On the journey, Abel observed the people passing by.
There were surprisingly many carriages, loaded full with barrels and sacks of grain.
Looking closely at one of the carriages, he noticed there didn’t seem to be any suspension.
Just a wooden axle fitted through iron-rimmed wheels. With that kind of structure, it had to shake violently. The ride must have been terrible.
The travelers on the road were diverse. They were people Abel had never seen back in Tenana.
Most looked like merchants, but then there were others who had the air of warriors or adventurers.
Their faces looked stern. They were definitely not the kind of people you could casually approach.
There were even female warriors, which made Abel a little excited. Though, they weren’t wearing bikini armor like in the games.
By evening, they had walked nonstop and arrived at a post town.
There were sellers calling out to customers.
When Abel asked the price for the cheapest shared room, he was told it was fifty copper coins per person, including dinner that night and breakfast the next morning.
“What do you think, Rick?”
“A regular inn’s fine. That’s probably the normal deal.”
Abel nodded with Rick, and the two went inside.
Two children traveling together seemed unusual, so some people stared at them.
“Take off your shoes and wash your feet before going into the room.”
A sullen maid told Abel.
It seemed to be the etiquette before entering the shared quarters.
For an extra fee, they could get a bucket of hot water, but since Abel could use heating magic, he just asked to borrow a bucket.
He went to fetch well water himself.
“Heat.”
The water in the bucket warmed nicely, just right for washing. He washed only his feet, but even that made him feel refreshed.
He prepared fresh warm water for Rick as well.
Watching the steam rise, Rick murmured with feeling:
“Magic really is convenient.”
“Too bad you can’t use it, Rick…”
“I once asked Sir Walter about that. If there’s any way I could learn magic.”
“What did he say?”
“He told me most people in the world can’t use magic. And even among those who can, most never get past the beginner level. If you don’t have mana, then you just have to find another way and live an honest life.”
That answer sounded exactly like Walter, and Abel felt a small warmth in his heart.
His father had once lived as an adventurer, after all, so he knew the hidden sides of the world.
A man who had lived as a noble, a commoner, and an adventurer. A man with such a wealth of life experience, and yet who hadn’t grown jaded…
Abel couldn’t help but admire him.
Dinner was hard bread and a stew made from some kind of animal’s innards.
It was overly salty, and compared to Ayla’s cooking, the taste was disappointing.
He already found himself missing her home-cooked meals.
At night, some of the adults went drinking at the tavern, but Abel and Rick wrapped themselves in the blankets provided by the inn and went to sleep.
Walter had warned them to watch out for thieves targeting travelers’ money.
Abel deliberately avoided falling into too deep a sleep.
He recalled how, even in his previous life, he had once slept lightly at internet cafés or cheap inns, always wary of his surroundings.
Fortunately, nothing happened, and dawn came without incident.
Breakfast was wheat porridge and a thin soup with scraps of vegetables floating in it.
It was plain, but perhaps chosen because it was easy for travelers to digest.
By noon that day, they reached the familiar city of Kaizan.
It wasn’t on their itinerary to stop there, but being in the city stirred memories Abel couldn’t suppress.
He couldn’t help but think of that strange female knight called Ise.
Her beauty had been extraordinary.
Those red, jewel-like eyes…
He had no intention of visiting her, but curiosity tugged at him.
Since they were passing through anyway, Abel thought he might as well walk by her house.
Ise had always sensed something unusual within him.
And for a girl, she had been far too powerful.
—If I was abnormal, then that girl Ise was just as abnormal…
But her house showed no signs of life.
All the shutters were closed, weeds had overrun the yard, and it looked like it hadn’t been tended in over a year.
It was clearly uninhabited.
—Did something happen to her?
Abel felt uneasy but had no time to investigate.
Perhaps Ise had even died in battle..
He thought so before leaving the city behind.
***
The word “knight” evoked a glamorous image, but in truth, the role seemed to cover a wide range of duties.
According to Walter, a knight was essentially the ultimate handyman.
They hunted magical beasts to maintain public safety, and when bandits appeared, they had to capture or kill them.
If disasters struck, knights took command to minimize damage and then oversaw repairs.
On top of that, they had to do just about anything their lord commanded.
However, knights did have the right to protect their own lives.
Under imperial law, even a lord could not order a knight to die without cause.
The journey on foot continued for three, then four days.
At post towns, Abel often saw quarrels and shouting matches.
Everywhere he went, there were wandering warriors.
Among them, many were little better than thugs.
Naturally, these hotheaded types quickly broke into brawls.
It seemed they simply refused to back down whenever pride or honor was on the line.
In the city, they were tailed several times by some shady-looking guys, and whenever that happened, Abel and Rick would just run for it.
He had no idea what those men were after.
Maybe they saw two children and thought they could squeeze some money out of them.
Or perhaps they meant to kidnap them and wring out every last drop of value.
Either way, their policy was simple. Escape quickly.
The poor state of public safety was something Abel could feel in his bones.
Outside the city, the scenery was mostly fields and orchards, broken up here and there by forests or stretches of open land.
