Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy
Iris
Five days until the Great Martial Arts Festival.
With considerable leeway, the ship carrying us departed from Nordglacier and arrived at our destination, the Isle of Battles, Ares, in about three days.
I’d thought we were heading to the port on the main island with the largest cityscape, but in reality, the ship advanced towards its neighboring island, underneath the grand arena where the Great Martial Arts Festival takes place, which occupies the entirety of said island.
Diving through the tunnel that opened towards the sea at one corner of the arena, what greeted us was a wide dock, hidden away like a secret base.
In that open space, there was only our ship for now, but it was said that in a few more days, it would be filled with ships carrying invited guests.
“It’s amazing… to dock in a place like this.”
“Mm. This is a dedicated dock to the dignitaries, leading directly to the accommodation facilities. It’s not open to the public for security reasons.”
His Majesty Alfgard explained to me… I felt a bit down calling him His Majesty all the time, so I’ll refer to him as Uncle from now on… He gestured for Nii-sama and me to disembark first.
With the help of the attendants, we cautiously set foot on the luxurious crimson carpet laid on the ground…
BOOOOOOOM!
The moment our feet touched the carpet, a thunderous explosion erupted nearby, ringing out multiple times just above our heads, causing us to instinctively flinch.
We ended up huddling together, Nii-sama apparently trying to shield me from the explosion. Looking up fearfully at the sky through the open ceiling… I saw a great deal of fireworks decorating the sky.
“Looks like Irisria is the first to arrive, hahaha.”
Laughing heartily, Uncle descended the gangway.
“Please don’t worry, these fireworks are released to signify the start of guest reception when dignitaries arrive at this dock for the first time. It’s a tradition.”
Lenny-san, who followed suit, whispered to me from behind.
Uncle was looking at us with an amused face. Beside him, Leonhardt-sama was holding his head in his hand, seemingly exasperated.
The surrounding attendants were looking at us with warm eyes for some reason…
“…You planned this, didn’t you, Uncle?!”
“Hahaha, since it’s your first time experiencing such an event, I thought I would let you two take the first step.”
With a light tap on my sulking head, Uncle descended. Following him, everyone else who had been on the same ship disembarked.
Among those accompanying us were the guards brought by His Majesty, along with a few attendants who looked after his affairs.
Aside from them, there were Aini-san and Lenny-san, our personal physician and attendant respectively.
Milly-san, who had been permitted to accompany us as a friend of Nii-sama and me.
Titilia-san, who, after Leonhardt-sama finally relented, now stood behind him in the guise of a maid.
And finally…
“Oh god… It finally stopped…”
With a voice and complexion that seemed on the verge of death, Reiji-san, completely down with seasickness from the voyage, staggered down last.
“Good grief… really, Uncle?”
“Haha, he seemed genuinely happy because he looks out for us a lot.”
Since we met, His Majesty had become quite the amiable relative, always paying attention to us in one way or another.
…Now that I knew he’s actually my blood relative, I didn’t feel bad about it, although it did feel a bit complicated.
“Come on, we have business to attend to here, but this is supposed to be a festival. Let’s enjoy it without sulking, okay?”
“…You’re right.”
We were currently standing outside the arena, which also housed the accommodation facilities.
Since we have the chance to explore the city, I take a deep breath and switch my mood, realizing there’s no point in sulking forever.
Our current outfits for incognito traveling… I’m wearing a fluttery white dress reminiscent of what a young lady might wear at a summer resort, topped with a light hoodie.
Nii-sama, aside from the sword at his waist, was dressed much more casually than usual, wearing a shirt and slacks.
Having disembarked from the ship, we were led to a room that looked incredibly luxurious—something akin to the highest-grade suite rooms we’d only see on TV in our old world. I couldn’t even begin to imagine how much it would cost to stay there.
After dropping off our belongings in the room and consulting with everyone about our plans for the day, Nii-sama and I, having obtained permission to leave, headed straight out to the city…
“But… It’s so crowded here.”
“Well, that’s a once-every-four-year festival for you.”
People, people and people as far as the eye could see.
The scene reminded me of the bustling streets of Tokyo, where I lived during my childhood when my parents were still alive.
On the other hand, there were guards stationed all around the city, seemingly patrolling, which is fortunate as it suggests that the security isn’t too bad.
“I wish Reiji-san could have come too…”
“Yeah… Who knew he’d be so seasick…”
Said Reiji-san had completely succumbed to seasickness and had to retire to bed. Aini-san said she would bring him medicine later, so I think he’ll be okay…
“…Come to think of it, it’s our first time walking around the city together, just Nii-sama and I.”
