The capital city is the heart of the nation, serving as the last bastion of defense in the event of an invasion. Consequently, the capital is divided into four distinct districts, each surrounded by its own wall.
Starting from the outermost, the districts are the Commercial District, the Residential District, the Noble District, and the Royal District. Correspondingly, the walls are named White Wall, Gray Wall, Red Wall, and Black Wall.
To pass through these walls, one must present proof of their identity to the soldiers at the gates, even if they are a noble.
While it is theoretically possible for a mage to bypass the walls, a barrier in the shape of a hemisphere covers the entire capital from above, making unauthorized entry nearly impossible. Additionally, mages serving the royal castle patrol the walls, further ensuring that such breaches are almost unthinkable.
“Brother… can we go home?”
“What? We just got here! We’re not going back now!”
With my brother pulling me along, I sighed. After dropping off our belongings at our residence in the capital, we were now exploring the Commercial District.
I had no particular interest in going there, but my brother insisted on dragging me out. He even left a note for our parents instead of informing them directly.
“We’ll get scolded by Father and Mother if we go back now.”
“Don’t worry! They said they had something to do, right? As long as we get back before they return, it will be fine.”
“Ugh…”
Though my brother is generally serious, he sometimes lets loose. It’s strange because he’s not normally careless. Yet, things always seem to end up going awry when he acts like this.
Well, my brother is skilled in magic, so he can protect himself to some extent. And I’ve become quite strong through three years of training. Since we are in the capital, the risks are minimal. So my concerns might be unfounded.
“Come on, Kraze! Let’s buy something from a stall!”
“Uh, what about the money…?”
“Heh, of course I have some.”
With a proud look, my brother pulled out a bulging pouch from his pocket. When he shook it lightly, the clinking of coins could be heard.
“These are part of my savings. Should be enough, don’t you think?”
My brother and I regularly hunt monsters in the neighboring forest and sell their materials. While we do receive some pocket money from our parents, it’s not much. Most of my brother’s savings come from monster hunting. So I have no room to complain. Sigh… I suppose it can’t be helped.
“Well… alright then.”
“Great! Let’s go!”
My brother pulled me into the crowd. Despite our small size, we managed to navigate through the bustling street.
As expected of the capital, the people here had a certain refined air about them. Adventurers like me from my previous life would definitely stand out if they visited the capital.
As we walked, a pleasant aroma began to waft through the air. On both sides of the main street, there were various food stalls offering a range of dishes.
Unlike the refined meals we had at the mansion, the food here was more rustic. It reminded me of the kind of food I used to eat when I was an adventurer in my past life.
“Here’s your share, Kraze.”
“Thank you.”
What my brother bought was… a grand rondel. It’s a simple food item consisting of bread filled with seasoned meat and vegetables, easy to eat, and popular worldwide. It was something I frequently had in my past life.
Of course, there are regional differences in what is stuffed in the bread. But overall, it was always delicious.
Biting into it while imagining the taste, it was just as good as I had imagined… or even better. It was tastier than anything I had ever eaten in my previous life. Perhaps it’s due to the high-quality ingredients used in the capital’s stalls.
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
My brother also seemed satisfied. Unlike me, who had memories of my past life, my brother, who was purely a noble, was also enjoying the taste. This confirmed that my taste buds were not faulty.
A few minutes later, I finished the last bite.
“I’m quite full now, so let’s save the rest for another time.”
My brother, patting his stomach, muttered with disappointment. Both he and I were only ten years old, so we had small appetites. One grand rondel was more than enough to fill us up.
We made our way back through the crowd and passed through the gate using my brother’s magic to conceal us. We returned to the Noble District.
Now, we only needed to sneak back into the residence without being noticed by the gatekeeper, but…
“That’s… a carriage from the Oriondoll Marquis House…”
“How can you tell?”
“Look, it has the family crest. That crest belongs to the Oriondoll Marquis House.”
“I see…”
I knew that nobles had family crests, but I hadn’t realized that the Oriondoll Marquis House had one. The Oriondoll Marquis House, like mine, is a marquis family and is also important for guarding the kingdom’s borders.
“Do you think they came for the birthday celebration?”
“Probably. There are three carriages, and the most luxurious one is likely carrying the Oriondoll family.”
“Ah, someone is sticking their head out.”
Someone… hmm, a girl about my age. I didn’t recognize her, but I had heard rumors about a girl of my age from the Oriondoll Marquis House.
“That must be the rumored young lady.”
“Is she the genius they’re talking about?”
“Yes.”
Her name… I forgot, but she’s reputed to be a magical genius. Though I think my brother is also quite a genius, it seems she surpasses even him.
Apparently, she was said to have been enveloped in magical power at birth, and by age five, she surpassed the abilities of a typical mage. Her talents were truly extraordinary.
Using my battle aura to enhance my vision, I looked at her face. It was undeniably striking—no, even someone like me, who usually isn’t interested in people’s appearances, was amazed. She looked like a stunning beauty straight out of a fairy tale.
“That’s unusual.”
“Huh?”
“It’s the first time I’ve seen you show interest in someone.”
My brother looked at me as if he was seeing something rare. It seemed he thought I was interested in the young lady.
Well, that’s not entirely incorrect.
“She’s a magical genius, right? I’m just curious about how strong she really is.”
I’m not interested in appearance or beauty; only strength matters to me. So my interest in the young lady was purely because of her reputed strength.
“Heh, I knew you’d say that. I expected nothing less from you, Kraze.”
“Why do you look so frustrated?”
Despite his cheerful words, my brother’s face was contorted with frustration. It was almost unsettling.
“Why, you ask? Because… I can’t stand the thought of some noble girl catching my Kraze’s interest…”
My brother glared at the departing carriage, gritting his teeth with intense frustration. It was so extreme that it almost seemed like he might start bleeding.
“Brother.”
“Kraze…!”
“Let’s go back quickly.”
“Ugh…”
He must have been hoping for some comforting words. But I wasn’t one for being kind, and I had nothing to say to a pervert.
“A genius, huh…”
Ignoring my brother, who was still muttering, I pondered. How strong is she? And if she is strong, how does she compare? Would my sword be effective against her?
As the future approached, I couldn’t help but smile.
