"The Talented Dragon Hides Its Claws" ~ The Eldest Son of the Baron Family, Called Useless, is Actually One of the World's Strongest ~ - Episode 62

Upon arriving in the capital, Ryu and his group lined up at the gate reserved for nobles. Grace’s carriage had Lena and Flora on board, and closely following behind was Arden’s carriage, which was filled with maids.

The emblem of Grace truly reveals its worth only at the center.

“That crest, could it be… the Grace Marquessate…?”

“Why is the Empire’s granary in a place like this?”

“Lady Flora, the second daughter, must have returned to the capital. It doesn’t necessarily mean that Lord Grace himself is on board.”

“Is the carriage behind us from the Arden family?”

“I hear the rumor that the two families have been getting close lately is true.”

Seeing the commotion around him, Ryu snorted.

“Hmph. You will come to understand the true power of Grace.”

“That’s not something the head of the Arden family should be saying… Don’t you have any pride?”

“Adventurer. Do you know what they call someone like me in Hinomaru?”

“I don’t know.”

It seems to be a saying about a fox borrowing the power of a tiger.

“What are you even saying right now, seriously…?”

Just as I had everything perfectly in order, it was finally my turn for the identity and luggage check.

“Are you the party of Baron Arden? Please wait a moment.”

“Understood.”

The gatekeeper conveyed something to the guard over there and quickly returned.

“I’m sorry for the wait. We will resume the baggage inspection.”

“Did you send a messenger to the imperial city? I just saw a horse run by.”

“Regarding that matter, we have a policy of not commenting on it…”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry for asking something weird.”

No, no.

Ryu is scheduled to receive a reward at the castle in a few days, so the guards must be ordered to report his arrival immediately.

(The empress is as meticulous and thorough as ever.)

And finally, we passed through the gates of the capital.

Grace’s first city was lively, but the capital was on a whole different level.

“Wow! That’s amazing, big brother!”

“Hey, hey. If you lean out that much, you’re going to fall.”

“Hehehe. Lena-chan is so cute~”

The two, already familiar with the capital, couldn’t help but smile at Lena.

“Ah, this brings back memories~”

“Do you have any memories?”

“We actually operated here in the capital until about two or three years ago. At that time, we were still a C-rank, but since an all-female party is quite rare, a lot of people took care of us… we’re really grateful, honestly.”

“Then you have quite a few acquaintances, huh?”

“Yeah. If anything, I’ve already passed by familiar faces a few times.”

“Do you know the C-rank adventurer named Stingray?”

“Huh, Sting!? We were super close, you know!?”

“She is currently serving as the captain of the Arden Knights.”

“Sting, the beautiful solo adventurer who uses a rapier, that Sting, right?”

“That’s definitely the stingray.”

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner…?”

While we were talking about such things, the time to part ways arrived.

“Our rented house is far from the noble district, so unfortunately, it’s time to say goodbye. Thank you for everything up to this point.”

“Thank you very much as well! If it weren’t for Baron Arden, I’m sure by now…”

“Well, putting that aside, I need you to take care of Lena at the academy. For now, the only one we can rely on is Miss Flora.”

“The only one you can rely on is… me…”

For some reason, just as a warm atmosphere was starting to settle in, Lena interrupted.

“Flora-san! Thank you for teaching me while we were in the carriage!”

“No, no, please do your best on the exam. I’ll also rush to the academy on the day, so let’s approach it with confidence.”

“Thank you for everything!”

According to Flora, she will go all the way to the academy on Lena’s exam day and guide her to the exam venue.

On the exam day, parents and related parties are prohibited from entering, so Ryu was anxious because he couldn’t go in, but now a savior named Flora has appeared.

“You guys also had a hard time guarding, huh?”

“When it was the thieves, it was really bad, but for some reason, there were no monster attacks at all, so to be honest, I didn’t do anything worth being thanked for.”

“However, I would like to know the party name just in case.”

“Now of all times… ‘The Oath of the Silver Wings.'”

“What the heck is that cool name? So cheeky.”

“Isn’t it fine…?”

Their names are the Silver Wing Oath.

He is currently a promising prospect who is rumored to be the closest among the young players to reaching A-rank.

“Well then, see you later.”

“Yes, someday for sure. Lena-chan, please take care of me for the next year.”

