I can't make any promises.

　Aldis said, and left the Litte Chamber of Commerce.

　He had given up on the idea of being completely cut off, and he might be able to get a lead on his friends.
　It was all he could do to stifle the answer of withholding while desperately trying to suppress his original desire to jump in without a second thought.

　When he said his goodbyes to Kirill before leaving the Chamber of Commerce, he and his sister suggested that they stay in Leytin for a while, saying that they would like to be able to thank him. But Aldis had no time to relax in Leytin.
　He was particularly strongly discouraged by his sister, but when he told her that he had some urgent business to attend to and that he would be back in seven days, she finally agreed with him after reminding him that he must come by our house then.

　After leaving the Chamber of Commerce, Aldis went into a store for daily necessities to replenish stored food and supplies for the time being.

''That's cheaper than King's Landing,''

　After looking around and checking the prices, Aldis bought dried meat, salt, spices and polishing sand.

　The sun is already beginning to set as they leave the shop and look up at the sky.
　Aldis watches people coming and going on the main street for a while.

　What is required of Marida is the 'Alice Blue' head of hair that the 'High Magic Woman' has with 'Heavenly Eyes'.
　The more you listen to it, the more you're probably referring to Nere, but he wasn't clearly named Nere.
　If it's a human hair that meets the same requirements, Marida shouldn't be able to complain about it.

　If possible, she didn't want to involve Nere or the twins in her own convenience, and that was Ardis' untrue feeling.
　With that in mind, I'm looking for Alice Blue's hair color, but I haven't been able to find it at all.
　The hair color Alice Blue seems to be commonplace, and in fact, Aldis has never seen much of it either.

　If I go to the royal capital, there will be some of them. The next moment after thinking like that, Aldis frowned, imagining how many people would meet the other conditions at the same time.
　In the end, they would have to take Nere's hair with them, wouldn't they? It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you want to do with it, and you don't like the fact that you're being tossed around like Marida wanted.

　At this moment, Ardis's eyes caught sight of a certain person.
　He was a small man who had been performing some kind of art on his sword at Marida's trading post earlier.

　His exotic attire makes him stand out in a trading city where people from many different regions gather.
　Curiosity overcame the slightest hesitation, and Aldis approached the tanned, smaller man.

'Do you have a moment?'

'What?　What is it?

　The man who turned around when he was approached had a dubious look on his face at first, but then he remembered that Ardis was the person who had been with Marida and relaxed his guard.

'Oh, you're the person I met at Marida's place, right?

Excuse me, can I ask you a few questions?

　Seeing that Aldis is related to Marida, the man readily agrees.
　The man tells Ardis that he hopes to get some information about the elusive female merchant.

　The man seems to be a member of a troupe of traveling entertainers who travel around the country.
　The troupe travels from west to east all year round, and various dangers follow them.

　The danger of being attacked by bandits and thieves, and by predators. These dangers can still be fended off by force. The members of the troupe are more skilled in the art of fighting than most people, to the point where they can even do well as mercenaries.

''By the way, there are some things you can't win no matter how strong you are,''

　The man said that a troupe that travels from place to place is also exposed to the danger of a disease endemic to the region.
　As it happens, there were a number of people in the troupe who developed a disease that they had picked up in a foreign country just before arriving in Leytin.
　Naturally, inviting such people in would cause the disease to spread throughout the city. This is why they were forbidden to enter the city.

　I guess Leitin wanted me to go away as soon as possible.
　But while the city may be fine with that, the traveling entertainers can't.
　Almost all of them were ill and only a few could move properly.

If you want to buy medicines and herbs, they won't let you into the city, but they won't let you go out to the doctors and medicine men. There are too many sick people to move to another city. That's when Marida's Litte Trading Company was the only one who could help us.

　It is said that Marida's Chamber of Commerce regularly delivered medicine, food, and drinking water to the troupe with mercenaries and peddlers who were leaving Leitin.
　Thanks to their efforts, the troupe of traveling entertainers recovered after about half a month and were finally allowed to enter the city.

Of course it wasn't for free. Of course it wasn't free, but it was still a bit cheaper than the market price, and above all, the lives of our friends were at stake. Money can't be replaced.

　When I offered to thank him, he told me that he had asked me to put a seal on that sword.

