Songstress of Schwarzwald: The Secret of Zoe, the Exiled Music Mage

Chapter 72 : A Country Bumpkin

The walls of Raymond City are high enough to scrape the clouds, with a wide, clear field circling all the way around them.

Or, well… it would’ve been clear, if it weren’t packed solid with a jumble of cargo wagons, carriages, and people on horseback and on foot like me.

Of the people walking, about half seem to be adventurers, while the rest look like they’ve come in from the surrounding towns and villages, many with woven baskets strapped to their backs.

My black robe from Selina must be quite the spectacle, because I’m collecting stares from all directions.

If it takes this long to get inside every time, I’m going to be missing Carlton…

I grumble to myself, shuffling forward in line.

The merchant caravans have hired adventurers for protection, but from the way they’re talking, I can’t imagine wanting to work with them.

“Come on, let’s get inside already.”

“The second we’re paid, we’re finding some cute girls to buy drinks for!”

So crude. Yeah, I could never work with those kinds!

For all its length, the line is moving surprisingly fast.

Oh, I see why!

There are guards at a dozen different wickets. The Count must be rolling in money. 

Just as I’m marveling at the expense, it’s my turn.

I flash my guild card, get a nod, and just like that, I’m through. Is that really all it takes?

I hurry away from the gate before anyone can change their mind.

“Huh. Just like Maggie said,” I murmur, looking down. “The streets are paved with cobblestones!”

Carlton’s roads were just packed dirt, after all.

Drat. I shoulda asked the guards where the Adventurers’ Guild is.

Oh well. It’s bound to be a big building, right? I should be able to spot it.

With that thought, I stand there gawking at my surroundings like a true country bumpkin.

Thump!

Someone small slams right into me. A pickpocket!

A grubby little hand dives inside my robe. I’m so startled that by the time I react, they’re already darting away into the crowd.

Well, my money is safely in my Storage, so it’s not like they got anything.

Still! What terrible security!

“Hahaha! That’s what you get for standing around with your mouth open!” a big man bellows from nearby.

Is that just how things are here? Inside my head, my past life is screaming for the police.

Lang Village doesn’t have police or soldiers; the villagers just take turns as gate guards for a little daily pay.

I have no idea what happens if someone commits a crime. Guess the village chief handles it.

Carlton’s guards seem like a proper profession, so they must have soldiers. And a city this size must have them too… but they just let pickpockets run wild?

“Excuse me,” I ask the man who laughed at me. “What are you supposed to do if you catch a pickpocket?”

“Well, you’re supposed to hand ’em over to the patrol,” he says, “but most of ’em are just orphans. Getting your hand chopped off seems a bit steep for a bit of mischief, y’know? Most of us just give them a good whack and call it a day.”

Their hands get cut off?

“Okay!” I declare. “A good whack it is, then.”

The big man just shrugs, probably thinking a pipsqueak like me couldn’t manage it.

Using magic in front of people is a bad idea. But this little thief won’t learn their lesson without a bit of a sting.

I’m not very good at it, but I suppose a Stone Bullet will do the trick. A rock hitting you has to hurt, right?

I’ll aim for the back so I don’t accidentally cause a serious injury.

The fleeing pickpocket is still just barely in sight. I pretend to scoop up a stone from the street. Then, aiming for the thief’s retreating back, I whisper, “Stone Bullet!”

Thwack!

There’s a surprised yelp as the little thief goes tumbling head over heels.

“Hahaha, not bad, kid! You an adventurer?” the big man laughs, clapping me on the shoulder.

He has a greatsword strapped to his own back, so I figure he’d know one when he sees one.

“I am. It’s my first day in Raymond. Do you know where the Adventurers’ Guild is?”

He grins and points to a large building just up the street. “Right there. They put it near the west gate, since that’s closest to the Great Forest.”

That makes sense. Even in Carlton, the guild was near the gates. It’d be a huge pain to lug monsters all the way across a city as big as this one.

“Thanks!” I say, and start walking toward the guild.

Now, what am I supposed to do with my horse?

I guess I’ll have to ask at the reception desk. I just hope I find someone as kind as Lena behind the counter.