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Chapter 272 part 2

Lynette’s blunt assertion that humans, regardless of whether they are from the Romal Empire or the rebels, are prone to such behavior elicited an almost scream-like protest from Yachiyo.

「Lady Lynette, you’re a bit too frank about unsettling matters!」

「I always strive for honesty and integrity in my actions and words!」

Yachiyo was left speechless by Lynette’s brazen statement and unflappable demeanor.

After they reconfirmed the disguises of Ana (Amria), Torne (Lynette), Hachi (Yachiyo), and Fuu (Fuuko), they stepped into the port city of Uminal.

Though no normal humans apart from them were seen, there were many people coming and going on the well-maintained highways. There was a constant stream of individuals aiming to benefit from the largesse of the new rulers of the region centered around the Hishmerk Coast and those continuously trying to discern the true state of affairs.

Uminal has long been a pivotal center for maritime trade, flourishing as a hub for commerce and trade even before the Romal Empire’s dominion.

The city’s expansion outpaced the construction of ramparts, resulting in its current state without outer defenses. Instead, defenses on the seaside were provided by several small fortified islets, while a series of forts and strongholds in the suburbs handled the defenses on the land side.

There were three main highways leading to Uminal. Gwandan and his party approached Uminal on the carriage via the northern one connected to Elkeney.

The soldiers guarding the checkpoint on the road from the city to Uminal were a group of strong Lionfolks and Catfolks, both male and female. Although they were now standing far from the front lines, they seemed to be putting on a show of strength as the largest force on the rebel side.

Those who were clearly demi-humans were allowed to proceed along the road without any problems and were allowed to enter Uminal. However, when it was Gwandan and the others’ turn, of course, they were not allowed to just go.

Gwandan and Yachiyo were the ones riding the carriage, but if the soldiers searched the inside of the carriage, they would obviously see Amria, Lynette and the others. Since they had decided not to hide themselves, it was inevitable that they would be seen.

A Lionfolk soldier looked inside the carriage, glared at Gwandan and the others on the postilion’s seat with a fierce look, and shifted the balance of his spear so that he could thrust the tip of it at any moment.

The other soldiers quickly reacted to his change in demeanor, and several of them began to move so that they could surround the carriage at any moment. Although Lynette had said that there had only been sporadic fightings, the soldiers themselves did not seem to be losing focus.

「You! Why these people are here? Let’s have a more detailed discussion at the station!」

Of course, “these people” referred to Amria and the others. Gwandan, who was acting as the leader of the group, responded calmly and confidently without showing any guilt. The soldiers were momentarily confused, wondering if they had made a mistake due to Gwandan’s rare status as a Dragonian and his dignified and imposing demeanor.

「Hmm, I am well aware that they are an unusual sight for you. We are also short on time, but we are not under any particular time constraints. We have no intention of disturbing the peace in Uminal. Of course, we will cooperate with your request.」

The group was escorted to the soldiers’ barracks, had their weapons confiscated, and found themselves under close watch. They had to explain their purpose in Uminal and about Amria and the others.

They were taken to a simple, single-story barracks, and because there were so many of them, they were questioned under the eaves.

Gwandan stood protectively behind Amria, Lynette, and the four others, with Yachiyo and Fuuko standing to the left and right. They were surrounded by more than ten armed soldiers.

It seemed like an excessive number of soldiers, but it was probably because they were wary of the fact that Gwandan and the others had brought people who were clearly Romal people to Uminal at this particular time.

The soldier in charge of the questioning was a female Tigerfolk with stripes, who seemed to be the superior of the previous soldier. The scar that ran from her left cheek to her neck and her flawless aura suggested that she was a seasoned warrior.

Her face appeared rather gentle beneath her black-striped yellow fur, yet there was an aura about her that was quite impressive.

「Good afternoon. I am Sazamina, the officer in charge of this checkpoint. I heard from my subordinates that you are indeed traveling with Romal and non-Romal humans.」

Sazamina’s gaze upon Amria, Lynette, and the others was neither harsh nor gentle.

「Of course, you know the current situation in the Romal Empire, don’t you? So why did you bring these people with you to Uminal? It’s only natural that you would be suspicious, so you must have your own reasons.」

It was obvious that their visit to the Uminal checkpoint would raise suspicions, so Gwandan and the others had revised their plan. Obviously, Gwandan showed no sign of being flustered, and neither did Amria.

「We came to Uminal because this city still continues to trade with other countries. The quickest departure to distant lands is via ship from here.

I understand that you are strongly opposed to the Romal people, but I’ve heard that you treat your trading partners differently.」

Since the time of the Romal Empire, many ships of people from foreign countries had visited the port cities along the Hishmerk Coast, and among them were, of course, normal humans.

This practice persisted even after the rebellion. Ships came for trade, and the Roaring Sun’s Majesty continued to do good business with them, offering better terms than the Romal Empire, such as lower tariffs.

Although this was just Gwandan and the others’ speculation, it seemed that the Roaring Sun’s Majesty was internally controlling information or limiting the personnel involved in dealing with foreign trade so that the hatred and aggression towards pure humans was specifically directed at the Romal Empire and would not affect the profitable foreign trade.

In addition, considering the situation after the fall of the Romal Empire, it would be a great loss to cut off ties with other countries where humans and demi-humans coexisted.
The fact that they were offering better terms for trade than the empire was probably the Roaring Sun’s Majesty’s way of making it clear that they were different from the empire and that they wanted to maintain as many connections as possible.

「So, why did you decide to bring these girls to Uminal? If you just wanted to go abroad, wouldn’t it have been enough for you, Hachi, and Fuu to talk to the ship’s captain?」

「That’s a fair point. If we had taken the time and effort, or if we had paid enough money, we might have found someone to take us. But we prioritized efficiency. Amria’s family has connections to a foreign merchant’s association.」

「So, the family’s pretty much fallen from grace, but we’ve still got connections with the merchant’s association. I, along with Hatch and Fuu, were looking to get out of the empire, and Ana needed someone to escort her and help her get into Uminal. Our goals lined up, so now we’re all traveling together.」

『Amria’s family』referred to the Romal Empire, now embroiled in a civil war, and the 『foreign merchant’s association』referred to the one covertly used by the Arkrest Kingdom.

In fact, they had already contacted the merchant’s association that was entering Uminal via espionage and had arranged for everything so that there would be no problems even if the Uminal side tried to verify the information.

「As you can see, Hacchi and Fuu were born in a foreign country. They were looking for a way to leave the empire so that they could return to their home country. In my case, I simply wanted to broaden my horizons. If you hadn’t rebelled against the empire, we would have headed east or west by land, not by sea.」

Gwandan’s sarcastic remark that they had come to Uminal because of the Roaring Sun’s Majesty’s actions caused the surrounding soldiers to bristle slightly, but Sazamina continued to speak with an unruffled expression.

「I’ll need to verify this. Could I have the merchant association’s name?」

「Sure! Ana?」

「We are heading to the Aldam merchant’s association. I don’t know if they are currently in port, but I hope to get on their ship and get out of here…」

「I see, the Aldam merchant’s association. I have heard of them too. Please wait here for a while until we can confirm it. Is that all right?」

Amria, undaunted by Sazamina’s quietly commanding tone that left no room for denial, met her gaze squarely and gave a firm nod in response.