Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 255

 "It's jealousy. Being appointed directly by the lord as the captain of the young knights in the new duchy, he is in a position to be envied. But in the case of this territory, things are a bit different."

It seems he's steadily advancing on the elite path...

"...Ah."

The mention of this territory struck a chord with me. Since the days it was called Lutrul, this town had been out of the lord's sight, and unlike adventurers, the status of knights wasn't particularly high.

However, recently, whether it's adventurers or knights, the wind has started to change a bit.

"Have you noticed? The most trusted force in the territory now is Alexio and Jighard. They transitioned from being adventurers to knights and recruited some adventurers as knights. The residents don’t bother with distinctions like the 1st or 2nd squads. To the people of Liana territory, the face of the knights is Alexio."

"Oh, I see..."

Among adventurers, Jighard is more charismatic. He's incredibly strong and stands out. But Alex is more popular among the town's residents. Well, Jighard doesn't come into town much... Alex, who frequently visits and talks to the residents, gets most of the attention.

Even though he's Seriana's close aide, it might be hard for him to accept that former adventurers are standing in the position he wanted. And maybe that, combined with things about me and Teresa, leads to his attitude.

"The role of knights in this territory will involve dealing with monsters for a while, so the 2nd squad will be the main force of the knights. During this time, Rick is expected to learn his duties."

"You've met the vice-captain, Ashley, right? He's Carlos's son and Rick's mentor."

Riesel said, looking at Carlos, who was standing behind.

"Judging by Captain Rick's condition... he seems quite lenient."

Carlos's words were harsh, and Riesel and the others laughed.

"Fortunately or unfortunately, our territory is currently managed by the 2nd squad, so we can afford to wait for his growth. Still, if anything becomes too much to overlook, tell me or Auguste."

"Sure."

Well, he does his job properly... he must have the ability. I don’t think I need to get involved unnecessarily, and that’s fine with me.

◇

"Sera, from today, try to stay up as much as possible at night."

That night, I was abruptly told this in Seriana's room. Elena and Teresa looked puzzled.

"What? Are we going to have some nighttime fun?"

Still, I didn't understand why I wasn't allowed to sleep.

"No, we're going to reverse day and night for the next few days. You can stay in the mansion during this time. With the 1st squad's work, more people are in the forest's shallows, right? There shouldn't be any problem even if you don't go hunting."

Thinking about the recent activities of the adventurers, it's true there's no problem even if I don't go.

"Well, that makes sense... but what are we doing?"

I didn’t see any reason for me to switch my schedule to day and night.

"I have something I want you to deliver to your father."

My father... so that means...

"Do you want me to go to Zelxis's territory?"

"Yes. Plus, you should do it without being seen by anyone. If you start moving at night, it should be possible, right?"

"Well... I think I can manage that."

This mansion is on a hill in the southwest of the town. If I sneak out through the window and gain altitude while moving, I should avoid the guards' eyes.

"Wait a moment."

As I considered the feasibility, Teresa stopped me with a question.

"What is it, Teresa?"

"Are you saying the princess is going to Zelxis territory alone?"

"Yes."

Seriana answered.

"The princess can't ride a horse, and even if she uses the 【Floating Orb】, isn't it dangerous? It would take too much time."

"...Sera, what have you explained to Teresa?"

"I told her it's faster than me running..."

I initially wasn't sure about Teresa’s exact role, so I gave vague answers. I showed her the 【Shadow Sword】 but didn’t mention the 【Hideout】.

"Being cautious is good... Teresa, the 【Floating Orb】 is much faster than a horse. I've arranged with the wives of the deputies in each town as resting points along the way, so there's no problem."

When heading to the royal capital for the wedding, such arrangements were discussed. Though I don’t think I’ll need to use them... Teresa confirmed a few more details about the route and seemed convinced.

Still... traveling alone to another town... how many kilometers is it?