NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 16
The Lady’s enrollment in the magic school came faster than expected.
Apparently, it was already the time for her to enroll, but it got delayed for various reasons.
“Woof, I’m leaving…?”
“Take care.”
“Don’t get bullied while I’m gone…!”
“Ah, yes….”
“Who will give you snacks….”
“The maids will take good care of you, so don’t worry.”
Honestly, I felt a bit sad thinking about sending the Lady away.
The Lady, whom I saw almost every day for two years, is now going to a magic school.
She’ll be staying in a dedicated dormitory there.
I heard it’s the place with the most security and guards in the kingdom, so there’s no need to worry about attacks.
On weekends, Lowell will bring her to the mansion and escort her back, so her safety is pretty much guaranteed.
“Ah, no way…! Get in this bag!”
“Lady…? I don’t think I’ll even fit halfway.”
“Use your aura to squeeze in!”
Anyway.
The Lady, who clung to me until the end, eventually left for the magic school.
After that, peace—no, boredom—came to the mansion.
Because Darren and Kaiden also left as servants and bodyguards.
If they could take them, couldn’t they have taken me as a servant too? But there are complicated issues with my identity, and most importantly, the Lady, despite crying buckets, didn’t seem to have any intention of changing my identity from a dog to a human.
So, I was left alone in the dog house.
“Who am I supposed to spar with now?”
“You’ll have to spar with the scarecrow.”
“Ugh.”
And there’s another reason: Lowell subtly opposed taking me along.
Well, considering the old man’s personality that I’ve come to know…
“So, do I have anything to do?”
He probably thought it was better for me to stay here.
Then, there must be something for me to do, right?
“You’re quick to catch on.”
“It’s been two years, after all.”
It’s been two years since I’ve been with Lowell.
I think I know him well enough by now.
“You should start going outside soon.”
“Outside?”
“Do you remember the last time you went outside?”
“…I don’t even remember.”
I was sold to a slave market as a kid and went straight to the Coliseum.
After that, I was always in the mansion.
Honestly, I’ve never really been out in the world.
“Anyway, the Lady won’t be coming on weekdays, so you can go out during that time.”
As he said that, Lowell tossed something at me.
“What’s this?”
What I caught was a silver seal.
Wait, is it real silver?
The emblem in the middle looked familiar.
It was none other than…
“The seal of the Void Family.”
Yes, a black hawk wielding a sword.
The emblem of the Void Family.
“You’re giving this to me?”
“Yes, it’s given to vassals who have earned merit, so use it as your identity.”
“Hoh…”
In a way, it’s like an ID card.
With this, I can prove my identity anywhere in the Adel Kingdom.
“I’ll use it well.”
But the fact that he gave this to me means…
There must be something I need to do outside, right?
“So, what should I do when I go out?”
“First, just take a walk for about a week.”
“Is that okay?”
“Except for weekends when the Lady might come, go out on weekdays and get familiar with the outside.”
As he said that, Lowell tossed me a pouch.
Jingle.
The heavy pouch made it clear what was inside just by the feel.
“Money?”
“I put a city map in there too since you might not know the way.”
“Oh my, you thought of everything.”
I opened it slightly and saw a small map and a bunch of silver coins.
…How many silver coins are there? It looks like a pretty large amount.
“You’re giving me all this money? You’re really generous.”
“No, it’s yours.”
“Huh? This money?”
This money is mine? It looks like quite a bit at first glance.
“I’ve given you your salary for this month in advance.”
“…Could you explain a bit more?”
A salary?
I never expected to get one.
After all, who would give money to a dog who just lies around all day, eats, trains, and plays with the Lady?
But the fact that he’s giving me a salary means he plans to give me work to do, right?
“I’ll have work for you in the future, but I won’t force you. So, for now, just go out and enjoy yourself.”
However, it seems he’s not ready to tell me yet, as Lowell turned his back and returned to the mansion.
Watching him, I tucked the money pouch into my chest.
…Well.
I can’t stay in the mansion forever.
It’s about time I went out.
*
“You’re going out?”
“Yes, Lowell suggested it, so I’m thinking of going out.”
“Gasp!”
When the news of my outing spread, the mansion was in an uproar.
“We’ll dress you up!”
It was none other than the maids who had been taking care of me, rushing to dress me up.
“No, just prepare some ordinary clothes.”
