Kornika was an enormous and bustling city.
On the central avenue, where the sidewalks and roadways were clearly separated, people of all colors and kinds passed by.
Most of the visible buildings were stone structures of two stories or more.
Even in the Illium Royal Family’s capital, there probably weren’t this many stone buildings.
The gap in architectural technology was evident.
‘It’s said that Wecos, having maintained a republic for so long, boasts remarkable achievements by its engineers and scholars. Though, naturally, that also meant many incidents and accidents…’
[The City of Technology! How amazing. I want to visit it in person someday!]
Yuria, leading the merchant caravan on horseback, was recognized by many people.
She did not ignore them, instead exchanging greetings one by one.
[The Alzred Trading Company seems quite famous.]
That more than half of the passersby knew the face of the heir rather than the chairman himself was proof of how much influence they wielded in this city.
Yet, seeing Yuria joking around with the citizens, no trace of arrogance was felt.
“How do you like it? It’s a nice city, right?” Yuria rode up to Zion with a smile and asked.
Zion smiled back, shrugging his shoulders.
“It’s quite lively. You seem to be very close with the people here.”
“That’s because it’s election season. The government deliberately fosters a festive atmosphere so it doesn’t get too stiff.”
“An election?”
“It’s the presidential election. Citizens vote to choose the next leader. My father is one of the candidates. So lately, many people have been recognizing me.”
Hearing this unexpected news, Zion’s eyes widened in surprise.
Yuria shrugged her shoulders with an embarrassed smile.
“I didn’t want to brag, but then I thought, since you’re going to stay at my house, I might as well tell you now.”
“You should have told me a little sooner.”
“The training was so tough I couldn’t think about anything else.”
Yuria stuck out her tongue teasingly.
Zion’s mind grew chaotic.
A presidential candidate?
That’s like a candidate for the king in Illium—the equivalent of royalty.
Of course, in reality, there’s a huge difference, but at least from what Zion knew, that was the case.
“Aaah, what do I do? I don’t have anything to change into… Ahh, everything I have is just like what I’m wearing now!”
“Don’t feel pressured. Just think of it as meeting the neighbor next door.”
“The neighbor next door…”
Unfortunately, Zion had no idea what that meant.
Gradually, the crowd thinned out, and the buildings became more extravagant.
Soldiers on patrol in full armor and members of the upper class dressed in fine clothes appeared here and there.
Without realizing it, Zion straightened his posture but then remembered his shabby clothes and relaxed back against the carriage.
After all, he was no longer the heir to the Duke of the Frontier, nor a noble of Illium.
“Zion, it’s time to get off. The carriage will be sent to the warehouse, so we have to part here. Hey, send someone to catch that horse! I’ll make sure to reward you well with drinks later!”
A mercenary dashed over in a flash and politely offered his horse.
Returning, he shrugged at his comrades who were grumbling over the missed opportunity, only to immediately get scolded.
Yuria laughed heartily among them as Zion mounted the horse.
“Ready? Let’s go.”
Following Yuria, they arrived at a mansion that was even grander and more magnificent than the already luxurious homes surrounding it.
Standing alone at the front gate was a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and glasses, his expression cold and severe.
“So, you’re the boy Chief Cheni mentioned.”
Ignoring Yuria, who had jumped down and waved as she ran forward, the man approached Zion, narrowing his eyes.
“You stopped an ambush by bandits and single-handedly defeated an orc, is that right?”
Under the sharp gaze that swept over him, Zion involuntarily swallowed.
The neighbor next door was definitely not a joke.
“Dad! Your daughter came back after a month, and you can’t even say hello?”
“Outside, you’re not supposed to call me ‘father,’ you good-for-nothing.”
“There’s no one else here right now.”
“That boy is here, isn’t he?”
“Zion isn’t an outsider, so it’s okay.”
“Was I introducing a hero who saved the merchant caravan or the man who will become my son-in-law?” A small smile played at the corner of the man’s mouth.
Zion finally exhaled deeply.
“I-It’s n-not like that!” Yuria, her face bright red, rushed over and shouted.
The man nonchalantly scratched his ear and turned back to Zion.
Compared to moments ago, his demeanor had softened significantly.
“I heard about your situation through the Communicator. Thanks to your efforts, the Alzred Trading Company avoided catastrophic economic losses as well as losses of value beyond measure.”
