Three days later.
Our journey had remained mostly peaceful, and we finally arrived in the Town of Gaunago, home to the Jamil Ducal House.
However, a fresh problem presented itself at the gate the moment we arrived.
"Let me hear that one more time. Your names are Fei and Ryoma. What is your purpose for visiting from Gimul?"
"I am the owner of a business, and I have been granted an audience with the Ducal House," I explained.
"I am his bodyguard and attendant, yes," Fei added.
"You traveled from Kereban without using the main road, entered the depths of the Gana Forest, and dispatched fifteen bandits you encountered there. Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"Normally, travelers use the highway. Why did you go out of your way to enter the forest? It’s hardly an easy path."
"I lived in that forest for a while. I felt nostalgic and simply wanted to see it again. I also work as an adventurer, so I'm used to forest trekking. I figured it would be faster than taking the long way around."
"I see... Fei, you don't appear to be an adventurer."
"I have military experience in my home country. I learned how to navigate forests and guard clients there."
"A soldier of Jilmar, then."
"A former one, yes."
"I see, I see..."
It had been like this ever since we were moved into a room in the attached guardhouse. The same questions, over and over.
Though his manner was polite, it was a full-blown interrogation. Having been subjected to plenty of these in my previous life, I knew immediately that we were under heavy suspicion.
Still, I felt we were well past the point where we should have been released. This was taking far too long for a simple fact-check regarding the bandit bounty. Was living in the forest for three years really that suspicious? Or was it the former foreign soldier?
Well, I suppose living in the woods for three years is pretty strange... but the magic crystal had turned blue, proving we weren't criminals.
I was beginning to wonder if this would ever end when footsteps stopped in front of the door.
"Yo! Sorry to barge in. Is—oh!"
"Huh!?"
To my surprise, the man who walked in was Hughes. He was one of the Jamil family guards and the person who had originally prompted me to leave the forest.
"Hey, Ryoma! It's been a while!"
"Hughes-san! It has!"
"I’m glad you didn't forget to call for me. Leave the rest to me."
He had told me when we parted that I could get in touch with him by mentioning his name at the guardhouse, and it seemed he meant it. I hadn't expected him to walk right into the middle of an interrogation, though.
As I processed his arrival, the man questioning us spoke up.
"Hughes, what do you think you're doing?"
"Yo, Swanson! Still at it, I see."
"If you know I'm working, then get ou—! Give those back!"
Hughes nimbly snatched the papers the man had been filling out and scanned them.
"Ah, Swanson? This is the part bothering you, right? This isn't a lie. I'll vouch for him. Remember back in the spring when I nearly died?"
"You mean when you were attacked while guarding His Grace?"
"This kid is the one who saved me."
"Even so... three years in the forest is..."
"He has his reasons. It's not like he was some bandit's errand boy. Besides, the Boss has already confirmed his background. Just let them through. It's true they're here to pay their respects. They're basically being invited as guests."
"...Understood. Don't forget to collect the bounty."
It felt a bit like he’d been steamrolled, but we were finally free to go.
"Thank you, Hughes-san."
"We can catch up later. Let's get moving before he changes his mind. Here, take your bounty."
"Ah, right. ...Fei-san, this bag is yours."
"I would like the Boss to keep it in Space Magic. It will be a burden to carry, and I have enough cash on hand for now."
"All right, I'll put it away."
Without any time for a proper greeting, we followed Hughes out of the guardhouse. By the time we stepped outside, the sun had set and stars were beginning to twinkle in the sky.
"That was a real pain for you, wasn't it?" Hughes laughed, looking like he’d finally let go of his professional facade.
"It really was... but he was just doing his job."
"I appreciate you saying that. He's not a bad guy, but if something catches his eye, he just can't let it go. But thanks to that tenacity, he's caught plenty of criminals that the crystals can't detect."
Hughes was defending the man, but the phrase "criminals the crystals can't detect" caught my attention. Could the crystals be fooled?
"It's not that they're being fooled. Those crystals weren't designed to find criminals in the first place. You can't uncover every crime with them."
According to Hughes, the crystals were manufactured by the Church and were originally intended to check if someone was following divine precepts.
