Chapter 34

If you plan to live only in Larpentia, you won’t need it, but if you want to go to other regions, there’s something you’ll need.

Yes, I’m talking about identification. They say leaving home is tough, and that’s absolutely true.

‘If you’re planning to travel, there’s more than one or two things you need to prepare.’

But you can’t just stay cooped up in this house forever.

Praying here alone won’t make the Lord bestow blessings upon this world or protect us from the mysterious phenomenon known as the Cycle.

Even if He could save me from danger, He wouldn’t save Roka.

If we don’t act, the Lord won’t either. You have to do something first to expect results, and that applies to me too.

‘For starters, I have various IDs.’

The ID made for me by the Church Country when I traveled with Yurinel.

The citizenship I got from the capital’s government office while I was at it.

And the adventurer’s license, the first ID I ever received after leaving my hometown where the concept of IDs didn’t even exist. I have three IDs in my wallet.

‘Roka has one.’

My eyes narrowed as I looked at the ID issued by the government office that I hadn’t yet given to Roka.

Burning the slave document only meant that the Lord certified Roka’s freedom, but it didn’t mean she was legally free from being my slave.

Legally, Roka was still my slave. To free her, we had to go to the government office, fill out various forms, and pay fees to remove the shackles of her status.

But even after the shackles are removed, scars remain. The Empire treats freeborn citizens and freed slaves differently.

Roka’s citizenship bears a stamp that signifies she was once a slave, a scar that will never fade.

So, I plan to get her a new ID. I don’t want to show that stamp to her.

“So, Kyle. Where are we going?”

The Princess now calls me Kyle. At least where others can see.

It’s entirely at my request. It’s fine if she thinks of me as a Saint, but if she calls me that in public, I’ll just feel embarrassed.

“You’ll probably need it too, sis.”

Of course, it wasn’t free. The Princess also made a request of me.

She asked me not to call her ‘Princess’ in public, but to call her ‘sis’ instead. It’s only natural since I can’t call her ‘Princess’ outside.

“You’ll need a temporary ID. Let’s stop by the adventurer’s guild and get an adventurer’s license. For Roka too. You’ll need some kind of ID to present.”

Getting an adventurer’s license at the guild is easy.

Really easy. You just have to pay the fee.

An F-rank adventurer’s license is something you can get just by paying. They do a quick background check, but as long as you’re not on the wanted list and have no criminal record, even a child can get one.

Of course, advancing to E-rank or higher is a different story, but we don’t need that.

The Princess will return to the capital, and Roka won’t be working as an adventurer.

I don’t know much about that world, but I’ve heard that priests like me often work as adventurers, so I got a license just in case.

The Three God Faith doesn’t mind priests joining adventurer parties to heal party members, even though they frown upon priests charging for healing. So, joining a well-paying party is a good way for priests to earn money.

Usually, priests of the Three God Faith don’t become adventurers and travel around.

“And please speak comfortably, Princess. It’s weird if you use honorifics with me when I’m calling you ‘sis.’”

“Ah, but you’re the Saint chosen by the gods…”

“I don’t mind. Just speak comfortably.”

“You’re also my benefactor…”

“That was the Lord’s doing, not mine.”

The miracle the Lord showed still leaves a strong impression.

But that’s because the Lord is special, not me. If someone else had been chosen by the Lord, it would have been just as possible.

“Still, I can’t do that. How could I, a mere human, speak casually to the Saint chosen by the gods?”

“Sis.”

“I’m not so ungrateful as to be rude to the benefactor who brought me the miracle I longed for.”

Anyway, Ardein sis is someone who’s more used to giving orders than showing respect.

I thought she’d drop the formalities quickly, but she’s more stubborn than I expected. As we were talking, I suddenly felt fingers tugging at my sleeve.

Roka was staring at me. Did she feel left out?

When I reached out to comfort her, she finally smiled and looked away. What a mysterious child.

“An adventurer’s license? I don’t need one. That kid over there might, though.”

“Don’t you need something to prove your identity, sis?”

“Of course I do. The most reliable and impossible-to-forge proof. I thought I’d never recover it, but the Saint brought it back to me.”

A golden, majestic aura of magical power enveloped sis’s hand, shining brilliantly.

According to her, this is the symbol of the imperial family, descended from the Golden Dragon.

She said it’s the most unique golden aura of magical power. I couldn’t think of any proof more definitive than that.

