Having set out early in the morning, between our fast movement speed and lack of interruptions we managed to arrive in Luentinum in the early afternoon. Much like Lofinium, it's a walled city, but it feels like there are more people around than there were in Lofinium. Asking the guards checking our identifications about it, he says that it's because Luentinum is closer to the Capital city of Maia and that the closer we get to the Capital the more popular the cities will be.
After being granted entry into the city, the first thing we do is look for an inn. Thankfully it doesn't take more than a few minutes of walking through the gate to find an inn to stay. As Lia finishes the negotiations with the innkeeper and pays for the room she asks for directions to the Adventurers Guild, but we get interrupted by some middle-aged couple as well as their attendants. The couple looks to be very well dressed and well decorated. Their clothes alone probably cost at the very least one platinum coin. And the attendants seem to be pretty well off as well. I'd say with 99% certainty that this couple is of the nobility.
"Get rooms prepared for me and my wife, as well as a room for our servants."
"I apologise, Marchio Marullinus, but there is only one more room left. You will have to share it with your servants," the innkeeper says as she gives the couple a light bow.
"No! I refuse to stay in the same room as lowly servants." The Wife says.
"I concur, staying with mere servants is beneath the status of people like us. Did you not just give a room to these two," the man says pointing at Lia and me, "just kick them out, I don't believe you would rather have foreigners staying here over an aristocrat such as ourselves."
"How rude, we have properly paid for our room and the contract has been signed, what right do you have to demand the inn kick us out," Lia says.
"How dare you talk back to me, you lowly lizard! Aggression towards a noble, I should have you arrested. Now, would you like for your inn to have the reputation of allowing criminals to stay here."
"Aggression!? How is that aggression, I'll fucking show you aggression!" I yell as I move to punch his face.
Unfortunately, one of his servants stands in the way and blocks my attack, being sent flying out the door, crashing into their carriage. I tried to hold back a little so I didn't kill them at the inn but, I didn't expect to send someone flying like that. I've let off some steam after hearing him insult Lia like that, but now that I think about it...
"Lia, couldn't you be considered nobility as well?"
"Yes, although I am far from being the heir, I am the third Princess of the Blue Dragonoids. So I could be considered foreign nobility while we are here, but I almost never use this status."
Unperplexed by this, Marchio Marullinus says, "so what if you're royalty in your backwater nation, in reality, you're nothing more than some upstart barbarians."
Just as I'm about to argue back, Lia whispers in my ear, calming me down. Nodding in agreement to her plan, I say "fine, we'll leave. Take the room," and we walk out the inn. But I remember that we didn't get our payment returned I dash back inside the inn, ignoring the man's glare and receive the refunded payment before returning to Lia.
As we are walking around to find the Guild, I ask Lia how she knew that the couple was leaving in the morning.
"It's simple, I overheard their servants whispering about how the Marchio and Marchionissa were making a big fuss over the matter despite them leaving the next morning. I'm surprised you didn't notice, your hearing as much better than mine."
"I was a bit angry ok, most of my attention was on those annoyances and trying to hold myself back from transforming and killing them on the spot. But, Marchio and Marchionissa, huh. And there was the Dux in Lofinium too. I'm not too familiar with what all these things mean, I just kinda understand them to be important titles."
"Wait, you don't know the different aristocratic titles, yet you speak the language here with perfect fluency?"
"What do you mean? I just speak normally and as far as I'm concerned everyone I meet speaks the same, aside from small regional differences... oh, I just remembered that I have a skill called 'Language Comprehension', that's probably why."
"And then there's me who spent years learning the main languages spoken on all the continents, but you just get a free pass. *sigh* Anyways, while I don't know the complete power dynamics between all the different titles, but basically, in Lausiel the highest title is Imperator, in Talonia this would be equivalent to Emperor, but Talonia hasn't had one in a long time. Under that is the Rex and Regina or Princes and Princesses. The Archidux and Archiducissa is the highest noble title one can hold after the Imperial family and following that is, of course, Dux and Ducissa, Laevinus we are familiar with hold this rank. Beneath Dux is Marchio followed by Comes and finally Baro. There are some other titles as well but I'm not too sure where they fall on the ladder."
Not too long after Lia's explanation on the nobility we find the Guild and look around for an escort quest, but as expected no escort quests at all, let alone something that will lead us to Ugernum. As we are searching the quest boards, I overhear the receptionist talking with a party of adventurers.
"We have received the proof of completion for your escort of the Durus Trading Company, from Lofinium to Luentinum. Thank you for your work today."
"... really."
"What's up?" Lia asks.
"See that party talking with the receptionist, I heard they just completed an escort quest from Lofinium to Luentinum. It's like, of course, there would be an escort quest is in Lofinium on the day we arrive here."
"With our luck and your especially, I'm not too surprised, but don't worry about. Walking is fun, we got to spend time alone together and I got to test out the gun. But since there doesn't seem to be any quests for us to take, let's set up camp outside the city, we have to prepare the Marchio's ambush."
"Sound's like something I would say and I'm all for it, so let's go."