Chapter 229 - Guidance?

Apparently, the castle gate was made of thick iron. How much would it weigh? I could calculate the weight by multiplying the volume by the specific gravity of the material, but I could not recall iron's specific gravity, so I gave up on the calculation.

As I was thinking about that, the castle gate stopped about halfway open, and people emerged from within. Even at halfway, the opening was over five meters wide — plenty of space for two carriages to pass side by side. However, that space was now filled with a wall of people.

No fewer than ten people had appeared from beyond the gate, and all of them wore robes resembling those of magicians.

"...I am Klak, a court magician. Am I correct in addressing you both as Glenn Fiddiq, Marquis and Headmaster of Fiddiq Academy, and Senior Faculty Member Aoi Konominato?"

A tall man named Klak spoke those words of confirmation, so I bowed and answered.

"Yes. I am Aoi. The person stepping out of the carriage now is Headmaster Glenn."

When I turned around, Glenn, who had just descended from the carriage, noticed me and waved one hand. After glancing at that scene, Klak observed my face as if examining me.

"...Rumors have reached our Karvan Kingdom as well. They speak of a genius magician who, at a young age, has surpassed Marquis Glenn—renowned as one of the world's finest magicians—and the only human magician ever recognized by the Elven King, Aoi Konominato. The rumors are so incredible that some of our magicians believe the Verted Kingdom is manipulating information to keep other nations in check."

Klak raised one corner of his mouth and said that with a wry smile. Glenn laughed out loud at that and nodded.

"Hoh hoh hoh! I felt the same way at first—it was hard to believe. I mean, just being able to use all magic at the highest level is astonishing enough, but to do it without incantation on top of that... It is unheard of."

At Glenn's words, the Karvan Kingdom magicians began murmuring restlessly.

"Surely not..."

"Incantationless casting is impossible in reality."

"No, but there would be no reason to tell such a lie."

I could hear voices of surprise and doubt, but Klak, standing at the center, immediately cleared his throat to silence everyone. Klak sharpened his gaze like a knife and looked at me and Glenn.

"...My apologies for the commotion. For now, I will guide you to your accommodation for tonight."

"Thank you."

When I expressed my gratitude, Klak gave a shallow nod and turned on his heel. The others, without hiding their watchful eyes, split to the left and right to clear a path. I floated the carriage through the gap, and Klak took the lead to guide us, while the other magicians moved to surround the carriage from behind.

"This way, please."

Klak said only that and proceeded forward, and we followed. The magicians followed silently behind us.

A straight road continued from the main gate, but the layout did not seem to lead directly to the royal castle in a straight line. The cobblestone streets were beautifully paved, and the buildings lining the road were at most three stories tall.

The walls appeared to be made of dark red brick. They had a unified beauty, but I could see many eyes peering from the second and third floor windows of those buildings. Surely visitors to the capital were not rare, so entering the city after dark must have been unusual.

As I walked through the eerily quiet town, I called out to Klak's back as he walked ahead.

"There are almost no pedestrians in the streets. Why is that? There do not seem to be many shops open at night either."

When I asked, Klak turned his profile toward me and spoke.

"For security reasons, no one is allowed to go out after nightfall. Most of those walking outside now are guards."

"For security reasons, I see. So there are no shops open at night either."

"Only a limited number of approved establishments remain open, serving as rest stops for the guards. A considerable number of guards patrol the area."

Klak answered. I nodded in understanding and looked around again. With that in mind, the lights visible in various parts of the spires might all belong to patrolling guards.

As expected, the king seemed to be quite cautious due to his past experiences.

"This way. After the next turn, we will be there."

After turning two or three corners, Klak said that and pointed to the end of the street. We had left the main road and taken somewhat narrower streets for a while, but now we were back on a wide road.

I happened to notice that the city wall was right beside us.

"By the city wall?"

"This is not the outer wall surrounding the perimeter, but what is called the central wall, which encloses the royal castle and the mansions of certain high-ranking nobles. This wall is not merely a barrier; it also functions as a building. Inside it are barracks for guards and the magician corps, designed so that even if the outer wall were breached, an assault on the royal castle could not be made in a single push."

Hearing that, I looked up at the wall again. Indeed, there appeared to be what looked like windows on the upper sections, and light could be seen from them as well.

Being guided to the side of this wall likely meant that they could mobilize the entire knight order or magician corps in case of an incident.

Were they that wary of us? Thinking that, I glanced back and saw the magicians walking in formation behind the carriage. Their gazes were sharp, and I felt as though they were watching my every move.

"...We have arrived. This is the place."

Klak said that, and I turned my gaze forward. He had stopped in front of a two-story building that was slightly smaller than the others. Though it was square in shape, it was well-decorated, clearly intended as a guesthouse. At the entrance, two guards stood before the double doors, clad in full armor that covered them from head to toe. They held large spears, resting the tips upright against the ground.

The guards moved only their eyes to look at my face. Seeing that, Klak gestured toward them with one hand.

"They stand here in shifts, guarding the visitors around the clock. They never take their eyes off the premises. Rest assured."

Hearing that, I could not help but give a wry smile. The claim of protecting visitors was not wrong, but the primary purpose was surely to monitor outsiders. Of course, since I had no ill intentions, being watched did not bother me.

As I was thinking that, as if he had somehow read my thoughts, Klak gave a respectful bow and spoke his parting words.

"Then, I will leave the rest to those inside. We will return once and come to escort you tomorrow."

Leaving those words, Klak walked past me and the carriage and headed back the way we came. Meanwhile, the magicians who had been standing in formation behind the carriage gave only a bow, turned around, and followed Klak back.