After the minor setback, we resumed our journey without further incident, eventually reaching the first checkpoint.
During this stretch, several of the soldiers began treating me with more respect, as if I were some kind of commander. I didn't mind, it was amusing but I had to warn them not to spread rumors once we reached the settlements. My identity is that of a mercenary, after all, and I preferred it remain that way.
By nightfall, we set up camp at the checkpoint, which consisted of a nearly dry well, perfectly adequate for our purposes.
This wasn't our first time camping together, so everyone knew what to do. Nobody needed to be told twice. The gentlemen set up large tents for several people and established a secure perimeter. Others installed barriers to repel monsters and alert the camp to intruders. Security personnel discussed surveillance schedules with serious expressions.
It might seem excessive, but given the recent attacks and the princess's presence, caution was justified.
As for me? I was setting up the princess's unnecessarily large tent for our stay. Of course, I have my own tent, but Celes insisted on sleeping with us, so I agreed.
Even though I don't need to sleep, I can enter a state similar to it, a kind of internal awareness, like having Google Maps in my mind. Maria experiences something similar, a momentary suspension, and Gabriela was already asleep in Maria's arms.
After feeding her, Gabriela had fallen asleep like a puppet without strings, unlikely to wake for six or seven hours. It's nice to be a child; before this life, I slept only about four hours.
"I'm constantly impressed by how skilled Lucia-san is. Usually, it takes four knights to set up this tent it's always a hassle."
If it's a hassle, then use a regular tent. I wanted to say that, but swallowed it. No reason to argue with nobles over their comforts they'd just look at me strangely.
"I'm used to camping, so this is nothing."
It wasn't a lie; I had camped outside my house many times when I forgot my keys and my grandfather couldn't help.
"Wow! I also heard about the knights using gravity magic to intercept all the archers! Gravity magic is one of the most difficult spells to master, and you did it on multiple targets! That's incredible!"
"Well, once you understand the theory, it's easy to do."
"??" "Doesn't gravity magic only manipulate weight?"
Heh… partly. I laughed bitterly at the question. In this world, the laws of physics aren't fully studied, so people think gravity is just about heaviness. In reality, with mastery, one could even create black holes.
"Really? Oh! I know a friend studying gravity and spacetime magic in the royal capital. She comes from a prestigious mage lineage. I'd love to introduce her; she'd be thrilled!"
"I don't mind assisting with research… but she probably won't understand everything."
If she is who I think she is, I'll need to give her a lecture on nearly every branch of physics just to cover the basics of gravity and spacetime magic. For some concepts, I might even have to introduce theories unknown in this world.
"I don't think there will be a problem; she'll likely enjoy it this way."
"Okay, fine. Now call Maria; I'm done here."
"So fast?! Amazing, Lucia-san! I'll go right away!"
Celes turned to Maria, who sat by the bonfire, cradling Gabriela. Even running, she looked elegant, that's a princess for you.
The rotation for night watch was already decided; I would be on duty first, personally watching over Celes. Some wondered why a commoner would protect the princess, but no one made any offensive remarks. Most of the gentlemen were men without voting rights anyway.
"Lucia-sama, are you finished yet?"
Maria asked, eyeing the massive tent.
"Yes… I'll take the first shift. I've already laid Gabriela down inside. There's a large, comfortable folding bed, so no problem. Honestly, it's hard to even call this a tent anymore."
"I don't think Lucia-sama, who creates things unnecessarily ten times larger, has the right to complain."
"…well, let's leave it at that. And Celes?"
"Taking some ingredients from the supply wagon."
"So I'm preparing dinner. I'll go now and call you later."
"Have a good trip."
"I won't be long."
"It's just courtesy."
"Hmm."
I approached Celes, who was carrying a heavy box, with some gentlemen helping her.
"What are you doing? Don't play with your food!"
After dinner, everyone who was supposed to rest went into their tents, while guards maintained watch. Night shifts rotated every two hours until dawn.
Me? I wasn't technically present. The one outside the princess's tent, legs and arms crossed, was a clone I created. My original self was in front of the bandits' cave, planning how to eliminate them without damaging the hideout. These bandits had been wanted for a long time, so minimizing casualties and evidence was important.
