After a while, the fox-eyed knight came back in. The first thing out of his mouth stunned everyone.
"Lord Golendo, have you finished questioning them? They were carrying drugs, right? I knew it."
"Laje, apologize to them immediately. Then pack your things. Don't come in tomorrow."
"...What are you talking about? I don't understand."
"Those three outrank you in nobility. They said if you apologize and accept dismissal, they won't pursue the matter."
The fox-eyed knight clearly couldn't accept reality. His rank was lower than Jacob's—probably just a baron. A moment later he pointed at me in anger.
"Wha—! ...I'll apologize to those three. But the other two are commoners, and this one insulted me. I'm not apologizing to them."
A textbook noble. He looked down on commoners and only bowed to people above him. The superior seemed to spot an opening and turned to me with forced politeness.
"Excuse me, sir. What is your status, and that young lady's?"
In a situation like this, who was a noble and who was a commoner shouldn't matter. If you do something wrong, you apologize.
"Does it matter? You think we're easy targets because we're commoners?"
"No, that's not what I mean. I just need to understand."
My tone clearly rattled him, but understanding could come after the apology. Otherwise it was all empty courtesy.
"And what happens after you understand? He doesn't have to take responsibility? I insulted him, fine—I don't need an apology from him. We're even. But she did nothing. He doesn't need to apologize to her?"
"That's enough! Come outside—I'm challenging you to a duel!"
The fox-eyed knight threw a white glove at me. A noble's duel invitation. Picking it up meant acceptance. I ignored it and kept addressing the officer.
"We were just trying to enter the country. We passed the standard procedures. Then someone's delusion turned us into criminals and we were forced to hand over items that don't even exist. Did you ever think about how that feels? Forget status and titles. We're same. If this were you, would you accept it?"
The superior fell silent. Several soldiers nodded in agreement, and one of them even gave me a thumbs-up behind his back. The fox-eyed knight, meanwhile, snapped.
"Stop ignoring me, you filthy commoner!"
The superior's expression darkened instantly. His voice dropped into a warning growl.
"Laje, apologize to everyone. Now. Or even your family won't be able to protect you."
"Lord Golendo!"
"Now."
The knight glared at me, fists clenched so tightly his fingers looked like they might pierce his palms. He bit his lip and forced out a mosquito-quiet sound.
"...sor..."
I was standing close enough to barely catch it. The others probably couldn't even tell he'd spoken.
So I committed fully to the act, cupped a hand to my ear, and spoke to the fox-eyed knight in an outrageously taunting voice.
"I can't hear you. Is it because you don't know what you did wrong, so you're not reflecting at all?"
"Damn it..."
That one I heard clearly. I pushed again.
"Huh? So you really don't know? Superior, how do you think we should resolve this?"
The superior stared at the knight.
"Laje, you—"
"I'm sorry! I shouldn't have made baseless accusations or passed judgment!"
He shouted the apology in panic. Just how high was this superior's rank?
"Good. Then we're allowed to enter now, right? Officer, please keep your word. I hope we don't run into him again when we return."
I reminded him deliberately. To me, this all felt like a performance. We were just travelers. If no one found out, there'd be no reason to honor any promise. Nobles talking about honor meant nothing to me. Their real talent was sweeping things under the rug.
The superior wasn't exactly just, either. When he thought we were commoners, he hadn't planned to apologize at all. He'd tried to smooth it over and even lean on noble status to pressure us. Same nest, different snakes. Still, at least he could recognize right from wrong.
The fox-eyed knight was sharp enough to immediately think of the flaws in storage magic—I'll give him that. He was smart. Just smart enough to outsmart himself.
"Yes… I'm truly sorry. But may I ask again—what is your status, and that young lady's?"
Persistent, huh? Why invite more pain? I looked at Jacob.
"Jacob, show them the certificate."
"Got it."
Jacob handed me a sheet of paper edged in silver patterns. I held it up for the officer and the knight to see.
"We're merchants operating under a state commission. I'm assigned as this merchant's guard, and she's the merchant's attendant."
The document was written personally by the king—a formal proof. The reason I wasn't carrying it myself was simple: I was just the adventurer hired for protection. Jacob was the primary party named in the certificate, so it made more sense for him to hold it.
"A state commission!?"
"A state commission!? If you had shown that from the start, none of this would've happened!"
Both of them were visibly shaken. I returned the paper to Jacob.
"And what would showing it accomplish? Do we need a piece of paper to save us? You're not bowing to us—you're bowing to authority. In the end it's still power talking."
"..."
"And I didn't show it to flaunt status. If this were just a normal merchant escort job, why would there be two nobles who obviously serve as guards as well? I explained because I didn't want you to have doubts."
"...I see. I have no further questions. Please, go ahead."
Finally. Entry approved. I walked past the officer and the knight, waving a hand.
"See you around."
"My apologies. Goodbye."
Grace even bowed politely to them. Too polite. After we walked a good distance away, she turned to me and said,
"I finally understand why my father, my aunt, and my uncle warned me not to make you angry, Mr. Karen."
Grace's comment was ridiculous. Why would anyone go out of their way to make someone angry? Asking to get hit or something? Still, her father was the Sword Saint, and her aunt and uncle were his sister and brother-in-law. The real question was—had I met them before?
"Who are your aunt and uncle? Have I met them?"
The moment I asked, Jacob reacted in shock.
"Karen, you don't know?!"
"No. You're reacting way too strongly. Did I really meet them? And leave that kind of impression?"
"It's His Majesty the King and Her Majesty the Queen."
"Seriously!? …Oh. The Queen has orange hair too. That explains it. So Grace, you're related to the Crown Prince and the Princess, right? Have you heard them talk bad about me?"
At first I was stunned. I didn't expect the King and the Sword Saint to be related. But once I thought about the hair color, it actually made sense.
Then I remembered the crown prince and princess badmouthing me to their fiancées. Since they were relatives, Grace had probably heard the crown prince and princess talk trash about me too.
We stepped out of the checkpoint and officially entered the country. It was already dark, and everyone was getting hungry.
"Ah… well…"
Grace hesitated at my question. I hadn't been sure before, but her reaction confirmed it.
"I can't believe the Crown Prince and Princess would say bad things about Lord Karen!"
Alice finally spoke up after all this time. I'd expected at least a few saintly speeches from her back in the room, but she'd followed my instructions and stayed quiet. Good. Saint speeches just waste time.
"Alice, don't exaggerate. Karen, what exactly did you do for them to talk about you like that?"
"It's a long story. You want to hear it?"
"Yes," all four of them answered in unison.
"All of you, huh? It's late, though. Let's find a place to sleep, clean up, and I'll tell you then."
We rode for a while and ended up camping in a forest. Since it was already late, Grace was spared fish-cleaning duty. She finished dinner happily, enjoying every bite.