“Hey! Stop right there!”
“Nope!”
No matter where you go, the loudest sounds in the alleys are from kids making a ruckus.
Even if it were in the middle of a war zone, it would be the same.
But this place was way too peaceful to be called a battlefield.
“How much for this?”
“10 coins.”
Inside the royal castle, a coup was happening.
Yet outside the castle, life looked unbelievably tranquil.
Everyone seemed to be just living their daily lives.
“Weird.”
The first to speak was Yusera.
Even that kind of talk wasn’t acceptable here.
“Yusera.”
As I shot her a warning glance, she zipped her lips.
We were already attracting quite a bit of attention.
We needed to watch our mouths.
‘Especially because all the eyes are on Yusera.’
Despite me and Elsie disguising ourselves with black hair, we didn’t quite have the vibe of Sakh.
But Yusera, with her black hair and classic Sakh beauty, was a head-turner.
Just walking around was enough for her to attract both good and bad looks.
“Let’s find a place to stay first.”
It seemed difficult to wander around the kingdom freely with Yusera in tow.
Sorry, but it was best to keep Yusera at the accommodation until the decisive battle.
And…
‘Fortunately, I don’t see any watchers.’
Only curious regular folks were staring at us.
There were no spies trailing us.
So I could focus on the operation without any pretense of hunting Chaos Beasts.
“Elsie, do you think you can find where the inn is?”
Due to a three-year isolation decree, most inns had shut down.
But it seemed there was one left that had a partnership with the church.
“Um, I’m not confident.”
I could understand that.
She had likely spent most of her time in the royal castle.
When she snuck out of the Leim Kingdom, there wasn’t even time to get familiar with the area.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to ask around.”
I reluctantly began to inquire about directions from the citizens nearby.
Given their wariness of outsiders, it wasn’t easy, but thankfully everyone pointed me in the right direction, and we found the inn without much hassle.
But the real problem came next.
*
“It’s one silver coin per day.”
The accommodation fee was outrageously high.
One silver coin was what you’d spend on living expenses for a month back in Basilium.
Of course, there would be a considerable difference in prices, but even so, this was absurd.
‘Inflation, perhaps?’
I sensed something similar while walking through the streets earlier.
The prices in the Leim Kingdom were quite abnormal right now.
It seemed the ones behind the coup had released a lot of money to calm the people’s hearts.
‘And this inn is practically monopolizing the accommodation for outsiders to the Leim Kingdom…’
I could understand the steep price.
But if we booked three rooms, it would cost us three silver coins a night.
With only about a week left until the Undecided Festival, 21 silver coins was no small amount to spend.
‘Especially after paying for potions, equipment, and tolls…’
It was at that moment I was deep in thought.
“Two rooms should be enough, right?”
It was Elsie.
“Women can share a room.”
I had been thinking that too.
But having one bed per person would probably be better for recovering from fatigue.
I was considering spending a bit more for three rooms.
However, Elsie seemed okay with sharing a room, so Yusera’s opinion became crucial.
“Yusera, would that be alright with you?”
Yusera seemed to be contemplating my question.
Even among women, sharing a bed was…
“How about we just use one room?”
Yusera blurted out an unexpected suggestion.
“W-What do you mean?”
Even Elsie, who usually didn’t get flustered, looked shocked.
I was slightly bewildered and asked Yusera.
“Wait, so you’re saying just one room?”
But Yusera maintained her calm demeanor.
“We’re basically comrades, after all. We don’t really have any weird feelings for each other, so sharing a room shouldn’t be a problem, right?”
That’s how it should be, really.
No, it shouldn’t be any other way.
No matter how close you are as comrades, predicting matters between men and women can be tricky.
Both me and Elsie were well aware of that.
“Still, sharing a room between guys and girls just feels unhealthy.”
Ironically, the one saying it was the most “unhealthy” one.
But Yusera didn’t seem to care at all.
“Are you perhaps looking at Sung Yoo-rang in an unhealthy way?”
“Well… of course not.”
Finally, Elsie turned to me.
“Still, doesn’t Mr. Sung Yoo-rang prefer a private room? I think he might need his own space to relax…”
For some reason, there was a sparkle in her eyes.
Come to think of it, her emphasis on ‘private room’ and ‘relax’ felt a tad too pronounced.
That look… is it what I think it is?
‘If I have a private room, I’d be separated from Yusera the way things are.’
Indeed, this chick is the most “unhealthy.”
And Yusera’s following words were also accurate.
“That’s something he should determine for himself.”
It seemed the decision lay on my shoulders.
Should we book one room or two…
‘What should I do?’
Really, sharing one room is, as Elsie said, “unhealthy.”
