Victorian Empire, the imperial capital Celsus.

　It's been a week since we left Finis.
　Although it was right on schedule, Aren and the others finally set foot in the land.

　Strictly speaking, though, they haven't yet entered the city.
　If we went into the city, it would be obvious that Curtis had arrived.

　The reason why it's bad if they find out is because the imperial capital is likely to already know that Henriette has been captured.
　Soon after that, Henriette's cousin will appear?
　It would be as good as shouting out loud that they are up to something.

　Of course, we don't know how far the word is spreading.
　It's also possible that the soldiers in charge of the city's security don't know about it.
　But at least this information would be shared in the upper echelons, and there was no reason to be alarmed.

　So, once we got off the carriage away from the city, we were going to walk to the city from there...

"Well, we're supposed to split up from here and meet up in the city anyway. ......
Is that ...... okay over there?　As long as it is an imperial city, I think we have good security: ......
I appreciate your concern, but don't worry. We have a lot of handlers in the Marquess family, and we also know things that only we know.

　Although Leeds and the others have mixed expressions of worry and anxiety on their faces, Curtis has a worry-free smile on his face when it's directed at them.
　And I guess there really is nothing to worry about, and Allen knows that, which is why he wasn't worried in the first place.

　The same is true if Curtis gets out of the carriage and walks into the city with impunity.
　So, Allen and his team decided to split up.

　Allen and his team will head into town as usual, while Curtis and his guards will enter the city at a separate entrance.
　Then they were supposed to meet up inside.

　But since they can't enter the city by normal means, Curtis and his men will have to use some unpleasant means to enter the city.
　The only thing they're worried about is whether it's really alright, but Curtis and his team know more about the imperial city, and from the way they talk, they know about hidden passageways and such.
　There's no need to worry about it.

I'm sure you'll be fine if Curtis says you don't have to worry about it. I'm more concerned about whether we can get into the city safely.
...... Surely, it's a bit doubtful that we'll be able to enter the city by ourselves.

　To be honest, it's easy to get into Raurus, partly because it's a border town and it hosts a lot of different countries.
　Normally, it would be difficult to move on, but this is no longer a problem, thanks to Curtis.
　It was actually Curtis' presence that made it easy for me to get into Finnis.

　But from here on out, you'll have to act alone, even if it's only once.
　As Rees also said, it's the imperial capital, so it's normal to have a solid security system in place.

　It's natural to wonder if they'll be able to get in without any problems.

"Oh, there's no problem with that, okay?　It's true that the Imperial City is well guarded, but when it comes to getting in and out of the city, it's actually not so much. It's enough to be compared to a criminal's handbill.
...... non-criminals can get in as much as they want?
"If they are from another country, they are usually captured somewhere before they come to the imperial capital. There is no need to check that part in the imperial capital.
"Oh ...... I see, sure

　The Empire's territory is large, and I'm told that the Imperial Capital is located almost in the middle of it.
　The reason why Allen and the others were able to get here in two weeks was because they used imperial carriages, which usually take several times that amount of time, and if it's going to take that long, a stop in one of the cities is a must.

　Therefore, it is investigated at that point, and if there is any doubt, the information will be shared, so all you have to do in the imperial capital is check it against that information.
　And since Aren and the others have passed the test, they won't be able to stop you.

Well, maybe not absolutely.
. well. For example, if the information from the Kuro Wolf Knights has been accurately conveyed, there is a chance that you will be stopped ...... No, in that case, is it more likely that they will let you walk by?
"What, why?
You know that the more accurately it comes across, the more you can't do anything about it. It's impossible to be on guard for a long time if you don't know where and when they're coming from. Then, you will let them walk by, and you will be on the streets. That's what you would do if a violent criminal were to come in.
But that means you can't feel safe even if you can walk through it.
...... That area looks fine with Allen?
Hmm ...... I'm not so sure about that. Normally in such cases, I would use a gift to monitor them.

　As expected, it is difficult to detect surveillance with the gift of the senses alone.
　However, in that case, you just need to use your omniscience, so I'm not saying it's impossible.

　As if they knew that, they didn't seem particularly worried, but shrugged their shoulders as Noel represented them.

Well, it seems to be OK for now, but I think we should be just as careful just in case.
I guess so. Then again, the problem is still Curtis, I'd say ......, or are you sure you'll be able to take that carriage with you while you take it?
Well, we can't just throw them away here. It's our stuff, and the price is reasonable. We've taken that into consideration as well, so there's no problem. Besides, if it comes down to it, all you have to do is run away.

　With that said, Curtis turns his attention to the guards by his side, and they nod their heads as if to say, "Leave it to me.

　But seeing that scene, Rees tilts his head slightly.

"Huh?
What's up?
It's just that the atmosphere of the ...... guards is a little different than before. If you're not in contact with them, it would be understandable if they said it was because of your imagination. ......
Well, even Finis was almost separate as a result. But he seems to be worried about it, so I'm sure that's why.
"Yeah, ......, I know, it's not a good idea to say this, but you couldn't do your job as a bodyguard, could you?
"...... for injuring Curtis?
"But I'd say it's a good thing it turned out that way, since you seem to have put a lot of energy into it. It's obviously more difficult in the imperial capital than in Finis.
Well, we didn't know what to do with it after all.



　Yes, we discussed a lot of things while coming here, but we came to the conclusion that there was nothing we could do if we didn't know the situation, and in the end we couldn't decide what to do.
　We'll talk about it after we meet up with you in town.

　That is if we can meet up.

So, since there is no way to stay here, let's head out now.
Copy that. Then we'll do what we said we would.
"Yes . ...... If I don't show up today, I'll ask you guys to be alone.
That's true for us, too.

　As you can see from the previous statement about running away, the case where we couldn't join them was also taken into account.
　In that case, we were supposed to think and carry out the plan on our own.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going to be the best way to get the most out of your new job.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make the most out of it.