Return to the Capital After a Long Time
The next day.
I left the work at the local station to Elina and paid a visit to the royal capital of Landval for the first time in a while.
“Still as lively as ever.”
It hasn’t even been a year since I was assigned to the Curtis Village station, yet the capital somehow feels nostalgic, as if I’m returning for the first time in decades. The hustle and bustle that I used to take for granted now sounds grating to my ears.
I suppose that just means my body has fully adjusted to rural life.
… Thinking back, when I first arrived in the Abbott region, I was so fired up about returning to the capital as soon as possible.
Back then, I was chasing promotions with an elite mindset, utterly clueless about how the world really worked.
Looking at it now, I can’t help but be embarrassed by the person I was.
In that sense, Curtis Village taught me a lot.
Maybe I should even thank Hank—the one who framed me and sent me there—for that, in a way.
“Maybe I should bring back some souvenirs for everyone in the village.”
The old me wouldn’t have had a thought like that.
That’s another big change I’ve gone through.
As I passed through the central boulevard of the capital, I came upon the bridge spanning the canal.
There, several soldiers stood guard in a tight security formation.
Beyond that bridge lay the royal castle, and nearby was the Knights Order’s station where I used to work.
After presenting my identification and confirming that I was a proper knight affiliated with the order, I was finally allowed to pass.
Amira had already sent a familiar ahead to inform Vice-Commander Bellows of my visit to the capital—but since I came without waiting for a reply, it was more or less a surprise visit.
I figured I’d be in for a long wait—maybe even staying overnight—so I planned to use the time for personal training or something. I could always borrow the station’s nap room to sleep, which was free.
… Or so I was thinking, when I was unexpectedly called in much sooner than anticipated.
Apparently, a friend from my cohort had pulled some strings for me.
“It’s rare for you to come all the way out here. Did something happen?”
That friend was Miracca.
“There’s a situation that’s been bothering me. I’m gathering information on a certain knight.”
“Don’t tell me... Wesley?”
“—! How did you know?”
Does Miracca know about the matter with Lillian?
Or is Wesley being talked about for some entirely different reason?
If she knows something, I’ll need her to join the meeting with Vice-Commander Bellows.
What do you think about this chapter?
