The road to the North was anything but smooth.
Perhaps due to the harsh environment, even though it was a regular road, there were noticeable sections where the road was damaged or turned into mud.
If we were just regular merchants, getting stuck in the mud would have been a real hassle.
“Oh no. Did the wheel get stuck? Let’s all get off for now…”
“No, no need to go through the trouble of getting off. Please wait a moment.”
“…?”
“Here we go.”
With a look of annoyance, Sylvia yawned and grabbed the carriage with one hand.
The carriage tilted significantly and emerged from the mud. As a result, the horses pulling the carriage were left hanging in the air, looking bewildered. It was truly a force beyond belief that one could get used to.
Just as it seemed things were going well.
“Sniff, sniff. It’s a bandit group.”
“…What?”
“Yuria, I’ll go intercept them. Watch my back.”
“Yes, Instructor.”
Sylvia, as if sensing something, jumped off the moving carriage.
Following her, Yuri also naturally got off the carriage.
Where on earth were these bandits?
A short while later, a loud thud startled me as I saw Sylvia and Yuri effortlessly opening and getting back into the carriage.
“We’ve dealt with the bandits, so you needn’t worry.”
“Oh. I’m not worried at all. I’m actually more worried about the bandits.”
“That’s fine too. There were no casualties.”
“…”
Their calm demeanor made me chuckle.
Was a bandit attack always like this?
Didn’t it usually involve people suddenly blocking the road and arrows flying around, causing chaos?
I didn’t expect the bandits to be dealt with without even seeing their faces.
‘They’re too reliable.’
Looking at the lineup of the escort team, it was quite impressive.
A Sword Master candidate, a (future) hero, and even though she’s still inexperienced, a Spirit Master and a Dark Knight.
With all of Vermont’s forces gathered, it was as powerful as any army.
It was such a waste to be paying them so little.
If their reputation were a bit higher, it wouldn’t be strange for their fees to reach the hundreds of millions per commission.
My dream was to have them make a name for themselves quickly, earn money, and then spend my life lounging around.
A well-earning wife.
A full-time househusband.
Ah.
“We’re almost there.”
At the coachman’s announcement, I drew back the curtain.
In front of us loomed a towering cliff.
No, not a cliff, but a city wall.
“Wow! It’s so high…!”
“Did humans really build that?”
Charlotte and Julia, clinging to the window, kept exclaiming in awe.
Yuri was also acting a bit hesitant, probably wanting to look outside as well.
‘Just don’t act too robotic.’
I gave Yuri a little push, making him step back in surprise.
Swoosh.
He shrank back and shot a fierce glare through the eye holes of his mask, as if asking where he was being touched.
Ah, right.
I had to treat him like a girl…
I kept forgetting.
Damn it.
“We’re about to meet the Archduke of the North. Be careful not to be rude.”
“Yes!”
“Got it. …Okay.”
With the children’s enthusiastic replies, the carriage approached the city gate.
As soon as the Vermont crest was confirmed, the gate creaked open.
‘The security is more lax than I expected?’
…Or so I thought, but inside, beyond the city gate, was another area surrounded by walls.
With a thud, the gate closed behind us, trapping us in a fortified position.
Perhaps there’s a separate security screening area inside.
Thorough.
It could easily be called an impregnable fortress city.
Should I get off now?
I first grabbed Charlotte by the waist as she was stretching out and helped her down.
Then I forcibly lifted Julia, who was struggling to gracefully hold onto my hand as she got off.
This made Julia’s cheeks puff up quite a bit.
“Ughhh…”
She seemed to be holding back her irritation, probably not wanting to offend the Archduk
- How admirable.
I quickly gave Julia’s cheeks a light pinch, making her face turn red with annoyance.
“Aslan…!”
“Archduke, Your Grace!”
Julia’s irritated voice was overshadowed by a booming sound.
At that moment, the opposite door opened, and a robust, good-natured middle-aged man appeared.
It was the Archduke of the North, Richard Friedrich.
Seeing him, Sylvia and I knelt on one knee first.
Charlotte and Julia, after observing, also knelt.
“Hohohoho! It’s delightful to see guests arriving! Get up quickly! The ground is quite cold!”
“Yes. It is an honor to meet Your Grace. We always appreciate your efforts.”
“Don’t be so formal. It’s enough for the soldiers from Ester to be disciplined.”
His cheerful personality made him seem like an uncle next door.
That said, his presence was still imposing.
Beneath his seemingly relaxed demeanor was hidden confidence and strength.
It was the bearing of royalty well-versed in the ways of emperors.
“Is this all the escort force you’ve brought?”
