Vol. 1 - Ch. 228 - Dragreid

Dragreid, the capital city of Dragoon Marquisate, was a tad unusual major city due to residing within the centre of rugged mountainous terrain. 

Situated in the heart of two colliding mountain ranges, the region was far from the idle place to leave, let alone to travel, due to the over 20 varieties of volcanoes in the area, such as stratovolcanoes, or pyroclastic cones. 

In the past, the drastic topography had shown how inconvenient the place was for living, and so, few would dare to venture into the land. 

But, now the same place trends as one of the cornerstones of Yuglia, and was the heart of a Marquisate, and it was all due to the one reason; it was the paradise of natural resources, especially the mines. 

However, there was no definite record when the first person claimed this place as their home. A part of the land had already seen the development of human hands by the time Moon Dragoon— the founder of Dragoon family, and almost a legendary Artificer—brought the lords of the region under his command and pledged his loyalty to the founding king of Yuglia, King Arthur. 

Apparently, Dragoon family back then was a mere small clan residing within the region even before the genesis of Yuglia, and imparting the knowledge of ancient mana tools crafting technique to the locals. With a history behind their back, this place had managed to carve out its own unique identity among many other places when Yuglia took its inception, and a big part, aside from the natural resources, was the pride of the craftsman who wouldn't let others best them.

At night, the streets of Dragreid would glow with the distinctive red lanterns, and the alleys and stone stairways twist and wind like a labyrinth, giving the city an eerie charm.

Blessed with a rich past, and graced with rustic scenery—this was the image of Yuglia.

◆◆◆

I parted ways with the Magic Car Club at Eclair, and traced the path to Dragreid solo. 

Well, as much as I was curious about the ordeal of the thief chase, my turn had been used up. Besides, I also had a business to deal with as an explorer—primarily the request from Satowa, so I ultimately decided to arrive prior to the appointed time. 

I left the scenery of Eclair behind my back at the first crack of dawn, and struck Dragreid on the night of the same day. It was quite a short trip, compressing the 3~4 days journey by carriage into a single day.

I was a bit worried that the theft incident would shake my schedule, but considering the time to meet Satowa was the day after tomorrow, it wasn't that bad. 

Dragreid had two so-called gatehouses—a checkpoint that could also be used as a rampart—that served as main entry points. 

The entrances were open 24 hours a day, and there was no limit on the crowd of people. And boasting a glimpse of bygone history within themselves, gatehouses were seen as scenic spots too.

"You, sir. Yes, the one on a mana vehicle. I request your company."

I had been crossing the Janji Moot Gatehouse in the southeast of the city on my bike when a suave knight stopped me. His tone was quite blunt, however he didn't appear to rub his authority, so I decided to quietly follow him. 

Inside the stone building, which had clearly weathered the years of changes, I followed the knight’s guidance through the complex interior, and stopped before a room. I entered inside, and... crossed eyes with Fey.  You could say, I was half expecting this setup. A capable, secretary-esque person stood behind her. 

With the mountains of documents stacked on the table before her, she must have been going through them. 

"If it isn't a fancy meeting, eh, Allen? I was expecting you. It's been so long, I am happy to see you."

Fey initiated the conversation with her signature grin. 

"It's been a while indeed. ...How did you know I would be coming here?"

I inquired back in scepticism, though Fey chuckled it off.

"Pfft! Well, after Eclair was imposed with a State of Emergency, the news was bound to make its way, regardless of whether I had wanted to hear or not. And I received the words via magic bird that you departed from Eclair this morning, so I guessed you would drop around this timing. So, you've become news again, huh."

She narrowed her feline eye's with a gleam, and asked out of curiosity. 

...Huh, ah, right. I thought she was in her stalking mode again, but I forgot she was more or less the head of the Dragoon family. I should've expected the news to reach her ears.

In that case, there was no need for me to elaborate on the details.

"....There was a bit of slipup, which caused a ruckus, but it's not something serious. I was mainly around for road trip along with others. Anyway, is there a reason you're waiting for me?"

I narrated in a disinterested tone, and cut through the case.

"Kyahaha! A road trip that ended in thieves stealing 'Yuglia's Future' which pushed even the army to take action, and you're saying it was just slipup? You really do know how to have fun, huh. Haha! I bet all the factions should be now scrambling to amass the information about the situation. 

And to your question, well, it's nothing much. You're here for the nomination request from Satowa Fjord, right? You know, the rumours would be all around soon when you enter Dragreid with that eye-catching two-wheeler machine of yours. And that would make your explorer work as 'Ren' a tough nut, no? I just wanted to say you can park it in Dragoon house."

.....Ahh, I really didn't think of it. 

If I travel around with that bike as explorer Ren, no explanation would be enough to fill that blunder indeed. I didn't think the emergency was that big deal, or maybe just a *tiny bit* overblown, but I really would be digging my own grave if this is attracting so much attention.

"Thank you. I really didn't think of it that much. Well, I would be returning back by train actually, so you can return the two-wheeler to Dui. They should be arriving here the day after tomorrow."

I lowered my head in gratitude. Fey saw that and grinned.