“Huh? You could totally dress up like a young master and it wouldn’t be enough.”
“I’ll just quietly look around and come back.”
This time, my goal is just to take a walk.
I don’t plan to wear expensive clothes or get groomed like usual.
I want to blend in naturally with the citizens.
Well, my size is about two heads taller than the average adult male here, with a well-trained body.
But still, it’s better than looking like a noble or a rich kid.
“Alright then…”
Since I was firm, the maids went back dejectedly, carrying various grooming tools.
…I wonder why they’re so eager to dress me up.
They must be bored without any entertainment.
I can understand, since I’m also struggling with boredom.
Anyway, like that.
“Then wear this…”
“Ah, thank you.”
I received what seemed to be borrowed ordinary clothes from a servant and left the mansion.
Clank-
“Have a good trip.”
Leaving the mansion where I had been for nearly two years was surprisingly easy.
The gatekeeper just opened the gate for me.
“Hmm.”
In front of me was a wide-open road, with a small forest around it.
I marveled at the influence of the Void Family, which had a mansion and even a forest in the capital of the kingdom, and walked along the road for a while.
A large avenue came into view, with mansions lining the sides.
…This must be a high-end residential area.
I glanced at the map to check my location.
The map was conveniently marked with a dot showing the mansion’s location.
If I go east on this avenue, there’s a commercial district.
It seemed to be almost the center of the capital, so I headed there first.
If I ran, I could get there quickly, but…
I walked slowly, admiring the well-maintained forest and the distant mansions.
…It’s really nice.
The garden and sky I saw from the dog house were nice, but…
Seeing the wide-open world felt strange.
Well, thinking about it, in the Coliseum, I was always underground or in an enclosed arena.
In a way, this might be the first time I’ve properly seen the world since being sold to the slave market.
With that strange feeling, I walked around, enjoying the scenery, and finally arrived at the commercial district.
“Hmm…”
Maybe because it’s near the noble mansions?
It feels very luxurious.
I expected something like a market from my past life, but all the shops here are in fancy buildings with signs.
Moreover, most of the passersby are dressed in high-end clothes, so I, in a plain shirt and cotton pants, stand out.
I stopped for a moment and checked the map again.
If I follow this road, there’s another commercial area different from the residential area, so I should head there.
But first.
It’s clear that the Adel Kingdom is quite wealthy.
In fantasy worlds, it’s usually only the nobles who live well, but…
Here, even people who don’t seem like nobles are walking around, laughing and chatting.
The roads are well-maintained, and carriages pass by quietly and politely.
…They must be the usual customers of the Coliseum.
But. If there are such wealthy commoners here, why was I born in a shabby shack?
Thinking about the vague memories of my past life, the poor house I was born into, I leisurely walked around the streets.
As I walked, lost in thought, the scenery gradually changed.
The number of well-dressed people decreased, and soon I reached a street bustling with people dressed similarly to me, clearly commoners.
This must be the general commercial district.
The carriages are noisy, and scruffy kids are running around the streets.
Yeah, this is more like a fantasy world.
“Move it!”
As I walked down the street.
Thud.
A boy approached me, bumped into me, and passed by.
Wow, classic.
Jingle.
I caught the pouch of money he tried to steal and hung it back on my waist.
I can’t be fooled by such clumsy pickpocketing after all this time.
If I got robbed by a pickpocket, it would be a real disgrace.
But for that boy to decide to pickpocket me, given my size and build, he has great potential.
I gave him a light flick on the forehead, so I hope he wakes up and lives honestly.
Anyway.
I walked around the streets, occasionally checking out the street vendors.
I bought a mysterious skewer from a street vendor and ate it.
I also looked around a place selling decorations.
Hmm, it feels a bit off to buy things here.
I wanted to buy gifts for the maids who usually take care of me or for the Lady, who will come on weekends once she settles into the magic school.
I should buy those when I return to the high-end commercial district.
After looking around the commercial district for a while, I headed to the place I was most curious about, checking the map.
Let’s see, it should be around here.
Ah, there it is.
I stopped in front of a stylish stone building about three stories high.
At first glance, it looks like a nice institution, but…
The golden gauntlet emblem in the center and the rough-looking people constantly going in and out catch my eye.
This building is none other than the Mercenary Guild.
In a fantasy world, it’s a place I’ve always wanted to visit.
What are the mercenaries here like?
After looking at the exterior for a while, I went inside.