The Strongest in the World Doesn't Have Any Abilities

After reaching the entrance gate, Officer Chief told his men to bring the Mallory Family to their headquarters first to further check on their condition. He himself then guided the four of us to one of their outposts at the outskirts of the city.

As a protocol, all first-time visitors who are not residents of the city must register first before entering. Since Saku and Saki has already visited this place a few times already, only Aoi and I are the ones that will undergo the process.

"I am Ren Mortel, 16 years of age, from Plate Town. This is my little sister, Aoi."

"...Uhh...my name's Aoi. I'm nine thou--I'm nine years old, and also from Plate Town."

The clerk, looking at a list on his hand, spoke, "Children who are ten years old or below aren't actually required to register before entering. You can go in now, little miss."

"...Oh? Okay~"

"But," he shifted his gaze at me, and said, "it seems like we have a problem with your registration, Mister Ren Mortel."

"Eh? Why?!" Startled, I asked.

"You see, this list I'm holding...is the list of all the residents of Plate Town taken from two months ago. While your sister's name is on the list, yours isn't. If that's the case, we will treat you as a foreigner--and you are therefore required to submit additional requirements and tests in order to validate your stay here in the country."

W-What? Requirements? Does that mean, after all this time I'm still considered a foreigner here in Narashel??

"Isn't that a little too weird? My sister is registered, and yet I'm not?! Have you double-checked first if the list is accurate?"

Poring over the doc.u.ment, the clerk replied: "I've checked it for three, four times already. Under the 'Mortel' surname there is only a girl named 'Aoi'. Next on the list is 'Morton', but I'm sure you're not an old man, aren't you?"

I looked at Aoi, then to Saku and Saki. From their faces all of them didn't expect such issue to arise. Even Officer Chief is scratching his head, trying to find sense in the situation.

"Excuse me," another clerk entered the booth and handed a small note to him. He began reading it and shortly afterwards he said: "Mister Ren Mortel, pardon us for the inconvenience. You are cleared to enter now."

"A-Ah, whew."

"...Big brother's not a foreigner now!" Aoi happily clutched on my arm.

"Nn," the clerk nodded. "A letter from the Plate Town chief just came, citing an error on the recent population list. We are sorry for the troubles we've caused."

"N-No, it's fine. Things like that happen sometimes," I said as I waved my hand.

Though in reality, I'm disappointed. I guess it just shows that, wherever you are--whether in a different country or another world--you can't escape from the evil appendages of red tape.

That said, thank you for saving me at the last moment, Town Chief.

"With everything all settled, I think it's time to go now to our headquarters," Officer Chief suggested.

"N-Nn," we reluctantly agreed.

-----

The building where the Guard Corps' headquarters currently resides is located five minutes away by foot from the main entrance at the city's west side. It is also the headquarters for the Medic Corps, where Officer Frille is actually assigned.

Reading the inscriptions on the plaque at the entrance of the building, it says that the building was built about 420 years ago. Nice.

"...Big brother, wait for us, okay?" Aoi waved her hand as she and the siblings are guided by a medic to the Medic Corps clinic for a short physical examination.

"Yeah. Always remember to behave."

A minute later, a young officer called me, telling me to go inside Officer Chief's office. When I entered the room, I saw him sitting on the table, perusing what seems to be a wanted list.

"Oh, you're finally here," he said as he quickly placed the doc.u.ment aside on the table. "Please, please, take a seat."

When I sat on a chair in front of him, he spoke: "Actually, I want to apologize for welcoming your group in such a weird fashion."

"Y-You don't need to apologize!" I replied in a panic. "Considering the circ.u.mstances, it's understandable that we'll have to follow certain protocols first before we freely explore the capital."

"That's right," he muttered, almost like a whisper. "Protocols, or so they say..."

Silence reigned for a brief moment, then he spoke again: "Never mind that. Anyway, we've finally identified the names of the bandits you've captured, and we also confirmed that 8 of them are in the wanted list, while two are just minor accomplices."

"T-That's good news, I think..."

"Nn."

Suddenly, he tossed a small bag at me that almost hit me in the forehead had I not caught it with my hands. When I opened it, my eyes widened at the presence of gold coins inside.

"25 gold coins. That's the reward for your unexpected, er, invaluable help to our department. Thank you."

Aside from the 25 gold coins reward for catching the criminals he added an extra 10 gold coins to the amount, as payment for the broken wheels of our carriage.

The weight of 35 gold coins caused the pocket of my pants to sag, so I placed it inside my back pouch.

"I know that you're already itching to explore the city, so I'll postpone any questions for tomorrow. You can go now."

"Thank you very much, Officer Chief," I slightly bowed my head to him. He only tipped his beret in return.

When I went out of the office I saw Aoi rushing towards me, with Saku and Saki behind her.

"...Big brother, look!" Aoi hopped happily while showing some animal pins on her drawstring pouch. "They said I'm cute and very healthy, so they gave me these."

"Really? Wow, that's great."

"Ren, did they asked you questions?" Saku asked.

"Not yet. Officer Chief said that we're free to wander around today."

