The Radia Territory

The carriage came to a stop in front of a mansion that was massive even for this city.

“We have arrived. First, we would like to pay our respects to the local Lord,” Camille said.

As expected, this was the Lord’s manor. No wonder it was the largest building in town. By “we,” he likely meant the members currently in this carriage: the Grand Master of the Knights, the Representative of the Head Mage, Vim, and Hana. It made sense; there was no point in the entire troop crowding inside.

“Understood.”

Vim stepped down from the stationary carriage, then offered his hand to help Hana out.

“Shall we?”

“Yes.”

Following behind Grand Master Camille, they approached the entrance of the manor. The door opened, and a servant in a maid uniform appeared.

“We have been expecting you. The Royal Knights and the Magic Division, I presume? Please, follow me.”

The servant led them to a reception parlor. They sat on the sofas and waited for a short while until a man with a sturdy build and brown hair appeared. He seemed relatively young for a Lord.

“My apologies for the wait, everyone.”

With that, he sat on the sofa opposite Vim and the others.

“I am Marc Radia, the governor of the city of Radia. Thank you for coming all this way.”

The man named Marc gave a slight bow.

“Not at all. We shall begin our subjugation mission tomorrow,” Grand Master Camille replied.

Tomorrow would likely be dedicated entirely to reconnaissance.

“Understood. It is quite a task, and I appreciate your help.”

Despite being a Lord, he seemed remarkably humble.

“And you must be Master Vim Abel. Knowing that an S-rank adventurer is here brings me great peace of mind.”

“I am honored. I intend to give it my all.”

It seemed information about Vim had been sent ahead. S-rank adventurers were celebrities of a sort, so descriptions of their features tended to circulate.

“Well, we shall take our leave now.”

After finalizing some future plans with the Lord, they left the manor and headed toward the inn where they would stay for the night.

“We will head out for the investigation tomorrow morning. The Knights and the Magic Division will handle the scouting, so Master Vim, you and your companion can stay in town,” Grand Master Camille said as they walked.

“Understood. We’ll take the opportunity to look around the city.”

“Please do. I’ll contact you if anything comes up, and I’ll report the investigation results tomorrow evening.”

While talking with the Grand Master, they arrived at the inn. it was a fairly large building. Since travel expenses were being covered by the palace, they finished the check-in process and headed to their rooms.

Hana and Vim were assigned adjacent rooms. They had likely done this out of consideration for them.

“Well, see you tomorrow. Get some good rest.”

“Understood. Thank you. What time shall we meet tomorrow?”

“Let’s see… how about noon?”

If they met too early, the shops wouldn’t be open, and Vim wanted to sleep in for once.

“As you wish.”

“If I’m not up by then, come wake me.”

“You really aren’t a morning person, are you, Master Vim?” Hana said with a small smile.

They had reached a level of comfort where they could tease each other like this.

“Yeah, well. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

With that, they entered their respective rooms. The room was simple, furnished with a bed, a desk, and a chair, but it was exactly what one would expect. It was more than enough for a few days’ stay.

Vim took off his robe and lay down on the bed. Closing his eyes, he soon let go of his consciousness.