Early in the morning, the carriage carrying us raced over the cobblestone streets of the Royal Capital. We passed through the slums where we had once lived and followed the canal westward. Our destination was the castle at the very heart of the city. At last, today had come—the day we would speak of the “truth behind the myths.”
With every step closer, the castle loomed ever more imposing, rising high as if to challenge the sky itself. Its vast width could no longer be contained within our field of vision. The white walls shimmered in the morning light. The central tower towered above us, gazing down with an almost oppressive authority.
Solana’s voice broke the silence.
“…It truly is enormous when you see it up close. Far more than I imagined.”
I gave a small nod.
The highest point must have easily reached fifty meters. As for its width, it was impossible to grasp from the carriage window alone. Countless buildings and roofs overlapped one another, and yet, somehow, the castle lost none of its solemn grandeur.
I spoke softly.
“You can see it even from outside the capital… it’s unbelievably huge.”
Between here and the castle lay multiple layers of dry moats and walls. Within them, it was said, hundreds of people lived.
From the coin, Solana continued—
『There was once a temple in the royal capital that connected the heavens and the earth. Most likely, this castle was built upon its foundations.』
No wonder it was so vast. It stood atop a structure from the age of myth, expanded and rebuilt over centuries by human hands.
This time, Loki spoke with a note of admiration.
『Perhaps there were surviving followers of Freki, the god of art and architecture? Or maybe some human inherited his power through a skill and created something like this? Either way… this must have been the greatest work of their lives.』
The carriage approached a dry moat that yawned like a cliff, then began to cross the bridge spanning it. A statue of the god, Odis cast a stern gaze down upon us. Halfway across, we passed a lavishly adorned noble’s carriage coming from the opposite direction. An unpleasant memory stirred in my chest. The Royal Castle was a place where nobles gathered—in other words, the very people who had once ruled over the Eastern Dungeon.
A murmur slipped from my lips.
“Nobles.…”
From the seat across from me, Pauline-san, who had been resting with her eyes closed, spoke.
“The castle, in its proper role, is the center of governance. There was a time when nobles held lavish parties night after night, but their numbers have greatly diminished. Or rather—”
The princess gave a small shrug.
“Most of the nobles who indulged in such pleasures have already fled the capital. Perhaps they sensed the threat of war in the adventurers now gathering here. Those who remain are the royal family, and a handful of nobles who still care, at least somewhat, for the country.”
Pauline-san cast me a brief glance.
“The fall of House Warlburg, which once controlled the Eastern Dungeon, is also a significant factor. People are more willing to listen than before. Of course, whether they will accept the true myths is another matter entirely.”
Besides the princess and me, two others rode in the carriage.
Felix-san and Mia-san.
All of us wore the raven warrior cloaks, the mark of the warrior order. Three more carriages followed behind us, and in total, about thirty members of the Raven Corps were on their way to enter the Royal Castle.
Mia-san ran a hand through her red hair.
“Are we really allowed to walk into a place like this?”
She had been shifting uneasily the entire time.
It was a secret thought, but she looked like a cat ready to bolt out the window at any moment.
“Rion, are you okay with this?”
“It’s my first time too…”
“Guess so. I’ve got zero confidence when it comes to manners or etiquette.”
Felix-san cleared his throat softly. Perhaps he was nervous as well—his movements were stiffer than usual.
“I would ask that you remain composed. Pauline-sama has spent her time, even while we were in Flocia, negotiating with nobles and other members of the royal family in preparation for this day.”
Mia-san and I exchanged glances. Almost in unison, we gave a solemn nod.
““W-we understand.””
“Mm. Basically, we’re going to ask not just the adventurers, but the nobles too, to defend the capital, right? But just to be clear, are we really going to say it—that the current myths are a lie?”
Pauline-san lowered her chin slightly, then tapped the floor of the carriage with the staff in her hand.
“In the royal capital, aside from the soldiers each noble commands, there are also knights tasked with protecting the city.”
Solana spoke up.
『Knights huh. You mentioned before that they’re a force distinct from adventurers.』
In response to the goddess’s question, I chose my words carefully.
“They do fight monsters alongside adventurers sometimes. There are cases like the ‘Blood-Red Sunset’—when monsters appear outside the dungeon. But how should I put it… they don’t take on requests like adventurers do, and they’re not part of the Adventurers’ Guild either.”
Pauline-san nodded.
“Rebellions have often broken out in the frontier regions. For that reason, the capital maintains forces that are meant primarily to fight other humans. If adventurers are ‘handymen’ who take on all kinds of requests, then knights are ‘soldiers.’ And to move them, orders are required.”
“I see. And those orders can be given by the royal family—or the nobles.”
“Precisely. To mobilize the castle, to draw all of it into action, we need a powerful premise—that this is a crisis.”
Mia-sam leaned back against her seat.
“So, that’s the truth behind the myths, huh.”
The carriage came to a halt at the castle gate. The grand iron doors stood imposing before us—so solid that even Skoll in his rampage might have struggled to break them. The guards at the entrance, upon seeing Pauline-san, immediately allowed us through. Our carriage rolled forward across the bridge spanning the second dry moat.
The princess leaned in and whispered.
“I’ve already gathered the nobles, Rion-san.”
“Y-yes, I understand.”
I tightened my grip around the gold coin in my pocket. The horn rested inside my pouch.
“Seeing is believing. Please—open the eyes of the nobles and the royal family.”
As the princess spoke, the carriage at last arrived at the entrance of the castle.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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