Gather Divine Coins and Gacha! - Chapter 257

 By the time the eastern sky began to brighten, the city walls of the Zelchis territory's capital finally came into view.

The route here hadn't been a straight line. There was a mountain, not particularly tall, but it forced us to detour a few kilometers around it. Other than that, we had traveled along the main road.

We had taken three breaks at the 【Hideout】, totaling about an hour… So, is it past 5 AM now? We left around 11 PM, so it’s been about five hours. I can only estimate based on my sense of time, but considering we averaged around 100 kilometers per hour, we must have covered about 500 kilometers.

I remember that the distance from Tokyo to Kyoto is about that much. Just how vast is this place…?

Should I be pleased that we managed to cover in six hours what would normally take a week?

"Well then… what should I do?"

At this hour, the gates of the city walls should still be closed. I could scale the wall, or even ask the gate guards—who I’m familiar with—to let me through, but… the goal this time is to avoid being seen by anyone.

"Hmm…"

This all-black outfit is effective at night, but as it gets brighter, it might actually have the opposite effect. There’s still no sign of people, but I can’t afford to dawdle.

"Maybe I should wait until nightfall."

This city, especially the guards at the mansion, always take their training seriously. I doubt they would notice an intrusion from the sky, but it’s not worth the risk.

Having made up my mind, I landed about a kilometer away from the capital and activated the 【Hideout】.

◇

Observing the outside through the monitor, it was already pitch dark, and there was no sign of anyone around. I kept watch for a few minutes just to be sure, but there wasn’t even a monster in sight.

After entering the 【Hideout】 early in the morning, I took a bath, had something to eat, and then was quickly overcome by sleepiness. The long, high-speed journey through the open air had taken its toll, even with breaks, so as soon as I got into bed, I slept soundly until nightfall.

"Alright… time to go."

Once again, I donned the all-black outfit, steeled myself, and swiftly exited the 【Hideout】.

"Whew…"

The moment of entering and exiting the 【Hideout】 is always the scariest. It’s not often I get close to the ground like this… But the tense moment passed, and I gained altitude, heading toward the southern side of the city.

Tonight, too, the sky was clear, with stars scattered across it. I need to be careful not to get caught…

The eastern side of the city is heavily guarded against monsters, but the rest of the focus is mainly inward. That’s the weak spot in the security. Well, I doubt there’s anyone else besides me who would try to infiltrate from the sky, though!

Feeling a bit cocky, I successfully crossed the city wall and made my way into the estate of the lord.

There were guards in the garden with dogs, so I didn’t think I’d be spotted, but to be safe, I headed toward the old man’s room from the roof. As long as I stayed on the roof, I wouldn’t be noticed, so I could safely use the 【Fairy Eye】. I’d roamed freely inside the mansion before, but I’d never tried finding a room from the roof, so without this, it might have been tricky…

◇

I could see light coming from the room’s window, so I knew he was still awake. The problem was how to get him to let me in. If I tried to knock while hiding, it might raise suspicion. On the other hand, if I called out loud enough to be heard inside, the guards might hear as well.

So, I decided to show myself in front of the window and knock. I’d have to do it quickly so the guards wouldn’t spot me…!

When I tapped on the window frame, since he was alone in the room, he immediately opened the window and let me in.

"Good evening."

"Indeed. You’ve done well to come."

…He didn’t seem surprised at all. He knows who I am, of course, but it’s still nighttime, and I’m not staying at the mansion during the day or anything.

"Um… Did you happen to notice I was coming?"

I was confident I had snuck in successfully… but was I caught?

"No, I was surprised. It might be best not to do that with anyone else."

The old man responded with a casual smile. He then sat at his desk and looked at me.

"My daughter sent a letter saying she would send someone around autumn. She was talking about you, wasn’t she?"

Seriana, huh…?