　Is there such a coincidence?　Aldis twisted his head in his mind.
　At the same time that Aldis and Kirill were bringing back the sword they found in the ruins, a troupe of traveling entertainers happened to arrive, and one of them was a person who could apply the sword seal.

　If it was just one of them, it would be by chance.
　But three coincidences are a miracle.
　Rather than the existence of a miracle, it felt more natural to suspect some kind of human intervention.

　Aldis did not even let such doubts go unchallenged as he continued to talk.

'What was that all about?　It didn't look like magic, but it felt a little different than the prayers of the monks either.

The monks. ......

　The man gave a bitter smile.

''That technique is a special one that has been passed down in my clan for generations. I think it's different from the magic that is commonly spread. In terms of prayer, ......, it's like a half right and half wrong answer. At least it's not the kind of prayer that the church does today.

　The man added in a whisper, though it's not something you can say too openly in the street.
　Ardis' voice trailed off.

'That's not the kind of prayer the church is doing now ......?

The church's prayer is, 'Praise be to our Goddess,' but the prayer in my family is a little different.

What's the difference, exactly?

Well, if I had to express it in one word, it would be: 'May your journey be lit. I liken life to a journey, and I hope it will brighten your journey.

I see.

　At least, it's better than a prayer that forces you to praise the goddess.

'Excuse me. I have to get back soon: ......

Yeah, I'm sorry to keep you. I appreciate it.

　Aldis tried to find out who Marida was, but all she got from the man was a growing confusion.

　After leaving the man, Aldis spent some time looking for Alice Blue's hair colour in the main streets of Leytin. However, he does not get any satisfactory results.
　In the end, he gave up his search in Leitin early and left the city before dusk and set off for the Kingdom of Naglas.



　Aldis walked alone along the city road east towards the royal capital Gran.
　Eventually, as night widens and the surrounding area becomes dark, he turns off the road and floats off into the sky where he is not seen.
　He continues to fly in the darkness and arrives at King's Landing a little after midnight, and enters King's Landing Gran, waiting for the next morning to arrive.

　He didn't show any signs of fatigue as he reported the completion of the defeat of the "False Saint" to Jean, who acted as the face of the city, then went to the sorcerer's shop and handed him the "False Saint" sucker. As for the use of the sucker I saw in Marida's shop, I'm still not sure what it really is, so I keep it under wraps.

　After that, I visited Cesare's information center while I was there.

He told me, "You are very good at .......

　Cesare complained, his mouth agape.

'It's just incidental, actually.

　Aldis's reply was very curt.

'So?　The woman with the Alice Blue hair color?

That's right. Do you have a guy with high magic and sky blue eyes?

　Is there a woman in King's Landing who fits the conditions Marida told me about? Aldis threw it to Cesare.
　Aldis, as expected, couldn't be bothered to look for one of the three hundred thousand people in the capital.

''You, do you think of me as a handyman or something?　No matter how much I'm an informant, I don't know all the residents of King's Landing, do I?

　Cesare blurts out that, but tries to remember, fumbling through his memories.

'With Alice blue hair, ......, with heavenly eyes, ......, with high magic power, ......, a woman with...' ...and what?

　Cesare looks up at the space above him as he remembers.

''Isn't that the female mercenary from the example? What, are you kidding me now?''

　Frowning neatly, Cesare complained.

'Huh ....... I knew he was the only one, .......

'What?　What does that mean?

　Cesare asks Aldis, who lets out a rare sigh.

'No, it's nothing. It's fine. I'm sorry, I'm sorry to have caused you so much trouble.

　When Cesare's question was suitably played out, Aldis handed him a copper coin with his finger and left the shop without further ado.

　After finishing his business, Aldis looked up at the sun that had risen high in the sky and muttered to himself, "I'd better go home.

It's time to go home--

Hey, Aldis!

　A rough male voice suddenly stops him.
　The voice was rough, but never unpleasant.
　Rather, the voice is familiar and familiar to the ear.

'Ted?　And Norris and Orphelia?

　When he turned around, Ardis saw the members of Byakuya no Meisei, a skilled party that often teamed up to receive requests in the city of Tria.



　In the meantime, the first floor cafeteria of the Seseragi-tei, where Aldis stays for the night.
　Aldis, Ted and the rest of the Meisei Byakuya no Meisei were having lunch together at the same table.

