Side Story 34. Anemone Smiled Brightly (10)
When I got off Wheat Crepe No. 2 and entered the Holy Land, I noticed the energy was at a different level from the cities and villages I had been through so far.
"Is it Harvest Day now? It's really warm in the south."
I heard that the northern part tends to harvest earlier because winter comes earlier than the southern part. On the other hand, as expected, the weather in the south was warm until late and so the harvest seemed to be late due to the season.
"Harvest?”
Doomstone seemed to be hearing about harvest for the first time. The Crow Tribe must not farm.
"There are four major festivals in the Empire. Harvest Day, Emperor's Birthday, New Year's Festival, and entrance exams to the Knights School and Magic School. Harvest Day is a festival to thank God for allowing us to collect food from rice paddies and fields and harvesting food."
In particular, Harvest Day was also called Harvest Festival because it continued for several days.
"Oho, I see. Why is the entrance exam a festival?”
"Ah, that’s because there are very few opportunities for ordinary people to see magic or splendid sword battles, and it's also a rare opportunity for commoners to raise their status. Of course, it's insignificant compared to other festivals.”
In the past, I wanted to enter the Knights School, too. It was my immature dream to become a great general who would be remembered in history, and the fastest way to climb to the rank of general was to enter the Knights School.
Of course, realistically, I gave up quickly because I was naturally weak, perhaps because of the curse. In the past, I saved Glont ahjussi's life also because I knew that he was a student from the Knights School and wanted to hear stories about it.
“Hmm, I see. A sword match sounds like it’d be fun."
Doomstone seemed to be interested in the Knights School exam. But it would be boring at his level.
"The martial arts competition at the New Year's Festival will probably be more fun than the Knights School exam? I think mercenaries and adventurers who fight in real life will be better than students."
Doomstone nodded. "That definitely sounds more fun. Are there any qualifications to participate in the martial arts competition?"
"Why? Are you going to participate?"
"Yep!" Doomstone smiled brightly and nodded.
That's sounds scary. If a superman, who knocked down heavily armed knights and soldiers without breaking a sweat, ran wild, the martial arts competition might disappear that day.
"It's better not to. Most of the people who participate in that are probably like the knights that you rendered half-dead?”
Those who advanced to the finals may be stronger than them, but they were generally at the level of knights without reputation.
At my explanation, he seemed to lose steam and grumbled. "Ah! That looks delicious! Let's go! Anemone!”
Disappointed briefly, he smiled happily and headed for the food at the street stall of Harvest Day.
He's really energetic.
"First, getting a hotel is the priority. We can't take Wheat Crepes around the crowded market.”
Against my opposition, Doomstone became sullen again.
"Yeah. I guess so."
I smiled and stroked the disappointed man’s head.
"After grabbing a room and leaving Wheat Crepes, let’s go around to eat right away.”
"Really!? Let's hurry up and find a room! My instincts say over there!"
The direction he pointed to was the direction of the highest-class hotel in the Holy Land. Well, being crowded like this meant that most inns and hotels were full. Since we had more than enough money, it was fine to stay somewhere nice. Also, since the person I wanted to meet would be staying at that hotel anyway.
"Wait for me!"
"Ahahaha! Sorry."
Doomstone, who started off first, scratched the back of his head and came back to me.
Then, he picked me up and put me on Wheat Crepe No. 2, grabbed the reins of Wheat Crepe No. 1 and No. 2, and headed towards the hotel.
Unexpectedly, he's a gentleman.
-o-
Before entering the hotel, in a back alley, I tied my hair back and wore a brown wig. And I drew wrinkles on Doomstone with makeup to make him look older and put sunglasses on him. Afterall, we were wanted people. It wouldn’t matter if it was just an ordinary inn on the street, but it was good to be careful in such luxury hotels.
"What do you think? Is it okay?"
I took out my hand mirror and showed it to Doomstone. After confirming his face, he was surprised.
"Wow, I look really old. It's the face of my father when I was young.”
He was admiring himself turning the hand mirror around and then clicked his tongue.
"Tch, I thought I didn't look like my father, but seeing it like this, it's the same."
"U-hu-hu! Why? You look handsome. Your father is a cool handsome man."
Doomstone smiled at my compliment.
"Does that mean I'm handsome, too?"
At that question, I grabbed my stomach and laughed. Cute.
"Ahahaha! Of course! Doomstone, you're the most handsome!"
"It sounds like you're teasing me."
He looked at me with suspicious eyes.
"Why? You don’t believe me?”
I smiled like I was teasing, but then I was sincere saying that Doomstone was handsome. The beauty standards may vary from person to person, but I liked men with muscles. Muscles were great.
There were many high-ranking nobles who had come to propose to me, but they all seemed too skinny and useless. Of course, considering the benefits of their families, it was not that there were no families that were useful.
"Mmm~ I'll believe you."
Doomstone smiled pleasantly and spoke as if he was being nice. He looked happy for someone saying he was forcing himself to believe me.
"Then let's go to the hotel."
We headed for the front of the hotel with Wheat Crepes. As I approached the main gate of the hotel, a young man who looked like a bell boy approached with a smile.
"Did you perhaps make a reservation or want to stay at the hotel?" asked the bell boy.
I nodded and answered using the official language of the Trade Union, "Of course. Will you guide us in?"
When he suddenly heard a foreign language, the bell boy's smile froze. "Oh... Are you a foreigner? Ple-please wait a minute."
