Pitter-patter!
Splash—
The carriage drove along the muddy, rainy road, splashing through puddles and mud; it had been raining for quite some time now.
If it were an ordinary carriage, it would have been difficult to travel in such heavy rain. Fortunately, it was being pulled by Ghost Hounds, and such difficult roads had no effect on them.
"My Lord, what are we doing in the Royal Capital?" Enri asked nervously and curiously, watching the Royal Capital draw closer through the rain in the distance.
"To see a few friends, and also to deal with some alchemical potions I've made. Our destination isn't here, but further south."
Lyle replied with a smile upon hearing her question.
Further south?
"Oh." Enri nodded, only half-understanding. For a young girl who had never even left her village, her understanding of this country, or even the world, was truly limited.
Lyle chuckled softly at this, looking out at the heavy rain through the vines and sighing quietly, "The temperature here is indeed warmer than at the border."
It had been snowing occasionally at the border of the Royal Capital, yet surprisingly, it was raining heavily now that they had reached the capital region. Perhaps it was because the border was closer to the Azerlisia Mountains, making it colder.
The Kingdom's terrain and environment were indeed far superior to the Empire's, yet despite both having over two hundred years of history, the Empire was much more prosperous.
The Kingdom showed a strong trend of decline.
Thinking of this...
Lyle shook his head slightly. It was no wonder the Slane Theocracy planned to support the Empire's unification. At the start of the story, they had even sent the Sunlight Scripture unit to eliminate the most troublesome "Warrior Captain," Gazef.
"Speaking of which, I wonder which unit the Slane Theocracy sent to investigate the Lava Zone last time?"
Lyle thought to himself silently.
Regardless of which one it was, unless they deployed the Black Scripture, the other five scriptures would suffer heavy losses.
The Azerlisia Mountains is not a place just anyone can set foot in as they please.
Lyle looked up at the approaching Royal Capital, a thought crossing his mind.
...
Skill: Immovable Fortress (Martial Skill)
Cost: No Cooldown
Description: When an opponent attacks, time the Martial Skill to nullify the attack. There is a nullification cap if the level difference is too large.
...
Skill: Ability Boost (Martial Skill)
Cost: No Cooldown
Description: Increases physical abilities, adding 30 points to Physical Attack and 30 points to Agility.
...
Skill: Possibility Perception (Martial Skill)
Cost: No Cooldown
Description: Strengthens the sixth sense, making it easier to find an opponent's openings, increasing critical hit rate and weak point perception.
...
Skill: Magic Resistance Fortification (Martial Skill)
Cost: No Cooldown
Description: Improves the ability to resist magic, increasing Magic Defense by 30 points.
...
[Skill Points: 75 -> 71]
...
These were the skills Lyle chose to master from the Martial Skills used by the Headhunter Rabbit. Aside from one defensive Martial Skill, the other three were enhancement types.
And they all have stackable high-tier versions: Greater Ability Boost, Possibility Hyper-Perception, and Greater Magic Resistance Fortification.
Rumble—
The carriage's speed gradually slowed as a city gate that wasn't particularly tall appeared ahead.
The Royal Capital of the Re-Estize Kingdom is vast. Unlike the fortress city of E-Rantel, its outskirts are crowded with residential areas.
Thus, the walls aren't tall, but the dense residential areas exude a sense of prosperity far beyond border cities, along with a hint of oppression.
The tall silhouette of the Ghost Hound pierced through the rain and mist, coming into the view of the soldiers guarding the gate. After a brief moment of shock, they immediately went on high alert in terror.
Because of the heavy rain...
...there wasn't much traffic at the gate. The sudden appearance of a fierce Demonic Beast like the Ghost Hound was indeed a cause for panic for ordinary soldiers in the heart of the Kingdom who had never experienced such a thing.
The lazy soldiers sheltering from the rain under the spacious gate grabbed their weapons in fear, but not one of them stepped forward to block the beast; instead, they all retreated in unison.
"What's going on?"
