Chronicles of Forgotten Extra Chapter 371: Seriously, how bad could sharing a room with a dragon princess be?

"I did hear about an upcoming recruitment for professors at the academy and I am sure it would be easy for you with your strength."

Ruru’s voice lowered slightly.

"Though... I am not sure if someone from a different country would even be eligible."

Alden nodded.

"Isn’t there a way to become a resident of this country? Honestly, Lumyn and I abandoned our homeland long ago, so we can’t really return anymore. Settling in Rosarco actually sounds like a peaceful idea."

He immediately pressed further, searching for a way.

Ruru looked at him and nodded excitedly, remembering one of the arcs of her favourite series.

"Yep, yep! That would be great. Just like Judith and Rian."

"Excuse me?"

Alden tilted his head.

"Nothing, nothing. Yeah, there is a way for outsiders to become citizens of the country by gathering Contribution Points. Although Rosarco has a strict no-outsiders policy, they do accept people who are strong and have accumulated enough Contribution Points."

"Oh, that sounds interesting. And how exactly can I gather these points?"

Alden looked out the window of the carriage. He already had an idea from the name alone and Ruru soon confirmed his suspicions.

"Well, there are many ways. You can do things that benefit the country. Maybe create new spells, new technology or new techniques. Or you can become an adventurer and earn points that way."

"Oh, that does sound interesting."

Ruru nodded.

"You can earn those points even faster if..."

She hesitated, her voice lowering slightly.

"If?"

Her gaze alternated between Alden and Aemirya sleeping beside him.

"You know... if you have a family. Like a wife or something."

Before Alden could even react, Aemirya suddenly started coughing as her eyes snapped open.

"Cough... Wife? What?"

***

The rest of the journey passed with a mix of Ruru’s excited explanations and Aemirya’s awkward silence.

Ruru was quite the romance novel maniac and somehow she had already started visualizing Alden and Aemirya as the protagonists of her favorite novel.

She even began listing the advantages of getting married in the Kingdom of Rosarco. According to her, families were far more welcome than individual travelers, who were always viewed with suspicion.

Hell, the Kingdom even had special schemes for those starting a family, such as awarding twice the normal amount of Contribution Points. If your wife was an adventurer as well, the multiplier became even higher.

And if one day you had a child, the cost of their initial education would also be covered by the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, if you registered as an individual without a family, not only could you earn barely a quarter of the normal Contribution Points but you would also have to pay twice the taxes as other citizens.

It was practically daylight robbery.

Alden cursed inwardly.

But then again, it would probably cost the lives of many innocent citizens for no reason if he did. So, he pushed that idea to the back of his mind for now.

Soon enough, the carriage came to a stop before a massive steel gate, beyond which Alden could see a sprawling estate. A neatly maintained path stretched down the center, with rows of trees lining either side.

The guards stationed outside the gate immediately opened it upon seeing the flag on the carriage, allowing it to roll through.

As the carriage passed through the gate, Alden saw numerous Expert and Master-ranked individuals guarding the estate.

He could feel their cautious gazes fixed on him and Aemirya. There was one Grandmaster as well.

Alden didn’t pay them much mind as the carriage finally came to a stop right in front of the large manor at the center of the estate.

It looked nearly as luxurious as the Draven family’s estate, which surprised Alden once again.

Ruru and her maid stepped out of the carriage as Alden lightly nudged Aemirya, signaling her to act naturally before following after them.

A short, fat man wearing flashy clothes and all kinds of accessories stood there with a sly, guarded smile on his face.

Even upon closer inspection, he didn’t look anything like Ruru. It seemed she had inherited far more from her mother’s side.

The man immediately hurried forward and pulled his daughter into a hug.

"I am glad you are all right, Ru. What would I have done if anything had happened to you?"

Only after making sure she was completely unharmed did he let her go and turn toward Alden and Aemirya.

"Thank you for all your help, sir and madam. I am Reynold Stroptor, father of Ruru."

