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Title TL Note ¹

While the guards nervously maintained their half-hearted encirclement, an official flew in from the city. Whether a bureaucrat or an assistant to the city lord, it wasn’t clear, but a dignified man with a splendid beard, resembling a dwarf, exuded a sense of tension as if this encounter was a once-in-a-lifetime gamble.

“Y-You mentioned the purpose of your visit… is tourism. Could you provide something like a passport or adventurer’s license…?”
“Do we need to show them?”

When Lucella spoke, the official’s eyes widened. It seemed to be the first time he had heard such a statement from someone attempting illegal entry.

Infiltrating secretly, recovering the Regalia, and then escaping immediately would likely be impossible. Therefore, Lucella decided to brazenly mimic a burglar caught in the act. They would enter the country under the pretext of a “sightseeing trip.”

This was primarily a political facade for Kafal. While the recovery of the Regalia was to protect Mount Kuguse, presenting it as an action to reclaim the Regalia for the Setulev Kingdom wouldn’t be favorable. Even if it was deception, a reason was necessary.

By daringly infiltrating in plain sight, Lucella and her companions served as a diversion. If they could ultimately collaborate with the palace, pacify and recover the Regalia, it would be a success.

Although not explicitly coordinated, Lucella believed the palace would likely take that course of action. Most probably, King Lazarus and Duke Foster shared the same line of thought.

As a result, the officials of Talmaj City that got the short end of the stick were facing a once-in-a-lifetime emergency situation.

“We don’t need the assurance of safety from the imperial authorities of the Maltgartz Empire. We’re quite capable of fending off any monsters or marauders that might come our way.”
“T-That’s, but for example… I mean, just an example! It would be necessary for obtaining permission to pass through internal checkpoints and…”
“We’re going to pass. If you choose to obstruct, be prepared for the consequences.”

Praying for the well-being of the unfortunate bureaucrat’s stomach lining, Lucella made her declaration. It was a reasoning outside the norms of Setulev citizens or adventurers guaranteed by the guild but rather a logic of a dragon deviating from human societal norms.

“…I’m fine, but my companion is human. Exhausted from a long journey, we’d prefer to rest in a cooler place rather than in the middle of this desert. Would you mind?” Lucella said, pointing to Monica lying brazenly on the sand, enveloped in a veil of water. The final words were more of a threat than a request.

One hour later.

Lucella and her companions were sightseeing in the city.

The Makanta Marquisate was a vast desert area. Most of it was barren land, but precisely because of such locations, certain crops could thrive. Even livestock could be raised. As long as people sought to live, there would be activity in such places.

Talmaj City, located here, was a city with artificially created oases using magic. It served as a relay point for people crossing the desert on camels or desert orcas to take a break, essentially an inn town. However, it was much larger than the inn towns seen in Setulev. Probably, the extravagant installation of multiple artificial oases posed a significant financial burden, and there was a need to limit the number of inn towns and consolidate them.

A city of this size could function as a logistics and administrative hub supporting the surrounding villages. Even with environmental control, the climate remained harsh for ordinary people. Despite this, the fact that people gathered, supported each other, and worked together in such an environment was evident in this city.

…As Lucella explained this, Kafal seemed genuinely interested.

“Living as a human seems challenging. It’s like they have to figure out how to live like a puzzle.”
“Well, deserts are particularly harsh, so this is a somewhat unique example.”
“I thought I knew a lot about humans, but I realize there’s still so much I don’t understand.”
“Even for me, it’s my first time seeing a desert city. Experiencing the differences in life and culture based on the land is part of the joy of traveling.”
“I see… It would have been nice if this were just a regular trip.”

Kafal seemed to have complex feelings.

While she was happy to go on a trip with Lucella, there was a concern about Lucella taking on danger for Setulev and Mount Kuguse, giving a sense of worry. The Kafal here was nothing more than a humanoid puppet created by magic, with its consciousness mirrored from the main body far away in Mount Kuguse. When Lucella faced danger, the puppet Kafal couldn’t use the dragon’s inherent power to protect her.

“If you ever come to danger, no matter what anyone says, I’ll fly from Mount Kuguse to help you!”
“I’ll do my best to make sure it doesn’t come to that…”

While Lucella found Kafal reassuring, she also made a renewed commitment not to do anything reckless, considering the potential uncontrollable chaos if Kafal’s main body were to intervene.

In the desert city, buildings made of magically hardened sand lined the streets, appearing to provide good ventilation. As they ventured into the city, it seemed that rumors had already spread, as people stopped in their tracks to look at Lucella and her companions. They quickly moved aside, lowering their voices as if they were suppressed, making way for the group.

It wasn’t animosity or hostility but a simple fear. It was a fundamental fear that if they got involved, they might lose their lives to wild violence at any moment. Lucella knew this, but it seemed impossible to receive a warm welcome.

“So, what’s next? Shall we check out the market?”

Monica said this without particularly paying attention to the atmosphere. Lucella responded, “Yes, let’s draw some attention and keep things casual. Ah!”

She felt a faint, ticklish sensation, like a small insect crawling on her lower back.

Lucella took out a Caller talisman from her pouch. It shone in blue, a sign that someone was trying to contact her using its counterpart.

“Wait a moment, please. …Mom, I leave Monica to you.”

She scanned her surroundings and quickly darted into a nearby alley. From her hip pouch, she retrieved a noise-suppressing sand hourglass, flipped it over, opened the cap, and activated it. This magical item created a soundproof barrier, ensuring that no sound would escape to the surroundings.