I understand the situation, though: ....... You can at least call me up.

'Yes, Aldis. I was so worried about Ted.

'Really, Ted, you're such a worrier with a face like this. You know it's Aldis, don't you?

Shut up, all of you!

　Aldis's cheeks naturally loosened at the breathy banter she hadn't seen in a long time.

You're still the same. But since you moved here, you've sent out a letter, right?　Didn't you get it?

　Although Aldis has few acquaintances in this world, he pays a certain amount of attention to the three people who can be said to be his few friends.
　The proof of this is that about half a month after he began his activities in the royal capital, he should have sent a letter addressed to Ted and the others.

''You mean this letter?''

　Orphelia takes a sheet of parchment from her pocket and spreads it out on the desk.

'How am I supposed to feel safe looking at this letter with no sender's name or destination on it?

　Beside me, Ted and Norris nodded their heads in agreement.
　The letter said.

The letter says, "Me and the others are all safe.
　We'll be leaving Trier for a while.
　P.S. I'm not a tastemaker.'

　A letter with only the essentials simplified to the extreme. It is almost at the level of a message rather than a letter.

　Nevertheless, Ardis has a point to make.
　The reason why the destination is not written is so that the location will not be known in case the letter ends up in the hands of the Tria military, and the reason why the sender is not written is so that the members of the Byakuya no Meirogano will not be bothered by the name of Ardis.

　If he mentions that he's usually labeled by his friends as having a poor sense of taste, Ted and his friends will know that the sender is Aldis.
　He had planned to contact Aldis about his whereabouts when the situation had settled down.

　You can't blame them for not contacting you after that, but is it really worth it?
　I've been thinking about this while being surrounded by the three of them who were buzzing about the situation.

It's a good thing that the rumor of the "Three Greatest Vicious Vampires" has made its way to Tria within a month. I found out where he was right away.

'Haha. At first, no one believed that it was just a hoax. The two names "Sword and Sorcery Master" came along with it, so I knew right away that Ardis had done it.

And then?　Do you think he's going to come back to Trier?

　Orphelia asks Ardis on behalf of him.

''For the time being, I intend to operate in the royal capital. And I don't intend to return, at least not while Marquis Tria and the generals are there.''

Aside from the general, it will be decades before the Marquis of Trier is gone: ......

　Ted says, as if in disgust.

　The Marquess of Tria is a prestigious family that has been around since the founding of Naglas. I'm sure the family won't be cut off unless there's something serious going on.
　The current head of the family, Frederick, is still young for a lordship at 40 years old, and it's unclear when he will be replaced.

It looks like Ardis won't be able to come back to Trier. ...... It's not a good idea for us to move to the capital, though.

　He is the "Byakuya no Myojo", which has been operating with its roots in Thoria for a long time.
　The trust built up over the years, the fame based on achievements, the connections and contacts, and the mercenary comrades who can work together in a time of need. They don't want to change their base of operations to the point of abandoning all those things.

''Well, call me if you need anything. I can at least sneak in and join you.''

　Aldis, on the other hand, doesn't even show any signs of disappointment.
　Since she has always acted alone, she is not attached to the idea of a party.

By the way, what's wrong with you today?　You have a request in King's Landing?

　It was rare for Ted and the others, who were based in Thoria, to come to the royal capital.

''Yeah, I've got a good paying job at the Union of City States for a bit. We're on the move.

To the League of Cities and State?

Well, it's the eastern-most one, Laitin.

　And Norris adds to Ted's story.

'Odd, isn't it? I was planning to head to Leytin in a few days, too.

　They were surprised to hear Ardis' words.

'Then why don't you come with us for the first time in a while?

'Hmmm ....... I don't know if you'll be leaving tomorrow or the day after?　Is that what you want?

I don't mind. We're not in a hurry to get out of here anyway. Well, we'll be gone by three days' time.

　If that's the case, Aldis will take the offer.

'Regardless of when you decide to leave, I'll come to see you tomorrow morning so we can work out our plans.

　I left Seseragi-tei after saying that.

　For now, let's go home and get some rest this evening. Aldis began to walk down the main street toward the wall, thinking of her home after a long absence.
　I called out to the gatekeeper, who was now a familiar face, and stepped outside, leaving the bustling royal capital behind and heading into the forest where the twins and Nere's house was waiting for them.