The following day, we set off early in the morning and made our way to the town of Harrier, smoothing out the road as we went, while using teleportation magic. Having become more accustomed to shaping the road, we were able to make much better progress than yesterday. The trick was to use multiple spells at the same time. As we continued on, we reached a fork in the road before noon. The road split into three paths: straight ahead, left, and right. The road straight ahead and to the right were relatively clean. “What’s this place?” I asked. “This is an intersection between the town of Harrier and the royal capital. The road to the left leads to another settlement, the road straight ahead leads to the town of Harrier, and the road to the right leads to the royal capital. Although, there are several towns between here and the royal capital,” Monika explained. Monika pointed in the direction of each road as she explained. “Well then, does this mean we're done shaping this road?” I asked. “Yes. From here on, we're entering Harrier territory, so it's under their jurisdiction,” Monika replied. Yeah, it’s probably better to not meddle with their property. “Okay. So there’s another settlement over there, huh?” I looked down the road to the left. It was as bumpy and uneven as our own road had been before I’d smoothed it out. “There are settlements all over the place. They’re all having a hard time.” I’m sure they are. “Well, whatever. It's the road straight ahead, right? Let’s go.” “Yes. It’ll be easy from here on out.” We stopped using magic and walked the rest of the way. Eventually I could see the walls that surrounded the town of Harrier in the distance. “Is that it?” “Yes. That’s the town of Harrier, where Claude-sama resides.” We got here faster than I expected... “Let’s go back for lunch. I want to change clothes, too.” “That’s probably for the best. After all, we're going to meet Claude-sama. We should make sure our appearance is proper.” We teleported back to the house and had lunch. Afterward, I took a quick shower and changed into a suit. “Tatsuya-san, I think I'll stay here.” When I returned to the living room, Ruri told me she was going to stay behind. She was right; even if Ruri was a homunculus, it might be a bit problematic to bring a child along. “Hmm... Well, I guess you have a point. Okay, we’ll leave you in charge of the fort, then.” “Leave it to me.” “Miriam, can you hide your presence for a bit?” “Got it, meow,” Miriam replied with a nod, then climbed onto my shoulder. She was currently part of my work setup. “Monika, are you ready?” “Yes. I’ve also prepared the apples. Everything is in order.” “It might be a bit late now, but is it really okay for me to wear a suit?” “That's not an issue.” I'm not so sure about that... Ohh well. A suit is formal attire after all. “All right, let’s go.” “Yes, sir.”

We teleported back and started walking towards the town. Passing through the gate, I looked around. The town was bustling with people, indicating its prosperity. It was filled with stone buildings, in stark contrast to the village. “It’s pretty developed.” “It’s not as developed as your world, but Harrier is the largest town in this area.” Of course, it couldn’t compare to Tokyo. “Where’s Claude-sama’s mansion?” “It’s over there. Come this way.” Monika led us straight down the main street. Stalls were set up all around the town, selling various things. Buisness was going great. Honestly, even though the village was only a few dozen kilometers away, the difference between it and this place was staggering. It was a bit depressing. “There are a lot of people carrying weapons, huh?” I saw some with swords at their waists and others with spears. “Those are hunters who specialize in taking down monsters. Some could also be mercenaries.” So that’s a job option here too... We continued down the main street, and I kept looking around curiously, until a large mansion came into view. “Is this the one?” “Yes. Keep your posture straight and don’t show any fear.” “Got it.” I had to project confidence during negotiations. We continued walking toward the mansion, and when we reached the large iron gate, the guard approached us. “Excuse me. What is your business here?” When the guard asked me, Monika stepped forward. “This is Tatsuya-sama, the village chief from the village in the south. We wish to see Claude-sama. The meeting has already been arranged.” “I see. Please wait a moment.” The guard listened to Monika’s words, then ran off toward the mansion. We waited for a while, until the guard returned with an older man who looked like a butler. “Monika-dono, it's been a while,” the butler greeted. “It has indeed, Felix-sama. I've brought the village chief from the frontier village with me,” Monika replied, introducing me. The butler named Felix turned his gaze to me. “Nice to meet you. I'm Tatsuya Yamada. I've taken over as village chief in place of Daryl.” I gave the butler a slight bow. “It is a pleasure to meet you. Claude-sama has agreed to see you, so please come in.” “Thank you very much.” Felix-san showed us into the mansion. The interior of the mansion was just as one would expect from the home of a landlord. It was decorated with all sorts of furnishings, just like one might see in the homes of European nobility on television. We followed Felix-san up the stairs in front of us, then walked down a hallway and stopped in front of a door at the end of the corridor. Felix-san knocked. “Claude-sama, I have brought the village chief from the frontier village, Tatsuya Yamada-dono, and Monika-dono.” “Yes, come in.” We heard a man’s voice from inside. Felix-san opened the door and entered. I followed him into the room along with Monika. A man in his 30s or 40s sitting at a desk that looked like it belonged in an office awaited us.