CH 179

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“……I expected it, but seeing it move like this is pretty spectacular.”

As I sway on Matteo’s back, I can’t help but whisper.

Matteo, with Percival and I on his back, is running alongside the carriage Aurora is riding in.

I was going to have a horse prepared for me to ride, but Percival told me that we could both ride Matteo, so that’s what we decided to do. I’d rather have Matteo, who I’m used to, give me a ride.

The travelling party is led by the Royal Knights.

In the carriage in front is the Crown Prince, followed by the carriage with Aurora. Then come the diplomatic officials and maids of honour, followed by the carriages carrying servants and their luggage. The Order of Magicians is in charge of the backstage, in any case, it is a large group.

Among them, Percival and I stand out a little. We are riding Matteo, which is a head or more bigger than the surrounding horses, but we are also wearing the uniform of the Duke of Bloomfield because we are under contract to the Duke of Bloomfield and we are escorting the Duke’s daughter. The ducal uniform is a deep navy blue, whereas the kingdom’s is white. Since I have black hair, I look like a shadow.

The knights and magicians who are escorting the Crown Prince this time knew that I cleared out the avalanche of magical beasts that fell into the royal capital, so they accept us who are in a different colour in a friendly manner.

The Crown Prince and his party departed under clear skies, perfect for a journey, but normally it would take four days to get to Tornx. However, since this is a royal trip, there will be no forced movement. Moreover, since there is no way we can camp, it will take twice as long. The accommodation we will be staying in is naturally not the kind of accommodation that ordinary people use.

I had made a lot of preparations for the trip before we left, but they were completely unnecessary. Since we are not camping, we don’t need sleeping bags, tents or cooking utensils. It’s a really easy journey because I’m almost on my own and the bare minimum of things I bring are carried in the carriage, so I don’t have to bring anything with me.

His Highness the Crown Prince and his entourage are welcomed by the people in every town, and the beautiful and good-looking Crown Prince and the beautiful Aurora are very popular. The knights and magicians escorting them are having a tough time, though.

Percival and I quietly watch over them. I think they’ll be fine because there are excellent knights and magicians from the kingdom, but even so, I’ll keep an eye on the surroundings so that I can move quickly if something should happen.

There are many things of interest in the towns we stop at, but we can’t just wander around away from the target of our escort, so we hold back. Instead, I just keep my eyes peeled. Next time I have time, I’ll take a closer look.

The weather was good and the trip went well. The food at the inn is good, and the Crown Prince and his party enjoy a comfortable journey, sleeping soundly every day on comfortable beds, before finally entering Cornu, the royal capital of Tornx. As there had been a preliminary announcement, many of the people had gathered along the roadside to catch a glimpse of the royal family of Solmontana as they crossed the border. Everyone is smiling and waving.

“It’s really exciting, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is.”

National flags and flowers are displayed all over the city, giving it a celebratory atmosphere. They say we’ll have time to walk around the city between ceremonies and evening parties, so although we’re only here for a week or so, it looks like we’re going to have a good time.　

Upon arriving at the royal castle, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Aurora exchanged greetings with the members of the royal family and were guided to the villa where the Solmontana party will be staying. The welcoming atmosphere in the castle is quite cosy.

“Sapphiras-sama, Percival-sama. My plans for tomorrow are to attend a tea party hosted by Her Royal Highness the Queen. The knights of Tornx and Solmontana will serve as escorts, so please feel free to spend the day as you please. Why don’t you go and enjoy the streets of Cornu?”

“Eh, is that okay?”

“Yes. Since it’s Sapphiras-sama, I’m assuming you’re interested in the bustling city.”

“Ahaha, did you find out after all?”

“Yes, I can see that. You were looking at the city with great enjoyment.”

Aurora has completely seen through me, but if that’s the case, I’ll take her word for it and take a walk around Cornu.

“Because it is very lively, I think there will be a lot of people. Of course, I think the security on the streets is very tight, but sometimes it is impossible to reach every corner because there are many people gathered. Therefore, Percival-sama, please take care of Saphiras-sama.”

“Yes, I will.”

“……Hmm?”

Huh? Are they still worried about me?

…

Percival and I eat the delicious breakfast laid out on the table.

The freshly baked bread is so delicious, I could eat as many as I want.

“It’s a perfect day for a stroll, Percival.”

The weather outside the window is perfect for a walk. I’d go out even if it was raining.

“Yeah, we’ll go out after dinner.”

“Are you going down to the castle town today?”

“Yes!”

“During the celebration period, Cornu’s central avenue is closed to carriages and horses. If you go out by carriage, please be careful as you will have to walk part way through.”

“Eh, is that so?”

The servant who brought breakfast to our room kindly informs us.

“Yes. There are a lot of people gathering in Cornu right now. Instead, there are shops all over the street, so I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.”

“Thank you for letting us know.”

Even so, the street is full of shops.

I reached for the bread and stopped. It’s better to go out and eat something delicious!

“That’s amazing, Percival!”

As the servant told us, the town of Cornu was even busier than it had been yesterday when we arrived. It’s just like people from all over the surrounding countries have come here. It’s not just food, you might even find some rare magical equipment.

“Sapphiras, give me your hand so we don’t get separated.”

As I was about to join the flow of people, Percival grabbed my hand.

I’m always so preoccupied with something that I lose track of my surroundings, so it’s better to hold hands before we get separated. Satisfied, I grabbed Percival’s hand.

“Well, let’s get some good food from one end to the other!”

“We’d better do it in moderation or we’ll miss dinner, wouldn’t we?”

“…… Ugh, you’re right. And the food they served us at the castle was pretty good too, wasn’t it?”

The food we had last night was quite good, so we can definitely expect the same tonight.

I want to eat this and that, but I have to be very selective about what I eat……while I was thinking about this, suddenly a scream and the whinnying of a horse echoed around the area.

“What is it?”

The people around me were also noisy, wondering what was going on. There were so many people that I couldn’t see what was going on, but I managed to see that a carriage had stopped a short distance away. But isn’t this street supposed to be closed to carriages and horses now?