Chapter 83
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ED: LonelyMatter
Chapter 83 – Land of Snow
It was about half a day’s journey after leaving the royal capital.
That long-distance northward, every step forward, presented Ain with unfamiliar landscapes.
He had heard that it was a cold land, but a few hours earlier, he had seen snow, which surprised Ain.
The mountains, which had been shining in the side sun, now showed their night face under the big moon.
Suddenly, he opened the window, and the cold but fresh air filled Ain’s lungs.
The scenery he had just seen began to fade as if it were a mirage. Finally, the royal train arrived at Baltic.
“The time is… it seems we managed to arrive before midnight.”
Unlike regular trains, the royal train did not run on a fixed schedule.
This was because they placed a high priority on safety by constantly accelerating and decelerating while observing the route conditions.
This time, however, the train arrived ahead of schedule.
“C-cold? What is this? Huh? Is this really the same continent?”
“We are on the same continent… Come here, Ain. Your neck is cold; let’s warm it up.”
“Are you going to warm me up?” He almost asked, but of course, he was wrong.
The scarf was long and soft. Krone wrapped it around Ain’s neck.
They are still about the same height, but he would probably overtake her by the end of the year.
When he thought back to when there was more of a height difference between them, he realized that they have grown up quite a bit.
“Thank you, Krone. I didn’t expect it to happen all at once when I opened the door…”
When he arrived in Baltic, he didn’t get off the train right away. He just walked out of the lounge and went to another door until he was outside.
Even then, it was so cold. When he touched the window pane, he felt his fingertips freezing.
“It’s cold! Eh, what’s this cold?”
“What are you doing already? Here. Give me your hand.”
When he held out his finger as he was told, Krone wrapped it in her own palm, warming his cold finger.
“Goodness. It’s really cold… Sigh, I’m worried about the future. What are you doing out of the blue…?”
“By the way. Am I the first crown prince to have an a.s.sistant do something like this?”
“Ara, Your Highness. You were aware of this, weren’t you?”
“I’m sorry.”
Despite the small talk, he could not help but be grateful to Krone for warming his fingers.
Was it just the way she’s rubbing the finger, or was it because he has a dirty mind? …He’s sorry somehow.
“Yes, that’s it. Ara? What’s wrong with your face? Are you embarra.s.sed?”
“Just pretend it’s the cold that’s making me red.”
“Fufu… I’m awed. Your Highness.”
At this rate, it looked like they just came to flirt.
…Dill and the others were located in another car.
“Let’s go then. It’s our first time on the Baltic.”
He cleared his throat slightly to regain his composure. Making friends with her was something I’ll have to put up with for now.
So, Ain took the first step towards the adventurer’s city of Baltic.
＊＊＊
Ain walked through and stepped in the snow.
There was not enough snow to cover his feet. However, in the deeper areas, there was enough snow to cover his shoes.
Looking at the places away from the road, there was more than a meter of snow, so the snow had probably been removed from the road.
“Ain-sama. …What a strange feeling, but it seems like it’s been a long time since we met!”
“Come to think of it, we haven’t seen each other since yesterday morning.”
Dill was also busy yesterday.
He had to prepare for today’s trip and had a lot of meetings.
And they had not seen each other this morning. This morning, too, Dill and the others had gone to the train before Ain to get ready.
Hearing this, Ain was just grateful for the careful preparations everywhere.
“That’s right. Anyway, I’m glad that we arrived safely. Then, uh…”
Dill looked at Lloyd, who was standing next to him.
He seemed to be thinking about saying something, but he didn’t open his mouth, perhaps because he couldn’t find the right words.
“…Lloyd-sama would be more appropriate in this case. Surely, before, it would have been His Excellency the Marshal.”
Lloyd helped Dill by saying this.
Dill wondered what to call Lloyd here.
He couldn’t call him ‘Father’ in public, and Lloyd wasn’t the marshal anymore. That gave him pause.
“When we’re with this group, it’s okay to call him Father. It will be easier for you.”
He looked around and saw Krone standing next to Ain. Dill and Lloyd were walking on the other side of them.
