Chapter 36 On The Same Road （2）
After we finished our meal, Daito and I stepped out of the Wolf Prey Diner. The afternoon sun was warm, and a gentle breeze carried the smell of baked bread from a nearby stall.
“Hey, Sir Raito,” Daito said as he stretched his arms. “Are you heading to the Adventurers Guild?”
“Yeah, I am,” I replied.
“In that case, let’s go together. The others are all being treated at the guild’s infirmary. You should come see them.”
I nodded. “Sure, why not.”
A few minutes later, we arrived at the guild.
As soon as we pushed the doors open, a wave of noise and emotion swept over us.
The usually rowdy guild hall was overflowing with people—families hugging tightly, mothers crying into their children’s shoulders, fathers embracing loved ones who had been missing for weeks.
The air felt heavy… but in a good way. Like the entire room was breathing relief after holding its breath for too long.
“Are all these people…?” I asked quietly.
Daito nodded. “Yeah. They’re the families of the people who were taken.”
“I see…” My eyes scanned the hall. “And what about the people we couldn’t save?”
Daito’s expression darkened. He let out a small sigh. “The families of those who were… killed, decided to bring their loved ones home themselves. They want to give them a proper burial.”
“I understand,” I said softly.
Before the silence could settle, a familiar voice called out.
“Daito! Where did you run off to? I was looking for you.”
We turned to see Sir Gallagher striding toward us, his expression a mix of exhaustion and authority.
Daito straightened up. “Sorry, sir. I was starving, so I went to get something to eat.”
Sir Gallagher crossed his arms. “Even so, you’re not fully recovered yet. Take it easy.”
“Yes, sir,” Daito replied.
Then Sir Gallagher turned to me. “Oh, Sir Raito. Perfect timing. The Guild Master has been looking for you. He’s in his office—you should go see him.”
“Sure thing,” I replied. “Tell the others I said hi.”
“Will do,” Daito said.
I made my way up the stairs, stopping in front of the Guild Master’s office. I knocked twice.
“Who is it?” came his muffled voice.
“It’s Raito, sir. You wanted to see me?”
“Oh, Raito! Come on in, kid.”
I pushed the door open. As always, his office looked like a mountain of paperwork had exploded inside it. Stacks upon stacks of forms, reports, and documents covered nearly every surface.
“Looks like you’re pretty busy, sir,” I said.
He rubbed the back of his head with a tired laugh. “Well, with all the missing people finally found—and with news about the Maleficarum spreading—there’s a lot happening. Too much happening, honestly.”
“I can imagine.”
“Oh! Before I forget.” He opened a drawer, pulled out a medium-sized leather pouch, and tossed it toward me.
I caught it with both hands. It was surprisingly heavy. “What is this?”
“Your reward,” he said with a grin. “For escorting the heroes on their mission. And I added a bit extra—to thank you for saving them.”
“How much is in here?” I asked.
“About two thousand gold coins.”
My eyes widened. “Two thousand!? Isn’t that a bit much for an escort mission?”
He waved his hand. “Don’t worry about it. If you hadn’t saved the heroes, I’d probably be dead—or my guild ruined. You prevented a disaster. Consider this a well-deserved thank you.”
I let out a resigned sigh. “Alright, fine. I’ll take it.”
He smiled in relief, then leaned back in his chair. “So, what’s next for you, kid?”
“Honestly? I haven’t decided yet.”
“I’ve got a suggestion,” he said, leaning forward with a grin. “You should head to the Kingdom of Dilenia.”
“Dilenia?” I echoed.
He nodded. “The kingdom’s annual festival starts soon. And this year is special—it’s also the crown princess’s birthday.”
“Birthday?”
“Yes. The princess was born on the same day as the festival. She’s turning eighteen this year—officially becoming an adult.”
“I see… sounds like it’s going to be a big event.”
“Big is an understatement. It’s the biggest celebration in the region. It might be a good change of pace for you.”
I thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. I think I’ll go.”
“When are you leaving?” he asked.
“Tomorrow morning.”
The Guild Master stood and extended his hand. “Then let me be the first to say: thank you for everything you’ve done, Sir Raito.”
I reached out and shook his hand firmly. “You’re welcome, sir.”
The next morning came quickly. With my bag over my shoulder and the cool breeze brushing against my face, I walked along the road leading out of Morlinda. The sun wasn’t too high yet, and the sky was painted with soft orange hues.
Just as I was adjusting the strap of my pack, a voice echoed behind me:
“Sir Raito!!”
I turned around and saw a wagon rumbling down the road. Daito and the others were waving excitedly from the back of it. Behind them, Sir Gallagher and several knights rode on horseback, dust kicking up behind their hooves. They came to a stop right in front of me.
“What are you all doing here?” I asked, genuinely surprised.
Daito jumped down from the wagon with a grin. “We heard from the Guild Master that you were heading to Dilenia. So we decided we’d give you a ride! We’re going the same way, after all.”
“Are you sure I can tag along?” I asked, glancing between them.
Sir Gallagher dismounted his horse, giving me a firm nod. “Of course. Consider this our thanks for saving the heroes for me. Traveling together is the least we can offer.”
I looked at the heroes. All of them were smiling—Yanie waved, Zachi gave a cheerful thumbs up, Yuchikimo smirked like he already expected me to join.
I let out a small laugh. “Alright, fine. Traveling together might be fun.”
The heroes erupted into excited cheers.
