A Different World? Trading Between Worlds - Ch 2, Ep 44 - Royal Capital, Part 1

Royal Capital

The next morning, they left Hekiryu Town, and there were many incidents on the second day of their journey.

In the port town they stopped at, there was a well-known dojo. Ea joined the training to keep up her skills and caused quite a stir, while Watari tried an introductory lesson and was blown back over ten meters.

They watched a superhuman exchange during a mock battle between the master and Ea. (Actually, they couldn’t follow it with their eyes, so they didn’t really see it.)

That night, Ea, still flushed with excitement, slipped into Watari’s bed, starting their night-time battle.

After all these thrilling experiences, it was finally the third day.

As initially planned, they arrived at the royal capital.

“The journey here felt both long and short at the same time.”

“I think I’m good without a ship for a while. It’s tough staying still.”

“I’m tired of just reading books.”

“Even playing cards gets boring if that’s all you do.”

Seeing the royal capital in the distance, they went out on deck and couldn’t help but exclaim at the sight.

The royal capital was on a plain.

Instead, towering walls surrounded the city.

From downstream, one had to look up, and even doing so, one could not see past the gates.

Only a few tall buildings stood out against the skyline.

A wide river surrounded the city, functioning as a moat.

It wasn’t a mountain castle but a flatland castle, perhaps because being invaded to this point would already mean defeat.

In a way, it was an administrative city focused entirely on urban functions.

From the ship, they could see many people walking towards the royal capital, merchants’ wagons, riders, monster handlers, and armed adventurers who seemed to be leaving the city.

Other ships were gathering on the river, and Watari was impressed they didn’t collide.

“Wow, amazing! The royal castle looks amazing!”

“It’s been a while since I’ve been here… It feels like coming home after a long time.”

“The view from the ship is great too.”

Each member of the party had their thoughts as they gazed at the royal capital from the ship.

A strong wind blew, and the sails billowed.

The weather was warm and sunny, perfect for sightseeing.

With their destination so close, they decided to review the purpose of this journey.

“Mariel, you’ve lived in the royal capital for a long time, right?”

“Yes, I attended the Royal Academy.”

“Then I’ll leave the role of a guide to you. From what I’ve heard, there are lots of famous spots.”

“I’m excited! I want to visit lots of places.”

“That’s a big responsibility. Alright, I’ll do my best to guide you.”

Museums, theaters, and exhibitions by various guilds, as well as religious sites, maintained their prestige because it was the royal capital. They could stay there surprisingly long if they wanted to.

“Let’s review our objectives in the royal capital. We have a lot.”

“Understood.”

“Yeah!”

Mariel and Ea nodded seriously at Watari’s words.

While it was partly a sightseeing trip, it wasn’t just that.

Watari was glad they understood this well.

He held up one finger.

“First, we need to procure goods. If there are rare items available only in the royal capital, I want to purchase them.”

“Except for a few local specialties that can only be found in their places of origin, the royal capital has the widest selection of goods.”

“Especially medicines, magical items, enchanted goods, herbs, and plant seeds—there are so many things I want to see.”

“Come to think of it, we originally planned to buy my sword in the royal capital, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I’d forgotten all about that. Feels nostalgic.”

Although the prices were higher, the selection was the best in the country. Considering the time and effort it would take to travel around buying local specialties, it made sense to buy them here, even if they were more expensive.

“Second, we need to gather information about Mariel’s family.”

“Master, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule.”

“No problem. I also have business in your hometown, Mariel. I want to see if it’s possible to cultivate coffee trees there.”

If they found the whereabouts of Mariel’s parents, he planned to protect them immediately. Hopefully, they were managing to live safely through some connections. There was also the possibility that Mariel’s parents became slaves after she did.

If that’s the case, they would need to negotiate with the buyer. They also needed to think about how to ensure their future, which means a lot more planning, but abandoning them was not an option.

They also needed to find out who the current lord of her hometown was and whether the governance was going well.

Watari held up three fingers.

“Third, we need to gather information about the Gate. This might involve asking at research institutes, the royal capital’s library, or scholars specializing in historical research at the academy.”

“One of my former teachers at the academy specializes in history, so I can consult with them first and then get referred to someone more knowledgeable.”

“We’ll be relying on you a lot, Mariel; we appreciate it.”

“I’m happy to be of help, Master.”

Mariel’s bright smile made Watari feel happy as well. Understanding whether the Gate was stable and would continue to function, and what it actually was, was essential. It would be even better if they could find another Gate or confirm whether it can be activated.

It’s possible that activating another Gate could lead to another world, another part of this world, or perhaps somewhere other than Osaka.

There are endless possibilities to consider.

“But the inspection is taking forever…”

“We’re moving as fast as we can, just a bit more patience!”

With that, as the nearby crew member spoke, Watari and his companions prepared for the journey, waiting to enter the royal capital.