In a sense, the regional city of Telurus could be called the gateway to the royal capital, Esaia.
Why was the capital located so close to the border?
Originally, the Celuroa Kingdom had been a very small nation. After the Great Magic War, when the Dinar Kingdom fractured into the Allied Kingdoms, Celuroa established itself upon the ruins of the Dinar capital. Under the leadership of their eighth king, Roland I, they began challenging the surrounding nations.
In a series of wars spanning ten years, the Celuroa Kingdom annexed its neighbors and expanded its territory. These acts of aggression were repeated over several generations. Since the annexed lands lay to the north, east, west, and southwest, the capital ended up in a heavily lopsided position relative to the current borders. Had the Kingdom of Egerea also been swallowed up, the location wouldn’t have seemed so strange.
Incidentally, the Kingdom of Egerea to the south had resisted stubbornly until the end. Seeking to avoid the depletion of national power that a prolonged conflict would cause, Roland I eventually made peace with them. Since then, although minor skirmishes occurred, they had maintained generally favorable diplomatic relations on the surface. That status quo had held until eighteen years ago, when Elsa’s father distinguished himself on the battlefield.
"Reinhard mentioned that the current king seems a bit bellicose..."
Jin muttered to himself as he walked through the streets of Telurus.
There were two days left until they could board the ferry. Reinhard had gone to visit an acquaintance, leaving Jin to his own devices. Jin was merely wandering aimlessly through the city to distract himself from the gnawing frustration of Elsa’s disappearance. The spring sunlight was warm, making it a perfect day for a stroll.
After more than an hour of walking, Jin grew a bit tired and sat on a bench in a plaza facing the main street.
"Phew."
The area was bustling with life. Parents and children, families, couples. Merchants, nobles, the elderly, and children—all sorts of people passed by in a constant stream.
"Oh, it's the big brother!"
"Hm?"
He heard a familiar voice. Turning toward it, he saw a girl with blue eyes and flowing, silky blonde hair.
"Er, you are..."
"I'm Shiide, Big Brother."
She was the girl he had met in the mining village, Yada Village—the daughter of the Viscount Sekat family.
"Ah, right, Shiide. What are you doing here today?" Jin asked with a smile as he remembered her.
"Yes, we've been sightseeing in this city since the day before yesterday. Today, I went on a cruise boat on the Torres River, I did."
"Heh, a cruise? Was it fun?"
"Yes, it was! The river was very wide and blue, and the fishies were jumping, they were."
Shiide explained with wide, animated gestures. Her movements were charming, and Jin found himself smiling as he listened.
"So, why are you here? Are you all by yourself?"
At his question, Shiide’s expression clouded over. "Ugh, well, um... I got separated from Mother and the others, I did."
"What?"
In short, she was lost. Jin hurriedly stood up and looked around, but he couldn't see anyone who looked like her guardian.
"I'm sure your mother is looking for you. Do you know which hotel you're staying at?"
"Yes, I do. It’s called the Green Shade Hotel, it is."
"Green Shade Hotel... I know that name's around here somewhere."
As Jin racked his brain, a voice whispered directly into his ear.
(Father, that hotel is on the street two blocks east of here.)
It was Reiko, whispering while remaining hidden by her stealth magic.
"Let's see... Ah, I’m pretty sure that hotel is over that way."
Grateful for Reiko's assistance, Jin took Shiide’s hand and began to walk.
"Thank you, Big Brother. Is that big sister not with you today?"
By "big sister," she meant Elsa. Jin recalled that Elsa had used healing magic to treat Shiide’s injury when she tripped back at the mine.
"Yeah, we're doing different things right now."
"Is that so? I want to see her again, I do."
Having been healed by her, the girl seemed to have grown quite fond of Elsa.
"Well, that might be difficult."
"Is it because Big Sister is a noble too, so she can't go out much?"
"Well, something like that," Jin said evasively. He couldn't exactly tell her the truth.
Shiide looked up at him with a serious expression. "It’s lonely. If it’s like that, Shiide wouldn't mind quitting being a noble, she wouldn't."
The weight behind her words gave Jin pause, but he gently comforted her. "You shouldn't say that, Shiide. It would make your mother sad."
Shiide nodded obediently. "Yes, I understand. I don't want to make Mother sad, I don't."
"Yeah, you're a good girl, Shiide." Jin patted her head as they walked.
"Ehehe, that feels nice, it does." Shiide beamed, clearly pleased by the affection.
Before long, they arrived in front of the hotel.
"Shiide!"
A woman's frantic voice called out. It was Marilia, Viscountess Sekat.
"Mother!"
Marilia ran over and pulled Shiide into a tight embrace. "Where have you been? Edem and Hauro have gone looking for you!"
Jin watched the reunion idly, wondering if Hauro was the butler he had seen before.
"I’m sorry. I was watching an interesting show on the main street and lost sight of Mother, then Big Brother brought me all the way here, he did."
Marilia released Shiide and turned toward Jin. "Thank you so much for bringing her back....Oh, aren't you?"
It seemed she recognized him.
"Yes. My name is Jin Nidou. We met during the mine tour in Yada Village."
"My, it really is you! Are you alone today?"
"Yes, Reinhard has gone to visit an acquaintance."
"I see. I would like to offer you some reward, but as we are traveling, I find myself short of ready funds at the moment..."
As she began to fret over a reward, Jin felt awkward and waved it off.
"No, please, I didn't do anything special. If you'll excuse me."
He gave a polite bow and beat a hasty retreat, walking away even as her voice tried to call him back.
"A parent and child, huh? It's nice to see that."
With those thoughts drifting through his mind, Jin continued walking until he reached the riverbank. A five-meter-high embankment ran along the Torres River, and he decided to climb it to catch the breeze. He had worked up a bit of a sweat from walking and wanted to cool down.
"Hm? There's quite a commotion down there."
From atop the embankment, he could see a crowd of people gathered on the riverbank.
"Father, it appears to be a body," Reiko reported from her hidden position.
To Jin, it seemed as though her vision was sharper than a hawk's. In reality, while she was invisible, she viewed the world in the infrared spectrum, which made fine identification difficult from a distance. Because of this, she had actually darted close to the crowd and back in the blink of an eye to confirm what she saw.
"I recognize her... It's Mine."
"What?!"
Jin’s heart hammered against his ribs. "Mine? She's supposed to be fleeing with Elsa! Why is she being fished out of the river?"
Sensing something terrible, Jin ran down the embankment. He nearly slipped several times on the slope, but Reiko caught him each time, keeping him upright.
He reached the riverbank and pushed his way through the onlookers. When he finally saw what lay in the center of the crowd, a groan escaped his throat.
"It really is... Mine."
There was no mistake. However, she wasn't a drowned corpse—not yet. She was still breathing.
"Move aside! Let me through! I know her!"
Jin rushed to her side, but he recoiled the moment he saw her.
"Ugh..."
The sight was gruesome. Her right arm was broken, bent at a sickening angle. Her head was swollen a bruised, dark purple from a brutal beating, and a knife was still plunged deep into her abdomen.