“Norfe, Chouze, where were you two!”
It was unusual for Nyran to call to them. Norfe replied as he always did.
“Where? We were at the hot spring.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“Uh, yes we were.”
“But we didn’t see you.”
Chouze said in a small voice.
“Huh? You came to see?”
“Uh, not to see, to search. You know?”
Nyran said a little flustered.
“We were fine. The innkeeper told us. The locals will avoid places where families or women have gone inside. So it was safe… What happened to you two?”
Kaider’s face was buried in the table, and Nyran had a hand on the wall and was looking down.
“That’s strange. We went up to the top because we wanted to see the beautiful sunrise. But there were two women up there, so we went on the opposite side. The sunrise was so pretty.”
“It really was. Huh? Kaider? Nyran?”
Norfe and Chouze were talking happily, but then they stopped to look at Kaider and Nyran with surprise.
“Okay, fine. I’m sorry. We’ll tell you from now on. But don’t act so strict next time, okay?”
Norfe said with a little exasperation.
“Hey, Norfe. Since it was far away and so dark, maybe the two women they saw were actually children?”
“That’s true.”
“No, they were definitely women.”
“Don’t say that, you idiot!”
“What, so you saw?”
Norfe asked with deep interest.
“I didn’t see! I didn’t! But, it kind burned into my eyes…”
“What an idiot…”
Nyran looked up at the ceiling as Kaider let it slip.
“Horrible.”
Both of them were annihilated by Chouze’s small voice.
Maki and Chiharu left them and returned to their room, where they celebrated their success.
“Burned into your eyes? Who says that?”
Maki said in a huff.
“Kaider, of course.”
“Well, leaving that aside, the problem was that our black hair was in view.”
“They didn’t seem to be focused enough on our hair, so we’re probably fine.”
They were not sure if that was a good thing.
“Anyway, we will continue to feign ignorance! Ahhh, I want to stay here for a long time.”
“We can come again!”
“That’s true. We should keep moving for now.”
Corail had a warm climate due to being on a mountain with hot springs, and there were some unusual fruits here. There was one that was a soft, green ball that when peeled, was white on the inside.
“It’s like lychee.”
“Oh yeah.”
As there was not a lot of them, they were very thankful to the innkeeper who had served it to them as a breakfast dessert. Even Kaider and Nyran, who had not had much of an appetite, accepted the fruits, and they all headed to the capital in a better mood.
As for whether or not Kaider and Nyran were truly sorry.
“I do think that it was careless. We don’t know who might have been there, so we should have been careful. But I was sure that I heard Norfe’s voice.”
“But they said they were on the other side, so that’s probably what you heard.”
“Yes, probably. But still…”
“What?”
“You know, it was a sight for sore eyes.”
“You’re such an idiot.”
“Oh, are you going to pretend that you didn’t see anything?”
“…I did see…”
They were not.
“They were very slender. With pale skin and curves that, and the contrast with the black hair was…”
“Wait-wait-wait a second.”
“What?”
“They had black hair.”
“Ah, AHH!”
“Yes! Is there anyone else with black hair? Kaider, you locked eyes, didn’t you?”
“Uh, yeah. But the body was more…”
“Damn, you are so stupid.”
“Alright, alright. Uh, the eyes…were black…”
They looked at each other.
“The Saintesses!”
“The Saintesses!”
“No, it can’t be.”
“After all, the Saintesses were being unveiled at the same time we were in Midland.”
“How could they come to Corail so quickly? No, no. And there’s no one else here that looks to be a part of their party.”
“That’s true. Still, it would at least explain the miasma getting thinner… We should have looked more closely.”
“And you were so harsh with me, Nyran.”
“Idiot. I’m talking about during the unveiling ceremony.”
“Oh, right.”
“If they really are the Saintesses, they will need guards.”
“We’re supposed to protect the little runts and make reports to the capital.”
“Yes. This is all so confusing.”
And so the two men savored that small happiness, and continued on to the capital, without knowing that they were actually guarding the Saintesses.