He glanced once at Yuria, who was pouting with her arms crossed, then bowed deeply.
“Thank you, Zion. On behalf of all of Alzred Trading Company, I am grateful to you.”
***
Benya Alzred, the owner of the Alzred Trading Company, treated Zion far more generously than his appearance suggested.
Zion was given the freedom to come and go anywhere in the mansion except private areas, and before Yuria could intervene, Benya arranged for Zion’s Citizen ID for Kornika on the spot.
The reward money was also substantial.
During his stay, a personal attendant was assigned to look after him, and he was assured that he could continue living at the mansion if he wished.
“Yuria says you’re training with her?”
There was a hint of friction.
“It’s your business, so I won’t interfere. But I hope you won’t give Yuria any unnecessary hopes.”
Zion could only nod silently.
It was clear that Benya did not approve of his daughter’s ‘hopes.’
“It seems you don’t like my opinion.”
Though Zion said nothing, Benya sharply read his thoughts.
“No, that’s not…”
“What don’t you like? That I suppress my daughter’s freedom? That I force her direction? Or is it something else?”
Zion remained silent, and Benya chuckled softly.
“My wife died in an accident when Yuria was three. It was a busy time, trying to grow the company. Whatever free time I had was devoted solely to Yuria. You’re still young, so you may find it hard to accept, but ‘unusual families’ like ours are often complicated. And such people dislike strangers meddling in their affairs.”
His words were a cold rejection.
“This is an important time for both me and Yuria. I hope you’ll be considerate of that. Well, I’m busy, so I’ll take my leave.”
Benya left after showing Zion to the guest bedroom.
Zion stood in the center of the spacious room, trying to sort out his thoughts.
[Don’t overthink it. There’s no need to rush a conclusion. You have plenty of time. Think it through slowly and find an answer you can accept.]
[I think it’s best for our Zion to do what he originally intended. Usually, when you keep changing your mind listening to others, you end up with nothing.]
[Changing someone’s life is a serious matter. Being cautious isn’t a bad thing.]
Both made good points.
Zion threw away his complicated worries and threw himself onto the bed.
After resting his head without thinking for a while, someone knocked on the door.
“Zion? Have you unpacked?”
The one who arrived as if replacing Benya was Yuria.
She looked fresh as if she had just changed clothes and washed up lightly.
“Were you resting? Did I disturb you?”
“No, it’s fine. What’s up?”
“If it’s okay, let’s go outside!”
Stretching her arms wide, Yuria smiled brightly.
Zion wondered what she meant.
“I told you earlier, right? It’s election season, so there’s a festival-like atmosphere. Kornika is lively usually, but even more so during elections. It’s rare for outsiders to visit during the election season, so you’re really lucky!”
“You seem bored staying inside.”
“Exactly! Let’s hurry and go play!”
Though she had said she felt like dying from training earlier this morning, she seemed reenergized.
Zion followed her, pondering whether the training intensity might have been insufficient.
As they passed the avenue again, Zion noticed just how many people there were.
Having spent half his life in a cramped mansion, this felt like a completely different world.
The calls of merchants, laughter, angry shouts, cheers, and the words of wandering bards rolled over him like waves.
Without Yuria leading the way, he would have quickly gotten lost.
There was plenty to enjoy, as Yuria had said.
Wecos was famous as a birthplace of unique and experimental new technologies.
Long-distance Communicators that allowed real-time conversations over great distances and aerial transport using tamed, fierce Wyverns were innovations even Illium had heard of.
“Wow! Look at that, Zion! It’s a perfected cotton candy! Ahahaha, they finally finished it. Last quarter’s fourth prototype was a total mess—sticky everywhere!”
“Cotton candy…? What is that?”
“Huh? It’s, well… sugar heated and melted… when it meets cold air… um… it’s sweet and delicious and makes you happy!”
Yuria gave up on explaining and laughed brightly.
Zion, dumbfounded, eventually laughed along.
“It’s sweet and delicious.”
“Right? It makes you happy.”
“Kind of, yeah.”
On one side of the city, an automated carriage was undergoing a demonstration.
Zion was watching absentmindedly when he almost dropped his cotton candy.
“That’s not a carriage at all!”
“But it would be strange to just call it an automated carriage.”