“Have you entered Marltgartz already?”
“How far do you think the outskirts of Setulev’s occupied territory stretch? It’s different from the times when the mountain range was the border, you know.”
“Certainly.”

The voice that came through was Ivar’s.

The fact that the Caller was working meant Ivar was relatively close. Talmaj City, from the perspective of Setulev’s occupied territory, was beyond Maltgartz’s defensive line. If the Caller worked there, at least Ivar had left the occupied territory.

Ivar, who had operated as an information broker in the clandestine underworld of Maltgartz, explained that he had attracted the attention of troublesome individuals, forcing him to leave Maltgartz. Seeking refuge in Setulev, he resumed his primary profession as a manager for adventurers, a role he had once maintained as a front.

Now, he had returned to Maltgartz for Lucella’s sake and, it seemed, for his own personal battles.

“I’ll handle things my way, so you don’t need to worry about me. Just your presence there significantly increases my options,” Ivar conveyed.
“Alright. Let me know if you need my help in some way.”
“Okay. But we should try to avoid direct contact as much as possible. ‘The Seventh’ is already in motion… By tonight, specialized surveillance will likely be assigned to you,” Ivar cautioned.

The term ‘The Seventh’ held significance for those with experience living in Maltgartz—an elite faction within the Imperial Information Bureau, specializing in crucial espionage and assassination operations, the deepest shadows of the imperial palace. It embodied the very essence of the fantasies people associated with spies.

“They’re like ninjas. They monitor everything, even down to wiping your a̲s̲s̲ in the toilet, while remaining undetected.”
“Frankly, I was prepared for that much. If they attack, I’ll fight.”
“Even if they do, it won’t be happening just yet. Also, it seems that a bureaucrat from the diplomatic department will be dispatched as your guide.”
“Double surveillance?”
“Even if they’re monitoring from the shadows, they have to monitor openly too.”

In the case of Maltgartz, lower-ranking officials without nobility titles collected from the public were called ‘officials,’ while those who have obtained titles through their positions (or those who simultaneously hold land and serve as officials) are referred to as ‘bureaucrats.’

Bureaucrats were in a position to command officials. In other words, it was a story of a commander-level figure coming for a visit, not just regular soldiers.

“Well, monitoring might not be the only purpose. If you can communicate with them, the first step is to establish mutual understanding. That’s crucial in diplomacy.”
“I suppose I’ve become a big-shot too, huh?”

Lucella said ironically, with a sigh.

Either way, with the Regalia running rampant, dragons suddenly swooping in made Maltgartz naturally suspect that Lucella’s purpose was more than just tourism.

So, it was only natural to consider hindering that. However, Maltgartz also thought that dealing with this by force was impossible or a bad move better to avoid. They were most likely just going to watch the situation unfold and plan the countermeasure. Or perhaps they were still trying to find the first step for it.

“Let’s meet at the designated place next. Even the Seventh wouldn’t manage to eavesdrop there. If there’s a situation we can’t handle, we’ll use emergency contact.”
“Understood.”

Conveying only the necessary information, the light of the Caller disappeared. The Caller, tinged with a pale brown halfway through, was incinerated in Lucella’s hand.

When Lucella returned, Kafal and Monica were waiting at the entrance of the market.

As if creating a barrier that repelled people, they managed to avoid the crowd moving around, causing congestion in front of the market. A camel, seemingly forced into the market against its will, was near Kafal, foaming at the mouth and collapsed in fear, refusing to get any closer to her.

“Is something wrong?”
“Fortunately, it seems that the Maltgartz Empire is providing a travel guide.”
“Well, isn’t that lovely? I could almost cry.”

Monica sang, in a theatrical tone.

She was intelligent, sensitive to the malice and hostility of others, and could often see through the thoughts of rulers without much explanation. Monica probably understood the situation without needing much elaboration.

“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m used to sitting on thorny chairs.”
“…That’s too dark even as a joke.”
“Anyway, if the conversation is over, come this way.”

Monica grabbed Lucella’s hand. Then, heading towards the back of the market, she began to pull Lucella along.

“Wh-what happened?”
“I can’t even describe it.”

She was serious, as if foreseeing a major disaster.

“Carpets, Carpets! There are an unbelievable number of rugs! What is this? Are the rugs from around the world gathered here!? And they all have different patterns? Are they not produced by Artifacts? They’re all handmade!?”

In one corner of the market, there was an area where only carpets were displayed. Elaborately embroidered carpets were spread out on displays, some were rolled and propped against the wall, and others were stacked in piles.

Embroidery and woven fabrics were one of the traditional crafts of the Makanta Marquisate. The items here were likely collected from surrounding villages and displayed for trade merchants.

Of course, for tourists coming from afar in search of unique items and scenes, it was also attractive.

After passionately ranting, Monica stared directly into Lucella with her azure eyes, waiting for her reaction.

Lucella’s response seemed different from what Monica anticipated.

She forcibly masked her expression, creating a forced frown as if to conceal her emotions.

“What?”
“Oh, it’s… nothing.”

In the opposite hand from the one holding Lucella, Monica held onto the Chrome Shooter tightly.

Even if this was a fake “sightseeing trip,” it would be better if they could enjoy it. It would also enhance credibility. So, Lucella was determined to thoroughly enjoy her first-ever trip, and it seemed that she didn’t have to worry about Monica either.

1. The actual title 天衣無法 (ten’i muhou) is a kanji pun on the idiom 天衣無縫 which is used to describe beauty/flawlessness of things in their natural state. In case of people, it describes the naivety/purity of a character. (lit. heavenly garment has no seams). Here the ‘no seams’ part was replaced by ‘no laws/lawless’, so it ends up meaning the opposite.