It took 10 days to reach the capital. As they slowly descended from the last town, they came into a wide valley and the capital of Greige entered their view.
“Look at the castle.”
“Castle?”
There was no large building in sight.
“Maybe it is hard to see if you are used to seeing the castles in Midland or the inlands. Look, you can see smoke rising near the blacksmith’s district.”
“So that’s the blacksmith district. I see. You mean that two-story building that looks like a gymnasium?”
“Gymnasium? I don’t know what that is, but yes. Where a lot of buildings are crowded together.”
“Huh…it looks very cozy.”
“Right? This is the kingdom of smithing. Even the royal family have to be good blacksmiths. And so there is a smithy in the castle as well. You could even say that it is the center of origin for the blacksmith district.”
“I see. This is your home, right Kaider?”
“Yes. I know all the best and cheapest places. We’ll take you two there.”
“But we need to find an inn first.”
Norfe said.
“Uh, are you sure that you don’t want to stay with me? It’s pretty big, and my mother and brothers would be overjoyed.”
“We’re very grateful, but we can’t impose on you like that.”
“Kaider, let them.”
Nyran interjected. They evaded the worried Kaider as the carriage stopped in Greige.
“We’ll take see you to your inn. But we have business to attend to after that, so, unfortunately, you’ll have to have dinner alone. We’ll be back in 2 to 3 days to tell you are plans, so enjoy the capital in the meantime.”
“I know, and we’ll be fine.”
“Still, the town seems a little more excited than usual.”
Nyran said as he got out of the carriage and looked around. Birdfolk were noisily descending from the sky.
“Is it Orne again? How annoying.”
Orne’s pouch was brown. These two proudly showed their green and red pouches.
“Sauro and Saikania!”
“Sauro and Saikania!”
“Ma-, no, uh…Norfe and Chouze.”
“What happened?”
“Soldiers are being sent to the dungeons from Midland.”
Sauro whispered into Chiharu’s ear.
“Aeris, Grudo and Edwy are coming.”
“Norfe, Chouze, where were you two!”
It was unusual for Nyran to call to them. Norfe replied as he always did.
“Where? We were at the hot spring.”
“No, you weren’t.”
“Uh, yes we were.”
“But we didn’t see you.”
Chouze said in a small voice.
“Huh? You came to see?”
“Uh, not to see, to search. You know?”
Nyran said a little flustered.
“We were fine. The innkeeper told us. The locals will avoid places where families or women have gone inside. So it was safe… What happened to you two?”
Kaider’s face was buried in the table, and Nyran had a hand on the wall and was looking down.
“That’s strange. We went up to the top because we wanted to see the beautiful sunrise. But there were two women up there, so we went on the opposite side. The sunrise was so pretty.”
“It really was. Huh? Kaider? Nyran?”
Norfe and Chouze were talking happily, but then they stopped to look at Kaider and Nyran with surprise.
“Okay, fine. I’m sorry. We’ll tell you from now on. But don’t act so strict next time, okay?”
Norfe said with a little exasperation.
“Hey, Norfe. Since it was far away and so dark, maybe the two women they saw were actually children?”
“That’s true.”
“No, they were definitely women.”
“Don’t say that, you idiot!”
“What, so you saw?”
Norfe asked with deep interest.
“I didn’t see! I didn’t! But, it kind burned into my eyes…”
“What an idiot…”
Nyran looked up at the ceiling as Kaider let it slip.
“Horrible.”
Both of them were annihilated by Chouze’s small voice.
Maki and Chiharu left them and returned to their room, where they celebrated their success.
“Burned into your eyes? Who says that?”
Maki said in a huff.
“Kaider, of course.”
“Well, leaving that aside, the problem was that our black hair was in view.”
“They didn’t seem to be focused enough on our hair, so we’re probably fine.”
They were not sure if that was a good thing.
“Anyway, we will continue to feign ignorance! Ahhh, I want to stay here for a long time.”
“We can come again!”
“That’s true. We should keep moving for now.”
