Chapter 30: Niran (1)

“What? We’re not allowed to enter the palace?”

We came all this way just to get inside the palace.

“Y-Yes. Probably.”

Still wearing that indifferent expression and tone.

This was hardly the appropriate demeanor to show to a noble, let alone a foreign Grand Prince.

“Snarl.”

With the sound of grinding teeth, Nedian was seen fidgeting with the hilt of his sword.

Glenn swallowed his anger and quickly asked again.

“Why exactly? I have urgent business to see the ruler of this kingdom.”

“There’s been a disturbance in the city. So—entry is difficult.”

Things kept piling up.

What? A disturbance in Niran?

“A disturbance? What exactly does that mean?”

“Well, it’s not that I can’t tell you… but it’s hard to say with just words.”

“You want to die, huh—”

Just as Nedian was about to lash out, Glenn stopped him.

“Doryeon-nim, no matter what, this is—”

“I’ll handle it.”

Before Glenn could protest, a faint smile appeared on his lips.

It was a subtle, almost calculating smile.

At the same time, he pulled out a leather pouch.

“Is this what you want?”

The jingling sound made the captain of the guard’s eyes gleam with greed.

“Come now, I’m not blatantly asking for a bribe.”

“I know, I know. There are many watchful eyes. Should we talk somewhere private?”

He casually slung an arm around Glenn’s shoulders.

Glenn responded with a bright smile, overdoing the friendliness.

“Oh? You’re someone who knows how to talk, it seems.”

The two of them moved to a less crowded area.

And after a short while.

Thud—thud!

“…Hmm?”

It was a very faint sound, but unmistakably the noise of someone being beaten.

Nedian immediately understood the situation.

“Knights, line up!”

They purposely kept their voices low.

So that no one else would hear the unidentified noises.

When they returned, their demeanor was different from before.

“Oh, this friend here hurt his foot. Is that right?”

Glenn looked fresher than before.

“…Y-Yeah! That’s right!”

In contrast, the captain of the guard’s face was a mess.

One eye was swollen shut, his lip was split, and it looked like he was missing one or two front teeth.

… How on earth did you get through that?

“Seems he’s kinder than expected. Almost got upset over a trivial ‘misunderstanding,’ it seems.”

Judging by the looks, the bribe money he tried to hand over was still intact.

… Beaten up for that—Nedian let out a short sigh.

“Doryeon-nim. You don’t have to do this yourself—”

“Don’t misunderstand. This friend refused the money. Isn’t that right? Or should I go back and try again?”

“N-No, absolutely not! I-I’m really sorry about earlier!”

The captain of the guard looked utterly terrified for some reason.

“Alright, next time be sure to watch where you step and stretch your legs properly, got it?”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Thus, with an atmosphere somewhat more tense than before, Glenn and his party passed through the city gates.

***

“Fruit! Fruit! The sweetest fruit from the continent, fresh this morning!”

“For today only, discounted prices!”

“I told you not to sell it—keep it for yourself!”

“Oh dear, did I expect it to turn out like this?”

“…Did we have a fight yesterday?”

“Hey, watch your tongue.”

It was bustling—such was the first impression of the city.

A country at the heart of the continent, caught between the Northern lands and the Empire.

Large-scale trading companies and small merchants hawked their goods.

Mercenaries or wandering knights protected them.

There were also the native Niran residents doing business with these groups.

The population was constantly in flux.

It was probably for this reason that the visit by the Knights, including Glenn, drew little attention.

“The jewel of the continent… I guess that’s not wrong.”

The scenery was exotic at first glance.

The buildings before them were large—far larger than anything seen in Lepent.

The roads were clean, with occasional magical streetlamps glowing faintly.

A surprisingly beautiful city.

“Because it’s a wealthy country.”

“Look at all those expensive things laid out. And the roads are pretty well-maintained too.”

“…Yeah, I suppose.”

Glenn hadn’t really considered streetlamps to be expensive.

They were common enough even during the Riklang era in the Empire.

Though they were definitely pricier in the impoverished Duchy of Lepent.

While Nedian admired the surroundings with an impressed gaze, Glenn just drove the carriage forward with a somewhat indifferent air.

Having lived in the most developed city on the continent in his past life, it didn’t impress him much.

Rather, something else caught his attention.

“Believe in the Nikerba Goddess and receive salvation!”

“To avoid the coming apocalypse, make an offering to the Nikerba Church!”

The Empire’s zealots—he didn’t expect to see them here as well.

As in his past life, they were not welcome guests.

“You there, just arrived! Offer a donation to the Nikerba Goddess and drive away the misfortunes that may befall the city!”

“Has that madman lost his mind? Do you know who this is—”

Krork quickly chased away the old man who had brazenly approached Glenn’s path.

Glenn glanced back to see Saintess Monica looking uncomfortable from the start.

Understandably so—despite the obvious signs of the Spring Church, those fanatics still came up with that nonsense.

The Empire’s church, that is, the Nikerba Church, strangely had many such people.

“There are quite a few believers of the summer goddess.”

“…Is that so? Could there be high-ranking officials of the church here?”

“Hmm.”

