Sightseeing in the Royal Capital
A group of three people walked through the streets of the royal capital.
At the head of the group is a man from the Wind Holy Knights who has been guiding the people of the empire before.
The man's name is Mofis Dili Fonedao.
Following Mofis are a boy wearing a military uniform and shrugging his shoulders timidly, and a dwarf man with a thick beard.
They are Machen, an exchange student from the empire, and Brelin, who came to the kingdom as Eul's attendant.
The two of them were taken along by Mofis as they looked around at the people passing by and the shops lining the main street.
Around here, people can be seen looking at the products at the stalls and talking to people who appear to be store staff.
The noisy and bustling flow of people reflected the prosperity of the royal capital.
"It’s so lively, isn’t it?"
"Hmm. As expected from the land of water and wind. The sanitary conditions don't seem to be bad either."
Mofis, who was leading the way, turned and nodded as Brelin stroked his rich beard in admiration.
"This is a castle town north of the central royal castle. It's also the home of the king, so we always take care to prevent the spread of diseases."
"I think it's fine for the empire to be as glamorous as this, but I can't give up on blacksmithing where I can hear the sound of iron."
Brelin muttered in annoyance.
Because magic technology is highly developed in the kingdom, magic tools are often used instead of iron tools.
Therefore, compared to the empire that used many iron weapons, the number of blacksmiths was considerably smaller.
For dwarves who like making things such as ironwork, it seems a bit sad that there are no blacksmiths to be found.
The robe worn by Mofis, who walks in front, has the emblem of the Wind Holy Knights, which represents the spirit of the wind, drawn on it, and the people walking around town look at him admiringly.
The Wind Holy Knights and the Water Holy Knights have been protecting the people of the capital for the past 400 years without allowing any enemies to enter the capital.
In particular, the sight of the Wind Holy Knights constantly flying over the capital and patrolling the area around it seems to be glamorous to the people, and they have a deep sense of trust in them.
Mofis is in a good mood as he walks through the streets of the capital, receiving the trust and admiration of the residents.
At that moment, he noticed two figures wearing robed hoods walking towards him.
"Ah"
His eyes met the person who peeked out from the hood of his robe.
Mofis' good mood that leaked out of his mouth disappeared when he met the person's eyes.
The other party seemed to have noticed Mofis and the others, and was smiling cheerfully as he rolled up his hood.
"Hello, I'm glad you're in a good mood. Has it been since you greeted Aifietouka-jou before?"
"T-Tigarokent-sama!!"
Mofis didn't expect to meet him here, and was extremely surprised to meet Tigaro.
The current Tigaro is not wearing the robes of the Noros family, but is wearing the same plain robe as the beastman maid behind him.
As a result, Mofis didn't notice it right away when he first saw it.
At first glance, Tigaro seemed friendly, but his demeanor showed no signs of complacency, which made the suspiciousness of his smile stand out even more.
In order not to hurt Tigaro's mood, Mofis looked at Tigaro's face while trying to be as calm as possible.
"W-what's the point in visiting the castle town full of commoners?"
"Haha, it's just shopping. There's a store that I'm personally close to."
"I-Is that so?"
Mofis smiled bitterly at Tigaro's friendly words, but he had doubts about them.
It is common for nobles to invite merchants to their mansions and buy the goods the merchants bring there.
Moreover, Tigaro is a member of the Noros family, one of the three major noble families in the kingdom.
In terms of power within the kingdom, he is a great aristocrat, second only to the royal family.
In fact, if they made a single call, not only the kingdom but also the entire continent would smell the money and the companies would probably come all over.
Mofis doesn't understand why he, a member of the influential Noros family, comes all the way to a castle town full of commoners.
Seeing that he wasn't wearing the robes of the Noros family, it didn't seem like he was trying to threaten a commoner woman with his power.
However, his actions, which cannot be predicted and whose intentions are unknown, continue to make Mofis even more anxious.
Perhaps, as the third son of the Noros family, he was looking at the people passing by in the capital, scrutinizing even the girls who looked like they could be easily attacked, Mofis thought, sweating in his mind.