He told us to wait with exaggerated gestures and then went into the hotel.
Doomstone checked to see that the bell boy entered the hotel then asked, "Why are you speaking in a foreign language all of a sudden?"
I smiled as I took out the ID card for the Trade Union used at the Asteria Market.
"It's a simple disguise for my identity. It's unnecessarily hard to forge an Empire ID. Well, although this ID card is not forged."
These luxury hotels were exclusive and hard to stay in unless you were a noble. However, wealthy foreign merchants were enough to be able to check in. This ID card was something actually used at the Market.
From inside the hotel, a middle-aged concierge with the bell boy approached us. The concierge skillfully spoke the official language of the Trade Union and asked, "How can I help you?"
As expected perhaps because he was a top concierge of a luxury hotel, he was fluent in the Trade Union’s language.
"I'm Ryu Cheinlyang from the market in Dimitrion. This is my escort. I’m visiting the Empire this time to survey, and I heard the Holy Land was celebrating Harvest Day."
The concierge responded with a smile. "Welcome to the Holy Land, Miss Ryu. Harvest Day is one of the biggest attractions of the Empire."
The concierge seemed to have studied abroad quite a bit. Unlike the Empire, the Trade Union put their last names first, so he must be familiar with its culture to some degree to call me Miss Ryu.
That's good. It was much easier to fool someone who had sloppy knowledge.
"I'm thinking of staying in this grand guest house. Can I keep the horses in the stable?"
"Of course!"
The concierge again instructed the bellboy in the Empire’s language.
"Take the horses of the guests to the stable."
"Yes! Um, what are the names of the horses?" asked the bellboy.
The concierge immediately translated and asked.
I answered with a smile. "Wheat Crepe No.1 and No.2."
"... Yes?"
Upon hearing the names of the horses, the bell boy was confused and asked back, wondering if he had heard the names correctly.
I pretended not to know what he said and queried in the official language of the Trade Union, "Is there a problem?"
"No! Upon the honor of our hotel, I will keep the precious horses of the guests safe."
At the concierge's bombasting, I smiled and handed over the reins to the bell boy.
"Can you help me check-in?"
"Of course."
With the concierge in front of him, Doomstone entered the hotel.
Having checked in without difficulty with the help of the concierge, I greeted him with my eyes and took the elevator up to the floor where the room was. Then I unlocked the door with a key to enter the room.
Doomstone asked carefully, "Hey, wouldn't it be better to get separate rooms?"
"Oh my! After sleeping with me, are you trying to back out?" I asked playfully.
He was ashamed enough that I could see his face turn red underneath his makeup.
"Ah! No! That's not it!"
"Hu-hu-hu, I'm just kidding. How cute."
"Cu… how can you say I'm cute? You should say I’m brave!”
I smiled joyfully at the man who was easily embarrassed.
"Don't worry. There are several rooms inside.”
Because it was so crowded due to Harvest Day, there were only expensive rooms left even in the luxury hotel. Of course, it was less than the room my father rented every time he went to the capital.
When I opened the door, a beautiful chandelier welcomed us into the living room.
"Just leave your luggage in the living room. Oh, always hold on to the self-defense weapons and the emergency money I gave you," I advised.
Doomstone patted his forearm, flexing his muscles. "Ahahaha! There's no better self-defense weapon than my fist! Oh, but I'll hold on to the emergency money.”
Hmm! As expected, his muscles were great. I touched his muscles like I was possessed. This elasticity, this firmness. That's great.
"Khmm!"
When Doomstone lightly coughed and turned his head, I came to my senses and smiled brightly.
"Then should we go eat?"
I wanted to wash first, but he seemed like he wanted to fill his stomach first so I made the suggestion.
"Do you want to eat at the market? Or hotel food? I'm planning to stay here for a few days, so we won’t be lacking any food.”
Unless my plan was overturned, I was planning to rest more after finishing my business. I needed rest to match my fragile body. Since I camped for days, it was natural to compensate that much.
Doomstone crossed his arms and agonized. "That's a dilemma. Local food sold at the market or luxury food sold at the hotel?"
"Are you worried that you won't like the food at the market if the hotel foods raise your standard?”
"No. I'm worried about what I want to eat now. If it's hotel food, is it like the food I ate at the count's?”
"Perhaps? Ah, I heard that this hotel chef is one of the best chefs in the country. I heard that he’s an alumni of the same place as the head imperial chef.
With my information, he clenched his fist as if he had decided.
"Let's go with the hotel food today!"
"Good! Then let's eat first."
"Okay!"
We left the room with high spirits. When we arrived at the restaurant floor by elevator, the scent of fragrant spices tickled my nose and a beautiful melody was subtly playing on the floor.
"Ohh! It smells good."
Doomstone was excited and walked out of the elevator, and a small shadow almost bumped into him. He instinctively jumped into the air and avoided the shadow lightly, and the small shadow fell over.
"Uwaaaaa!"
The fallen shadow was a little child who looked about seven or eight years old.
"I avoided it."
Doomstone raised both hands to announce his innocence, and I nodded to show I knew.
"Child, are you okay?”
I was trying to reach out to the kid and help him up, but men in black suits with swords rushed over from the restaurant.
"Young Master!"
"Protect the Young Master!"
This kid seemed to be the son of a high family.
However, the pattern engraved on the sword sheaths of the men in suits looked familiar.
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