The Last Monarch : Unlimited Regeneration
Chapter 55: Road to the Capital (Part 4)

Chapter 55: Road to the Capital (Part 4)

Alvaric and Tamae arrived at the border. They were inspected by several guards stationed there. Since Tamae was with them, they passed through with ease.

But just as Alvaric was walking toward the gate, a soft chuckle echoed from behind. He turned around, but the guards were looking in the opposite direction.

Alvaric continued walking. "Are you sure this doesn’t make me look like a clown?" he asked, pointing to himself, still wearing a short skirt.

"Of course not."

She walked faster and immediately looked away. Alvaric stood still, narrowing his eyes.

"Pretty sure she’s messing with me," he muttered in frustration.

He continued walking. The moment he entered the city, it became clear this was a place of wealth.

His eyes sparkled as he observed the city. The stone roads were neatly arranged, buildings rose two or three stories tall with sloped roofs and chimneys releasing faint smoke. Magical lanterns hung along the streets, glowing gently even though it was still bright outside. The sound of carriage wheels, merchant shouts, and the aroma of warm bread from nearby shops filled the air.

"This... feels like an RPG city," he murmured. "Or a medieval fantasy movie."

His eyes landed on a large fountain in the center of the plaza, where a statue of a man in a long robe stood proudly with two wings and a spear in his right hand. Water flowed from the tip of the spear, creating a soft, calming sound.

But his amazement didn’t last long.

Several pedestrians glanced his way—more precisely, at the short skirt he was wearing. Whispers could be heard.

"Uh, is that a guy?" "Maybe he’s a theater actor?" "Kinda cute... but weird."

Some children pointed and laughed, while a mother quickly pulled her child away, stifling a giggle by pretending to cough.

Alvaric’s face turned red. He glanced down at his exposed legs due to the skirt being too short. A gentle breeze blew and made the fabric flutter slightly.

"Tamae... I swear... I’ll kill you," he muttered, filled with embarrassment.

***

He tried to walk faster, but somehow his steps sounded even more noticeable among the watching crowd.

Tamae had already walked far ahead, pretending not to know him. Every now and then, she glanced back and quickly lowered her head to stop herself from laughing.

Alvaric let out a long sigh. "Is this some kind of mental test... or just Tamae’s twisted sense of humor?"

Alvaric ran after her, fists clenched as he approached.

"We should change your clothes first," said Tamae, pointing forward.

Alvaric looked in that direction—and felt overwhelming relief. Right in front of them was a clothing store. He nearly cried from joy.

Without wasting time, he rushed inside. At first, a staff member tried to stop him, but since Tamae was with him, everything went smoothly.

"Thank goodness I found this place quickly," Tamae thought to herself.

They began browsing clothes. There was also armor on display. Tamae recommended it for Alvaric. Wearing armor would reduce damage from enemy attacks.

Especially in the capital, where he would be fighting top generals.

"I don’t need it. It’ll only slow me down," he complained.

He looked elsewhere. Alvaric was a close-combat fighter who relied heavily on speed.

If possible, he wanted to make his body as light as possible. Armor would just weigh him down—unless he could get one as light as regular clothing.

"Alright. I’ll take this," said Alvaric.

Tamae saw what he picked and frowned. He was holding a plain pair of black shorts.

"That’s all you want?" Tamae asked.

"I need at least twenty of them. You’re paying, right?"

Tamae scratched her head. "Fine."

Alvaric turned again, smirking slyly. "In that case, I’ll take a hundred."

"Are you insane? Why would you need that many shorts?"

"I’m going to fight strong enemies. Obviously, I need lots of shorts," Alvaric replied confidently.

Tamae frowned. "Are you stupid?" His reasoning sounded utterly absurd. "What you should be stocking up on are weapons, armor, potions—things like that. Not a hundred pairs of shorts."

Alvaric only shrugged with a serious expression, as if his logic made perfect sense.

"If I die, I don’t want to die naked. That would be humiliating," he said flatly.

Tamae went silent. It took her a few seconds before she could respond.

"...You’re an idiot."

Still, she handed a gold coin to the cashier. The store clerk who watched the two of them just chuckled and started wrapping the shorts into a large sack.

Alvaric stared at the pile of shorts with a victorious glint in his eyes. "At last... freedom."

"From what? The skirt?" Tamae muttered, rolling her eyes.

"From this cursed item," Alvaric replied, pointing to the skirt he was wearing.

Tamae could only shake her head. She wanted to turn around and leave immediately. But then, something shocking happened.

Alvaric almost started changing clothes inside the store. Tamae instantly grabbed his hand.

"You idiot!" she yelled.

***

After their horse carriage passed inspection, they resumed their journey. They didn’t want to waste too much time.

Alvaric felt the same.

Now, night had started to fall. A soft evening breeze brushed against them. Alvaric’s eyes slowly closed—he was getting sleepy.

"Thank you," said Alvaric.

Tamae, who was staring at the moon rising above, turned her head when she heard his words. She wanted to say something, but Alvaric had already fallen asleep.

Tamae let out a long sigh. "He really doesn’t seem like a bad person at all."

She looked at Alvaric’s face for a while and smiled slightly. She gently touched his rough cheek. Her fingers brushed against his skin.

This was very different from touching a demi-human. The first thing she usually felt was thick fur.

"Are all humans like this?" Tamae smiled. She sincerely hoped she could one day go to the Earth Alvaric always talked about. "They seem like kind creatures. Unlike us demi-humans, who are constantly surrounded by violence and battle."

"I hope demi-humans can be like humans someday," she whispered softly.

***

"Miss Marie!" someone shouted.

Marie, who had been searching for any documents related to the portal she once passed through, immediately stood up and turned around.

A man entered, his face pale.

Marie’s eyes widened. She swallowed hard, sensing something terrible.

"What happened?" she asked.

"There’s an attack from the Black Owl guild. They’re on the ground floor now. There are about two hundred of them," the man reported.

Marie’s eyes turned sharp. She drew her sword. "What do they want?"

She marched straight to the door and headed downstairs. At the moment, she was the only one in the headquarters because the other top members were out raiding an S-rank dungeon.

"They’re targeting Hollow Fang’s headquarters while the others are gone. Damn those cunning humans," Marie growled.

She gripped her sword tightly. "I’ll kill them."

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