Compensation θ ~ I might be late for reincarnation, but since I was born as the talented eldest son of a prestigious noble, I might be on the winning side.

The capital, Glassbridge, is a castle city built around a small hill.

At the highest point in the center, there is the lord’s residence, which also serves as the administrative and military headquarters.

“Hey, Howard, isn’t it heavy?”

“Yes. But I train regularly, so please don’t worry.”

With each step up the stone staircase, Howard’s cavalry boots clunked. Strangely, Moriss-jii, who followed from behind, made no sound.

Maybe it’s the difference in shoes or the way he walks.

Of course, my footsteps were also silent. My body felt incredibly light, almost too light. I was also wearing high-quality fabric shoes.

But that wasn’t the reason.

I was currently being carried bridal style by the finely built Howard. As a former high school boy, it was a little embarrassing. Clinging to Howard’s neck with my arms like a child in need was unbearable. It looked like a young father with his child.

However, I couldn’t imagine climbing these long stairs with my own legs, so being carried by Howard was an absolute necessity.

Previously, when Luciola was on a reconnaissance mission, this city had only been seen from a distance. It was indeed too far, beyond the range of my [Sensory Sync].

However, I desperately wanted to see it. As a result, I peeked through a telescope from the relay point closest to the city where I could still maintain the synchronization.

In the distance, I could see small white walls and azure spires. When I saw that, I imagined elegant European castles that were designated as world heritage sites.

However, my expectations were way off. It looked completely different up close. If I were to compare it to a person, it would be a combination of elegant looks and dignified stature.

The vertically steep castle walls were so thick and sturdy that they seemed capable of withstanding a giant’s attack. Numerous defensive towers and bastions lined the walls, and the walkways on top of the walls were equipped with battlements.

The identity of the many spires seen from a distance turned out to be outer towers open only on the inside, serving as watchtowers to monitor approaching enemies. The essence of the main residence was a fortress built on the premise of war, serving as the last bastion in times of crisis.

“Amazing pa…It’s an amazing view, isn’t it?”

Oops. I almost said “panorama” because of the splendid landscape.

On this clear day…

“I would like to go to the top of the watchtower,” was my wish, and to achieve that, I had already activated the “Puppy Eyes”, which had become a winning move against Moriss-jii.

“I will explain. The main residence consists of a total of five areas. The place we are currently in is the Upper area, beyond the wall you see over there is the Middle area, and further beyond that is the lower area. We call the two areas adjacent to the Upper area and the Middle area as the Outer area.”

The main residence is huge, to say the least. It consists of the Upper area, Middle area, and Lower area arranged in a triple-row castle formation, along with the Outer area positioned to protect the Upper and Middle area. The area is probably larger than a baseball stadium, I feel.

The Duke’s private living space is in the Upper area, and the East Tower, where we are now, is the closest one.

Ideally, I wanted to go to the South Tower near the main gate, as I heard it provides a view of the Gemini Bridge. However, I was told it was not allowed because the area around the South Tower has heavy foot traffic.

From the East Tower, you can mainly see the castle town.

When viewed from the carriage, it felt like I had wandered into a fairyland with cream soda-like colors.

However, when seen from a high place like this, the scenery is not only beautiful.

Fire-resistant plaster walls, ceramic tile roofs that are highly waterproof and resistant to sunlight degradation. The cityscape with a unified design exudes cleanliness, and I’ve heard that the infrastructure, including wells and sewage, is well-developed.

It truly lives up to the name of a castle city. The castle walls are high and triple-layered, with gates and watchtowers installed at regular intervals.

Presumably, they learned from past lessons.

Within the castle walls, there are commercial districts, industrial districts, residential areas, and green spaces scattered throughout the urban area. I even saw what looked like cultivated fields. I definitely want to visit the town inside the castle sometime.

A gentle breeze softly brushed against my cheeks.

――Everyone’s coming.

Yeah, there are a lot of them.

The wind elemental spirit [Faein] (named by Lyon), who came from Valenfield, spoke to me in my ear.

Howard noticed the presence of the spirits and widened his eyes.

Even so, it’s impressive that he doesn’t move a muscle while firmly holding me.

He is a long-serving vassal from the Forrester family, a distant relative of the Kilyam family, and one of those who can see spirits. Recognized for his good bloodline and affinity with spirits, he has been entrusted with the role of being my SP bodyguard.

――Everyone’s chatting.

The “everyone” Faein is referring to are the wind elemental spirits of this land. As soon as I came out to the observation deck, they noticed and began to gather around me, gradually narrowing their encirclement. Each of them was chattering disorderly.

“Lord Lyon.”

“It’s okay. They seem to have something to say, so please be quiet for a while.”

Suppressing the worried Moriss-jii, I listened attentively.

However, many small whispers overlapped, and I couldn’t make out what they were saying.

――Ne… Yo… Ki… To… Ma… Ru… Wo

Despite their efforts to convey something, I could only pick up fragments of words.

Faein, do you understand what they are saying?

――Not here, there

Is “there” referring to the Middle area, or the lower area?

I shifted my gaze beyond the walls that separate each area.

In the direction indicated by the elemental spirits, there was a cylindrical building in the center of the Middle area. At first glance, it looked like a small castle or tower.

Huh? How do I get there?

The building was covered with green roofs and outer walls, surrounded by a deep circular moat. It stood on top of a high embankment as if on a precipitous cliff.

I don’t really understand, but since the spirits are so insistent, there must be something there. Maybe I should beg Moriss-jii to take me there!