"Have you two packed everything you need?"
"Yes, seems like it."
It was Riley and Iris.
"That is right. In my opinion, I wish for...two more to follow us."
"Let's just get going, you two will be more than enough."
Ian sighed at the ground as he watched Riley shamble his way into the carriage.
"Ian-nim. Please. One thing at a time."
Stein had come personally to the gates in order to bid his farewell to the two leaving for the capital.
"Yes!"
Iris replied before Ian and Sera could answer.
"Hm, there was no need for you to go too."
It seemed like Riley was already lying down inside the carriage, as he could no longer be seen.
"That was the condition right?"
Unable to hide her smile, Iris began to console her husband to not be so down.
"Who's jealous..."
"...Hng!"
Stein snorted with his arms crossed.
"Stein."
Stein, with his sentence cut short, looked at Iris' eyes and flinched.
For a woman who'd never practiced swordsmanship to have such charisma, it was not fair.
"I won't force him to do it. It’s a vacation. We're just going sightseeing. As I said before, wasn't that the condition?"
Thanks to Iris' negotiation, Riley could see the wide world, take his mother for a vacation, and leave the mansion.
It meant he didn't need to swordfight.
"Ugh."
All of the servants behind Stein began to bow simultaneously.
It was time to leave.
"Yes."
"I leave their safety to you."
Ian and Sera bowed and answered at the same time.
"Yes, even if it will cost my life."
Filled with loyalty, the two answered without hesitation and unsheathed their swords slightly to Stein, then began to move the baggage.
Even though it was a Count's family trip to the capital, the baggage was rather light.
"...Then we shall take our leave."
With the crack of the whip, the two horses began to move.
***
The current season was neither summer nor winter, but spring, and thus the windows were left open.
It was designed so the passengers could feel the spring breeze as they travelled.
"Solia?"
"Oh? I wasn't aware. I thought it was just called ‘the capital’."
"Well it's expected as you'd rarely left our domain. You better get used to it soon. When we arrive, you will hear ‘Solia’ rather than ‘the capital’ a lot more."
Sera began to explain Solia with a bright smile, as Iris remembered something.
"Yes."
Riley, who had been looking out the window with his chin on his hand, glanced at Sera.
Sera was already smiling with excitement.
"Everyone’s so lively, and there's so many things to see. This is the first time you two are visiting Solia right?"
As Sera clapped her hand with the question, Riley answered.
"Then you should look forward to it. Solia is a really good place. I can assuredly affirm it will be a wonderful memory. With your permission, allow me to act as your guide!"
Riley accepted Sera's favour with a laugh, then posed his first question.
"Hm, it is true the central plaza is crowded. It is a four-way intersection which splits the capital into four districts, and it is the best place to hear the most recent gossip of the castle. Other than that, it should be fine. Young Master should be able to handle it."
"Four districts..."
The current destination for the party of four, 'Solia', was so large that it was divided into upper, lower, left, right sections for the sake of organization..
The right, left and lower districts were where most commoners and merchants lived.
"I remember seeing it in a book."
He remembers seeing the map which had the upper area denominated as 'the Palace'.
"So where did you live, Sera?"
As she looked at the map Iris handed her, she pointed her finger with a grin.
She was pointing to the 'left district'.
"Left Solia?"
"It was termed as such to make it easy to organise. Where I pointed is called the Left Solia."
Sera's finger trailed left then down, and down to left again.
"Wow, so it's that large?"
"It is a city, not to mention the capital! A major city holding the palace! You can't compare it to our mansion or Iffa village."
As Sera gave a devious smile to boost their anticipation, Ian who was driving the carriage peeked behind him and joined in on the conversation.
"Really?!"
Iris' cheeks turned red with anticipation.
"Hmm..."
Unlike his mother, Riley made a somber face with his chin locked onto his hand.
"Hm?"
It seemed like the wheel had gone over a large pebble, but it didn't affect their travel.
But, it was enough to change Riley's face.
"Something similar?"
Ian who was expertly leading the horses looked around the surroundings then moved his eyes to the back.
"...?"
"When you drink it, you can feel the bubbles pop in your throat. You always talked about how it's sweet, cold, shocking, and when you drink it with ice...that you could almost feel like you’re going to heaven."
Sprite.
Carbonated drinks.
"...Y-yeah what about it?"
As Riley remembered the three soft drinks, he asked with a big gulp.
‘Why am I sweating so much even though it's not summer?’
"..."
"...It’s cola!"
Riley quickly stood and pressed his face toward the driver's seat.
"Y-Young Master?"
Iris and Sera flinched with surprise.
'T-there’s coke... here?'
Right now.
The thought of wanting to drink it right now was so strong that he was almost having withdrawal symptoms.