I’ve decided to have Aya-san, whom I’ve reunited with in the royal capital, show me around the city.

However, it’s already past 2 p.m.

There’s not enough time to see every corner of the royal capital.

Even if there was time, I wouldn’t feel right making Aya-san guide me like a tour guide.

So, for today, I’ve decided to have her introduce me to the famous tourist spots in the royal capital, which I didn’t get to see in Loine last time.

But before that…

Arata: “Is there a good restaurant around here?”

Aya: “Huh? Didn’t you just eat something?”

Arata: “Yes, I had a pie, but I’m hungry again.”

Aya: “You’re surprisingly a big eater, Arata-san.”

Aya-san says this with a laugh.

If you’re going to include me as a big eater, then you, who just finished a skewer of meat even though you should have had lunch, are also one of us, right?

Guided by Aya-san, we enter a modest restaurant.

It’s a stylish restaurant that looks like it would be featured in the media.

The interior is bright, with potted plants, and there are also open terrace seats outside.

In the afternoon, Aya-san and I sit together on the terrace seats that were available.

Arata: “Aya-san, would you like to eat something? I’ll treat you.”

Aya: “Really? Then, I’ll have this.”

Once we’ve both decided what to order, we call the waiter and tell him our choices.

Soon, the food we ordered is brought to us.

I chose pancakes.

These are meal pancakes, with eggs, bacon, and salad piled on top of the yellow, disc-shaped cakes.

On the other hand, Aya-san chose a parfait.

And it’s quite a large parfait.

Ice cream fills a parfait glass that looks to be about 30 cm tall, and it’s decorated with several types of fruits, including berries, as well as mint and wafers.

Arata: “…Can you really eat all that?”

Aya: “Huh? Yes, I can handle it easily.”

The mystery of humans, indeed.

I remember reading an article or something that scientifically proved the existence of a “second stomach,” where the stomach creates space when it sees food.

Even so, I feel like a parfait of this size wouldn’t be enough with just a second stomach.

Also, I feel like I would get tired of eating it halfway through.

Ignoring my worries, Aya-san starts to tackle her parfait at a high pace.

Timing it with when she starts eating, I also start my meal.

I cut into the fried egg.

It seems to be well-cooked, perhaps out of concern for hygiene.

I prefer it a bit runny, but this looks delicious in its own way.

I cut the fried egg, bacon, and pancake into bite-sized pieces and bring them to my mouth.

It tastes a bit salty.

I think they probably applied a lot of salt to the bacon as a base flavor.

It’s salty enough to taste… but not bad.

The bacon is strong in flavor, while the egg and pancake are lightly flavored.

Each enhances the flavor of the others, and I think the quality of the egg, meat, and wheat stands out.

The accompanying salad is fresh, and its subtle bitterness invites the next bite of pancake.

Yeah, this is without a doubt, delicious.

Aya: “…Hey, look at that.”

Arata: “…Oh, you’re right.”

As I’m enjoying the meal, the street starts to get noisy.

Given what happened in Loine, I was a bit on edge, but it doesn’t seem like there’s any problem.

Rather, the people passing by are stopping and looking at something?

Aya: “Arata-san, look! It’s the triumphant return of the Second Knights Order.”

Arata: “The Second Knights Order, the one specialized in monster subjugation?”

There are several Knights Orders in the kingdom.

And each Knights Order has a different role.

The First Knights Order is the royal guard.

Their role is to protect the king and the royal family, so each member is highly capable, and they are the elite among the knights who protect the country.

The Second Knights Order is in charge of monster subjugation.

They go around the towns and villages of the kingdom, including the royal capital, hunting monsters, so they have a lot of trust from the residents.

The Third Knights Order is in charge of maintaining public order.

They are a group that cracks down on criminals and are excellent in combat against people.

There are also the Fourth Knights Order, which is a magic squad, and the Fifth Knights Order, which is a medical unit, but they are somewhat overshadowed.

Still, the excitement of the people is incredible.

It’s like the fervor of welcoming a sports team that has won an international tournament.

Arata: “What a cheer.”

Aya: “In the first place, the Second Knights Order has a lot of trust from the people, but the newly appointed commander of the Second Knights Order last month is famous.”

The commander of the Second Knights Order also serves as the deputy commander overseeing the Knights Order.

Therefore, it’s a rule that the commander of the highly skilled Second Knights Order is appointed.

I think there was a handsome NPC named Alfred who was the deputy commander.

And the commander at the top of the Knights Order is Theo Arthur Brown – Theo-san, whom I met in the town of Loine.

Crowd Member: “The return of the Second Knights Order!”

Crowd Member: “It’s Lady Rose!”

As I recall about the Knights Order, a group of people clad in armor appear.

But, Lady Rose?

In this case, shouldn’t the name of Alfred, the commander of the Second Knights Order, be mentioned?

Despite that, the people are calling out the name of a person named “Rose”.

Huh?

The triumphant return of the knights.

Among them, one person riding a horse catches my eye.

In the place where Alfred should have been, there was a somewhat smaller figure riding.

And I recognized the woman who was responding to the cheering crowd.

Arata: “…Princess?”