Ryoma’s impromptu stint as the young lady’s bodyguard lasted until Sebas arrived to fetch Eliaria, announcing it was time to head to their rooms. As they stood in the lobby while the reservations were being confirmed, a soft groan escaped the girl.
"Ouch, ow, ow..."
"Are you all right, my lady?"
"Yes, my feet are just a bit weary. And the carriage ride... Ryoma-san, are you quite all right?"
"I am fine."
Between his absurd physical stamina and Pain Resistance Lv8, the minor fatigue of travel and the soreness of a backside rattled by a carriage were practically nonexistent to Ryoma. Realizing his response was genuine, Eliaria felt a small prickle of dejection. Ryoma was her own age, yet he was completely unfazed while she was struggling. Sensing this, one of the maids spoke up.
"It is always like that at first, my lady."
"Arone."
"You will grow accustomed to it the more you ride. Master Ryoma seems remarkably composed, however. Have you had much experience traveling by carriage?"
"This time... is my first."
"Is that so? You seemed so at ease that I was certain you were an experienced traveler."
"I have never ridden in one... though I have run alongside them. I’ve even pulled them before..."
Ryoma was thinking back to his student days, when he would run alongside rickshaws during his daily jogs. He had been so fast that a puller eventually scouted him, leading to a part-time job pulling the vehicles himself. He spoke the words with a sense of nostalgia, but he lacked the context to explain himself.
To Eliaria and Arone, who knew nothing of his past life, his words were more than enough to create a terrible misunderstanding. They assumed he had been treated like a beast of burden and worked to the point of exhaustion.
A heavy silence fell over the group as the misunderstanding took root.
(…What happened? Did I say something weird?)
Ryoma knew that the more he spoke about his past, the more likely he was to slip up. He had intentionally cultivated an air of having a history that was difficult to pry into, but since this specific remark had been unconscious, he didn't realize he was the source of the awkwardness. He could only watch in confusion as Arone and Eliaria suddenly looked at him with expressions of profound pity.
Desperate to change the subject, he tried to strike up a new conversation.
"Um... my lady, have you not traveled much? I was worried because you didn't seem used to the carriage."
"Oh, no, I have been out before. It’s just that whenever we had business in other towns, I usually rode on my mother’s or grandfather’s Tamed Monsters. I ride in carriages within the city, but those trips are always very short."
"I see."
Having lacked social skills for over forty years, Ryoma possessed no silver tongue to break the stalemate. The conversation withered, and a stifling silence returned. The impasse was finally broken by Reinhardt, who had returned from discussing the guard shifts and tomorrow’s schedule.
"Good work today, everyone. Elia, we aren’t camping tonight, so make sure you get some proper rest."
"Yes, Father."
"And as for you, Ryoma-kun—I’m afraid we couldn't get a room for you on our floor. My apologies, but there is a space prepared for the attendants of guests. I’ll have to ask you to stay there."
"That is more than enough."
"It’s a shared dormitory, but Sebas is handling the paperwork. You should be in the same room as Zeff and the others. It will be easier for you if you’re with familiar faces."
"I am grateful."
After offering his thanks, Ryoma followed Sebas, while the young lady went to the family’s private quarters with her parents.
~The Ducal Family’s Room~
The four members of the Jamil Ducal House were relaxing in their suite when Reinhardt suddenly turned to Eliaria.
"Elia, what were you and Ryoma-kun talking about in the lobby? The atmosphere felt a bit... off."
Eliaria gave a visible flinch.
"T-To be honest, it seems I may have touched upon Ryoma-san’s past a little..."
"Oh?"
"Yes. He seemed so unbothered by the carriage that I asked if he was used to them. He said today was his first time ever riding in one. He told me that in the past, he never rode in them, but he used to run alongside them... and even pull them himself..."
"I see... Still, he didn't seem particularly bothered by the memory. He was acting like his usual self afterward. You shouldn't worry about it too much, Elia."
"Just take it easy, dear," Elise added. "You were dragging Ryoma-kun all over the city until we reached the inn. Just interact with him as naturally as you did then."
Eliaria’s face turned bright red.
"That was... n-now that I think back on it, it’s quite embarrassing. I got far too carried away."
"You certainly did. It was a bit unladylike, wasn't it?"
"Auu..."
"Ho ho! Being energetic is a good thing," Reinbach laughed. "Elia is still a child; that much can be forgiven as youthful charm. However, being so careless is another matter. You were practically begging for thugs to target you. You must learn to be more mindful."
"Yes, Grandfather..."
"Now then, take a bath and go to bed. We move out again tomorrow. And it will be back to camping, won't it?"
"I understand. Goodnight, Mother, Father, Grandfather."
Eliaria left the room to prepare for her bath. Once she was gone, the three adults and Sebas let their expressions turn serious.
"Phew... So, what do we make of the boy?" Reinbach asked.
"I told Elia not to worry, but honestly, there are a lot of things bothering me," Reinhardt admitted.
"I don't believe he’s a bad person," Elise said. "If he were plotting something, he would surely try harder to act like a normal child to avoid suspicion."
"I agree with that much," Reinbach noted. "But I wonder what kind of life produces a boy like that? He said he killed those bandits with Poison Slime venom, but I suspect that’s not the whole story. He is remarkably strong. Even while being led around by Elia, he was casually protecting her from the shadows."
"Indeed," Sebas added. "Though the ones who tried to approach were mere amateurs who couldn't even sense us watching them, his skill was magnificent. He reduced our workload significantly."
"Indeed, indeed."
Reinbach looked down at his right hand. A small snake poked its head out from his sleeve, slithering along the back of his hand to peek out from between his fingers. He stroked it affectionately with his thumb.
