After our audience with the king ended, the sky gradually became tinged with crimson, and the once clear blue expanse deepened in color.

As we walked through the royal capital following Ivy’s lead in the evening twilight, our destination came into view.

Tonight, we would be staying at the Marquis’s mansion.

Though the Marquis and the king did not get along, he was still a noble of the kingdom.

It was only natural that, as a noble, he would have a residence in the capital, given his frequent visits here.

“That said, I almost never come here myself!”

Or so he claimed.

Originally, we had planned to rent an inn in the capital, but the Marquis kindly suggested that instead of struggling with an unfamiliar place and an uncomfortable bed, we should stay in a mansion that used the same bedding as his estate in Akoup. We gladly accepted his generosity.

Besides, staying in the mansion meant we could also protect Katya in case of an emergency.

“Oh, Bruno, Ivy. You’re done already?”

As we were about to enter the mansion, we came across a group that was heading out, just as we were going in.

Among them, surrounded by knightly escorts and about to board a carriage, was Katya.

The carriage had an excessively fancy design, one I had never even seen in Akoup.

It looked like a hollowed-out pumpkin, and through the window, I could see a luxurious leather sofa inside.

The Marquis’s doting affection for his daughter was in full force once again.

“Katya, are you going somewhere?”

“Yes. Since I’m in the royal capital, I have to attend several parties while gathering information. Honestly, it’s a bother, but I can’t exactly skip them.”

“If you’d like, we could come along.”

“I appreciate the thought, but I can’t bring you two to a noble’s party. Ivy is fine, but as for Bruno… I have no idea what kind of trap you might fall into.”

That was quite the harsh remark.

Apparently, Katya had absolutely no faith in me.

But, thinking about it, she wasn’t wrong. If I attended a noble’s party without knowing their customs, I could very well make a serious blunder without realizing it.

…Yeah, I take it back.

Just as Katya said, it’s probably best if I stay home and watch the house.

“Don’t stay out too late.”

Katya said as she placed her hand on the carriage door.

“I’ll be fine. I’m not a child.”

“Bruno, you’re like a big child in many ways.”

“Mii, Mii…”

Ivy nodded in agreement, as if to say, “Exactly.”

It seemed my supposed ally had defected to the enemy side this time.

Hmm… Am I really that childish?

I don’t feel that way myself, but…

“Still, my father’s unreasonable demands are such a headache… If I were to complete everything he asked of me, I have no idea how long our stay in the royal capital would be extended…”

Katya let out a deep sigh.

As the Marquis’s representative, her duties went beyond attending parties.

She also had to visit and greet influential nobles, resolve ongoing disputes between aristocrats, and propose compromises for various issues. The workload assigned to her was far from light.

“I do understand why it’s necessary, though…”

Despite being a noble of the kingdom, the Marquis had long been at odds with the king.

Marquis Endlord governed the frontier, an area constantly plagued by monster attacks, through sheer meritocracy.

However, preparing defenses against monster invasions and rebuilding towns ravaged by them required vast sums of money.

As a result, Marquis Endlord had been managing his territory with an unapologetic pragmatism—reducing tax payments to the lowest amount legally permissible, secretly cultivating monsters for both food supply and economic benefits, and otherwise disregarding the kingdom’s disapproval in favor of practical solutions.

But even an unshakable figure like the Marquis couldn’t afford to make enemies on all fronts.

Since he frequently clashed with the king, losing the support of the other great nobles would be disastrous.

To prevent the Marquis’s domain from collapsing, a great deal of behind-the-scenes effort was necessary.

“But even if our stay in the capital is extended, it’s not really a problem, right, Ivy?”

“Mii!”

This was actually my first time visiting the royal capital.

Compared to any city I had seen before, the royal capital, Iris, was enormous.

And it wasn’t just big.

Unlike the somewhat chaotic layout of Akoup, this city felt far more refined.

It had many bustling streets, teeming with energy.

With so much to see, finding places to explore wouldn’t be difficult.

And if we ever ran out of things to do, we could always just laze around in the mansion with Ivy.

“Well, well… Wait! This is no time for idle chatter! I must be off! Farewell, you two!”

With that, Katya hastily departed.

As energetic as ever.

“Shall we take a walk around the royal capital?”

“Mii!”

Ivy responded enthusiastically, but then pointed a small paw in another direction.

Following the direction of her paw, I saw a stable a short distance from the mansion.

『Once again, I’m the only one stuck in this tiny place… I’m so bored!』

If I strained my ears, I could hear a certain someone’s voice coming from there.

It seemed Sanshita was stuck waiting in the stable again, and his frustration was reaching its limit.

…I had completely forgotten about him.

Alright, let’s go play with Sanshita first and cheer him up.

“Mii!”

With Ivy by my side, I headed toward the restless Sanshita—who was still complaining about his boredom.