But the issue was that Elsie was even “more unhealthy.”
If I shared a room, I wasn’t sure I could handle Elsie.
‘And it’s not a trial; this is reality.’
I’d like to get stronger before tackling reality with Elsie.
Otherwise, health risks could happen.
So I asked at the inn’s counter.
“Do you have a cot available, by any chance?”
“Mr. Sung Yoo-rang?”
Elsie shot me a look as if she were begging, but it was no use.
“Yes, we can rent a cot for 10 coins.”
“In that case, please book that and one room.”
*
“Elsie.”
“Yes?”
Despite the inn situation, Elsie didn’t seem particularly disappointed.
“Are you alright? We’re forced to share one room now, you know.”
“Well, it can’t be helped. In truth, that might have been the most rational choice.”
I had been worried she might sulk, but it seemed I had misjudged her.
“Though I do feel a tad regretful.”
Of course, I suspected she’d feel that way, so I had left Yusera at the inn while I took Elsie out alone.
We had just come out purportedly to buy something edible from the inn.
“By the way…”
Elsie still wore a calm expression.
But I could easily tell that calmness was merely a façade.
It was nearly impossible for her to look serene while taking in the sights around us.
“Isn’t it peaceful?”
Her feelings were far from the truth; the Leim Kingdom was only peaceful on the surface.
I agreed wholeheartedly.
Compared to Basilium swarming with bandits or Sakh filled with goons and vagrants, the Leim Kingdom was indeed calm.
‘But…’
Just then, I heard voices from a tavern passing by.
“I tell you! The king’s dead for sure!”
At that moment, Elsie stopped in her tracks.
“I was so uneasy because of that guy. With how peaceful things have been lately, it makes more sense to say he’s dead and the Captain of the Knights is in charge.”
Until now, Elsie had maintained a somewhat neutral expression, but it was now twisted in anguish.
After all, what the man had jestingly said was entirely factual.
Elsie’s father, the king, wasn’t exactly known for good governance, reputedly enjoying drinking and revelry among the people, earning the nickname “King of Pleasure.”
“Elsie.”
But such matters were insignificant now.
We mustn’t be deceived by this immediate fake peace.
As I called her name, she recognized this and adjusted her expression.
Then we resumed walking.
After quietly strolling through the streets, we eventually arrived at the plaza.
It was a plaza with a human-sized sculpture in the center.
Surrounding it, stalls were starting to pop up one by one.
“Are they preparing for the Undecided Festival?”
“Yes, it’s only a week away. And the festival itself starts three days prior to the main event.”
“Ah, I see.”
As we browsed the surrounding stalls, Elsie and I found ourselves drawn to the statue in the center like moths to a flame.
It depicted a woman kneeling with hands clasped in prayer.
However, the peculiar thing was that the statue had no face.
“It doesn’t have a face?”
“Well, it’s the statue of the Nameless King.”
“The Nameless King?”
“Don’t you know?”
Elsie asked, surprised.
After all, I had seemed knowledgeable until now.
But I couldn’t help what I didn’t know.
“Then I guess I should give you a brief summary.”
She began to outline the story from 500 years ago connected to the Nameless King, telling how she prayed and ultimately sacrificed her existence to protect the Leim Kingdom.
After hearing that, I understood.
‘Perhaps it was the promise with her ancestor that triggered Libero…’
It was highly probable it was a promise with the Nameless King.
At that thought, a lump formed in my chest.
And it seemed the same went for Elsie, her descendant.
“She sacrificed her existence for the Leim Kingdom. No one remembers her face or her name. Hence, she’s the Nameless King, unable to even have a sculpture made of her face.”
But there was something strange about that.
“Then why were there several statues with faces earlier? Are they also from the Nameless King?”
Those statues also had their hands in a prayer position.
“Yes, at least that’s what people think. There are many who find faceless figures frightening.”
I could see why that might be.
But those faces varied widely, lacking any uniformity.
And above all, none resembled Elsie at all.
‘But she’s an ancestor. You’d think they’d bear some resemblance…’
Just then.
Suddenly, Elsie tugged on my sleeve.
“Huh?”
“Over there…”
She pointed towards a stall where an elderly woman was seated.
The woman was carving wooden sculptures about the size of a fist.
“About that sculpture. I saved up some money today; could you buy one for me?”
It wouldn’t be a problem at all.
Considering the Leim Kingdom’s prices along with the unique cost of such souvenirs, I worried a bit, but if it was within a silver coin, it didn’t seem to be an issue.
And…
‘I’ve been eyeing it since earlier, and that’s the only faceless sculpture.’
If I could lift Elsie’s spirits with that, then that would be great.
*
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