It was around 3 p.m., three days after we left the royal capital.
In the distance, the walls protecting the city were visible.
We can see carriages and people here and there around.
We arrived safely without being attacked by bandits or encountering any bad monsters.
I was sitting next to Satur, who was driving the car, as a replacement.
Erika peeked her head out from the back of the truck between Satur and me and spoke with shining eyes.
Although Erika was the daughter of an Earl, it seems she wasn't allowed to leave the royal capital very often.
So most of the things she see outside the capital are probably unique for her.
"Is this Santony?"
"ah"
"It's surprisingly worn out..."
"Appearance-wise."
Some parts are new, while others are burnt, perhaps due to traces of magic.
It's only natural for Erika to assume it looks terrible when you first see it.
However, even though it looks dilapidated, the inside of the wall has been renovated and iron has been added, making it a truly impressive structure.
Santoni is not a city that can be easily taken.
A distinctive feature of Santoni is the desire to preserve as many old things as possible.
New things are introduced in order to preserve the old, so the performance ends up being different from what it looks like.
As I explained this to Erika, Satur looked at me in surprise and said,
"The instructor really knows a lot. Have you ever been here?"
"...during the war."
"I see."
Satur nodded in understanding of my answer and looked ahead.
Erika tilted her head slightly and looked at me curiously.
Perhaps she was concerned that I was thinking instead of giving an immediate answer.
It's true that I passed through Santony during the war, but I only know the details because I played an adventurer in a game.
The story is basically centered around the royal capital, but anywhere outside the capital, that's where I come in.
After the soldiers at the gate finished questioning us, we were able to enter Santony around 5pm.
When we got closer, we were surprised to see so many carriages lined up, so it took a while to get in.
I give instructions as we head to the inn, where we can rest the carriage and horses and secure a vacant room.
When the five of us left the inn, Erika enjoyed looking around at various places.
From the outside, there are rows of wooden houses, or stone houses with clearly old roofs.
Above all, the townscape of Santony makes frequent use of the colors red and blue.
I've seen the cityscape from the walls a few times, and it was beautiful with many of the roofs painted red and blue.
"Erika, I'm sorry to bother you so soon after we arrived, but there's somewhere I want to go."
"I'll leave it to you. I know it's for the sake of the songstresses, but I can't predict how they'll act."
Erika nodded with a smile, as if she was going to continue, "Especially yours..."
When I looked at the three girls, they all smiled and nodded, so I began to take action.
As we walked, I gave a brief explanation of the cityscape to Erika, who was walking next to me, and told her about our destination.
"Santony is, simply put, a maze."
"...A maze?"
"Oh, for example, have you ever thought that red and blue are often used?
"That's right..."
"If you look closely, aren't there only those two colors?"
"...Huh?"
Erika stops and looks around. The three girls must know what she's talking about, as they laugh at her reaction.
With Santoni, phenomena occur that would not occur if other colors were used.
Erica tilted her head and muttered, "Is that the place we passed by earlier?"
Yes, that's an optical illusion.
Santoni is deliberately using color to create the same effect as a city lined with identical buildings.
There is a good reason for this.
This is to give them an advantage when the enemy attacks and a civil war breaks out in the city.
Therefore, the soldiers in this city train within the city for short periods of time.
Teach your body and don't judge by just looking.
I take Erica's hand and start walking, continuing my explanation.
"Not only the colors but also the paths are a maze."
"And the roads?"
"Like a maze is the correct answer... but the road I'm walking on now may look straight, but it's actually a little curved."
"Eh... but it's straight, you know?"
"The roads aren't as wide as those in the royal capital. Look, the road you see is winding, right?"
"yes..."
Minty then smiled happily, tapped Erika on the shoulder, and pointed to a side street.
Erika looked in that direction, tilted her head, cleared her head of her questions, and looked at Minty's face.
"Erika-chan, don't you notice? It's the same behind you too~?"
"...Why? I just walked straight, right? I didn't turn around, you know?"
"Calm down, Erika."
He gently strokes her head, takes her hand and they start walking again.
The three girls laughed happily at Erika's confused expression, and I gave a wry smile.
"If they were individual, it probably wouldn't have had much of an effect. But this Santony's effects are cleverly combined, creating a maze-like effect."
"...Aren't the people who live there confused?"
"There's a landmark."
"It's a landmark?"
I whisper to Erika while pointing at a certain spot.
After hearing the whisper, Erika nodded and lowered her gaze as she walked.
This is a landmark that people entering this town for the first time will not notice because they do not lower their eyes.
It was a small flower, a small blue flower made from a magical tool, blooming in the corner.
Erika looks at me with a wry smile and says.
"I'm glad I didn't come alone."
"Haha, I'm once also lost here after all. I understand how you feel."
After walking for about 15 minutes, we stopped in front of a stone house.
If the address I looked up is correct, this is where she lives.
Her name is Frere, and she's a singer who will compete with three other divas for first and second place in the future.
And the woman who was Baron Tegagusa's patron.
Since I had messed with the story, it was necessary to check on their safety.
When I knocked on the door, a beautiful voice answered and the door opened.
Standing there was a slender woman with long crimson hair that reached down to her waist.
The woman has well-proportioned breasts the size of a grapefruit, and a calm-looking expression.
...I wonder if it was just my imagination, but when I opened the door I thought I smelled a scent similar to Croana.
Seeing us, Frere tilts his head suspiciously.
"Excuse me, I'm Reid, a combat instructor at the Royal Capital Academy."
"...Combat instructor?"
"Aurora, Winn, and Rain's year."
"Theirs?...Could it be Baron Tegagusa!?"
"It's okay, I'm safe. Do you mind if I explain?"
Frere let out a sigh of relief at my words, and I was about to explain.
Suddenly, I felt a chill and shiver run down my spine.
"Hey?"
I sense murderous intent from behind, and a childish voice that's different from Erika and the others.
I slowly turned my gaze behind me and saw a young girl who looked very similar to Croana.
The girl was smiling with no light in her eyes, her arms lightly spread out to the sides, ready for combat.
Still smiling, the girl tilts her head and looks up at me, her words filled with murderous intent.
"Hey, why do you smell like... Croana?"