“Stop.”
At the command of the guard, footsteps abruptly halted.
In response to the vigilant tone, my body stiffened involuntarily.
The piercing gaze swept over us.
The nameless dragon stood by my side.
I deliberately positioned her farthest from the guard to divert attention.
But my efforts were in vain as we caught the guard’s suspicious gaze.
“Why is that person covering their face?”
They seemed wary of the figure clad in rags.
Before she could answer, I interjected.
“My comrade prefers to keep their face concealed. There’s no particular reason.”
I tried to sound nonchalant.
However, the guard frowned, swallowing unease.
“Would it be alright to briefly check their face?”
I couldn’t respond. Tension gripped my throat.
When Erina and I entered the capital, it was with minimal scrutiny.
But now, suddenly being asked to reveal our faces… we couldn’t refuse.
If you did something that aroused suspicion, your identity could be revealed.
I nodded, stepping back. The nameless dragon moved forward slowly.
With each step, my heartbeat quickened.
“Can’t speak?”
No answer came. The guard scrutinized the woman before him.
Outwardly, there seemed to be no issue.
“Lift your robe.”
After a moment’s hesitation, she lifted her head, revealing her face partially.
Watching, I bit my lip nervously.
I prayed fervently for nothing to happen.
Silence hung for a moment. The guard nodded after scrutinizing her face.
“Perhaps change your clothes. Walking around in rags might lead to misunderstandings.”
Thankfully, the guard joked, breaking the tension.
Unconsciously, I sighed in relief, nodding along.
“It’s time for a wardrobe upgrade.”
“Yeah. A beautiful face means nothing if you’re dressed like a beggar.”
Indeed, his words were true.
We deliberately dressed her in rags to avoid drawing attention.
“Anyway, sorry for delaying you. The atmosphere in the capital is tense.”
“Tense?”
“Yeah.”
The guard spoke with a grave expression.
“A few hours ago, reports came in of the Demon King’s army appearing nearby.”
‘Ah. No way.’
Seeing people gathered suddenly at the city gate, I wondered what was happening.
It was about the Demon King’s army we encountered.
“You could have been in danger too. If you had encountered the Demon King’s army, there would have been no escape.”
We certainly didn’t run away.
On the contrary, it was completely destroyed. And that too by one person’s hands.
Someone nudged my arm.
Turning, I saw Erina nodding with a smile.
“Anyway, go in. Sorry for the delay.”
Accepting the guard’s apology, we entered the capital.
As the guard faded into the distance and we walked further into the capital’s streets, I breathed a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. It seems the perception-obscuring magic worked well.”
If the guard had suspicions about magic, it could have been dangerous.
Fortunately, the magic seemed to be fine as he didn’t say anything even after seeing the horned head.
“Luckily. Honestly, I thought we might get caught and have to run.”
It was fortunate the guard wasn’t too strict.
If he had insisted on removing all the rags, her identity might have been compromised.
Thankfully, we entered the capital without incident.
Now, aside from the patrolling guards, we could finally relax.
“Let’s go to the inn first. We need to unpack and do maintenance.”
As we walked down the street, tension hung in the air.
It seemed news of the Demon King’s army nearby had spread.
Especially, attention seemed to be directed towards us.
With someone dressed in rags, we were certainly catching eyes.
“We should quickly buy an ordinary robe.”
“Even if it was necessary, these rags are too conspicuous.”
It seemed wise to look for robes with perception-obscuring or distracting magic.
‘I think there might be some.’
I remembered such attire was usually sold at magic shops.
Since arriving in the capital, we hadn’t had time to explore.
Now, we decided to visit various places, including the magic shop.
As we headed to the inn, Erina muttered to herself.
“Someone is attracting attention.”
Her tone was prickly, as if blaming the nameless dragon.
I lightly tapped Erina’s head.
“You suddenly get irritated.”
“It’s just uncomfortable being stared at.”
Contrary to what she said, she seemed to be irritated and grumbling to anyone who looked at her.
How long had it been since our companion joined us that she was already causing trouble?
‘Should I at least prepare a place to get to know each other?’
I didn’t expect Erina to treat her kindly.
From her perspective, the nameless dragon was quite bothersome.
But she couldn’t keep rejecting her like this.
‘If she is the protagonist I know…’
Even if she wasn’t a favored companion, she would have tried to get along with her.
Always yielding and considerate towards companions.