"It's a Demonic Beast!"
"This is the Royal Capital, how can a Demonic Beast just rush out?"
"Look, there's a carriage behind it."
"..."
As the carriage drew closer, several soldiers finally saw clearly that the fierce beast was actually just a pack animal pulling the carriage.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but they were also curious and fearful as they looked at the approaching carriage. To be able to use a Demonic Beast to pull a carriage was something even some nobles couldn't do.
No matter how you looked at it, that two-meter-tall, fierce-looking monster didn't seem like the type to have a docile personality and obediently pull a carriage.
Clank!
The Bone Chains tightened.
The carriage came to a complete stop. The Ghost Hound shook the rain off its head, its cold beastly eyes scanning the trembling soldiers.
A green light flashed from the carriage, and the vines covering it slowly dissipated, revealing the three figures inside.
Enri glanced cautiously at the guards. Feeling a sense of fear toward these Kingdom soldiers, she instinctively reached into her waist pouch to search for something.
"What are you doing?"
Lyle looked at Enri in confusion.
Enri replied blankly and obediently, "The entry... permit."
She had always remembered what Uncle Lachiem had said: an entry permit issued by city lords or nobles could waive the entry fee.
Even if it couldn't be used elsewhere, this document could prove one's identity and avoid being harassed.
When they passed through other large cities before, she had wanted to take it out, but the carriage had already entered before she could.
And this was the Royal Capital, after all.
To Enri, the entry fees and inspections should be more detailed and complex here. She didn't want to cause trouble for the Lord, so she wanted to have it ready.
"There's no need for that kind of thing."
Lyle sighed, flipped his palm to reveal a gold coin, and flicked it with his finger.
Ding~
The gold coin arched gracefully through the air and landed in the hand of the lead soldier.
Lyle didn't waste words, showing the gold-rank adventurer plate at his waist to the guards.
No words were needed.
The guards immediately made way. The soldier clutching the gold coin gave a bright, humble smile and respectfully whispered a reminder:
"Sir Adventurer, please try not to bring this Demonic Beast into the Inner City."
"Thanks, everyone."
Lyle nodded gently upon hearing the reminder, not acting superior at all.
Clack!
The Ghost Hound pulled the carriage again, entering the outskirts of the Royal Capital at a slower pace.
A green light flashed.
The Emerald Leaf Witch cast her magic again, and the plant vines once more wrapped around the carriage, blocking the rain that poured down after they left the gate.
Outside the gate was a straight, wide road paved with man-made stone slabs, so the carriage didn't make much noise while traveling on it.
This immediately made Enri, who had been jolted all the way, let out a gasp of surprise.
The project to "pave stone streets" was implemented based on the proposal of the Golden Princess, but currently, it only covered the main streets of the Royal Capital and the territory of Marquis Raven, one of the six great nobles.
Other nobles opposed it, citing that paving streets for easy movement would facilitate an invasion by the Empire.
"Truly interesting."
Lyle instructed the Ghost Hound to turn onto a main street and head further inside. He tapped his chin and suddenly let out a soft chuckle.
He had spent some time in the Empire's capital looking for Leinas, and while he hadn't stayed in the Royal Capital for long, he had visited twice.
Lyle suddenly realized that the purpose of the many proposals made by the Golden Princess might not be what he originally thought.
Having seen the state of both nations and broadened his horizons, Lyle faintly sensed that the Golden Princess's alien level of thinking was perhaps even higher than he had initially expected.
Simply put...
...the bizarre reasons the Kingdom's nobles gave for refusing might have actually hit the mark.
As the carriage gradually left the main street...
...puddles like "lakes" began to form on the ground. The paving in the Royal Capital clearly hadn't considered drainage, especially for the residential areas on both sides.
No wonder most buildings nearby were two stories tall.
Water sprayed under the wheels.
It soon stopped in front of an ordinary inn.
The Emerald Leaf Witch removed the vines and opened an umbrella, immediately holding it over Lyle's head.