"Ah..." Letting out a sigh, he said: "Because of the delays in travel, Saki and I won't be able to attend the first day of the convention."

Saki consoled him. "No need to be sad Big Bro, for what happened today is actually a blessing in disguise!"

She said that the opening day of the Innkeeper's Convention is boring anyway, so why bother going now? Might as well consider this day for us to rest and have fun.

"Oh, there you are! I thought I wouldn't be able to see you anymore!" Ras called upon seeing us at the corridor.

"Mister Ras, is it already okay for you to run?" I asked worriedly.

He smiled and said, "I'm all fine. Thanks to this little lady here, that I'm still able to run and speak to you."

As he bowed his head to Aoi, she replied: "...It's not a big deal, though..."

"Where's Mrs. Setta and your son?"

"They already went home. I was supposed to go with them, but then I remembered that I made a promise to you guys."

Taking out coupons from his pocket, he declared--

"Let's go to that fancy place I've told you. My treat."

-----

It's almost noontime when we arrived at the 'fancy place' Ras has boasted to us ever since we left the Guard Corps headquarters.

"See? I told you there's nothing more fancy than this place," he said while laughing.

Situated atop a huge tree by the intersection of two main roads, this 'fancy place' is but a simple restaurant with a jungle theme all around. Almost all decorations are made to look like wood, and green and brown paper rolled to form vines are hanging on the ceiling and walls.

The main catch here, however, is the view from their balcony. One can have a closer glimpse at the beautiful villas near the foothills, the city's business district, and the imposing palace that stood at the very center of the city. One of the main roads where this tree is located leads to that place.

"Yeah, it's beautiful here," I voiced out my honest impressions to him.

A waiter approached us, and Ras ordered a dish called 'borrek', links of Narashel sausage, and 'treehouse salad' for each of us. For the drinks, he decided to order juice, since we can't have hard drinks while in the presence of the girls. I also promised myself not to drink alcohol until the age of 18, so I'll refuse it anyway.

"...What are you doing, you two?"

While eating, Aoi noticed that the siblings only are staring at their food, meticulously examining it like a fine specimen.

"We're trying to find out the ingredients of this borrek, and possibly add it on our menu at the Sandy Fish if we're successful," Saki answered.

"...Eh? Isn't this just alternating layers of meat and cheese between layers of these...uh, thin flour things?"

Now that she mentioned it, I think the dish resembled something like a lasagna in our world; or the Armenian dish of, surprisingly, almost the same name. Weirdly fascinating, actually.

"Let's leave all inn matters for today and just enjoy the food, okay?" I reminded them.

""Um-kaayy,"" the two replied.

Shortly afterwards, I noticed from my seat at the side of the balcony a large procession of people coming from the palace slowly marching along the main road..

"Hey Mister, what's going on over there?" I asked Ras.

He stood up, and replied, "Gray and light blue uniforms? They're this country's knights, no doubt."

""R-Really?"" The siblings exclaimed, and rushed to the railings of the balcony to watch the procession.

An accompaniment of trumpets, horns, and drums resounded around the place, each Knight stomped and marched to each with every loud beat. They exude a very intimidating aura, as if the hairs on our skin are ordered to rise upon their presence. All of them, some 200 or more knights, surrounded an open carriage that carried two people. One of the people inside, a man wearing a black uniform, drive the carriage while a young lady wearing a light yellow and white dress, sat on the back seat.

When rhe procession stopped just in front of the restaurant's balcony an old man, wearing a thick gray cape, announced with a clear voice:

"Citizens of Narashel, stand up and pay utmost respects to our Nation's prized daughter, Her Royal Highness!"

At his signal, all residents living along the road hurriedly came out and lined the curbs, and showed their way of appreciation by the way of clapping their hands, whistling, and saying their praises especially to the young lady. Those who are living on the upper floors of buildings tossed shredded colored paper from their windows, and everyone seem to be happy to see her.

"Uh...what's going on?"

"Don't you know? That's the Princess of this country!" Ras exclaimed, peeking below with his binoculars. "All of us here in the capital treat the royal family with respect, for without them Narashel won't be as it is today."

"Yeah, that's right, Brother Ren!" Saki added. "Even us in Plate Town is also aware of their deeds for the country, especially stories about the Princess!"

"Hmm...so people really love Her Royal Highness. I see."

"Not just that, but she's also extremely beautiful! Look!"

Saku pulled me towards a telescope fixed at the corner of the balcony, and forced me to look take a peek through the eyepiece.

"Can you see her now?"

"Wait...I'm adjusting it...ah--"

On the other side, Her Highness the Princess of Narashel waved her hand and greeted each and every person waiting at the streets, her movements show gracefulness and elegance as befitting of her status. Her long flowing hair, sporting a bright orange-brown color against the sunlight, lightly sway at the slightest of breezes. Her eyes of emerald green, made even more beautiful by her radiant smile, perfectly matched the jewel on her tiara.

The girl I'm looking at, is a jewel worthy enough to be prized by the whole country.

"Hey, the procession has already resumed. You've been staring at the street for a while now," Saku poked my shoulder.

