The trip to the royal capital took three days by carriage.
Jin and his team traveled in their original automobile. Jin took the wheel, with Kachea, Eira, and the golem Hope as his passengers.
Accompanying them was Regional Administrator Paerova Sondvik, his secretary Jed Alamold, and two guards. They rode in the automobile Jin had previously repaired.
The journey was uneventful, and on August 22nd, as summer was beginning to wane, the group arrived at the royal capital.
"Wow, the capital really is massive!" Kachea exclaimed.
"Hmm. Yeah, this feels like a proper town," Jin remarked.
"Hm? Jin, what do you mean by that?" Eira asked.
While Kachea was simply marvelling at the scale of the city, Jin felt a strange sense of relief at its cluttered atmosphere. When he spoke his thoughts aloud, Eira was quick to pounce.
"How should I put it... My image of a 'town' involves a certain lack of uniformity. Or maybe it’s that it feels like it has history..."
Jin explained that he was more comfortable with a jumbled, lived-in appearance where the old and new were mixed together.
"That's an interesting perspective. It’s true that this country’s history is short, and the provincial towns were all built according to a strict plan, so they don't have the chaotic feel you’re talking about."
"...B-but the fact that you find this 'normal,' Jin-san... you really must have come from somewhere far away..."
Jin was about to offer a retort when a loud voice cut him off.
"Stop!"
They had reached a checkpoint. A soldier clad in light armor stood in their path, barring the way.
"I am Regional Administrator Paerova Sondvik."
"M-my deepest apologies, sir!"
The soldier saluted, and the group was immediately ushered through.
After passing through one more checkpoint, they reached Mahalig Ducal Palace.
Jin and the others parked the automobiles in the designated area and entered the palace on foot. Paerova, evidently a frequent visitor, strode ahead with confidence without waiting for a guide. Jed followed close behind, keeping a watchful eye to ensure Jin and the others were keeping pace.
Paerova headed for his private quarters within the palace. As the cousin of Duke Mikailinov Hangazone Mercana, he was third in line for the throne and wielded significant influence within the Ducal Palace.
For context, the first in line was Paerova’s older brother, the second was his father, and the fourth was his own son. In short, the Sondvik family represented the primary candidates for the ducal succession.
Though referred to as his "room," Paerova's quarters were actually an entire wing of the castle consisting of more than ten connected rooms. Jin and the others were assigned their own individual rooms nearby. While technically intended for servants, they were more comfortable than most mid-range hotels.
"Only Jed and I will be attending the audience with the Duke....Oh, that's right. Jin, would you mind lending me your golem for a while?"
It was a request Jin couldn't refuse.
"Of course....Hope, follow His Excellency."
"Understood."
"It’s boring being stuck inside the castle."
"It really is."
"I hear the food is supposed to be good, at least."
Jin, Kachea, and Eira were gathered in Jin’s room to kill time.
"I wonder why we were even summoned here in the first place."
"I'd bet anything it's nothing good," Eira said with her characteristic cynicism.
"Even if we can't go outside the walls, surely we’re allowed to walk around inside?"
Eira stood up and peered into the hallway. Seeing a patrolling soldier, she called out to him.
"Excuse me, we're guests staying here from today. Could you tell us which areas of the castle we're allowed to explore?"
"...Ah, yes. Since this floor contains guest rooms and offices for high-ranking officials, you’re free to use the hallways. However, please do not enter any rooms without permission."
"Hmm, just walking the halls is a bit dull. Are there any rooms open to the public?"
"In that case, feel free to visit the common room, the recreation room, or the reference exhibition room on the first floor. The castle soldiers use them as well, so it might be a bit noisy."
"Got it. Thanks."
Eira turned back to the others. "...And there you have it. Let's go!"
And so, the three of them headed down to the first floor of the Ducal Palace.
"...You call this a reference exhibition room? What a joke," Eira muttered, her voice dripping with disappointment.
"Normally, when you hear 'reference exhibition room,' you expect to see the history of the country, the equipment of the royal ritters, or maybe old maps of the capital," Jin agreed.
"I-I’m not really sure, but I agree with Jin-san."
What was actually on display were samples of local produce, poems and prose of questionable quality by unknown authors, and various paintings.
"I guess the crops are the only things worth looking at..."
Jin scanned the exhibits. Rice. Wheat, barley, rye. Round beans, black-eyed peas, and red-eyed peas. There were no vegetables on display, likely because they would have wilted.
There were also a few small, rare gemstones and several taxidermied small animals and birds.
"The crops are the same as back home... and those gems... they look like low-grade scrap."
The specimens were raw stones, but even the visible portions lacked clarity.
"Well, they wouldn't put the top-shelf stuff in a place like this," Eira remarked from the side.
"I suppose this is all you get for a reference room that commoners can enter."
Since there was little else to see, they peeked into the common room and the recreation room. Both were packed with lower-ranking soldiers, and the trio had no desire to push their way inside.
"Let’s head back."
"Yeah."
"Let's do that."
Disappointed, the three began to retrace their steps. As they walked, a massive roar of cheers reached their ears.
"What was that?"
The sound seemed to be coming from outside. It was followed by the unmistakable ring of metal clashing against metal.
"Isn't there a window anywhere?!"
They paced the hallway in a hurry, but a window was hard to find in the thick stone walls.
"Ah, Jin-san, look."
Kachea pointed to the soldiers from the common room and recreation room, who were now filing out in the same direction.
"Maybe they're going outside?"
"Should we follow them?"
Trusting Kachea's intuition, Jin and the others trailed at the back of the line of soldiers. Her judgment proved correct as they emerged into a large courtyard. It appeared to be a parade ground or a training field for the troops.
From beyond the wall of people, they could hear the rhythmic thud of wooden poles striking one another.
"Are the soldiers just doing drills?" Eira guessed, seeing as the crowd was made up almost entirely of military personnel.
"I can't see a thing from here..."
"Ah, Jin-san, look up there!"
Following Kachea's finger, Jin looked up to see familiar faces peering down from a second-story window. It was Paerova’s two guards.
"Wait, we could have seen everything just by looking out the window in our own wing."
"Let's get back, quick!"
The three of them ran back to their quarters and rushed to the window to look outside.
"Eh...?"
"W-Why...?"
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me..."
All three were left speechless by the sight unfolding below.