The peninsula stretched out as if to protect Filsand Bay. At the apex of that peninsula was the Stalwart Castle, residence of the duke of Filsand.
The altitude of the peninsula grew higher the farther it stretched from the mainland, so from the castle we could see the entire town. It was probably true that the Schultz clan had built this city hundreds of years ago. Although the castle was large, its walls and buildings showed clear signs of age. Trading ships frequently came in and out of the port, and we could see the caravans that came and went through the main gate.
“Mana Shield, Fly, Emergency, and Invincibility.” I was checking the defense spells that I’d cast on myself and my allies when Clara poked me from behind.
“Hey. Look up ahead there.”
“Hmmm…” I stopped short just before the moat that surrounded the castle wall, ringing the Stalwart Castle.
There was a small gate with a defensive tower right in front of us. On the other side of the moat was a drawbridge, but it was, of course, drawn.
“You there! Are you Geo Margilus, lord of Castle Getaeus?!” A soldier who seemed like a lookout called to me from the top of the tower. Maybe they’d heard about what I looked like from Adad or some other source. It didn’t sound too confrontational, and his voice was respectful enough.
“Odd…”
“What do you make of this, Mister Margilus?” Ild asked.
“There’s no sense in playing dumb now. You may as well answer.” I nodded in response to Ild’s question. I learned from Clara not to start responding to people ranked lower than me right away.
“That’s right! This is the lord of Castle Getaeus, the Great Wizard Geo Margilus and his companions! We are accompanied by Feivel of House Rimron, messenger from Axeholm. We request audience with Duke Darmund of Filsand!”
“Understood! Please wait a moment!” The soldier answered Ild’s stately declaration without hesitation. The drawbridge started moving immediately. Judging by the quick reaction, the soldier had already been issued instructions from the duke in advance.
While we waited for the slowly lowering drawbridge, which was wide enough for three horses to walk side by side, I continued to check the defense spells that I’d cast on Elisabel and Feivel. I guess this will do for now…
This time, I had also prepared my ESP Medal up the sleeve of my robe. This was an item I wanted to save for hostile opponents, but considering our current situation, I needed all the information I could get.
The drawbridge finally made it all the way down with a weighty thud. The gate behind it was, of course, open. We stood there for a moment.
“Let’s get on with it then, shall we?”
“Understood.”
“I’m ready.”
As second-ranked after me at Castle Getaeus, Ild took the lead. I walked behind him. Elisabel walked next to me, and Clara stood behind to guard our backs. After that were Ted and the three new recruits, then Feivel and the dwarf warriors.
I was a bit uneasy without Reyha, who could spot any trap or surprise attack, not to mention Lade, who could easily fend off those attacks…but that just meant I needed to step up and protect everyone myself.
“Please be careful. I’m not certain how exactly my father plans to test you,” Elisabel whispered to me. Honestly, I could never tell what she was thinking.
✦ ✦ ✦
After passing through the castle gate, we came to a courtyard.
The first thing I noticed was the heavily armed soldiers who lined both sides of the path. There must have been at least three hundred of them. They all sported lightweight black equipment. By my reckoning, about half were infantry, while the other half were archers. The entire time we were walking, I didn’t hear so much as a cough out of any of them; they stood at attention the entire time. They must have been extremely disciplined.
The black keep stood tall before us. Each of its four corners sported a defensive tower, and the sharp-angled architecture was intimidating. A terrace protruded from the large doors on the second floor and a wide staircase led down to the courtyard.
The line of soldiers seemed to naturally form a path to the keep. Looking even farther ahead, I could make out the shapes of several people waiting on the terrace. They were surely subordinates of the duke of Filsand.
“I don’t know what kind of man he is, but this isn’t exactly a warm welcome for his daughter’s fiancé, nor the lord of a castle requesting trade.” Ild gulped.
The soldiers on either side of us were really intimidating. I felt exactly the same way.
“You don’t think…is my father going to use his military on Margilus?” Even Elisabel’s red eyes were open wide in surprise. Was he trying to kill me or test me? I wasn’t sure at this point.
Clara spoke up, trying to lighten the mood. “In a way, this is perfectly suitable for welcoming Margilus, at least initially. If he wants to stand a chance against us, he’ll need at least this much preparation.”
I looked back without thinking to see Clara’s inappropriate smile.
This woman again… Could she be a goddess?