Surprisingly, Dorothea did not raise her staff to crack the heads of the Iron Stake Mercenary Company.
Dorothea was an intelligent, civilized person, after all.
She was not a barbarian who resorted to violence at the slightest provocation. Obviously, beating up the deranged Tin Knight didn’t count as a deduction from her civilized status.
Therefore, Dorothea tried to persuade them rationally.
“No, what nonsense is this? Stop doing weird things and raise your heads quickly.”
“No, Big Sis! We’re serious!”
“Ah, I see. You’re afraid of being silenced now, right? I have no such intention, so don’t worry. Just a blood oath and...”
“Mixing blood in wine cups and sharing it!”
“As expected of Big Sis! You know style!”
“Boys! Go get some alcohol!”
These people, as if they were all on drugs, wouldn’t listen to reason.
[The ‘Tin Knight’ congratulates that finally her attire and position are in harmony!]
“Sharing cups with comrades who fought together and reminiscing about bonds. That’s nice. It’s cool, Witch!”
“According to the principle of majority rule, shouldn’t Dorothea step back here? Ah, should we call her Big Sis from now on?”
“Do you all really want to die?”
Even her party members, instead of helping, were just teasing from the side.
Dorothea began to understand a little why her teacher avoided associating with people and only played with corpses.
If she could have completely annihilated the displeasing ones here with curses and poison gas, and then led an army of corpses, Dorothea’s blood pressure might have gone down a bit, but unfortunately, Dorothea wasn’t that ruthless.
While strong against malice, Dorothea was relatively weak against goodwill.
She chose to ignore them.
They’ll get tired and give up eventually.
The results of Dorothea’s choice were yet to be seen.
***Although there was a bit of a commotion at the end, the party managed to arrive safely in Thracus.
And the party’s impressions upon seeing Thracus were as follows.
“What a splendid city.”
“It feels like quite a mix of various cultures, doesn’t it?”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says it’s just an ordinary mishmash city!]
While the expressions differed, the meaning was generally similar.
“Hahaha, being a city at the border of the Empire, Magic State, and Federation, it’s naturally quite different from the inner parts of the Empire in many ways. Of course, there are many good points, too! The food is delicious, for one.”
Hindler, who had somehow stuck to the group, added explanations like a guide.
Since the entire mercenary company couldn’t tag along—Dorothea was disgusted by the idea, after all—he was selected based on the logic that at least one person should accompany them.
Dorothea had to reluctantly accept this condition, as it seemed the whole group would kneel and beg again if she didn’t even allow this much.
Besides, having someone familiar with local circumstances was more convenient than starting the investigation from scratch.
“First, we should secure lodgings. I’m fine with the lodgings used by the mercenary company, but they’d be too shabby for Big Sis and her companions to use.”
“We usually sleep in the carriage, so even a cheap place would be fine.”
“Oh no, please don’t say that. While there might not be anyone trying to do anything by force with Sir Knight here, those places often have poor hygiene, and there are many who might try underhanded tricks if given the chance. If you’re staying for a long period, it’s better to choose a safe place for lodging even if it costs a bit more. Especially since there are three women in the group.”
“Hmm. Well, if you say so, then do as you like.”
“Understood. I’ll guide you right away.”
Watching Hindler skillfully cater to Dorothea’s preferences, Adelaide marveled.
“It feels like a household fairy from stories.”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ says he certainly doesn’t look human!]
“Ah, no, that’s not what I meant!”
[The ‘Tin Knight’ marvels that it’s even more vicious if she said it unconsciously!]
“That’s not it, I tell you!”
“Now, now, Sir Tin. Stop teasing Adelaide and let’s follow quickly.”
It seemed Hindler’s boast about leaving the guidance to him wasn’t just empty words, as the lodging he guided them to was quite excellent.
“This place has good quality, and considering the service, the price is cheap, so it’s good value for money. We sometimes stay here too when our income is good.”
However, no matter how capable Hindler was, there was an unavoidable problem.
“I’m sorry, customer. All the rooms are currently full.”
“Hmm? I’m sorry, Big Sis. It seems this place won’t work. But don’t worry. There are still several other candidates!”
Hindler said this with a smile, and...
“Sorry, but there are no vacancies.”
“We’re already full, so look elsewhere.”
