Tobil picked up the brooch, examining it closely by flipping and turning it over in his hands. I wondered if there might be some hidden mechanism, but finding nothing unusual, he set it back on the table and returned it.

"So, your stated purpose was... to tour the castle?"

"Yes. I’ve always been curious about what the inside of a castle looks like. Back home, castle tours were common, catering to tourists."

While Japanese castles have mostly become tourist attractions, what I said wasn’t untrue. Even the Imperial Palace offers guided tours. Surely a castle in this world could have something similar.

"I see... Unfortunately, this castle doesn’t offer such services. But... please wait here for a moment."

Leaving the brooch on the table, Tobil exited the room, looking deep in thought.

"Seems like castle tours aren’t a thing here," Rio murmured.

"Yeah, it seems so."

While responding, my eyes involuntarily drifted back to the brooch. Right—it’s supposed to act as a tracking device. Why did I bring it all the way here? As the thought surfaced, it seemed to slip away just as quickly, leaving a strange indifference.

Still, how precisely does it track us? Even if our location is identified immediately, relaying the information to someone else must take time. There would be intermediaries, each taking their share of time.

Unless... magic was involved. I hadn’t seen any communication magic like phones or emails in town, but who’s to say such methods don’t exist?

"Sorry to keep you waiting," Tobil said as he reentered the room, retaking his seat.

"I’ve reported this to my superiors, but honestly, I’m not sure what will come of it."

It seemed the brooch held considerable weight. Even if there weren’t official tours, the mere presence of the brooch was enough for him to escalate the matter.

"I see. By the way..."

"Hmm?"

"How much do you know about us, Tobil?"

I asked out of genuine curiosity. Tobil offered a wry smile.

"To be honest, not much at all. I’ve only been told your names and instructed to report immediately if someone bearing that brooch appeared."

"Ah, I see..."

His apparent lack of detailed knowledge about us made me wonder. Was he refraining from probing further out of tact, or was it better for him to stay uninformed?

"Do you happen to know what this brooch represents?"

"Not exactly, no. But that emblem—it’s the royal crest of the Arclight Kingdom."

"Oh, really?"

My surprise was genuine, and Tobil looked equally perplexed at my reaction.

"You didn’t notice? The same crest is displayed on the gates you passed to enter the city."

"Wait, what?"

Both Rio and I spoke in unison, drawing a hearty laugh from Tobil.

"Ha! You two didn’t notice? The royal crest marks the entrance to all cities directly under the king’s control."

"Huh... so that’s what it is."

We had completely missed it. Perhaps because we were too focused on disguising ourselves when entering the city, we failed to take in our surroundings.

"Wait," I muttered.

Talking with Tobil, I felt a strange awareness of people gathering nearby.

"Shu..."

Rio had noticed it too. She gripped the hem of my clothes tightly, her unease clear.

"What’s wrong?"

Tobil, sensing our shift, looked puzzled but didn’t seem to be aware of the activity outside.

"Did you know people are gathering outside?"

Sometimes, asking directly is the best approach.

"Huh? Really? This room is fairly soundproof, but... hang on, let me check."

Standing, Tobil left to investigate. Even enhancing my hearing, I could only catch murmurs of conversation from outside, not the actual words.

"Tobil doesn’t seem to know what’s happening either," Rio said.

"Yeah, that seems to be the case."

"From what I can pick up, it looks like the Royal Guard and the Mage Corps are assembling."

The Royal Guard and Mage Corps? That sounded ominous.

"Are they here to capture us?"

While the Royal Guard seemed formidable, the magic emanating from the Mage Corps wasn’t particularly strong.

"Not quite. They seem more relieved that Tobil is safe. My guess is they’re here as backup in case we cause trouble."

"What the heck?"

If things went south and everyone attacked, staying in this stone room might be the safest bet. No need to step out voluntarily.

"We’ll wait for Tobil to return, then."

"He’s on his way back now," Rio noted.

Moments later, Tobil’s presence grew nearer. But the door flew open not just to admit him—it was accompanied by knights clad in armor, wielding drawn swords, who charged into the room.

"Don’t move!"

One knight shouted, followed by two more entering to secure the doorway. Three robed figures, presumably from the Mage Corps, filed in behind them.

"Wait—hold on a moment!"

Tobil burst into the room, shouting to stop them.