One
night later, after saying their goodbyes, the <Running Wolves> left from
the <Este> Town. They continued on their way to the <Medio> Town by
horse-drawn carriage.
The
journey was Smooth, and after returning to the <Medio> Town in three days
as planned, Alvin and the others were able to report back to the Adventurer's
Guild and return to the party house as soon as possible.
「I'm
home!」
「Welcome
back, everyone!」
Akane,
dressed in a maid's uniform, greeted Alvin and the others when they got home.
She was carrying a cloth and a bucket of water, so it was easy to see that she
was cleaning the house.
「It
sounds like you've had a rough day...」
「It's
true. I never thought we'd get into that kind of trouble」
Renka
had written to Akane and told her that things had changed from the original
plan. She also wrote to Akane on the day Alvin was appointed as an honorary
knight and told her that they would not be going to the upper-level dungeon but
would be returning once. So, Akane also knows what Alvin and the others went
through in Este.
Akane
smiled bitterly at Renka's disappointed expression and spoke as if she had an
idea.
「That's
right. I'm sure you're all thirsty after just getting back. I'll get you
something to drink」
「Thank
you, Akane-chan」
「Since
we're all standing around, why don't we continue our conversation in the dining
room?」
Milis,
who thanked Akane for her concern, walked off with Alvin, followed by Shinji
and Renka.
◇ ◇ ◇
「Phew...
our house is the best after all......」
「Geez,
Al-kun...」
After
drinking a cup of tea made by Akane, Alvin slouched down on the table. Milis
gazed at Alvin's distracted expression with a smile on her face.
As an
adventurer, Alvin is the leader of the group, and he is always on his toes. He
could rest at the inn at night, but he realized once again that the best place
to rest and relax was at the party house.
「Alvin,
there's a letter for you. He says to give it to you as soon as you get back」
「Hmm?
A letter....」
「That
coat of arms belongs to the Beltz family, doesn't it?」
Akane
came to Alvin's side and presented him with a letter, which Alvin accepted, and
the family crest stamped on the letter was visible in Shinji's field of vision.
This
letter was sent by Christina as soon as she found out that Alvin was going to
be made an honorary knight. It's the fastest way to make the most of the
advantage of knowing each other and even knowing each other's homes, as the
nobility throughout the country have been notified and are beginning to gather
information on the <Running Wolves> from scratch.
The
letter was not delivered by a delivery person, but by the butler of the Beltz
family, who personally visited the <Running Wolves> party house and
hand-delivered the letter to Akane, showing how serious Christina was.
「The
butler brought it all the way here. I was so surprised」
「For
the time being, you can check it out....」
After
saying that, Akane retreated into the kitchen.
Alvin
opened the letter with a nervous look on his face, unable to figure out what it
said. As Milis looked on anxiously, Alvin began to read the letter.
At the
beginning, he looked tense, but as he read the letter, he became less stern,
and by the time he finished, he had a worried expression on his face.
↓ Continue to Read ↓
↓ Continue to Read ↓
「Is it
safe to ask what it says?」
Shinji
asked Alvin on behalf of a worried Milis and Renka, who had no idea when the
letter had arrived.
「Oh,
it's okay. Christina congratulates me on my appointment as an honorary knight,
and tells me how to behave in the castle」
「...I
see」
Alvin
placed the letter on the desk and slid it over to Shinji, who took it and
reviewed the contents. The content of the letter was just as Alvin had said,
and when Shinji reread it, there was nothing else to worry about.
「Etiquette
at the castle, huh....」
「If I
may say so, we have no such knowledge...」
Milis
and Renka couldn't help but mutter at the content. The two commoners, but most
importantly Alvin, were also commoners and had no idea about the etiquette of
the castle.
Shinji
was a nobleman by birth, but he had never been to a castle before and had never
been taught the detailed etiquette.
「It's
okay if I don't behave rudely?」
「Well,
they know you're a commoner, and I don't think they're going to punish you for
being disrespectful because you don't... know it. ...No, it's time to learn if
you have this much time to spare...?」
There
is no one here who can answer Shinji's mumbling.
In
fact, it's not a problem if you're trying to be polite, but if you've achieved
enough to become an honorary knight, you'll most likely have a connection with
one of the noble families. In most cases, they rely on these connections to
teach them the etiquette and minimum grooming in the castle.
「Oh,
so we still have about three weeks to go?」
Alvin
tilted his head, and Milis and Renka had no reason to disagree with him. This
means that the offer from the Beltz family is very useful.
「Hmm...
So, I'll ask them?」
「That
would be a good idea. To be honest, it would be a huge hassle for us to do the
research ourselves」
The
number of people who knew the etiquette of the castle was limited.
Shinji
thought it would be better to ask the Beltz family, with whom they already had
a relationship, as there was a possibility that the knowledgeable person they
hired might be connected to some noble family.
「If
it's the Beltz Family, Alvin should be careful」
「Shinji...」
Shinji
laughed at Alvin, who couldn't help but stare at him.
「I
just thought it would be better to stick with Beltz family now instead of
getting involved with other nobles」
「That's
fine, but is it okay... Mill?」
Alvin
looks at Milis, who smiles and nods at his question.
「Yes.
This is also necessary. We have to make sure that Al-kun is ready for the
ceremony」
「Thank
you....」
If
Milis was okay with it, there was no reason for Renka to object. It is Alvin
that Christina is in love with, and Renka thinks that the feelings of Milis,
his girlfriend, are the most important thing.
「Then,
I'll give them an answer」
「Understood」
Each
of them agreed with Alvin's words.
In
this way, the <Running Wolves> began to move toward the ceremony for the
appointment of honorary knights.
