Book 8: Chapter 23

Heading to Fibris Castle, which was at the center of Elarc, Kain’s group started walking.

There were broken remains here and there around the town, but there were many people that were coming and going, and they were even overflowing with smiles.

They had thought this earlier when they were at the diner, but it seemed that the circulation of money hadn’t stagnated.

The circulation of goods was something that could easily stop when in the middle of a civil war, but were they able to properly maintain that line? At the very least, it didn’t look like they were inconvenienced by something.

「Erm……Boralio, -san?」

「What could it be, Kain-dono.」

Kain, who was surveying the area, spoke out that doubt.

「How should I put it, um……The town is lively, isn’t it.」

「Yes. It ought to be.」

「Th, that’s true.」

Sensing that Boralio had no intention of answering him, Kain made a vague nod and sank into silence.

Well, although they were guests, it probably wasn’t something to talk about to outsiders.

However, hearing the conversation between the two, Ein didn’t let it end with just that.

She didn’t dare to ask about it, but she attentively observed the area.

What was lined up at a nearby shop were foodstuffs and livingware. It wasn’t just nothing but preserved foods, there was even a large variety of perishable foods.

It seemed that there weren’t many ornaments, but it could be said that there was an ample amount of goods necessary for living.

In other words, there was definitely a location for the sake of provisions somewhere.

If she were to go even further, the fact that smiles didn’t vanish from the people despite having turned into a situation where the main gate was broken meant that there was something that could only dispel their worries in this town of Elarc.

Maybe a magic that could reverse the progress of battle with a single attack, or a powerful barrier……Or maybe a hero that grasped the human spirit.

Come to think of it, this Canal Kingdom was the Great Sage Teria’s birthplace, and should have a place called the Grand Temple of Light. By some chance, they might be supported by a strong belief in the God of Light.

「……」

「Ein? Is something wrong?」

Being called out to, Ein waved her hand at Kain, who turned around to face her, to indicate that he should 「face forward」.

If possible, she wanted to investigate things about this suspicion, but taking unnecessary action and causing others to be on alert couldn’t be said to be a good plan. Since the other party is guiding them to the center, would feeling around from there first be the best method?

In front of the opened castle gates of the Fibris Castle that could be seen right before their eyes, there were two knights clad in golden armor that were standing in wait.

The both of them seemed to have average abilities as knights, but the fact that they were filled with motivation could be fully understood from their standing figures.

When one of them found Boralio’s figure as he walked at the head of their group, the two knights took a saluting posture.

「Why if it isn’t Boralio-dono! Is that Kain-dono……and his company?」

「Yeah, that’s right. I will be bringing them to Celis-sama now.」

「Understood!」

When the two knights in front of the door touched their hands on the gate, something that looked like light spread out.

At the same time that happened, *gachin……*, the sound of something disconnecting was heard, and the knights pushed the doors in just like that and opened them.

「What was that just now……?」

「……This is just a guess, but I guess they released a lock with magic.」

Hearing Kain’s answer, Ein opened her eyes wide in surprise.

To place a lock with magic, she had never heard of such a thing. Let alone the Dark Continent, there wasn’t any magic that could place a lock in any of the other countries of mankind’s territory either.

「That sort of magic exists……?」

「I think it’s probably an application of Attack Guard. Even I’ve thought of that sort of thing, if we just keep it to thinking of it.」

Ein didn’t know how Attack Guard would have to be used in order to turn out like that, but the moment she opened her mouth to try and ask about it in detail, Boralio turned around to face them.

「Now then, I shall guide you inside.」

「Ah, yes!」

After Kain answered like that, he whispered to Ein in a slightly rapid tone.

「If what I’m thinking is right, I think that it was probably done on purpose in order to show off.」

While following after Kain who started walking, Ein thought about the meaning of those words.

After passing by the two knights and turning around to look at the gate they passed through, she saw what the opened gate looked like on the inside. When she did that, she saw that there were things that looked like bolts and latches.

「……」

Show off──In other words, they were demonstrating that they were making use of the mystique of 「magic」 in their defenses, would it be fine to think of it like that?

If they were protecting the gate with magic, then it isn’t possible to break this gate with normal methods──making people think that way might also be the objective for it.

Or maybe, it might be in order to show off the height of the Canal Kingdom’s magic techniques to guests from outside the country.

「……」

They’re an opponent that looks hard to deal with, is what Ein thought.

She didn’t know who the one that thought of this was, but they had planted this while understanding that the magic techniques of the other nations were still developing.

This could be said from the composition of the chivalric orders, but the Canal Kingdom was utilizing 「magic」 to the max.

It seemed that their power in magic itself was excellent, but their techniques that 「utilize」 magic was high.

No, would it be more correct to say that through the height of the techniques to 「utilize」 it, they were concealing the actual degree of their magic development?

That being said, if a foreign country were to make light of them by thinking they were 「a country only good at cheap tricks」, it felt as if they possessed the strength to make them regret it.

The group of three that walked with Boralio at the lead passed through the castle garden that was beautifully maintained and approached the front door.

On both sides of the already opened doors, once again, there were two golden knights that were standing there.

Going by their armaments, they are probably part of the Swords of Light Chivalric Order, is what Ein thought.

After passing by in between the two knights that were saluting and then entering the reception hall, Boralio suddenly knelt down on the spot.

Neither Kain nor Ein harbored any questions about that.

It was because they saw a single young girl standing deep inside the reception hall, and a woman who was standing in wait beside her.

For the young girl, she wore a robe that had blue lines on a white background and resembled priest clothing. With even her eyes being concealed by the robe, it was to the point that only a small amount of her golden hair could be seen.

The woman beside her had maid clothes that had blue as the basic tone and partial armor that covered her chest.

That woman, whose light and wavy blue hair was her characteristic, looked at Kain’s group with eyes that had a somewhat strict impression.

The woman gave off an extremely intense impact, but there was no mistake that she was not the Canal Kingdom’s Third Princess Celis. In that case, that surely meant that the young girl in priest clothing next to her was the one.

The young girl, who superimposed both of her hands in an unreliable-looking manner in front of her, raised her right hand and stopped Kain who was about to imitate Boralio and kneel down.

「There is no need. You all, are my precious guests after all.」

「Eh, ah……right.」

Hurriedly standing up, Kain took a light bowing posture, and started his introduction.

「I am Kain Stagius, who received a request from the St. Altlis Kingdom’s Second Princess, Elia-sama. And this is my companion, Ein.」

After Kain said that and peeked over at Ein who was behind him, he saw that Ein was making a perfect bow.

「I am Ein whose introduction has been taken care of……I have no surname. Having a connection to this journey, I am accompanying Kain.」

After listening to that and nodding, the young girl let her golden eyes that were inside of the robe peek out.

Those eyes, which resembled sparkling gold, were beautiful, and Kain unconsciously gulped.

「I am Celis. The Canal Kingdom’s Third Princess……and the unfilial daughter, who must kill father once again with these hands.」