beauty.
"You over there. What's your name?"
"It is Lira, my lord. I have been temporarily assigned as the escort knight for Lady Vivian and Lady Weller."
"What is your realm?"
"Aura Top-tier, my lord."
"Oho..."
That meant counting Muriel and Rebecca, we had three warriors at the realm of Aura Top-tier. That was an absurd amount of firepower. Clearing a mere dungeon would take no time at all.
"Is that so? Work hard."
"Yes, my lord. I shall do my absolute best."
With our brief exchange concluded, I waited quietly for Vivian. A moment later, light footsteps approached.
"U-Um... Orabeoni. What do you think of this outfit...?"
Having been turned away so many times, Vivian reappeared on the verge of tears, flinching as she displayed her latest attire.
"Hmm."
At least this time she seemed to have put some thought into it; she was dressed in a practical tunic and trousers designed for mobility. The fabric and embroidery were still pointlessly lavish, practically screaming her aristocratic status to the world... but if I rejected her again, she would genuinely burst into tears. This would have to do.
"Good. You pass."
"Really?! Wowww!"
Her face lit up with pure joy. Throwing both hands into the air, Vivian bounced on her heels with a radiant, ear-to-ear grin. Watching her celebrate, Rebecca wore a deeply touched, maternal expression that was almost comical to witness.
"Whew... Well then, shall we get moving?"
"Yes!"
"I'm warning you in advance: this won't be an easy journey. You'd better steel yourself."
"Of course! I know that dungeons are perilous places! I swear I won't get in your way!"
Watching my youngest sibling clench her small, delicate fists with fierce resolve, I let out a soft chuckle. That wasn't quite what I meant by difficulty... but she would figure it out soon enough.
"Alright. First, let's go loot the Mage Corps warehouse."
"...What?"
Weller stared at me in disbelief, but I ignored her and strode forward.
A middle-aged man draped in a magician's robe clung desperately to the hem of my trousers.
"Aigoo! Lord Aljen! If you take even those, my neck is on the chopping block! Those are the Duke's Castle's special reserve elixirs! Please, show mercy!"
"Hey! Let go! Are you going to let go or not?! Who are you to talk back when I say I'm taking them? Scram!"
A rough kick sent him sprawling ungracefully across the floor. Scrambling to his feet, he immediately threw himself at Weller, who was standing frozen with an utterly bewildered look.
"Aigooo! Lady Weller! Deputy Commander! Please talk some sense into Lord Aljen!"
"Haaah... Aljen. Know when to stop. Don't go overboard."
"Yeah, yeah. That's what I've been doing all along."
Having rounded up every single recovery potion, antidote, and mana draught in sight, I stuffed them all into a sturdy sack and tossed it over to Muriel.
"Great. Looks like we've got everything worth taking here. Next stop: the alchemist workshop and the Church branch."
After stripping the alchemist workshop clean of strength draughts, swiftness tonics, and mana-amplifying potions, and thoroughly pillaging holy water from the Church's regional branch, I finally led our group out of the Duke's Castle.
"Lady Weller Stanasila. Lord Aljen Stanasila. Lady Vivian Stanasila. We have been expecting you."
Waiting to greet us just beyond the castle gates was a four-horse carriage so blindingly opulent that someone could probably spot it from the opposite side of the planet. Naturally, I had no intention of riding in a monstrosity like that, so I walked straight past it without breaking stride.
"H-Huh? Orabeoni, aren't we getting in the carriage?"
"Vivian. Riding in something like that is practically shouting to the whole world that we're heading out."
"Pardon...? Ah! Of course! Dungeons are dangerous, but they're also repositories of ancient relics and treasures! If we traveled in a carriage bearing the Stanasila crest, we might leak the location! As expected of you, Orabeoni! Incredible!"
"...Right. Exactly."
In truth, that hadn't crossed my mind in the slightest. If I were actually worried about leaking our identity, I would have put on a disguise before stepping out. Our clothes and presence alone already advertised our nobility to anyone with eyes. I simply didn't want to endure the mortifying embarrassment of drawing every gaze in the city while riding inside a rolling jewel box.
"......"
