A Former Child Soldier Who Uses a Magic Sword Wants to Live with an Older Sister of a Former Enemy Executive - Chapter 87

• Chapter 87 : The royal capital of Ra-Horakhty, the world’s largest metropolis

Since they were about to arrive, our three travelers gathered once again to engage in some trivial conversations in the meantime.

[Wow, you’re really well-informed, Satis. It’s rare nowadays to find someone who knows about Curse Archery.] (Gravis)

[Indeed, I’ve heard stories about it before. Such as how it’s one of the cursed techniques passed down among a certain tribe. By placing a curse on an arrow, even a single graze from it can cause the death of the target, which earned it the nickname of “The Grim Reaper’s starting shot”. It supposedly has an immediate effect on monsters as well as humans, so even if you miss their vital points…] (Satis)

[That’s right, one shot is enough to send them to the afterlife. But the thing is, archery bows aren’t my thing, so I built these handmade magic bowguns.] (Gravis)

[Handmade…? You mean you made your own weapons? That’s amazing! You can do anything.] (Seto)

[I wouldn’t say “anything”, but I’ve always been good with my hands. They’re not just lighter than a regular magic bowgun, they also have a smaller caliber, which allows me to load them with cursed thorns and fire them accurately, making them perfect for rapid drawing and shooting. They’re faster than ordinary bows and arrows, and can shoot with much more precision than existing magic bowguns. So what do you think, Seto? I’m a real badass, right?] (Gravis)

[…I guess people like you are what we call “professionals”.] (Seto)

[Oh! You really get it, you lady-killer you. I’ll give you a squeeze later.] (Gravis)

[Eh? By “squeeze”, do you mean a hug—] (Seto)

[Seto, don’t react to every little thing she says. And you, don’t tease him either. This boy might actually take your words seriously.] (Satis)

[Ahahaha! C’mon, it’s just a hug. Wait, don’t tell me you’re jealou—… Okay, sorrysorrysorrysorry! Please don’t punch me! You’re scaring the hell outta me here!] (Gravis)

Then, when it was almost noon, the royal capital came into view.

It was a huge fortified city, and the largest metropolis in the world.

Seto and co. disembarked from the ship after it was docked at the river port, then took a carriage to the capital.

It was much more prosperous than the kingdom Seto once belonged to, and the walls surrounding the city, which appeared larger as they approached, were sky-high.

[S-Satis! Those walls are huge! It’s amazing, so much bigger than my hometown!] (Seto)

[Now now, Seto. Stay calm. We’re almost there, so please behave yourself.] (Satis)

[C’mon, no need to be so stiff. —The royal capital of Ra-Horakhti has the most developed civilization in the world. It had everything from sightseeing spots to gourmet food and entertainment. And since it’s visited by all kinds of adventurers and merchants, the circulation of goods and money is incomparable to any other country.] (Gravis)

[Did you just say… g-gourmet… food…!?] (Seto)

[Fufufu. You’re such a foodie, Seto.] (Satis)

[I-I can’t help it… I get hungry just thinking about it.] (Seto)

[Oh, are we gonna have lunch, then? We are, right?] (Gravis)

[And why are you so excited about it?] (Satis)

[Because I’m broke! Besiiiides, you said you’d help me out, right? Sooo…] (Gravis)

[That’s only until we’ve reached the capital!] (Satis)

[Aww, don’t be so cold-hearted! I mean, you guys are loaded, right? You can’t hide it from me. I have a nose for spotting rich folks. C’mon~, what’s the harm~? You’d only be paying the lodging fee for just one more person~.] (Gravis)

Gravis drew closer to Satis on the other side of the carriage.

The latter, frowning as if she felt uncomfortable with it, pushed her away with her hand.

[Look now. The two of us would like to take it easy. …Well, I’ll admit that there are some reasons why it’s not always possible for us, but even so, we don’t deliberately look for any conflict. We’re not keen on throwing ourselves into it like you do. And your search for a magic sword will be a dangerous endeavor, I’m sure. Therefore, you’ll be on your own.] (Satis)

[…In that case, I won’t insist then. I’ll look for a magic sword while you guys relax in the royal capital. Is that okay with you?] (Gravis)

[Absolutely. Also, we haven’t decided how long we’ll be staying in the capital, so once the two of us decide to leave the inn, we won’t take care of your expenses.] (Satis)

[Hmm, sounds rough, but I’ll make do with it. Still, what about you guys? Sure, your  pockets may be full of cash right now, but don’t you wanna earn some as insurance? Although, you guys don’t sound like you’d be in the mood for daily labor.] (Gravis)

[Don’t worry. We’ll take care of ourselves.] (Satis)

[That’d be reassuring.] (Gravis)

[We’ll be fine. That’s how Satis and I have been living up to this point.] (Seto)

Seto interjected with a smile.

Their formal, serious conversation ended there, and as their carriage passed through the gates, he took a look at the city.

There was a crowd everywhere they looked, and the number of stalls lined up was incomparable to any other town he had ever been to.

Joyful music flowed through as the people passed by, making it feel like a festival.

There was a group of adventurers equipped with swords and spears, and a group of people chatting and drinking in the daytime.

Then there were soldiers marching in straight lines and patrolling the streets, and even children running around and having fun.

Seto’s vision of the world was freshly updated, and shining brightly in his mind.

This palpitation, which he also felt when he first came to the city of Clay Shut with Satis, stimulated Seto’s heart even more.

[Wow… I never knew such a place existed…] (Seto)

[It’s a far cry from all the cities we’ve visited so far, am I right? Peaceful places like Benjamin Village have their own charm, but bustling and lively cities like this one are also appealing.] (Satis)

[Y-Yeah. Say, we should go for a—!] (Seto)

[Ufufu! Yes, I know. Once we have found lodgings, we should go for a walk together again. We’ll have plenty of time for that.] (Satis)

[R-Right!] (Seto)

[Okay, okay. Thanks for this wonderful display of affection. Now it’s time we get off the carriage.] (Gravis)

The carriage stopped, then the coachman opened the door.