“Now that I think about it… I’d always left this kind of stuff to Reiji-san.”
“…Eh?”
“No, nevermind. Well then, would you grace me with your company today, my princess?”
“Yes, please escort me today, my prince?”
With a playful tone, Nii-sama extended his hand, and I responded with a composed face, but soon we both burst out laughing and I took his hand.
Lately, he seemed even more troubled than Reiji-san… I was relieved to see him relax in the atmosphere of the festival, as we started walking through the crowded city.
“Still… this city is amazing, isn’t it? We haven’t even entered the urban area yet.”
“Is this supposed to be a bridge…?”
We were currently strolling along what seems, at first glance, to be the main street of the city, but it’s actually a large bridge connecting the grand arena to the main island, tens of meters wide and over a kilometer long.
Shops lined both ends of it like a shopping district, bustling with not only tourists but also people carrying weapons and gear, apparently intending to participate in the Great Martial Arts Festival.
As we started to feel dizzy from the speed and volume of the crowd…
“Hey, there’s a frozen sweets stall at the plaza over there.”
Suddenly, I overheard the conversation of some boys who seemed a bit younger than me as they pass by.
Now that’s something I couldn’t ignore… At the same time, I realized that I haven’t had any ice cream since coming to this world.
It’s currently summer. While it’s not as hot and humid as Japan, Ares Isle is considerably warmer than Nordglacier.
Because of that, I’d just developed a craving for ice cream… I checked the weight of the pouch at my waist.
Since we were expecting some significant purchases, we’d prepared a decent amount of money.
Naturally, this small pouch only contained a small portion of it, put aside for enjoying the festival.
Most of the sum was kept in Nii-sama’s magic bag… It would be awkward for the stall owners if we suddenly handed them gold coins, wouldn’t it?
This money came from Leonhardt-sama, as a reward for saving his city and treating his subjects.
In this world, people whose healing capabilities comparable to mine, able to heal back even lost limbs, were few and far between, mostly limited to the Church of Eirene’s Saints… Under normal circumstances, requesting their service required paying a large sum of donation.
And I just handed out those divine miracles for free.
Since we considered ourselves indebted to Leonhardt-sama, we refused the payments… initially.
However, if rumors spread that treatment is available for free in the Roland territory, it could potentially create friction with the Church… We couldn’t decline after he seriously and earnestly explained the consequences.
And for this occasion, we needed funds urgently, so in the end, we relented and graciously accepted it.
As I recalled these things…
“Iris, let’s check out this shop for a moment.”
“Ah, I’m coming.”
The shop Nii-sama pointed to a little ahead… located midway across the bridge, seems to be the largest arms dealer in the area.
It was the first store mentioned when we asked about reputable places. I quickly caught up to Nii-sama who’s calling out to the shop from its storefront.
The reason we traveled the city incognito this time… was to find someone who could make new armor to replace the damaged equipment.
And also, to look for a certain swordsmith who used to be an NPC in the game.
We looked around the shop for about an hour, and achieved neither of our goal.
The shopkeeper was kind, the atmosphere inside the store was pleasant, and the armor crafted by the artisans lined up neatly was visibly of high quality. There was no dissatisfaction to speak of.
However…
“…It seems it’s no good after all. Not that their skills are lacking; the quality is top-notch, but…”
“It’s not good enough?”
“Yeah… The best they’ve got was more or less equal to our previous gears. That’s about what I expected from this Isle of Battles.”
Our previous equipment… was makeshift that was considerably lower in grade compared to the one just before the reincarnation, due to the level reset… but that’s a story from the game.
In this world, it’s a masterpiece made with materials generally considered rare, and not something we can easily find substitutes for.
Nevertheless, even with my amateur eyes, I could see armor that seemed to rival those.
That’s how impressive this shop is. However… our current demands were simply higher.
“…It simply wouldn’t do if it’s the same as before.”
“Yes…”
I nodded in agreement with Nii-sama’s bitter words, feeling the same discomfort.
In order to even stand a chance against the Death Serpent, we need equipment that could surpass our previous one.
“Perhaps we should find a craftsman and commission armor from them, or…”
“Find it somewhere, right?”
Items like those found deep in ancient ruins, guarded by legendary enemies, relics crafted in the past with the pinnacle of technology and magic.
However, in this world, we can’t expect that kind of game-like dungeons with treasures inside guarded by raid bosses.