"Hehe. Don’t worry about it, okay? If the future of this country ends up parked somewhere, and a theft happens again, we would have to declare a state of emergency in Dragreid. And well, you’d end up tripling this mountain of paperwork again, like now, you know? Pfft!"

I let out a dry laugh, turned on my heel, and left the room.

◆

After Allen left the room.

“…That wasn’t like you, Fey-sama. Things were going well, so why the sudden jab at the end? Hadn't you planned to invite him for dinner?”

Fey’s secretary, Selen, asked with an exasperated look.

"Hmm, I wonder why? It's somewhat obvious from his gestures that he will hardly entertain the thought, and I guess, my annoyance got the better of me when he didn't show any interest in my dress. And we had put so much effort into finding it.  It’s really frustrating how he's mute to women’s hearts at all. Or maybe, do you think he doesn’t like this kind of outfit? ...Then again, it's not in my nature to adjust my clothes for other's preference..."

Today, Fey was wearing a knee-length dress with rose embroidery. It was a one-piece dress that she and Sera had carefully selected, squeezing it into a tight schedule when they got word that Allen was coming. It had taken two hours of deliberation to find it.

Fey pulled at the hem of the dress, mumbling to himself as he continued his ramblings. Sera watched quietly, offering a wry smile but remaining silent.

◆

"Excuse me!"

I was at an inn, but saw no personnel on the counter, so I called out toward the back of the inn. A woman in an apron appeared.

She looked to be just under fifty.

"I'm Explorer Ren. I’d like to book a room for three nights starting today. Is there a room available?"

"Right, Ren, is it? We’ve got rooms available. It’s 60 Rea per night, with breakfast included. Payment is required in advance."

I placed 180 Rea on the counter.

After parting ways with Fey at the Janji Moot Gatehouse, I strolled through the streets of Dragreid, illuminated by the red lantern, and bought street food along the way as I went.

The Dragreid was bustling with tourists, perhaps lured in by the warmth of spring, though the old inn, located quite in distance from the centre, didn't appear crowded. Of course, I was here as Ren, so I didn't put my surname.

It was the same inn my parents always stay in during their visit, so I also came to choose this cozy, down-to-earth inn. But it appears the homemade butter roll that my father so praised wasn't enough of an incentive to bring in customers.

After checking in, I crashed onto the bed earlier that day as the exhaustion from the day long journey weighed down on me. 

◆◆◆

The next morning—

I woke still within the darkness of early dawn, completed my usual morning training before the inn, and turned to have breakfast on the first floor.

Apparently, the breakfast of this inn followed a self-serving style. You pick up the fresh, fluffy butter rolls straight from the oven, cut them and fill them with the smoked chicken, leafy vegetables, tomatoes, and marinated mushrooms or other ingredients of your liking.

Waking up to the smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the inn must be quite a pleasant experience.

The taste? The light, fluffy butter rolls enhanced whatever they were paired with, highlighting the quality of the ingredients. It was a simple, wholesome flavor. 

Well, certainly, the bar might not be high for my father, a mere rural viscount, but nobles wouldn't be making this self-service breakfast a regular choice, no matter how great the bread was. 

I guess my indifference to appearances might come from my father’s influence.

After finishing breakfast, I headed to the Explorer’s Association. It's not an everyday thing that I drop by to Dragreid, so I wanted to see for myself the style of requests that appeared for the explorers of this region. 

Since I had come all the way to Dragreid, I wanted to spend the day experiencing the unique quests of this town.

The Dragoon branch of the Explorer’s Association had a distinctive layout, utilizing a large underground space, about the size of a sports field. This area was probably once a mining site.

From the quick glance I took, there weren’t many explorers around, but most seemed to be tough, veteran types.

Unlike the typical scene in the Eastern Branch of the Royal Capital, where low-ranking young explorers would rush to snatch up the high-reward jobs first thing in the morning, this place showed no such behaviour. I had heard the monsters around the Dragreid were quite strong, so it was an experience reflecting the scene.

Just as I was getting worked myself over at the sigh of strong veterans, a sight that I sought so much, my ears captured some noise coming from the entrance

"Hey, isn't he..."

"Yeah, that's Red Demon Dio..."

"So, he's the rumoured 'Old Rookie,' ... I heard he's going to take the A-rank promotion test..."

"As strong as an ogre? That certainly isn't far fetched from his sharp aura..."

There stood the same person who had taught me spear techniques when I was heading to the Royal Capital for my exam.

Dio gave a sharp glance around, then snorted through his nose with a sense of authority, walking confidently inside.

I’m sure he was a C-rank explorer... If he’s taking the A-rank promotion exam, that means he must have advanced to B-rank within the past year. Ah, wait. Now wasn't the time to think that. He obviously knows me, but he shouldn't know about my Ren persona thing. Ugh, I need to somehow—

"Damn, why the hell are you here?"

And just as I was distracted by Dio, a familiar voice suddenly spoke from behind.

"…I’m Ren, an explorer based at the Royal Capital East Branch... and who might you be?"

I slowly turned around and replied to Parry-kun, hinting him with a wink to 'read the room.' 

However, hearing me, an unfamiliar—alright, I think maybe not so unfamiliar, but I couldn't recall who he was—old man standing nearby shouted.

"Ack, you're the M-Mad Hooound!!" 

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