On the highways, they occasionally passed knights on horseback, trailed by squires on foot.
Each was clad in well-worn armor, radiating an intimidating presence.
These were the knights who patrolled the main roads to maintain order.
As they drew closer to Porto, the central stronghold of Count Highwand, the population density gradually began to rise.
On the sixth day, just after noon, Abel and Rick finally reached their destination.
“So that’s Porto…”
Abel spoke aloud the impression that came to mind.
The city of Porto was encircled by walls.
They weren’t especially tall. They were about twice the height of a grown man.
Without tools like a ladder, one would only barely manage to climb over.
Rick was trembling slightly with excitement.
The bustling flow of goods and constant movement of people was overwhelming.
The city gates, through which an endless stream of travelers passed, were closed at night.
Walter had explained to them earlier that inspections were rare, except under special circumstances.
Some cities imposed an entry tax, but Porto did not follow that policy.
Abel and Rick were allowed inside without being stopped.
There were people everywhere. Men and women of all ages moving through the streets.
Compared to Tenana, clothing here was strikingly more colorful.
Instead of work clothes, people were clearly enjoying fashion for its own sake.
Abel couldn’t help but marvel. Life in the countryside really was different.
Shops lined both sides of the street.
Hemp seemed to be one of the local specialties, as there were many stores selling hemp products.
There were also plenty of food shops.
Skinned and gutted pigs and cattle hung from hooks.
There were restaurants as well. Something that hadn’t existed in Tenana.
Back in that rural village, there simply weren’t enough customers for such a business to survive.
One thing that caught Abel’s eye was the presence of people who looked like vagrants.
He had never seen such types in Tenana.
That village had been a community of mutual aid. When a fire once burned down a family’s house, someone with a vacant dwelling had offered it as a temporary home.
Clearly, such a spirit did not exist in the city.
As you moved through the crowded streets, a wall eventually came into view.
This time, it was a proper, formidable castle wall.
It stood about four stories high. Climbing it would require an unusually long ladder.
The destination lay beyond that wall.
“Alright then, Rick. I’m heading to the castle now.”
“What? Take me with you!”
“I don’t think they’ll let you in…”
“Just tell them I’m your servant or something!”
“That’s not gonna work.”
Rick kept insisting, but Abel managed to persuade him by promising to call for him later and then made his way to the gate guard.
“Um… excuse me.”
The gatekeeper was a young soldier.
He looked at Abel with a bored expression.
“What do you want, kid?”
“My name is Abel, son of Walter Ray, a squire to Count Highwand. I’ve come today under orders from the Count. May I ask you to announce my arrival?”
The young guard looked slightly troubled.
“Got any proof?”
Abel showed him a letter.
Not the contents. Just the sealed envelope with the signature.
The soldier gave a nod.
“Wait here. I can’t read, you see. Also, just so you know, in situations like this, people usually offer a little something for the trouble.”
“Oh… is that so? How much?”
“A sharp kid would offer a silver coin. You got one?”
A silver coin? That was far too much.
Abel had developed a decent sense for money during his travels.
“I only have copper coins.”
“Huh? You’ve been traveling and you don’t have one?”
Persistent, aren’t you…
Abel felt a surge of irritation, but paying more than he had to would be even more frustrating.
He kept explaining.
“I really don’t have much money. My father is a poor squire. Please accept twenty copper coins.”
“…Fine. If your dad’s a squire, I guess it makes sense you’re broke.”
Before the guard could change his mind, Abel quickly handed over the coins.
Relieved to have gotten through, he exhaled.
In reality, Walter wasn’t poor at all.
There were no other magical clinics near Tenana.
Thanks to Ayla’s skill as an apothecary, their treatments were reliable, and patients even came from neighboring villages.
That said, Walter only charged the legally mandated minimum and sometimes allowed deferred payments.
Even so, money and food found their way to them from all over the place.
The soldier called out to someone on the other side of the side gate.
As he waited, a middle-aged man who looked like an official, though he wasn’t wearing armor, came out from inside the castle gate.
When Abel showed the letter again, the official asked if he could read its contents.
Since there was nothing worth hiding, Abel agreed.
The official read it over and gave a nod.
Then he turned to Abel and asked,
“For now, I’ll inform the Count that you’ve arrived. If he has no pressing matters, he may agree to see you. Otherwise, he might just give instructions on how to proceed. Sir Abel, please follow me.”
Invited by the official, Abel stepped inside the castle walls.
Most of the interior space was taken up by gardens, with several stone buildings scattered throughout.
Beyond those gardens stood the main body of the castle.
Abel observed it with excitement.
It appeared to be a rectangular, three-story structure overall.
There was also a tower, likely serving as a lookout post.
Even comparing it to his past life knowledge, the only way to describe it was as a medieval castle.
Rather than being built on a mountain, it seemed to be a flatland castle constructed on level ground.
However, with its tall, sheer walls, it gave off a strong impression of fortification.
Of course, this was Abel’s first time seeing a castle at all…
They continued walking straight toward the castle.
