The soldiers who perished before the Wyvern were left exposed in the wilderness.
Though their deaths should have been mourned, celebrated, and honored, they were not prioritized over the King’s safety.
(Vincent, Oscar, Hector, I’m sorry.)
After apologizing in their hearts, the guards set off.
Alvin led the group from the front, with Raymond running alongside, beads of sweat dampening his brow.
Besides the immense magic power consumed fighting the Wyvern and summoning Familiars, Raymond was also continuously using “Detection” to scout.
The heavy consumption of magic power was likely the destiny of someone who held two professions: Mage and Summoner.
This was precisely why Marius was impressed.
He always kept multiple Magic Potions as a precaution, and though he had just drunk one, the physical toll was immeasurable.
Raymond was driven by his sense of duty as a guard and his pride as third-ranked Court Mage.
(But how did things get this way…)
Raymond thought bitterly.
The Rumbel Mountains, where they were currently traveling, were known as the Mountains of Emptiness, barren peaks where nothing grew, not even weeds.
Not only were there no monsters, it was even questionable if any insects lived there; the only creatures ever sighted in the past were a few Black Owls.
Located between the city of Menfen, which they had last inspected, and the Royal Capital Filatos, passing through here allowed for an arrival at the Royal Capital about two hours earlier than other routes.
It was about fifty years ago that someone noticed this and went to the trouble of paving the road.
And to this day, they had never encountered a monster.
Perhaps that was why they had become complacent.
The ministers had wryly commented on the “excessive force” accompanying the King, which included over ten guards, the influential Alvin and Raymond, and Emma, who held three professions.
However, upon hearing about the recent incident, they would surely turn ashen-faced, deeming it “insufficient force.”
(But who is this Marius?)
His appearance was too coincidental, and he could only speak the Firmiyan Language.
As a spy, he was hopelessly incompetent, but perhaps that was his intention.
Everyone likely shared similar thoughts, but no one showed it.
Perhaps they also wished he was an ally.
Marius had anticipated that the invitation might have a hidden agenda and that his life could be in danger, but he hadn’t expected to be considered some foreign spy or the center of a conspiracy.
This was likely the limit of someone who had lived a life devoid of political intrigue.
Therefore, while being careful not to be too obvious, he observed the interior of the carriage.
It was spacious enough to comfortably seat ten people.
Marius sat at the back, with Bernhard III opposite him. Lovisa sat next to Marius, and Emma sat opposite her.
Ideally, Emma should have been seated next to Marius. However, since only Lovisa could translate Marius’s words, she had been swapped in as a necessary measure.
The white seating and backrests were plush and comfortable, suggesting they could relax for a long time.
However, the presence of the Princess next to him made that unlikely.
Lovisa, with her heterochromia of a blue right eye and a red left eye, was undoubtedly the most beautiful woman Marius had ever seen.
Her translucent white skin and faint fragrance evoked a feeling akin to first love in Marius, who was normally quite accustomed to women.
He averted his gaze from her charm and looked around the interior again, trying to calm himself.
The carriage was constructed from white wood, and faint magic power could be felt from it.
Lovisa did not miss the momentary change in Marius’s expression.
“Did you notice? Magic has been cast for vibration dampening, heat resistance, impact resistance, and cold resistance.”
Marius thought it was indeed a luxury specification, befitting royalty.
This explained why the carriage remained undamaged even when attacked by a swarm of Wyverns.
Certain materials could have magic applied to them with extreme strength, and it was not impossible for them to create something capable of withstanding the Wyverns’ attacks.
Indeed, they felt no vibration, and he didn’t feel like he was riding in a carriage at all.
“How long will it take to reach the Royal Castle from here?”
“It should be about two hours. We could arrive a bit sooner if we hurried, but it will take about thirty minutes for Raymond’s Familiar to arrive.”
This meant the Royal Palace needed time to prepare for Marius’s reception.
Furthermore, Marius was relieved that the concept of time seemed to be the same as in his previous world.
Of course, there was a possibility that the counting methods differed.
Marius carefully chose his words as he asked,
“How do you measure time?”
The moment he spoke, a hint of pity flickered in Lovisa’s eyes.
It vanished quickly, but Marius didn’t miss it.
(Was that a bad question to ask… But there might not be a watch.)
If it followed FAO world standards, there should be twenty-four hours in a day and three hundred sixty-five days in a year, with clocks and calendars existing.
However, after his reincarnation and subsequent unknown experiences, Marius had to be cautious.
Lovisa didn’t bother translating for the other two and took out a watch from her pocket.
It was a small, silver pocket watch that could be covered by her small palm.
“This is a watch, used to check the passage of time. Please take a good look.”
It had black Roman numerals from one to twelve, with an hour hand, a minute hand, and a second hand.
It was exactly like the clocks Marius was familiar with.
“Is a day twenty-four hours?”
“Yes. You know that? Also, a year has three hundred sixty-five days.”
“I see.”
Thanks to his slip of the tongue asking about the twenty-four hours in a day, it became difficult to pretend to know nothing.
Marius imagined he must appear rather disconnected, but he had no idea how this would affect each of them.
To change the subject, Marius asked about something that had been on his mind: why royalty would travel on a mountain road where Wyverns appeared with such a small escort.
Lovisa’s answer revealed the truth about the Rumbel Mountains, and Marius’s expression grew grim.
