After observing the town for a while, it seemed like a lively and safe place.
This is evidence that the person governing the city is doing a good job. Considering they built such impressive city walls, it’s no surprise.
Upon arriving at the barracks, I got off the cart and helped Arnella and Noel down. In the process, their hoods got disheveled, nearly exposing their swimsuit-clad bodies.
Both of them quickly grabbed their hoods, clearly embarrassed. While wearing swimsuits at the beach feels liberating and isn’t an issue, walking around town in them would just make them look like exhibitionists.
Yeah, I’d be embarrassed too.
Led by the soldiers, we entered the barracks. We then had to go through some procedures.
“Let’s get your name,” one of the soldiers said.
“Ahavain. Ahavain Orbst.”
“…Orbst? What a coincidence.”
“What do you mean?”
The surname Orbst is one I’ve never heard from anyone other than my parents. I thought it was pretty rare.
“Are you an Orbst too?”
“No way. That would be presumptuous of me, given the Grand Duke Orbst.”
Grand Duke Orbst.
That’s a big title. A grand duke is just below a king, higher than a duke.
It’s a position of immense power, second only to the king.
If that spoiled princess had stayed in the empire, she might have ended up like that.
But let me be clear—I don’t know anyone like that.
“Just to be sure, you’re not related to them, are you?”
“Of course not! It’s just a coincidence. If I knew someone like that, I wouldn’t be stranded in the grasslands in this outfit.”
“Yeah, I figured. I don’t know how that would even happen, but whatever. You helped us, so I won’t pry too much.”
Maybe it’s because we saved their lives, but they didn’t press further. It’s a relief because I wouldn’t know how to explain this situation.
To them, we probably just look like idiots who got stranded in swimsuits. If it weren’t for that, they wouldn’t have let us into the city so easily, especially after seeing Mastema’s strength.
Our foolishness outweighed the threat. When in doubt, use whatever you can, even if it’s embarrassing.
“Don’t do anything to tarnish the Orbst name. The Grand Duke is beloved by everyone. You might get stoned.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t cause any trouble.”
“I hope so. Here’s your permit. It’s temporary, so if you want a permanent one, find a job and prepare fifty silver coins. Ten per person.”
He handed me a thin card. On the front, it displayed my name and the remaining duration of my stay. The back listed some precautions.
It mentioned that the card would be confiscated if we committed any crimes.
At first, I thought it was just for me, but apparently, this single card contained information for all of us. It looked like just a regular card, though.
“Magic-based information recording and reading… It’s still in the research phase,” Sepia muttered behind me.
She’s been going on about the Noreiz Magical Kingdom since we got here. If this is the future, it’s not that surprising, but Sepia seems to think otherwise.
“…I’d like to say you’re free to go, but your outfits are a problem,” the soldier in charge said with a sigh.
I completely understand what he means.
Even with the hoods, our outfits are still suspicious. We’d have trouble finding a place to sleep, let alone a job.
I opened the bag and looked inside. There wasn’t much, but maybe something valuable…
I found three imperial gold coins tucked away in the corner. The Ariez Empire was a massive nation that made its name across the continent. Even with the chaos of the Lion War, it reigned as a hegemonic power. Maybe the coins would still be useful here.
The gold content should be over 80%. To strengthen the coins, other metals were mixed in, but the empire didn’t skimp on gold.
Their value might have dropped, but if treated as gold, they should be enough to buy clothes and a place to sleep.
“Can I use these gold coins?”
“Oh, you’ve got gold? Then you don’t have to worry… Wait, where are these from?”
“What’s this? Ariez Empire gold coins?”
The soldier picked up the coins, examining both sides with a puzzled look. Unfortunately, the empire doesn’t seem to be nearby. It’s hard to believe such a powerful nation could disappear.
“Imperial gold coins? Let me see,” an older soldier said, stepping forward.
He seemed to have been in the service for a long time, acting more authoritative than the soldier in charge.
“Well, this is a rare find. I thought they’d all been melted down by now, but I guess some are still around.”
“Melted down? Were they in circulation?”
“This was before I was born. I don’t know the details. I’ve only seen one before, but it definitely looked like this.”
“So, do they have any value?”
“Haha, no. Not really. If they’re worth anything, it’s just as gold.”
With that, the older soldier handed the coins back.
“So, that’s how it is. I thought they might be counterfeit, but apparently not.”
“Sorry about that. Hey, could you exchange these coins and buy us some clothes? I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Sure, I guess. I need to go to the bank anyway. Don’t worry about paying me back. Just consider us even.”
“Thanks a lot.”
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Besides, a soldier probably wouldn’t run off with the money. Right? I’m a little worried.
I handed over the coins, keeping one for myself, and asked him to buy us clothes.
While we waited, the barracks returned to their daily routine, ignoring us. That’s fine. I’d rather not be bothered.
Some of the younger soldiers were sneaking glances at Arnella and the others. I’ll let them look at their faces. They’re young, after all.
After a while, the soldier returned, pushing a cart with clothes for all five of us. It must have been bulky and hard to carry.
“Here, this should do.”
“Keep the change. Oh, by the way, how much did it cost?”
“Don’t worry about it. It’s mostly just the value of the gold.”
I need to figure out the currency value of this country as soon as possible. Apparently, one gold coin was worth sixty silver coins.
I took the clothes from the soldier and borrowed a changing room. There wasn’t a separate room for women, so all five of us changed together.
