Chapter 45

Ghislaine coolly woke Roya up. When he opened his eyes, he found Rudeus wearing an inexplicable smile—a smile that instantly jolted Roya awake, banishing the last traces of sleepiness.

Roya grumbled, "Rudeus, what's so funny?"

Rudeus stifled his laughter and muttered, "I wonder what they'd think if they saw you like this. They'd probably mistake you for a girl, right?"

At that, Rudeus raised an eyebrow subconsciously.

A golden-haired, aloof, and proud figure like Roya—if he were a girl traveling alone, he'd likely get knocked out and sold for gold coins.

That is, assuming someone could actually knock him out.

Meeting Rudeus's mischievous gaze, Roya snorted disdainfully. He flexed his right arm slightly, his seemingly well-proportioned bicep bulging. With a smirk, he said, "If they've got the strength, they're welcome to try."

Rudeus swallowed hard, his expression turning a bit uneasy.

He couldn't help but recall the times Roya had put him in his place.

"Let's move. Stop chatting," Ghislaine's cold voice cut through.

This town truly lived up to its reputation as the largest city in the area—brimming with energy.

The first thing that caught their eye was the city wall.

Standing about seven to eight meters tall, the sturdy wall encircled the entire city.

Around the massive gate, carriages bustled in and out. Once inside, rows of open-air stalls lined the streets.

Not far from the entrance, there were several establishments resembling stables and inns.

Seeing armored figures mingling with ordinary townsfolk and merchants gave off a distinctly "fantasy" vibe.

A strong sense of a Western-style otherworld hit them head-on.

At that moment, a middle-aged stall vendor spotted the group and called out enthusiastically, "Hey, miss, want an apple?"

Roya, walking at the front, sighed helplessly. He turned to the man with a serious expression and said, "You should say, 'Hey, buddy, want an apple?'"

As he spoke, the corner of Roya's mouth twitched. Why did this feel so familiar? He wasn't some unnamed Subaru Natsuki, after all.

Just then, Rudeus noticed a group of people with large luggage sitting at what looked like a waiting area.

"Ghislaine, do you know what that is?" Rudeus asked curiously.

"…You," Ghislaine replied, her face darkening with displeasure at his question.

"Are you looking down on me?"

Startled by her fierce glare, Rudeus jumped. He quickly waved his hands and explained, "No, no! I just didn't know what it was and wanted you to tell me…"

Ghislaine tilted her head and said, "Oh, sorry. Is that what you meant?"

Roya decided not to comment—there were too many things to nitpick.

He'd already figured out Ghislaine's personality. She looked intimidating, but she was actually kind-hearted and, in some ways, surprisingly airheaded.

Though "airheaded" was usually a term for cute, ditzy girls—not a hulking figure like her.

Yet, she was undeniably an airhead.

Seeing Rudeus on the verge of tears, Ghislaine hurriedly answered, "That's a stop for public carriages. People use them to travel between towns, or they pay merchants a small fee to hitch a ride."

After that, it was clear both Roya and Rudeus were fresh out of the newbie village. Ghislaine pointed out various shops, explaining which one was a weapon store, which was a tavern, which was an adventurers' guild branch, and which was "that kind" of shady establishment.

As they passed through one corner of the town, the atmosphere shifted.

The streets were now lined with weapon and armor shops catering to adventurers. Further along, the stores transitioned to ones aimed at the town's residents.

The layout was well-planned.

If enemies attacked from the outside, the people near the gates would hold them off first, giving the residents time to flee deeper into the town or in the opposite direction.

Thanks to this design, the deeper they went, the larger the buildings became, and the shops started catering to a wealthier clientele.

In this town, the closer you lived to the center, the richer you were.

At the heart stood a massive white palace. Seeing it, Roya couldn't help but think of a grand European-style structure.

"Opulent" didn't even begin to cover it.

"That's the lord's mansion," Ghislaine said flatly.

Roya remarked, "It's less a mansion and more a castle."

Inwardly, he flipped off the ugly face of capitalism.

"It's because this is a fortress city," Ghislaine explained.

As they approached the mansion, Ghislaine's distinct features made her easy to recognize. The two guards at the gate glanced at her and let the trio pass without a word.

Led by Ghislaine, they crossed the front entrance and headed straight toward the center.

Along the way, Roya noticed several cat-eared, beast-tailed maids.

Most of them were pretty and youthful, around seventeen or eighteen—right in the prime of their lives.

Rudeus's eyes lit up. He grinned and said, "This lord… he gets it, doesn't he? Right, big bro?"

Roya glanced at the cat-eared beast girls, feeling nothing. They didn't hit his sweet spot.

"Hmph, nothing special," he said coolly. Unimpressed, Roya saw through it all—he knew lust was a double-edged sword and wasn't about to condone the lord's reckless indulgence today.

Rudeus smirked and teased, "Oh, really? What if Master Roxy dressed up like that?"

Roya fell into thought, his mind involuntarily picturing Roxy.

Petite Roxy in a maid outfit, white stockings accentuating her slender legs in a perfect curve, cat ears perched atop her head as she struck a cute pose.

That version of Roxy… might not be so bad?

Damn, the mental image was lethal.

He took back his earlier words.

Yeah, as he'd always said, he loved white stockings. If Roxy showed up in a cat-eared maid outfit, Roya wouldn't mind one bit.

"This guy's got some taste after all," Roya muttered, exchanging a glance with Rudeus.

Both of them cracked a slight smile.

The mansion was vast, but the central meeting hall wasn't far. After a short walk, they neared their destination.

Before they could enter, a rough voice boomed from inside: "Where are they?!"

Roya frowned instinctively. He hated being yelled at, even if it was just someone's habit.

Accompanied by the sound of heavy, stomping footsteps, a man emerged from the room. He looked about fifty but still exuded strength. Broad-shouldered and burly, he stood around 1.9 meters tall, his dark brown hair streaked with white.

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