“Yes! Likewise, nice to meet you!”

Arden and Grace walked in opposite directions.

The capital city of Weel is divided into interesting districts, becoming gradually quieter as you approach the noble district, while the citizens’ district is always lively and bustling. This time, since we are in the latter, there are basically restaurants or shops on both sides of the street, and stalls line the road. If you head towards the square, street performers are showcasing their magic tricks, and at the ends of the streets, legal slave traders have a few shops open.

“Am I really going to live in this city for the next three years? I’m looking forward to it, but…”

(I don’t want to not be able to see you as much, big brother.)

“It’s just a little more patience. If you get through this, you’ll definitely be able to get a job you love. That said…”

(The time I can spend with Lena is drastically decreasing, which is bad. I might start transforming into a dragon due to stress.)

Before an hour had passed, we arrived at the rented house.

“This is the house where we’ll be staying for a few days! It’s spacious and big!”

“I’m glad I splurged and rented a decent house. There’s a stable, and a garden where Axel can lazily take his afternoon naps.”

“Bururu”

“Of course, we have prepared individual rooms for the servants as well. Well, they are quite inferior to the servants’ quarters within the Imperial Academy, but please bear with it for a few days.”

“Yes!” “Yes!”

Leaving the carrying in of luggage and cleaning to the servants, Ryu headed to a certain place with Lena.

Currently, the two are straddling the horse, with Ryu holding the reins from behind while embracing Lena.

“Huff huff…”

(I feel my brother’s warmth and heartbeat. Happiness)

“Sniff sniff…”

(The scent of sun and flowers wafting from Lena’s long hair. Divine.)

“By the way, where are you headed?”

“I have someone I want you to meet, Len.”

What kind of person are they?

“To put it simply, I’m a ‘noja’ loli elf.”

“Is that a loli elf…?”

And.

“This is that person’s house.”

“Eh…”

In front of the two, a dilapidated house covered in ivy stood.

“A haunted house…? You didn’t come here to meet a ghost, did you?”

“Just so you know, I’m technically an elf, so you can relax.”

Then.

“What do you mean by a haunted mansion?! You little brat, how dare you be so cheeky!”

The white-clad loli elf burst through the door with great vigor.

“Hmm? Is that you, Ryu? It’s been a while!”

“It’s been a while, Esther.”

“Have you grown taller again since the last time I saw you?”

“You’ve shrunk since I last saw you.”

“Shut up!”

“So, who is that girl over there?”
“This is my younger sister, Rena. In a few days, she will pass the entrance exam for the Imperial Academy and plans to live in the capital for three years.”

“Hoho~”

“Lena, this little one is Esther, the self-proclaimed genius apothecary. She looks like a child, and her mind is also, to put it mildly, childlike. She’s a loli elf.”

“I am an adult in both appearance and intellect!”

Esther lunges at Ryu, but…

“Here you go. I brought back a lot of candy as souvenirs.”

“Whoa!!!! It’s been ages since I had something sweet!!!!”

Esther stuffed the candy into her mouth with incredible speed.
From the outside, it looks like a hamster.

“Right? Isn’t it interesting?”

“……”

“Hmm, Lena? What’s wrong?”

“Ka… ka…”

“Really?”

“Cutieeeeeeeeeee！！！！！！”

Lena hugged Esther, who was desperately rolling the candy in front of her.

“What is this cute creature!!! Can I take it home?? Is that okay!?”

“Good job.”

“Mogomogo”

(No excuses! Hey, let go! Let me gooooo!)

A few minutes later.

Lena was still holding Esther in her arms.

Esther, being a researcher, was too weak to escape and ended up exhausted.

“Hah… Hah… What in the world is this little girl…?”

“Well then, I look forward to working with you, Esther-san!”

“What’s the reason for this… well, whatever. I’ll leave it to you, Lena.”

“Yes!”

“So, what brings you here? Knowing you, you must have other business to attend to as well, right?”

“You understood it well.”

“Come on, say it.”

“Is Esther free right now?”

“Since I’ve already delivered this year’s supply of medicine, I’m just lazing around and doing research now.”

“In other words, you’re saying I’m free.”

“Well, that’s how it is.”

“Then, how about we go to Hinomaru together?”

“……What?”