After eating, she explored the bustling streets. Interestingly, there were quite a few galleries selling portraits in the capital's shopping district. They said the art field was most developed in the capital of the Auraria Empire, and it seemed true.
Rellia enjoyed her freedom for once as she took in the sights of the street.
Then she stopped when she saw a crowd of women gathered on one side, buzzing with excitement.
At a glance, nobles and commoners alike were pushing shoulders and getting physical with anyone in their way.
'What's going on?'
Curious, she approached and found a merchant selling something at a stall. Nearby, men were clicking their tongues.
The moment a gap opened at one of the stalls, Rellia quickly headed there.
The stall was completely empty except for a single item remaining.
Rellia snatched it quickly and handed coins to the merchant who demanded payment.
'What on earth is this?'
On the outside, it looked roughly like a newspaper.
Rellia sat on a nearby bench and opened the booklet she had purchased.
"Huh...?"
Upon opening it, this was not a newspaper. Well, it was like a newspaper, but....
'Is this some kind of interview collection? Or a photo pictorial? Or a profile book?'
With each page she turned, portraits of heroes who had distinguished themselves in the war against the Light Dragon this time appeared.
Rellia turned the pages with interest.
After flipping through unfamiliar people, a familiar face appeared.
'It's Uncle!'
It was Uncle Carius. For a portrait someone had sketched on the battlefield, it looked quite similar.
Rellia touched the portrait with longing-filled fingers, then looked at the profile written beside it.
Roughly written were things like height, favorite foods, favorite music, and other stories about her uncle.
Some content was completely different from what Rellia knew.
'The journalist seems to have written a novel....'
Still, it was definitely interesting. Especially seeing the part marked 'unmarried' heavily emphasized made her laugh.
'No wonder the capital ladies are getting physical over this.'
Rellia turned the pages thinking perhaps her friends' faces might be there too.
'Oh!'
Then she discovered welcome names.
Oscar Hresvelg
At the sight of that name, her fingertips tingled and her nose stung. The portrait was very blurry, making it impossible to discern his features properly.
But that didn't matter.
'Everyone did well.'
Rellia thought it was admirable as she turned the pages.
Next came Calix, Griffith, and Romeo.
Rellia was able to encounter her friends through paper scraps for the first time in 9 years.
Unfortunately, none of them had proper portraits with clear faces. The profile contents weren't accurate either.
'Still, I'm glad.'
Thinking it was fortunate her friends were safe, Rellia held the portrait book dearly and returned to her lodging.
Then she began making a scrapbook in the notebook she had brought.
After neatly cutting and pasting content about her friends and uncle, another name she had glimpsed earlier came to mind.
Rellia quickly opened the booklet and found that section.
'Lut.'
Yuriana's partner and the male protagonist.
One of Rellia's purposes for coming to the capital.
Rellia looked at the smiling Lut in the portrait. He had a handsome appearance that looked very kind and sincere.
'Hmm....'
Rellia's goal was somewhat specific.
First, she planned to wait for the 'victory ceremony' where the heroes who saved the world from the Light Dragon would return.
At that time, the capital would be at its hottest, noisiest, and most chaotic.
'The Imperial Palace will be even more so. After all, the heroes of the victory ceremony will all go to the Imperial Palace.'
Rellia was aiming for the day a banquet would be held at the Imperial Palace after their arrival.
The last day of the banquet, which would be the most splendid and noisy, and also the last day of the festival.
She would infiltrate the Imperial Palace then. The tools for infiltration were already prepared.
After finding the one remaining special material and escaping safely, she planned to stay here for a few more days.
'Then target the moment when Lut stays in the capital and loses the holy relic.'
It wasn't a meticulous plan calculated down to hours, minutes, and seconds, but she was confident.