Chapter 04 - From the Inn in the Royal Capital Nastiala to the Castle

4. Glasses-kun, From the Inn in the Royal Capital Nastiala to the Castle

“—Gla…sses? Huh? Glasses?”

It was the day after arriving in the royal capital.

Having arrived in the evening, I was immediately shoved into an inn to spend the night, and the next morning—

Before I could even eat breakfast, the soldier who had accompanied me on the carriage ride (the one who said he’d get married when he returned) came to pick me up, and I was immediately taken to the castle.

Thanks to the early hour, the streets were sparsely populated, but I was still amazed by the sheer number and size of the buildings.

I had been exhausted from the journey, stuffed into an inn right after passing through the capital’s gates, and even told not to wander around—so yesterday, I just ate dinner, took a bath, and went straight to bed.

Which meant this was the first time I was properly seeing the cityscape.

Yeah, it’s really different from my village. The city is something else.

Following the wide road stretching from the main street, a grand stone castle stood directly ahead. I’d only ever heard of such things in fairy tales and old stories. Seeing it with my own eyes was breathtaking.

Now then.

The soldier showed something like an ID to the guards (who had been standing since early morning), and we passed through the castle gates. I followed behind, getting stared at the whole time. Being watched like that still makes me uncomfortable.

And then—

Just beyond the gates, two figures stood waiting.

One was a bearded man in his forties, dressed in fine clothing, and the other was a beautiful woman who looked two or three years older than me. Oh—the woman was wearing glasses. The first glasses-wearer I’d met in the royal capital.

“Welcome to Nastiala Castle, child blessed with noble ‘aptitude.’”

The woman greeted me with a smile. The bearded man, however, remained expressionless, showing no particular emotion or welcome.

Still, even if she greeted me warmly, the fact that they met me here probably meant I wasn’t allowed inside the castle proper. Technically, I hadn’t even entered the castle yet—just the area right beyond the gates.

Guess they weren’t about to casually let some country bumpkin inside. Not that I particularly wanted to go in, anyway. It was probably crowded in there.

The soldier explained my “aptitude” to the woman and the bearded man.

Then—

“—Gla…sses? Huh? Glasses?”

They didn’t just double-take—they triple-took. Both of them.

“…Huh? Glasses? Those glasses? These?”

The woman pointed at the glasses I was wearing (“those glasses”) and then at her own (“these glasses”), repeatedly confirming. The soldier just kept nodding, affirming their confusion.

Hmm.

So even here, I get that kind of reaction.

Even these two, who were probably important people, wore the same bewildered expressions as the villagers who had watched the ritual back home. The air was thick with awkwardness.

“Wh…what does this mean?”

Don’t ask me.

I’d love to know what “glasses aptitude” even means myself. I’ve long accepted it, but the mystery behind it only deepens.

Either way, showing it would probably be faster than explaining.

So I held out my right hand—and conjured a pair of “glasses.”

“Ah! Glasses…!”

Yep. “Glasses.”

“Physical magic…!”

The bearded man finally spoke. Unlike the woman, he seemed calm, but maybe he was just hiding his shock. Then again, it was “glasses” we were talking about.

“Huh? Huh? C-Can I have them?”

Huh?

…I wasn’t planning on giving them away, but if she wanted them, sure. She seemed like a fellow “glasses-wearer” anyway.

And, well, though it’s only been a few days, I’ve already become a full-fledged “glasses user” myself. Or maybe “glasses-person” would be more accurate.

When I nodded, the woman happily took the glasses and swapped them with her own.

“Whoa…! The clarity is totally different! These lenses are top-tier…!”

Hm?

I didn’t really get it, but she seemed impressed. …Clarity, huh? Now that I think about it, her original glasses had slightly foggy lenses. Is that normal?

“Wow… I can even see Leord-san’s pores perfectly! These are amazing!”

“Shut up. Stop looking.”

The woman was delighted, but the bearded man seemed annoyed. He even covered his nose and mouth, as if suddenly self-conscious.

I didn’t particularly want to stare, but apparently women don’t mind seeing middle-aged men in crystal-clear detail. Whether that’s just her or if all women are like that, I don’t know.

“‘Glasses’… What a troublesome ‘aptitude’…”

Rubbing his forehead, the bearded man sighed. Personally, I was just happy about it, but I guess that’s not the general reaction.

“—You. Stay in the capital for a while.”

Huh?

I wanted to return to my village as soon as possible, and now he was saying this?

“If my memory serves, I’ve never heard of an ‘aptitude’ like ‘glasses.’ Without a doubt, it’s a rare trait—one not even recorded in this kingdom’s long history.

But precisely because of that, I can’t make a judgment here. Whether it’s important or not.”

Come to think of it, if I’d been recognized as having “magician’s aptitude,” I would’ve been recruited by the state. This must be that kind of assessment. And “rare aptitude” was another factor.

Meaning, they couldn’t immediately decide whether my “glasses aptitude” was worth recruiting.

So they wanted to discuss it with higher-ups first.

Makes sense.

The awkward atmosphere practically stung.

They had no idea whether to welcome me or send me away.

“Staying is fine, but I’m not really interested in working for the castle—”

“We’ll discuss that another day. You can leave for now. You—give him enough money to stay for a few days.”

I was going to say I didn’t want a castle job, but—

Before I could finish, the bearded man dragged the woman away, disappearing into the castle without even properly listening.

Left behind, I was handed some money by the soldier with instructions to “keep using the same inn as yesterday” before being unceremoniously ushered out.

Hmm… I came all this way by carriage, and this is the treatment I get? Guess it’s true that important people look down on country folk.

Ah, well.

I do have things to do in the capital. Might as well stay for a few days.