The late afternoon sky was slowly beginning to change its hue. Streaks of golden orange blended with a tinge of pale purple across the horizon, a clear sign that dusk was fast approaching.
Allen and Alrian, who had been walking side by side as they emerged from the dense foliage of the western forest, now set foot back onto the main road. This dirt road was the sole route leading directly to the western entrance gate of the capital city.
In stark contrast to the absolute silence of the forest they had just left behind, the atmosphere on the main road felt incredibly vibrant and loud. The whinnying of horses and the hum of overlapping human conversations echoed through the air. The vast majority of those crowding the path to the gate were large merchant caravan processions, heavily guarded by fully armed adventurer groups.
The queue snaked extensively, creating a rather dense traffic jam just outside the city walls. The sight made Allen abruptly halt his steps. Alrian, strolling casually beside him, instinctively stopped as well, turning his gaze toward the endless expanse of wagons ahead of them.
"Wow... the line is incredibly long!" Allen remarked in awe, looking at the nearly unbroken row of neatly aligned wagons stretching all the way to the checkpoint at the entrance gate. "Do we also have to queue behind this caravan line according to our order of arrival?"
Hearing the question, a faint smile formed on Alrian's lips.
"The two of us don't need to line up." Alrian replied casually, as if the massive queue wasn't an obstacle in the slightest. "The regulations in this kingdom prioritize pedestrians over those large caravans."
"Is that so?" Allen asked for confirmation, his eyes widening slightly as this was completely new information to him.
Alrian nodded with absolute confidence. "Don't forget, I'm a former receptionist of the merchant guild. I'm very well-versed in the rules that apply in this royal capital."
Hearing the straightforward and convincing answer from Alrian's mouth, Allen felt reassured. All of his doubts evaporated into thin air.
Without wasting another moment, the two of them began to walk leisurely along the shoulder of the road. They strolled past the long rows of wagons that were lined up, waiting for their turn for merchant document inspections, baggage checks, and the identity verifications of the owners and their hired adventurers.
"As soon as we arrive at the mansion, the very first thing I want to do is take a bath!" Allen initiated the conversation, keeping pace beside Alrian. "My body feels so sticky, covered in sweat and forest dust from this entire day."
"Same here, I feel the exact same way." Alrian agreed. He rubbed the back of his neck, which also felt hot and coated in a layer of fine dust. Suddenly, however, Alrian's pace slowed down a fraction. His facial expression shifted as a realization struck him. "But, Allen... it seems we've forgotten one important thing since yesterday, and unfortunately, I'm only just remembering it now."
"An important thing we haven't prepared?" Allen repeated, his brow furrowing in confusion. "What important thing is that? Weren't our mission preparations already complete?"
"This isn't about the mission." Alrian replied, followed by a long sigh. "Because we were too hyper-focused on preparing for this forest expedition since yesterday, we completely forgot to make dinner to store inside the magic bag. If we had, we wouldn't have to bother cooking when we arrive at the mansion exhausted like this, and we could eat right after cleaning ourselves up."
Hearing that explanation, Allen's steps instantly felt a little heavier. He immediately realized their fatal oversight regarding their stomachs, and reflexively let out a long sigh of his own.
"Ah... you're right." Allen muttered in resignation. "I never thought we could manage to forget something so crucial and important for our own well-being like that."
Alrian responded to Allen's quiet complaint with a sympathetic, wry smile. He was acutely aware of the oversight, cursing himself for forgetting something so painfully simple.
As the two youths continued their relaxed walk and casual chatter past the caravan line, their presence began to attract attention. Many people within the queue were completely unaware of the specific regulations in the Astoria Kingdom regarding priority lanes for pedestrians.
In particular, sharp, piercing glares came from the hired adventurers hailing from various regions outside the kingdom. Those who had been lining up for quite some time and enduring the stiffness in their muscles immediately turned their heads with looks of clear displeasure.
Their attention was entirely fixated on the two handsome youths walking so nonchalantly past dozens of queued wagons.
Until, finally, the inevitable happened. Allen and Alrian were forced to halt their journey homeward when an adventurer party suddenly stepped out of the line and deliberately blocked their path.
Allen and Alrian's steps ground to a halt. Standing right in front of them was a group of armed men.
"Hey, you! Why are the two of you so casually cutting this long line like that?!" demanded the man standing at the very front.
The man had an incredibly burly build, wearing leather armor reinforced with steel plating across his chest. His tone was deep, raspy, and laced with heavy intimidation. His eyes glared at Allen and Alrian as if he wanted to skin them alive for having the audacity to flout the rules of queuing.
Hearing the harsh reprimand, Allen and Alrian did not flinch in the slightest. The two merely stared back at the face of the burly man in front of them with calm, deadpan expressions. They felt absolutely no intimidation from his sharp glare, nor from his large, tall, and muscular stature.
Is that all? Compared to the piercing glare of our husband, something like this isn't a problem at all. Allen thought with utmost tranquility. His memory suddenly drifted to the past, recalling how Arvin's sharp, ice-cold gaze could make anyone who met it almost forget how to breathe.
On the other hand, Alrian simply looked at the man with a highly analytical gaze.
What exactly is this man trying to achieve by blocking our path? Does he really not know the rules that apply in this kingdom? Or did the guild he belongs to never bother explaining cross-regional ethics and regulations to their adventurers?
Seeing the completely unexpected response from the two youths in front of him, who remained relaxed, stood like statues, and simply stared back without uttering a single word, the burly man felt his pride being trampled on. He was immensely irritated that his attempt at intimidation had yielded absolutely no results.
The man's jaw tightened.
"Hey! Why are you two just standing there staring at me like that, huh?!" the man barked, his voice now much higher, drawing the attention of even more people lingering around them. "Are you trying to mock me and my party members?! Open your ears wide, brats! We are a highly respected Rank A adventurer party from Laoya City!"