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Chapter 353 (Self Edited) – Invading the Veritas Kingdom’s Royal Capital

To be honest, Soma knew that it would take more than a certain amount of time to enter the Veritas Kingdom’s royal capital.

It was the most important place in the country, and the current situation was important as well. He couldn’t say what was there, but that was why he didn’t wonder what was going on.

However…

“Hmm… I didn’t think I would be able to walk right by you…” (Soma)

Since the Veritas Kingdom’s royal capital was a fortified city, people needed to pass through the city gates to get inside. And in front of the front castle gate, the gatekeepers were naturally standing, keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious.

Of course, Soma and the others didn’t want to cause a scene. They were careful not to look suspicious as much as possible, but… the result was exactly as Soma had muttered.

Yes, for some reason, they were able to walk right past the gate. On the contrary, it was unexpected.

“Well, if nothing happened, it is better then. Besides… to be honest, it’s not that important.” (Aina)

“…Yes, you’re certainly right.” (Sheila)

“It is indeed a surprise that we could enter… without incident, but it still seems trivial compared to this scene.” (Cecilia)

“Well… you’re certainly right.” (Soma)

He nodded and squinted his eyes while looking at the scene.

A view of the royal capital, spread out inside the city walls. If he was being honest, he expected that it would be a terrible scene, and he was prepared for that.

Perhaps, it wasn’t only Soma, but the rest were thinking the same. Considering what they had seen so far, it was natural to expect so, and the worst would be most of the inhabitants could have died or killed each other.

But what reached the ears of Soma and the others was… the sound of laughter. There were a lot of smiles in the people’s eyes, and there were children running around everywhere.

The scene was bustling, peaceful and full of life. There was a scene that was commonplace and uneventful. Therefore, this was unusual.

Considering what they had encountered so far, there was no way such a common and peaceful scene could have spread there. It was more convincing to be told that they were in a hallucination.

“Hmm… I think we need to find out a lot for the time being.” (Soma)

“That’s right, but splitting up… would be a bad idea in this situation, isn’t it?” (Aina)

“…Hmm, the situation is too unclear.” (Sheila)

“Yes… I think we should be prepared for anything. To be honest, the peace here makes it so creepy…” (Cecilia

The scene was peaceful, but instead of rejoicing in it, they were alarmed. They couldn’t help but think about that, but that was what they could do at the moment. However, this wasn’t the right time to discuss it.

That was to discuss what was going on here. In order to find out, Soma and the others began to gather information.

—

As the night curtain began to fall, they gathered in a room at the inn. The first thing to do was to confirm the information gathered and make an estimation of the current situation.

But…

“Hmm… I can conclude that I don’t really understand.” (Soma)

There was no response from anyone to the words that Soma had spoken. That was because everyone understood that was true.

Of course, they couldn’t stop there.

At least, it still looked like just another bustling city to their eyes. There were smiles on many faces, and the soldiers were doing their rounds diligently. If they had been here from the start, they would never have imagined that anything strange was happening in this country.

“In fact, whoever I talked, said that nothing strange happened.” (Cecilia)

“…Even so, it’s weird.” (Sheila)

“That’s right. In fact, they didn’t see that light. If I had seen it, there’s no way I could have said it never happened.” (Aina)

“After all, people in that town we stopped in just before we came here said they saw the light.” (Soma)

“…Hmm, so this is where it all started?” (Sheila)

“For the time being, I’m sure this isn’t unrelated.” (Cecilia)

“Well, we have some idea what to expect.” (Soma)

He didn’t know what was going on, but he was almost certain that something was going on. Then, there was no problem.

And he almost knew who was causing it and where to go from there.

“Anyhow, it seems almost certain that the second prince has won.” (Soma)

“…Hmm, that’s the most suspicious thing.” (Sheila)

“The people here said that the peace here and their happiness are all thanks to the second prince. It’s so obvious that I even think it’s not true.” (Aina)

“But it makes no sense in doing that though…” (Cecilia)

The second prince was currently the most likely suspect, and they had already determined where he was in the royal capital. That was the royal castle.

“The problem is how to get to the royal castle… I can’t expect ordinary people to come and go in there, right?” (Soma)

“No, you can’t. Only certain people can go in and out, and if other people want to go in and out, they will need a permit.” (Cecilia)

“By the way, who will issue the permit?” (Aina)

“Of course, it is the king. I believe the acting king has that authority now…” (Cecilia)

“…Hmm, that’s impossible.” (Sheila)

“That’s the person who we need to find in the first place. Speaking of which, how did Cecilia get out? I’m sure, you lived in the castle, right?” (Soma)

“I got out when there was a mass confusion due to the clash of the first and second princess that became decisive. I think there are some hidden passages, but I don’t think I’m helpful on that part.” (Cecilia)

“Hmm… that’s unfortunate.” (Soma)

It would have been best if she knew of hidden passages that they could use to get in, but as expected, it wasn’t that convenient. Soma guessed that he would have to go there in person tomorrow and see if there was any way he could find out.

“Well, when push comes to shove, I guess I’ll just have to force my way through.” (Soma)

“If possible, please don’t do that, alright… Even though I’m almost certain you’re right, but if it’s not, we’re going to be in big trouble.” (Aina)

“…Yes, a war is about to happen.” (Sheila)

“…I don’t think that’s actually going to happen though.” (Cecilia)

“Does that mean you’re sure it’s the second prince?” (Aina)

“No, it simply means that this country can’t afford to go into a war. The country’s strength has been weakened by the civil war, and now, we are seeing the same scenes happening all over the place.” (Cecilia)

“…Is it difficult to get support?” (Sheila)

“Yes, it is. In fact, if they were to rebuild from here, I think they would need more support, and given that, I feel that even if my prediction is wrong, it’s fine.” (Cecilia)

“Hmm, then, it looks like we’ll be able to force our way through without any problems.” (Soma)

Well, he didn’t intend to do more than what they had planned in the beginning.

Regardless of whether they knew where the opponent was in the royal castle, it would be reckless to go in without understanding the situation. Not only did they have too much ground to cover, but there was also the possibility that the opponent would escape in the meantime. Thinking about that, Soma wished he could sneak in somehow.

While thinking about this, he suddenly turned his gaze out of the window. He didn’t really feel anything… or should he say that, if he did feel something, that feeling was there from the beginning.

When he looked a bit harder, he could see a thin film covering the sky. That was originally the reason why he was almost certain that something was going on here.

It was probably part of some kind of barrier, but even Soma couldn’t tell more than that. If Hildegard had been here, she might have known something, but it was no use saying that…

Whatever it was, there was nothing he could do about it at the moment. Soma let out a breath, wondering what was going to happen.