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CHAPTER 03 – ESCAPING FROM THE ROYAL CAPITAL WITH A STAGECOACH
I left the inn after eating breakfast.
And went to the stagecoach’s terminal then confirmed the fare to go and the departure time.
The price 1 gold coin, and it looks like it would take 4 days to a town along the border.
There’s still time until the time for departure, so I decided to get food for 4 days and a weapon in case of anything happening.
It would be bad of course if I used Net Super in front of another person, and in the case that the item box is a rare skill, there would be a possibility that there would be a commotion, so it would be better not to use it.
I bought a leather water bag, dried meat, black bread, and a slightly large knife.
The preparations are done with this.
The only thing left is to ride on the stagecoach and leave this royal capital.
The stagecoach’s customers, other than me, there was a middle-aged peddler, a family of four that is a young couple and their two kids, and a woman who was about in her middle thirties.
Then, there are 4 adventurers as the guard of the stagecoach.
After a while after the stagecoach had departed, I tried to talk to the middle-aged man that was sitting beside me.
「Are you selling something to Keels?」
I started first with a casual talk.
「Yeah, I had purchased soap from a certain connection. I am thinking of selling it to the merchant company of my friend in Keels」
Ohh, soap huh. It exists in this world too.
And, listening to him carefully, soap does really exist, but as I’ve thought, they’re for nobles.
When sold to nobles, he said that one soap would be for 3 silver coins.
When I casually mentioned about the item box, I found out that nobles and large merchant companies are hiring people who have those skills.
It is told that there is at least 1 item box possessor in ever 1000 people, and it seems like its size depends on the magic powers, and only those who have decently sized item box would be hired by nobles and large merchant companies.
「Even though it’s said to be small, it would still have three times the capacity of the backpack that I have right now, so looking from my perspective, just having an item box makes me jealous enough」
The middle-aged peddler said that and laughed.
I see, there are quite a lot of possessors of item box skill huh.
If I would act that although I have an item box, it’s capacity is low, there might be no problem using it.
「If you’re going to be a merchant, having an appraisal skill would spell success right」
Since I was able to hear bout the item box, I mentioned about appraisal very casually.
「Ah〜, that is something every merchant would dream of. But, however, the only ones who have appraisal skills are the heroes summoned from another world mentioned in fairy tales. Although I think that appraisal skill should be a skill a merchant should have rather than a hero. Appraisal skill, it’s the dream of everyone doing business. Even if appraisal skill doesn’t exist, I will hope that appraisal magic items spread more. That’s also something that is rarely found in ancient ruins after all, it’s so expensive that your eyes would pop out, so only countries or guilds would have them」
Ohh, thank goodness. Appraisal skill is something that a hero would only have huh.
And also, there’s also something like an appraisal magic item huh.
But, this one seems to be very expensive and not something to be owned individually.
Ancient ruins, in short, it’s something that rarely appears from a dungeon with high difficulty, and their numbers are little too.
It’s good that I’ve asked.
With this, I found out that the risk that I would get appraised is almost gone.
And while talking like that about many things, I found out that the middle-aged peddler is planning to go to the neighboring country.
The middle-aged man whispered to me while telling me it is a secret.
「This country is starting to get suspicious after all. If you have a family, it won’t go that easy, but fortunately, I’m single so I think of leaving this country quickly. After all, according to rumors, it is said that the borders might also be blocked soon」
Blocking the borders? This country is seriously bad.
Thank goodness I moved and abandoned it quickly.
Along the way to Keels, goblins and wolf monsters appeared, but (as I’ve thought, there were really darn monsters in this fantasy world of sword and magic) the adventurer guards subjugated them without difficulty, and the stagecoach had advanced smoothly.
◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇
After arriving in Keels, I went towards the stagecoach’s terminal that goes to the neighboring country that I heard from the middle-aged peddler.
「No way……」
In the terminal, a sign saying『Operation of Stagecoaches Currently Suspended』.
What the heck does “currently suspended” mean?
The middle-aged peddler was saying that the borders might be shut soon, so is this that?
But, if the borders were being blocked or something, the town should also be not this calm right?
For the meantime, I should gather information.
To also fill my stomach, I went to a restaurant where many adventurers who seem to be going in and out many countries gathers.
I sat on the counter’s seat, and called out to a pair of adventurers sitting right next to me.
「Excuse me?」
「Yeah, you need something?」
「Actually, I just arrived in this town, so I thought of asking a lot of things……」
I immediately called a waiter and ordered two ales.
And with that, the adventurer was like “Now we’re talking”, and told me about many things.
「I see. The suspension of the stagecoach is to prevent the population flowing outside the country」
「Yeah. If the population decreases, the number of soldiers and taxes will decrease too after all. It’s only about that right now, but soon, the borders might also be shut. This country, even though they’re warring against the demon race, they’re planning on even going to war against Malbare Kingdom」
「Yeah yeah, it’s only a matter of time until it becomes war」
The two adventurers, with the aid of alcohol, they told me a lot of things.
The country of the demon race is faced north of this country, and the Malbare Kingdom is a country faced on the west side of this country.
The one I’m going to, is the Funen Kingdom facing in the southeast.
「We’re also planning to say goodbye to this country too」
「For us, rather that joining a way, hunting monsters suits us better bro. You should also hurry up and leave this country」
I really want to leave this country quickly, but on roads where monsters also appear, I who is only a slightly stronger than a civilian has nothing that can do about it.
“I’m troubled”, I thought, but looking at the adventurers, I suddenly thought.
That, shouldn’t I just make a request in the adventurer’s guild.
It would cost me money, but being cheap here would be for nothing.
Before the borders are blocked, the first thing to do is to get out of this country in anyways.
I decided to make an escort request up to the neighboring country to the adventurer’s guild.