Kays Translations

Chapter 407: Arrival at the Territorial Capital

　Tauro and his companions left Caxart and traveled north toward the Graunewald territorial capital, a journey of roughly two days.

　The road was well maintained and remarkably safe. Proper lodging stood along the route, allowing travelers to reach the capital without camping outdoors.

　The Graunewald territorial capital was an important center of the kingdom’s neutral faction and was even more prosperous than Caxart.

　Its surrounding walls were taller and thicker than Caxart’s and had clearly been reinforced with protective magic.

　Ankh explained the city as their carriage approached.

　Even from a distance, the continuous ring of fortified walls was an impressive sight.

“Father and Mother told me that the capital was remarkable, but seeing it’s different,” Tauro said. “Is it unusually grand even compared with the capitals of other noble domains?”

“Without question,” Ankh replied. “House Graunewald stands above most nobles of comparable rank. Like his predecessor, the current count is accomplished in both administration and warfare.”

“He willingly dispatched troops during the northern conflict, and he doesn’t rely solely on Caxart’s salt revenue. He constantly introduces reforms and develops new sources of income. He’s an excellent lord.”

　Ankh spoke with the familiarity of someone who knew the family personally.

　During their time together in the Royal Capital, Tauro had shared regular meals with Count and Countess Graunewald and had begun to understand them as people.

　He knew much less about their capabilities as rulers. Neither the count nor Countess Aida boasted about achievements, so Ankh’s explanation revealed another side of his adoptive parents.

“You know my father very well,” Tauro said.

“We’ve known each other for a long time,” Ankh replied with a smile. “I fought as a mercenary under the previous count’s forces, and I have crossed battlefields with the current Count Graunewald many times as well. It has probably been around sixteen years.”

　Ankh had first entered battle at approximately ten years old. His connection with House Graunewald therefore stretched back almost his entire mercenary career.

He must know many stories about my parents that I’ve never heard.

“I’d like to hear them sometime,” Tauro said, looking ahead, “but we appear to have arrived.”

　The carriage passed beneath the main gate.

“Hm?” Tauro murmured. “There was something mixed into the barrier magic. It felt similar to an enchantment used in the Dragonfolk Village.”

“It probably reacts to people branded with criminal magic marks,” Ragune explained. “The Dragonfolk Village uses a more advanced version, but such systems are uncommon among human settlements.”

“The count purchased the technique from a mage and installed it the last time I was here,” Ankh added. “It reduces the burden on the gate soldiers and has apparently lowered crime inside the capital.”

　Their carriage continued into the city.

　The quiet road outside gave way to bustling streets filled with merchants, workers, carts, and overlapping conversations.

　The city was exceptionally clean. Nearly every roof had been tiled in the same warm orange, giving the streets a carefully unified appearance.

“Ordinary buildings must use the standard roof color,” Ankh explained. “Public institutions such as the Adventurers’ Guild and Merchants’ Guild may use distinctive colors so visitors can identify them easily.”

“The city feels wonderfully coordinated,” Zion said, looking from street to street. “I like it very much.”

　The architectural order was unlike anything she had known in Caxart.

　The stagecoach eventually reached its final stop at the central square, and the party disembarked.

“First, we should register at the local Adventurers’ Guild and then find an inn,” Tauro said out of habit.

“Leader,” Ankh said, laughing, “this is where your parents live. You don’t need an inn. You can stay at the castle.”

“Ah… of course.”

　Tauro gave an embarrassed smile.

“This is my first visit, so it doesn’t yet feel like home. We’ll stop at the guild first and then go to the castle to greet my parents.”

　He reminded himself that he had been adopted into a noble family and that this unfamiliar city was now his family’s home.

　The thought still felt strange.

　They soon located the Adventurers’ Guild without needing directions. Its blue roof stood out clearly among the surrounding orange tiles.

　Zion spotted it first and eagerly led the others toward the building.

　The Graunewald branch was large, and its interior was as spacious and crowded as the exterior suggested.

　Despite the number of adventurers present, a noticeable tension hung over the hall.

“The atmosphere is rather tense,” Tauro said.

　[Presence Detection] confirmed the unease he could already see. Ragune, Ankh, and Zion noticed it as well and instinctively became alert.

　A young adventurer overheard Tauro and approached.

“You’re a child adventurer, so I assume you’re new to the city,” he said. “A serious scandal recently occurred at another Adventurers’ Guild branch in this territory.”

“Our branch manager decided that the same kind of misconduct might exist here, so the staff and adventurers were subjected to stricter inspections. Several cases of fraud were uncovered. That’s why everyone is on edge.”

　Tauro exchanged a silent glance with his companions.

Is this because of everything we uncovered in Caxart?

　He smiled awkwardly.

I’m sorry for causing such a disturbance.

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