The rest of the journey was peaceful and serene. The caravan traveled along a dirt road through the fields, occasionally fording streams and passing farmhouses.
If they came across a larger farmhouse, Mr. Ah Le would have the caravan stop while he and a driver went to purchase some eggs and homemade cheese.
Rorschach and Mr. Ah Le maintained a cool, polite distance. From then on, Mr. Ah Le never allowed Rorschach to stand watch at night, claiming he needed better rest.
"Parsnip seeds, dill fruits..." The moment they stopped to rest, Tassia would go off to gather herbs, then crush and dry them in the bottom of a pan.
Hill felt that Tassia was completely oblivious to the fact that she was being monitored. "What are you up to?!"
"Don't be so tense! Don't you think eating rabbit all the time is getting tiresome?"
Now that they were far from the forests and hills, there were no Wild Boar or deer to hunt. Besides, Hill could only hunt when the group was resting, so he didn't have much time. Consequently, their haul mostly consisted of bland-tasting rabbits. Rabbit meat was quite plain; it basically just absorbed the flavor of whatever broth it was stewed in.
"I'm researching a Magic that can attract wildfowl." It turned out Tassia was planning to change the target of her Immortal Jump magic.
It was currently the end of autumn and the beginning of winter on the continent. The grains and fruits were ripe, and the birds had grown plump. Flocks of wild ducks and geese flew by from time to time, apparently migrating south.
"It worked!" Unlike before, Tassia tossed the powder into the campfire this time. A cloud of smoke instantly billowed up. She then used her Magical Power, and the smoke rose straight into the air.
"QUACK! QUACK!" Wild ducks really did appear. They came from a distant riverbank, circling and spiraling down around the column of smoke.
"Quick! Quick! Pick the fat ones and shoot them down!"
'It really works...' It seemed there was no need for a Crossbow. The slingshot Hill had fashioned from a tree branch and some Wild Boar sinew came in handy. He took them down one by one. The other wild ducks were completely unaware of their diminishing numbers, their quacking only growing louder.
The flock of ducks was about to land. Rorschach estimated the distance, cast a Mage's Hand, and simply plucked one out of the air.
Rorschach held the duck in his hands. It was quite plump. Its belly was snow-white, its back was brownish-gray, and it was covered in a speckled pattern.
The mallard tilted its head, stared at him for a moment with one big eye, then crouched down, flapped its wings, and stretched its neck to bite Rorschach's sleeve.
Rorschach sensed the damned duck's intentions and shoved the little animal away.
The duck was persistent. It circled Rorschach, quacking, then tilted its head and found an unlucky grasshopper. Being a late-autumn insect, it was instantly clamped in the duck's hard beak.
Then, the duck waddled over and presented the unfortunate grasshopper, fattened on grass seeds, to Rorschach.
'This little beast sure knows how to suck up,' Rorschach thought. He broke off the grasshopper's barbed legs and hard-jawed head, then tossed it to the duck, which devoured it in one bite. "Everyone," he announced, "it seems this creature has taken a liking to me. Why don't I keep it as a pet?"
CLAP... CLAP, CLAP, CLAP CLAP CLAP
Someone started clapping, and others followed. The smoke dissipated, and the applause startled the remaining ducks in the sky as if from a dream. They quacked and fled, leaving only the one at Rorschach's feet, enjoying its meal.
Rorschach borrowed a pair of scissors and clipped its flight feathers, then gave it a name that no one understood:
Gaisde Yazi.
...
The caravan finally reached the edge of the Empire. They arrived at the fortress city of Andorrella, whose core was a formidable bastion made of thick stone walls and towers. Connected to the fortress walls were multiple watchtowers and arrow towers that overlooked the surrounding area. The entire structure was pentagonal, propped up by a bare, rocky hill and encircled by the homes and shops of the city's residents.
There had long been peace between the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, so the original moat had been enveloped by citizens' houses. The city walls had even been built out in three rings, from the fortress-like heavy stone walls to brick walls, and finally to a low earthen wall on the outermost ring.
When the caravan arrived, they saw many coarse cloth tents set up outside the city. People were bustling about, and a long line had formed at the gate leading into the city.
"Why are there so many people?" As they joined the line, the group looked around. There were small vendors in every tent. Not only that, but looking through the gateway, they could see stalls set up inside the city as well. It was a huge, bustling market.
Entering Andorrella from the north gate was simple; one just needed proof of identity from the Empire and a caravan pass. However, exiting the city to the south was considered leaving the Empire, and all tariffs, as well as carriage and horse taxes, would be collected at once.
Since the inspection for entering the city was relatively simple, the line moved quickly.
"Is it a market? Do the people with stalls outside pay less tax?" Tassia guessed, poking her head out of the carriage.
Mr. Ah Le recalled for a moment. "The southern Empire and the Holy Kingdom have a custom of holding a carnival around this time. We must have run right into a festival day."
"A festival now? An evolution of the birthday of the God of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry?" Rorschach searched his knowledge of mythology and folklore. It was now his turn to enter the city. He dismounted and showed his Mage Badge and Adventurer's Silver Medal to the Guard.
"Perhaps. Those are all dormant Divine Spirits; who remembers them that clearly anymore? Now, it's just our carnival, the Harvest Festival. Welcome to Andorrella, Mage. Happy holidays!" The Guard glanced at the young Mage, and at the duck on his shoulder.
"Thank you."
Tassia was behind Rorschach. She took out her proof of identity from Limborg and a badge from the Tower of Forest. The Guard didn't seem to recognize the latter.
After entering the city, the group didn't join the festivities. They first went to the Adventurer's Guild to register their itinerary, submitted an application to leave the country to the local Imperial authorities, and found an inn to check into.
"Even with some... persuasion, the application won't be approved until tomorrow or even the day after. Will you all rest first, or do you want to join the festival? Just so we're clear, Andorrella is a big, chaotic city, and it's carnival time now. We can't get separated. It's best if we stick together when leaving the inn."
"I'm going to the Magic Guild."
"I'll just crash at the inn for a bit. It's been a while since I've slept on a soft bed!"
"Alright then, with the exception of Rorschach Mage, why don't we rest at the inn first and join the festival tonight?"
Tassia clapped her hands happily. Seeing the others' flat reactions, she asked in confusion, "Don't you guys want to experience the local customs of a city?"
Mr. Ah Le had Tassia and Hill share a room, reasoning that Hill had put in effort during the hunt. Hill reluctantly agreed, which moved the penniless Tassia to tears.
Walking from the inn onto the street, Rorschach felt the so-called Harvest Festival was just a massive market day. Everyone bustling about was either shopping or on their way to shop. The stores were overflowing with goods. One shop was particularly eye-catching, its storefront piled high with large, painted tin tankards depicting scenes from mythology and landscapes.
Rorschach now held a map provided by the Adventurer's Guild. For city defense and security reasons, the map had large blank areas and restricted zones, but it did mark many restaurants and taverns.
'They must have been paid for advertising...'
Using the map, Rorschach found the local headquarters of the Magic Guild—a five-story building made of red brick and wood, built to imitate a Mage Tower.
He called it an imitation because a Magic Tower was a place for Mages and Apprentices to research and live. In contrast, the ground floor here, besides the Guild's main hall, had stalls selling discounted Scrolls and Potions, as well as a sign that read "Free Divination." People bustled in and out, their voices haggling. The Guild's branch headquarters in the Imperial Capital was solemn and magnificent, but this place reeked of excessive commercialization.
'This doesn't seem very reliable...' Rorschach worried as he looked at the "Free Divination" sign.