The first thing I noticed was how different their facial features were.

Compared to those in the Kingdom, their features seemed slightly deeper—or rather, each part of their face felt more defined.

Next came a scent I had never encountered before.

It was spicy, or something similar—a sharp, tingling smell that tickled the back of my nose.

The source of the smell seemed to be the street stalls.

However, since there were numerous stalls lined up, I couldn’t pinpoint exactly which one it was coming from.

Since I was following Katya, I couldn’t stop and observe everything carefully.

I would probably have some free time later, so for now, I kept my observations brief.

“Hey, look at that…”

“What? …Wait, is that a griffin?!”

“No, I was looking at that turtle over there, but… there’s no way that’s a griffin. It’s probably just some monster that looks like one.”

“Really? …But that turtle is something else. It’s small, yet it has this strange presence. I can’t seem to look away…”

As we walked, I noticed an adventurer party among the crowd gathered around the street stalls.

They were pointing in our direction and making an excited commotion.

By the way, I could hear everything they were saying.

For the record, this griffin is the real deal.

Apparently, even to adventurers, Sanshita doesn’t look like a griffin.

I wondered if Sanshita, who seemed to have left his wild nature behind somewhere, had any future ahead of him.

[“I’m getting hungry, I am!”]

When Sanshita sniffed the air and gave me a longing look, I handed him some dried meat. He immediately started munching happily, exclaiming, “Delicious, I am!”

Well, as long as he’s enjoying himself.

I hoped he would live his life—his griffin life—to the fullest.

“Mii!”

Ivy seemed pleased by the comment that she had an irresistible presence.

How cute.

“What are you doing, Bruno?”

“Ah… sorry!”

“Good grief… You lot are supposed to be my guards, you know…”

Before I realized it, we had been distracted and wandered off, looking around aimlessly.

When I turned at the sound of her voice, I saw Katya glaring at us in irritation, clearly unhappy that we had stopped following her.

“S-Sorry…”

“Mii…”

[“It’s not my fault the meat’s so good, I am…”]

We all apologized in unison.

It was true—we were letting our guard down too much, even though we were supposed to be her guards.

We promised to do better.

Catching up to Bolograd-san, we were shown to the lodging where we would be staying for the next few days.

“Wow… everything’s painted white…”

Our accommodations were in a hotel intended for foreign dignitaries visiting the religious state of Célie.

The place was enormous, and not a single speck of dust could be seen, even in the corners.

While the Frontier Marquis Endlord’s mansion was certainly impressive, this hotel might surpass it in both cleanliness and grandeur.

Before entering the hotel, we said goodbye to Sanshita for the time being.

As a tamed monster, he was to stay in the stables.

Sanshita gave me a sorrowful look, but I waved to him before stepping into the hotel.

The first thing that caught my eye inside was a massive fountain.

Wow… How do they get the water flowing like that?

Maybe it’s powered by magic?

“Mii?”

“Can I take a bath in it?” Ivy asked.

Naturally, the answer was no, so I shook my head.

Ivy seemed a little disappointed.

Don’t worry—later, we can go out and explore together.

Following the guide, we entered the hotel and walked as directed by the staff at the front desk.

As we climbed the stairs and walked down the hallways, every hotel staff member we passed bowed deeply to us.

If I stayed here too long, I might start to delude myself into thinking I was someone important.

Feeling awkward, I quietly followed Katya.

As guards, our role was primarily to wait outside Katya’s room.

There was a separate room for us guards, so it wouldn’t be an issue if we needed to step out while setting up a barrier.

“Wait here for a moment,” Katya said.

She entered the room and summoned her attendants, presumably to help her change.

She was likely switching from her formal dress to something more comfortable for indoors.

While waiting idly, I couldn’t help but wonder why it took so long for girls to change clothes.

I voiced this curiosity aloud, only for Ivy to chomp down on my finger in response.

Apparently, that was a topic I shouldn’t touch.

Yawning as I waited, the door finally opened.

On the other side was a flustered attendant—and Katya, wearing a maid uniform for some reason.

“All right, it’s time for some fieldwork in the city! Ivy, Bruno, you’re coming with me!”

This… was unexpected.

But since it was a rare whim of the princess, we exchanged glances and nodded.

Then we set off with Katya to explore the town.