Chapter 110: A New Request

The temporary earth-magic user’s dome was big enough for two or three people to sleep in, but it wasn’t much different from a tent.
Seeing that, I understood why someone of his ability would only ever be hired temporarily by a strong party like Steel Strength.

We were chatting inside the dome I had made, when the man said he’d turn in early and went back to his own dome.
As we watched him leave, Bold asked.

“Think he could manage if we trained him?”

“Probably not.”

“Why not? Your advice is always spot-on, and the guy’s got 88 mana. If you taught him, he should do fine.”

“Bold, you didn’t make your dome in front of him, right?”

“No. The moment I saw his dome, I knew he’d never be able to make the same thing I could.”

“But you’ve been traveling together. He must have seen you use magic.”

“Well yeah, whenever we go into the forest, I make him walk behind me.”

“So he’s watched your fights many times. Did he ever once ask you to teach him anything?
When I made a dome earlier, the look on his face was jealousy. Sure, he can use magic, so he might improve if he trained… but then again—”

“He never made that kind of face around us, though.”

“Well, you’re all a famous party, each of you strong in your own right. I’ve been registered almost four years, but to anyone looking I’m just a bronze-rank weakling. And on top of that, I’m a wind mage.”

“Even so, your name’s well known in Rosenne, and there’s the dragon incident, too.”

“Which is exactly why jealousy or resentment comes into play.”

“If you say so, then that’s that.”

“If it’s just for sleeping, he could make a small one-person dome like a tent. Putting those inside an ice dome would keep it a bit warmer, and with a raised bed frame and good drainage he could even have a campfire.”

“Oh, that’s an idea.”

“Really, how do you come up with this stuff?”

Well, I had considered building something like that before I built my cabin.
I wanted to sleep comfortably, but abandoned the idea because I didn’t want to bake in the summer sun and get heatstroke.
I meant to make it for sleeping among tall grass someday, but never got around to it.

After arriving in Kreis, we followed the usual process, went to the manor, listened to Nilbert’s explanation, received the ID badges, and my part was done.

It should have ended there, but while Olga’s group was being briefed, I was handed a letter they wanted me to read.
Again, it had the royal crest on it, and the more I read, the more my head hurt.

Over two months had passed since the fighting ended, yet Duke Berlant was still stuck in Emilia, and both the noble army and the royal army couldn’t move.

The reason was simple: no ceasefire negotiations could be conducted.

On the Holtrand side, from the standoff point at the city of Narsie to their capital, Frangre, there were nine towns—three days by fast horse.
On the Sutherland side, from the royal capital Luclerec to the occupied Emilia, there were twenty-four towns—around eight days.

Even communication between Duke Berlant and the Sutherland forces took too long.
For now, both sides had agreed to a temporary ceasefire across the Linjueil River.

But Sutherland’s envoy posted in Holtrand’s capital couldn’t be contacted.
If they couldn’t negotiate a ceasefire or settle the border, the cost of keeping Berlant’s army deployed would keep piling up and strain national finances.

The conclusion:
I should fly to Holtrand, contact the Sutherland envoy there, and if that was impossible, deliver a letter directly to the Holtrand royal castle.

I wasn’t interested in ceasefire negotiations, but if the border wasn’t settled, Holtrand could attack again at any time.

If Duke Berlant were pushed back, Lynas would be in danger too.
I wouldn’t feel safe until this war was wrapped up, so I decided to follow the letter’s instructions.

I nodded to Nilbert, and he handed me a magic pouch. I kept my mouth shut, remembering what happened at Count Arclight’s estate.

Olga’s group looked at Jake and the others’ dome and decided to sightsee in Kreis before heading home.

That night, inside the dome Lindy made, Dale’s party Flame and Shield of Kreis and Jake’s party were having a lively talk.
Once they saw a capable party, they always wanted to go hunting together and exchange information. I couldn’t keep up.

