The legal age of adulthood in this country is fifteen. But this does not mean much for non-combatants. There is a rule that only adults may join the Guilds. But there is no real ID system. So, it is basically a matter of whoever says they are an adult, wins.
(There are plenty of orphans whose ages are entirely unknown anyway.)
But for nobles, it is different. Once of age, they no longer need a guardian. It is true freedom. Until then, parents made all their choices. But now, they are free to decide for themselves. And above all, they are officially allowed to marry.
"What a crowd!" Tricia exclaimed. Her eyes went wide at the masses of people.
(Elisabeth-sama, maybe it would have been better for you if you had managed to run away today.)
Since being reborn as Tricia, she had never seen such a busy scene. Musicians were playing lively tunes everywhere.
"Don't get your pocket picked," Luke warned.
"I know... I'll be careful," Tricia said. She nodded softly.
The Central Plaza was packed with food stalls.
"Whoa! A roast!" Luke shouted. He pointed at the fire.
A large monster, like a boar, was roasting whole. They sold the meat with vegetables inside bread. There were also skewers, sausages, and meat pies. There were plenty of baked sweets for kids, too. Naturally, there was ale and sangria. They were full of soaked fruit. The open-air theater was very exciting. It had gathered quite a crowd.
"What's the show?" Tricia asked.
"A romance between an Adventurer and some noblewoman," Luke said. He shrugged.
Many of the onlookers were Adventurers. Both men and women were watching closely.
"Typical of an Adventurer's Town," Tricia said.
"Aye. They know where the money is," Luke agreed.
Tricia and Luke walked past. They watched from the corner of their eyes.
"The glassware really is beautiful~" Tricia said. Her voice was full of wonder.
To Tricia, it looked just like real jewels. They were truly beautiful.
"There's a lot of reddish-purple. But is it patterned after Elisabeth-sama's eye color?" Tricia asked.
"That's right. Many people with Edinbia blood have eyes this color," Luke said.
Tricia recalled that Elisabeth's brother had the same eye color.
"Is it about time?" Tricia wondered aloud.
People were gradually moving toward the castle. Elisabeth rarely appeared in public. But today, she would step onto the castle balcony. She was there to greet her people.
"We saw her yesterday, didn't we?" Luke said.
"Yeah, well, she was so beautiful. I wanted to see her in her dress, too," Tricia said.
Luke did not seem to care. But he followed Tricia without a word.
Just inside the castle gate, they ran into Reil and his mercenaries. Red-haired Reed and black-haired Radi were with them. They had gone into the Dungeon with Luke.
"Oh! Long time no see!" Reil boomed with his usual warmth.
"Did you guys come to see Elisabeth-sama, too?" Tricia asked.
"Yeah, yeah. We heard she was a world-class beauty. They said the Second Prince came chasing after her," Reil said.
"The Second Prince!?" Tricia gasped.
She turned toward Luke in a hurry. But he turned his face away to avoid her eyes.
(So that's why you rushed back to the castle yesterday.)
So, why did Elisabeth sneak out of the castle? Tricia's imagination ran wild. And she could guess the expression she would show later.
(She looked blank, but she was actually surprisingly easy to read.)
Edinbia has walls to protect the town from Stampedes. The seaside is the only open side. But there is an extra fence in front of the castle. In times of emergency, commoners are meant to take refuge here.
Today, that castle gate was specially opened. Everyone was looking up at the castle balcony.
"Waaaaah!" A great cheer erupted from the crowd.
Elisabeth waved with graceful movements. She did not show any emotion. Next to her, the Second Prince they heard about earlier was waving. He had a big smile on his face. She did not cast a single glance in his direction.
"So the rumors about the engagement were true!" a bystander cried out.
"Ricardo-sama is so cool~!" a girl squealed.
Tricia had heard rumors about the Second Prince, too. It was not a bad reputation. In fact, there were only good rumors. They said he was gentle, bright in sorcery, and a very sincere person.
That is why the people of Edinbia welcomed him. Their beloved Elisabeth-jou was marrying a good man. There was nothing to worry about.
"...."
Luke said nothing. He just stared blankly at Elisabeth.
"...!!?"
Reil and the other mercenaries stood on the opposite side of Luke from Tricia. Now, they were frozen in surprise.
"Eh!? Huh!? That's that Elisabeth-sama, right!?" Reed stammered.
"Aye, that's her," Luke said.
