Chapter 2: A naive man stands in the royal capital (Part 1)
Grandpa and Grandma used to be married.
Well, I had already thought they were pretty comfortable with each other, but I never imagined they had actually been married.
That said, the fact that "former" is attached to it means something must have happened, but while I want to ask about it, I feel like it’s something I can’t ask. It’s a bit unsettling.
Well, I’m sure they’ll tell me if the opportunity arises, so I guess I’ll wait until then.
Since there’s an exam after the new year, I need to move before that.
So, I began the moving process. Thanks to the extra-dimensional storage magic, packing is super easy.
The moving was done in no time, and soon enough, we were set to depart for the capital. I’m excited to see what kind of life awaits me there.
I’ve lived in this house for fourteen years since Grandpa found me, so I’m attached to it, but it looks like the house will remain as it is. They’ll cast a barrier to prevent intruders and maintain the house, so it won’t deteriorate. Magic really is amazing.
By the way, it was Grandma who prepared that magical tool.
Grandma has always taken care of me in so many ways.
So, I made a suggestion.
"Grandpa, how big is the house in the capital?"
"Hmm, well, it was granted by the country, so it’s big. I don’t remember how many rooms it has, though."
No way?
"Ha, this old man... It has twenty rooms, a hall big enough to hold a small party, a huge reception room, a living room with a large fireplace and a sofa that can seat ten people. There’s a dining room big enough for about twenty people, and it even has a bath. And not just a kitchen, but a proper kitchen."
Wow, that’s huge!
"Grandma, you sure know a lot about it."
"Well, I was once married to that old man, so I lived there too, back when we were still together. We got the mansion when we were still married."
"I see, huh, Grandma?"
"Hm? What is it?"
"Grandma, why don’t you come live with us?"
Pffft!!
"Wh-what are you saying!?"
Grandpa spat out the tea he was drinking, and Grandma turned bright red while shouting.
"Well, you know, if you remember the layout of the house so clearly, doesn’t that mean you were the one who took charge of the house when you lived together? It’d be helpful if someone who knows the mansion so well could be there with us."
Glance.
"I’d feel uneasy living in such a big house with just Grandpa, not knowing my way around."
Glance.
"I’d really like Grandma’s help."
Glance.
"Oh, fine! You’re impossible! Alright, alright, I’ll live with you!"
"Really!? Yay!!"
"Shin... are you really that uneasy about just being with me, alone...?"
Sorry, Grandpa. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you, but I really wanted Grandma to live with us too.
I hadn’t said anything before because I didn’t want to make Grandpa feel uncomfortable, but now that I know the situation, I think it’ll be fine. It’s not like I want them to get back together, it’s just that I truly think of Grandma as my real Grandma.
I just wanted to live with both of you.
So, with that settled, Grandma is going to live with us, and the three of us are heading to the capital.
By the way, since the Gate can only take me to places I recognize, we’re using a carriage for the journey. This carriage was provided by Uncle Tom, and it has a canopy over the cargo area where we can rest.
It’s not really necessary since it won’t take us a full day to get to the capital.
After all, there’s no way a king would visit us frequently if it took days to get here from the capital.
Apparently, when Grandpa retired, he was asked to stay relatively close by.
Uncle Dis...
As for the journey to the capital, I’ll skip over it.
Nothing really happened!
The hardest part was trying to stay awake with the nice weather and the rocking of the carriage.
And so, we arrived at the capital.
We stood in line for a long time from the gate, and finally, it was our turn.
"Do you have identification?"
The soldier in charge of immigration asked.
Identification?
"Ho ho, is this alright?"
"Yes, sir."
Grandpa and Grandma took out their identification. Hey! What about mine?
"!!?"
The soldier’s eyes widened as he looked at Grandpa and Grandma’s identification and froze.
Is it okay that I don’t have one?
"A-are you... 'Sage Merlin' and 'Master Melinda!?"
The soldier shouted loudly.
Wait... Sage... Master...?
I looked at the two of them in confusion.
"‘It was the folly of youth (wasn’t it)?’"
They both said in unison.
They’re in perfect harmony.
While I was still processing their titles, the crowd around us started to stir.
"The Sage is here!?"
"Is that really true!?"
"I heard the Master is here too!!"
