Chapter 5: The Female Warrior and Tandem Seat
Come to think of it, I had never gone horseback riding before.
Just staying on the horse, gripping with my legs so as not to fall off, was surprisingly exhausting. My abs and back were getting tired, and my butt was starting to hurt.
But it was precisely because I had to stay on that I could endure being hugged from behind by a beautiful woman with a toned body.
Chocobo was considerably larger than an ostrich, but I think it was smaller than a thoroughbred. Maybe because it only had two legs, even with two people on it, it could only run as fast as a human jogging.
Still, I returned to the spot where that shrine was in half the time it took to walk there earlier, when I was born into this world. Despite having located the area from the surrounding scenery - which was definitely the same place - there was only a small open space with no trees along the path, and no shrine to be found.
Did it really exist? Rina was in my backpack, but maybe a talking doll was just a delusion of a pathetic otaku.
I don't trust myself too much.
The column of three Chocobo and five people continued without rest, passing by the side of the shrine's original location and heading towards the city that Careena had mentioned.
Cecily manipulated her Chocobo, protecting the rear of the formation, and occasionally looked back. Every time she did, her slightly harsh beauty and her chest, which had a considerable volume even though it was wrapped in a chain mail, swayed splendidly.
Even though they had risked their lives in battle, or rather because they had, they needed rest. That's right.
Cecily knew that I was not important to her, but we exchanged a few words during the hour or so until we reached the city.
It's hard to believe that I, who had only talked to a few girls in the past five years in my original world, could converse, albeit clumsily, with a beautiful woman who seemed European. But in this different world, it's okay. It's like being in a dream, I'm sure.
According to Cecily, the group was on a reconnaissance mission to defeat the monsters in the maze on the outskirts of the territory, or rather, to prepare for a full-scale assault.
Defeating monsters in a maze is a staple of RPGs.
It seems that the subjugation of the labyrinth is the duty of the lord noble who has been given a fief by the king.
If the labyrinth is left alone and monsters start overflowing into the surrounding area, the neighboring residents will not be able to live in peace, and maintaining public security is the responsibility of the rulers.
However, I wonder if it's really okay for just four people, and at a level where they are being chased by orcs? I can't even imagine why the count's daughter herself needs to undertake such a dangerous task.
"That's where Lady Carenna's greatness lies. By showing the lord himself standing up to protect his subjects, the people will unite and feel loyal to Lady Carenna, following in the footsteps of the previous count. It's not because we don't have enough money to hire many soldiers."
No, they're pretty much admitting that they can't afford to hire enough troops.
The female warrior Cecily seems to be a disappointing beauty.
However, the fact that the count's daughter herself was fighting against orcs at the risk of her life was for such a reason.
Cecily was born as the daughter of a knight who served the count's family, and grew up like a sister to Carenna, the heiress. She had been doing maid work at the estate since she was a child, but she was supposed to become a knight like her father, and now she is supposed to revive the struggling count's family. Good for her.
"The Earl of Albarnia is one of the most prestigious families in the kingdom. Until the previous generation, they owned almost the entire Shikipeel region, and many ministers have come from their family."
When talking about the count's family or Carenna, her eyes become expressive, as if she wants to add sound effects. Even I, an outsider, feel like there is some kind of loyalty bias that makes them seem overly glorified.
If I listen to the contents of the story honestly, I wonder if they're really in a state of decline now.
After climbing the gentle slope that led upstream from the stream, we reached the confluence of the rivers.
I see, it was a bigger river than I thought. The main stream flowed in a different direction from here.
Near the confluence of the river, a stone wall came into view.
"That's the city of Skutari."
Cecily's words confused me a bit.
Certainly, it's a city surrounded by stone walls like a medieval European city. However, the wall is at most three meters high, and it looks like you could climb up with a ladder. Due to the gentle slope, you can see the interior of the village quite well even from here. The buildings are mostly single-story and there are few tall buildings, so it's more like a village than a city.
On top of a far-off hill, there is a lone mansion that looks magnificent.
The group crossed the old wooden bridge over the river one by one, making a creaking sound. They arrived at an open gate set in a stone wall. Only this area had a paved stone path.
Two gatekeepers in leather armor with spears stood on either side in a relaxed manner, but they probably noticed the figure of the lead character, Carenna. One of them disappeared into the gate, and soon another person, a soldier dressed a little more splendidly than the others, came out with someone like a captain.
