CH ss - 56

[Alfine: To The Royal Capital]

• Alfine’s POV

Because Meila’s wagon was destroyed by Vigo, we are now walking while searching for a carriage that may give us a ride to the royal capital.

“There’s no carriage that would give three people a ride, after all. Everyone is in a rush; like I expected, everyone on the main road to the royal capital are cold~.” (Meila)

Having lost her cherished wagon, the exhausted Meila sighs, looking at the carriages passing by.

“Sorry, Meila. I’ll save money and make you a new wagon someday…” (Alfine)

“Don’t mind it. I was the one who told you to chase them anyways. It’s not your fault that the wagon was blown up. I’ll make sure to charge that Vigo guy.” (Meila)

Meila’s eyes seems to give off a strong will for revenge.

“Al-oniichan, Meila-oneechan. A lot of carriages are stopped on the road for some reason.” (Maribel)

Maribel, who is at the end of the slope after parting with us who has been trying to hitch a ride, saying that she would go take a look ahead, calls out to us.

“Carriages are stopped? How could that be? This is the main road, you know? Sure, it is congested, but for carriages to be stopped.” (Meila)

Meila tilts her head to Maribel’s words.

As Meila says, this is the main road leading to the royal capital where many carriages come and go.

For carriages to be stopped on that sort of main road is something that should have never happened before.

“Meila, let’s go see it.” (Alfine)

“Eh? Ah, yeah.” (Meila)

I pull Meila’s hand and run to the top of the slope where Maribel is.

It’s true…the road is full of carriages…

Although it was congested, this is the first time that carriages are stopped on the road like this.

Before me, I can see countless stopped carriages filling the main road.

“They’re stopped.” (Alfine)

“Yeah, unbelievable…” (Meila)

After talking to the owner of a stopped carriage, Maribel’s expression changes and she comes back.

“Al-oniichan, Meila-oneechan. It’s bad! It’s bad! That uncle said that the gate of the royal capital has been closed!” (Maribel)

“The gate is closed? It should be still opened at this time, though?” (Alfine)

“The commander of the Royal Guard Knight Order had the royal capital’s gate closed in order to catch wrongdoers, he said.” (Maribel)

Gile isn’t the sort of person who catches wrongdoers.

Rather, he’s the sort of person who does wrong deeds.

I wonder if it has something to do with the matter of Vigo and his colleagues taking away Director and Sensei.

While listening to Maribel’s story, I can’t help but be bothered about the meaning of the words Vigo gave when he left.

At that time, someone calls me out from behind.

“You are Al-sama, an adventurer from Youg Hannotes, right? Why are you in a place like this…”

When I look back in the direction of the voice, I see a carriage with the crest the Henestrosa family stopping.

The person sitting in the coachman’s seat should be Noelia’s personal maid, Suzana, if I remember correctly.

Since she’s driving the carriage that has the crest of the Henestrosa family, that means…

Finn and Noelia are inside the carriage!?

I can’t hide my discomposure to the carriage that Suzana drives appearing before me.

“Y-yeah, yes. That is true, but if I’m not mistaken, you are Noelia-sama’s personal maid, Suzana-san, are you not?” (Alfine)

While stuttering, I ask to confirm the other party’s identity.

“Yes, I am Suzana. Thank you very much for accepting the request of my mistress, Noelia-ojousama, previously.” (Suzana)

I don’t know if it’s because Suzana is also not sure of my identity or because of some other reason, but she looks nervous.

“For us to meet at this kind of place must be due to fate; if possible, I would like to invite you to have a talk in the carriage, however. Do you have time?” (Suzana)

“I’m afraid… I don’t have much time, but…” (Alfine)

“If possible, I would like to have a proper talk with you… Please, spare me some of your time.” (Suzana)

It feels like Suzana’s carefully choosing her words, as though to sound out my situation.

“Ah—, so irritating—. You’re Al, right? Lend me your shoulder for a bit.” (Cinzia)

A bird flies out of the luggage compartment and perches on my shoulder, before flapping its wings as though telling me to come inside the luggage compartment.

“Wha-!? The bird is talking!?” (Meila)

“Bird-san is talking?” (Maribel)

“That bird is manipulated by Cinzia-sama with employment magic. It is not dangerous, so please get inside the luggage compartment, everyone.” (Suzana)

We look at each other and nod, deciding to go inside the luggage compartment at Suzana’s urging.

Thinking that Noelia and Finn are inside, I nervously enter the luggage compartment while suppressing my pounding heart.

“We’ve finally met. Sword Master Alfine.”

While I thought that Noelia and Finn were inside the carriage, it turns out that there is only a person of unknown gender wearing full-body armor sitting in it.

The person of unknown gender suddenly spoke out my real name, so I immediately put my hands on the swords on my waist.