The innkeeper saw Lyle's group and, suppressing his fear of the Ghost Hound, immediately showed a beaming smile and the utmost service attitude.
Lyle booked three rooms as usual, even paying extra because of the Ghost Hound.
A moment later.
With a click...
...the innkeeper brought food and entered Lyle's room cautiously, immediately seeing the Ghost Hound lounging lazily in the center of the room.
His neck stiffened.
"Whew." The innkeeper took a deep breath, slowed his pace again, and looked respectfully at Lyle sitting at the wooden table.
"Sir, here is the food you requested."
"Thank you, just put it on the table." Lyle nodded with a smile, gesturing for the innkeeper to leave it.
The innkeeper placed the food on the table and then retreated cautiously and respectfully, quickly leaving the room as if afraid the Ghost Hound would attack him.
"Hmm, smells good. Blackie, the food looks decent." Lyle looked at the food on the table with a satisfied smile.
There was a freshly baked piece of soft white bread, still steaming, and two pieces of grilled red meat dripping with sauce.
And a clear soup made with corn and greens.
Lyle speared a piece of grilled meat with a fork and tossed it behind him.
"Awoo." The Ghost Hound immediately looked up, caught the meat in its mouth, and swallowed it in one go.
Lyle leisurely cut the tasty meat and ate it with the soft white bread.
Time passed bit by bit.
Just as Lyle was about to finish the last bite of meat...
Bang!
A black arrow suddenly shot through the half-open window from the rain, the arrowhead glowing translucently.
It pierced through the layers of rain and shot straight at Lyle, completely unaffected.
"Roar!"
The Ghost Hound immediately stood up, its eyes fierce, and swiped at the arrow with its claw.
However...
...the arrow didn't fall as it should have. Instead, at the moment the Ghost Hound's claw was about to collide with it...
...the arrow curved mid-air, bypassing the Ghost Hound and heading for Lyle behind it.
The swipe missed.
The Ghost Hound couldn't turn back in time to block it, as the room wasn't large and the distance between it and Lyle was very short.
Lyle calmly watched the incoming arrow and picked up the fork that still had meat on it.
Vroom—
Suddenly, the arrow vibrated again.
A faint light flashed on the arrow that was already extremely close, and in an instant, it split into two and shot forward simultaneously.
Clang!
A crisp metallic sound echoed in the room.
Lyle calmly held his fork and blocked one of the arrows, while the other passed through him and dissipated in mid-air.
It clearly wasn't a real arrow, but an illusion used to deceive.
"Martial Skill techniques combined with Magic Arrows... looks like your strength has improved quite a bit."
Lyle applied a little force with his fingers holding the fork, flicking the arrow away, before putting the meat into his mouth.
He looked up toward the window.
The half-open window was now wide open, and a figure wrapped in a black raincoat was perched on the sill.
The figure held the window with one hand and a bow with the other; even through the raincoat, one could see the slender silhouette.
"Roar!"
The Ghost Hound bared its sharp teeth and looked fiercely at the figure, but then its nose twitched.
It seemed to catch a familiar scent.
Then...
...the Ghost Hound curled its lip, wagged its tail, and lay back down on the floor.
Thud!
The black figure jumped in from the window, shed the raincoat, and tossed it aside, revealing a familiar purple-haired figure.
It was Imina.
"Tch, you've been gone so long, I thought you were dead."
Imina tilted her slender neck, her delicate face wearing a look of dissatisfaction as she spoke mockingly.
"I was about to make a fortune and run."
As she spoke...
...Imina walked over with her long legs and sat naturally across from Lyle, picking up the remaining white bread and eating it.
Seeing Imina's cold and annoyed expression...
...Lyle chuckled, "Making a fortune from Eight Fingers... that's quite a bit of money."
"But it seems you don't want to leave just yet, otherwise you wouldn't have bought this inn."
The inn he was staying in was the same one where he had used Imina to bait Eight Fingers members during his second visit to the Royal Capital.
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