The Kingdom's Ducal House

It was accepted practice that an adventurer's formal attire was simply their adventuring gear.

There were occasions where a dress code was required, like at the auction, but when meeting with nobles, things rarely went that far.

Since adventurers first came into being, their dealings with the nobility had been frequent.

High-ranking adventurers could practically call nobles and wealthy merchants their primary clientele.

As a result, through various incidents and negotiations over the years, an unspoken understanding had formed.

Honestly, most adventurers would rather spend money on equipment than formal wear.

I stepped outside the shop and turned to look at Azu.

"Did you polish your gear?"

"Yes. I cleaned everything up."

Saying that, Azu, now in her usual adventuring getup, showed off her full kit.

She'd tied her long hair back short, and it suited her well.

Her equipment bore a few scuffs from past adventures, but it had been polished to a near-new shine.

That would do. You could tell she took good care of it day in and day out.

One day of polishing alone wouldn't get gear looking like that.

The other two were the same.

"Equipment maintenance is fundamental."

"Shined everything up nice and bright."

"Good."

Our breath misted white. If it was already this cold at this time of year, this winter was going to be harsh.

I hoped it wouldn't disrupt trade routes.

Fortunately, the clouds were clearing and the sun had come out.

A bit warmer.

We headed to the plaza and bought breakfast from a food stall, eating as we walked.

I bit into a bread roll stuffed with cheese and baked until hot.

The piping hot cheese was gooey and delicious.

We arrived at the portal and registered our names in the ledger.

Our destination was Alsarm, the central city of the ducal territory.

It bordered both the Empire and the Solar Union, and served as a major trade hub for the Kingdom.

As a result, enormous flows of people and money passed through, generating considerable wealth.

I'd heard that within the Kingdom, it rivaled even the Royal Capital in development.

No doubt that was the source of the duke's ability to make such extravagant purchases.

I was actually looking forward to this.

I liked my hometown of Kassad, but it was hardly a metropolis.

Being close to the Imperial border meant goods from the Empire did come in, but only the larger trading companies could handle those.

Even though I owned my own shop, I was just one merchant. None of that trade reached me.

Now that I'd built connections with a few Imperial cities, I might be able to start developing that if I worked at it.

We stepped into the portal, and I waited through the floating sensation.

My feet found solid ground. We'd arrived.

We were in a different room from the one we'd entered.

I signed our names in the destination ledger as well.

Stepping outside, a very different landscape from Kassad spread before us.

How did teleportation actually work, I wondered.

I'd heard that they repurposed ancient magical tools, but beyond that, I had no idea.

I surveyed the city of Alsarm.

All sorts of shops lined the streets, and every one of them was bustling.

Even the people walking by had a certain polished air about them. And they walked fast.

Ateil, the city governed by the Imperial duke, had also been developed, but agriculture was its primary industry, giving the place a more laid-back atmosphere.

This was different.

Everyone here moved with a sense of urgency.

"You're in the way, you know."

"Sorry."

I'd been gawking at the scenery and apparently blocking the path.

I stepped aside quickly, and a young woman hurried past.

"Let's get moving."

The portal couldn't be used again today.

I'd need to secure lodging and find out where the duke's estate was.

"It should be at the best location in the city."

"So… over there, then."

Alexia's insight gave me a lead.

It looked like a bit of a walk, though.

While I was considering what to do, something caught my eye.

"How about we try that?"

Carriages circulated through the sprawling city as a form of transit.

A stop happened to be right nearby.

You paid up front and they'd take you to your destination, it seemed.

"To the duke's estate."

I told the driver, and we all climbed aboard.

The ride wasn't bad at all.

The seats had cushions, and the roads were paved with stone.

There'd been a time when I'd had Alexia smooth the ground with magic during carriage travel. The ride felt similar to that.

We watched the cityscape go by as the carriage moved at a leisurely pace.

"What's that shop?"

"That's… a jewelry store."

"So pretty."

Azu gazed at it as she said that.

Demand for jewelry was high everywhere, but having a storefront like that meant it wasn't just the wealthy, nobles, and people of status buying. Ordinary citizens could too.

Even a cheap gemstone would cost several months' worth of food.

If people here could afford that, the city was doing extremely well.

I was envious. My merchant's instinct told me that simply opening a shop here would be enough to succeed.

Of course, it would be far harder than running a shop in Kassad, and I had no intention of doing so.

Better to work on growing my shop as Kassad itself developed.

The carriage stopped a good distance short of the duke's estate.

Apparently, carriages weren't permitted beyond this point.

Restricted access was to be expected.

We continued on foot after disembarking.

Soon enough, a wall, presumably enclosing the estate, came into view.

We walked along it.

It was a vast estate.

The Imperial duke's had been the same, but was it simply a requirement for nobles of high standing to build estates this large?

The size of your home alone could spark disputes or get you looked down on. You couldn't show weakness to the nobles under your banner.

Merchants, too, sometimes had their standing judged by the size of their shops.

When I thought of it that way, maybe this was simply human nature.

A large gate came into view.

Armed knights stood guard.

We were glared at just for approaching.

Diligent workers.

I presented the letter the duke had given me. The guards checked the wax seal and its crest, then opened the gate.

Once inside, an elderly butler walked over to greet us.

"Welcome. Please, allow me to show you the way."