"The Sage! The Master!"
Whoa! The crowd started getting excited.
"Sorry, this is going to turn into quite a commotion. Can we hurry up and finish this?"
"Ah! I-I’m terribly sorry! Uh... may I ask... who is this young man?"
"Young master!" This is the first time anyone’s ever called me that! Ugh, it’s making my rear end feel all awkward.
"Ho ho, this is Shin. Shin Wolford. He’s our grandson."
"Your grandson! Please, go right ahead!"
"Ah, thank you. Keep up the good work."
"Ah! Thank you so much!"
The soldier seemed to be on the verge of tears.
Wow, Grandpa and Grandma are truly still heroes in this country. It’s not even about me, but I feel really proud.
As we passed by the crowd's attention, we made our way to the house in the capital.
Still, as expected of the capital, the crowds are massive.
Even though I’m originally from Japan and have experienced urban crowds, seeing this many people in one place for the first time in this world is overwhelming.
After about fourteen years, I’m finally back in a crowd, looking around at the busy streets.
The cityscape is beautiful.
All the roads are cobblestone, and the buildings are all made of stone. Upon closer inspection, I also notice the use of concrete.
Since concrete was used in ancient Rome in my past life, it doesn’t feel out of place. There’s no trash on the streets, and it has that classic European city vibe.
After thirty minutes of driving the carriage, I realize just how far we are!
This city is huge! Just from this distance, I can tell how massive the capital is.
The royal castle is still far off in the distance.
Around the castle, there’s a district filled with large mansions where nobles and wealthy merchants live, and further out from that, there’s a district where commoners live.
Our destination is located right at the boundary between the commoner district and the noble district.
Though it’s not like the commoners and nobles are strictly separated, nobles who frequently visit the royal castle build their homes closer to it, while commoners who have little to do with the castle live further out, which is why the city looks this way.
Finally, we arrive at the mansion. I stand there with my mouth agape, staring up at the massive size of the place, utterly stunned.
This is one of those houses you can’t afford unless you’re up to some shady business.
As I stand in front of the mansion’s gate, I can’t help but think about that.
"Welcome back, Merlin-sama, Melinda-sama, and Shin-sama."
A soldier in splendid armor appeared from the side of the gate.
"Wait, Shin-sama...?!"
"He is the grandson of the hero we all respect. It’s only natural to address him as Shin-sama."
No way? They keep saying this over and over.
"Ho ho, this child isn’t used to such formalities. Could you please treat him more casually?"
"Of course, my apologies."
See, that’s exactly what I meant by formal.
The gatekeeper (or whatever he is?) opened the gate, and the carriage entered the grounds.
Even now, this house is huge. It’s two stories, symmetrical, with probably five rooms on the right and five on the left on both floors, making it twenty rooms in total.
Then, when the massive door opened...
"‘Welcome back!’"
A line of maids and butlers greeted us.
"Huh? What? What’s going on?"
"Ho ho, it seems Diseum had them sent here."
"Ugh, this is exactly why I hate this place."
Wait, really?
Are the servants here hired by the company? And I thought I was going to live here with just Grandpa and Grandma. This is surprising.
"There’s no way three of us could live in such a huge mansion alone. Half of the rooms here are for the servants."
"Really? You could’ve told me that, you know."
"Ho ho, it’s such an obvious thing that I forgot to mention it."
I see, this is common sense.
"It’s not about common sense. You could’ve figured it out if you just thought about it."
Grandma sighed in exasperation. Well, yeah. It’s just that in my past life, houses with servants were extremely rare, so it’s hard to imagine or get used to.
As I was thinking about all this, an older woman stepped forward from the line of maids.
"Nice to meet you, Merlin-sama, Melinda-sama, Shin-sama. My name is Marika, and I am the head maid here at the Wolford estate. There may be some things I lack, but I will do my best in my duties. I look forward to serving you."
"‘We look forward to serving you!’"
The maids all bowed in unison.
The maids were dressed in black uniforms that went down to their ankles, with white aprons.
The skirts weren’t short, and there were no frills. It was very much work attire.
That makes sense. Here, maids are respected professionals, so there’s no need for them to dress up.
As I was thinking about that, a middle-aged butler stepped forward.
"Nice to meet you. My name is Steve, and I’m the head butler of this estate. I will ensure everything in this house is managed to perfection. I look forward to working with you."
"‘We look forward to working with you.’"
There were fewer butlers than maids, but they were present as well.
They were all wearing matching suits, looking sharp and impressive.
So... what exactly does a butler do?
"I am the head chef, and my name is Korrell. I will ensure that all meals meet your satisfaction. I look forward to serving you."
Wait, there’s even a chef? What is this VIP treatment? What am I supposed to do? What am I supposed to be doing?
"You need not worry about anything, Shin-sama. Please leave everything to us."
"Well... even if you say that... I’ve done everything myself up until now, and it feels wrong to leave everything to you..."
"Even so, we have received orders from His Majesty himself. And as the family of the hero, we could never treat you poorly."
The maids, butlers, and the chef all nodded emphatically.
Uncle Dis, what did you get me into!? And why is everyone looking at Grandpa and Grandma with such admiration?
I mean, the younger ones were born after all of that happened...
"Everyone calls my grandpa a hero, but that’s a story from way back, right? Why is he still treated like a hero?"
"That is only natural. The exploits of both of them have become a story, and both boys and girls grow up reading it. Boys admire Merlin-sama, and girls admire Melinda-sama."
Wow! This is turning into something huge.
When I quietly glanced at the two of them... Ah, they’re squirming in embarrassment.
"There is also a stage play based on that story. It has been performed for decades, and it remains the most popular play to this day. For actors, playing the roles of Merlin-sama and Melinda-sama is considered the pinnacle of their career."
Since it’s a story, I imagine it’s highly romanticized and fictionalized.
...Wait, there’s even a stage play...
"Grandpa, Grandma, did you know about this?"
"...I received the book when it was first published and read it... I remember thinking, ‘Whose story is this?’ as I read it."
"I was invited to the stage play once. I remember feeling self-loathing when I saw how others perceived me like this."
Grandpa and Grandma looked like they had given up on something. Their eyes lacked vitality.
When I listened more closely, I found out that everyone here had come through an open recruitment process.
There had been such a flood of applicants that a selection exam had to be held.
Apparently, the competition was fierce, and the faces of the selected individuals were shining with pride.
A servant selection contest? What’s that!?
After this exhausting self-introduction for the three of us, life in the capital officially began.
Living in the capital was a huge change from my previous life.
I still woke up early from the habit I had before, but there was no need to go hunting or prepare breakfast, so I had nothing to do after waking up.
So, I did some morning training.
After having breakfast, which Korrell and the others prepared, I studied for the exam.
That said, since I already knew all the material, it was just reviewing and confirming the exam topics.
After lunch, I really had nothing to do. I wandered around the capital, practiced magic in the wasteland using the Gate, and struggled to pass the time.
Of all the things, wandering around the capital was the best way to kill time.
While exploring the city, I realized that for the first time in this world, I had money.
The currency in this world is only coins.
There are several types of coins: stone coins, iron coins, copper coins, silver coins, gold coins, and platinum coins.
One silver coin is roughly equivalent to ten thousand yen. A copper coin is worth about one thousand yen.
Since I haven’t earned any money yet, this is all allowance from Grandpa. I received a few silver coins and copper coins and set out to explore the capital.
As expected of the capital, it’s vast, there are lots of people, and many shops. There are also a lot of street vendors, so I walked around the city, buying and eating skewers as I went.
I also went to the magic tool shop that Brother Zeke mentioned.
Honestly, compared to the magic tools Grandma makes, they were pretty lackluster and overpriced, so I left right away.
While I was wandering around the city, I ended up in a back alley off the main street. There were shops here too, so I was thinking about checking them out when I heard...
"No! Please stop!"
"Hey! You guys! Cut it out!"
"Hey, come on, don’t be mad. We’re just asking you to hang out with us."
"Yeah, it’ll be fun, maybe you’ll even feel good."
"Ha ha! That’s right!"
Ugh... this is so stereotypical...
At first, I thought I’d just ignore them if it was just a pickup attempt, but something felt off. It looked like they were trying to drag someone off against their will.
The people around us were looking away and walking past without getting involved. Well, the guys causing trouble were all built like bricks, wearing leather armor. It’s no wonder regular people don’t want to interfere.
