Chapter 30: A Signpost to the South
The next morning, Rowena and I were sitting at a breakfast table in the dining hall of the Golden Scales Inn together with the members of Black Dagger.
While I spread out my notebook and thought about where our next destination should be, Fiona spoke up while biting into a piece of bread.
“Hey, why don’t you try asking the innkeeper here? That guy loves rare things, so he might know about interesting places.”
“Yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Gordon agreed with the suggestion, and after finishing our meal, we all headed over to the innkeeper at the counter.
“Is there any interesting place we could go to from here?”
When I asked, the innkeeper’s eyes lit up as if he had been waiting for the question.
“In that case, why not head even farther north—past this country’s border—to the Imperial Capital! Magnificent buildings everywhere. It’s practically the center of the world! If you change carriages along the way, you can get there fairly safely.”
The Imperial Capital.
The name alone had a certain appeal.
But Gordon folded his arms and spoke up.
“Crossing a border with a kid in tow is a pain. You’d need identification, travel permits, and all sorts of paperwork. It’s a hassle.”
At those words, I gave up on the idea of heading to the Imperial Capital.
With Rowena with me, it was best to avoid unnecessary complications.
Just as I was about to thank the innkeeper and leave, Gordon added,
“In that case, your best bet is to gather information directly at the guild. Adventurers come from all over. Someone might know something.”
After thanking the members of Black Dagger, we once again stepped through the doors of the Adventurers’ Guild.
When we explained the situation to the receptionist, she kindly agreed to help and introduced us to an adventurer who had recently arrived from the southern region.
He was a friendly-looking young man.
“Oh, my hometown area, huh? Honestly, there aren’t any breathtaking views or ancient ruins there. It’s just endless grasslands. But the food there is amazing! Especially the dairy products and the bread.”
As he spoke, the man spread out a map and pointed to the vast grassland region southwest of the capital.
“Oh yeah—now that I think about it, when I left home to come here, the local lord had just sent out a large force to hunt down bandits. They were causing trouble along the southern road, so the lord said he’d wipe them out completely. They’re probably long gone by now.”
(If bandits aren’t much of a concern, the road should be safe. And the food is good… Rowena would probably like that.)
After hearing his story, I decided we would head south.
“Thank you. That was very helpful.”
I thanked him and then asked the receptionist for a map that covered the widest possible area around here.
The parchment map she sold me was far more detailed and expansive than any map I had used before.
It stretched from the distant northern border beyond Norest all the way down to the endless sea in the south.
Major cities, villages, roads, and even roadside inns were clearly marked.
I spread the map out on one of the guild tables and studied the routes.
“I see… If we return to the entrance of Blackleaf Forest and head west from there, there’s also a roadside town along a large river.”
Judging by the map, following the river south from that town might make for an interesting route.
Traveling roads I had never taken before was part of the excitement.
“Alright. It’s decided. We’re heading south.”
After leaving the guild, I turned to Rowena.
“Rowena, we’re setting out on another journey. This time, it’s a trip to go eat delicious food.”
When I said that, her eyes lit up and she nodded enthusiastically.
As long as I could see that smile on her face, no road we traveled would be a bad one.