Chapter 56: We've got plenty of time

The next day, after finishing up her morning cadet training, Rishe set out to meet Arnold following some extraordinarily motivated preparations by Elsie.

She met him with her hood pulled low over her face, and they set out through a hidden passageway reserved for the royal family. Walking through the underground waterways, they reached the town in a few minutes, whereupon Arnold stopped them.

"That's probably far enough. You can uncover your head."

Rishe flinched, peering up at Arnold from under her hood, trying to show as little of her face as possible.

Arnold was dressed in a blue ensemble a tad simpler than his usual, with a high collar to hide his neck. It was made to resemble the garb of a common citizen, though the stitching and fabric were still very fine. Some nondescript golden embroidery accented it here and there; someone with a discerning eye could detect the quality. Over top, he wore a thin black robe that covered his mouth, and the goggles that hung from his neck were common among travelers for keeping the wind and sun out of one's eyes. In a pinch, he could use them to hide his face, but he probably intended to just let them hang there. Rishe was aware that few commoners knew the faces of the royal family—it was probably fine.

I know I can lower my hood, but… Rishe hesitated, holding her robe closed.

The prince cocked a brow. "What's wrong?"

When she continued to fluster, Arnold said, "You don't need to be so nervous. No regular citizens would recognize our faces. We're not headed anywhere strange either—and even if they realize it was us later, it won't matter."

"I-I suppose you're right."

"Plus, if you're hiding so fervently, you'll just make people more suspicious."

He was right.

Rishe made up her mind and removed her hands from her robe, lowering her hood. She steeled herself and looked up at Arnold. When their eyes met, his held a hint of surprise.

Hidden under her white robe was a layered blue dress she'd borrowed from Diana. It was a popular early summer garment among the women of the castle town. From the waist down, it resembled a flower bud—a cute, simple design.

Her coral-red hair was braided loosely to the right, adorned with smaller braids here and there. A relatively common hairstyle, but Elsie had braided ribbons in as well. True to her word, the maid had rendered her into a girl you'd meet in town, while taking special care to make sure she looked stylish and adorable.

Now that her look was laid bare for Arnold to see, Rishe flushed pink.

Sure, I'll blend in, but still!

She couldn't help feeling anxious. Rishe was fond of fashion herself, and she put plenty of effort into her dress and hair when she attended parties and the like, but today was about business.

Arnold had barely opened his mouth when Rishe cut him off. "No! I know what you're going to say! I'm aware we're here to work, but if my clothes were too modest, I'd stand out in the opposite direction, so—!"

"I thought for sure you'd come in a hemp dress and simple robe."

"Am I really so predictable?" While Rishe was reeling from the shock of being so violently seen, Arnold gave her a once-over.

"This is the work of your maids, eh?"

"Ugh…"

"You seem to be laboring under a misunderstanding. These clothes will work just fine."

"Really?" Relief washed over her.

"I'll have to thank your maids myself." Arnold said.

Rishe blinked. She didn't know what he meant, and he didn't elaborate.

"Let's get going. At this rate, we'll start attracting attention for an entirely different reason."

"Huh? Hey, wait up!"

Rishe rushed to keep up with him. They walked together for a time, with Rishe slowly getting used to the nagging feeling of embarrassment. Soon she felt able to strike up a more cheerful conversation.

"This is the perfect season for an outing, isn't it? It's nice and warm, but the breeze is cool."

"Sure."

"Right! And the air is very clean—maybe because it rained last night. Now that I get another look at it, it's really a very beautiful town, isn't it?" Rishe smiled sunnily, gazing at the scenery.

Galkhein's castle town was a storied capital city. Its grand brick buildings stood stately and beautiful, with newer structures skillfully integrated into the old.

Rishe's dress billowed in the gentle late spring breeze. "The view from the castle is nice, but it's fun to actually walk through it."

"You speak as if this is your first time down here."

"I-It was dark the last time I came!" Rishe blustered at the allusion to the night she'd snuck out of the palace.

Although Rishe couldn't see his face as she walked behind him, he was surely scowling.

Even during this exchange, Arnold didn't mention where they were going. The streets around them were growing busier; perhaps they were headed for the capital center. The crowd's chatter rose up ahead.

When she saw what they were headed for, Rishe let out an astonished, "Wow!"

They had arrived at a huge, crowded street dotted on both sides with stalls. The stalls held all manner of things for sale, from smoked meat and fish to spices in pretty bottles. A vendor of exotic lamps faced someone selling finely crafted silverware.

Hawkers' shouts carried through the streets as shoppers happily perused the wares. The scents of fragrant crates of fruits carried all the way to where Rishe and Arnold stood. She loved seeing streets like this, so full of joy.

Her eyes sparkled despite herself. "A market!"

Arnold—who was set to walk straight past it—hesitated. "It's just a street market… Maybe a large one. Rather ordinary, isn't it?"

"Nonsense! Take that stand, for instance. The merchant is carrying textiles from Jubel! The cloth has religious significance to them, so it's terribly difficult to get export permits to other continents!"

Galkhein was probably the only place you could expect to find such a thing outside of its country of origin.

Bursting with excitement, Rishe went on, "Those are Coquilto's famous grapes, and those are rare eggs from a saloof bird! Ahh! Now that I get a better look, they don't just have eggs—there's a hen in that birdcage too!"

"…"

"The jewelry over there is handmade in Galkhein, right? The fine craftsmanship makes it hugely popular among women in other countries. The lamp merchants right next door come from Halil Rasha in the desert, I believe. When a country is prospering, merchants gather there. It's a bit of a long journey, though."

"…"

"I'm curious about that stand over there too. I can't see it very well through the crowd, but do you suppose they come from Coyoll —"

"Rishe."

"Eep!"

Rishe snapped back to reality to find Arnold's eyes boring into her. She realized how much she'd been rambling.

Oh no, I sound just like a merchant! I couldn't help myself, though… I finally made it to a Galkhein market!

Rishe cleared her throat. "Th-they say you can tell a lot about a place from its market. It's a window into the economic situation, for starters, but also the state of public security."

"…I see."

"For example, I can't see any obvious bodyguards or overly cautious knights here. That's proof of the market's security, since there's no emphasis on crime prevention! Travelers will feel safe to stay longer and spend more money in a town like this! Right? Observing a town's market is…important, you see…"

"Mm-hmm."

Her excuses weren't going over well. Changing tack, she opted to apologize instead.

"I'm sorry. I was so excited, I got carried away."

Rishe bowed her head as Arnold took out a pocket watch. "I apologize if I made us late. Let's get going. I'll follow your instructions, so don't hesitate to…Umm,Your Highness? "

Arnold returned the watch to his pocket and began walking, startling Rishe when he turned toward the market.

"You're not going there, are you…?"

"We've got plenty of time. If you're that excited about it, we can't just pass by."

Rishe felt a surge of happiness, everything suddenly brighter.

"Thank you!"