Chapter 89

"It's such a nice day."

Swaying in the carriage, I leisurely cast my gaze outside.

A total of four carriages were prepared. The prince and princess boarded the main carriage, while the other carriages were for the selected guards. To put it bluntly, the other knights and guards who didn't make the cut were either following the carriages on horseback or securing the points we planned to visit.

By the way, I'm the only one in my carriage. At most, there's a driver controlling the horses.

So, even though I'm a guard, I ended up having a rather leisurely time, gazing at the bustling northern and central districts in the early afternoon.

"Yawn... It's so boring..."

Suppressing a yawn that naturally came out, I muttered to myself.

The movement of the prince and princess, who are the country's dignitaries, is basically by carriage.

Of course, there are times when they get out of the carriage to have lunch or visit planned stores, but overall, they spend much more time in the carriage than walking around.

In other words, the actual time I stand by the prince and princess is surprisingly short. The rest is all travel time, so there's nothing to do except peek at the noisy streets during the festival.

Allycia and Hembritz are properly walking as carriage guards, but for some reason, I ended up being a decoy inside the carriage. I still don't understand how that decision was made. Well, sitting in a carriage is more comfortable than walking, I guess.

Maybe it's because I'm the only one not wearing armor but a jacket. I don't know.

But I can't show a bored face and attitude in public, so I'll act properly when the time comes.

However, it's true that there's nothing to do while in the carriage. I wish they could at least let me whisper to myself in private.

The streets were, in a word, more bustling than usual.

As Princess Salakia mentioned, Baltrain is currently in the festival season. I don't know what kind of festival it is, but it seems to be held every year at this time, so it's not a particularly new tradition.

The northern district is mainly the royal palace and high-end residential areas, so there are fewer shops compared to the central and western districts. Still, the whole city has suddenly come to life, and various stalls are lined up along the streets, which can be confirmed even from inside the carriage.

Oh, that meat looks delicious. By the way, where are we having lunch? From a guard's perspective, I think it will be the same place as the prince and princess.

"Hmm?"

While I was thinking about such things, the carriage stopped.

Looking outside, the other carriages had also stopped. Then, the servants and the prince and princess got out of the carriages.

That's strange; we weren't supposed to stop here.

However, since the people we're guarding are outside, we have to go out too. Opening the carriage door in a hurry and stepping out, I saw the other guards, Allycia, Hembritz, Gatga, and Rose, also emerging.

"What's going on?"

Allycia, representing us, asked the princess.

The princess smiled, and the prince had a somewhat embarrassed, awkward smile.

"No, it's nothing much, but I noticed the hair accessories in the shop..."

"Yes, they were beautiful even from a distance."

The prince answered first.

Hmm, it seems that while they were looking out together, they noticed the items in the accessory shop. Since it's a hair accessory, it's probably not for men. I guess the prince wants to give it to the princess.

"Understood. Please leave the guard to us."

"Yes, please."

Allycia showed a moment of hesitation but couldn't go against the royal family. She obediently followed and stood in front of the shop with Hembritz.

Gatga and Rose also appeared, but after hearing the conversation, Gatga smiled wryly, and Rose smiled gently.

Well, I can't really tell them not to change the schedule on a whim. Since they are the highest-ranking people, no one can say anything.

"Still, please try to avoid such impromptu visits in the future. Or, if you could inform your attendants in advance, we will do our best to accommodate you."

Despite this, Allycia gave a calm and gentle warning without changing her tone or expression.

It's a bit better than being treated rudely, but even so, suddenly adding unplanned visits is not a good thing. If they act on their own, we can't protect them properly.

However, while there is a risk, the knights are surrounding them. Unless they are extremely skilled, it would be impossible to break through this encirclement. Even I would find it difficult. The only option was to let it slide this time as a one-time mischievous act.

"Oh, they are indeed beautiful."

"Yes, I think they would suit the princess well."

"Hehe."

Ignoring our somewhat anxious feelings, the two of them were enjoying themselves gracefully.

Looking at Allycia, I saw her slightly shrug her shoulders when she noticed me. She was probably saying, "Just protect them for now."

We haven't heard of any plots to target the royal family. If there were, this tour would have been canceled.

So, for now, we are vigilant but not overly cautious.

Looking outside, a crowd had gathered, trying to catch a glimpse of the prince and princess, whom they don't usually see. However, the knights were maintaining a safe distance.

Hmm, the effect of the royal family's visit is indeed significant. Baltrain is already crowded, but the number of people gathered here is impressive.

At first glance, it seems like the knights are covering all sides, but with this many people, I'm worried there might be gaps.

"Indeed, they suit her well. It was a good decision to get out of the carriage."

"Hehe, thank you."

It seems they successfully got the hair accessory they wanted.

Prince Glen commented on Princess Salakia wearing it, and she thanked him with a smile.

Wow, what a romantic scene.

It's a heartwarming exchange, unlike what you'd expect from royalty.

I wonder what's going on between these two. Are they betrothed? Or does the prince just like the princess?

It's pointless for me to speculate, but when they show such obvious affection, it's hard not to think that way.

Maybe I'll ask Allycia about it later.

"Prince, please don't do this again."

"Okay, sorry. I won't do it again."

After observing their interaction, Gatga, who had been a spectator, offered a wry comment.

Prince Glen responded more casually than I expected. Perhaps the royal family and the top of the church knights have a close relationship.

"Hmm?"

While a crowd was gathering to see the royal family,

Most of the gazes were curious, but for a moment, I sensed a distorted emotion mixed in.

"Teacher? Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no..."

Allycia asked, noticing that I was fixated on one direction.

In the moment I looked away, the unsettling feeling I sensed was completely gone.

"Probably just my imagination. It's nothing."

"Is that so..."

It could have been my mistake.

Maybe I was just being overly sensitive because of the important task of guarding the royal family. Since nothing actually happened, it wouldn't be good to cause unnecessary confusion.

"..."

After confirming that the prince and princess had returned to the carriage, I also headed back to my carriage.

If it was just my imagination, that's fine. There might be people in the crowd who don't like the royal family, so it's not unusual to receive such gazes.

However, based on my experience,

The discomfort I felt earlier could be described as a killing intent.

It was such an ominous presence.

Happy New Year.

I wish all my readers a healthy and prosperous year. I hope you will continue to enjoy "The Middle-Aged Man from a Backwater Village Becomes a Sword Saint."