NOVEL NEXT Chapter 13
On the way to the royal capital, I had become friendly with the other members of the group who kept watch over me, so it was a fairly enjoyable journey.
Normally, traveling in this monster-infested world is a daunting and perilous endeavor.
In fact, the wilderness is no place for ordinary citizens without combat experience. If they need to travel long distances for some reason, they usually pay adventurers a hefty sum for protection.
Even with such precautions, the risk of danger remains high. There might be powerful monsters along the way, bandits might attack, or even the adventurers hired for protection might turn out to be working for the underworld. There is no such thing as complete safety.
Given these circumstances, I consider myself incredibly fortunate to be traveling under such favorable conditions.
Surrounding me is a group of elite adventurers who have been making waves in the royal capital. These high-ranking adventurers can easily dispatch the monsters that commonly appear near the capital, often while humming a tune.
At the very least, the “Akatsuki Brigade” is a team of adventurers who could be hired by great nobles, so it was definitely a stroke of luck for an ordinary person like me to be able to travel to the capital with them.
—
“This is the next volume of *Yume Koi*!!”
“…Just remember that it’s on loan from the captain, so be careful with it.”
Though there is a gender difference, the number of tents we can set up is limited, so even a guy like me ends up sleeping under the same tent as the female party members.
At first, the nerves kept me up at night, but after bonding with Camille and some of the other members through sharing the *Yume Koi* manga, I’ve grown more comfortable and no longer feel awkward around them.
Tonight, I wasn’t on night watch, so I settled down inside the tent to sleep. The tent was lit by a lamp made from a stone called a *Shōkōseki*, which illuminates when struck. It’s a common light source in this world.
Sleeping bags were arranged in a circle on the tent floor, and in the center lay the second volume of *Yume Koi* that I had borrowed from Saioji this morning.
The tent housed four of us: Camille the mage, Ryuka and Eida the warriors, and myself. Razzli the archer was in another group due to the team’s division of roles.
“Wow!!”
Saioji, who is practically a model fan, had graciously lent us the second volume of *Yume Koi*, eager to welcome new members into the fold.
Camille, who had been especially eager to read the next part, picked up the book, holding it up to the lamp’s light to admire the cover art.
(If it makes them this happy, maybe I should consider buying a shared set for everyone…)
While Saioji, the captain, would probably want to keep his personal collection, I thought it might be worth purchasing more volumes as communal items to help me bond with the other members, whose attitudes I was still figuring out.
Judging by the reactions of Camille, Ryuka, and Eida, Japanese manga seemed to resonate with the people of this world. I started considering whether I should buy other titles as well, perhaps after consulting Saioji and Kida-kun, who’s familiar with subculture.
Though I was amused at how easily I was being swayed, it did feel good to see the women happy, even if it was just a small thing.
—
The royal capital of the Kingdom of Kainriese, *Reinburg*, is the largest city in the country.
Divided into districts—north, south, east, west, and central—each with its own unique characteristics, the city is centered around the enormous white castle *Heinrise*, which overlooks the capital.
We arrived in the southern district, one of the five that make up Reinburg.
“The new team house is ready, so everyone, please go to your assigned rooms and check them out. Those who need to visit their families, gather with Vice Captain Raffin for further instructions… That’s all.”
With a quick “Yes!” in response to Saioji’s words, the team members dispersed.
The Akatsuki Brigade’s new team house, located in the southern district of the capital where adventurers gather, is situated in a prime location and is large enough to comfortably accommodate all 30 members.
The team house resembles an integrated apartment building, with a shared lobby on the first floor, along with facilities like a dining hall and a bath. The upper floors are individual rooms for each member, and I was assigned a room on the third floor, conveniently close to the stairs.
“The capital really is something else, full of incredible buildings.”
While the towering *Heinrise* castle was impressive, the city’s architecture as a whole was also remarkable. Despite the medieval European atmosphere, the existence of magic and mysterious materials led to the construction of many massive structures that stood out.
Though buildings as large as the Akatsuki Brigade’s team house were rare, there were still many tall structures that felt out of place in a world that otherwise resembled medieval Europe.