Some might call it being naive, but I liked that attitude.
In a dark world, such heroes always shine.
But the protagonist I knew wasn’t here.
“Sorry.”
With a sudden apology, Erina came closer and grabbed my hand.
Contrary to her sad expression, she made a clasp with her fingers and held on.
“But still, bringing in another companion against my wishes felt a bit… off.”
“I’m sorry.”
The decision to recruit the nameless dragon was solely mine.
She hesitated, Erina objected, but I pushed forward.
“But I didn’t want to miss it.”
Her hand, which had been holding mine, trembled slightly at my words.
“Because it’s a special connection.”
A special connection. Now I understood the name of the skill.
At that, Erina’s expression subtly changed.
“More than me…”
“Hmm?”
“Is it more special than me?”
She raised her head straight away.
“No. You’re the most special.”
Erina, the character I cherished the most even before falling into this world.
The Goddess accused her of lying.
But even after hearing the Goddess’ words, I could not come up with a definite answer in my heart.
Although she differed from the protagonist I remembered, but didn’t show it.
I would rather believe that all of the Goddess’s words were lies.
That’s how much Erina meant to me.
“…Really? Am I the most special?”
“Yes.”
Thankfully, her lips loosened at my response.
She clung to my arm and rubbed her face against me.
How could one word elicit such varied responses?
The nameless dragon, on the other hand, was giving us an unreadable stare.
She was smiling happily from a distance.
“You two seem to get along well. It’s hard to gauge how long you’ve known each other.”
“Even if we call it fate, it’s only been a week.”
“Yes…?”
At the sight of the nameless dragon’s widened eyes, I couldn’t help but laugh.
It had only been a week since Erina and I met.
So much has happened between us that it didn’t feel real, but we haven’t been together for that long.
At least in this world.
“Actually, it’s a bit strange.”
“No, it’s not strange at all.”
Our words contradicted each other, but the meaning was the same.
The nameless dragon was watching with a tilted head.
“She won’t understand right now.”
As we spend more time together, she’ll naturally come to understand.
We arrived at our destination during our conversation.
The signboard in front of the building displayed the words ‘Frostwood Inn’ in elegant lettering.
Even though we’d only stayed for a day, I felt strangely glad.
I longed for the narrow but warm and cozy bed.
As we entered the inn, the interior was surprisingly quiet.
The bustling atmosphere was gone, and apart from a few people, there were no other guests.
“Welcome!”
The innkeeper’s energetic voice still resonated.
When we looked puzzled, he laughed heartily and gestured towards me.
“We’re closed for business today. Everyone rushed out because rumors of a monster army emerging spread.”
Certainly, it had been described in the game.
During the event where monsters invaded, not only the protagonist and companions but also the people around fought together.
Just a while ago, when passing through the city gate, there were people gathered besides the guards.
Perhaps adventurers from the capital had gathered.
Even now, they might be guarding the gate or clearing out monsters in the forest.
‘Although we’ve already dealt with them.’
Thanks to that, we could secure a good room in advance, which was a fortunate turn of events.
“By the way, it seems we have an extra person? We’ll need to switch rooms.”
Unfortunately, there were no triple rooms, only a group room for four.
Although the accommodation fee would be doubled, there was still space available.
“Here’s the key. Please rest comfortably!”
The innkeeper energetically handed over the room key.
I immediately handed the key to Erina along with the shield.
“You go up first. I have somewhere to go.”
“Huh? Where are you going?”
“I have to report on the quest at the quest center. I also want to stop by the magic tool store. I have a lot of work to do.”
I wanted to take care of the bothersome tasks first.
Shops might close or be crowded before nightfall.
“Should I come with you?”
“No, I’m fine alone. You two rest in the room.”
I assured her I would be back before dinner and turned away.
Once again, Erina bid me farewell with a smile, saying nothing.
“Take care!”
I waved towards the lively voice and left the inn.
I planned to keep busy until the sun set.
***
“Follow me.”
As soon as he disappeared, Erina’s demeanor changed to a cold one, like ice.
Surprisingly, the nameless dragon wasn’t surprised.
In fact, she had expected the cold attitude.
She already knew that Erina didn’t like her and didn’t acknowledge her as a companion.
“There’s so much I want to talk to you about.”
“Yes. I feel the same way.”
Amidst the tension, the two slowly climbed the stairs.
The innkeeper, witnessing their transformation, could only watch in bewilderment.