Then, they realized the truth. They started to panic. They turned pale and began breaking into a cold sweat.
"Dammit... I hit on her..." Reed mumbled. His voice was full of stress.
"I called her 'little miss' so casually..." another mercenary groaned.
"Wait, didn't the Captain know!?" Radi asked nervously.
"Probably," Reil replied. His usual warmth was gone.
According to Reil's group, Elisabeth had visited their mercenary company yesterday. This was before she met Tricia.
"She came to us saying she wanted to test her strength and spar..." Reil explained.
"The Vice-Captain was lecturing her. He said that kind of barging in wasn't good..." Radi added.
"She was even dressed like an Adventurer. So we thought she was applying to join..." Reed finished.
They hung their heads. They began muttering excuses for their bad manners toward the noblewoman.
"You guys, didn't you meet with the Knight Order Commander? She looks exactly like her, you know?" Tricia pointed out.
They were some of the best fighters in that mercenary company.
"We don't meet with the big shots. That's the Captain and Vice-Captain's job!" Reil said.
"Though we are meeting them tomorrow! Because we're dealing with the new Dungeon boss..." Radi said.
"This is bad, what the hell do I do..." Reed wailed.
Reed had hit on Elisabeth. Now, he looked as if it were the end of the world.
"If she's the type, wouldn't she just cut down anyone she doesn't like? So you're probably fine, right?" Tricia offered. She was trying to be helpful.
"Are you comforting me!? You're so kind~! Hey, are you free after this... oh, never mind!" Reed shouted. Then, he retreated in haste.
He felt an ominous presence from behind Tricia. So, Reed backed off quickly.
The first festival in Edinbia was very fun. But Tricia thought about the main guest of the day. Her feelings were a little mixed.
(Elisabeth-sama, is your current life painful...)
Different places bring different hardships.
Summary:
The festival in Edinbia draws crowds, highlighting the stark contrast between the vibrant public life and the cold, isolated duties of Elisabeth. While Tricia enjoys the festivities, she notices Elisabeth's emotionless balcony appearance and the growing realization among the mercenaries of their social blunder. The chapter concludes with Tricia pondering the weight of Elisabeth's noble obligations and the potential internal struggles behind her mask.
Trivia:
The legal age of adulthood is 15.
Guild registration in this world lacks a proper household registry, relying on self-declaration.
Commoners are meant to take refuge in the area before the castle during emergencies.
Elisabeth sought to spar with mercenaries before the festival, dressed as an adventurer.
Notes:
• B - A student originally from North Middle School who was added to S's group.
• S - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has taken B from North Middle into his squad.
• T - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has recruited K and N from East Middle into his group.
• A - A student from South Middle School described as an idol who has been recruited into R's high school squad.
• Tricia - Light‑haired, obsidian‑eyed C‑rank adventurer and orphan, she wears a silver chest tag. Once a lone healer‑strategist with foresight, instant‑heal scars, “Reset” item skill and basic wind magic, she now runs a boarding house in Edinbia for low‑rank adventurers. Pragmatic, anxious about finances, secretly despises her old party, yet builds passive‑income dreams.
• Elisabeth - Youngest daughter of Lord Edinbia, she is seldom seen in public, yet her icy demeanor and fierce combat skill set her apart. Resembling her brother closely, she now celebrates her coming‑of‑age festival under heavy guard after escaping the castle.
• M - A first-year student at District 13 High School and the childhood friend of Anonymous Student 0006, described as an atavistic strong-female who looks plain but possesses significant power.
• Luke - A silver-haired, blue-eyed S-rank adventurer, noble Marquis's son, and mercenary captain who serves as Tricia’s protective, wealthy childhood friend and manager. While dryly teasing, pragmatic, and blunt about her budget and business ideas, this ocean-loving man devotedly guards her passive income empire with overwhelming combat power, financial advice, and a jealous streak.
• N - A student from East Middle with an eccentric personality who entered National High School due to complex family circumstances and used herself as leverage to negotiate a protective agreement for K.
• Edinbia - The territory to which the soldiers belong.
• Reil - A mercenary with golden hair tied in a short knot. He wears a serious expression and is currently acting as a bodyguard for the healer stationed outside the West Gate.
• R - A first-year student at District 13 High School who has successfully built a squad and added multiple girls, including M and A, into his group.
• K - A student from East Middle who followed N to National High School out of care, successfully remaining pure through N's protection until a misunderstanding involving Anonymous Student 0008 led to her capitulation.