Weller narrowed her eyes and shot me a deeply suspicious look, but I deliberately looked away.
The moment we passed through the outer ramparts and stepped into the sprawling streets of Terabaon beneath the castle, countless eyes inevitably locked onto us.
"Isn't that... Lady Weller Stanasila?"
"What? Truly?"
"And next to her... that's Lord Aljen Stanasila."
"Ugh... Has he come down to raise hell again?"
"We have our hands full as it is... Just keep your head down and stay out of his sight."
"I pray he doesn't head this way."
The townsfolk seemed to believe they were whispering discreetly, but their murmurs pierced my ears with uncanny clarity.
"Hmm."
Naturally, the bulk of those whispered voices cursed, despised, or feared this body. Yet, surprisingly, not all of them shared that sentiment.
"That is Lord Aljen Stanasila, the one who saved the Duke's Castle..."
"Could he truly be the divine incarnation?"
"They say he sees through both the past and the future..."
"I heard he knows all things and solves the citizens' dire troubles."
"Is that the truth?"
"Of course. Remember how overjoyed Albers was the other day? Lord Aljen was the one who solved his predicament."
"Heavens... And here I thought he was nothing more than a good-for-nothing delinquent..."
Hearing those stray voices made my brow twitch with genuine displeasure. At this rate, it sounded as though I had gone out of my way to rehabilitate the name of Stanasila Aljen. I despised it. The thought alone left a foul taste in my mouth. Stanasila Aljen was supposed to remain an irredeemable scoundrel forever.
Gulp.
"Phew..."
For a fleeting second, the urge surged through me to charge into the crowd and smash up a stall just to set the record straight, but I quickly reined myself in. Bad as it felt to have my reputation improve, acting like the real Stanasila Aljen felt infinitely worse. I would think, act, and choose by my own will. Besides, flawlessly mimicking that degenerate piece of trash was practically impossible anyway. Descending into that level of putrid depravity was an innate talent in its own right.
"Hey, where do you think you're going? Don't tell me you intend to walk all the way to the dungeon."
Weller's sharp tone suddenly snapped against my eardrums. Trapped in a restrictive, heavy dress and balancing on high heels, every step had to be sheer agony for her.
"Cast a spell or something. You know, like levitation."
"...Are you picking a fight with me right now?"
Meeting her venomous glare, I let out a defeated sigh. You couldn't say a single thing to this woman without walking into a landmine. Waving my hand to drop the subject, I looked over my shoulder.
"Muriel. Arrange a carriage... actually, scratch that. Just go buy a whole regular cargo wagon. Make it a two-horse."
"Understood, my lord."
The moment I passed her a hefty pouch of coins, she set off into the crowd without hesitation. Watching her back disappear, I gestured for Vivian to follow as I steered our path down another street.
"Huh? Orabeoni, Muriel is heading the other way."
"I sent her on an errand. More importantly, Vivian, what do you think is the most essential skill for traveling?"
"Pardon? Um... martial prowess and combat capability? You need the strength to defend yourself, after all."
"Not entirely wrong. But it's not the correct answer."
"Hmm... Ah! Is it knowledge? I've heard that navigating unfamiliar terrain and procuring provisions requires knowing countless things!"
"Oh. You're getting remarkably warm. But still not quite the right answer. Want me to tell you?"
"No! I'll figure it out myself! Um, let me think...!"
As I picked up the pace while watching Vivian ponder the question with intense gravity, Weller drifted alongside me, her eyes narrowed into disdainful slits.
"What is it now?"
"Nothing. It's just amusing to hear someone who's never set foot on a journey speak with such authority."
"Is that so?"
Sifting through Aljen's memories, I realized she wasn't wrong. This body's realm of activity had been strictly confined to Terabaon, the ducal capital. During his brief tenure at the Academy, he had wandered about somewhat, but since getting expelled, he hadn't crossed the city borders even once.
"......"
When I quietly held my tongue, Weller's smug, squinting gaze grew even more piercing. Just as her persistent stare was beginning to grate on my nerves, Vivian suddenly leaped in realization.
"Ah! I've got it! Practical survival skills, right?!"
