Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure Chapter 1990: A different kind of place

Previously on Shota's Isekai NTR Adventure...

After wrapping up prolonged meetings with the racial alliance over the vanishing of Death Valley, the king orders his party to break camp and depart, leaving behind a town gripped by chaos as jobless mercenaries scramble for new livelihoods. He proposes that the alliance hire these idle fighters to hunt the forces of Destruction, channeling their skills productively while easing his own guilt over disrupting their trade. A detachment of royal guards splits off toward the Kite Kingdom, carrying Queenie's divine energy-infused bugs for Max and the researchers to experiment with storage solutions, as the king's tests revealed only rare high-grade magic stones could contain it without exploding.

"Your majesty, welcome to our kingdom."

This spot stood apart from every other location I'd visited so far.

It formed the central hub of a nation belonging to the racial alliance.

Far from being a minor power, this human realm ranked just below the four mighty empires.

A domain like this diverged sharply from the other areas we'd traversed, which made it all the more shocking that the final god's envoy had chosen it as a hideout.

That very difference explained why I'd saved this visit for the end—my arrival here was bound to stir up major unrest.

Just like the uproar unfolding now among those gathered to greet me.

My journey placed me at the heart of a wyvern flock, and by now, wyverns had become the Kite Kingdom's signature pride. With royal guards flanking me in such grand style, concealing who I was proved nearly impossible.

Hence the elaborate royal reception they'd arranged.

"I'm only here on private matters, so please keep things low-key."

Even as those words left my lips, I realized they wouldn't heed such a request.

My standing in the racial alliance demanded this level of pomp, a reality unlikely to shift anytime soon, leaving me no choice but to go along with it.

"Naturally, your majesty. Yet first, our king has set up a grand feast in your honor."

A hidden wry chuckle escaped me at those words, though in the end, I allowed them to guide me toward the castle.

During the procession, they kept trying to strike up chats with me.

But each time, I'd toss back a offhand reply, barely paying attention, which swiftly shut down any further attempts at talk.

They wouldn't dare reveal any annoyance over my attitude, not when they sought favors from me.

With desires like that in play, it made perfect sense for them to bend over backward to win my favor.

I held zero interest in such games.

My sole focus lay in scanning the surroundings for hints of my true target.

Yet no clues appeared anywhere.

At a glance, this land resembled any typical nation.

A closer look revealed it thriving even more than its neighbors. Quick observations showed an overflow of wealth here.

Merchants hawked endless varieties of wares, and the citizens all appeared robust and content.

My heightened awareness would pick up on any lurkers in the shadows or backstreets. Still, the truly destitute seemed scarce in this realm.

Beggars couldn't be entirely absent, but their numbers here stayed remarkably few.

Fewer even than in our own Kite Kingdom, which had flourished under the prime minister's and Haley's tireless efforts.

It fit that a powerhouse just shy of the four empires would prosper this way, yet the calm felt overly serene. Almost artificially so, though the source eluded me.

A twinge of guilt hit me for feeling let down by such stability and bounty, but that unease lingered stronger still.

"Could some force truly be shielding this land?"

Still, not a whisper of divine power registered, even as the idea flickered through my thoughts.

After proceeding down the broad avenue a ways, we reached the kingdom's royal palace at last.

A crowd lingered out front, clearly awaiting our approach.

Their fine attire marked them as the realm's elite nobles and key officials. Remarkably, every one of them had lingered here just to see me.

None showed the slightest irritation over the delay I'd caused.

I shook my head at the sight, yet I harbored no objections to their planned celebration.

After all, these folks had called this place home all along.

With no leads uncovered on my own, questioning the locals offered my best shot. And for insights into the area, no group outshone the nobility, steeped as they were in knowledge of their domain.

Caution remained essential, of course.

Probing too deeply risked twisting my aims in their eyes.

Overly pointed inquiries could spark fears of hidden agendas—like plotting a takeover of their lands or leveraging the racial alliance against them.

Which made this feast the ideal setting to probe gently.

Stepping inside revealed even more prominent figures assembled for us.

The one downside? The sheer number of young ladies present.

Decked out in their finest, their intentions toward me shone through all too clearly.