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The royal capital of Fraus came into my view for the second time. It took me about three days of walking and running to get here after leaving the unnamed village. I guessed that my speed had been quite average.

Regardless, I was glad that I’d taken untrodden paths. Rumors would likely start going around if a young girl was seen shooting through the roads like a missile. That wouldn’t have been very pleasant. It could’ve even led to me being pointed at and laughed at inside the royal capital.

Although I wouldn’t describe my speed as that of a car, I was definitely as fast as a bicycle. But that was only because I ran slowly. If I were to run at full speed, I’d definitely be as fast as a car, if not faster.

That’s why, when I first came to the royal capital, I turned around and went back, then came running back. This was what I meant when it came into view for the second time.

I had no issues when it came to stamina, and neither did I have sore muscles or any aching joints. I was just fast. After all, I’d arrived back at the border town in just a day. The experience taught me the joy of running as fast as I could.

I finally felt like I understood the joy of those who enjoyed riding bicycles.

On my second trip to the royal capital, I’d decided to thoroughly explore the forest. I’d heard it was home to some strong and rare monsters, so I thought I’d take a peek. Thanks to the Spy skill, I remained unnoticed, which made my exploration much easier.

For example, there was a battle between a Gryps and a Cyclops that was particularly fun to watch. Both were the kind of monsters that would require a Grade B party to take down. The Gryps used Wind Magic, claws, charges, and various other means to attack. The Cyclops, in turn, used a tree for a club.

In the end, both came out battered and bruised, but the Cyclops was the clear winner of the bout. I had nothing but praise for the Cyclop’s steel-like body, which was able to take the Gryphs’ sharp claws head-on and come out unscathed.

Which suddenly led me to remember that I too had an [Iron Body] skill in my huge arsenal. If I had to take such attacks with my bare body, I would be hesitant, to say the least. After all, I had been stabbed and killed before.

Although I was a Demigod, that didn’t mean I didn’t feel fear. It had no impact on my physical strength whatsoever, but mentally, it just felt a little scary. Like the constant fear of not knowing what might happen.

Putting the death flags aside, I couldn’t help but think that a monster arena would be very popular. It would be reckless to capture a higher-ranked monster, but catching a Grade C monster would not be difficult.

It would be like catering to the people’s curiosity about which was stronger, the dragon or the tiger. However, if a Grade C monster were to be released in the town, it would likely lead to dozens of casualties.

As such, I decided not to do anything.

So, now here I was, standing in line at the royal capital’s gate. It was the center of the kingdom, where a spirit was said to reside. As the most prosperous place in Fraus, it was naturally a hub of constant activity.

Still, the line was long. It moved little by little, but the gate still appeared quite distant. I was quite short, so all I could see was the back of the person in front of me.

I stubbornly tried to peek over their shoulder to catch a glimpse of the gate, but then I suddenly heard a voice behind me saying, “Seems like this is your first time at the royal capital, missy.”

I turned around and saw a person pulling a carriage standing there.

He was wearing a hood, so I couldn’t see his face, but his voice sounded like a man’s, so I assumed he was a man, probably in his teens, judging by the youthful tone of his voice.

(Is he a merchant or something?) I wondered to myself

I could have ignored him, but with nothing else to do, I decided to respond.

“Yes, this is my first time. Are there always this many people here?”
“You bet. Although we’re inside the town, accidents and the like happen often, so if luck is not on our side, we might not make it inside the royal capital by the end of the day.”
“Accidents happen?”
“Yes. Cases of someone trying to bring in unauthorized chemicals or force their way through without paying or getting a pass are quite common. It’s all thanks to the royals that we’re able to move this smoothly despite all of those.”
“I guess the king must be quite awesome then.”

After all, just as he’d gotten caught up in my scheme, he had thought of a solution right away and immediately acted on it. He sure excelled at cornering people.

“It’s not just His Majesty. Her Highness is quite able as well, apparently. She does everything for her kingdom, so some might find her ruthless, but I believe that you have to be like that to stand at the kingdom’s top.”
“Do you have some connections to the royal family, mister?”
“No way, I’m just receiving their favor.”

The mister, despite his demeanor, seemed to have a humorous side to him. I thought that I could just use Appraisal to figure out everything about him, but then I remembered that I wouldn’t be able to see his profession.

At most, I could see his age and name.

“So, mister, what do you do?”
“Me? I’m a merchant. I buy products and sell them.”
“Products?”
“Yep, products. Oh yeah! I also make and sell accessories.”

The mister said this after smiling underneath his hood.

(He’s probably trying to lure me in. Otherwise, he wouldn’t say something like that.)

“What kind of accessories do you make? Can I see them?”
“I don’t have any here. Though I have some at my shop…”
“I see. Well, I’ve taken an interest in your goods, so can you tell me where your shop is?”
“Really? Perfect then. Let me draw you a map.”

The mister suddenly took out a piece of paper and pen from the pocket of his cloak and started drawing.

While he was doing that, I decided to use Appraisal on him. And besides, since I couldn’t see his face, even if I went to the store, I wouldn’t be able to confirm if it was him there.

So, at the very least, I decided to get his name, but I ended up seeing something interesting under his Skills.