Chapter 132 – Leaving (3)
While appreciating some of the majestic scenery of the distant capital, Collard, Roden and his party decided to take a break and have a meal together on the hill where they are currently located.
Sooner or later, the sun will set completely and the gates will be firmly closed, but… Calmly considering the distance and time, it was far too late to enter the city on time. If it is late anyway, it would be better to move slowly and sleep in front of the gate rather than relax.
The four people, who started to move according to their respective roles, gathered fallen tree branches or cut down trees appropriately, prepared firewood, built a bonfire, and put a wide pot on top of it.
While the others prepared the pot and the fire, Roden peeled carrots, onions and potatoes, and sliced them into the pot.
Usually, when cooking, I tend to cook neatly by putting ingredients on a cutting board, but in an outdoor environment like now, I have to cook flexibly with limited space and tools.
I filled the pot with various vegetables, so I decided to pour water. Since there were no rivers or lakes around, it uses the water created by Loxia’s magic.
In the pot that started bubbling, Roden and Loxia generously poured smoked meat thinly sliced like shabu-shabu and edible mushrooms collected from the mountain, added seasonings to finish, and watched the seasoning in order. And soon after, the homemade soup was completed.
“… It’s done. Let’s eat.”
The four people began to enjoy dinner, putting as much fragrant soup as they wanted in their bowls.
The twin sisters who tasted the meat and vegetables that were well-trimmed to eat and swallowed them in one gulp opened their mouths first.
“Most of the time, the food cooked by my brother and Roxia in the open air is much more delicious than the food eaten at the restaurant.”
“I’ve often heard that traveling becomes much more pleasant if there is someone who is good at cooking among colleagues, and it seems to fit perfectly. How can it taste like this every time…”
Considering that travelers eat most of their meals with cold and hard foods such as various types of dry goods and bread, the fact that they can have every meal outdoors with warm and delicious food is a considerable advantage.
There is no chef who doesn’t like to eat deliciously prepared food and to be praised. Roxia, who smiled spontaneously at her twin sister’s words, scratched her cheek gently.
“Ahaha, it’s a bit embarrassing to say that. Even if it’s cooking, most of them are just serving simple soup like now.”
After a friendly dinner with a general feeling, the twin sisters took care of cleaning up afterward.
Merim casts clean magic on the tableware, and Marill arranges the clean tableware neatly.
Before long, the sun was completely tilted. Even when we were eating, the sky, which had been the color of the sunset, had completely darkened.
“The capital is visible, but we are still in the domain of monsters and bandits. Stay on high alert until you’re completely down.”
Regardless of the level of your enemies, it is important to remain vigilant when moving through danger zones. The three women nodded their heads in unison at Roden’s words, which he dared to emphasize to make them a habit, and followed him.
There were no special attacks while getting off the mountain and getting out of the forest. At least today.
“… I was afraid, but it happened anyway.”
After a while, what greeted the four people was the high gate of the capital city, Collard, which was firmly closed and did not intend to open.
‘Even if I didn’t take a break in the middle, it wasn’t the time and place to arrive on time.’
I was prepared in advance, so I’m not particularly regretful.
Most city gates adhere to the structure and policy of not opening again after the sun goes down until the sun rises the next day. The same goes for the gates of Collard right in front of you right now.
Anyway, since I couldn’t get into the city on time, I decided to sleep quietly.
If you look around the surrounding walls, you can see travelers preparing to sleep in front of them, just like Roden’s party.
Roden’s party, who brushed off the twigs, leaves, and small insects clinging to their bodies, preoccupied a deserted place, flattened a place to sleep together, and made a bonfire.
Like that, Roden, Loxia, and her twin sisters shared warmth while clinging to each other and looked up at the stars in the night sky.
“Every time I see a scenery like this, I automatically think that sleeping outside is not bad.”
“Yep. He’s a romantic guy that you can only feel when you lie down outside.”
Her older sister, Merim, accepts Marill’s words as she gazes at the stars with her eyes shining. Roden, who was admiring the sky like the girls next to her, gave a low voice.