It was an Assassin Snake, a B-rank monster. Small and lightning-fast, it possessed incredible sensory capabilities. Reinbach used it to monitor any thugs who might approach Eliaria in the city. Even if Ryoma had done nothing, she would never have been in true danger.
"To have that much skill at his age... Is he what we think he is?"
"We needn't dwell on that for now," Reinbach said. "In this world, being strong is always better than the alternative. We shall simply watch over him for the time being."
"True. However," Reinhardt said, "his reaction to the city was... troubling."
"I agree," Elise said. "I don't expect him to be as excited as Elia, but a child his age should show a little more wonder."
"He wasn't surprised by the size of the city or the crowds at all," Reinbach observed. "He looked at it all with eyes like he was watching stones by the side of the road."
Reinbach’s observation was correct, but his interpretation was far from the mark. Ryoma did view the crowds like stones, but only because he had lived in the massive sprawl of Tokyo. This city was tiny by comparison. He had seen far larger crowds every single day of his previous life; he couldn't possibly be surprised by this, nor could he afford to be. To the Jamils, however, his stoic gaze simply looked like the eyes of someone whose spirit had been crushed.
"It is heartbreaking to see a young man with his whole life ahead of him with eyes like those..."
While Ryoma was elsewhere, the pile of well-meaning misunderstandings only continued to grow.
~The Attendants’ Room~
Sebas led Ryoma to his quarters for the night.
"Excuse me."
"Sorry for the intrusion."
Inside the room were Jill, Zeff, Camille, and Hughes. It was a simple but spacious dormitory with six beds and small desks lined up in a row.
"Hey, you’re finally here!" Hughes called out.
"Welcome," Camille said.
"It’s just for the night, but glad to have you," Jill added.
"That bed on the end is yours," Zeff pointed out.
"I look forward to staying with you."
After the initial greetings, the four men began peppered Ryoma with questions to pass the time.
"So, what do you usually do for fun?" Hughes asked.
"For fun?"
"Yeah. We live in the city, so we go out for drinks or a good meal at night. But you were out in the middle of nowhere, right?"
"Ah... mostly, I do slime research... or magic training. Other than that, I just train my body."
"...That’s it?"
"Yes."
"Doesn't that get boring?"
"Researching magic and slimes is... very fun."
"If you find research fun, you must have the heart of a scholar, Ryoma," Jill said.
"I could never do it," Hughes laughed.
"Come to think of it," Camille said, "you occasionally use very advanced terms and polite speech. Did you study somewhere?"
"My grandmother taught me. She said that study and etiquette were things I’d never regret having."
"Your grandmother sounds like a wonderful woman," Camille said.
"She was someone who could do anything—except fight with weapons."
"Ho! Then what about your grandpa?" Hughes asked.
"The opposite... He could only make weapons and fight. But he was incredible with a blade. And the weapons he forged were... first-rate. I could never match him in combat or blacksmithing."
"Wait, you can do blacksmithing too?" Camille asked, surprised.
"I helped out... so I know the basics. But I wasn't formally trained, and I haven't touched a forge in three years. I could only make dull, low-quality work right now."
"I suppose it’s hard to find tools or ore in a forest," Zeff noted.
"Now that you’re in a city, you should buy whatever you need," Camille suggested. "More importantly, is there anything you want to see? We have time before dinner if you want to head out."
Ryoma thought for a moment. "In that case... where is the church?"
"The church? Unfortunately, they’re closed at this hour," Camille said.
"There are many people in this city, and with that comes trouble," Jill explained. "They close the gates early once it gets dark. We have the Church of Genesis and the Church of Divine Light here. Which do you follow?"
"The Church of Genesis."
"Then you definitely won't get in today," Zeff said. "The Church of Divine Light would open up if you flashed enough coin, but..."
"Is that how it works?"
"The Divine Light is huge, but it’s full of corrupt priests who’ll do anything for a donation," Hughes grunted.
"Even the followers don't trust the higher-ups there," Zeff added. "Since all the greedy types go to the Divine Light, the word is that the Church of Genesis is where the truly pious priests end up."
"They worship the same gods and the core beliefs are mostly the same," Camille said. "Most people just choose based on whether they like a big organization or a more personal touch."
"I didn't know that... thank you."
"Don't mention it. But wanting to see a church first thing? You’re quite the devout one, aren't you?"
"Am I?"
"I’m a follower of Genesis myself," Camille said, "but I only make it to service maybe once a month. I rarely go when I’m traveling."
"Did you go often before you moved to the forest?" Hughes asked.
"Since I was born, I have never... actually been to one... I prayed to stone statues I kept at home. Even in the forest, I had statues I made with Earth Magic."
Sebas, who had been listening, spoke up. "In that case, why not buy some stone and carve them yourself? This is a high-class establishment; they should have masonry supplies available."
Taking the suggestion, Ryoma bought three brick-sized pieces of stone from the inn. They were high-grade materials and surprisingly expensive—one Small Gold Coin for the set. Back in the room, he used Earth Magic to shape and shave the stone into statues. Camille was astounded by the intricate detail, and Sebas declared that Ryoma could easily make a living as a professional sculptor.
The precision of the statues was no fluke. Ryoma had actually met the gods in person, so their images were burned into his mind. Furthermore, his Mana Manipulation skill allowed for delicate control over his magic, and his past life’s hobby of making high-quality figurines meant he was already a master of three-dimensional modeling.
After completing the three statues and offering his prayers, it was time for dinner. Once they had finished their meal, Ryoma and the guards turned in for the night to prepare for the journey ahead.