Royal Capital
About a month had passed since Leje's fifteenth birthday and coming-of-age ceremony in the Royal Capital.
And for Rudell, it also meant the beginning of another story.
A single carriage traveled along the long road that stretched along the eastern part of the Kingdom.
It was called the King's Road by the people of the Kingdom.
The emblem on the carriage depicted a scale with a book and a jewel on it.
It symbolized the Weinstein Viscounty, signifying that the value of knowledge was equal to that of a jewel.
"Hmm..."
Inside the carriage, Rudell, gazing at the vast grasslands unfolding outside the window, let out a low groan and took out a pocket watch from his bosom.
The ticking hands were already pointing to twelve o'clock in the afternoon.
"I might be late if I'm not careful..."
The time he had agreed to meet Leje was one o'clock in the afternoon.
However, his destination was still not in sight.
"Sir, are we still far?"
"We're almost there, Young Master. Don't worry too much, we'll arrive on time."
Rudell, feeling anxious, leaned his head out the window and shouted, and the good-natured coachman replied with a low chuckle.
However, despite the coachman's answer, Rudell couldn't help but feel uneasy.
And then...
"Look over there. We've arrived at the Royal Capital."
"Oh..."
As the carriage reached the top of a gentle hill, the coachman pointed ahead and said.
At the coachman's words, Rudell turned his head, and a low exclamation escaped his lips.
A huge city, located far away, came into his view.
A basin surrounded by large and small hills, with a large river running through the city.
The city, much larger than the Lagrind Dukedom, was filled with numerous buildings, and among them, remarkably huge structures flaunted their presence.
The Royal Palace... The Academy... The Tower of Mages...
All of them blended together, boasting a magnificent appearance.
It was the center and capital of the Kingdom, where all the nobles, including the Weinstein Viscounty and the Lagrind Dukedom, belonged.
It was Friselium, the capital of the Prusel Kingdom, known as the Jewel of the East.
"It's truly amazing..."
When he was young, he had visited the Royal Capital once, though he couldn't remember the exact reason.
Even then, the scale of the Royal Capital was enormous, but the Royal Capital he saw now seemed even larger than before.
Whether it was just his imagination or if it had actually expanded, he couldn't tell.
"Please wait a moment, Young Master. I'll take you to your destination shortly."
At that moment, the carriage started moving again at the coachman's words, and soon, the carriage carrying Rudell arrived at the gates of Friselium.
The carriage passed through the capital's gate made of blue bricks, the 'Gate of Pioneers', and entered Friselium...
"It's been a while, hasn't it..."
Rudell murmured in a low voice, looking at the scenery of the Royal Capital he was visiting again after almost ten years.
A metropolis with a different atmosphere from the Lagrind Dukedom.
The city, much more vibrant than the Lagrind Dukedom, was bustling with people.
If his memory served him right, the population of Friselium was a little under a million.
Considering that the overall civilization of this world was between the medieval and modern eras, that number was literally enormous.
Just as Rudell was comparing the Royal Capital in his memory with the present one...
The carriage began to slow down, and soon, it stopped at a square.
"Young Master, is this the right place?"
"Let me see... Caprate Square... I think this is it."
At the coachman's question, Rudell looked around, saw a signboard at the corner of the square, nodded, and rose from his seat.
It was Caprate Square, the place where he and Leje had agreed to meet.
"I'm glad we arrived on time. I'll go to the inn first."
As Rudell set foot on the ground and the carriage door closed, the coachman said so and began to drive the carriage along the road.
Soon, the carriage he had been riding disappeared among the carriages coming and going on the road, and Rudell turned his head and began to look around.
However, Leje was nowhere to be seen.
"Let's see... She couldn't be late, could she?"
He wondered if he had gotten the time wrong.
With that thought, Rudell once again took out his pocket watch from his bosom and checked the time.
"Good. There's still time."
However, even after checking again, there were still about ten minutes left.
That was enough time to catch his breath.
"Phew..."
Letting out a short breath, Rudell approached a bench under a statue in the center of the square and took a seat.
"..."
He looked up and saw a clear, blue sky without a single cloud.
It was a peaceful sight, but Rudell couldn't simply enjoy it.
The moment he set foot in the Royal Capital, his task was set.
To stop the Cult and change the story leading to the Calamity into a bright and hopeful one.
It was the only option he could choose, now that he was involved with the heroine, Leje.
"I have to do my best..."
Of course, it wouldn't be easy.
But he had no intention of giving up now.
For himself.
And for Leje.
"Let's do this, me."
Muttering in a low voice, Rudell slowly closed his eyes.
And then...
-Tap. Tap.
"...?"
Someone tapped him on the shoulder, and Rudell, surprised, turned his head with a puzzled expression.
And.
"Huh...?"
The moment he turned his head, he felt a finger poking his cheek and let out a dumbfounded voice.
"Ahahaha! What was that sound?!"
"Leje? When did you get here?"
Rudell asked in a flustered voice, looking at Leje who burst into laughter.
It was only natural, as he hadn't seen her just a moment ago.
"I just got here. Have you been waiting long?"
"No, I just arrived too."
It seemed they had just missed each other by a hair.
Rudell answered her question and stood up.
"By the way, don't you have anything to say to me?"
"Huh? Something to say?"
At Leje's following question, Rudell tilted his head and looked at her.
'Did I forget something?'
With that thought, Rudell continued to ponder, but no matter how much he thought, he couldn't come up with a proper answer.
"The clothes! The clothes! Do they suit me?!"
"Ah, that's what you meant?"
Finally, unable to hold back any longer, Leje exclaimed in a pouty voice, and only then did Rudell understand her intention.
"Hmm... They suit you well. They're pretty."
A white dress with a wide-brimmed hat of the same color.
It could be said to be an ordinary outfit, nothing special, but thanks to her outstanding beauty, even such ordinariness looked special.
"Hehe. I put some effort into it for the first time in a while."
Perhaps satisfied with his answer, Leje let out a low chuckle and then took a seat next to him.
"How are the Viscount and Viscountess?"
"They're both doing well. They asked me to send their regards."
"That's good to hear."
"More importantly, how is the Duke? He seems to have a lot on his mind these days."
"That's nothing unusual."
Leje replied nonchalantly to Rudell's question, but she couldn't completely hide her expression.
Recently, there had been talk that the factional strife between the Royalists and the Nobles, the two main factions of the Kingdom's aristocracy, had intensified, so it would be difficult for the Dukedom to avoid the repercussions.
"Now, let's stop talking about that and go eat! I'm hungry!"
"Shall we?"
Rudell also stood up, following Leje who skillfully changed the subject and got up.
There was no need to talk about troublesome things like political strife at their reunion after a month.
Moreover, they had a lot to do today, so they didn't have time to relax.
"Do you know any good places? I don't know this place very well."
Since his last visit to Friselium was over ten years ago, Rudell practically knew nothing about this place.
"Hmm... I know a decent restaurant. Shall we go there?"
"Let's go there then."
Rudell nodded at her suggestion, and Leje extended her hand towards him.
Rudell, looking at her hand, took it with a gentle motion, as if he was used to it now...
"Then, I'll leave it to you, Rudellheit."
At the same time, Leje said to Rudell with a playful smile.
"Leave it to me, Princess."
Rudell also responded to her reaction with a smile and began to walk, matching her pace.
-Ding! Ding!!
The bell from the clock tower not far away began to ring, signaling the hour...
Hand in hand, the two who had reunited after a long time began to walk through the crowded streets.
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