The next day, I prepared breakfast early in the morning and woke up Glore and the others, who were still asleep, just as it was almost ready.

I had them sit on the earth chairs I had prepared beforehand and served a soup filled with the flavors of vegetables. Glore, who drank warm soup from the morning, said, “It’s a rare experience to have a normal meal like this during a journey.”

After we finished eating breakfast, we set off toward the capital.

“Oh, Lark. Before we go to the capital, can we stop by a town called Divara nearby? It’s my hometown, and if I don’t go back once in a while, my parents will worry.”

After a while, Raval, who had become more friendly, asked me this.

“Of course, that’s fine. In fact, you don’t need my permission, since it’s your carriage, Raval.”

“No, no, you’ve been helping me out in various ways, Lark, and it would be wrong to drag you around on my account. But thank you. While I’m visiting my parents, you can look around the town. Well, there aren’t any notable specialties or attractions, though.”

So, we decided to take a detour to the town of Divara. This will be my first time going to a town other than the capital. I wonder what kind of atmosphere it has?

We arrived in town in about thirty minutes. As soon as we passed through the gate, Raval separated from me and Glore. We decided to meet up with Raval at a diner in one corner of the town around noon, so how should we kill time until then?

“What should we do, Glore-san, Nick-san?”

When I asked the two of them, Nick thought for a moment before opening his mouth, “Well… Ah, that’s right. Lark-kun, there’s an Adventurer’s Guild in this town too. Why not send a letter to the Royal Capital’s Guild? If you ask the Guild, they can deliver it quickly, and I think it’s better to let them know beforehand.”

I see, that might be a better idea. Alright, I don’t want to drag the two of them around, so I’ll go alone.

“Ah, you’re right. In that case, I’ll head to the Guild. Please enjoy sightseeing, both of you. Let’s meet up at the cafeteria later.”

As I said this and started walking, Glore called out to me with an exasperated tone, “Lark… Do you even know where the Guild is in this town?”

“…Ah.”

I hadn’t thought about it, but I didn’t know the location.

“…Lark really is a bit absentminded, huh. We know the way, so we’ll guide you.”

“Ahahaha, this way, Lark-kun.”

With a resigned look on his face, Glore and a laughing Nick led me to the Guild.

Entering a large building facing the main street, I immediately knew this was the Divara Guild. There were many adventurers, and the structure of the building was almost identical to the Royal Capital’s Guild.

I sat down with Glore and Nick at an empty table and took out some paper from my “Useful Box.”

Now, who should I write to? If my thoughts are correct, Father is probably not in the Royal Capital. Being overly protective, he should be on a journey to find me. That means I need to write to someone who is definitely in the Royal Capital…

After some thought, I decided to write a letter to Lala, the Deputy Master of the Royal Capital’s Guild.

I wrote about how I was transported to the Leblanc Kingdom, how I met the merchant Raval and his group by chance, that I am now in Divara thanks to Raval’s carriage, and that I will be returning to the Royal Capital soon, so there’s no need to worry.

“Once you’re done writing, take it to the reception.”

I nodded at Glore’s words and joined the queue at the reception. The line moved quickly, and soon it was my turn. The receptionist called out, “Next, please,” and I stepped forward.

“What can I help you with today?”

“Yes, I would like to request that this letter be delivered to the Royal Capital of this country, if possible.”

“That would be a letter delivery. It’ll cost ten copper coins.”

Following the receptionist’s instructions, I took out the copper coins I had prepared in my pocket and handed them over.

“…I’ve received ten coins. Your letter will be delivered to the recipient tomorrow.”

“Thank you very much.”

I bowed to the receptionist and started walking back to Glore when—

“Excuse me! The silver-haired boy over there!”

I heard a girl’s shout from above.

Looking up, I could see a delicate girl standing on the staircase landing, looking down at me. Was she the one who just called out to me? What could she want?

Suddenly, the girl leaped off the landing, diving straight towards me.

I instinctively caught her, but we toppled over backward, unable to maintain our balance. Thankfully, it only left me with a slightly sore backside, but I wished I could have caught her more gracefully.

The surrounding adventurers cheered, saying, “Wow, that was amazing!” and “Good catch, kid!” I felt a little embarrassed, though…

Anyway, was this girl injured in any way?

“Um, are you alright?”

“Y-Yes, I’m sorry…”

The girl apologized as she separated herself from my arms. She then stood up, adjusted her clothes, and faced me once again.

“Excuse me, are you Lark Voltoris?”

“Yes, that’s me. Um, have we met somewhere before?”

“Ah, so it is you… May I have a moment of your time?”

The girl didn’t answer my question and instead asked for some time. Just as I was wondering what was going on, Glore and the others, who had heard the commotion, appeared through the crowd of adventurers.

“Lark, what’s going on… Huh? Guild Master, is that you?”

Glore’s eyes widened as he recognized the girl.

“Wow, Glore and everyone else! I didn’t expect to meet you all here!”

The girl replied, seemingly surprised. It seemed that the three of them were acquainted.

…Wait, didn’t he just call her Guild Master? She looks about the same age as me, though…

“Um, Glore-san… Is she the Guild Master of Divara?”

“Ah, no, Lark. She’s the Guild Master of the Adventurer’s Guild in the royal capital of Leblanc.”

“Heh? The royal capital of Leblanc?”

This was getting more and more confusing… Why would someone like her know me? And should I not ask about her appearance, considering how everyone seems to be interacting with her normally?

That’s when I noticed the pointed shape of the girl’s ears.

I see, she must be an elf. Elves have long lifespans and grow slowly, so that’s why she looks so young.

“But, why are you in the neighboring country… In a city in Divara?” Glore asked the Guild Master.

“Well, there are a lot of people watching us right now, so let’s rent a room at the reception and talk there,” the Guild Master didn’t answer immediately, but instead heading over to the reception desk.

After a while, she returned with a key she had received from the receptionist.

I didn’t fully understand the situation, but I decided to follow along for now.

The four of us, me, Glore, Nick, and the Guild Master from the Kingdom of Leblanc, moved to an empty room in the guild.