Making sure Olga’s group didn’t notice, I said I’d go order a bed-equipped tent and slipped away to the commercial guild.

In the coming days I would be traveling by air again.
The cold would be harsh, and even near towns I’d need something I could sleep in safely.

The woodworking shop the guild introduced me to made a wooden frame slightly larger than my cabin bed, plus poles to support a tarp.
I bought two large tarps from an adventurer shop and left the city.

Not wanting to stand out, I created a holed balloon spell where no one was around, used Updraft, and flew toward the capital.

The royal capital Leclerc was five towns away from Kreis, so I arrived before dusk.
Landing in a forest, I set up the new tarp over the wooden frame.
It looked like an ugly half-cylinder, but it kept out the cold and morning sun. Good enough.

I pulled out my mattress and blanket from the cabin and slept until dawn.

Before sunrise, I used Hover to move near the capital.
Checking the magic pouch, I found one letter, an unregistered ID, and five pouches of gold coins.

The letter said I was to go to Duke Berlant’s estate in the noble district and ask to meet the steward, Hoylart.
I dropped a bit of blood on the ID; it marked me as Chancellor Brighton’s subordinate, equivalent to a baron—same as last time.

Nothing detailed was written about the job beyond that, so the actual instructions must come after reaching Holtrand.

Since I’d be entering the noble district, I changed into nicer clothes.
Walking through grass in good clothes was dumb, so I hovered to the road instead.

A wagon driver and his horse froze when they saw me, but I just smiled and let them go.

At the gate, I used the general entrance and took a hackney carriage waiting nearby.

When I told the driver “To the Berlant ducal estate in the noble district,” you should’ve seen his face.
A young guy in decent clothes riding a street carriage into the noble district? Rare indeed.

He warned me.

“Sir, you need proper identification to enter.”

So I showed him my royal ID and tipped him five silver coins.

“You’re an official? That’s a baron’s ID, isn’t it?”

“Well, yeah. I serve the Chancellor. Please hurry.”

“Leave it to me,” 

He said, and the carriage sped up.

At the gate to the noble district, guards stopped us, but after checking my ID they saluted and let us through.

“Um… where is Duke Berlant’s estate, exactly?” 

The coachman asked, making me sweat.
Thankfully, a guard kindly gave us detailed directions.

At the service gate of the estate, I presented my ID and business, and they even let the carriage inside since I’d need a ride back.

I was taken straight to the inner entrance and immediately received by Steward Hoylart.

“Leon-dono, this is a letter from Chancellor Brighton.”

I accepted the neatly presented letter. It instructed me to deliver a letter to the Sutherland envoy’s residence in Holtrand’s capital.
If impossible, I was to drop a message tube from above the Holtrand royal castle.
The duke’s steward would supply whatever I needed.

So I was basically getting paid 500 gold coins to fly into enemy territory with a letter.
Danger pay, I guess. Better than hunting birds anyway.
Still, I was definitely being used for convenience.

“Hoylart-sama, can you provide a map of Holtrand’s capital and a blueprint of the royal castle?”

“We have them prepared,” 

He said instantly.

Of course they were. Typical.

He also gave me a road map, and when I asked if they wanted a reply, he said yes.
That significantly increased the danger, so I made sure to say:

“If I’m attacked, I will fight back. If that’s acceptable, I’ll get your reply.”

“Please do,” 

He answered. No witnesses, so the promise wasn’t worth much, but whatever.

After sending the carriage away, I had Hoylart watch as I created a balloon and told the guards,
“If needed, I’ll come directly here. Please inform the security.”

Then I lifted into the air.

Hoylart stepped outside still unable to process what I’d said.
He watched the carriage leave, then turned back—

—and suddenly a strong wind rose.
While he was busy holding down his clothes, a guard shouted.
Hoylart looked up to see Leon slowly rising into the air.

He floated higher and higher, like a bird, and disappeared toward the west.

He had been told the man could fly, but he thought it would be like teleportation.
Actually flying like that was a shock.