"...Oh. Impressive. How did you figure it out?"
When I patted her back in praise, Vivian beamed proudly and pointed straight ahead.
"I got the hint from where you were heading, Orabeoni!"
"Oho, sharp girl. Very good."
"Ehehe..."
Coming to a halt, I looked up at the building before us, which stood remarkably well-maintained compared to its neighbors.
Heaven General Store
With a name like that, it was a miracle the Church hadn't stormed the place for blasphemy.
"What are we buying in here?"
"If you stretch the possibilities, virtually everything in this shop could come in handy. But today, we're sticking strictly to the absolute necessities."
"Welco— L-Lord Aljen Stanasila?!"
"Give me a large cooking pot, a ladle, a kitchen knife, and a frying pan. Oh, and toss in a canvas tent, some thin rope, and insect repellent. Fire starter... won't be necessary."
"Y-Yes, right away, my lord! I shall gather them at once!"
Thanks to the shopkeeper turning pale as a sheet the moment he recognized my face, the provisions were boxed and ready in record time.
"Orabeoni, do we truly need all of these?"
"We do. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them the lifeblood of adventurers and mercenaries. No matter where you wander, having a roof over your head and a hot meal in your belly is non-negotiable."
"I see...!"
"Now then..."
Right on cue, the sound of wooden wheels rattled down the street as Muriel approached, seated atop a wagon.
"Perfect timing."
A quick inspection showed that the wagon she had acquired was remarkably sturdy, free of splinters or rotting planks, and gave off the fresh, sharp scent of freshly worked timber. The draft horses were equally spirited, their coats gleaming with healthy vigor. When it came to handling tasks, Muriel was nothing short of immaculate.
"Good work, Muriel."
"Thank you, my lord. Shall we depart immediately?"
"No, let's stock up on provisions first."
After stowing our gear and ushering the party aboard, I climbed up onto the driver's bench beside Muriel. Naturally, since I had never steered a horse-drawn carriage in my life, I left the reins entirely to her.
"Right. This should be plenty. Let's head out."
We lined the bed of the wagon with a thick layer of hay for the horses and packed away a generous variety of preserved rations. The moment we cleared the gates of Terabaon, the barren, windswept expanse of the Wasteland stretched before us. Taking in the rugged, unforgiving terrain of the duchy with my own eyes stirred an odd sense of novelty.
"Lord Aljen, which direction should we head?"
"Hm? Head east for now. Skirt close toward the Wyrm Mountains."
"The Wyrm Mountains, my lord?"
"What about them?"
"No. It is nothing. Moving out."
With a flick of the reins, the pair of horses surged forward, pulling the wagon into a steady trot.
"Waaah... Orabeoni! This is my very first time embarking on such a long journey! I can hardly contain myself! I wonder what kinds of grand adventures and trials are waiting for us out there?!"
Her question was so innocent it bordered on childish, drawing an involuntary chuckle from my lips.
"Enjoy that excitement while you can. It won't last long."
"Pardon...?"
Vivian tilted her head, unable to comprehend the warning.
A few hours later, her posture told a very different story.
I reached over and lightly tapped her back as she lay sprawled limply across the wooden floor of the wagon bed.
"Bored out of your mind, aren't you, Vivian?"
"...To be completely honest, yes. It's just the exact same scenery rolling on forever... I can't even tell if we're actually moving forward."
"Figures."
In the game, hopping between stages and maps took nothing more than a couple of casual clicks. In reality, every single league had to be traversed step by grueling step. Moving faster using high-tier magic or ancient relics wasn't out of the question, of course... Damn it, looking back, I really should have wrangled a gate-opening artifact out of the Church while I had the chance.
"In that case, how about a quick game?"
"A game?"
Shifting back from the driver's seat into the wagon bed, I reached into my coat and produced several decks of cards. These were custom items I had personally gone out of my way to commission from the mages and alchemists back at the castle. When it came to killing dead hours, nothing in the world beat a good card game. On top of that, it was unrivaled for breaking the ice.
Play just a few rounds, and whatever lingering awkwardness stood between Vivian and me would vanish into thin air.
Grinning, I fanned out the deck before her eyes.