"In times like these, it's good to be a goddess of death."
Using clairvoyance, I mapped the entire hideout and marked everyone inside. Luckily, no one had been captured alive.
[Die.]
The intention behind the word was clear, though unspoken. Moments later, several figures fell to the ground simultaneously. Bluish flames emerged from their bodies, gathering in my hand the souls of all the bandits.
This is one of my abilities as a goddess and it's quite absurd.
"I'll deal with you later. See you another time."
I looked at the blue fireball, colder than ice, and calmly approached the hideout, collecting corpses, treasures, and evidence. Innocent victims were given a proper burial, and I blessed their souls to prevent them from becoming undead. Even as corpses, I could feel their lingering pain and resentment.
I finished the brief funeral and prepared to return to camp. For the first time, I had executed my role as a goddess properly. I know who I am and what I represent: impartial, beginning and end, peace and rest, silence and darkness.
The journey continued without incident. We stayed in inns across several cities, taking breaks and sightseeing. Gabriela was more interested in burying her face in my chest than making friends. I hoped this wouldn't become a habit.
Rumors about me and Maria even spread, attracting attention. A wealthy merchant once proposed to Maria as a concubine, she buried him in the floor. Otherwise, the trip was fun.
Now, we were in the last city before the capital.
"We'll leave tomorrow morning and arrive in the afternoon… quite the long trip," I said, smoking a cigarette on a bench near the town square.
I hadn't smoked much previously; even in my past life, I occasionally smoked to avoid lung damage. But a nearby shop selling pipes and cigars caught my curiosity. The cigars here were much stronger than the cigarettes I knew, with a huge amount of tobacco. Unsurprisingly, heavy smokers in this world likely have short lifespans.
As for me, my lungs are practically nonexistent, so I'm fine. The biological makeup of this body is… strange, isn't it? Do I even have one?
"Mother!"
"…and so?"
I turned to see Gabriela wearing a large, voluminous white wig. Maria stood beside her, explaining.
"There was a shop selling wigs, and Mrs. Gabriela got curious."
"…well, for now, Gabriela, let's take this off before it gets infested with fleas."
"Yeah."
I'm glad she's an obedient girl; other children would have thrown a tantrum over something like that.
I removed her voluminous wig and sat her on my lap to brush her messy hair. In no time, it returned to its original state.
"Did you see anything interesting while we were there?" I asked.
"Most of the stores sell high end products, so I got some unique, long lasting hair dyes," Gabriela replied.
"This is the closest city to the capital, so the goods are better than anywhere else though more expensive. Gabriela, did you find anything else besides the wig?"
"Yes! There was a lady standing near the church when we passed by."
She handed me a rather large pendant, shaped like a six pointed star with wings surrounding it.
The coat of arms of the followers of the goddess Malherían.
"…try not to get too involved with the church, okay?" I warned.
"Yeah," she nodded without hesitation. I gave her a few reassuring pats on the head.
Church members are beings I absolutely do not want to deal with. They preach peace and harmony while secretly drowning in riches earned from their believers' blood.
Worse, their theocracy, the nation of Solaris claims to advocate equality among all races. A lie to lure sacrifices to their gates and enslave them at their leisure.
And the goddess they worship? Malherían, a minor deity of fate.
She's known for "guiding heroes to victory," a reputation built on lies. The truth is far darker: she meddles in the lives of heroes for her own amusement, creating obstacles and tragedies just to watch them suffer.
A shameless brat who laughs at mass genocides caused by the heroes she toys with. A vile goddess who treats destinies like playthings. If she hasn't exterminated the world's races already, it's only because other gods are watching.
I will not involve myself with such a rotten church.
Maria knows this too. I looked at her, and she shares my understanding: the church is dangerous and untrustworthy.
"Did they try anything suspicious?" I asked.
Maria leaned closer, whispering in my ear:
"The priest kept staring at Gabriela quite intently as we walked away from the church."
"Crack!"
I reflexively cracked the armrest of the bench.
I knew exactly why. This damned church has a habit of capturing children of other races, raising them for its purposes. Seeing a child of the powerful Majin race, I could guess exactly what that priest had in mind.
And my daughter is beautiful.
I didn't have to think twice to know how this would end if he tried anything.
