Seeing the group standing there blankly, several clerks rushed over frantically.
“Welcome. Welcome to Leitona.”
“Our inn has finished perfecting its preparations and awaits its guests.”
“Please come this way. Since it was newly built, you will not regret it one bit.”
The clerks were busy hawking, each mentioning the name of the inn they belonged to. Judging
by that,
it seemed true that there were no guests.
Kasim stepped forward and asked the reason, pretending not to know.
“What is going on? The princesses haven’t already departed for Felgentin, have they?”
“Th-that is….”
A flustered look crossed the clerks’ faces. Everyone hesitated, unable to quickly open their
mouths,
and remained that way. One clerk who looked the most sly smiled slickly and changed the subject.
“You must have come a long way, so please go inside and rest first. After you finish your
meal, if you go to the city hall,
you will be able to learn everything.”
Seeing them try to gloss over it vaguely, Kasim sensed something was amiss. He turned his
head and looked at Yuliana.
“For now, let us go to the city hall and learn the situation. It seems there have been some
changes….”
“Shall we?”
The group immediately headed toward the city hall. If there were changes, finding out quickly
was the best course of action.
The clerks who had failed to lure them watched the group leave and poured out all manner of
curses internally.
‘Damn it. Another failure. But are they also a princess’s party?’
‘Surely not? Seeing mercenaries mixed in, they seem like ordinary travelers. Be that as it
may, our master is in big trouble now. He opened an inn pouring his entire fortune into it, only
for it all to become a complete bust.’
The city hall was not far away. And the scene Kasim had expected could be seen
here.
It was the sight of princesses gathered from various countries having set up camp with their
escort knights.
Surprisingly, they were not staying at inns but had gathered in the square before the city hall. At the
procession of carriages stretching on endlessly, the group dropped their jaws.
“Whoa.”
“Truly a lot.”
The square in front of the city hall was filled with carriages. They were all luxurious
carriages decorated splendidly. Knights who appeared to be the princesses’ escorts wore ornate armor and stood in
formation beside the carriages.
Chosen for looks rather than skill, there was not a single one among them who was not handsome. As if
showing off their faces, the knights all had their visors raised. There were even some who were not wearing
helmets at all. Kasim, looking around at them, turned to Yuliana.
“Seeing the barrier line inside, it seems carriages cannot enter any farther. Anyway,
since we do not have a carriage, I believe we may simply go in.”
“Very well.”
As soon as Yuliana gave her approval, the group began moving again. Seeing the group walking
between the carriages and the lined-up knights toward the city hall, the escort knights’ eyes
grew wide. People who looked nothing like that were going inside, so they appeared completely
dumbfounded.
“Who are they? Surely she isn’t a princess here to participate in the selection ceremony?”
“Who knows? Seeing that they hold a flag, it seems like it might be so…. Karsel? I’ve never
heard of that kingdom before.”
“They’re all mercenaries. There is only one who looks like a knight? And he isn’t even wearing
armor.”
“Hmph. Truly. Absurd. Have you ever seen such a case….”
The knights spat out words with scornful expressions. Some were even pointing their fingers openly.
A princess’s delegation escorted by mercenaries was something they had never witnessed before.
But the mercenaries walked on in silence. They had anticipated this sort of reaction.
Yuliana was biting her lip tightly. Seeing her shoulders trembling faintly, it seemed fury was
boiling up inside her to the extreme. The humiliation had already reached the limit of what she could bear.
Kasim, sensing her mood, cautioned her appropriately.
“Please endure it. There is no need to mind the words of lowlings. In any case, you are the proud
Princess of Karsel.”
“B-but….”
“If you react needlessly, you will only end up tarnishing Karsel’s name.”
Whether because Kasim’s advice had been effective, Yuliana was able to regain her composure. From then
on, she could boldly ignore the knights’ pointing fingers.
Meanwhile, Kasim was scrutinizing the emblems hanging on the carriages with sharp eyes.
‘There are fewer carriages than I thought.’
The number of carriages gathered here was rather small compared to Kasim’s expectations. Moreover, not a single
emblem of a well-known kingdom could be seen. Most of the carriages bore the emblems of minor kingdoms.
Due to nearly ten years of mercenary life, Kasim had mostly memorized the emblems of various kingdoms.
For a mercenary whose profession was war, not knowing the emblems of nations that might become enemy states was
unthinkable, so…. However, Kasim, examining the emblems, repeatedly tilted his head as if unable to understand something.
“Why can’t I see a single great power’s emblem?”
It was a bit strange, but since they were walking diligently, he could not dwell on it for long.
After walking for some time, the group finally arrived at the front row. The distance had felt even longer due to
the gazes tormenting them.
Exactly where the barrier line was drawn, the column of carriages ended. Instead, there were gorgeously
dressed beautiful women and knights wearing splendid armor gathered here and there, chatting.
Seeing their serious expressions, it seemed they had some matter weighing on their minds. Kasim,
looking around at them, hardened his expression.
“Judging by their expressions, it seems some problem has occurred.”
“What could it be?”
To Yuliana’s doubtful question, Kasim shook his head.
“I still do not know. I think we must go up ahead.”
“Then let us hurry. Their gazes are even more unpleasant.”
Indeed, the situation was becoming more desperate. The princesses who had been gathered here and there
conversing had their gazes fixed on the group.
“Oh my?”
“Who are they?”
“Surely they haven’t come for the same purpose as us?”
The gathered princesses were all dressed in dazzling attire. They wore clothes made of fabrics so expensive that
commoners would not dare to even look upon them, and they were laden with so many accessories that they could hardly
move their bodies. Their appearance was enough to remind one of dolls.