He said politely.

"Vance has already informed me about the assistance you provided with the communication artifact. I cannot thank you enough. But may I ask what you were doing in that forest at the exact moment the orcs attacked?"

His eyes sharpened, unlike when he had been speaking to Ruru but before Alden could answer, Ruru interrupted.

"Why are you being so rude to my guests, Dad?"

The man looked at Ruru pouting before immediately correcting himself with a cough.

"Please excuse my bad manners. I suppose we can talk later. I have already arranged rooms for you in my manor, so please get some rest. We can chat over dinner."

"Nice to meet you, sir. I am Damien and she is my partner, Lumyn. Thank you for allowing us to stay. I would be happy to explain everything over dinner later."

Alden bowed politely, and Aemirya reluctantly followed suit, her draconic pride refusing to bend.

"Layla, show them to their rooms."

Reynold signaled to the maid behind him, who promptly guided them inside. Once Alden and Aemirya disappeared from sight, he sent Ruru to her room as well before his expression hardened.

"Luke."

He spoke quietly as a man clad in pitch-black clothes appeared beside him.

"Something about them is strange. Investigate their backgrounds thoroughly. Contact our branches and allies throughout the southwest and report back to me immediately."

"You suspect them, sir?"

"Something about them is suspicious."

"Understood, sir."

Luke nodded before vanishing a moment later.

Reynold’s eyes narrowed.

***

Meanwhile, as they walked toward their rooms, a frown appeared on Alden’s face.

He had already noticed that the fat merchant had seen through their lies just from the way he spoke and honestly, he couldn’t even blame him.

That excuse might have worked on ordinary people, but judging from his demeanor and the vast estate, Reynold was clearly a well-established merchant with years of experience.

Such flimsy lies were never going to fool someone like him.

Alden had also sensed a Grandmaster-ranked individual appear outside the estate shortly after they entered. It didn’t take a genius to realize the man had most likely been sent to investigate their backgrounds.

Still, he wasn’t fazed because he already had a plan in mind.

His gaze wandered toward Aemirya, who walked blankly beside him, still awkward from the conversation with Ruru in the carriage, before shifting to the maid.

She had ordinary brown hair, green eyes and a completely calm expression. Even this ordinary-looking maid was a Master-ranked awakened, hiding her strength while pretending to be an ordinary servant.

She soon guided them through the vast hallways to a luxurious room. It looked even grander than the one Alden had stayed in at the Draven estate, with glowing chandeliers and polished marble floors.

But there was one problem...

There was only one room.

And they were two people.

"Sir Vance informed us that you were a couple, so Master instructed me to prepare only one room for you."

The maid bowed.

"There is a bell on the table. Please ring it if you need anything."

She turned to leave as Aemirya’s expression grew colder by the second.

To save his own life, Alden quickly spoke up.

"B-but we aren’t married. Isn’t it indecent for a couple to stay in the same room before marriage?"

Layla chuckled.

"Sir, you are too funny. You speak as though you came from the Stone Age. We in the Kingdom of Rosarco have progressed far beyond such ideas. We consider love something sacred, so why would it be indecent for two people who love each other to stay in the same room... unless you aren’t actually in love?"

Her eyes narrowed at the end.

Alden nearly cursed out loud.

He came from a future where living together before marriage was considered improper despite civilization being far more advanced.

And now, here in the past, this maid was telling him it was perfectly normal? Did the Vallorian Empire actually regress instead of progress with time?

But he didn’t bother dwelling on it for long because the maid was growing more suspicious by the second.

Aemirya was about to say something when Alden quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside the room.

"Nah, nah. We are fine with staying together. I was just curious. Thanks for guiding us, Layla. We will call for you if we need anything."

With those words, he quickly slammed the door shut before the landmine named Aemirya beside him could explode.

But before he could relax, Alden felt Aemirya’s icy aura crash down on him.

"Would you mind explaining what you meant by that?"