“I’m already past thirty, and I don’t have the same vigor as when I was young. Learning and mastering things quickly is a privilege of the young. If the Saint hadn’t bestowed a miracle upon me, I would have spent my whole life just trying to regain my former strength.”

That’s true. People have their prime.

Even if you hold onto it, once you’re past your twenties, you start to age. Your body isn’t what it used to be.

…Or so I’ve heard. It’s what the elders in the village always say.

Roka’s still young, and I’m only twenty-five, so I don’t really feel it yet.

The Princess is thirty-two, so even if she trained for another ten years, she’d be in her forties.

It wouldn’t have been easy to regain what was lost without the Phylogenetic Seedling.

“And I’ve been thinking, we don’t really need to rent a carriage to go to the capital. If we just push a little further from Larpentia, we’ll reach the House of Duke Vlad.”

“Ah, I’ve heard of it.”

“Duke Vlad Shimira knows me, so she’ll probably recognize me. It’ll be easier to get to the capital with her help.”

‘Duke Vlad Shimira… House of Shimira…? Oh, no. House of Vlad. Vampires write their names and surnames in reverse. Now I remember.’

House of Vlad. A rare case of a non-human race holding a noble title.

Now I remember. Yurinel once mentioned in passing that the Duke isn’t a big deal.

The title is high, but it’s just a title without much real power.

Otherwise, I, who lived in the small city of Larpentia not far from the Duke’s territory, would have heard of the Duke at least once. It means their influence doesn’t reach here.

“House of Vlad isn’t famous for wealth or power, but it has a long history. Surely they wouldn’t refuse to lend a carriage to a member of the imperial family. They’d be afraid of the repercussions if they did.”

Indeed, ever since using the Phylogenetic Seedling, the Princess has been overflowing with confidence.

This must be her true personality, and she’s been subdued by illness until now.

Anyway, sis knows more about nobles than I do, so we decided to head to the Duke’s territory.

As we walked and talked, we soon saw the adventurer’s guild. Larpentia isn’t a place where monsters appear often, so there weren’t many people around the guild. The guild office itself was small and modest.

Ding.

As we opened the door with a bell and stepped inside, we saw a very quiet space.

A piece of paper on the right wall naturally caught our attention. I found myself reading it.

<Notice of Office Relocation Due to Decrease in Adventurers>

-To the adventurers and residents of Larpentia City, thank you for always using the Larpentia branch of the Adventurer’s Guild. Due to worsening profitability and a decrease in clients, our office plans to relocate to the neighboring city of Henes before this summer. We promise to serve you with better service and ask for your continued support.

As I finished reading the notice, someone spoke to us.

“Hey, there. Are you aspiring adventurers? But why is the only one with a weapon that lady over there? Or are you clients? If you’re clients, you’re out of luck.”

An elderly man who looked too old to even lift a sword, let alone fight, sat leaning on a table with a friendly expression.

“This city lacks both clients and adventurers. Peace isn’t always a good thing for those who live by the sword. So, everyone’s left to make a living.”

“We’d like to get adventurer’s licenses. Is that still possible?”

“Of course. As long as you have the fee.”

The price wasn’t particularly high,

Nor was it particularly low. It was manageable, at least.

I took out my wallet and paid. After counting the money, he asked,

“Only one person needs to register, right? So, which one of you is it?”

“It’s for the child here. She doesn’t have an official ID yet.”

“Name and age?”

“Roka. Sixteen.”

Before I could answer, Roka straightened her hair and replied.

I say ‘replied’ because her tone wasn’t rude, but it wasn’t polite either. It was a bit cold, and it surprised me since I’d never seen Roka speak like this before.

“Wait a moment.”

But Ardein sis didn’t seem surprised or flustered, just standing there blankly.

The guildmaster, who’s seen all kinds of people, didn’t seem fazed either. He listened to Roka’s name, went inside for a moment, and came back with an F-rank adventurer’s license.

Normally, they’d do a background check or basic skill assessment, but since this place is about to close down, they just handed it over without question. While it’s true that F-rank licenses are easy to get, this was a bit too lax.

“So, is this edible?”

What’s easily obtained has little value. Roka looked at her license with a blank expression.

Honestly, it might be more useless than something edible. It’s often easier and faster to bribe guards with a few coins than to show them an ID. It just costs money.

But in the future, when someone meets this child,

I hope they remember her as Roka the adventurer, not Roka who was once someone’s property.

The fee paid and the little time spent are nothing compared to that.