Sena barely managed to persuade Astria, who insisted on following. Although his resolve weakened when she looked sulky, going out with Astria was simply out of the question.
‘Then I can’t escape.’
The sole purpose of this outing was to find an escape route. With Astria around, nothing could be more troublesome.
However, Astria wasn’t easily swayed and wouldn’t let him leave without a fuss.
“What is this?”
“Guards.”
“I can see that much.”
The guards were lined up in rows. Four lines of seven each, surrounding an imposing carriage.
Aside from the Teutonic Knights, they were the only remaining intact force in the otherwise barren royal family.
“My people fear the guards more. Perhaps because they feel them directly. They will be effective.”
“No, no. I’m not going to war.”
Sena waved his hand with an awkward smile, attempting to assert himself.
“I’m just going to look for some herbs for about three hours and then have a meal. I think I’ll be fine without an escort.”
Astria glanced at Sena.
She was not the type to assign escorts to anyone.
If someone was weak, it was only natural they would be eliminated, right?
But Sena was different. She didn’t know why, but she was worried.
“Not allowed.”
“…Your Majesty?”
Sena looked straight at Astria and gently reasoned with her.
“You promised me free time, didn’t you? If I go around with so many people, it’s not really free time, is it?”
“Prick.”
Sena realized that Astria used ‘prick’ whenever she was at a loss for words.
“This is my best compromise. Take Sylvia with you. The Teutonic Knight should be able to protect you from assassins.”
“Scary words. There’s no one trying to assassinate me.”
“Sena.”
Astria looked at him with a stern face and spoke firmly.
“Take her.”
“…”
‘She’s really stubborn.’
Sena thought it was fortunate that Astria became the emperor. Her natural tendency to suppress others with power made her a born ruler.
-‘Your Majesty! It’s time for the meeting! You’re late!’
Just then, Rafiel’s voice was heard from afar. Seizing the moment, Sena spoke quickly.
“You should go. You’re busy, aren’t you?”
“…”
Astria looked at Sena with a face full of things left unsaid. She wanted to postpone the meeting, but today’s agenda was crucial.
“Many guards. One Teutonic Knight.”
Astria spoke briefly. Sena nodded with a bright smile.
“If I’m late, I’ll come find you myself.”
“Got it, so go to the meeting.”
Astria looked at him with a reluctant face before finally moving away. Sena waved at her from behind.
But Astria kept glancing back at him, taking one step and stopping, again and again.
“I’m really fine!”
It wasn’t until Sena shouted in frustration that Astria walked toward Rafiel, but her eyes had narrowed significantly.
Why does this feel so uneasy?
She had a premonition that her cute physician was about to cause a big mess.
Left alone, Sena stopped waving as soon as Astria disappeared from sight.
‘Hmm.’
Now then.
He needed to leave.
Sena glanced at the distant guards.
Shiny armor, luxurious carriage.
If he went out like this, people would definitely mistake it for the Empress’s outing.
‘Gotta run.’
There was no other way.
The thought was brief. The action was quicker.
“Guard, I forgot something in my room. I’ll just go get it.”
Sena’s hair stood up.
**
After lying about going back to his room, Sena secretly circled around to the back of the building.
There was a solid wall protecting the royal palace. It was incredibly high.
Even if a highly skilled knight could manage to get past it, it would be impossible to climb over.
This was the imperial palace. Naturally, it wasn’t an ordinary wall. It must have been enchanted with all kinds of magic.
Sena squatted in front of the wall.
“Would this spot be good enough?”
Sena placed his fingers on the wall and slowly traced them along its surface. A circle of silvery light appeared around his body.
Numerous blue magic circles manifested on the wall. Although Sena shuddered for a moment, he didn’t stop his actions.
Sparks flew.
The sensation was akin to welding.
After a short while, Sena pushed against the wall with all his might. A circular hole formed.
“Not all the magic circles should be broken, right?”
If so, that would be a huge problem.
I might get trapped in that strange palace.
While pondering, Sena thought of a good idea and scribbled on the ground.
-Grandpa Elundir, I’m sorry.
Alright, done.
If there was a problem with the magic circles on the wall, the first person to appear would be the court wizard, Elundir.
Fortunately, Elundir owed Sena a favor from past good deeds. Perhaps he would forgive this.
Sena dusted off his hands and squeezed through the hole. It was just large enough for his body to fit through.
‘Made it too small…!’
Sena wiggled as he got stuck in the wall. Fortunately, his soft robe acted as a lubricant, allowing him to slide through.
Thunk.
Sena tumbled to the other side of the wall, only to be met with a steep slope.
“Argh.”
Rolling down, he crashed into a tree. Lying spread-eagle, a green leaf fell on Sena.
“I almost died.”
Fortunately, aside from his robe getting a bit dirty, he was unharmed.
Oh, my back. At this age, getting a disc problem would be a nightmare.
Sena stood up gingerly and surveyed his surroundings. He was in the forest, but not far off, he could see the city.
Success!
His eyes sparkled with excitement at having found a good escape route.
‘Why not run away right now?’
