On the third day after arriving at the capital of the Mercenal territory… Today is the day we return to Riana.

Come to think of it, I mostly just lazed around.

I did take a short walk around the city, but for the most part, I just relaxed at the mansion.

I wanted to check out the dungeon here, but our stay was a bit too short for that.

By the way, the Adventurer’s Guild here is located on higher ground, just before the noble district and relatively far from the sea.

It’s a bit unusual for an Adventurer’s Guild to be built on elevated ground.

From a convenience standpoint, a commercial district near the city center or a port where goods can be unloaded directly from ships would be more practical.

However, dungeons are typically constructed beneath the Adventurer’s Guild.

It’s said that unless the dungeon collapses, it’s impossible for it to break open. Even so, considering the potential risk of a large number of monsters spilling out into the city, having the dungeon underground—where it can be sealed off in an emergency—is likely the best option.

The halls that connect to dungeons are all built to be sturdy, but there’s still a chance that the walls could be breached. Underground, that risk is minimized.

In reality, it’s rare for monsters to overflow from a dungeon, but I suppose they take extra precautions to eliminate any concerns.

That being said, this city’s guild is still built on higher ground.

The reason is simple—because the sea is so close.

If it were built on low ground and a storm surge hit, the dungeon itself could end up underwater.

I’m not sure if the flooding would actually reach the dungeon, but the people here feel that’s a greater risk.

I’d like to see the inside of the dungeon, but that will have to wait for another time.

It’s close enough that I could come visit for a day trip if I wanted to, and it might even become another one of my hunting grounds.

◇

“Princess, we’re ready to depart.”

“Oh? Got it!”

As I gazed out the window at the city, Teresa—now changed into her travel attire—called out to me.

Today, instead of the lady-like outfit she wore when we entered the city, she had changed back into her riding gear.

She looks good in skirts, but personally, I think this suits her even better—it complements her figure well.

With breakfast finished and preparations complete, it was time to set out.

When I stepped out of the room and headed toward the entrance hall, Elisha, Edgar, and their child, Hernan—held in the arms of his wet nurse—were already waiting there.

It seemed they had come all this way just to see us off.

Seriana and Liesel have their duties as lords, but Elisha and Edgar are still in a different position. They mentioned they would visit Riana sometime soon.

After exchanging a few simple farewells, we set off.

We had taken the highway route on our way here, but for the return trip, we were following the river!

◇

“…It’s huge.”

“It really is. Managing all these ships must be quite a task.”

We set our course eastward toward the river leading to Riana. Given our speed, we arrived at our destination in no time.

I had traveled along this river by boat before when going to the royal capital, but seeing it from above, it looked enormous.

Several rivers from the north and further east merge here, so I suppose it’s only natural.

Right now, countless ships are moving along the waterway.

Many of the sails bear symbols, which apparently indicate their affiliation.

Our own fleet is still small, with only a few boats stationed in Luban and other riverside villages, but it will grow over time.

Well, that’s something for the distant future.

“Princess, I’ll be increasing altitude now.”

After watching the ships from above for a while, Teresa suggested that it was time to move on.

Some of the locals here might recognize us, but those from other territories or countries wouldn’t.

If we linger too long, someone might mistake us for monsters and attack.

We’re well-protected, and nothing could actually harm us, but the real issue would be the fact that an attack was made in the first place.

I wouldn’t care much, but Teresa is a high-ranking noble.

We’d rather not stir up unnecessary trouble, so it’s best to avoid drawing attention.

“Alright, go ahead.”

With that, we adjusted our altitude to a level where we wouldn’t be easily spotted from the ships.

There are lookouts on the boats, but their focus is either on the water or the riverbanks.

Even if they did notice something, they’d probably just think it was some creature heading toward the magical wilderness.

No issues there.

◇

With our altitude set and high-speed travel enabled, we moved even faster than when we first came.

Judging by the position of the sun, it was now around noon.

Riana’s capital was coming into view.

Instead of flying directly from the Mercenal capital in a straight line, we had taken a bit of a detour along the river.

If we had taken the fastest and shortest route, I wonder how long it would have taken?

Natural obstacles like mountains and rivers force us to take roundabout paths, but in a straight line, the distance isn’t that great.

It’s probably about the same as the distance from Riana to Zelkis.

“Princess, I’m lowering altitude. Please hold on.”

“Alright!”

Rather than flying over the walls, it seemed we were going to enter through the gates.

Just before descending, I wrapped my tail around Teresa as a precaution.

Now we were ready.

As we descended, I spotted a few merchant carriages traveling along the road.

Looks like the city will be bustling again soon.

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera ・【Hideout】+1 【Prayer】 【Mira’s Blessing】 【Wind’s Garment】 ・【Floating Orb】+1 【Shadow Sword】 【Scarlet Bee Needle】 【Fairy’s Eye】 【Dragon’s Lung】 【Amber Sword】 【Danrem’s Thread】 【Serpent’s Tail】 【Ankle Bracelet】 【Amber Shield】 【Purple Wings】 【Red Sword】 【Monkey’s Arm】 ・4 cards

Seriana ・【Area Identification】 ・【】 ・39 cards

Elena ・【】 ・【Green Fang】 【Amber Sword】 ・4 cards

Alec ・【Strong Strike】 ・【Red Shield】 【Fierce Horned Trumpet】 ・9 cards