108 Episode 107: The Royal Capital and Decoy

"Oh!　So this is King's Landing!

About two hours after our departure.

About two hours after our departure, we arrived in front of the royal capital, carrying the carriage (or whatever it was) that carried Mercia.

As the capital of the country, the city seemed to be quite bright even after the sun had completely set.

You can see the scenery through the gates, and the design is more elaborate than in Fotoren or Herrera. It's not as bad as Desibatore.

The biggest feature is probably the huge castle peeking out from the top of the gate.

Was this your first visit to the maple tree? You seemed to be used to being in a crowded place, and I thought you had experience in King's Landing.

No, I don't. I'm used to crowds in other places.

Even as we talked, we slowed down in step.

We can't just drive into the gates of King's Landing at this speed.

The gates here are pretty empty at night too. The last time I came here, there was a huge line to get in. ......

Yeah. There are almost no demons around the capital, but the roads along the way can be a bit dangerous. If you can get a decent escort, it's better to arrive at night.

Mercia, who hadn't lifted a finger from the carriage when we were speeding, seemed to notice that we were slowing down and showed her face.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

What's that ...... thing?

It's a carriage.

When the gatekeeper saw us carrying what used to be a carriage on our backs, he shouted in confusion.

I'm not sure if it's because we're in the capital or because the gatekeepers don't use honorifics in other cities.

Well, I understand the feeling.

I don't know how to explain this, but I don't think rickshaws are common, and the closest thing is probably horse-drawn carriages.

It looks like there are no horses.

When Matthias answered the question, the guards grew more and more confused.

Maybe we should have just stowed the carriage in the right place and arrived on foot.

Well, the more conspicuous we are, the more likely we are to attract Gengar and his underworld, and that's better for a short battle.

I left the horse in the last town because he's slow. I had to hurry a bit.

I've heard of people switching from carriages to horses to increase speed, but I've never ...... heard of leaving a horse behind. Excuse me, may I ask what city you're from?

All three of us are from Desibatore.

I'm from Fotolen.

The four of us take out our IDs and show them to the guards.

I see you're from Decibatore. ....... I'm not sure if there's anything wrong with your ID, but can I check to see if there's anyone else in the carriage?

"Yes.

The guard checked the inside of the carriage and led us into the city.

With this reaction, the guards probably hadn't been told about the audience.

If we had been escorted by a muscular adventurer who looked overtly like a Desibatore, the conversation might have gone more quickly.

It was a mistake to choose a guard with a carefree appearance in order to catch the enemy off guard.

So, what are we going to do now?

For now, let's go to the inn. I'm tired. ......

"Wasn't Mercia resting in the carriage?　She could have slept.

During the ride, Lake explained to me how wonderful this carriage was.

It must have had high performance cushions in addition to the suspension so that people could rest properly inside.

They even tested it to see if people could sleep in it.

I would like to see the face of someone who can rest in a vehicle moving at such a speed. The ...... time savings is tempting, but I wouldn't want to ride it again if I could help it. ......

Hmm ...... still room for improvement. I got on the plane myself to make sure it was comfortable. All those who wanted to get in ...... besides me, like Verd, Gust and Reilly, were unanimous.

All the applicants are decibatoreans!

None of the others would come forward. ......

Apparently, the carriage was not well received.

We'll have to rethink the carriage design later, but I thought you said you'd already found us a place to stay?

"It should be. It's called the Tail of the Dragon. ......

Yeah. That's the inn we always use when we come to King's Landing. You know who took it. This way then.

The inn we arrived at with Lake's guidance was quite luxurious, as it had been taken by someone related to the king.

They seemed to be particularly careful about security, and checked our IDs when we entered the inn.

The clientele seemed to be mainly merchants and adventurers, rather than nobles.

Not that there was anything particularly interesting.

But the problem is Gengar.

I'm sure you'll be able to find something that will help you out.

In the end, the adventurers we defeated gave us only one base of operations.

Perhaps the perpetrator of the raid was near the end of the organization and was not in a position to give much information.

Incidentally, it seems that one of the locations is usually operated as a tavern.

If the organization had only a base of operations that such an idiot knew about, it would have been destroyed before we could do anything about it. But it's going to take a while to find out what else is going on.

I have a plan for that.

The one who raised his hand was Lake again. He's good at fighting against other people, and he seems to have a lot of knowledge about killing bandits.

What's the plan?

First, Kaede will go to their base.

And then we fight them?　That doesn't sound like a plan to me. ......

No, we're just going home. I'm sure they're not stupid enough to think that Kaede is just here for a drink. As long as Kaede doesn't make a move on them, it's unlikely that they would fight with him without any preparation. He'll either run away, or else he'll set a trap for his next visit.

"So if it runs away, we should find a place to run to. What if they set a trap?

Given the power of Lake and the others, it should be easy enough to follow them if they escape.

If we choose the right people to follow, we should be able to find the location of their hideout rather easily.

However, if the opponent does not escape, the situation will only become more complicated.

I've also thought of what to do if a trap is set. If they set a trap, we'll go near the building and stake it out.

And then?

Then Kaede will hit their base. Mercia will be safe here at the inn.

I see. This inn is reliable. 　By the way, the store is supposed to be trapped, how safe am I?

If you hit them, they'll run away. That's where you'll be.

I see, even if they don't run, you'll force them out. That way, we can locate their base by tomorrow. And what about my safety?

This is a well-thought-out plan.

How is that?

We're gonna use the non-lethal maple as a decoy.

Hey, escort.

That was a terrible dereliction of duty.

You're about to send your client into the middle of an enemy trap all by himself.

It was Mercia who asked me to protect her. You don't need to protect Kaede.

...... So, the client was Mercia, right?

But then again, Lake and the others would have to follow Mercia's orders.

I'm sure Mercia wouldn't want to send me, the owner of a business association, to such a dangerous place alone.

So I'll follow Mercia's decision here.

In order to make the dangerous mission a little more sane, I left the decision to Mercia.

I'm sure Mercia will live up to my expectations.

"Okay. I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

...... Huh?