I Couldn't Become a Knight, But for Some Reason, I'm Beloved by Dragons - Chapter 28: Sightseeing in the Imperial Capital

Chapter 28: Sightseeing in the Imperial Capital

“Is it going to be okay? After what we did?”

~We’ll be fine. As long as we don’t get caught, there won’t be any problems.~

“Yeah… you’re right.”

Well, it’s understandable that Runa feels a bit uneasy after what we did there. 

As a dragon, if her conflict with a noble of the empire were to become known, it could escalate into an international issue… but as Runa said, if we don’t get caught, there won’t be a problem.

“I feel a bit like a criminal.”

~Don’t worry about it. That idiot who tried to surround us with soldiers while we were enjoying our date was clearly in the wrong.~

We didn’t intend to stay in that city for so long, but Runa was quite upset about our date being interrupted by that noble around our age who got in our way with soldiers.

Although I have some thoughts about that noble’s behavior, I didn’t want to cause a commotion, and I heard that the empire’s social hierarchy is stricter compared to other countries or kingdoms, so if someone like me talks back, they might just cut off my head without any questions asked.

~Let’s forget about what happened earlier. Look, we can see it now.~

“Oh!”

As we approached, we could see something coming closer from the distant land.

It was a huge city surrounded by walls… I was amazed by its size, which was incomparable to before, and at the same time, my heart was pounding with excitement at the thought of seeing a giant city other than the capital.

After landing on the ground just before entering the city, Runa and I again linked our arms and headed towards the city gate.

“Hmm, are you travelers?”

“Yes.”

“That’s right.”

And here we go again.

However, this time they didn’t inspect our bodies like they did last time, instead they pointed some kind of machine towards us.

“Okay, you may pass.”

It seems like we’re done with the inspection.

“Was there a reason why they touched our bodies back then?”

“…Maybe they just wanted to touch you?”

“…Hey, Xeno, can we visit that place again on the way back?”

She had a face that looked like she was going to burn everything, but I managed to hold her back.

Our whispered conversation got us noticed by a soldier who had examined us earlier. 

I flinched, but Runa, being the big shot she is, simply made a face of annoyance.

“When you’re done with your business, you should leave the imperial city as soon as possible.”

“Huh?”

“Why?”

It’s no wonder we were confused by his words.

Seeing our reactions, he told us something like this.

“Actually, there are reports of suspicious individuals in the imperial city, so more soldiers have been deployed than usual.”

“Suspicious individuals?”

“Yeah. There are people who don’t agree with the current emperor.”

“I see…”

It seems like something fishy is going on. 

Further details reveal that such individuals have been identified, and there have been small disturbances, but they believe that they can be immediately suppressed, although the scale is unknown. 

Therefore, there are no particular restrictions on the movements of the residents of the imperial city, so travelers like us can enter freely from the outside.

“What’s that device?”

“It’s a magical tool that can check if you have any suspicious items on you. I’m not worried about you, but I am curious about the young lady you’re with. Doesn’t she have any luggage?”

“Oh, well if I had luggage, I wouldn’t be able to hug him like this, right?”

“I see. Now hurry up and go. Is this some kind of jab at me, being single?”

I apologize to him. I laugh awkwardly and enter the imperial city with Runa.

“Wow, it’s huge.”

“It’s so big.”

When we entered, it was like stepping into a completely different world inside the city walls. I knew that their technology was advanced, but the sights before me were beyond my imagination. 

It was a world different from the kingdom, and I stood there stunned for a while.

“Ah! My bad.” 

“It’s okay. I thought it was cute how you were staring blankly”

Without realizing it, I was stunned by the scenery in front of me.

Well, if Runa enjoyed my silly behavior, that’s fine with me. I decided to thoroughly enjoy my first and possibly last sightseeing trip in the capital.

As I thought about that and clenched my fist, Runa somehow looked pleased and laughed.

“This won’t be the last time, you know? I want to travel the world with you many more times, so we’ll come back here again, okay?”

“Did I say that out loud?”

“No, but I had a feeling you were thinking about it.”

I was surprised as if my heart had been read, but knowing Runa, it was not that surprising. In fact, it’s a sign of how much I trust her.

“Let’s see, it’s early, but let’s come back again. Maybe we’ll live long enough for that.”

“… Sure♪”

Now, let’s enjoy sightseeing! 

Runa and I walked among the crowds of people, and it had become commonplace for many of them to notice Runa. Even though she was clearly holding onto my arm, there were men who looked like sturdy adventurers or well-built men who approached Runa, but I moved forward to protect her every time they did.

“…Here! Actually, I’m a dragon, but I’m at that age where I want to feel all giddy and protected by the person I love!”

“Ahaha… Well, I’m a man too.”

“Even though I’ve lived for thousands of years… sigh… my late-blooming first love wasn’t a mistake after all!”

As I continued to bring a smile to Runa’s face with every little thing I did for her, we explored the cityscape that we would never normally see. 

In the midst of all this, I noticed a few people who caught Runa’s attention. 

Every one of them vanished into an alleyway and looked so unassuming that one wouldn’t think they were suspicious unless they watched them closely.

“The story from earlier might be true, after all.”

“You mean those people the guard mentioned?”

“Yes. Fortunately, I don’t feel like they’re trying to cause trouble here, and my instincts aren’t telling me that you’re in danger. So, you can relax.”

“I see… that’s a relief.”

“Please relax. It’s about another country, after all. It’s best to let each country solve their own problems.”

Even so, if a helpless person were to be in danger right in front of us, Runa would probably intervene… Of course, if that were to happen, I would also lend a hand. But for now, let’s just enjoy the scenery of the Imperial City.

(…But seriously, the population in the imperial capital is really huge. Oh, and there’s a woman waving at me over there.)

As I focused my attention on the woman waving at me, Runa grabbed my waist tightly. 

Even though I wasn’t actually captivated by the woman, seeing Runa show a little jealousy was still cute, and I couldn’t help but laugh.