"Hey, you there, miss. Are you in trouble?"
I asked, just in case. If I’m wrong, it’d be super embarrassing.
"Yes! I’m in big trouble!"
One of the two girls being harassed, with brown semi-long hair, shouted.
I approached the men, wondering what kind of response that was.
"What’s this, kid? Got something to say?"
"Oh, you think you’re some kind of hero, huh?"
"We’re Demon hunters, and we’re protecting these girls. We’re the real heroes here!"
Ah, so these are the Demon hunters, huh? Got it, got it. But...
"Hey, guys, hunting Demons might make you the good guys, but if you start hunting girls too, then you're just the bad guys, you know?"
With those words, the men’s expressions changed.
"What did you say!? You little brat!"
"You won’t understand until you get hurt, huh!"
"Die, you bastard!"
What don’t they understand? Did they teach me something? As I was thinking that, one of them lunged at me.
But it’s too slow! I’ve been drilled by Michel’s daily upgraded training, I can see every move.
I almost spaced out remembering the tough training from the former knight commander, but then the punch got close.
I dodged the right punch coming at me, grabbed his arm, and tripped him with my leg. The man spun and fell, landing on his neck without even taking the fall properly.
Crap, he’s not dead, right?
The remaining men, seeing that, got even more enraged and finally drew their swords.
Without hesitation, they charged at me.
I dodged the swinging sword, slipped into their range, struck their wrist with a knife-hand, and when they dropped the sword, I performed a judo throw. They crashed to the ground, landing on their neck and stopped moving.
The last one tried to swing his sword, but he was too wary of being thrown, so he couldn’t close the distance. I had no choice but to counter with a palm strike to his chin. He spun around, his eyes rolling back, and crumpled to the ground.
After defeating the men, I looked at the girls, and they were staring at me, dumbfounded.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"Eh, ah! I’m fine! Are you okay? You were almost hit by a sword..."
The girl who asked for help answered. She had large brown eyes with a slightly slanted shape, a small face, and she was pretty cute.
"Ah, I’m fine. I wouldn’t get hit by a slow swing like that."
"Eh... I thought it was pretty sharp..."
The other girl muttered. She had long blue hair... Blue hair!? First time I’ve seen that!
When I looked at her face...
It felt like lightning struck my brain.
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There was a beautiful girl with a small face, big eyes that drooped slightly, a small nose with a straight bridge, and glossy lips as if she had applied gloss.
“Uh, um... is something wrong?”
As I couldn’t take my eyes off her, she spoke hesitantly with a flushed face.
“Huh? Oh! No, it’s nothing. I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”
I hurriedly responded. Crap, I was staring.
“Geez, you surprised me. I thought something had happened.”
“Ah, sorry. It’s fine. Anyway, should we get out of here?”
It must have been a terrifying experience for the girl; she was still trembling slightly and didn’t seem to have calmed down yet, so I decided to take her to a nearby café to help her settle down.
“Let me thank you again. Thank you for saving us when it was dangerous.”
“Ah, thank you.”
“No, no, it’s nothing. It wasn’t such a strong opponent.”
As I said that, the brown-haired girl muttered with frustration.
“If I could’ve just used magic, I could’ve easily taken care of someone like that.”
She said something ominous.
“Maria, you can’t use attack magic in the city, you know?”
“I know, Sicily. That’s why I’m frustrated that I couldn’t do anything to someone like that!”
I see, so the brown-haired girl is Maria, and the blue-haired one is Sicily.
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t introduce myself. I’m Maria, and this is Sicily.”
“Ah... Sicily...”
“Thank you for being so polite. I’m Shin. By the way, Maria, you seem to use magic. Are you a student at the Advanced Magic Academy?”
“No, not yet.”
“Not yet?”
“Yeah, if I pass the entrance exam next month, I’ll become a student at the Advanced Magic Academy.”
“Wow, so Maria is taking the entrance exam next month?”
"Yeah, together with Sicily here. Wait, also?"
"Yeah. I'm taking the exam too."
When I said that, the two of them looked at me, dumbfounded.
"No way... You can use martial arts so well, but you're a magician?"
"I thought for sure you were a student at a knight training school..."
There’s even a knight training school?