The unpleasant zealots gradually became more noticeable.

‘Coward.’

‘Dogs of the royal palace.’

“What is that…?”

Nedian frowned deeply.

A group of people were tied up in the middle of the street.

Next to them were arms full of mockery, as if the people were on display.

The naked figures themselves showed no shame or anger—only emptiness, as if they were dead inside.

“…This is bad.”

Only then did Glenn notice the ruins in the square.

The half-burned shopping district, corpses lying in alleys, and begging children.

The scent of smoke and rot hung in the air.

And here and there were armed men sitting around.

They didn’t look pleasant.

Glenn could faintly tell who these people were.

Thugs who extorted money from merchants by threatening three necks.

They were common enough to be seen here and there.

Their clothing and equipment varied, suggesting mercenaries were mixed in.

Their hostile gazes pierced like daggers.

“Nedian, instruct the squad members to clear the crowd.”

At his quiet command, the vice-captain nodded.

He, too, was feeling the changing atmosphere as they moved closer to the city center.

Among the wary gazes, the eyes of the crowd stopped on a woman near the fountain.

“Hm?”

Their eyes met naturally.

The woman’s attire was peculiar—only her eyes visible, and the eye makeup was intense.

Who is she? Glenn wondered.

Then the woman’s eyes curved into a provocative smile.

Glenn felt a strange sensation.

Not just from her appearance, but something both familiar and yet unfamiliar.

But before he could react, she disappeared among the surrounding crowd.

… Knights? She must be a woman of fairly high rank.

“To come at a time like this… what rotten luck… heh heh.”

The old beggar woman held up a bottle of alcohol and giggled at Glenn.

“Bad news. The bloodstorm is coming, the bloodstorm… heh heh.”

“Already unlucky and now this—”

One of the squad members moved forward to intervene, but Glenn raised his hand to stop him.

Then, with a few flicks of his fingers in the air, he created a subtle signal.

“Everyone, be on alert.”

The excitement in the air gradually turned into tension.

***

The sound of paper rustling announced the arrival of a guest.

“Welcome.”

“Anna—you go and take care of things. I’ll handle this.”

“Alright.”

The innkeeper stopped the half-retreating attendant.

“Humph.”

Both of them.

Though hidden beneath robes, they were clearly burly men—men who could hold their own.

While the innkeeper busied himself, they casually looked around the shop.

Suspicious, through and through.

But this wasn’t the first time they’d seen such men.

The seasoned innkeeper welcomed them without hesitation.

“Welcome.”

His voice calm and steady as he poured a drink.

Their heavy robes made them seem unusual, but they were clearly respected guests.

One of the larger men strode up to the counter.

The closer he got, the more he felt like a bear.

“Haven’t you got any wine? From the northern mountains.”

His voice was hoarse, but clearly that of a man.

Though how many women had such a physique was another matter.

“Unfortunately, none right now. The northern region’s been unstable lately, so supplies are short.”

Not being from the north, he knew that in other regions the alcohol was already scarce.

During times like these, it was nearly impossible to get.

Even the historic taverns in Niran, like the Golden Evening, struggled to source it.

“…Hmm, then two beers. Something cold.”

The bear-like man ordered, a little disappointed.

The innkeeper raised his palm firmly.

“Before that, how about you take off those robes?”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about your attire.”

“You expect a dress code in some cheap tavern? Huh?”

The man asked irritably, thinking it was unnecessary fuss.

But the innkeeper remained resolute.

After over thirty years in this business, he knew such firm rules were needed.

“It’s not that. It’s the house rules. I’d appreciate your cooperation.”

“House rules…”

The robed figure glanced around.

In the mostly rowdy atmosphere, a few sharp eyes watched them.

Some even casually fingered the sheaths of their long swords.

Hmph. Guess there was at least one place they could trust.

The man made a small frustrated sound and glared at the innkeeper again.

The innkeeper ignored the glare and just shrugged.

“…Tch.”

The burly man clicked his tongue, exchanging a look with his companion behind him.

Then both took off their robes, revealing one with tawny hair and the other with gray.

From their appearance… it was easy to see why they wanted to conceal their identities.

“From the north?”

It was a strange question at first.

This country was also part of the northern region after all.

But Niran was primarily settled by the Arian people.

And the views toward northerners like the Dukes were naturally not favorable.

The tawny-haired man with a bear-like build scowled at the empty drink in his hand.

At the same time, the gray-haired man stepped forward and spoke.

“Yes. Got a problem?”

“A northerner here in Niran? What business do you have?”

“We’re mercenaries. Here to meet a client.”

“Why would northern mercenaries come all the way to Niran…”

The man who looked like he had Tourette’s frowned deeply.

“I’ll ask again. Any problems?”

“Well, the problems are always caused by northerners.”

“We’re just here to quietly drink and leave.”

With that, a silver coin slid onto the table.

A price too high for just two beers.

“Humph. You think I’m asking for more money? If I took the wrong northerners, it’d be me on the losing end.”

“So we’re just here to drink quietly and leave. No problem for either side, right?”

Two more silver coins flashed up.

The innkeeper, who was hoping for a deal, started to hesitate.