In that case, we need to find a skilled craftsman… someone like Milly-san, who’s at the top level of her chosen profession.
I wished I had the contents of the player warehouse from the game… but since I didn’t, there’s nothing I can do about it.
Sighing deeply, just as I did… at that moment, a strong impact from behind.
“Kyah?!”
“Watch out!”
Suddenly, someone collided with us with considerable force, and Nii-sama caught me as I stumbled.
“Oops, sorry sis!”
Saying so, a boy who seemed to be in his early teens ran away.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, thanks for helping, Nii-sama.”
“No… More importantly, that boy just now…”
I suddenly realized what Nii-sama murmured.
Huh? His outfit and voice seem familiar…?
Yes, as I watched his back disappear with suspicion…
“I see, that damn kid…!”
Nii-sama, who put together what happened and was about to act, then…
“…Woah?!”
Ahead of us, the boy running away suddenly flew unnaturally through the air and rolled on the ground, as if someone had tripped him.
“Ouch… What are you doing?!”
“That’s my line. Doing something like this at a festival could affect our reputation, you know?”
Saying so, a tall woman with long, glossy black hair tied in a ponytail stepped on the boy’s back as he laid face down, immobilizing him.
Although she had a somewhat stern impression, she seemed like someone who would be described as a Japanese beauty.
Without hesitation, she searched the boy’s jacket pockets and pulled out a familiar coin purse. After confirming its contents, she finally turned back towards us, who had just caught up.
“I’m sorry, thanks for the help!”
“Don’t worry about it. Is this your purse? Your waist pouch is torn.”
“Huh… Oh, it really is…”
Upon hearing her, I hurriedly checked the pouch… there was a slit in it as if it had been cut with a sharp blade… So the boy was a pickpocket?
“I knew it… Did you just check your wallet a while ago or something?”
“Ah… Y-Yes, I did!”
Just a moment ago, when we heard about the shaved ice, I checked the contents of the pouch. Come to think of it, the boy being trampled and immobilized by her was the same person as the boy talking about sweets from earlier.
“And that’s why this kid targeted you. Well-bred but airheaded kids like young miss here are easy prey, so be careful.”
“A-Airheaded…”
“…You’re absolutely correct, it’s our fault for letting our guard down.”
Although I was shocked by the sudden dissing and Nii-sama’s lack of follow-up, I couldn’t complain since I did let myself be pickpocketed.
“So, what are you going to do with him? If you don’t have anything against it, I’m going to hand him over to the guards-”
“W-Wait! Anyone but the guards! My little brother is hungry and waiting… Ack?!”
Despite the boy’s desperate pleas, she ruthlessly applied even stronger force into her step.
My eyes widened at the harsh treatment… but when she opened her mouth again, she looked utterly disgusted.
“…Cut the crap, will you? You’re just old man Gerald’s little runt. He specifically told me to tie you up without reservation any time you cause trouble, you know.”
“Shit… You’re Dad’s acquaintance…”
“And you have no brother, you just want some pocket money to play in the festival, so you go stealing from some tourist girl. Well, let’s just say your choice of target is absolutely horrible.”
While saying that, she looked at me and pointed to the vicinity of my head… apparently, the hood of my hoodie had come off while I was running, and I hurriedly fixed it.
What are you going to do with him?
Her questioning gaze seemed to understand our circumstances and position.
Our current position here is as invited guests from another country.
The boy, who now seemed completely resigned and drooped his head dejectedly, had, albeit unknowingly, reached into my wallet.
Even though he was just a boy, if the matter was reported to the proper authorities, he would likely be detained for a while, at least until the end of this Grand Martial Arts Festival… That would be the most lenient measure considering what he did.
However… not out of pity for the boy, but for our own self-interest… getting involved any further might also get us detained for questioning, which would make this entire trip to the city pointless. So…
“Rather than making a big deal out of it, we’d prefer to leave it to the guards as normal. We still have things we want to do in the city.”
It would be better if this incident taught him a lesson and he stopped pickpocketing… before he got involved in even more dangerous situations by targeting the wrong people.
“You’re being too soft… Well, if that’s fine by you. My companion has already gone to get the guards, so I’ll leave the rest to her. Oh, by the way… there’s an ice cream stand ahead in the plaza, let’s meet up there.”
“…Yeah, let’s do that. Sorry for the inconvenience.”
“Thank you very much for your help.”
Expressing our gratitude, we took advantage of her kindness to prompt us to leave, and the two of us quickly left the scene…
APM - Translation 