"If we pass the exam next month, we’ll be classmates at the same academy. Let’s both do our best on the exam."
I said that and reached out for a handshake.
"Of course. I’m aiming to be the top student, so I won’t lose!"
"Haha, well, I’ll just do my best at my own pace."
"What’s that? There’s no challenge in that."
Maria pouted a little, and I shook her hand. Then, I extended my hand to Sicily, but...
"Um... well..."
She didn’t take my hand.
I see. Yeah, I guess asking for a handshake out of nowhere after just meeting wasn’t very appropriate. Thinking about it, Maria’s pretty bold.
"Hey, what’s wrong, Sicily? Are you feeling unwell?"
"Huh!? N-no, it’s nothing!"
With that, she eagerly shook my hand with both of hers.
"Well then, let’s both do our best."
"Y-yes! I’ll do my best!"
After letting go of my hand, we returned to our seats. Then Maria asked me a question.
"By the way, Shin, which intermediate academy do you go to? I’ve never seen you around, even though we’re the same age."
"Ah, I only just recently came to the capital, so it’s no surprise you haven’t seen me."
"I see, that makes sense. Oh! Speaking of someone recently coming to the capital, did you hear? The Sage and the Master just returned to the capital recently!"
"Ah, yeah... I think I’ve heard something about that..."
"What’s wrong, you’re not interested? The national hero, the rare magician who bravely takes down Demons, the Sage Merlin, and the Master Melinda who wields magical tools and hunts Demons with a fierceness that contradicts her beautiful appearance! They are the greatest icons in this country, no, in this world, living legends as long as we’re alive!?"
Oh no, I think I’m going to die from embarrassment...
"U-um... are you okay?"
As I was struggling alone, Sicily asked with a worried tone.
Crap, I must look really suspicious right now.
"What? Why are you reacting weirdly?"
"Ah, no, I just... Maria, you really like the Sage and the Master, huh?"
"Of course! Who wouldn’t? Anyone who doesn’t like them must be thinking something bad!"
"I-I see."
"Yeah, and it seems their grandchildren are going to take the entrance exam for the Magic Academy!"
No way!? That’s already spreading around!?
"Ah, I wonder what kind of people they are. I feel so lucky to be the same age as them."
It seems like she’s calmed down quite a bit now, and honestly, staying here any longer feels a bit dangerous, so I decided it was time to leave. Since they were still staying here, I grabbed the bill and stood up.
"Hey! We’ll pay for our share!"
"It’s fine. It’s not cool to make a girl pay. Let me look cool here."
I said that and settled the bill before leaving the shop.
Today was pretty fun. I ended up in a totally cliché situation, and I got to have tea with a cute girl.
...That Sicily was really cute...
Ah! Crap! I should’ve asked for her contact info!
Ugh, I can’t believe I missed that opportunity! After looking cool while parting ways, I can’t just go back now!
Sigh... well, they both said they’re taking the Magic Academy entrance exam, so if they pass, I’ll see them there. Alright! I’m definitely going to pass!
I’ll pray that Sicily passes too.
Maria seems like she’s going to make it for sure.
◇
After Shin left, Maria and Sicily, who were left behind at the café, started talking.
"Ah... how should I put it? He was a cool guy, huh?"
"Yeah..."
"His face is good-looking, he’s strong, and it seems like he can use magic well enough to take the Magic Academy exam. Plus, he wasn’t pushy at all."
"Yeah..."
"...And his exit was pretty cool, wasn’t it?"
"Yeah..."
"...Hey, is it okay if I kiss him?"
"Yeah..."
"Ah... can I have him for myself?"
"Wh-what!? No!!"
At those words, Sicily finally snapped back to reality. Maria chuckled as she watched her.
"Geez! Maria!"
"Ahaha, sorry, I’ve never seen you like this before, so I couldn’t help it."
"U..."
"So? What’s this? Did you fall for him because he saved you, like one of those cliché stories where the heroine falls for the guy just like that?"
"I... I don’t think it’s like that..."
"Huh? W-wait, really?"
"I’m not sure... but, um... when I look at his face, I get really nervous... like my heart starts pounding... and my body feels hot..."
"Wait, wait, are you serious...?"
Unknown to Shin, another story was unfolding.
◇