The three of them stood with one hand over their chest, welcoming Carenna with a kind of salute.
The captain was a "Warrior LV5," and the soldiers were "Scout LV3" and "Warrior LV2." In RPGs, scouts and rangers often have scouting skills, but as a professional soldier, I think their level is low. They seemed to be about the same age as me.
There were no other people at the gate, but there might be other soldiers on duty like the policemen sleeping on the second floor of the police box. It seemed unreliable to guard the entrance to the city like this.
"My lord, please."
"Thank you for your hard work. Is there any problem?"
"No, there have been no reports of damage today."
Carenna seemed relieved, and her tense atmosphere from the battle subsided, and her tone of voice became a bit loose-fitting and suited her appearance.
"That's good."
Then she seemed to realize that it was too early for such an attitude when everyone's eyes were still on her, and she showed a shy expression and turned back to me.
"Shiro, thank you for your hard work today. Please come to the mansion on the hill tomorrow evening. I will reward you."
Cecily conveyed it to the captain-like man.
"He is an outsider, but he helped us. Please exempt him from the entrance tax, register him temporarily, and guide him to the commercial guild and Ban's inn later."
"Understood. Get off and come this way."
Stop staring at me like that with suspicious eyes. Are you jealous that I'm sticking to Cecily's side and putting my hand on her waist?
No, that's not it. Is it because I'm wearing a sweater and jeans? They seem to be dressed strangely to these people.
I got off the Chocobo, reluctantly saying goodbye.
"If you show the magic stone from earlier to the commercial guild, they will buy it from you. It should be enough for a few days' stay. Well then, see you tomorrow evening at the mansion on the hill. Don't forget Lady Carenna's invitation."
Oh, she's leaving. Wait, I have to pay for my lodging too? How strict. Oh...
"What's your name? Was it Shiro?"
The captain asked various questions.
"What's your job? Show me your left hand and say 'disclose'."
"Disclose?" I repeated the instructions and my hand started to glow.
"An adventurer, level 1? Did you help the lord with carrying goods or something?"
Well, it's not like my character just defeated three monsters solo right after the game started.
It seemed that even without a skill for identification, I could make it look like I could see the other person's status if they tried to disclose it.
"Anyway, never mind. It's exempt from the one silver coin tax for those without identification to enter the city. Take this and present it if asked by soldiers or in shops."
The captain wrote something on a card-sized piece of wood with a feather pen. Unlike when I could read my own status on my left hand, the symbols on the card looked like mere symbols. I wondered if unlike spoken language, writing wasn't automatically translated.
In other words, I couldn't read or write in this world's language. It was going to be a struggle. I guessed that my name, job, and perhaps the sign of this organization's captain were the last things written on the card.
"What, can't you read?"
Sharp, captain. Had I been making a face like that? When I nodded, he said something surprisingly sensible: "If you want to get a well-paying job, you should learn to read and write."
"Is this my name by any chance?"
"Your occupation is an adventurer. The name written below is pronounced as 'Oto', it's an unusual name compared to Shirou's. Well, your clothing is even more unusual, what kind of trend is that from?"
As expected, it was the clothing that caught attention. "Please forgive me if I say I came from a faraway country."
"You can stay here for five days. During that time, you can register for some work at the Commerce and Industry Guild, or perhaps you were called to the mansion for some discussion before that. There might be something to talk about over there..."
The captain grinned as he answered my question with a gaze, confirming that I was to be guided to the guild and the inn with a wooden tag, called a temporary ID, placed in the pocket of my jeans.
"The Commerce and Industry Guild is just around the corner after walking down the central street and turning at the second intersection. You'll see a brown roof peeking out there, and there is only one three-story building, so it stands out."
"Ah, certainly, since there are many single-story buildings and the buildings aren't too densely packed, a large building is visible."
"Van's Inn is located straight ahead along the wall to your right. There is a Chocobo tied up outside, and there's even a picture of Chocobo on the sign, so you'll know it right away. However, the food is not that great, so I would eat outside if I were you."
It seems he had no intention of guiding me with enthusiasm. It's written all over his face that it's bothersome.
Well, I don't think it's a good idea for only three guards to leave their posts. Besides, I've always been left out of group activities during school trips and such, so I'm used to it.
It's alright, yes.