■ Hamburg Count Territory □
The Hamburg Count Territory is located about a day’s ride from Hamburg Fortress.
Hamburg, a large city situated at the edge of the Vulcan Mountains, is particularly renowned for its gem-cutting and mining industries, thanks to the abundant mineral resources found near the Count Territory.
Iron ore, silver, various gemstones, and rare earth elements.
These are all items that the dwarves of Nídavellir, who live in the upper regions, are crazy about.
If it weren’t for the fact that Hamburg borders the Demon Tribe’s land, Doom Land, it could have developed much more than it has now.
Although the capital views Hamburg as a declining region, the reputation of the Hamburg Count family, which has ruled this area since the imperial era, remains as solid as a diamond.
This is because the title “Shield of Humanity” has been passed down without fading since the founding of the Oz Kingdom.
Perhaps Rachel’s excessive confidence, being the party’s sole tank and financial backbone, stemmed from this.
After all, she must have lived like a princess in the frozen lands ruled by her family.
[[#]]The next day.
Dorothea had Eva prepare the items I requested exactly as I had asked.
A horse, three days’ worth of food for the journey, and an emergency magic stone.
Since this mission required me to go to a human city, no one could accompany me.
It was a solo mission in every sense.
“Take care.”
“Safe travels.”
Dorothea and Camilla, who came to see me off, each said a few words.
After thanking them, I mounted the chestnut-maned steed that Eva was holding by the reins.
Unlike ordinary horses, this one had notably long tail and leg hair, and I heard it was a crossbreed between a wild horse from the Vulcan Mountains and a warhorse.
It was said to be strong against the cold, making it perfect for traveling through snowy terrain.
“What’s this one’s name?”
As I stroked its neck and asked, Eva raised her voice in surprise, as if she hadn’t expected the question.
“I haven’t given it a name. If you’d like, why don’t you give it a nickname yourself?”
I pondered for a short while, wanting to give the horse, who would share this arduous journey with me, a fitting name.
The name “Used Country” I had given to Bicon last time was too hastily chosen.
This time, I wanted to give it a more respectable nickname.
“Hmm.”
As I observed the horse’s features, its beautiful chestnut mane and bronze coat caught my eye, and I muttered a word that came to mind.
“Gold Sun…”
No, that’s a bit too obvious.
I should change it to something more familiar.
I stroked the horse’s long mane gently and said,
“From now on, your name is Goldrun.”
That should make it sound like Eva’s relative.
[[#]]I rode Goldrun straight toward the Hamburg Count Territory.
In fact, since I had passed through here once before as a member of the Hero Party, it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.
The only difference was that back then, I had to travel on foot because there was no way to return the borrowed horse.
Recalling old memories, I raced across the snow-covered plains.
Thanks to Goldrun’s resilience to the cold, as Eva had described, it showed no signs of fatigue even after a long ride.
This is why people are so particular about bloodlines when buying horses.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa—”
After riding for about two hours from the fortress toward the Hamburg Count Territory, I stopped the horse to take a short break.
“It’s probably around 1 o’clock now.”
I stuck a wooden stick into the ground to check the time, then used magic to dig a pit and started a fire.
Whoosh!
At times like this, I’m glad I’m a mage.
If I had to do all this manually, it would have taken ages just to start a fire.
I filled my portable kettle with snow to boil drinking water and chewed on some dried rations from a cloth bag.
The food Dorothea had packed consisted mainly of jerky and biscuits, which sacrificed taste for preservation, so eating it was more about necessity than enjoyment.
After a quiet meal with no one to talk to, I quenched my thirst with hot water and gave the rest to Goldrun.
Goldrun, having run for a long time, must have been quite thirsty, as it gulped down the water from the kettle.
It licked the kettle clean, so no washing was needed, but I wiped it with snow and put it back in my pack for future use.
It was time to set off again.
‘I’ll probably need to ride for another 5-6 hours.’
I didn’t want to sleep outside in this cold weather.
It would be much better to push through and sleep inside the city.
“You’ll have to endure a bit more today.”
I said this while stroking Goldrun’s head, then mounted the saddle again.
[[#]]I arrived at the outskirts of the Hamburg Count Territory as the sky began to darken.
I’m not sure exactly how many hours had passed, but I had been riding across the snowy plains for a long time.
Despite taking breaks along the way, Goldrun, who had to run all day, looked visibly tired.
Thinking I should get the best feed for it once we entered the city, I approached the city gate.
The long line was for collecting tolls from outsiders, and among the ordinary humans were short dwarves.
They must have come all the way here to buy Hamburg’s specialty minerals.
Unlike in the Demon Tribe’s land, there was no need to hide my face in a human city, so I waited for my turn with my face uncovered.
When my turn came, I pulled out something to prove my identity.
“T-this is!”
The guard’s eyes widened as he examined what I handed him.
“What is it?”
His curious colleague leaned in and gasped.
“Mage! Please, come right in!”
What I had shown them was a medal proving I was a mage from the “Emerald Tower.”
Moreover, the gold plate I presented was something only mages of the 4th rank or higher, commonly called “Mages,” possessed.
This was proof that I was among the top 10% of the privileged class of mages.
I put the medal, which the soldier respectfully returned, back into my pocket and led Goldrun through the city gate.
After crossing a narrow, long moat and passing through the arched gate, the snow-covered cityscape finally came into view.
After an 8-hour journey, I had arrived at the Hamburg Count Territory.
[[#]]The first thing I did upon entering the city was to find lodging.
Fortunately, compared to what lay ahead, this was relatively easy.
Unlike the Demon Tribe’s land, where everything operates on the principle of power, human cities are fundamentally based on a gold standard.
In other words, if you have enough money, you can get the best service anywhere.
“The main branch is 10 silver per night.”
I took out my coin purse, which I hadn’t used in a while, and paid the inn’s front desk employee 10 silver coins.
Though the price was somewhat high for the best-rated inn in the area, the excellent service made it worth it for those who could afford it.
I added 3 more silver coins as a tip and asked them to take good care of the horse stabled there.
The employee handed me a key, saying, “Room 204. Go up to the second floor and turn left.”
I twirled the key ring around my finger as I went up to the second floor.
True to its status as one of the largest cities in the east, the Hamburg Count Territory’s inn was bustling with travelers from afar.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, I kept my hood pulled low, and only after entering my room could I finally relax.
“Phew— Now I can breathe.”
I immediately tossed aside the stifling robe and threw myself onto the soft bed.
After riding all day, my back felt stiff.
Thinking back to how I used to be fine with this, I realized I was getting older.
Feeling slightly down, I shook my head and sat up.
“…I made it into the city safely.”
There was no warrant for my arrest, and as a member of the Magic Tower, I could enter any city freely.
But the real challenge lay ahead.
To meet the Lord of Hamburg, I would have to reveal my former identity.
Caldlasth, the mage of the Hero Party.
But that was the worst option.
After entering Doom Land, the Hero Party’s activities had completely ceased, and if I suddenly appeared in human territory, suspicion would be unavoidable.
With so many constraints, the only solution that came to mind was to sneak in.
I planned to push forward with the narrative that I hadn’t officially visited.