The thought briefly crossed his mind, but he shook his head. He couldn’t do that.
-‘Just in case, leave this behind.’
This is because the meticulous Astria took Sena’s suitcase hostage.
That was something really, really precious to Sena. Not just because of the suitcase itself, but because it held all his memories.
Returning home without it wouldn’t bring him peace.
“Hmm. What a shame.”
No use dwelling on the inevitable. Instead, he decided to gather information while visiting various places today. This was a rehearsal for the future.
Just as he was about to head toward the city, Sena stopped. He noticed an old wooden sword.
“Oh, almost left it behind.”
That wouldn’t do. It was a gift from Astria.
Picking up the wooden sword, Sena began walking again. The green forest rustled in the breeze.
**
Got any questions? Want a cheap meal? Looking to make friends? Need to place a request?
Then head to the Mercenary Guild!
In this world, mercenary guilds were all-purpose establishments. They were information hubs, provided lodging, and offered protection.
There’s a reason why mercenary guilds are frequently mentioned in fantasy stories.
What Sena needed here was information. He needed someone who could safely escort him out of the city no matter what happened.
To put it simply, he needed someone who would do anything for money.
‘It’s been a while.’
The tavern looked like something straight out of a western movie. Sena nervously opened the door.
“How many did you down yesterday?”
“Haha, it was awesome.”
Sena felt the dangerous atmosphere as soon as he entered and hesitated. Pushing through the thick smoke, he quickly drew attention.
“Huh?”
Sena looked too fresh and clean to belong in such a rough place. The mercenaries frowned at him.
‘Maybe I should just leave.’
It wasn’t a place for a small fry like him.
Just as Sena turned to leave through the back door, someone called out.
“Hey.”
“Yes, sir?”
A mercenary slammed his hand on the table and stood up, striding toward Sena.
His face was intimidating, with a scar over one eye and arms as thick as Sena’s waist.
Sena suddenly missed Sylvia.
“I don’t recognize your face, but I recommend the lamb stew.”
“…What?”
“The lamb stew here is the best bang for your buck.”
“….”
“Kids who look as innocent as you always get the short end of the stick. I’m just giving you a heads-up so you don’t get taken advantage of.”
The mercenary, despite his menacing appearance, gave a friendly thumbs-up and returned to his seat.
The tavern, which had gone quiet for a moment, quickly became lively again.
“Seriously, it was killer! I’ve never had such spicy barbecue before.”
“Come on, though, does it make sense that five people got sick from it?”
Even the dangerous-sounding conversation Sena had overheard upon entering turned out to be just about spicy food.
Sena breathed a sigh of relief.
‘You really shouldn’t judge people by their looks.’
Not that he ever thought those people were intimidating. Honestly.
“One lamb stew, please.”
Sena ordered the stew the mercenary had recommended and cleared his throat, glancing around.
Near the bulletin board, mercenaries were scratching their heads and frowning, likely due to the lack of decent jobs.
‘There’s a big customer here…!’
Sena pulled his hood down and brightened his eyes. Mercenaries would do anything if the price was right.
Finding one wouldn’t be hard. He just needed to give a hint and make an initial contract.
‘After that, maybe I’ll visit the cathedral. Oh right, I should check out the herb shop. Might find something good.’
While Sena was happily planning his next steps, a commotion caught his attention.
“So, you took the job but don’t have the money?”
“I-I got pickpocketed on the way here. If you give me just a little more time…”
“That’s not my problem. Pay up now.”
“Haha! I never thought someone would be gutsy enough to try and stiff the Mercenary King, Garumel!”
The noise came from a familiar face. A young girl was bowing deeply before Garumel.
“If you can’t pay up right now, we’ll settle it by the rules of the mercenaries.”
“R-Rules?”
“Pay with your body.”
‘I knew he was trouble from the moment I saw him that time with Sylvia.’
Sena watched with eyes full of displeasure.
Garumel’s behavior was despicable. Even if he was angry about not being paid, this was not the conduct befitting someone aspiring to be a knight. He couldn’t imagine someone like Garumel upholding chivalry.
‘I should pay for her. And I’ll definitely report this to Astria.’
Just as he was about to take out some money, the server placed the stew in front of him. Sena nodded politely.
“Thank you.”
“Three shillings.”
A toad-sized palm appeared in Sena’s view.
No wonder it was a mercenary guild; even the server was intimidating, a large black man covered in tattoos.
“Do I pay now?”
“Too many dine-and-dashers around here. It’s become a rule.”
“Oh, I see.”
Sena reached into his inner pocket. He had plenty of money.
But—
‘What?’
He felt nothing.
Panic set in as Sena frantically checked his pockets. A cold sweat broke out.
Could it had fallen when he rolled in the forest earlier?
“Don’t tell me, you don’t have any money?”
The server’s menacing words cut through the air. In a mercenary guild, ‘no money’ was nearly a death sentence. All eyes turned to Sena.
He felt the blood drain from his face.
“I-I had it…”
“You had it?”
“I don’t have it now….”
Sena looked up at the server with his lost puppy eyes.