“If that story is true, then it is highly possible that someone with the power to control Wyverns attempted to assassinate you.”
It was unlikely that the safety of the road for royalty would not have been checked beforehand.
Lovisa nodded without hesitation at Marius’s observation.
There was no sign of shock or tension, despite the possibility of an enemy being close by.
While secretly impressed by her composure, Marius voiced a certain thought.
“My being brought here like this is in anticipation of a second attack, isn’t it?”
Lovisa nodded simply again.
Marius’s intention was to confirm this, and it was also a warning that he was aware of such possibilities.
However, it seemed to have been in vain.
There was no change in Lovisa’s demeanor.
Did she think he had come prepared for this much?
(I’m expecting too much, relying too much on someone I don’t trust.)
Marius didn’t believe he was fully trusted.
They had just met, and he could sense it from their demeanor.
It was not hard to imagine that Raymond’s Familiar had not only reported the emergency but also had the role of calling for reinforcements.
If that were the case, their composure would mean they had forces capable of defeating Marius, or at least that they were confident in their backup, which was currently en route.
(Perhaps this was a hasty decision.)
Marius had agreed to ride in the carriage partly because he wanted to get closer to the Royal Family if the opportunity arose, but the primary reason was the party’s level.
From his assessment, they were all over a hundred levels below him.
He hadn’t checked everyone’s levels simply to gauge their strength.
He wanted to know if they could react even if they were ambushed without their magic.
Even if the opponent specialized in close combat, with a level difference of over a hundred, he could still react to an ambush and win in physical combat.
He had confirmed this with the Lake Snake, which had repeatedly leveled up.
As long as they weren’t boss monsters, there would be no problem.
That was his conclusion, and it was why he had boarded the carriage; otherwise, he would have found a reason to refuse.
(If it comes to it, I’ll take the Princess hostage and escape.)
This was, of course, only if his magic was sealed.
If he had no intention of being killed, he would not hesitate to use any despicable means.
Perhaps the fact that the Princess, the seemingly weakest, was seated within reach was an indication that they had no hostile intentions.
He did consider this possibility.
However, at the same time, it could just be a ploy to lure him into a false sense of security.
Marius didn’t possess this knowledge, but he reasoned that royalty might have some means of self-defense.
Of course, he didn’t believe anything that was powerless against Wyverns would be effective against him.
As Marius was contemplating these thoughts, Lovisa turned the question back to him.
“By the way, where exactly have you come from, Marius-sama?”
He had expected to be asked this eventually, but he hadn’t prepared an answer yet.
Telling the truth wouldn’t be believable.
So, he decided to describe the place he had just been.
“Um, I don’t know the name, but it’s a place with a large forest and a big lake, down the mountain path.”
“Oh? The Lake of Damnation?”
Lovisa showed surprise for the first time. “Yes. I suppose so.”
“Inferno,” he mused, but having flown at a considerable height with Flying Magic, it was certainly at a lower altitude than where they were now.
“It’s a place from which it’s said one cannot return without Flying Magic or Teleportation Magic.”
In other words, escape on foot was impossible, and if Marius hadn’t been able to use magic, he would have been stuck the moment he reincarnated.
He couldn’t help but feel the influence of some unknown force.
(Thinking about it, the timing of my appearance, saving royalty, and talk of conspiracies is all too convenient.)
In a story from his previous world, such a development would be deemed “excessively convenient.”
However, looking at it this way, he felt as if he had been reincarnated specifically to get caught up in this.
In other words, his purpose was to save the Kingdom of Filat with the power of “Marius Tubaan.”
He decided it would be pointless to ponder why he was chosen, so he set it aside and contemplated future developments.
Without any particular purpose in this world, working for the Kingdom of Filat as planned wasn’t a bad option.
The fact that Lovisa was an exceptionally beautiful girl, such that any healthy young man couldn’t help but have ulterior motives, was a significant factor.
Marius was also a young, healthy man.
To become a force for Filat, the first and most crucial step would be to build trust with the people of Filat.
Marius’s powers were far from omnipotent.
There were limits to what he could achieve alone.
How could he build trust?
He recalled the saying, “If you wish to receive, first you must give.”
If you want to be believed, first believe; if you want to be loved, first love.
Next, he remembered foreign athletes who achieved success. “It’s easier to be loved and assimilated by communicating in the local language.”
(First, language, and then culture, I suppose.)
Foreigners praising one’s hometown or enthusiastically eating their local cuisine was always heartening.
Unless their values were vastly different, it should work here.
Since he couldn’t think of any better alternatives, he decided to try it.
As he considered the right moment to bring it up, the sound of hooves grew louder.
It was clearly on the scale of an army.
Emma and Lovisa looked out the window.
“You don’t think… is it the enemy?”
“No, it’s an ally. The blue falcon flag with a three-pronged spear in its beak is proof of our country’s Magic Knight Corps.”
Lovisa answered Marius’s question with evident relief.
Indeed, the flag carried by the group was a blue falcon with a black three-pronged spear on a white background.
Since none of the guards had assumed a combat stance, it was likely true, but Marius’s mood did not clear.
Only about thirty minutes had passed subjectively.
Lovisa made no move to explain why the Magic Knight Corps could have arrived in such a short time.
It was likely because she believed Marius didn’t understand the concept of time.
Just as he resolved to make an effort to be believed, he was once again confronted with the reality that he was not yet trusted.