“That’s right, Dill. My goodness… you really are inadequate; that’s why His Highness is so worried about you.”
“I’m sorry, Ain-sama… but I’m going to study again, even in terms of common sense…”
“Don’t worry about it. What was it that Dill wanted to tell Lloyd-san?”
Earlier, Dill had looked at Lloyd and seemed to want to say something.
In other words, he must have had something to tell Ain.
“Ah, that’s what he meant. Dill probably wanted to say something about the chain of command this time. I am the one with the highest authority in this investigation, including Ain-sama’s bodyguards and the royal guards. I thought I should tell you that.”
“Oh, so that’s how it is. But it’s appropriate. When Lloyd-san is here, everyone should be able to learn. If possible, I would also like to see how the son who wants to succeed feels when you’re around.”
“Hahaha! Then let me be honest!”
Ain’s words must have hit the nail on the head.
Like Ain, Dill was interested in what his father had to say.
“Now that you’ve lost yourself in the matter as you were just now, you’ll have to go back to your desk first, won’t you?”
Start over from the cla.s.sroom. The son looked at Lloyd and expressed some frustration.
“…It’s frustrating that I can’t deny it…but I’ll definitely make him speechless sooner or later. Ain-sama.”
“Haha. I’ll be waiting for you with antic.i.p.ation, Dill.”
It would be extremely difficult to make that man speechless…
But he would not forget his support for Dill.
“So, let’s get back to business. You can leave the guarding and leading of the knights to me. I will show His Highness the Crown Prince that I am not rusty yet.”
Thinking back, this was the first time Ain had seen Lloyd’s command with his own eyes.
Chris praised Lloyd’s skill without hesitation. That would be one of the joys of this investigation.
“And Ain. The servants… no, I will take care of all the trivial matters concerning Ain. So please leave that to me.”
“Got it. Huh? I’m beginning to feel that I’m not needed.”
“Ain-sama, as our commander, I want you to stand firm.”
“Dill is right. If there is an aura that only Ain-sama can feel, please share it with us.
In other words, if there was something about the Red Fox that he could sense.
The influence of Dullahan and the Elder Lich. There might be something special about it.
In other words, wouldn’t it be the same without much else?
“…Yes. It’s so soft.”
Ain enjoys the softness of the thermal gear because it’s a bit vain to think otherwise.
Wrapped in fur, this winter coat was warm to the touch.
The scarf Krone has wrapped around him iwa also nice and fluffy.
“Even though it’s night, the shops are still open.”
“After all, this is a city of adventurers. There must be a lot of adventurers going to work even now.”
He didn’t like the idea of working on such a cold night.
Many shops were still open, as many adventurers, depending on the monsters they were targeting, would start at this hard time of day.
“It’s different from the royal capital and different from Ist. It’s interesting to be in a city you don’t normally come to.”
To put it simply, the Baltic was characterized by stones and bones. The rest was iron.
You saw a stone that looked more like rock than stone and signs made of giant bones.
As Chris had told him when they were in Ist, there were also many blacksmith shops.
Ain wondered if these blacksmiths were not cold.
They took a break to smoke a pipe in their open storefronts. They looked very manly in their tank tops and overalls.
On the contrary, although there is a roof over their heads, some of the bars seem to have open terraces, making the noisy adventurers look robust.
“Yes, that’s right… By the way, Ain-sama, those big bones. Actually, it represents the status of the shop.”
Lloyd pointed at the giant bone sign.
“The bone represents the status of the shop? Lloyd-san, what does that mean?”
“If I may say so, these bones are expensive. So, a huge and strong bone tells us how wealthy the shop is. But those bones are extremely difficult to obtain. Luck also plays a big role. Therefore, it is an easy-to-understand indicator.”
This was another example of the adventurer’s town.
When he heard this, he checked and found that the bigger shops actually used bigger bones.
In other words, the shop must be thriving.
“The inns, however, are different. When it comes to inns for tourists, n.o.bles also stay there. Therefore, they are not much different from those in the royal capital or in Ist.”
The inn where Ain and his group were going was no different. It had a localized interior and atmosphere, but there were no big bones in front of the shop like in a tavern or a blacksmith’s shop.
