But no matter how hungry he was, Silva knew he needed to find some clothes first. Wearing the armor and helmet of a royal guard would make him stand out too much.

  Rubbing his grumbling stomach, Silva scanned the nearby signs as he walked down the main street. His eyes landed on a sign with a picture of a dress.

  Meg Lester wasn't expecting a strange customer that day, but a little past 1 PM, one entered the clothing store where she worked.

  "Welcome!"

  She greeted the customer with her usual cheerful voice, but standing before her was a man dressed in the armor and helmet of a royal guard.

  It wasn't uncommon for customers to shop in armor; adventurers and mercenaries did it all the time. However, this was the first time someone had come wearing a royal guard's armor. Unlike adventurers or mercenaries, soldiers typically changed into civilian clothes when shopping or strolling around outside of their patrol duties.

  (Did he come here for something other than shopping?)

  It was natural for Meg to think so. However, as he browsed the clothes on display, he seemed like any other customer.

  "Are you looking for something specific? I can help you find what you need," Meg offered, pushing aside her suspicion and speaking to him. To her surprise, he responded quite normally.

  "I'm looking for a casual set of clothes, a hooded cloak, some underwear, and a leather belt," he said politely.

  (A polite manner of speaking... despite wearing a royal guard's armor?)

  Meg felt a slight unease. Most customers at the store were either arrogant or overbearing, especially the nobles and soldiers. But Silva had responded courteously, which was unexpected.

  "Do you have a preferred color?" she asked.

  "Black, please."

  "Understood. I'll gather those for you. Please wait a moment."

  He was no different from an ordinary customer just stating what he wanted and specifying his preferred color. If anything was unusual, it was his polite manner of talking, but Meg found herself amused at having overthought it.

  (Maybe he didn't have any clothes to wear other than the armor because he was doing laundry? Oh no, I forgot to ask for his size... I'll just bring a few in larger sizes.)

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  Thinking this, she collected the requested items in three different sizes and returned.

  "Sorry for the wait. How are these?"

  "These will do. Please wrap them up," he replied.

  (Huh? He didn't even check the size?)

  Not many people buy clothes without trying them on, especially without checking their size. Meg found it puzzling.

  "Um... what size would you like?" she asked cautiously.

  "Oh, size... hmm... the largest, please."

  He seemed in a hurry to finish his shopping, which only added to the suspicion. But since he intended to buy, Meg decided to set aside her doubts.

  "Understood. That will be one thousand baht in total. I'll wrap them up for you, so please wait a moment."

  As she turned to head to the counter, the man spoke up.

  "Ah, wait a second. I'm in a bit of a hurry, so I'll leave the money here. Could you handle the payment for me?" he asked, placing a pouch full of coins on top of the clothes he was purchasing. "If it's not enough, let me know, okay?"

  (Is he some noble's son or something? But he's wearing a royal guard's armor???)

  Only nobles would typically make such a carefree purchase.

  (He doesn't look like a noble... but, oh well! As long as he pays!)

  Meg decided to stop overthinking it. A customer who pays well is a good customer, even if they're a bit suspicious.

  "Understood. Please wait a moment," she said, bowing again before heading to the counter.

  "Phew..."

  Upon leaving the clothing store, Silva exhaled deeply, ignoring the stares from the passersby. He had never been so nervous while shopping before. When Meg told him, "That'll be a thousand baht!" his heart nearly stopped, he had no idea how many coins to hand over, so he gave her the entire pouch to avoid any mistakes. At least he managed to get what he needed.

  "Now it's a race against time," he muttered, starting to walk briskly down the main street toward the castle's exit.

...

  "Auntie! One of today's specials, please!" he called out as he entered a shop located in a dimly lit alley off the main street.

  The shop, named "Sea sound Inn," had the appearance of a local, tight knit place that might turn away newcomers. Despite its shabby exterior, the inside was clean and tidy, filled with men, women, and children, giving it a homey feel.

  It was a little past 3 PM when Silva finally got the chance to eat lunch. He had changed into the black shirt and trousers he bought earlier at Meg's store.

  (Few. I managed to make it just in time...)

  Silva recalled the army he encountered and the people leading it when he had returned from outside the castle. He had once left the castle in armor to make it seem as though he had escaped to the outside.

  Under normal circumstances, fleeing far away without returning would be the right choice. But without knowing the geography and without any equipment, what could he do? At the very least, he needed to gather information about where to go, how far it was, and how to get there. Otherwise, he would be marching to his death.

  Besides, Silva couldn't ride a horse. Like most modern people, he had never had the experience of riding one. Given that carriages were seen in town, it was natural to assume that his pursuers would include cavalry. On foot versus horseback, it was obvious who would be caught eventually.

  That's why Silva had left the castle in his armor. The empire's soldiers didn't know his face.

  Their only clue was the armor and helmet of a royal guard. So, if they learned that someone dressed as a royal guard had left the castle, they would pursue that person.