TN: Please read my translations only on my website nyx-translation.com since I never give my permission to any site to host my translations. And if you like my translations, please support this site on Ko-fi and Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Sponsored chapter by Patreon. Enjoy~
TL: ALT
Chapter 3 – Narrow Down the Location of the Shrine
After returning the rented costumes and horse-drawn carriage, Wataru and the others went back to the inn.
As Mariel had said, the food was of very high quality.
There was freshly made cheese and freshly baked white bread.
There was also a salad of leafy vegetables picked from a nearby farm and soup made from dried shellfish.
The main course was bone steak seasoned with high-quality red salt and herbs.
Aire was so excited that she asked for seconds.
“Mmm, delicious! I’m so happy!”
“See, you can’t keep quiet after all.”
“Mmm…! But it’s so good that I can’t keep quiet! It’s rude to the food!”
“The way you eat makes me hungry just watching you.”
“Yeah, it makes me hungry, too. I like women who enjoy their food and make it look good.”
“Mmm! Don’t say such strange things all of a sudden…”
Aire blushed and looked away, perhaps because she was suddenly told how he felt.
Still, she didn’t slow down her eating.
Nutrition must be very important to support her strong physical abilities.
“Should I be more lively, too?”
“No, I think your calm eating style is beautiful. I need to pay more attention to my manners from now on. I’ve actually been learning a lot from you.”
“Is that so? If you’d like, I can give you some strict guidance.”
“Please spare me…”
Seeing Mariel’s mood instantly improve, Wataru sighed in relief.
He realized it wasn’t good to praise only one of the two women, who were so different from each other.
He loved them both, and each of their personalities was charming.
He didn’t want them to become awkwardly conscious of his intentions as their master.
〇〇〇
Mariel draws a rough map of the royal capital.
It’s easy to imagine the royal capital if you think of Osaka City or Osaka Castle.
A large river surrounds the city, forming a natural moat.
In ancient times, the city was apparently much farther from the river, but repeated expansion projects resulted in the construction of city walls right next to the river.
It’s difficult to grasp the effort required to construct walls large enough to encompass an entire city. However, considering the power of magic and monster attacks, it would be disastrous without defenses.
Since there’s a real-world example, like the Great Wall of China, it’s possible.
Somewhere in that vast expanse of land is a gate that no one else can see.
Once again, Wataru was at a loss as to how to find it.
“It’s not realistic to search every corner of the royal capital on foot, is it?”
“Should I run there at full speed?”
“What about protecting your master while you’re gone?”
“Ah, that’s impossible. I’m sorry.”
Aire scratched her head in embarrassment.
She was a bit reckless, but not because she wasn’t thinking; she wanted to help Wataru.
Now that she had confessed her feelings, he didn’t want to waste them.
Wataru decided to tell her what he was thinking first.
“I appreciate your feelings, but depending on how we approach it, I think we can narrow down the search area.”
“That may be true. What do you think?”
“The royal capital has been expanded in stages. The second and third walls have been rebuilt repeatedly, right?”
“Yes, it has expanded to the third wall. Beyond that, it would be difficult to cross the river.”
Considering it was built in ancient times, wouldn’t it make more sense that it’s inside the first wall?”
“That’s certainly true! I don’t know if the gods built the gate to match the city or if the city was built because of the gate. Either way, though, I don’t think the gate would have been placed so far away.”
“Oh! That narrows down the search area considerably!”
Mariel drew diagonal lines on the map and eliminated the candidate locations.
About 60% of the area was immediately excluded.
“Thinking along the same lines, I think the castle itself is suspicious. A ruler would want exclusive control over the gate.”
“I don’t think so.
“Yeah, that’s hard to imagine.”
It was Aire who refuted Wataru’s prediction.
Wataru was taken aback by her rare expression of opinion, but he wanted to hear her reasoning.
“Why do you think it’s not there?”
“It’s convenient, but if it were used in war, they would be attacked and defeated in an instant.”
“But wasn’t that forbidden by the god of time and space?”
“If there’s even one person who can use it, they’d definitely be on guard. If it’s someone from my clan, no one would agree to it.”
“I see. Concerns about defense, then.”
“In that case, we’ll have to exclude the royal castle as well.”
“That’s quite a reduction…”
They’ve narrowed it down to about one-fifth of the original map.
Even so, it’s still one-fifth of a large city.
If they were to search every corner, from the main streets to the back alleys, there’s no telling how long it would take.
It’s still not a realistic distance; we need more ideas.
“Any other opinions? Even if they’re not confirmed, that’s fine.”
“Then let me offer one. I noticed that, even though the shrine in Southern Ship Town is close to the city center, it’s not on the main street. That might mean something.”
“What do you mean? For example?”
“If we consider a time when there were many users from the age of the gods, it’s possible that many people would suddenly come out of the gate and bump into each other.”
“Couldn’t it just be a coincidence? Maybe everyone knew about it in the past. Considering transportation, it would be more convenient to be on a main street.”
“Oh, that’s true. Then forget what I said.”
“No, I’m just saying we shouldn’t rule it out from the start. There are precedents, so I think it’s a useful opinion.”
It’s worth considering. However, completely ruling it out could cause us to overlook something important.
It’s probably a good idea to check the main streets near the center as well.
“Is there anything else?”
“I don’t know. We might notice something when we walk around.”
“Right. Is this all we can tell from the map?”
“Okay, then let’s explore the city and look for the shrines tomorrow.”
“Okay!”
“Fufu, you’re not just looking for shrines, are you?”
“We’re going to be traveling around anyway. We should enjoy both.”
They had come all the way to the royal capital.
Finding the shrines was important, but sightseeing and spending time together were important, too.
They might find good souvenirs by walking around the city.
Wataru smiled.
However, the next day…
Wataru and the others found themselves caught up in an unexpected commotion.
If you like my translations, please support me on Ko-Fi and subscribe my Patreon to read several chapters ahead!
Until next time, thanks for the treat. 🖖
LikeLike