The capital was about two hundred miles from Agatha. Normally a horse-pulled carriage is capable of traveling the distance within two full days. However, there are other means of traveling in this part of the world, one of them, a species called dragoon roughly the size of a horse, the journey could be made at a speed of twenty-five miles per hour. While slower compared to a horse, Dragoons could maintain at full speed far longer without needing to stop.
Our carriage was being pulled by two of them.
It was unbelievable to witness, but they had been running at full speed since morning, and now, as the sun began to dip, they still hadn't shown signs of slowing down or needing a break.
It was a strange comfort, knowing we could make it to the capital without the delays that would come with normal travel. Still, the rhythmic motion of the carriage, combined with the steady pace of the Dragoons, made the long journey feel like an endless period in which my mind was full of thoughts of what happened and what would happen in the future.
At first, I thought this would just be another one of those isekai adventures, applying modern knowledge, improving life, becoming strong, and then a harem.
But it's not.
I am worried about Silica, but more than that, I don't want to be in that same situation again. To be helpless and couldn't do anything. To just sit and wait, to be sidelined. To watch them mourn for the people they cared about.
It's but a selfish thought. To bury those emotions from surfacing again.
I want to become stronger.
"Everyone, once we are past this forest, the capital will be in your view." The man said as thoughts ran through my head, disrupting it. I don't know him and honestly, no one bothered to ask for his name. He is wearing a white garb, he actually looked like a priest.
"I see," Evangeline replied while looking at the window.
It got me curious.
"You haven't been to the capital?" I asked, she glanced at me before looking back at the scenery past the window.
"Yes." it was just a short answer, perhaps she didn't care to answer at all. Ever since our earlier conversation, she hasn't said anything else. It feels like her mind is somewhere else.
"By the way, your horn? Are you not going to use it?" the first time I met her she has two horns poking out of her head. I didn't ask for what purpose that was, as it turned out to be fake, but now it got me curious. For what reason does she wear something like that?
"Why do you ask?" she answered though she did not look at me.
Come to think of it, except that day, this is the first time we have actually shared a conversation. On that day, they were already gone when Silica and I got back from the marketplace.
Just like everyone else, I know nothing about them
"Just a curious question."
Not like she has to answer, but if she answers, then that's better. I can clearly remember, how beautiful she was that day.
"How long do you think a demon... our race lives?" She asked an out of nowhere question. I haven't actually learned much about this world. I had focused on learning magic and completely forgot about it.
"For a demon, their horns are a way to judge someone. Something like respect in your terms." she continued
"Huh? I don't get it." I actually get what she's saying, however, what I don't understand, she's the Demon lord, so why would she be concerned about something like that?
"You really are slow at simple things, aren't you." she looked at me amused her lips forming a smile.
I had noted it before, the first time I saw her, but, she really is beautiful, more than anyone I had laid my eyes on. Her black hair was a contrast to her red eyes, a perfect pair. Her skin was pale, and her lips, like a drop of blood against the snow, were striking.
I got lost in the moment. My eyes locked with hers, and in that instant, she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen, in this world and the last. I could have drowned in that gaze.
YAWN!
Sena, who had been sleeping since we left Agatha, suddenly jolted awake. Her exaggerated yawn snapped me back to reality. I wasn't sure whether to thank her for it or not.
"We haven't arrived yet?" Sena mumbled groggily, stretching her arms mid-yawn, her voice thick with sleep.
"We're already close to the Capital, Lady Sena," came the reply.
Sena jolted, clearly caught off guard by the man. It wasn't so much the formality of his words, but the honorific that seemed to excite her.
"Ooohhh... You actually know how to speak politely to this great me?" she said, practically beaming. I had completely forgotten, she's one of those.
"Your praise is wasted on me," the man replied, bowing his head in acknowledgment. Sena, now standing and huffing, looked like she could steam with how pleased she was. You could practically see smoke coming out of her nose.
"Big Sis, I like this man. Hey! Tell me your name!" she called out. I just stared at her, while Evangeline merely shrugged.
"The name is Reno Solzat, a member of the royal mage order, in service to the King."
So he's not a priest, I thought at first, based on his appearance. But a royal mage? Guess I was wrong. He must be pretty skilled.
"Hou... I see. Become my servant, then."
"I am honored by the offer, but my loyalty lies with King Ambrosius."
"Eeeehhhhh!!! Ok." Sena just plopped back down and yawned again. I really don't get her.
For the first time since we left Agatha, she looked at me.
"Servant no. 1, so you're here."
"Me?"
I had never heard anything about this. We hadn't even had a real conversation yet.
"Who else would it be?" She raised an eyebrow, her gaze locking onto mine.
"You want to be stronger, right?"
"Where did that even come from?" My voice rose, annoyed by what she had said.
She leaned in closer, her face just inches from mine. I could feel her breath, each exhale brushing past my skin. The sensation was both exhilarating and strangely guilty. Her black-red eyes seemed to pierce straight through me, like she was reading every thought.
"I have a very sensitive nose," she said, her eyes never leaving mine. "I can smell it... Your desire."
Her words hit me like a spear. There was no way to dodge them.
I wasn't summoned to this world to fight for anyone. I came here for another reason entirely. But after everything that's happened, isn't it only natural to want to be stronger? I don't need godly strength like theirs, I just want to be useful when the time comes. I don't want to be sidelined or become a burden.