"YOU DAMNED SON OF A BITCH! HOW DARE YOU LOOK AT MY DAUGHTER WITH THOSE EYES?!"
"Lucia-sama, calm down. You're going to scare Mrs. Gabriela."
"Huh?"
Maria's voice pulled my attention downward, to my lap where Gabriela sat. My daughter's eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she looked up at me. She hadn't said anything, but her feelings were clear, she wasn't happy.
Did Gabriela do something wrong?
Hearing her on the verge of tears made my chest tighten.
"No, no, no! Gabriela didn't do anything wrong! Look, don't cry! Or the monster with the cochineal will get you! Prrrrrrrrrrrrrr!"
"Hahahahaha!"
"Sigh…"
I'd escaped this moment unscathed, but I knew I'd have to be more careful next time. I couldn't afford to worry Gabriela unnecessarily.
"By the way, has Celes finished talking with the noble of this city?" I asked.
It was customary for nobles to greet one another when visiting a territory. In this case, the nobleman had come to greet the princess.
Though Celes was low in the line of succession, she was respected and influential. In fact, she had already renounced her claim to the throne.
"It doesn't seem like it'll take long from here. Should we go back?"
"Let's not wait any longer. I don't want too many nobles seeing my face."
The Baron with the mustache was another story, but most nobles were scum. I didn't need to be there to observe, and Celes didn't seem to care either.
When we left the Duke of Asarina's territory, he had left a good impression. Unlike many nobles, he carried himself freely, almost like a retired soldier with nothing left to regret.
Although, when I mentioned his behavior, he reproached me for being older than him. It annoyed me a little.
I grabbed another cigar from the pack and drew a thick puff of smoke. This stuff could be harmful, but it was addictive. Well… probably only I could smoke without concern.
If the church dared anything, I'd break their rules and destroy that damn religion along with its petty goddess.
With that settled, I waited and smoked until it was time to move.
The next day, several hours after leaving the city, we followed the direct route to the capital. There would be no breaks this time.
Feeding Gabriela beforehand had been a good idea.
We moved faster than at the start of our journey, not urgent, but faster nonetheless. In the distance, I saw the magnificent walls surrounding the capital.
At first, only I could make out the details, but after two more hours, everyone could see them.
Unlike the other cities we had visited, these walls were ten times larger. Each block was chiseled perfectly, the white and gold exterior gleaming in the sunlight. It reminded me of the monumental fortresses from a certain notoriously difficult game.
At the city gates, we headed straight for the entrance reserved for nobles.
It felt unfair seeing the massive line at the main entrance but that's bourgeois life for you.
I showed the guard the royal family's badge. Without question, he let us pass.
The badge had been given to me by the leader of the knights originally assigned to Celes. Thanks to our battles with monsters and bandits, I'd earned their trust. With Celes's permission, I was to act as their representative.
Once inside, we calmly made our way toward the royal castle. The mission wasn't over until Celes was safely escorted.
Analyzing the surroundings, I noticed the capital's differences from other cities.
The roads were wider, built for easy carriage passage, and well paved. Houses combined stone and wood, painted in vibrant colors, giving life to the streets. Yet the citizens' faces were tense and worried, likely stressed by ongoing conflicts.
Monuments and tourist attractions dotted the city, and I resolved to visit them with the girls later.
Here, the diversity of races was striking: elves, gnomes, oni, Majin, beastmen, even fairies. Some lowered their heads respectfully when our eyes met; most of these were from the demon branch races. Others greeted timidly.
And, of course, there was a group shamelessly staring… at me. I will remember your faces. Don't think I'll forget.
Putting them aside, the respect from the majority came from one thing: my white horns.
They marked me as someone who had lived almost since the dawn of civilization. Few beings survive that long, but those who do are treated with respect. Age brings power, wisdom, and history itself.
I won't deny my power; I am a goddess, possessing wisdom stolen from countless worlds. But I am still young.
"Sigh."
I took a cigarette from my bag and smoked, inhaling deeply. Somehow, it had become a habit, comforting in its harmlessness for someone like me.
Through the smoke, I gazed at the city. Despite the tense expressions of its people, the capital radiated a golden glow. If I had to describe it in a word, I'd call it… the Golden City.