Chapter 40
"Sakuri-sama is someone known only to a very small number of people in Golber. They rarely appear in public. I have met them only once."
Zodia began telling us about Sakuri.
"What!? You've met them in person?"
"Yes. I cannot go into detail, but they were present when I dined with a certain person. That person introduced them as their brains—Sakuri."
"A certain person..." A high-ranking figure from Golber, or perhaps the king... Well, I probably couldn't get an answer out of Zodia.
"Sakuri was quiet, so we hardly exchanged a word, but that certain person told me Sakuri had come to Golber a few years ago, and that before then, they had wandered just as we do."
"How old was Sakuri?" At Wickhart's question, Zodia paused before answering, "They appeared to be fairly advanced in age." Rather than searching her memory, Zodia was probably gauging how much she was allowed to say.
I decided to ask one more question, even though I did not expect much. "Did Sakuri say anything about making a move against our country?"
Zodia gave a small shake of her head.
"...Nothing in particular. That certain person was quite high-spirited, though," Zodia added with a faint smile.
Well, if that person was a high-ranking figure from Golber, they might say something like Ludeck was beneath their notice. There were people in Ludeck who said similar things, too.
"That is all I can tell you about Sakuri. I am sorry it is not much."
"No, it is good to have confirmed that they exist. This was valuable information." I bowed to Zodia. It was far better than searching for someone whose very existence was uncertain. If I told Rays-sama, perhaps Rays-sama would take the matter seriously and investigate it.
"It is growing late. Shall we call it a night?" At Zodia's words, we rose from our seats, bringing our modest exchange of information to an end.
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The next morning, Zodia came to see us off alongside the lord.
"Where are you and your troupe headed now?" I asked casually.
"We are headed for a town we always stop at, and then Greedle."
"The Empire..."
"Yes. We are also on good terms with a town there."
As one would expect of a traveling troupe, they were unconcerned with quarrels between countries. They simply went wherever they wished.
"I pray that your journey is a safe one. May you have the protection of Loref, the wind god." When I gave the farewell greeting favored by the troupe, Zodia's eyes widened.
"You truly are a mysterious person. That farewell greeting is rarely used by anyone other than members of a traveling troupe..."
"I just happened to know it."
"...I find you intriguing. I would very much like to meet you again. May Loref's protection be with you wherever you go."
"Thank you. If we have the opportunity, I would be glad to meet again."
In response to what I said,
"I think we'll meet again," Zodia said, sending us off as though it were a certainty.
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A little while after leaving Ruelue, we heard the hoofbeats of a horse hurrying along behind us. When I turned around, someone I knew well was riding toward us.
"Hey, you're early, Ryuzel."
Ryuzel slowed as he caught up with us.
When I called out to him, Ryuzel looked exasperated. "You're the ones who are slow."
"Should we hurry a little more?"
"No, that's what I said, but now that you've come this far, it should be fine. Even at a leisurely pace, you should arrive by evening. I'll go on ahead and greet the Third Knight Order. I'll leave two guards behind to escort you, so don't take any detours." With that, he rode off again.
"We'll take our time, then," Wickhart said, and Rufa and I nodded firmly.
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"I see it! That's Gadeland!"
This was not my first time here, but I could not help shouting. To me, Gadeland was a familiar town I had not visited in a long time.
The fishing village where I was born and raised lay half a day's walk east of Gadeland. When I was a child, my father often brought me to Gadeland to sell fish.
After leaving the village and settling in the royal capital, my visits had grown infrequent, but returning after so long stirred a sense of nostalgia.
"First, let's go greet Zackhart-sama. Ryuzel should be waiting too," Wickhart said, leading us to the garrison where the Third Knight Order was stationed.
"So you're Roa. I've heard about you from Rays."
His gaze was sharper and his voice lower than Rays-sama's.
He was a giant, more than twice my size, with a magnificent beard nearly long enough to brush the floor.
This was my first encounter with Zackhart-sama, commander of the Third Knight Order, known as the Lord of the Magnificent Beard.