“Who are you? I am Al, an ordinary adventurer, I have no relation with Sword Master Alfine.” (Alfine)

“You don’t have to hide it. I already know your identity, Noelia knows, Suzana over there knows, and Finn…no, the Crimson Magic Swordsman Frick you’re searching so hard for also knows. That’s why, just take your hands off your swords.” (Cinzia)

Finn already knows my identity…

“It is as Cinzia-sama said; I have conveyed the information about Al-sama that I received from my father Loran to both Frick-sama and Noelia-ojousama.” (Suzana)

When Suzana, who was in the coachman’s seat, enters the luggage compartment, she bows her head to me.

Loran – that barber who is also the spy of the Frontier Count!?

His daughter have informed my identity to Noelia and Finn, huh…

The fact that they aren’t here means that they already left somewhere because they had found out about my identity and didn’t want to get involved with me, huh.

Feeling shocked, I take my hands off my swords and sink down to the floor.

“Al…” (Meila)

“Al-oniichan…” (Maribel)

Meila and Maribel are worriedly looking at me, who have sank down to the floor.

I knew things would turn out like this.

Neither Finn nor Noelia would want to see me.

But I really wanted to say at least a few of words of apology.

Various things run through my mind, and tears uncontrollably overflows from the corners of my eyes.

A hand-knife of the person in full body swings down at such me.

“It hurts! What’re you doing!” (Alfine)

“Because it looks like you let your imagination ran wild without control. The reason why Frick and Noelia aren’t here is not because they don’t want to see you, so rest assured.” (Cinzia)

“Not because they don’t want to see me…?” (Alfine)

“It’s because you always keep jumping into a wrong conclusion like this that Frick had to wipe your ass every time, huh~. Now I get it. This is the defeat of Danton and Philia’s education. I also might have to look after you guys until the end, after all…” (Cinzia)

Cinzia, sitting in front of me, grabs me by my cheeks and pulls me toward her.

“Listen well. Frick and Noelia rushed to the royal capital when they heard that you were executed. They searched about for you when they found out it was a substitute. That is, everywhere they could think of.” (Cinzia)

“Efurywere? Fwinn and Noheria did?” (Alfine)

“Yeah, everywhere. They even went to your hometown to search for you. Understand that they even went that far just to try to meet you.” (Cinzia)

I silently return a nod to Cinzia to show my understanding.

“Very well. I don’t know what both Frick and Noelia feel about you, but I know that at least, they want to meet you. Do you understand this too?” (Cinzia)

I nod silently just like before.

Thanks to Cinzia’s words, I have dispelled my assumption that they’re not here because they don’t want to meet me, and my heart calms down.

“They just went ahead to the royal capital to save Frick’s foster parents, Danton and Philia, who were taken away by a guy called Vigo. Understand?” (Cinzia)

I nod three times to Cinzia.

“So, were you guys heading to the royal capital in pursuit of Frick?” (Cinzia)

Cinzia let go of her hands from my cheeks.

“That’s right. The Guild Master of Inbahanes told us that he was heading to the royal capital…” (Alfine)

“Haah, I wonder if you two are fated to never meet. But well, you’ll be able to meet him if you go to the royal capital now.” (Cinzia)

“But aren’t we currently unable to enter the royal capital…?” (Alfine)

“Eh!? Why!?” (Cinzia)

Cinzia, who made a surprised voice, doesn’t seem to know that the gate of the royal capital is closed.

“Apparently Gile closed the gate to capture wrongdoers…” (Alfine)

“The commander of the Royal Guard Knight Order did…?” (Cinzia)

While I tell Cinzia that we couldn’t enter the royal capital, horses’ neighs can be heard coming from outside.

“That voice, is Diedur back, I wonder?” (Cinzia)

I see the bird that has perched on the full body armor’s shoulder flies out of the luggage compartment.

After being silent for a while, Cinzia suddenly stands up.

“Suzana, we have an emergency. It seems that Linus-shi has been caught as a rebel. Frick and Noelia have infiltrated the royal capital to save him! Those children is up to something reckless again! I have a bad feeling about this, so I’ll go there with Dimol.” (Cinzia)

“Eh? Ah, yes. Wait, ehh!! You will go to the royal capital with Dimol!? Is that not rash!?” (Suzana)

“Dimol won’t fell to the incompetent soldiers of the royal capital! This is emergency, and I’ll remove the crest of Henestrosa family on him, so don’t worry. Alfine, what are you going to do? Would you come along?” (Cinzia)

Cinzia holds out her hand to me.

“I’ll go. Meila, Maribel. I’ll go ahead with Cinzia-san. Suzana-san, please take care of the two.” (Alfine)

I take Cinzia’s hand that she holds out, before asking Suzana to take care of the two and getting out of the luggage compartment.

When Cinzia comes outside, a giant wyvern descends from the sky.

This is the wyvern that Finn has tamed, huh.

Big…to be able to easily tame this child, Finn is really amazing.

After Cinzia quickly removed the cloth with the Henestrosa family’s crest drawn on it, I get on the saddle with her.

The wyvern then flies up, ignoring the stopped carriages spread below, and rushes straight toward the royal capital.