While Mofis's thoughts were elsewhere, Tigaro still had a smile on his face that couldn't be read.
"It seems like... Eul-jou isn’t here, are you guiding them around the royal capital?"
"I-it's as you said. Eul-dono seems to be tired from the long journey, so today I'm only showing around Brelin-dono and Machen-dono."
"Oh, that's a shame. Please give my regards to Eul-jou."
Tigaro said this to Brelin and Machen who were bowing behind Mofis.
Normally, the conversation would have ended with this greeting and they would have said their goodbyes, but Tigaro didn't seem to be leaving, and was just thinking about something with his hand on his chin.
Mofis couldn't stop sweating.
"...That's right, I'll accompany you in place of Eul-jou."
"T-Tigarokent-sama!?"
Mofis stiffened at the sudden suggestion.
Tigaro has a cheerful smile on his face, but even though Mofis is a distant relative of the Fonedao main family and a member of the Wind Holy Knights, he is nowhere near the power of Tigaro, the son of the main Noros family.
Faced with such great power, Mofis could not refuse, but taking Tigaro with him and showing him around the capital was a heavy burden for Mofis, who was just a member of the Wind Holy Knights.
"Haha, I think this is a good opportunity to deepen our friendship with the people of the Empire."
Tigaro laughed friendly, but that smile actually made him anxious, and Mofis' face stiffened with tension.
Mofis looked behind him with a faint hope that the two people from the empire behind him would refuse.
"...Hmm. If that's the case, there's no need for me to say no."
Brelin didn't look at Tigaro very favorably, but he seemed to have accepted because there was no reason to refuse.
Mofis moves his gaze towards Machen, who is his last resort, but unexpectedly, Machen's eyes sparkle a little and he even shows an interest in Tigaro.
"I-I am surprised to be accompanied by Tigarokent Noros-sama of the Noros family, one of the three most noble families of the kingdom...... I-I am honored......!"
"Haha, I'm just accompanying you guys."
While receiving Machen's praise, Tigaro smiled at Mofis.
"I will ask you to lead the way."
"L-leave it to me."
In this situation, Mofis could not refuse.
Mofis gave up on his faint hope and inwardly shrugged his shoulders.
Tigaro looked behind him and opened his mouth to see the beastman maid holding a large bag.
"Kenna, please go home first and prepare food for Mother."
"Yes"
The beastman replied indifferently and started walking in the opposite direction from where Mofis and the others were heading.
Mofis was mysteriously worried about what he would do if the big bag held by that beastman slave was a girl he randomly abducted from the city.
Mofis understands even if he is a member of the Noros family he would never kidnap their own people in broad daylight, but it is impossible to deny the possibility that the Noros family would do something like this.
Besides, the current Mofis didn't have the courage or the wherewithal to pursue that slight possibility.
"N, nhh...! L-let's go then."
Disguising his anxiety and nervousness by clearing his throat, Mofis stood in front of the three and began walking.
---
Walking through the city, scented by cool breezes and the smell of water, Mofis pointed with his hand to the left.
"What you can see on your left is the royal castle where our king and members of the royal family live."
In that direction, there was a castle built at the highest point in the royal capital.
The large castle is clearly visible even from the castle town, and its white walls are reflected in the eyes of Mofis and the others.
In the sky above the castle, several members of the Wind Holy Knights can be seen riding magic tools and patrolling the surrounding area.
After talking about the kingdom for a while, Mofis' tension seemed to have eased, and his words became more fluent than before.
"The royal capital has the Royal Academy in the center, and is divided into wards to the north, south, east, and west. To the south is the royal castle and aristocratic district that you can see over there, to the east and north is the castle town, and the west ward, where we are now, is mainly used as a commercial area."
"Hmm? Isn't the royal castle in the center of the royal capital?"
"...It's the southernmost country on the continent, so...
Mofis nods in admiration at Machen's answer, which seems to be a modest confirmation.
"It's exactly as you said. The kingdom is the southernmost country on the continent, and in the past, enemy countries often invaded from the north, so it seems that the castle town was extended to the north to serve as a defensive wall. However, this royal capital has never been invaded by enemy countries or monsters for 400 years, so now it's just a vestige of the past."
