Chapter 40 - Vesteria Kingdom and Elite Guard [3] (1/2)

40. Vesteria Kingdom and Elite Guard [3]

After preparing for the trip, Ria and I headed to the schoolyard of Thousand Blade Academy.

A huge royal airplane was already waiting there.

(…It’s a bit bigger than the president’s private jet.)

As expected, the scale is different when it comes to the ones owned by the royal family.

In front of the plane, there was a group of five people wearing black dresses and bowed simultaneously as they saw Ria.

A woman at the head of the group spoke.

「-I’ve been waiting for you, Ria-sama, Filthy Worm-sama. We’re ready to take off, please get on board.」

Filthy Worm-sama, huh…

(What’s the point of the『-sama』even…)

It was a very nice greeting that let’s me know in an instant that I was not welcomed at all.

And then,

「Hey, if you say something like that… I won’t go.」

Ria, who was outright in a bad mood, said with a sharp gaze.

「…I am sorry. Ria-sama………… Allen-sama, please come this way.」

After a long pause, she called my name properly.

「Fuun… Let’s go, Allen.」

「A-Aa」

Then, with Ria pulling my hand, I got on the plane.

■

While flying from Thousand Blade Academy to Vesteria Kingdom.

Ria taught me a lot about the tourist spots of Vesteria.

The Hill of Hope that is said to make any wish come true.

The National Vesteria Museum which exhibits a variety of historically valuable art, antiques and relics.

The Great Arena where swordsmen compete with their skills and amazing battles unfold every day.

She is likely to be proud of her home country, after all.

Ria, who enthusiastically talked about Vesteria, seemed very happy.

「When the talk with my father is over, let’s definitely go sightseeing together!」

「Aa, sure.」

Then, as we made a promise, the plane gradually dropped its altitude and slowly landed on the ground.

「-We have arrived at the capital of Vesteria, Arlond. Please come this way.」

When I got off the plane and left the airport – I was shocked.

The air, the smell, the people – everything was different.

Well, I suppose it’s the most natural thing since it’s a foreign country.

However, for me, who left the country for the first time and crossed the sea, the impact was quite big.

After we left the airport, the woman in black dress spoke.

「Ria-sama. The meeting with His Majesty the King is scheduled for 8pm. We still have about an hour and a half to go, dinner-」

「-I’ll have it together with Allen. Just the both of us.」

「…Understood.」

She nodded reluctantly.

She doesn’t seem to agree with me and Ria going out together.

「…Then, we will take our leave here. As a precaution, once again – the meeting with His Majesty the King is scheduled for 8pm. Please don’t forget, thank you.」

「I know. I’m not gonna stand him up after coming this far.」

「No, that’s not why I’m repeating… Ria-sama has been a little scatterbrain since always, so I hope you will look at your watch and act precisely…」

「I-I’m not scatterbrain! Mou, leave already!」

「-Understood. Please take care.」

Then we parted with the group and slipped into the bustling crowd in the main street.

「Good grief… It’s a bit mean to call someone unreliable, and scatterbrain… right?」

「A-Ahaha, yes…」

To be honest, Ria has a little unreliable side to her, and I’m sure she’s also a little scatterbrain.

I know it well because we’ve been living in the same room for the past few months.

However, because it was not possible to say those things to her face, I decided to laugh and dodge the question.

Then I shifted my gaze to the main street we were walking on.

(…Unlike the capital Orest, there aren’t many big shops.)

Instead, there are small stalls lined up.

Although, the total number of shops seems to be overwhelmingly more than the ones in Orest.

(Even though it is already after 6pm… there is still a great number of people.)

A swordsman with a sword fastened on his waist.

A woman with shopping bags.

A man walking with a bottle of sake in one hand while humming unconcernedly.

Various people were walking along the street with cheerful faces.

It was as vibrant as the merchant town, Drestia.

And when I was looking around the street.

「Nee, Allen. We don’t have much time, so why don’t we have dinner?」Ria said, clapping on my shoulder.

「Aa, that’s right.」

The time was 6.30pm.

I was also getting hungry.

「Is there anything you would like to eat, Allen?」

「U-n, let’s see. If I have to choose… something with meat.」

「Really? Then there’s a shop I’d like to recommend! It’s my favorite shop that I’ve been visiting since I was a child!」

「Hee, in that case, let’s head over there.」

「Un! This way, follow me!」