“I don’t think that’s the problem…”
“Just call it a car. What kind of foolish debate is this?”
The automated carriage moved about ten meters, then clattered to a stop and ominously started sputtering.
The announcer broke into a cold sweat, panicking, while a mage desperately tried to control the carriage.
But it was all in vain—the carriage emitted thick black smoke and never moved again.
“See! I told you the drive system was a mess and it wouldn’t work properly! Whoever put in the money, cough it all up now! Hahaha, all mine!”
“The new tech demonstration sponsored by Devine Trading Company failed… Tomorrow the sun will rise from the west.”
Among the spectators, jeers and cheers mixed.
Yuria’s expression darkened slightly.
“So that was Devine Trading Company’s.”
“A famous company?”
“They rival ours. More like lifelong rivals… My father and theirs are both running in this election too. It’s a tiresome connection.”
“Come on, we still have a lot to see. Let’s hurry!”
Yuria glanced at Zion’s face and then beamed, grabbing his hand.
***
At Benya’s mention, Zion’s expression also darkened a little.
“Phew! That was fun.”
Collapsing onto a bench near the fountain in the square, Yuria stretched contentedly.
It was just before noon when they left the mansion, but already the western sky was turning yellow.
“You’re full of energy. Maybe I should’ve made the training harder.”
“J-Just kidding.”
Yuria had been glaring at Zion, but now she smiled brightly.
“How about you? Did you have fun?”
Zion thought for a moment and smiled in agreement.
“Then that’s good. You should sit too. I’ll specially allow you the seat beside me!”
Yuria playfully tapped the spot next to her.
When Zion sat down, she hesitated a bit before quietly speaking.
“What did your father say earlier today?”
“Suddenly? Why do you ask?”
“Did he say something bad? Your expression wasn’t good.”
Zion’s smile stiffened.
Yuria looked like she expected as much.
“Don’t take it to heart. He’s always a bit stubborn and unreasonable.”
“He didn’t say anything bad. It was more like advice.”
“Really? Then what…?”
Silence lingered for a moment.
Looking at her side profile with a complicated expression, Zion asked, “You seem to like Kornika a lot.”
“Huh?”
“No? It looks that way to me.”
Yuria’s eyes widened.
Then she smiled with a look of having been caught off guard.
“After spending half a day together like today, anyone would know.”
“I see.” She nodded honestly.
“It’s where I was born and raised. Unless something really bad happens, most people feel that way.”
Zion couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Illium was a difficult place for him to like after all he had been through.
“Shall I tell you about myself?”
“…So suddenly? Weren’t you going to keep it a secret?”
“I thought it would be better if you knew.”
The biggest reason Zion had chosen to support her goal was empathy.
He had painfully realized that freedom required strength.
But as Frey had said before, there was a huge difference between them.
Zion didn’t intend to force her down one path.
He only hoped she wouldn’t make a hasty decision.
The story ended sooner than expected.
It was the second time he had told someone else, and his emotions were much calmer than before.
Yet it was Yuria who had tears welling up in her eyes.
“Hi, it must’ve been tough~!”
Yuria suddenly hugged Zion tightly.
Caught off guard, Zion’s face flushed red, but she only stroked his head, sniffling.
“I didn’t even know~! How much you must have suffered alone! I’ll hold and comfort you!”
“No, that’s not… Yu-Yuria, could you let me go? Someone might see us.”
“Sniff. Sorry.”
After thoroughly stroking his head, Yuria finally let go.
Zion fixed his clothes, calmed his flushed face, and cleared his throat.
“Yuria, I hope you take some time to think. Do you really want a life of wandering freely? Maybe happiness is closer than you think, and you’re overlooking it. Either way, I respect your choice.”
“Overlooking it…”
Following Zion’s words, Yuria suddenly stood up.
“I’ve decided. I’ll talk to Dad right now. I want to ask permission to travel for a while.”
Zion stared at her dumbfounded.
‘Yuria? I just told you to think slowly…’
“Sorry. I’ll be back soon. I don’t want to forget this feeling. I’ll send a servant to guide me, so just wait here a little!”
Ignoring Zion’s words, Yuria dashed away energetically.
Zion watched her retreating figure in a daze.
[Didn’t that man tell you earlier not to give her any unnecessary hopes?]
Zion’s face went pale as death.