Mofis said so proudly.
He was filled with pride in being a member of the knight order that had been protecting the capital, the most important place in the kingdom, for 400 years.
The four people crossing the bridge over the river stop, and Mofis points to the wall of the waterway beneath the bridge.
There is a large hole in it, from which water gushes out and flows down into the river.
Holes seem to be drilled all over the wall surrounding the river, and water can be seen flowing down from all of them.
"Can you see the water flowing there? That path of water is the secret to the hygiene of this royal capital."
"Hmm, underground sewer."
As a dwarf who is skilled at making things, Brelin seems to have a particular interest in buildings.
Water flows from the underground sewers to the river in the same way in the aristocratic town, so Tigaro is used to seeing it.
However, he only sees it as a part of his everyday scenery and has never paid much attention to it.
Looking at it again now, there are many things that even Tigaro, who lives in the royal capital, doesn't know.
Tigaro asked Mofis with a smile on his face.
"Isn’t the Water Holy Knights still in charge of managing the underground sewers?"
"Yes. However, after regularly purifying the water, it seems that most of them are just dripping water."
As Mofis and the others cross the bridge while talking, they can see the plaza right in front of them.
There was a fountain in the plaza, and you could see civilian children playing near the fountain, women standing around talking, and a lively scene.
Machen saw a bronze statue standing in the center of the fountain and pointed at it.
"Ah, maybe that bronze statue is Enyx, the water mage...?"
"Oh, that’s right, Machen-dono!! You know it very well!"
Mofis answered happily.
"As you know, the great hero Enyx is a water mage who subjugated the monsters that brought the royal capital to the brink of destruction four hundred years ago."
Tigaro said as if he was remembering while smiling.
"There's also a bronze statue in the school's fountain."
"Yes. Great Hero Enyx is the first principal and founder of the school. There are also documents that say that those underground sewers were built by Hero Enyx 400 years ago."
The great hero Enyx is a great man known to everyone in the kingdom, from small children to the elderly.
There are many heroic tales and stories based on the great hero Enyx, and he is still praised as a great mage who existed in history.
Tigaro also remembered with a sense of loneliness that his mother, Tesia, used to read him the heroic tales of the great hero Enyx.
At that moment, the four of them saw a sphere floating around the fountain.
The sphere appears to be made of water, and occasionally shakes its surface, watching over people with eyeball-like patterns.
Brelin narrowed his eyes and asked Mofis, suspicious.
"What's that?"
"That is water magic called [Water Eye] of the Water Holy Knights. Its role is to patrol and monitor the royal capital."
The floating spheres circulating around the fountain show no signs of disappearing.
Seeing this, Machen seemed to have noticed something and muttered.
"Ah, wouldn't a magic that lasts for such a long time and is so long-distance consume a considerable amount of mana...?"
"Haha. As Machen-dono said, that magic seems to consume a considerable amount of mana. It can't be moved quickly, and it seems that special magic tools are required."
Tigaro answered Machen's questions while remembering a story he heard from his childhood friend Aifie a long time ago.
Tigaro didn't pay attention to the existence of that magic when he was on good terms with Aifie, but now he is careful not to get into the magic's sight as much as possible.
That was also after Tigaro started to distance himself from Aifie.
Ever since that incident in which Tigaro threatened Aifie, people within the Asur family who manage the Water Holy Knights seem to have been sharing information about Tigaro's actions more quickly.
Information from the [Water Eyes] that roam the royal capital is no exception, and it seems that information is constantly shared from the Water Holy Knights to the Asur family.
That was probably a measure to prevent Tigaro from interfering with Aifie.
Until recently, he tended to keep a little distance from Aifie, so it seems like they haven't set up as strict a security net, but if Tigaro were to show any suspicious behavior towards Aifie, the information would be shared all at once.
The [Water Eye] that was wandering around the fountain changes its route and approaches Mofis and the others.
At this distance, the presence of Tigaro does not seem to be recognized, but you can tell that people are there.
Tigaro, who did not want to be seen by the [Water Eye], put on his hood, smiled cheerfully, and said goodbye to Mofis and the others.