"Murder, kidnapping, rape, theft, assault... those acts go against the teachings of the gods, so the crystal picks them up. But even if something doesn't violate divine law, it can still be a crime against human law, right? Take smuggling, for instance. Carrying dangerous contraband or moving goods without permission is a crime, but those rules were made up by people. The crystals don't react to things like that."
I hadn't realized they had such a limitation. Still, being able to identify the most violent crimes was useful enough and likely served as a major deterrent.
As we walked, I realized I’d just been following Hughes instinctively. I asked him where we were headed, and he came to a dead stop.
"Sorry, sorry! I was so focused on getting you out of there that I forgot to ask. Where are you staying?"
I’d forgotten how breezy and casual he could be. He was a good guy, but definitely a bit disorganized. He didn't actually have a destination in mind.
"In that case, do you know an inn called 'I Love Horses'? I’m supposed to meet the people from the Morgan Company there before visiting the Duke."
"I know the place! It’s run by an old guy who’s obsessed with horse racing. He loves them so much he named the shop after them. Just a warning: don't ever bring up the topic of horses. He'll talk your ear off for hours."
Hughes seemed to be on good terms with the owner. He led us through narrow back alleys with the practiced ease of a local.
Along the way, people kept calling out to him.
"Oh, if it isn't Hughes!"
"What are you doing out at this hour?"
"Yo! I'm on duty!"
"Duty? Then why are you walking through here?"
"You slacking off again? Come have a drink!"
"Hughes-san, won't you stop by our place tonight?"
"I'll give you a discount!"
"Haha, thanks for the invite, but I'm seeing these guys to their inn. I'll come by later."
"That kid... wait, is he your secret son!?"
"What!? Whose kid is he!?"
"He's not my kid!"
"Hahaha! Obviously! You don't look anything alike!"
"He looks way too smart to be yours!"
"He’s actually got some class!"
"Definitely not Hughes’s brat!"
"Shut up, you drunks!"
"Oh, it's Hughes-san. Come by the shop again soon. I'll at least give you some tea."
"Ah, Granny from the general store. I'll be there. Make sure there are some snacks, too."
"I'll be waiting. But the snacks will cost you extra."
He seemed to be genuinely liked by everyone we passed.
"It's more than just him being a local," I noted.
"He is a good person. I can tell he is trusted by the community," Fei agreed.
The streets were lively but peaceful. Eventually, we reached an inn that appeared to be more of a stable with rooms attached than the other way around. The stables were massive, while the inn itself was relatively modest.
"Here we are. 'I Love Horses.' The old man is probably out at this hour... Hey, Hostess! You in?"
I followed Hughes inside. A brisk, casual reply came from behind the counter immediately.
"Coming! Oh, if it isn't Hughes-san. What's the occasion?"
"Brought you some guests."
"Good evening. I am Ryoma Takebayashi of Bamboo Forest. I have a reservation through the Morgan Company."
"And I am his guard, Fei."
"Ah, yes. I heard from Master Serge. I've got two private rooms set aside for you. Sign the guest book first, please. Also, what about dinner? If you're eating, now's the time. Master Serge is already in the dining hall. After that, tomorrow—"
She was a fast-talker. I signed the book while answering her rapid-fire questions. I definitely wanted dinner; I needed to greet Serge-san anyway.
"Ryoma, I'm heading back to the estate now," Hughes said.
"Oh, already?"
"Yeah. Truthfully, I wanted to sit down, grab a drink, and catch up, but I've still got some work to finish."
"I see. That's a shame, but thank you again for everything. I really appreciate the help."
"Don't sweat it. You'll be at the house soon enough, and we can talk then. I've got plenty to tell you. See ya!"
"Take care! ...And he's gone."
Hughes left like a whirlwind. I wondered what he wanted to talk about so badly.
"That man never changes," the Hostess sighed.
"Haha... All finished."
"Me too."
"All right, here are your keys. Rooms are upstairs at the end of the hall on the right. Dinner is through that corridor in the dining hall."
She pointed the way. As I looked around, I couldn't help but notice the horseshoes and stuffed horse heads decorating every available inch of wall space.