“Empty room? There is one, but I can’t just give it to you. But hey, you there, the black lady. How about a drink with me—ack! What’s with this crazy armor!?”
They failed miserably .
It was because every lodging the group went to shook their heads saying there were no vacancies.
Hindler’s complexion rapidly worsened, and he started to glance nervously at the group, but Dorothea’s party didn’t particularly blame him.
They could guess well enough how this situation had come about.
“It seems that due to the martial arts tournament approaching, tourists are flooding in from all over.”
At Sophia’s summary, Dorothea crossed her arms and pondered.
She said to Hindler, “Is this all for lodgings?”
“Well, there are separate lodgings exclusively for nobles, but those are in an area that you can’t even enter without an entry permit issued by the city.”
“What’s the criteria for issuing entry permits?”
“I’m not sure exactly. However, I hear the checkpoint guys are quite arrogant and picky, and won’t bend their waists just for money. It seems only those with very high status or exceptional positions can enter.”
At Hindler’s words, the party’s heads turned slowly.
Receiving the gazes of the knight, witch, and scarecrow, the little lion was flustered.
Dorothea nodded her head.
She said, “Here we have a person with an exceptional position and high status.”
***“Stop right there! Not just anyone can enter this area!”
As the group approached the entrance of the special district, a gatekeeper stepped forward to block them.
Behind him, eight soldiers were on standby in a semi-alert state.
It was quite a strict guard for something that guarded the entrance all day, even if temporary.
Then Sophia opened her mouth, “Of course, we know. We’d like to obtain an entry permit.”
“Hmm. Could you please state your identity and purpose of visit?”
“I’m just a mere attendant. The one who needs the entry permit is the person I serve.”
Saying this, Sophia naturally guided the gatekeeper’s gaze to Adelaide.
Most of the soldiers looked puzzled at Adelaide’s adventurer outfit, but the gatekeeper who stepped forward as a representative was different.
He recognized Adelaide’s golden hair and violet eyes and marveled.
“Indeed, you’re from the Lennart ducal family.”
“The appearance of the Lion Duke’s bloodline is so famous that there are those who impersonate or imitate their looks. Most don’t do such things out of fear of the dignity and retaliation of the Lennart family, but occasionally there are those who can’t distinguish between recklessness and courage. Could you please tell us what position the person you serve holds in the ducal family? This is absolutely not to insult you or the person you serve, but a measure to ensure the safety of the guests staying in the special district, so I hope you won’t take offense.”
Sophia nodded as if it was natural.
“Of course. If unsavory individuals were allowed to come and go freely, unknown people might enter and cause trouble. Like disguised magic beasts or wicked wizards.”
“Haha, thank you for understanding.”
“The young lady I serve, Adelaide von Lennart, holds the position of representative instructor of the Tik-Tok branch, one of only five Lennart dojos in the Empire.”
Reactions of admiration and doubt mixed from the surroundings.
The admiration was a response to the name value, while the doubt was about Adelaide’s appearance, which looked young, even childish.
The gatekeeper opened his mouth, “That’s... surprising. Do you have a way to prove it?”
“There’s no separate proof. But if you check with the main family, you’ll know right away, won’t you? For this kind of checkpoint in a place , there must be related means.
“However, I hope you won’t make us wait too long,” Sophia said with a grin.
The gatekeeper marveled.
Although she called herself a mere attendant, undeniable cultivation seeped through Sophia’s every word and action.
To have such a person as a mere servant, the capacity of her master must also be considerable.
I’ve heard that for those who have reached a certain level, the correlation between appearance and age becomes meaningless. Could this be such a case?
The gatekeeper nodded.
“Alright. Please enter.”
“Oh my, is there no separate verification process?”
“There’s no way to find out that quickly. The special district is divided into a preliminary area and a main area, so please stay in the lodgings of the preliminary area for now, and after we finish the verification process, we’ll issue an entry permit for the main area. This is also a measure to secure public order and safety, so please understand.”
“I see. What shall we do, Young Lady?”
At Sophia’s question, Adelaide didn’t say anything.
She just lightly closed and opened her eyes once.
At this somehow dignified appearance, the gatekeepers marveled once again.
“The young lady says she understands. She also says she commends your hard work.”
“Hahaha. Truly grateful words. Now, please enter.”