Corail had a warm climate due to being on a mountain with hot springs, and there were some unusual fruits here. There was one that was a soft, green ball that when peeled, was white on the inside.
“It’s like lychee.”
“Oh yeah.”
As there was not a lot of them, they were very thankful to the innkeeper who had served it to them as a breakfast dessert. Even Kaider and Nyran, who had not had much of an appetite, accepted the fruits, and they all headed to the capital in a better mood.
As for whether or not Kaider and Nyran were truly sorry.
“I do think that it was careless. We don’t know who might have been there, so we should have been careful. But I was sure that I heard Norfe’s voice.”
“But they said they were on the other side, so that’s probably what you heard.”
“Yes, probably. But still…”
“What?”
“You know, it was a sight for sore eyes.”
“You’re such an idiot.”
“Oh, are you going to pretend that you didn’t see anything?”
“…I did see…”
They were not.
“They were very slender. With pale skin and curves that, and the contrast with the black hair was…”
“Wait-wait-wait a second.”
“What?”
“They had black hair.”
“Ah, AHH!”
“Yes! Is there anyone else with black hair? Kaider, you locked eyes, didn’t you?”
“Uh, yeah. But the body was more…”
“Damn, you are so stupid.”
“Alright, alright. Uh, the eyes…were black…”
They looked at each other.
“The Saintesses!”
“The Saintesses!”
“No, it can’t be.”
“After all, the Saintesses were being unveiled at the same time we were in Midland.”
“How could they come to Corail so quickly? No, no. And there’s no one else here that looks to be a part of their party.”
“That’s true. Still, it would at least explain the miasma getting thinner… We should have looked more closely.”
“And you were so harsh with me, Nyran.”
“Idiot. I’m talking about during the unveiling ceremony.”
“Oh, right.”
“If they really are the Saintesses, they will need guards.”
“We’re supposed to protect the little runts and make reports to the capital.”
“Yes. This is all so confusing.”
And so the two men savored that small happiness, and continued on to the capital, without knowing that they were actually guarding the Saintesses.
It took 10 days to reach the capital. As they slowly descended from the last town, they came into a wide valley and the capital of Greige entered their view.
“Look at the castle.”
“Castle?”
There was no large building in sight.
“Maybe it is hard to see if you are used to seeing the castles in Midland or the inlands. Look, you can see smoke rising near the blacksmith’s district.”
“So that’s the blacksmith district. I see. You mean that two-story building that looks like a gymnasium?”
“Gymnasium? I don’t know what that is, but yes. Where a lot of buildings are crowded together.”
“Huh…it looks very cozy.”
“Right? This is the kingdom of smithing. Even the royal family have to be good blacksmiths. And so there is a smithy in the castle as well. You could even say that it is the center of origin for the blacksmith district.”
“I see. This is your home, right Kaider?”
“Yes. I know all the best and cheapest places. We’ll take you two there.”
“But we need to find an inn first.”
Norfe said.
“Uh, are you sure that you don’t want to stay with me? It’s pretty big, and my mother and brothers would be overjoyed.”
“We’re very grateful, but we can’t impose on you like that.”
“Kaider, let them.”
Nyran interjected. They evaded the worried Kaider as the carriage stopped in Greige.
“We’ll take see you to your inn. But we have business to attend to after that, so, unfortunately, you’ll have to have dinner alone. We’ll be back in 2 to 3 days to tell you are plans, so enjoy the capital in the meantime.”
“I know, and we’ll be fine.”
“Still, the town seems a little more excited than usual.”
Nyran said as he got out of the carriage and looked around. Birdfolk were noisily descending from the sky.
“Is it Orne again? How annoying.”
Orne’s pouch was brown. These two proudly showed their green and red pouches.
“Sauro and Saikania!”
“Sauro and Saikania!”
“Ma-, no, uh…Norfe and Chouze.”
“What happened?”
“Soldiers are being sent to the dungeons from Midland.”
Sauro whispered into Chiharu’s ear.
“Aeris, Grudo and Edwy are coming.”
