The gate guard walked around our carriage... "Merchants... weird that you carry no return cargo here."
... that—...
"State your true purpose! I know the merchants who pass here enough, and you would barely classify as a merchant in these parts; no one would hire two guards for an empty carriage with two girls." Ah... I... had nothing to go against that...
"I—..." I... tried to think of an excuse... "Would gold and silver work?" I said as I opened a secret vault that contained two gold bars and various large silver coins; coins of the Shinjii Banking and Trading Company. I gave out a bag of our coins...
"You—!" The guard looked at me... and Helmsmen, as well as Rudel. "Now I understand, yet if such a cargo is involved, you would have had at least 10 so guards, with a Magician." He said. "If you tell me who you actually are, I'll let you in... Just with the fee of a merchant." The gate guard said.
... should I...?
... I... I don't have anyone I can trust, and it's best if I have someone to lead me to a place I can safely be at... "Apologizes for trying to be dishonest; this carriage belongs to the Shinjii Noble Family, and I myself am the head of the family, Shinjii Tenshi. Currently we are fleeing the Empire of Kawachi, in fears of my sister becoming a weaponized Magician." I explained with a courteous bow. "So, please..."
The gate guard silently listened... "Lady Shinjii..." He muttered... "Understandable; though please do not make a large commotion. Other than that, our city Jewels is a wonderful city to be in." He told me.
I paid the gate fee...
"Thank you so much for letting us in." I told the gate guard, as Helmsmen rode forward and Rudel followed behind.
"Welcome to Jewels, a proud city of the Holy Kingdom of Astera!" The gate guard said before we went forward.
... wow... Looking through, the city seemed so... Welcoming. Usually the first site that welcomed the major cities of the Kawachi Empire was first the outskirts of the slums before the market districts. I mean, I know of the Astera's Kingdom's welfare and charity acts, but... Looking through, there were various other carriages and various people of different classes walking through what seemed to be the main market districts following along the main roads. People dressed in semi-casual clothes, some in uniforms, even what looked like soldiers... What surprised me the most was the lack of actual priests, despite being a Holy Kingdom that revered a higher figure like a god.
The public order here seemed much better than what I hear from my research... I suppose reading about something is different than seeing it myself.
Helmsmen turned back to the seating area in the carriage. "Where was that place your brother mentioned? Going there would be a good starting place." Thinking about it more... "I know some places here, so a name is all I need."
... what was the place...? Thinking of a name...
The only name that came up was Jewels de Lapins...
"Jewels de Lapins... Or something like that." I told Helmsmen.
Helmsmen looked around the area, the countless shops and people, and carriages... "Jewels de Lapins..." He... "Your brother knew him... I'm amazed..."
Wait, who?
-----
Helmsmen led us to a secluded inn... Even though it was near a part of the city here that definitely looked like the danger, crime districts, it was still peaceful here...
Helmsmen got off the carriage, took of the horses and tied them to a stable for horses and carriages. "I'll arrange the rooms for you Lady Tenshi." Helmsmen said as he turned to Rudel who was still escorting us. "Your job as is is over; take the payment." Helmsmen said as he tossed a bag of coins - normal silver coins - to Rudel.
"I'll stick around here for the time being. If you need me, I'll be near." Rudel said as he... ah, well, he's staying here I suppose...
... Helmsmen would be all that is left of our escort from now on... His oath to my brother; passed on to me...
"Two rooms, one for me, and another for Lady Kou and you. Is this fine Lady Tenshi?"
I handed a bag of coins gently out the carriage. "Yes, please do so."
Helmsmen nodded and went into the inn... Jewels de Lapins... I was left in the carriage with a sleeping Kou, who had been asleep for the arrival into the city. I was fairly certain the city was very safe... yet, even than, I still felt very... wary... This...
No, this definitely is because the Imperial Hunters is on my mind... We may have deflected them off Kou for now, but we will face them again, without a doubt.
... 12 shards... I have no idea where they come; all I know is that they come when I desire in battle. I poked a shard around to pass the time for now... At least until Helmsmen came back.
After enough time... I looked out the two windows.
Helmsmen opened the door of the carriage. "Take Lady Kou inside; the owner wishes to speak with you."
Huh...? Well, I... suppose so... "Yes." I slowly woke up Kou who, like a sleeping princess who awoke from her nap. "We have arrived Kou... If you wake up, I'll take you shopping tomorrow... just us two..."