I thought I had already moved past these thoughts, but the girl in front of me, the one who had so effortlessly defeated the enemy that caused so much destruction, made me confront them all over again.
"Everyone, we now have passed the forest, in front of you the Capital of Silford..." The words of Reno pulled me back from my thinking. I didn't even notice but Sena was now looking at the window, her body half poking out of it. Seems like even this great Sena as she calls herself can be pretty excitable at times.
What am I even thinking?
"Moonvale!" Reno spoke with pride in his voice.
"Moonvale," I murmured as I peeked through the open window.
From this height, the capital stretched before me, bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun. Three towering stone walls divided the city into distinct sections, their weathered surfaces bearing the marks of time. Narrow rivers wound through the streets, their waters shimmering as they passed beneath sturdy stone bridges.
At the center, a grand castle stood tall, its spires piercing the sky. Even from here, its imposing presence was undeniable, its pure white aesthetics reminded me of the moon at its brightest, a breathtaking scene.
...
After a whole day of traveling, we finally arrived.
It was already dawn, the sun kissing the horizon, but there was still a long line of people entering the gate, carriages decorated with gold and silver, perhaps merchant or even nobility, there were peddlers, even adventurers lining in groups. At the bottom of the gate, stand two guards, inspecting everyone who enters the capital.
I thought we were going to line at the end, but once we were already within walking distance our carriage stopped, and several knights on horseback came out of the gate. They lined up on either side of the road, then one man came walking down in the middle on either side stood a maid in the other stood a man, his massive build dwarfed everyone around, judging from his height he was probably close to seven feet if not taller.
They walked toward the first carriage and then stopped in front of its door.
A maid comes out. If I remember correctly, her name is Theana. I haven't had much of an interaction with her, but she seems a little stickler for rules and grumpy.
The four people bowed to each other and then talked. We were quite a distance from each other, and I couldn't hear what they were talking about, but a few moments later, the three joined the carriage, and it moved. The knights followed on either side of our three carriages.
...
The sun had just dipped below the horizon, but the streets were still alive with energy.
The air was thick with noises, bards strumming their lutes, their melodies singing the life of a hero. There were groups of people laughing, enjoying the lively evening. Children dashed about, their shouts and playful cries filling the air as they chased each other between the stalls and around the vendors.
Like that of Agatha, a reminder of a lovely city and its people.
The carriage rolled steadily along the paved streets of the capital, its wheels clicking rhythmically on the stone pavement. Buildings rose on either side, their windows lit with the flickering glow of lanterns, casting shadows like hands reaching the bustling crowd.
The road was lined with market stalls, their brightly colored awnings swaying gently in the evening breeze, while the scent of roasting meats and baked goods filled the air, mingling with the earthy smells of the crowd.
The capital was a city of constant motion, where every street, every corner seemed to hold a story. People moved with purpose, while others lingered in the warmth of the fading sunlight, lost in conversation or laughter.
I leaned back in my seat, it was a wonderful spectacle, perfect to wash away the heavy feeling from the past.
As the carriage made its way toward the castle, one of the carriages, carrying the still unconscious Katherine separated. They were going to the York residence, where she will remain until she can recover.
I watched the back of their carriage as they took a turn thinking of the energetic girl that she was. Katherine had been good to me, ever since I came here, it's an understatement to say that I am worried sick about her. I still can't remember what exactly happened, but I hope she'll recover fast, I want to thank her.
"say, why are we entering from the back?" I asked Reno as the carriage took a turn upon reaching the entrance.
"Regarding that, this is not a formal meeting, my King would meet everyone in a different room."
"Is that so?" Couldn't help but ask
"It's understandable, he's meeting with a demon lord after all. In any other circumstances, a demon lord showing up at a human country would already mean a war." Evangeline said
"Yes, that would be the case," Reno replied in a polite manner
I guess so. Now that I think about it, these two people I am with are not exactly normal. One's a demon lord, the other, as much as I don't want to believe it, this chuuni girl far surpasses Evangeline in terms of raw strength.
I couldn't help but watch her. Her upper body sticking out of the window, her hips swaying from side to side like an excited child.
What the heck is up with this girl? You're sixteen already, for god's sake.
But still...
That evening, it was the same girl, the one responsible for that massive hole. The kind of power that could obliterate more than half of Agatha in the blink of an eye. To think that someone like her possessed such strength... It's incomprehensible. Inconceivable.
I guess her antics weren't just childish behavior after all. They were a reflection of something much deeper, a testament to a power beyond measure.
And I suppose the same could be said for me, an otherworlder. While my strength doesn't come close to theirs, I'm from a world completely different from this one. A unique existence, in fact.
Sitting next to a demon lord and an actual personification of destruction, I'm not sure why, but the upcoming meeting with the king feels far more foreboding.
I just hope nothing goes wrong.
...
Let's go back a day earlier.
The mountain range that separated Silford from Caldris. A narrow pass between two towering peaks. The soil had eroded over time, creating a gap just wide enough for passage.
Atop one of the peaks stands a lone woman. Her blonde hair blows freely in the wind, and her eyes, sharp and predatory, gleam in the dim light of the moon. In her hand, she holds a black scythe. It's nothing extraordinary, an old weapon, worn with age, yet reliable.
She's waiting for something. Perhaps someone.
"As expected, they arrive,"
A cold smile touches her lips.