“I see… Speaking of which, it’s a good thing it was quiet when I came by.”
“That reminds me. Lloyd-sama, is the Crown Prince not very welcome among adventurers?”
Krone, questioning Ain’s words, asked Lloyd.
“No, that’s not true. In fact, Ain-sama’s reputation is quite high; after all, he defeated the Sea Dragon single-handedly.”
Lloyd’s answer was the exact opposite: that Ain’s reputation was high. If that was the case, then why? This raised the question.
“Then why? I’m not saying that they should welcome Ain, but I think it’s too different from the royal capital…”
“It’s simple. I’m sure the guild has released the information that Ain-sama is coming. But there lies the problem.”
Gulp. Ain and Krone swallowed with bated breaths.
Dill seemed curious as well and stared into Lloyd’s face.
“They don’t read government communications, no matter what guild they’re in. So I guess that’s what happened this time, too. Hahahaha!”
As expected, the higher-level adventurers look at a lot of information, but most of them don’t go into much detail.
Rather, they just rush out into the field when they receive a request.
This may be considered disrespectful, but there was no need to point it out to them.
“I-I see…”
Emergency notices such as Sea Dragon were posted, but other royal matters were posted separately.
As a member of the royal family, Ain wished they could see a little more, but he was also happy to see their adventurous personalities.
＊＊＊
“Well then, Ain. You have plans for tomorrow, so please plan accordingly.”
“Huh? I thought I had a day off tomorrow.”
Ain arrived at the inn.
Most of the rooms are occupied by the investigation team led by Ain, as they made reservations some time ago.
There were some small artifacts on display and some stuffed monsters in the hallway.
The room where Ain was staying also had some interior decorations that looked like that.
However, since the inn was aimed at tourists and n.o.bles, most of the facilities were no different from those in the royal capital or in Ist.
Ain was happy to see this, but at the same time, it was lacking in some aspects.
In such a room, when he opened the window, a cold wind blew in, and Ain’s breath turned white.
Behind the window was a small balcony, and Ain stepped out onto it.
“You’re going to get all the snow in here, you know?”
“You should come too, Krone. It’s beautiful.”
“Yes, yes.”
Then she came next to Ain.
She wanted to explain something a while ago, but she was overtaken by Ain’s pace.
“It’s really beautiful…”
The fantastic scenery reflected in their eyes.
In the city of Baltic, the shops were open even if it was late.
Compared to Ist, this city didn’t lose, and many places were illuminated by warm lights.
Lights were shining everywhere, and big snowflakes were falling steadily.
It was as beautiful as a snow globe covered with jewels.
“The Demon King’s territory is near a city like this. It’s hard to tell.”
“Ara, it might be the other way around, you know?”
“Eh?”
Perhaps feeling a bit cold, Krone naturally moved closer to Ain.
“That means the Demon King was here first. Maybe they liked this snowy landscape first?”
“…I see.”
Thinking back to the picture of the Demon King’s figure, it seemed to be no mistake.
She had beautiful silver hair and a beautiful figure. This snowy landscape would suit her well.
“I wonder what kind of city it was.”
“The Demon King’s territory?”
“That’s right. I wonder if there was a beautiful view like the one we see now.”
“Maybe there was… I think so, looking at this view.”
Was the cityscape still there? He could not help but wonder what was left of the former Demon King’s territory.
Looking at Krone, who shivered a little beside him, Ain shifted his body.
“Th-Thank you…”
“You’re welcome.”
Ain put his own jacket on Krone, who looked cold.
They could have just closed the window silently, but in their minds, they still had no desire to leave.
Krone also accepted Ain’s concern honestly.
The snow was still falling in front of their eyes.
“Speaking of which, what are the plans for tomorrow?”
“Yes, an appointment to meet and greet… just a few minutes ago. I wish you had contacted me a little earlier.”
It seemed that Krone was not satisfied with the situation, and she complained, which was rare for her.
“Do you think I’m going to go greet someone?”
“It’s the opposite. Someone is coming to greet Ain; just bear with it for a while, okay?”
