The Second Son of The Marquis Runs Away from Home ~ Lacking Talent, He Abandons Everything and Becomes an Adventurer ~ - 24

Chapter 24: The Greeting

It takes about two days by ship to travel from the Grushio Continent to the Hume Continent. Rather than being cooped up in our rooms during that time, we decided to stand on the deck and talk while gazing at the sea.

“So, Berg, besides your big brother, were there others you could rely on?” Aria asked.

“Yeah, at that time, I thought no one besides my big brother would even look at me.”

“…At that time? Does that mean it’s different now?”

“…I realized something I hadn’t noticed during the two years I’ve been living as an adventurer. Not everyone was like that.”

I reminisced about the time when I was in the Belga Kingdom, gazing at the sky. Most of the memories were unpleasant, even now, but it wasn’t just that.

“Theresia acknowledged my efforts, despite the comparison with my big brother. And looking back, there was one other person who didn’t compare or look down on me from the start.”

“Who was the other person?”

I pondered for a moment, thinking about that silent individual who I hadn’t compared to anyone or looked down upon.

“Rakul=Valiant, the son of the Knight Commander, and he was of the same age as me in terms of swordsmanship. He was the only one I couldn’t beat.”

“Berg couldn’t beat him, huh… But now, Berg is stronger, right?”

“I wonder… In any case, I have no intention of returning to my homeland, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“Is that so?”

“I ran away in a fit of stubbornness, convinced that everyone around me was an enemy. I caused trouble and now, there’s no face to save.”

Leaving those words behind, I walked away from the deck, feeling like I had talked a bit too much. However, I didn’t mind sharing with Aria, and I headed back to our room.

“You don’t plan to return, huh…”

On the deck, Aria muttered those words.

When we arrived at the port town in Mildrea, the most noticeable thing was the soldiers guarding the town. Soldiers clad in chainmail with the emblem of Mildrea engraved on their red surcoats stood tall, clearly well-trained.

“No wonder it’s called the Lion’s country.”

“The country’s history is quite unique, so martial arts naturally thrive here.”

As Aria and I entered the town from the pier, it was just as bustling as Workerlt.

“Should we arrange for a carriage first?”

“Hmm… Since it’s just the two of us, wouldn’t it be better to buy two horses and make our way? What do you think?”

Aria was in the middle of speaking when she suddenly froze. I followed her gaze to see the crowd splitting into two as it moved from the back.

Eventually, the path cleared up to where we stood, and a group of knights, all clad in matching armor that put the town’s soldiers to shame, approached us with resounding clinks of their armor.

These knights were wearing full suits of armor that made the town’s soldiers look like amateurs. Among them, a knight in crimson armor adorned with flames stepped forward.

“It’s been a while, Lady Arseria.”

“…Vorga, why are you here?”

“We’ll answer that question and more.”

With a signal from the crimson knight, a knight behind him handed over a precisely inscribed crystal.

When the crystal was presented to us, it emitted a faint glow, and light began to form into a shape.

“Oh? Oh, we’re connected! Hello, Aria, it’s been so long! I was worried since you didn’t contact me for a whole year.”

The formed image showed a face resembling Aria’s, but the voice had a somewhat stretched-out quality.

“Philia, How did you know my location?”

“Ha-ha-ha, big sisters can always tell when their cute little sister returns. I’m not the one going to pick you up, though.”

“Could it be some kind of magic?”

Aria glanced around at her own body, and my eyes were drawn to the hilt of the longsword she had been carrying since we met.

“Aria, there’s a magic stone embedded in that sword hilt.”

“Huh?”

“It has a magic inscription, probably a tracking magic marker.”

“Oh? Could it be you’re a magical instrument craftsman?”

“No, I’m just a regular adventurer.”

“Hmm…”

The woman observed us with an inquisitive look in her eye, but after a moment, she said, “Well, it’s fine,” and turned back to Aria.

“In any case, we’ve arranged for a carriage for you and Vorga. Why don’t you come back to the castle? Our Emperor has been eagerly waiting for you.”

“…Alright.”

“Well, even in the Magical Continent, there probably aren’t many that can rival the ‘Lion.’ This time, please behave and…”

“No, we found the ‘Lion.'”

As soon as Aria said that, the woman fell silent. The crystal-carrying crimson knight also reacted.

“…Really?”

“Yes, and he has one of them too.”

The woman and the crimson knight looked at us. The atmosphere had changed from disbelief to astonishment.

“…Really?”

The woman’s voice fell silent, and it seemed that to reach the Launus Theocracy, we would have to resolve this troublesome matter first.