When they went outside, the heat and sounds of the city were mixing together, spontaneously making Seto’s heart dance.

When he landed on the ground and looked around, he noted how much taller the buildings were than what he had seen before.

As if to count how many stories tall they were, he looked so high up he might get a stiff neck.

[Seto! Come on, let’s hurry! We can visit the city again later!] (Satis)

[Ah, right, got it!] (Seto)

[So, which inn are we gonna stay at? There are so many of them in Ra-Horakhti, it’s hard to pick one, am I right? But if we’re gonna stay somewhere, we might as well pick an inn with super luxurious rooms, even if they’re expensive.] (Gravis)

[…Is that the sort of remark you used to say to your ex-boyfriend?] (Satis)

[Ugh…!] (Gravis)

[*Sigh*… I will choose our lodgings. I’ve been to this city before, after all.] (Satis)

[Ohh, fancy that. …Then I guess I’ll let the great master Satis choose for us.] (Gravis)

With Satis at the lead, they decided to stay at an inn far more luxurious than any of those they had stayed at so far.

Seto’s eyes sparkled, and Gravis whistled happily.

[Contrary to its lavish appearance, the price here is reasonable. The food is delicious, and the beds are comfortable. I’m sure we’ll all be satisfied with it.] (Satis)

[This is amazing, Satis! I’ve never seen an inn this big before!] (Seto)

[Nice place. And they even have a bar. Hey Satis, do you drink?] (Gravis)

[Of course I do. …*Sigh*, I suppose you want this to be my treat too, don’t you?] (Satis)

[I sure do~!] (Gravis)

The matter of alcohol was put on hold for the moment.

They booked a room and rested there for a bit.

[Seto, what should we do for lunch? Would you like us to eat outside while we visit the city?] (Satis)

[Yeah, I also think it’d be a good idea. …Say, I only heard about it from Ryodou, but I’d love to eat a meal called beef stew.] (Seto)

[Ah! That’s, like, Uncle’s favorite food! There’s a bunch of restaurants that make it, so you’ll get to eat it real quick.] (Gravis)

[Really!?] (Seto)

[Yeah! They say that the capital’s beef stew is the best meal under heaven. …Welp, I’m gonna eat lunch while gathering information, so… Well… Lunch money, please~!] (Gravis)

[Oh, I didn’t expect that. I was convinced that you would want to eat with us…] (Satis)

[I’m not about to do something so tactless. So be sure to enjoy your date, you lovebirds.] (Gravis)

When Gravis teasingly said this, Seto’s face turned slightly red.

The way he cast his eyes down and behaved bashfully looked quite innocent.

[What are you, a maiden!?] (Gravis)

Gravis unintentionally commented.

Satis, who was smiling at the boy’s bashfulness, got in on the fun a little bit.

[Well then, I guess I’ll go dress up for Seto the shy.] (Satis)

After saying that, she used her spatial magic to enter a different space.

Her sadistic desires may have been surging for the first time in a while, as she had a mischievous look on her face.

[Ohh~! What’s this I heard~? What kind of outfit does she have?] (Gravis)

[I-I-I-I don’t know! I have no idea at all!] (Seto)

[Hm? Now what are you so shaken about?] (Gravis)

When Seto heard the words “dress up”, two outfits came to mind: the tube top she often wore as nightwear, and the swimsuit he had first seen at the beach.

Remembering the skin Satis so generously exposed made Seto’s head boil for the first time in forever.

His overflowing libido could not be contained.

Of course, her outfit this time would not be as revealing, but when he started worrying about that, he could not stop tapping his foot in anxiety.

Considering it a peculiar trait of a pubescent boy, Gravis watched over him with a grin on her face.

[Okay, sorry for the wait. What do you think? I put in a little more effort for this one.] (Satis)

[……!!] (Seto)

Satis finally emerged, having finished changing her clothes.

She was now wearing a one-piece dress made of superior fabric and beads, and decorated with sparkling stones of multiple colors.

Over that dress, she was wearing a kalasiris decorated with geometric patterns.

She had changed her hairstyle a little bit, and she had removed her glasses.

She was also wearing earrings, bracelets, and other expensive-looking accessories, giving the impression that she was a whole different person.

[Dear me, Seto. You’re staring at me so intensely. Honestly, I can never get any feedback from you on whether or not my outfit suits me unless I actually ask you.] (Satis)

[Eh!? Ah… You… Y-Y-Y-You look… I-I-Incredible… Uhh, well…] (Seto)

[Ufufu! Thank you very much.] (Satis)

She looked like a goddess from the legends.

Although it was less revealing than her previous outfit, the exquisite transparency of the fabric made the skin behind the beaded portion of her dress almost visible, which tickled Seto’s fancy.

Her ample breasts were also drawing the boy’s attention as she was wearing a tube top instead of underwear.

The slit of her dress also exposed her bare legs, giving her a different kind of charm than usual.

Come to think of it, Gravis also has a pretty good figure, and she, well, shows a fair amount of skin— Argh, shit! This is driving me crazy! And as for Satis, she’s totally trying to mislead me! Bear with it, bear with it! (Seto)

As she enjoyed seeing him tremble in response, Satis grabbed Seto’s hand and left the room with him.

As for Gravis, after receiving money for lunch, she slowly stood up…

[Good luck, boy. Make sure you don’t jump her just because I’m not around.] (Gravis)

Gravis secretly prayed in a funny way for the two of them to have a meaningful time together, then left the room.