Volume 1 Chapter 5 I'm Going Sightseeing, But..
After running for a while, we managed to make it to the main street. I looked back, but there didn't seem to be anyone chasing us.
We continued through the crowd on the main street and finally stopped at a distant corner of the road at the entrance of an alley.
"Phew, at least we've made it this far, that's a relief."
Feeling a bit out of breath, I looked at the young lady.
I had tried to keep my speed slow so she wouldn't fall behind, but she was still leaning against the wall of a building, looking extremely tired.
"I-I'm sorry. I don't usually go out much..."
"Don't worry about it. Take a deep breath and let's calm down first."
"O-Okay, I understand..."
She put her hand on her chest and took a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing.
...I feel like they're shaking just by taking a deep breath.
Without knowing that I was thinking such thoughts, the young lady took a few deep breaths (while swaying) to calm herself and then turned towards me.
"I really appreciate your help."
"You're welcome."
It was a spontaneous action, but it seems that my choice was not a mistake for her.
"Um, may I ask about the circumstances?"
"Well... um..."
"Oh, it's okay. If it's hard to answer, I won't force you."
"Is it really okay?"
"It's okay."
Helping someone doesn't mean getting deeply involved in their situation. That's a separate issue.
After giving a brief response, I started the conversation.
"I left that place impulsively, but did you have some business there, young lady? I think it would be better to stay away at least for today."
This young lady had stepped into such a suspicious place. There must have been a significant reason for it. I felt a little guilty, thinking that I had done something wrong.
"Um, no. Actually... I got lost and just happened to end up there."
"...Huh, really?"
"Yes, really."
I couldn't help but ask again in surprise at the unexpected answer. The woman nodded shyly, and I started feeling oddly embarrassed for jumping to conclusions.
"Oh... well, let me ask in a different way. What are you going to do now?"
"What do you mean by 'what to do'?"
"I mean, do you have any plans for where to go next?"
When I asked that, the girl awkwardly looked away.
Hey, wait a minute.
"...Wait, were you wandering around without any plans?"
"Actually, I would say that wandering around without any plans was the purpose..."
What kind of purpose is that! I wanted her to understand how I felt, but saying it out loud would totally crush her, so I held back the urge to blurt it out at the last moment.
I looked up at the sky once to regain my composure.
"Well, would you like to come with me for a while?"
"--?"
"Actually, I just came to Royal Capital. I'm planning to take a walk around city and do some sightseeing. What do you think?"
"--, please let me join you!!"
When I suggested this, the young lady happily accepted with a smile. She says, wait a minute, that smile is so beautiful it's almost embarrassing to look at it.
"Oh, I see, then let's go together."
"Yes!"
I got a little upset when she seemed to be enthusiastic about it, but I'm glad that she seemed happy with it.
In this way, my first day at the Royal Capital was changed from "Assault to the Red Light District next door!" to "Sightseeing at the Royal Capital with a mysterious beautiful girl."
"Hmm... your friend invited you."
"We're not really close friends, though. I have no idea why he decided to take me with him."
Walking through the lively streets side by side with the young lady, I talk about various things that happened before I came to the royal capital.
The young lady nods and smiles with interest at every word I say. I'm not sure what exactly she finds amusing, but I'm glad she's enjoying the conversation.
"--By the way, the royal capital is really bustling, huh? Is it like this every day?"
There are stalls lining the main street, and occasionally street performers showcase their talents, receiving cheers from the crowd. Some people listen to the storytelling of minstrels, while others simply play musical instruments and receive applause from those around them.
I'm impressed by the liveliness of the royal capital with all this energy every day. However, the young lady disagrees with my impression.
"No, it's not usually this lively. These past few days have been special."
"Special--? Is there some kind of festival going on?"
"Well... yes. Actually, it was announced by the Pope of the Fonia Church a week ago. It seems that a 'Brave' chosen by the God will visit this royal capital."
"Hmm, a Brave, huh... Wait, is it okay to advertise it like that!?"
After that, I was talking to this young lady about my journey to the royal capital, but conveniently avoided mentioning the important stuff about this 'Brave' person. I mean, who's gonna believe that I know the Brave? And I didn't really feel like spreading that information around easily anyway.
...But, wait.
Isn't the Pope like the big boss at the Church? And now they're all out there promoting the Brave. Talk about playing it safe, huh? They better give me some credit for being considerate.
"With all this talk about the Demon King coming back, people are getting pretty worried. But according to them, Brave-sama is supposed to bring hope to the world. They say he's a shining light in everyone's hearts."
Seems like they're trying to distract the masses from their worries by making a big deal out of Brave's existence. And look at the result - the royal capital is all bustling and full of life.
It's lucky for me too, 'cause I get to enjoy this liveliness with the pretty girl next to me.
"Alright, since we're here, let's enjoy the food stalls, shall we?"
"--Huh? ...Oh, y-yeah. Since we're here, let's have fun!"
For a moment, the young lady showed a surprised expression, but then quickly smiled. I didn't delve deeper into it.
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