Chapter 53

A few days after defeating Storm Wing, the carriage procession finally arrived at the capital.

After that, the journey was safe, and they were not particularly troubled by any incidents.

"It's thanks to you all that we made it."

"Thank you so much!"

The passengers disembarked one by one, leaving words of gratitude.

Among them, the last to approach us were the members of 'Yūnagi no Ken' (Evening Calm Sword).

Gareth, who was at the front, approached with a grin.

"We're grateful too. Without you two, we wouldn't have been able to defeat Storm Wing. Here."

"Ah!"

The bag Gareth threw had a definite weight, and it was filled with gold coins.

"This is..."

"It's part of the reward for this escort mission. Zelos and the others can take it."

"Is it okay?"

"Of course! You did so much work, it would be a problem if you didn't take it!"

...Hmm.

I didn't help for the money, but it would be rude to refuse after being told this much.

I decided to accept Gareth's offer sincerely.

"Alright. I'll gratefully accept it."

"Great! See you!"

After seeing Gareth off, we received words of gratitude from the drivers, and only Schna and I were left.

We exchanged a glance and then looked ahead.

"Shall we go, then?"

"Yep."

And so, Schna and I stepped into the capital again.

The bustling commercial district was right next to the stop, and the lively scene came into view.

A large street stretched through the center, with various shops lining its sides.

Grocery stores, weapon shops, clothing stores—though the types varied, they were all bustling with customers.

At the sight, Schna's eyes sparkled.

"Amazing, so lively... There are so many people, this is the capital!"

"Indeed."

I was also excited, but it wasn't just because of the impressive cityscape.

This place was special to me.

The capital of the Kingdom of Alexia, Arrendimia, was one of the starting locations in 'Crest Online' at the beginning of the game.

Various dungeons existed around the capital, and the environment was favorable, so I usually chose this place when creating a new account.

Moreover, it was also the base during the Zeronity era.

"...The cityscape has changed a lot after a thousand years, but there are still some remnants."

"Huh? Zelos, did you say something?"

As I was feeling nostalgic, Schna looked at me with a puzzled expression.

I shook my head and told her.

"No, nothing. Rather, let's find a place to stay for the duration of the exam."

"Right. Let's go, Zelos!"

After a brief sightseeing, we decided to start looking for a place to stay.

A few minutes later.

We rented two relatively luxurious rooms in an inn in the commercial district.

We received part of the reward from Gareth and the others, so this shouldn't be a problem.

That night.

After gathering in my room, I decided to plan our schedule with Schna for the days leading up to the exam.

We needed to decide how to spend the next few days.

We could explore dungeons like we did in the Sylphied territory, but since we were in the capital, taking a break would also be a good idea.

With that in mind, I asked Schna.

"There are a few days until the exam. Is there anything you want to do?"

"I want to go shopping for a few days. The exam is followed by enrollment, so I want to get my preparations done early."

"...Did you forget about the results announcement?"

"? Zelos will pass, right?"

Schna said this with clear eyes.

She didn't seem to consider the possibility of me failing at all.

(...I can't afford to fail, no matter what.)

Well, I never intended to fail in the first place.

While adding this thought to my mind, I started to reconsider our schedule.

Since Schna has things to do, it's perfect.

I had something I wanted to do alone during this period.

"In that case, I'll go to gain some skills on my own."

"Do I not need to go with you? If it's urgent, I can prioritize that..."

"It's fine. It's a solo-only location, and I was planning to go when I had some time alone. Schna, you can wait for me in the capital."

"O...Okay."

Though she looked a bit uneasy, Schna nodded.

In this way, our schedule until the exam was finalized.

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