"They catch the eye, don't they?" the Hostess asked.
"They’re quite... impressive."
"You don't have to be polite. My husband just buys them one after another. The second floor is even worse—ornaments, paintings, God knows what else. I'll never understand the appeal."
It seemed the owner's obsession was truly legendary.
"Boss, you should tidy your clothes before greeting your acquaintances," Fei suggested.
"You're right. Hostess-san, I'll go up and change first, then come straight down for dinner."
"Understood. I'll have it ready."
When I finished changing and headed to the dining hall, it was packed.
"It's quite crowded," I remarked.
"Looking at their dress, they are all merchants," Fei noted.
"Probably because of the excellent stables... Ah, there he is."
The dining hall was bustling with traders from all over. I spotted the person I was looking for at a table against the wall. He was eating with another man—a man with black hair whose back looked remarkably familiar.
"Serge-san. Pioro-san."
"Oh!"
"If it isn't Ryoma! Long time no see, eh!"
It was indeed Pioro-san.
"It has been a long time. We've exchanged plenty of letters, but I think it's been six months since we last met in person."
"We kept missin' each other by a hair. ...By the way, much obliged for that business in Weizen Village. Thanks to you, we've got a new product line and a solid source for barley."
"That was only possible because of the villagers and the Saionji Company," I said.
We had instinctively lowered our voices, making the conversation sound like a backroom deal between corrupt officials. I suppose it was inevitable. When a child of unknown origin walks up and speaks familiarly to the heads of two major trading companies, the atmosphere in the room shifts.
"Who is that kid?"
"No idea. A noble?"
"A noble brat wouldn't be staying in a place like this."
"The heir to some big firm, then?"
Whispers like those drifted through the air, masked by the general clatter. I could feel the weight of dozens of gazes. It felt exactly like the cliché of being tested the first time you walk into an adventurer guild—only this was a room full of merchants in an inn.
"Please, both of you, take a seat," Serge-san invited.
We joined them and ordered dinner. I introduced Fei-san, and we chatted about safe, mundane topics that wouldn't cause trouble if overheard. Eventually, the conversation turned to our journey.
"I heard you were held up at the gate. How unfortunate," Serge-san said.
"They were just doing their job, so I don't mind. The security here is much tighter than in other towns. You can really tell this is where the Lord resides."
"There are many noble estates here besides the Jamil family. Security is exceptionally strict. I assume they used the crystal on you?"
"Yes. In other towns, showing my Guild Card was enough to get me through."
In Gaunago, every person entering or leaving must touch a glowing crystal. When I did, it revealed that I’d killed bandits, which was why we were hauled off for questioning.
"Those crystals are precious magic tools. Most towns won't use them unless someone lacks ID or claims to have slain bandits. They’re fragile; use them too much and they break, and getting replacements is a nightmare."
I wondered if they were just expensive. Given how many towns seemed to have them, I figured they were common enough.
"It's not just the price," Serge-san explained, looking like he was getting into his element. "Getting permission from the Church is a massive hurdle. Those tools are said to be special items crafted by artisans under divine revelation. Because of that, while they can be manufactured, the Church won't let them be sold indiscriminately."
Apparently, you needed a legitimate reason like town security, permission from a high-ranking noble, and a hefty donation to the Church on top of the actual purchase price.
"If it weren't for all that red tape, I’d love to have one myself," Serge-san added, sounding genuinely disappointed. As a magic tool enthusiast, I could relate. I’d want one too.
"By the way, Ryoma," Pioro-san interjected. "You said you took down some bandits, but I'm surprised the two of you managed it. There must've been a decent crowd of 'em, yeah?"
"Fei-san was with me. He took down eight of them on his own."
The merchants eavesdropping nearby suddenly went quiet.
"The Boss killed seven," Fei added smoothly. "I only have the higher count because I struck first."
A low buzz of voices erupted behind us. I suspected Fei had mentioned the count specifically to ward off any merchants thinking of bothering us.
The conversation was pleasant, but the atmosphere in the room had become a bit too tense to truly enjoy the meal.