“Yes. Three fellow escorts and one of my personal knights make up the entire group.”
“Hmmm. I expected you would bring one or two more of your fellow escorts for Merilda, and fill the rest with proper escort forces…”
“Have you heard about the monster rampage in the Ariente territory?”
“Yes, I’ve heard about it. I was worried when I heard there was chaos in an area not usually associated with monsters. But I heard that Vermont handled it well.”
“All the people who played a part in that are here with us now.”
“Hoho! If that’s the case, then there’s no longer any doubt about the quality of your escort! My apologies!”
The Archduke of the North laughed heartily and patted my shoulder.
Although he seemed to be trying to be friendly, I felt as though I had been hit by a mallet, staggering from the impact.
He truly embodied the phrase “powerful build”.
“Well now, looking so weak, I wonder if you’re up to being a man. Eat some meat! Meat! And don’t skip the feast, make sure to attend!”
“Yes. I will attend with gratitude.”
“Hohoho! Greet them, you rascals! What are you standing there awkwardly for!”
With a bang, the door to the inner chamber opened.
As if waiting, nine young men bowed respectfully and greeted me.
They were young men with golden curly hair, resembling the Archduke.
“These are my sons! Aren’t they disgusting? Hohoho!”
“They are tall and handsome. They are very promising young men.”
“Except for fighting, none of them have any real talent… But my youngest daughter is different! Yes! My dear Merilda is not only smart but has already developed an interest in magic without much teaching…”
The conversation shifted to talking about his daughter, and the Archduke began enthusiastically boasting about her, practically spitting with excitement.
The Archduke’s sons nodded in agreement, adding to the praise.
Even though I had only overheard a bit, I was already feeling dizzy and overwhelmed.
I understood why he had the nickname “Daughter Fool” and “Sister Fool” more clearly than ever.
“…But why hasn’t Merilda shown up yet? I distinctly remember telling her to get ready for your arrival.”
“Well, Father, she finished getting ready a while ago, but she seems to have no intention of coming out of the garden…”
“Hohoho. I’m very sorry. Our youngest daughter is quite shy.”
The Archduke of the North, with an embarrassed smile, seemed to be having a hard time.
It seemed like the estimate was starting to come through. Spoiling a daughter who was belatedly born and growing up too indulged, resulting in a stubborn and mischievous child.
And it looked like the Archduke and his sons had no intention of changing this habit.
An escort of the same age.
If not for Charlotte and Julia, we would have almost been stuck without any way to retreat.
“This is a serious problem…”
“Shh, Charlotte. Is she complaining to us…?”
Looking back, Charlotte and Julia were whispering to each other with worried expressions.
The burden of protecting a noble of the same rank was already significant.
The fact that she was a high-handed, pampered girl who had grown up receiving all the affection in the city?
The thought of being tormented already had Charlotte and Julia’s faces turning pale.
‘Making money is so tough.’
The hardest thing in the world is human relationships.
If you want to earn money, you have to endure this kind of hardship.
With a deep sigh, I was about to enter the inner chamber.
“Dad!”
“Oh, our dear Merilda! Have you arrived?”
“Are those people, by any chance, Vermont Security? I told you to send them back…”
“Oh dear. Don’t be like that. They are here to escort you and even take you to the capital.”
With a flourish, the blonde, young girl with twin pigtails stormed in, shouting loudly.
The Archduke lowered himself almost to the ground and tried to match her eye level.
This is driving me crazy.
The path of escorting might be even more challenging and stressful than I thought.
…Or so I thought.
“I hired escorts of the same age after hearing your words!”
“Oh, seriously! How could you actually find and bring them! I told you not to get an escort on purpose! Why does an escort of the same age even exist in this world!!!”
“Hoho. There she goes again. It’s very dangerous for our daughter to stay in Ester.”
“Dangerous? What danger! For the past 100 years, there hasn’t been a single person killed or even a breach by monsters! How much did you spend this time on hiring escorts? Huh?”
“Don’t worry about our daughter…”
“Our finances are already tight, why are you spending so much on escorts! It’s just a visit to the capital, not really a retreat! The people are working hard in the cold, and I’m supposed to have fun with the tax money from the people in the warm south? Even using military resources for it? No! I’m not going! I’ve clearly said it, Dad! So send all these people back!”
“Merildaaa…”
Bang, Bang, Bang.
Merilda stomped out angrily, her steps heavy.
The Archduke of the North watched her leave, then collapsed and wept.
His large back was pitiful to see.
‘It’s just the doting father and brothers who are the problem…’
My head began to throb.
No matter how I looked at it, it seemed that the princess was the normal one and the rest were abnormal…
