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Something Happens During Battle Preparation
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The Imperial Hotel
 It was the first hotel I stayed at when I came to the Imperial City. Since then, I have occasionally used this hotel. As a result, I became acquainted with most of the staff, including the manager, and developed a relationship where they would accommodate my requests.
In one of the suites at the Imperial Hotel, Rico and I are sitting. In front of us are Soliel and Astes from the Sylveon tribe. I have come here to inform them that I will be heading to the Kingdom of Juka.
“I can’t give you all the details, but for now, I have to go to Juka. I’m not sure if I can make it, but if possible, I would like to visit your settlement,” I say.
“Thank you very much, Your Grace,” they respond.
“Until then, please make yourself comfortable in this room. And when you go out, please wear a robe as much as possible,” I advise.
“Yes, we understand. We are originally from the Lamaron empire. If there is a war with the Empire, we would be considered enemies of the state,” they reply.
I didn’t mean it in that sense, but well, it would be best if they obediently stayed confined to the hotel.
I ask Soliel and Astes about the location of their settlement in the Kingdom of Juka. It seems to be located in the “Forest of Lunoa.” It happens to be on my way, and it’s like my backyard. I will probably be able to find it easily.
For now, I relay a message to them and quickly return to my mansion. I then bestow the “Thought Transmission” skill upon everyone in the mansion. Pousehai and the others already had “Telepathy” displayed in their status, but for us, it appeared as “Transference Magic LV1.”
“Transference Magic is literally a magic that transmits something. LV1 allows transmission of words, LV2 allows transmission of written messages, LV3 allows transmission of visual scenery, LV4 allows transmission of situations, and LV5 allows transmission of memories,” Gon explain.
As expected of Gon, he knows a lot. So, LV2 allows sending emails, LV3 allows images, and LV4 can be interpreted as videos. Surprisingly, this function might be quite useful.
Although it consumes a bit of magical power, I have no problem with it personally. We all have a slightly late breakfast and then proceed with our respective tasks.
Rico teleports to Krumfar, Mei goes to Niza, and Peyris heads to the university. Fairy stays behind to watch over the mansion. As for me, Gon, Illymo, Ferris, and Luala, we teleport to the Imperial City and from there, we aim for Kushana.
Our goal for today is to set up a teleportation barrier in Kushana. As we walk through the Imperial City, we notice a surprisingly large number of defense force soldiers. They are also heading towards the borders of Lamaron in a few days. Naturally, most of the soldiers have been mobilized, making the Imperial City more crowded than usual.”
It takes about a day to travel from the Imperial City to Kushana. I was worried that we would arrive very late since we were delayed a bit before leaving the Imperial City, but Illymo proved herself once again. She managed to arrive in just a few hours. Her body has grown significantly, resembling a regular horse. This has increased her running speed, and she can easily fly with her wings for about half a day.
During the journey, I was cautious of potential attacks, but it turned out to be needless worry. As Kushana town comes into view, Illymo soars up into the sky with her wings. The town of Kushana, illuminated by the setting sun, is remarkably beautiful when viewed from above. We pass by the town and land near the foothills of the Juka Mountains, where we set up the teleportation barrier. After that, we temporarily teleport back to the mansion.
When we arrive at the mansion, Rico and the others have already returned, and preparations for dinner are underway.
Everyone excitedly shares their experiences from today. Rico’s Krumfar is doing well, and the recently opened brothel run by Akima and Miraya Krumfar has a sophisticated appearance and is serving as a “cultural salon.” It seems that nobles and aristocrats frequently visit.
People of high status don’t easily meet with commoners. Official meetings involve formalities and etiquette, making it difficult to have relaxed conversations. However, in places like these brothels functioning as salons, social status becomes almost irrelevant. It’s pleasing to see that it has become a place for interactions that transcend social boundaries, beyond mere lustful intentions.
Mei is also doing well. The crops are abundant, and there are no toxins. Moreover, she has been secretly taught the method of refining orichalcum by the king himself. While having conversations with dwarf blacksmiths, she somehow stumbled upon the technique for refining orichalcum, and when she told the king about it, he willingly taught her. I’m worried about delving into national secrets, but I highly doubt that King would harm Mei. For now, I’ll leave it be.
After a lively dinner, as everyone takes baths and goes to sleep, Rico, Ferris, and I teleport back to Kushana once again.
There, I hand Ferris a bento box and instruct her to depart for the Juka Mountains ahead of us. It’s to inform Kururukan about our arrival.
The “Telepathy” skill that Ferris possesses has a considerably limited range. She can only communicate within a small part of the Juka Mountains. With her flying abilities, she should be able to make contact with the flock by tomorrow morning, although it will be an overnight journey. I’m asking her to push herself a little.
“Alright, Ferris, I’m counting on you.”
“Leave it to me. I will definitely gain their permission.”
Wearing a smile on her face, she flaps her wings and heads towards the mountains.
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The next morning, just as I finished eating breakfast, I received a telepathic message from Ferris.
“Master, master.”
“Ferris, what’s wrong?”
“I just spoke with the tribal chief, and we have been granted permission to pass through the territory of the Kururukan. We have been given the freedom to traverse their territory whenever we want, according to their words.”
“Oh, that’s great. Ferris, thank you.”
“Oh no, it’s my pleasure. It was a small favor.”
“We will head there now. We should be able to meet up around early afternoon. Rest until then.”
“Understood.”
“Oh, Rico has prepared lunch boxes, so I made sure to take one for Ferris too.”
“Yay! Woohoo!”
We immediately teleported to Kushana and then used Illymo’s wings to enter the Juka Mountains.
After a while, a black dragon appeared in the sky, but it didn’t bother us and seemed to have been observing us for a long time. Black dragons are known for their cunning, but perhaps they are surprisingly cautious as a species.
We continued through the mountains without any issues. Illymo seemed tireless and in excellent condition. Luala, seeing the mountains for the first time, was excited. She even had the composure to wave at the black dragon. Thanks to her, it was quite noisy behind me.
Click, click.
Click, click, click, click.
“Is there some strange noise? Hey, Luala, what are you doing back there?”
I look at Luaara clinging onto me from behind.
“I’m not doing anything!”
“Huh? What’s this sound that’s been going on for a while?”
“I don’t know!”
Suddenly, the “map” opens up, and I see that the surroundings are dyed in red.
“It seems like we’re surrounded by enemies.”
“Is this sound the enemy’s attack?”
“I’m not sure. They’re probably attacking, but my barrier is repelling them. That’s what the sound is.”
“We can’t see any of them. Should I cast a spell for now?”
“Stop. If we happen to enter another dragon’s territory, it might be seen as hostility. Let’s descend for now.”
I land Illymo in an area that resembles a grassy plain.
Click.
Click, click.
Click, click, click.
Click, click, click, click.
As always, only the sound reaches us.
“Indeed, I sense a slight killing intent.”
“Goooooooaaaahhhhhhh!!!”
Suddenly, a loud boom echoes. At that moment, something falls around me. I instinctively look in the direction of the roar and see four slightly smaller Kururukan.
“Oh, it seems the Kururukan have come to greet us.”
“Master, look!”
Around me, dozens of small green dragons with butterfly wings on their backs are unconscious and lying down.