"Nnn... please... just a little bit..." Kou murmured as she hugged me... it... felt oddly satifiying and cute seeing her act so kidish.
"No can do." I slowly and gently took off her arms around me. "I'll leave you behind than... Kou." I told Kou in a teasing manner as I left the carriage.
Well... I needed to speak with the owner either way. So I walked into the building, still wary of my surroundings... Unlike the inn's and taverns I've read in stories and normal explorations of the world and the countries, this inn felt... High class. Yet no one was in the few elegant tables and chairs. I slowly walked to a counter with a man behind it. I supposed this was the serving table for drinks and the receptionist table. The man had dark jet-black hair like me, and a stern serious face with countless scars.
The man was cleaning a elegant crystal-class drinking glass... "Hello sir... Is it at all possible to meet the sir who manages this property?" I politely asked with a bow.
A clear reverence ran across the room as he wiped the top of the glass. "Yes, that would be me... Lady Shinjii." He spoke in a clear, stern way. "I would be Tatari Asashi." Asashi introduced himself.
I held my hand out. "Wonderful to meet you Sir Asashi. My name is Tenshi Shinjii; may we fair well together."
Asashi responded to my hand. "Of course, I'll help you, Lady Shinjii, the best I can." Asashi replied.
A door opened—, "Father, who is..." A young boy, most likely my age... No, probably slightly older, asked... "Ah... Hello guest, my name is Yatori Asashi, pleased to meet you. If you need any assistant, please ask me or Asashi here for assistants." Well... I'll refer to his son with his first name... Yatori was glared at by his father...
"Mind who you are speaking to; this girl and her family is the sole reason we exist!" His father exclaimed. "It is Lady Shinjii, I will not accept you being impolite to someone of the Shinjii family." Huh...
I shook my head, "No it's fine—I'm not a true Shinjii Noble... If you wish to thank the Shinjii family, please thank my sister—... well, Kou." I explained.
Asashi shook his head... "Don't worry, the history of the Shinjii family is complicated, so regardless of who you are, you have already proven that you are a Shinjii." Asashi told me.
... Kou and Helmsmen walked in just now... "For now, Yatori, lead them to their rooms." Asashi told Yatori.
"Follow me please Lady Shinjii." Yatori said as he directed me, as well as Helmsmen over. Kou followed behind... I—
... no, he was definitely eying Kou...
We followed Yatori to a second floor. There our rooms were close, with Helmsmen room opposite of ours.
"If you need any assissants, please come to the reception desk. There, you will see me, my Father, my Mother, or my younger sister. If you see my younger sister, please ask her to come get one of us. That is all." Yatori said as he gave us two keys, one to me and one to Helmsmen, before he left us...
Helmsmen opened the door with a key. "If you need me, knock on my door."
... now, it was simply me and Kou...
I opened the door to our room with the key. "Let's go in..." I held Kou's hand as I walked into the room.
-----
... I came out silently... I couldn't sleep, so I went out to the main reception, serving table...
"... Unsteady, Lady Shinjii?" Yatori asked me... All I did was simply nod... "I see you had a sword, if you mind, would I be able to duel swords with you? While we do not have the same skill as our ancestors, I believe the Asashi Swordline is still strong."
Huh... polite speech... "Why of course, it would be a pleasure to duel an Asashi." I replied... I... honestly didn't know who or what the Asashi family was. All I knew was that they used to be a servant family of the Shinjii, a class of body guards during a more prosperous time.
We left Jewels de Lapins, out into a back area...
Yatori took out his sword, it wasn't a training sword either. It was a remarkable metal sword—no, looking at it, it was... Yes, it was a Magi-Weapon, a weapon created when such forging techniques were known... A pure-black sword. "I won't be using Magic, so please don't worry about anything." Yatori said, in... a casual manner. Either way, Magic or not, and Magi-Weapon or not, Yatori obviously looked skilled...
I took out my sword sword I carried for deterrence and self defense. "Of course; hurt me and you'll pay... ha..." I joking told Yatori.
The only advantage I had was the darkness. I could expect that Yatori probably wasn't like me in this aspect... In general, I was extremely behind in everything; weapon wise, a long sword against a sword short, the small range and definite power difference; physic wise, I was a simple Noble girl and he came from a line of warriors, body guards; skill wise...
I charged, sword forward. I didn't plan to let Yatori down in my skills, I should at least be able to fight close quarters with a sword.