Precious metals shone without exception in their hair, coiled up like clouds. There were even cases where
gems were densely studded into the hems of their dresses. It was literally the pinnacle of luxury. Even the attire of the
maids standing behind them was incomparably splendid. In short, it could not even be compared to what Yuliana was wearing.
Receiving such scornful gazes from those princesses, Yuliana could not help but feel her face burn hot. In the end, unable to
endure it, Yuliana shouted out.
“What are you looking at! You lot.”
Kasim turned pale at her reaction and desperately tried to stop her, but Yuliana stubbornly
refused to back down.
“I endured it earlier because they were lowlings, but this time it is different. I am a princess just like them, I
tell you.”
Losing any words to reply, Kasim closed his mouth, and Yuliana acted even more boldly. She glared directly back at the princesses who were staring at her.
“Never seen a person before? Do I look like a goblin to you? I’ll gouge your damn eyes out.”
Intimidated by Yuliana’s momentum, the princesses eventually averted their gazes. Whether because anger was boiling up, the knights standing beside them gripped their sword hilts tightly. But they knew full well that they could not step forward. If it had been a man insulting a princess, they would have rushed in without a second thought, but that was not the situation here.
After the group passed by, the remaining princesses finally began pouring out all manner of curses.
“What kind of uncultured wench is that?”
“Judging by the way she speaks, she seems completely uneducated.”
The knights under their command even joined in venting their anger.
“Please endure it, Your Highness. She is a wench not worth dealing with.”
“No doubt she is some ignorant hillbilly. No doubt she rushed here on a gamble.”
After various twists and turns, the group finally arrived at their destination. There were several desks there, and a few middle-aged men who looked like officials were immersed in their work with tired expressions. Kasim’s eyes lit up seeing that.
“It seems they have set up a temporary office here. It looks like registration is done over there. First,
let us go there.”
The group silently approached where the desks were placed. Once again, people’s gazes were
focused on them. The reactions mixed with surprise and scorn were the same as before. Everyone was looking at the group with amused expressions. Eyes that seemed to ask, Surely she isn’t a princess who came to participate in the Crown Princess Selection Ceremony, were upon them. Yuliana, as if to crush the expectations of such gazes, walked straight to an empty desk.
An elderly old man sat at the desk the group approached. Judging by the emblem carved on his chest, he seemed to be an administrator dispatched from the center. Seeing the evident exhaustion on his face, it was clear he was terribly overworked. When Yuliana promptly sat in the chair, he looked at her with eyes that said this was completely unexpected. A girl who in no way looked like a princess, whether by attire or anything else, had sat down, so it was understandable. Soon questions poured out.
“What business brings you here? This is not a seat for just anyone.”
At those words, Yuliana’s eyebrows furrowed sharply.
“What kind of seat is this, exactly?”
At Yuliana’s counter-question, the old administrator blinked his eyes.
“Th-this is a seat prepared for the princesses who wish to participate in the Crown Princess Selection Ceremony.”
“And you still do not know why I am here? I am the princess of Karsel who came to register for the selection ceremony.”
“Is-is that so?”
The administrator’s eyes went wide. It was completely unexpected that a girl in shabby attire was a princess. As he hurriedly tried to prepare the documents, he narrowed his eyes. Because he had never heard the kingdom name Karsel until now, he was trying to confirm once more.
“My apologies, but could you show me the emblem issued by the Kingdom of Karsel?”
Yuliana was at a loss for words. She could not produce the lost emblem.
“I-I lost it….”
The administrator’s face suddenly turned cold. Without a second thought, he closed the documents.
“If your identity cannot be confirmed, I cannot explain the details to you.”
Yuliana could not help but be perplexed. Then Kasim stepped forward one pace.
“I will vouch for her identity. I am the commander of the mercenary group entrusted with her escort.”
The administrator’s gaze shifted slyly to Kasim. The idea of entrusting a princess’s escort to mercenaries was
unheard of, but a mercenary commander’s word still carried some credibility.
Of course, that was only if they belonged to the Mercenary Guild. As if to verify Kasim’s words,
the administrator carefully opened his mouth.
“You are a mercenary group registered with the guild, I presume?”
“Indeed. Here is my mercenary booklet.”
The administrator took Kasim’s mercenary booklet and began examining it carefully. Seeing that, Kasim
felt relief at having recovered the booklet. The mercenaries’ belongings taken by Bertec had been loaded in the back of the carriage where they were imprisoned, so fortunately they had been safe from the Dragon’s
Breath. Kasim, having escaped from the carriage, had retrieved that above all else. The mercenary booklet was an absolute necessity to conduct business,
so. After examining it for some time, the administrator handed the booklet back to Kasim.
“Hmm. Very well.”
Whether because his doubts had disappeared, the administrator began explaining to Yuliana with a somewhat cautious attitude.
“Then allow me to explain. Actually, there is something for which we must ask your forgiveness first.”
Freed from her predicament by Kasim’s guarantee, Yuliana quickly asked back.
“What is it?”
However, Yuliana was taken aback after hearing the full story. The administrator explained that the Crown Princess Selection Ceremony had been postponed due to unavoidable circumstances.
“I apologize, but the Crown Princess Selection Ceremony scheduled for ten days later has been postponed by one year. We
had an unavoidable matter arise, so inevitably….”
It was news she had never imagined, so she could not help but be bewildered.
“H-how can that be? Then you should have notified us in advance.”
“A few days ago, we notified all kingdoms without exception via magical communication. We were dispatched
for those who had departed before then.”
“Still….”
Yuliana shook her head as if finding it absurd. She had never even dreamed that the Crown Princess Selection Ceremony planned since five years ago
would be postponed so suddenly.