Chapter: 10
Since joining Claude and his group, the journey had gone smoothly.
Thanks to Roland, who knew the forest well, they hadn’t encountered any bandits or monsters after the first day. Cedric had an excellent sense of direction. He knew the locations of all the cabins, so they didn’t have to camp out in the woods for the remainder of the journey.
On the ninth day since departing from the temple, they finally saw the end of a tunnel made of giant trees.
As they exited the forest, Claude, who had been leading the group, pulled on the reins and stopped his horse. The three following him also came to a halt one by one.
Jeanne took a moment to admire the view. A vast meadow stretched out before her. Thanks to the morning sun rising beyond the horizon, the green grass glimmered with a golden hue.
Perhaps because of the clear weather, part of the Ibeh Mountains, far off in the distance, shimmered like a mirage.
“How is it?”
Claude approached her side.
“How’s what?” Jeanne replied.
“Your first impression of setting foot in Loren.”
Jeanne’s eyes scanned the surroundings at Claude’s question.
In her previous life, she had never once set foot in the Loren territory. On Alexis’s orders, she had traveled throughout the kingdom, but strangely, Loren had always eluded her.
So, while it felt somewhat new, that was all there was to it. Trees were scattered sparsely across the green meadow, not much different from before they had entered the forest.
Hearing someone say, “From here on, this is Loren,” didn’t make it feel real.
“What impression? We haven’t even reached our destination yet. Maybe if there were something to see…”
There were no striking buildings, no “Welcome to Loren” signs.
Claiming that the air was fresh or that it was naturally beautiful seemed ridiculous. They had already enjoyed enough forest bathing over the past few days.
Claude raised his eyebrows, as if puzzled by her blunt answer.
“Hmm, then shall we erect a golden monument here? Carve into it: ‘Welcome! Beautiful rivers, green meadows—this is Loren.’”
“……”
Jeanne didn’t know whether to point out the absurdity of making it golden or the tackiness of the slogan, so she kept her mouth shut. Claude shrugged his shoulders, as if asking what was wrong.
“Why? You said it felt empty and gave you no impression.”
“Stop talking nonsense.”
“You just bring a gold ingot and have the craftsmen carve it. Why wouldn’t it work?”
It was a ridiculous idea. What was more worrying was that Claude could very well make this ridiculous plan happen.
“I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m saying it’s a waste of taxes, manpower, and time.”
“Oh! Already worrying about Loren’s citizens and finances? With that mindset, you’re a true knight of Loren.”
“……”
Claude’s eyes curved in that particular way, signaling yet another unserious joke. Jeanne, not wanting to respond, changed the subject.
“Enough of the pointless jokes. How long until we reach the castle?”
“Before noon, we should arrive.”
This time, Claude answered without joking and adjusted his grip on the reins. His eyes looked firmer, as if he intended to increase their pace. Cedric and Roland tightened their reins and fell in line behind him.
Just as Jeanne had hoped.
With the knighthood entrance exam approaching, she wanted to reach Loren as soon as possible to prepare. In the forest, the rough terrain had kept them from speeding freely, but now they could run without restraint.
“Think you can catch up?”
“Are you underestimating me right now?”
Jeanne squinted at him sharply. Claude gave a short laugh.
“Of course not.”
Leading the way, Claude and the group raced across the meadow and along the river with all their strength.
Perhaps it was the roaring river or the refreshing wind carrying the river’s spray, but Jeanne felt as if her chest had been cleared out, and a smile naturally lifted her lips.
She had run with all her might before entering the forest, but then it had been out of urgency—to get away from Alexis’s reach. There had been no time for enjoyment.
Now, she felt light, as if invisible shackles had been removed. She ran relentlessly, feeling like she had wings.
As Claude had predicted, when the sun reached its zenith, a white castle wall appeared in the distance.
The castle, which had first looked no larger than a finger’s width, grew immense as they approached. When they reached the main gate, Jeanne had to tilt her head back to see the top.
Its grandeur rivaled that of Brien’s capital, leaving Jeanne’s mouth slightly agape.
“Your Highness has arrived! Open the gates!”
The soldiers, seeing Claude at the heavily guarded gate, were startled and moved hastily. Jeanne wondered if such a reaction was necessary, but more important to her was the fact that they had safely arrived in Loren.
Alexis still doesn’t know where I am. If I join the Loren knights and settle in now, I can change the future.
As the massive gates slowly opened, Jeanne looked at the high castle walls and at Claude standing proudly in front of them. If she joined the Loren knights as planned, she would become his subordinate.
But, unlike in her previous life, she would not live on the battlefield. She would never again feel blind, absolute loyalty.
Bold as it sounded, Jeanne decided to use Claude as her shield for now, even if it meant being called cowardly later.
Following Claude through the castle gates, a lively town appeared—a world completely different from the empty space outside the walls.
Momentarily distracted by her surroundings, Jeanne was suddenly alerted by the pounding of hooves. She turned and saw Cedric and Roland galloping off somewhere.
“Where are those two going?”
“I sent them ahead to the castle. But there’s something I want to show you first.”
“Suddenly?”
“Not exactly sudden. Just follow me.”
Claude flicked the reins lightly, and his horse lunged forward. Though Jeanne was momentarily flustered by his lack of explanation, she had no choice but to follow.
At first, she couldn’t tell where they were headed, but the scenery gradually came into view.
The stone buildings and bridges were no different from other Brien villages. But what truly surprised Jeanne was something else.
There were no abandoned houses, no trash on the streets, no visible poor or orphaned children, which were common even on the outskirts of Brien’s capital.
Furthermore, the roads were so well-maintained that riding a horse posed no problem.
Even a brief look around revealed how prosperous Loren was. It was clearly different from regions where only the lord lived in comfort while the people suffered.
As Jeanne admired the town, she noticed a lake between the buildings, and Claude spurred his horse toward it.
Only then did she realize he had wanted to show her Lake Rozan, a famous landmark of Loren.
Seeing such an immense lake, Jeanne could hardly keep her mouth closed. It was vast, and its emerald-like brilliance was mesmerizing, as if crushed jewels had melted into the water.
She had only heard of it in her past life and never seen it. Jeanne stopped in awe, silently staring at it for a long time.
She was glad they had come. For the first time, that thought arose purely on her own, unrelated to Alexis.
“What do you think?”
She turned at Claude’s voice.
“Huh?”
“Earlier, you said there was nothing to say. Do you still feel the same?”
She didn’t understand why he was so curious, but she answered honestly.
“I knew Lake Rozan was famous, but I didn’t realize it was this beautiful.”
“Do you like it?”
“Well…”
She couldn’t imagine anyone seeing this lake and not liking it.
“It’s the best view I’ve seen so far.”
“That’s good.”
“So this is what you wanted to show me?”
“Yes. The lake, and…”
A gentle breeze blew. Claude smiled softly, like the cool wind itself.
“I wanted to show you Loren.”
The rippling waves shimmered, and the clear sounds of water splashing were vivid. Broken light and water sounds rode on the wind. The beauty made Jeanne understand why Claude was eager to show it off.
Yet, she felt a slight unease.
Claude had only said he wanted to show her his homeland, but this time, she couldn’t just respond lightly with, “I see, thanks.” The tremor in his eyes made it clear that it wasn’t a simple matter.
He looked almost nervous.
“You’re…”
Just as she was about to ask if he was trembling, a distant voice called out desperately:
“Your Highness!”
