Chapter 48.1: There's something wrong with the situation!

"And yet, it's the perfect time to be out and about! It's warm, but the wind is cool."

"Is that right?"

"Yes. The air is sparklingly clear, thanks to the rain we had last night! Once again, this is a very beautiful city."

Rishe's cheeks broke out in a smile as she took in the scenery around her.

The castle town of Garkhain was a historic city. It has a majestic brick cityscape and gleaming, massive architecture.

In the midst of it all, buildings made with a new vibe mingle with the others, weaving a perfect harmony.

The late spring breeze was gentle and rustled the hem of her fluffy dress.

Rishe grinned ear to ear at the comfort of it.

"It's beautiful looking down from the castle, but it's fun to walk around in person."

"What? The way you're talking, it's as if you've never walked down this street before."

"Hey, it was at night last time!!"

"Ha~"

The moment he mentioned the night she escaped from the castle, she quickly retorted.

She couldn't see Arnold's expression as he was walking ahead of her, but he must be looking despicable.

They had such an exchange, but Arnold never mentioned their destination. The number of people in the surrounding area gradually increased, perhaps heading towards the center of the imperial capital.

Why is it that I could hear bustling voices from the other side?

Rishe was pondering, but eventually stopped and let out a cry of wonder at the sight she saw.

"Wooow~!"

They passed by a main street filled with crowds of people.

Both sides of the wide street stood various stalls. A great variety of goods lined up in front of the eaves.

Smoked meat and fish, seasonings in neat little bottles.

Some stalls were selling exotic lamps, while across the street they were selling exquisite tableware.

The calls for service echoed cheerfully while people happily chose their wares. Fruit was piled up in crates, and the mellow scent wafted through the air.

The main street brimming over with smiles delighted Rishe.

"A market!"

She stared at the busy marketplace and couldn't help but gawk.

Then Arnold, who was just about to walk past, stopped.

"It's just a market, though. It's nothing more than a little larger. It's nothing strange, you know."

"No, it's not!"

His misconceptions were denied by Rishe as best she could.

"See, for example, that stall! The peddler deals with textiles from the Jubel Kingdom. It's imbued with sacred meaning, and they rarely get permission to distribute it to other continents! This must be the only kingdom where you could find them outside of that country..."

"..."

She remembered approaching with trade in her merchant life and received the answer: "Only a country as big as the Garkhain Kingdom would we allow exports."

No way, they did permit.

"And those are the Koquilt Kingdom's famous grapes. And those are rare Saluf bird eggs. Ah! If you look closely, you'll see that it's not just the eggs, there's also the parent bird in the birdcage!"

"..."

"Those trinkets they sell over there are a craft in this country! The delicate workmanship is so popular that women from all over the world buy them. The lamp merchants next door are probably a group from the desert town of Halil Rasha. After all, merchants flock to a country with a booming economy, even if it takes them a longer trip..."

"..."

"I'm also curious about the food stalls over there. It's hard to see it from here because of the crowd, but I'm wondering if that might be from the Koyor Kingdom's..."

"Rishe."

"Huh?!!"

She suddenly came to her senses.

The next thing she knew, she was staring at Arnold, who was staring at her with his eyes down.

Seeing that, she realized her outburst.

I shouldn't have - I spoke too much from a merchant's perspective! I was too overcome with excitement from coming to the Garhkain market, which I've long been in awe...

She coughed and cleared her throat.