The day after performing the ritual on the outskirts of Ryusen Town was a complete rest day.
Kousuke, along with Colette and Peach, who had arrived using the Teleport Gate from Amamiya Tower, spent time together walking around the town for the first time in a while.
Of course, the children were with them.
Shurein and the others were acting separately to give Colette and Peach some space. They were probably enjoying shopping and other activities in town, including preparing for the journey.
Colette’s twins were already four years old, and Peach’s child was three, so they were more than old enough to stroll leisurely through the town with their families. In fact, they were almost too energetic, requiring constant attention to keep them from wandering too far from their parents’ sight. Kousuke could tell the children’s excitement was rising from the slightly different town scenery; however, it wasn’t just Kousuke who noticed this—anyone observing the children would immediately realize it.
Indeed, seeing the children rush towards a food stall wafting delicious smells, the shopkeeper smiled and said to Kousuke, “Haha. Such energetic children you have.”
“Yes. Thanks to you,” Kousuke replied.
“Children should be like this, shouldn’t they?” the shopkeeper added, nodding vigorously while his hands continued to work.
The stall was selling something like okonomiyaki, a batter with various ingredients mixed in. The children’s eyes widened as they watched the shopkeeper skillfully flip the food, seemingly fascinated by the process of not letting the batter burn. The shopkeeper appeared used to being watched by children and continued his work without any particular reaction. Seeing this, Kousuke and the others had no intention of stopping the children as long as they weren’t getting in the way of the shopkeeper’s work.
While Kousuke was conversing with the shopkeeper, he became unsure whether the children were enjoying watching the process or simply wanted to eat what was being made. “Shopkeeper, could you make one for each of the children?”
“You got it. Thanks for your patronage,” the shopkeeper replied. The unspoken request for child-sized portions seemed to be understood immediately, as he nodded and began making new ones. Kousuke noticed Colette’s slight frown when he placed the order, but he deliberately pretended not to see it. While it was partly a case of “serves them right,” Kousuke didn’t often get opportunities to interact with the children. His true feelings were that he wanted to be allowed to spoil them just this once. However, Colette understood Kousuke’s feelings well and didn’t say anything further.
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The children, delighted by the food Kousuke gave them, became even more energetic. Kousuke always found it baffling where they got so much energy. The three adults, struggling to keep up with the children’s enthusiasm, decided to let them loose in a park-like plaza. Of course, they had told the children to play where they could keep an eye on them. However, when children get absorbed in something, such instructions tend to vanish from their minds, so Kousuke and the others settled down to talk, making sure to keep a close watch.
“Ryusen Town seems unchanged from before,” Colette remarked. Kousuke nodded in agreement. “Yeah, it does. I guess the country’s policies have managed to work out safely?”
When the country of Razek Amamiya was established and Teleport Gates were sequentially connected to its various cities, Ryusen Town was said to be significantly affected. Ryusen Town was originally known as the closest town to the tower on the Central Continent, attracting many adventurers. However, with the advent of Teleport Gates, this primary advantage would be lost. Furthermore, since Crown Headquarters was located within the tower, adventurers no longer had to stay in Ryusen Town. In such a scenario, Ryusen, which had thrived as an adventurer’s town, would inevitably decline unless it found new industries or other means of support.
Razek Amamiya, ruled by Floria at the time, took action to address this situation. While the rise and fall of towns within a country were natural occurrences, there was a specific reason why they couldn’t afford to lose the adventurers in Ryusen Town. Since the town had been sustained by a large number of adventurers, a sudden decrease in their numbers was feared to lead to an increase in monsters in the surrounding areas. Therefore, Razek Amamiya decided to station the country’s troops there instead, accepting that the number of adventurers would decrease. Specifically, they established a garrisoned subjugation force separate from the one within the tower. While a Teleport Gate could be built anywhere with no significant difference, the monsters that appeared inside and outside the tower differed. From a training perspective, it was necessary to create a separate unit from the town on the fifth floor, and Ryusen was chosen for this role. The town was originally a gathering place for rugged adventurers, so there were few residents who opposed the military’s stationing there. As a result of both parties’ intentions aligning well, Ryusen now boasts more prosperity than before without a decrease in population.
Walking through Ryusen Town, it was evident that members of the subjugation force were present everywhere. Although off-duty soldiers weren’t in uniform, they still possessed an aura distinct from ordinary citizens or adventurers. Having received formal training as soldiers, they were easily distinguishable to those who knew what to look for.
“The subjugation force members seem to be well-accepted by the townspeople too,” Colette observed.
“Yes, perhaps it’s because the town has a history of accepting adventurers?” Kousuke replied. Soldiers in the subjugation force receive regular salaries from the country, so the money they spend benefits the economy of Ryusen Town. This is all possible because the townspeople fully accept the soldiers without any opposition. “Even though there are fewer adventurers, they feel protected by them,” Colette added.
“Well, I’m sure that’s a policy that’s been thoroughly enforced by the military,” Kousuke said. It was an undeniable fact that the subjugation force protected Ryusen Town. However, it was also true that military organizations could have negative aspects. To mitigate this, positive aspects of the subjugation force were indeed spreading through the town, even if only as rumors.
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After letting the children play to their heart’s content, Kousuke and the others resumed their walk through Ryusen Town. Although their energy levels had decreased from before, the children still had enough vigor to explore the town with their parents, exclaiming with delight upon discovering anything unusual. After reuniting with Shurein and the others along the way, they had an early dinner. Kousuke and his party entered a high-class restaurant that seemed suitable for children and relished Ryusen’s signature dishes. Perhaps it was due to playing so hard during the day or their mothers’ strict upbringing, but the children enjoyed their meal without causing a scene. Nevertheless, they managed to finish everything that was served, which was commendable.
After finishing their meal, Kousuke and the others returned to their inn immediately. As soon as they entered their rooms, the exhaustion from the day seemed to catch up with the children, and they fell asleep quickly. Afterward, the adults had some quiet time, and their sightseeing tour in Ryusen effectively came to an end. The children were full of energy. By the way, elf children (especially twins) are rare sights, so they attracted considerable attention.