Zachi leaned over the wagon’s side with a bright smile. “Glad to have you aboard, Raito!”
I climbed into the wagon beside them. “My pleasure.”
Sir Gallagher lifted his hand and called out, “Alright then! Let’s move out!”
Everyone replied in unison, “Right!”
With that, our group began traveling along the road toward Dilenia. The wheels creaked, the horses snorted, and the wind carried the scent of the open fields. It felt… peaceful.
After a few minutes, curiosity bubbled up inside me. “By the way,” I said, looking at the group, “what are all of you heading to Dilenia for?”
Yanie blinked at me. “What do you mean? All of us heroes were invited to celebrate the festival and the princess’s birthday, of course.”
“Oh, I see.” I paused, then my eyes widened. “Wait—all of you? All the summoned heroes are going to Dilenia?”
Ayame nodded. “Yep. The princess wants to meet each of the heroes personally. The king decided to make it part of her birthday celebration.”
“That makes sense,” I said. “Seems like you’re all going to have a good time.”
Yuchikimo crossed his arms confidently. “Of course we are! It’s not every day you get to meet a beautiful princess in person.”
Ayame glared at him. “Oh, please. That’s the only reason you’re excited. Try not to embarrass yourself, alright?”
“Hah?! I’ll have you know I have excellent manners!” Yuchikimo shot back.
“Oh really? Since when?” Ayame teased.
They immediately started bickering, Yuchikimo defending his nonexistent charm while Ayame continued poking fun at him.
I let out a long sigh and leaned back against the wooden boards of the wagon.
“Well,” I muttered under my breath, “this is going to be a long road trip.”
The others laughed, the wagon rolled on, and just like that—our journey to Dilenia began.
Two days had passed since we left the city of Morlinda. Night had fallen, and our caravan had stopped to rest beside a wide, gently flowing river. The starry sky stretched endlessly above us, the moonlight reflecting off the water like shards of silver.
I sat near the campfire, the warmth brushing against my face as I leaned back on the cool grass.
When I looked to my left, I spotted Daito and the other heroes near the riverbank.
They were supposedly fishing—but based on the way they were shouting at each other, it sounded more like a competitive brawl than anything peaceful.
“You call that a cast, Yuchikimo? Even a kid could throw further!”
“Oh yeah?! Say that again, Hiro! I dare you!”
“Tch… you’re both noisy. You’re scaring all the fish away!”
Their voices echoed through the night air. I let out a small sigh as I shook my head.
A calm voice came from my right. “Looks like they’re having fun.”
I turned and saw Sir Gallagher approaching, holding two bowls of steaming soup. He handed one to me.
“Here. Go ahead and eat while it’s still hot.”
I accepted the bowl with both hands. “Thank you, Sir.”
He nodded once, his stern expression softening slightly as he looked toward the heroes still splashing around in the river.
Then he straightened his back and spoke in a firm, commanding voice that echoed across the campsite:
“Hey! That’s enough fooling around! Get over here and eat!”
The heroes froze instantly.
“Yes, sir!!”
They scrambled away from the and hurried toward the soldier in charge of distributing meals. Even from where I sat, I could hear them still muttering at each other under their breath.
Sir Gallagher let out a long sigh before sitting down beside me.
“Are you alright there, Sir?” I asked.
He leaned back slightly, gazing up at the night sky. “Everything is fine. Don’t worry about me.”
“Alright then…” I took a sip of the soup—rich, warm, and surprisingly flavorful. “Can I ask something?”
“Of course,” he replied. “What is it?”
“How long until we reach Dilenia?”
Sir Gallagher stroked his chin thoughtfully. “If we’re lucky and we don’t encounter any monsters along the way, it should take about four more days.”
“I see,” I said, watching steam drift from my bowl.
My eyes wandered back toward the heroes.
Despite being ordered to eat, they were still arguing quietly while stuffing food into their mouths.
Even now, Ayame was scolding Yuchikimo for eating too fast, and Yanie was trying to mediate between them.
Kairo just sat there silently, staring into his bowl like he wondered what life choices led him to this moment.
I sighed again, shaking my head.
“It’s going to be a long journey at this rate…”
Sir Gallagher chuckled under his breath. “Welcome to my daily struggle.”
The days passed quicker than I expected. Before I knew it, we managed to get here without any trouble as we get closer to the front gate of Dilenia.
Even from a distance, the kingdom’s gate towered so high it made us look like ants approaching a mountain.
Smooth silverstone walls rose upward like a fortress built to challenge the sky itself.
The closer we walked, the more overwhelming its presence became—ancient carvings of dragons and winged beasts spiraled across the gate’s surface, glowing faintly under the morning sun.
A deep rumble shook the ground beneath us.
The massive gate slowly began to open, splitting down the middle as internal gears groaned and clanked. Dust drifted from the seams of the stone, and a gust of cool air swept outward from the city beyond.
As the entrance widened, I saw two guards standing on each side of the passageway. Their armor gleamed like polished brass, and both of them watched our group with patient smiles—as if welcoming old friends rather than travelers from a distant city.
“Yeah!! We’re finally here!” Zachi shouted, throwing her fist into the air.
The other heroes immediately joined her, cheering and laughing like they’d just been freed from months of traveling instead of only a few days. Even Daito looked unusually energetic.
Their excitement tugged a small smile onto my face.
I think I should enjoy my time in this place, I thought silently, letting out a faint breath as we stepped through the gate and officially entered The Kingdom of Dilenia.