Published: July 5, 2025
The carriage was prepared, and preparations for the trip were underway at the Elf Autonomous Bureau.
“Next week, I’ll be going to Whitnash with Abel…”
“Hmm, I’ve heard that.”
“Isn’t it seven days by carriage even one way to Run?”
“Yeah, normally it takes that long.”
“Normally?”
Ryo tilted his head while watching the carriage being prepared.
It seemed to have a mechanism for shock reduction, so the ride should be comfortable, but… other than that, it looked like an ordinary carriage.
Since it was being pulled by horses, the speed shouldn’t differ that much.
“If it takes two days to get there, one day there, and two days back, that totals five days. With this, we should make it in time for the trip to Whitnash, right?”
“Yeah, we’ll make it, but… huh? Two days one way?”
“Do you know about the Guild carriage, Ryo?”
“I’ve used it before. You can change horses at the Guild along the way, so it’s faster.”
He had used it before to travel from the royal capital to the City of Run.
“I’ll be using the royal version of that.”
“The royal version?”
“At government offices and daimyo's offices all over, you can change horses.”
“There’s such a system…?”
This was the first time Ryo had heard of it.
Of course, he had never used it either.
“I’m special, you know.”
Sera puffed out her chest, giving off a somewhat arrogant vibe.
Ryo thought that gesture was cute.
But what did she mean by special…?
“I’m the first knight of the Naitorei Kingdom, after all.”
“Oh, right, the first knight… how cool.”
“Fufufu, isn’t it?”
‘Supreme Knight Commander of the Naitorei Kingdom and First Knight.’
This was the position Sera had taken after she and Ryo vanished from the battlefield where they fought the demon Garwin, under the name of Queen Rhea.
It was a position that hadn’t been held since King Richard.
She held command over all the knight orders belonging to the royal family and was simultaneously the best knight in the Naitorei Kingdom.
This made Sera famous throughout the Central Nations after the defense battle in the Western Forest during the war of kingdom liberation.
However, Ryo had been sent to the Eastern Nations and was unaware of this.
“It’s a combination of the first duke and the first knight.”
“Any band of thieves would be crushed in an instant…”
“We could probably defeat a knight order in five minutes, right?”
“How terrifying.”
While Sera laughed, Ryo shrugged… what they were saying was almost true.
Without a doubt, they were a powerful combination.
“By the way, that thing Sera almost mentioned earlier… the royal version of the Guild carriage? Can that be used between the royal capital and Run too?”
“I usually use it for trips between the royal capital and the Western Forest, but apparently, you can use it anywhere within the kingdom. I have Rhea’s endorsement.”
“I didn’t know that had happened while I was gone.”
“It’s quite convenient.”
“I’m a first duke, though… is there a similar system for first dukes?”
“Hmmm… maybe ask Abel?”
“...He’ll definitely refuse.”
Ryo shook his head repeatedly at Sera’s suggestion.
He knew what Abel would say.
He would surely insist that as a noble, Ryo should pay for himself!
“I’ll win it as a privilege of being a first duke someday!”
“R-Right.”
Ryo declared strongly, and Sera decided it was better not to say anything and accepted it.
Though they were both ‘firsts,’ it seemed there were various differences between a first duke and a first knight.
Two days later.
The two arrived at the City of Run.
From there, they went straight to what could be called the workshop district near the East Gate.
Both Ryo and Sera were familiar with the area.
Ryo’s house was just outside the East Gate.
Moreover, there were many delicious eateries around, so the two often strolled to eat together.
The shop Sera entered was… one that Ryo knew as well.
“Hello, master~”
Sera said as she walked in.
“Hey, just a moment.”