"Well, I'm going to go back to the mansion. Mofis-dono, I'll ask you to take care of the two."
"Ha, leave it to me."
Tigaro returns to the bridge where he can hear the sound of water.
While looking at his back, Machen, who had been respectful to Tigaro all along while accompanying him, spoke.
"T-Tigarokent-san! I-if we have another chance, please tell me about your magic!"
The only magic that Tigaro can use is slave magic and manifestation magic which only the Noros family can use.
Machen also said that he has some knowledge of magic, so he is interested in rare magic.
Even though he thought so, Tigaro had no intention of getting close to him.
The reason he accompanied Machen and Brelin on their tour of the royal capital was because Tigaro didn't have much information about the empire, so he was thinking of getting it from them.
The Shirsodi Kingdom and the Asurora Empire are no longer in a hostile relationship, but judging from their past history, there is still a possibility that the Empire will invade the Kingdom.
Even if that time never comes, Tigaro needs to be prepared in order to protect Aifie and his mother, Tesia, in the unlikely event of an emergency.
This time, he only accompanied them to gather information for that purpose.
Tigaro turned around, still smiling, and responded by waving his hand lightly at Machen.
---
Standing in front of Aifie was a young man.
He opened his mouth to her with a suspicious smile on his face.
"――Aifietouka-jou."
"No, I want you to call me Aifie…!"
When Aifie cried out, a small shadow appeared from Tigaro's side and stood next to him.
"Aifie"
It is a young Tigaro with a gentle smile.
Aifie loves that gentle smile, and every time she remembers it, a warm feeling fills her heart.
The old Tigaro and the current Tigaro.
Even though there are two people there who are the same person, Aifie doesn't seem to be confused.
The images of the two Tigaros standing side by side blurred out.
Before she knew it, the outlines of the two people overlapped, and she could no longer see the boundaries that were once visible.
The outline of him that Aifie could see was vague, and his face was covered in mist, making it impossible to read his clear expression.
"I like the old Tigaro..."
In response to Aifie's cry, the overlapping outline becomes closer to Tigaro's childhood.
Tigaro, who now has a strong resemblance to his childhood, approaches Aifie.
Before she knew it, Aifie was in Tigaro's arms.
"Ah, a beautiful flower that dances with the wind and water is the perfect word for you."
Tigaro said something like that in a pleasant voice.
Words that would be off-putting to anyone else, but if it was Tigaro who said them, Aifie's heart danced.
"T-Tigaro..."
Aifie is embarrassed, but looks at Tigaro with moist eyes and expectancy.
"――Aifie, please be mine."
Those kind yet selfish words stimulated Aifie's heart and uterus.
Tigaro's lips approach Aifie's expecting lips.
Aifie's hips trembled with such happiness and pleasure that her head went blank.
---
She slowly opened her eyelids.
The thin curtain-like canopy that appears in her field of vision is attached to her bed.
From the sounds she could hear, she could tell that the maids in the Asur family mansion were busy, and that it was the time when the Asur family members were also waking up.
Today is a school holiday.
From noon, she has an appointment with Mozu―― the female student who was frightened by Tigaro just the other day.
The other day, Aifie protected her from Tigaro's gaze, and later she thanked her for that, and they exchanged words several times.
Mozu is a timid girl, but her stories are surprisingly interesting, and before long, she and Aifie somehow hit it off, and before she knew it, they had become friends.
In fact, she seems to be a distant relative of the Fonedao family, so it might not be a bad idea to talk about wind attribute magic today.
Thinking like this, Aifie's body felt strangely tired and mysteriously elated, making her feel lethargic.
The light shining through the curtains and illuminating the room was warm.
It's probably about time for the maids to bring a change of clothes.
Aifie tries to get up and moves her hand that is in her crotch.
She heard the sound of slick liquid.
Aifie looked at her hands with sleepy eyes.
"..."
Her hand was pulling a glossy, sticky thread, and the thread that broke in the middle was the one extending from her own crotch.
Aifie instinctively knitted her eyebrows together and stared at her mucus-covered hands with an indescribable state of mind.
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