The path was intentionally long.
Abel realized it was designed with defense in mind.
Another set of stone walls and a gate came into view.
It seemed that everything beyond that point was the castle’s central area.
Naturally, the gate was closed, and armed guards were stationed there.
But once the official approached, they promptly opened it.
Just inside was a structure that looked like a stable, and from that point onward, it could only be traversed on foot.
Steep stairs and narrow paths followed. Arrow slits were visible in the walls.
At last, the castle doors came into view.
For such a large building, the entrance was surprisingly small.
Abel figured it was likely designed so that even if a large group tried to rush in, only a few could enter at once.
The heavy iron door was opened by the guards, and finally, Abel stepped into the castle itself.
He was immediately guided to a room beside the entrance.
“This is the waiting room. Sir Abel, do you have formal attire?”
“Yes.”
“Then please change here. Also, may I have the letter? I’ll deliver it to Butler Keifard. Now then.”
The official guide left the room.
As instructed, Abel took off his travel clothes and changed into formal attire.
There was a large full-length mirror, so he checked himself to make sure everything looked proper.
The formalwear fastened with buttons and had a velvety sheen to the fabric.
He adjusted the overly long sword at his side so it wouldn’t look awkward.
Now that he was dressed in formal attire, Abel had an air of refinement and charm that could easily pass for a young nobleman.
Looking at himself in the mirror, he couldn’t help but feel a bit proud.
A smile crept onto his face.
After sitting and waiting for a while, an unfamiliar older man entered the room.
He looked to be in his fifties, with white hair.
He wore something resembling a black tuxedo, and though Abel couldn’t quite describe it, the man definitely gave off the impression of a “butler”.
“Sir Abel. I am Keifard, butler of the House of Highwand. The Count will meet with you shortly. Be sure to show proper respect.”
It seemed the head of the Highwand family, Count Barth himself, was indeed going to meet with him.
Abel still couldn’t quite wrap his head around it, but a Count was apparently considered a high-ranking noble in the Empire.
And as the family head, it was said that even holding a conversation with him would normally be unthinkable for a commoner.
He was shown into the audience chamber.
It was larger than Abel’s entire house.
A black carpet was laid out across the floor.
At the far end, five people were seated.
In the center, on a slightly elevated platform, sat what appeared to be the Count himself.
A large flag bearing the Highwand family crest was displayed on the wall behind him.
Just as Walter had described, the design featured a great eagle spreading its wings and gripping a venomous snake in its talons.
What surprised Abel was that there wasn’t a single knight or guard in sight.
Perhaps only blood relatives were permitted in this room.
Count Barth Highwand was clearly no ordinary man.
He appeared to be around sixty years old.
Of all the people Abel had met, he was the most imposing. He embodied the very essence of nobility.
His gaze was sharp, his expression unreadable, and he radiated an overwhelming presence.
It wasn’t just that he was used to giving orders. He exuded a force of will that compelled obedience.
His neatly trimmed hair was still thick, though the blonde strands were streaked with silver, giving it a weathered look.
Abel couldn’t help but hold his breath.
Fighting the feeling of being overwhelmed, he shifted his gaze to the man sitting next to the Count.
He instinctively knew that had to be Walter’s half-brother.
The resemblance was clear.
Despite his nerves, Abel did as he had been taught: he placed his right hand over his chest and gave a respectful bow.
It was the formal greeting of a noble.
“I am Abel Ray. It is an honor to meet you.”
No one said a word.
All eyes were fixed silently on him.
—What is this, some kind of new bullying tactic?
The silent stare of Count Barth Highwand felt harsh… or so Abel thought.
But maybe that was just how he always looked.
Abel shifted his gaze to the middle-aged man next to the Count…. his uncle and heir to the County.
He was already making a plainly bitter face.
It was, in a way, easy to read.
He gave off a cold and arrogant impression.
Though his face shared similarities with Walter’s, the contrast in their expressions was so stark that Abel found himself inwardly surprised.
The remaining three were probably the Count’s grandchildren.
The eldest son had a prominent forehead and a rugged, stern face.
His eyes were a bit bulging and blue.
His short hair was blond.
There was no fat on his cheeks, and his jaw was strongly developed.
His mouth was so tightly set that it almost conveyed displeasure, but it seemed likely that this was just his natural expression.
For better or worse, words like “warrior” or “soldier” suited him.
He didn’t look much like his father.
He appeared to be around twenty-five, though he might have been a bit younger in reality.
The second son, around seventeen, looked like a relaxed version of his older brother.
He gave off a somewhat cunning and frivolous impression.
Lastly was the daughter.
Abel guessed she was a little older than him.
She looked nothing like her two brothers.
Even her eye color was different. So much so that Abel couldn’t help but wonder if she was really their sister.
That’s how different her features were.
She was quite beautiful, but she gave off an unshakable air of arrogance.
Her eyes slanted upward slightly, and her gaze was sharp.
Her irises were a deep amethyst-like purple.
Her hair was a bright indigo with a faint hint of purple.
She looked like she would grow into a truly formidable lady.
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