“… Everyone has worked hard to get here. Now that we have arrived in the capital, let’s stay comfortably in a well-equipped place for a while.”
I came to the capital with a clear purpose, but I thought it was important to have time to recover my body and mind rather than leaving immediately after doing only necessary responsibilities.
Listening to her words, Merim looked back on her trip for the past month and raised her voice.
“Haaaaa~ We did have a lot of trouble~ because of Roden oppa. I never imagined that I would recklessly go straight to the capital regardless of where monsters and robbers are infested or not.”
“I often thought that I wish I could have chosen a slightly more comfortable path.”
“Thanks to you going straight ahead, you arrived here in a month. As a bonus, I was able to gain a lot of practical experience.”
In Roden’s experience, the fastest and most intuitive way to improve your skills is to fight against enemies who are sincerely seeking your life.
That’s why he took the trouble to go in and out of the rugged forests and mountains in part, and he was able to see noticeable results because he supported the battle only at the moment when he really wanted to be in danger.
“Is it practical experience?”
On the other hand, Roxia, who had been silently listening to the conversation next to her, experienced the last battle, the moment of encountering the bandits who were ambush… To be precise, she recalled the man’s fluttering body being treated with authority.
To be honest.
To be honest.
She thought it was quite exciting and thrilling when she burst the body of a proud human without knowing the subject like a bug.
Lately, she’s been using her own powers to dispose of her enemies, and her aversion to seeing her blood has completely disappeared. Rather, she wants that moment to come.
Originally, she would never have thought of it this way… The fact that her way of thinking has changed a lot from before, Roxia herself feels deeply.
‘What will my master and older sisters think of me who has become like this…’
The demon girl thought about carefully asking the three people lying next to each other, but felt vague fear and shook her head inwardly.
She then joined the conversation as she pretended nothing was wrong, talking about what had happened to her in the past month.
ㅡKnock knock.
The night deepened. Roden’s party slowly fell asleep with the sound of the burning bonfire and each other’s voices as a lullaby.
* * *
After spending the night in front of the castle gate, Roden’s party greeted the morning as the sun rose from the other side, looking at the sky where the turbid color was increasingly colored by the light of the morning sun.
The party quickly arranged the bed and headed for the castle gate without delay.
The door was already wide open, and there was a line of carriages and travelers at the top who woke up a little faster than they did.
Roden’s party waited for their turn at the very back. It didn’t take long because they lined up early, and it was their turn.
“Are the party all four? Please state your identity and purpose of visit.”
A soldier with a clearly better physique and equipment than those who worked in the city he had passed so far approached and said so.
“Except for the adventurers who visited to explore the dungeon that is said to be near the capital.”
Roden’s party obediently complied with the request and showed their respective adventurer identification tags. … Except for Roxia.
Before her soldiers could say anything to her, Merim, who showed the token with the seal of the Mage Tower, spoke quickly.
“I will vouch for this child’s identity.”
“So you’re a traveling wizard… All right.”
Being a wizard is a job itself that is reliable and has a guaranteed identity, and the certificate issued by the Mage Tower is highly reliable enough to play its role anywhere.
For example, it is possible to guarantee the identity of a person who has not prepared an ID card like now and allow them to enter the city. … If the person who guaranteed it caused a problem in the city, he would have to take considerable responsibility.
The inspection process that Roden and his party went through was not that complicated because they did not drive a wagon separately and only brought their bodies.
The scenery of the capital that greeted the four people who safely entered the capital was quite sophisticated.
It was full of taller and more splendid buildings than the buildings of other cities, and flat floors coated with stone were spread all over the place, not limited to the main streets.
“Wow…”
Roxia, visiting a city of this size for the first time, had her eyes wide open as she looked around.
“I’ll stay here for a while, so let’s take a slow look at the streets later. Should we get hold of the inn first?”
“Ah, yes. Master.”
Roden, who smiled and patted Loxia’s back, slowly started looking for an inn that would serve as a temporary residence for the four of them.