When Krone looked apologetic, Ain said, “Don’t worry about it.”
After all, she had done nothing wrong.
“I don’t mind that much. But who’s coming?”
“Well… as far as positions go, it’s the Lord of Baltic. And as far as his n.o.bility is concerned, he’s a count.”
“The Lord of Baltic is coming to greet me? I don’t think that happened in Ist…”
“Of course not. Because Ist wasn’t informed that Ain was going there, were they?”
Indeed. Krone’s words frankly convinced him.
In retrospect, it was because he hid in plain sight that he met the Viscount Sage’s trouble.
“Come to think of it, I think so.”
“There’s usually no n.o.bleman who doesn’t come to greet His Highness the Crown Prince when they know he’s coming.”
“That being said, I guess it is… So what time does it start?”
“He said he would be here after lunch.”
Then I could get some sleep, Ain thought.
After all, it had been a long trip, even though he had been on the train for a long time. If possible, he would have preferred not to start in the morning.
“Then I could get a good night’s sleep.”
“That is true. As expected… But I wouldn’t have allowed it if he had said he would arrive in the morning.”
Krone smiled and said that, but she probably meant it.
If he had come early, he would have been turned away at the door.
“And there was another interesting thing about Ain.”
“Is that count involved?”
“Yes, that’s right. …In the letter, he wrote…”
Having said this, Krone moved even closer to Ain.
“I heard that my younger brother Kaizer a.s.sisted you at the academy… That’s what he said.”
This was what it meant to be left slack-jawed.
Ain’s face was suddenly colored with surprise.
“You’re lying, aren’t you?”
“What are you going to do if I lie about something like this… Geez.”
“Huh? How did such a person become an adventurer…?”
“This is a time when there is a crown prince investigating the former Demon King’s territory, you know?”
No, I have my own reasons. That’s a different frame of reference, Ain thought.
He wanted to apologize, but since he had a personal interest in the former Demon King’s territory, he couldn’t say that strongly enough.
“It’s a pretty intense party…”
Chris’ older sister was a professor emeritus at the most prestigious research inst.i.tute in Ist and had abilities that surpa.s.s even Lloyd’s. And what could be a party with a more intense menagerie than the Count-born swordsman…?
“What was Instructor Kaizer’s intention in becoming an adventurer? I’ll leave that aside for now. Let’s just think about greeting his brother, the count, tomorrow, shall we?”
“I understand. I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of person he is.”
They had finished talking about the main topic and enjoyed the night view.
It was time to close the window and return to the room. With this in mind, he looked down at his left arm and saw Krone’s figure clinging to it.
She was talking to Ain in a natural way as if she was unaware of it.
“…..”
What should I do? Ain thought in his head.
He wanted to talk to Katima about it. Even though it was unlikely that she would give him a suitable answer, he somehow felt that she was rea.s.suring at times like this.
“Then let’s go back to the room. I think I’ll get something warm to drink.”
After thinking for a few seconds, he came up with a plan.
A hot drink.
With a natural gesture, he walked to his room and asked her to pour him a drink. Then, he could naturally return to his room. Although he had no sense of naming it, the effect should be promising.
After uttering the phrase, he quickly began to walk away.
“Right, it’s a bit cold, so I’ll have something to drink as well…”
She followed Ain’s movement and moved her feet as well.
At this point, she went to get a drink. The plan worked, and Ain was afraid of his own talents.
Ain moved his feet naturally.
The girl next to him was also natural, but she suddenly opened her mouth and surprised Ain.
“Fufu… thank you for escorting me. His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince.”
They walked a few steps from the balcony and back into the room.
Giggling, she stepped away from Ain’s hand. Her tongue stuck out cheekily, and he felt the charm that was typical of her.
His left arm felt as if it had suddenly grown cold after her departure.
“I see. Was she being deliberate?” It made Ain think.
“I’ll embarra.s.s you one day.”
It was a somewhat uncool decision, but it’s one of those decisions. He made the same decision before.
——He thought that he and Dill would make a good master-subordinate pair, both aiming for the top.
After that, it was back to business as usual for the two of them, enjoying the hot drinks Krone had prepared for them.