"E-Eh?"

Grinning, he said: "I know that look, Ren. Don't tell me, you've fallen in love at first sight with Her Highness?"

"W-Wha--What are you talking about?! I'm just mesmerized by her, okay?!"

She's beautiful and elegant, but that's it. What happens in fairytales stay in fairytales, and not everyone has the opportunity to live happily ever after. It's possible that she's already engaged to some prince, and the news of their wedding will come anytime soon. Congratulations to Her Royal Highness, in advance.

"Ohh? Alright then," he shrugged his shoulders before returning to his seat. I also returned to my seat and continued on our meal.

Though I said that, her eyes and smile remain lingering in my mind.

-----

After lunch we parted ways with Mister Ras, thanking him for the meal. He also thanked us again, and Aoi told him to 'continue living as if you're dying', before leaving.

"Where are we going now?" I asked Saku, while we're walking along the second main road.

"I've already asked the officers to bring our belongings to the place we specified earlier, and we'll check first if everything's set now."

We then turned left to a residential block, and continued walking until we reached a two-storey building at the end of the street. Saku knocked the door, and a chubby old man came out. The white apron he's wearing over his brown shirt and pants has blood all over it, probably he's a butcher.

"We're here, Pops."

"You little brats! I've been waiting for you all day!" The old man hugged both of them while laughing.

"Pops, I missed you so much!"

"Me too, Saki. Me too."

He glanced at us and asked, "And you are..."

"Good afternoon, Mister. I'm Ren Mortel. This is is my sister Aoi. Aoi, say hi."

"...Chubby."

"Aoi?!" Saki glared at her. "S-Sorry for that, Pops. They're our friends."

He laughed and said, "It's okay. People love my belly, so I'm not ashamed to flaunt it."

This person, is a longtime friend of their father. With the relations between the siblings and their relatives being not well, Pops took on the role to take care of them instead.

"Pops, did they already brought our things here?" Saku asked.

When he asked that, Pops flicked his forehead. "I got scared, you know? I didn't expect the Guards to come here! You should've asked me beforehand!"

""Hehe. Sorry...""

"Heh. Let's leave all talk for later. Come in, I know your journey is long."

"Actually...we're planning to go around the city until sundown, Pops," Saku said.

"A-Aren't you tired?"

"But we don't want to rest yet!" Saki protested.

Pops, after pondering for a moment, said: "Fine. Until sundown, is that clear?"

""Yes!!!""

He shook his head and muttered, "As always...kids doesn't seem to lose their energy."

The city of Harlin is almost ten times as large as Plate Town, and is host to almost a million people. We decided that each day we have to explore a quarter of the city, and we started on the city's West quarter where some historical landmarks are located.

"...Big brother, why do humans love to display statues of n.a.k.e.d men and women in public places?" Aoi asked while eating crêpes at the plaza, taking a break after all the walking we've had.

I shrugged my shoulders. "I-I don't know. Maybe because, they represent what people used to value before: strength and beauty."

"...Oh..." Aoi's lips rounded in fascination. "Then, will they make a n.a.k.e.d statue of you someday?"

"No."

"...As expected," she puffed her cheeks in dismay. "I don't have any statues or shrines so I'm hoping that at least, big brother will be remembered by everyone in the future."

Seeing her depressed, an idea came into my mind. "Aoi, do you want a statue for yourself?

"...Eh? N-Nn. Why?"

I snapped my fingers and said, "I found a shop earlier while we're walking. I'll buy some soft clay, and try to build a bust of your image."

I asked the siblings to look after her for awhile and rushed to the store, leaving her with a shocked face.

-----

"Okay. With this, Aoi will have her own 'statue' now."

Swinging the bag of clay in my hand, I happily walked my way back to the plaza. The lack of artistic skill is still a problem, but I'll think of it later.

"Hm?" Suddenly, I sensed something wrong in the atmosphere. As if moving on their own, my pace gradually became faster and faster, until I realized that I'm already running at the opposite direction from the plaza.

"W-What's going on with me...?!"

I ran and ran, until I stopped right in front of an old abandoned building. Dropping the bag of clay from my hands, I stretched my arms forward and then--

"--?!"

Almost instantly, a person fell from the building and landed into my arms.

I don't know how it all happened, but what's more shocking is...

"Y-You..."

"--?!"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Long orange-brown hair.

Emerald green eyes.

Lastly, a tiara hanging on the person's sling pouch.

At that moment, it felt like the universe has conspired with itself to turn my life into a even greater mess than before.

"P-Princess...?"

COMMENT 0 comment VOTE Load failed, please RETRY

— New chapter is coming soon —Write a review Privileged

More Privileged Chapters

Download the app and become a privileged reader today! Come take a sneak peek at our author's stockpiled chapters! Download Weekly Power Status See Who Voted -- Power Ranking -- Power Stone Vote Table of Contents Display Options

Background default yellow dark

Font Nunito Sans Merriweather

Size

Paragraph comments Chapter comments Write thought login liked newest Author:

© 0){ %>Chapter :

Author: Machine Translation

Editor: