episode_0017

Islands Aix-la-Chapelle.

Carolus the Great, a legendary hero who received a revelation from the old gods to save humanity, drew the holy sword and waged war against other races.

It was the name of the city where he, along with his twelve knights, drove out all the foreign races that were persecuting mankind, and finally became emperor and held a coronation ceremony.

Aix-la-Chapelle, which became the capital at the same time as the establishment of the Karl Roth Empire, underwent endless expansion throughout the long history of the empire, and today is the most prosperous metropolis in the empire and a huge fortress.

The towering three-layer wall surrounding the city did not tolerate even a single invasion for 800 years, and in itself became a symbol of the unchangeable authority of the empire and humanity.

It was late evening when I passed through the gates of the island.

The sun that had set on the castle wall had long since disappeared beyond the horizon.

The quiet night sky that followed came creeping in to cast shadows over the city, but the capital of the empire still shone brightly, sparkling like the morning sun.

That brilliance is the unwavering will not to give in to any oppression.

It was a great symbol of human pride.

Pure white magic light shone like starlight from the streetlights lined up along the streets of the city, and countless people were noisily strolling through the night streets of the archipelago, bursting with energy.

A castle without night. It was another name that symbolized the institution of Aix-la-Chapelle.

—-

“It’s quite late, so I’ll go straight to the Marquis’ mansion.”

Nigel said, tapping the wall of the carriage.

Before arriving in the Islands, whenever business arose, Nigel would open the carriage door and come in, or remove the cloth covering the window and talk to me.

However, once you entered the system, even the slightest exposure could be dangerous, so it was a wise decision to refrain as much as possible.

“Is there a mansion in the system? Ah, I guess so. It would be natural since he is a great noble of the level of a marquis.”

It’s a luxury mansion that isn’t even in use.

Since Marquis Ludwig is in charge of the Eastern Front, he usually does not try to escape from Landenburg.

However, if you are a noble of that level, there are circumstances that require you to visit the system from time to time, even if you do not want to.

It would be difficult for him to find separate lodgings or entrust his residence to the imperial palace every time he was a marquis, so the mansion could probably be said to be a villa prepared for such occasions.

Should I stay in that mansion for a while?

Remnant Academy has a dormitory system for all students, but I heard there is still about a week left until the entrance ceremony.

“Yes. It is a not-so-large mansion where the Marquis temporarily resides whenever he visits the islands. As the Marquis is currently in Landenburg, there will be few employees, but when you arrive, you will be able to relax and unwind, and perhaps even take a bath in warm water.”

It’s nice to hear that.

I was slowly getting used to this musty smell like an old friend.

As I spent every day sleeping out in the open, I felt like I knew why party members’ morale increased when a spiritist was welcomed to the party in the game.

The spirit master must take care of everything from washing, bathing, and drying.

“It’s a hot water bath. I’m looking forward to it.”

With a slight smile, I knocked on the carriage door twice to indicate that we should leave immediately.

“It will take about ten minutes to get to the mansion. If you have any luggage to bring with you, it would be a good idea to prepare it in advance.”

Nigel returned to the driver’s seat and began driving the carriage down the cobblestone street.

—-

As if news had been received in advance that the Landenburg family’s carriage had arrived in the islands, bright light was coming through the countless windows that decorated the facade of the mansion.

Shadows flickered on the whitewashed exterior wall.

Although it was said to be a small mansion, it was a very luxurious mansion that could comfortably accommodate at least forty people.

Two stone wolf statues stood side by side as if guarding either side of the main gate, and beyond the iron bars of the main gate with ornate patterns, a view of a vast garden covered with grass was glimpsed.

The road running through the middle of the garden was paved with neatly polished marble, reflecting the moonlight and sparkling hazy, and in the middle of the road, a splendid fountain with a carved lion continuously spouted water.

Is this a small temporary villa…? So what about the houses I’ve known all this time…?

It was several times larger than the Marquis Castle, but since it was a castle made up of hard, dull gray rock walls on all sides, it felt like I was at a historical site, so it didn’t feel that great.

On the other hand, the splendid yet orderly elegance of each and every decoration here seemed to prove to me once again the power and weight of the position of margrave of the empire.

Even Geumhwa Palace wasn’t like this. Actually, the garden was dry, the hallway was full of dust, and my bedroom was the only place that was in good condition, as if it wasn’t properly maintained in the first place.

Nigel stopped the carriage in front of the main gate, got off the driver’s seat and approached the wolf statue.

Soon, a group of servants walked out from the mansion, perhaps equipped with magic tools to convey news.

Nigel, who caught a glimpse of this, unlatched the front door of the mansion and opened it wide.

The iron bars vibrating and scraping the floor made a growling noise.

…Don’t you usually wait for the servants to arrive and open it…?

Well, it’s not something I should worry about. It’s not even a day or two that Nigel faithfully does something strange.

Nigel opened the door and approached the carriage again.

“Hashalar, it’s time to get off soon. Have you finished preparing?”

“Okay. I took everything I had to carry and unload. The servants will take care of the rest.”

“Yes, then I will go into the mansion.”

Nigel, holding on to the reins, led the carriage and walked into the mansion.

As if following the sound of horses’ hooves, the carriage wheels left two traces on the marble floor.

—-

“Welcome to the Landenburg Mansion, Princess Aishangior Hashall, Sir Nigel.”

When we arrived in front of the mansion, an old man with gray hair neatly combed back greeted us.

“It’s a pretty nice mansion. I should thank Marquis Ludwig, tell him later.”

I put the sword back on my waist, got out of the carriage, and greeted him.

Looking at the black tailcoat and monocle, he seemed to be the butler in charge of this mansion.

Well, if that person doesn’t look like a butler, that would be a configuration error.

“I will tell you that, princess.”

The old man bowed gracefully and expressed his gratitude.

From behind, the noise of servants busily unloading luggage rang out.

She’s a princess, so it’s something I don’t want to hear, but unlike Nigel, I only see her for a week, so I don’t even have to point it out.

From their point of view, they are probably trying to be as polite as possible.

“You must have had a hard time coming, so would you mind if I show you around the mansion right away?”

“Okay. First of all, I want to take a bath, but I don’t need someone to help me.”

“We will prepare it right away. Please follow me.”

The old man motioned to a maid and told her to heat the bath water.

The maid who came sauntering over glanced in my direction, looked a little surprised, but then turned and headed across the hallway as if nothing had happened.

This was probably my first time seeing Ka’har.

The old man, who saw the maid’s figure disappearing on the other side, immediately turned to me.

“For now, I will leave your clothes with you as they need to be washed, but what do you want to do with the other luggage?”

“Nigel will take care of it. Ask him.”

Next to the carriage, he gestured to Nigel, who was ordering the servants to unload.

This is because Nigel is in full charge of managing the items donated by the Marquis, rather than the items I originally owned.

Basically, this kind of thing should be left to experts.

Just because I see something in person doesn’t mean I can judge what is necessary and what is not.

So, I guess I can leave it to Nigel for now, get some rest, and listen to a detailed explanation tomorrow.

“Hmm, then I will handle that part as Sir Nigel says.”

After speaking, the old man gave some instructions to the maids and then returned to me.

I saw the maids heading towards Nigel after receiving instructions. It was probably an order to help Nigel pack up or something like that.

“So it’s all over now?”

“Yes. We will guide you to a separate building. You can leave your luggage in the bedroom of the separate building and use the bathroom next to it.”

It’s a hot water bath, so it’s really been a while since it’s been that long.

Full of anticipation, I followed the old man’s instructions and headed to the annex.

—-

After finishing my bath, I lay down on the bed in the middle of the separate bedroom.

Thanks to the warm bath water, my heated body slowly subsided, and a deep sense of fatigue came over me.

Could it be that fatigue had accumulated unknowingly during the frustrating carriage life?

I looked blankly at the pattern on the ceiling and thought about the future that was just around the corner.

Did you say there was about a week left until the academy entrance ceremony?

Will I be able to adapt well?

Perhaps because of anxiety, I couldn’t sleep easily.

—-

The next morning, the imperial court issued a statement stating that the empire had signed a peace treaty with the Ka’har and recognized them as a similar race.

Aix-la-Chapelle was shaken by shock and confusion.

Everyone who heard the news, including you, doubted whether this was true, and were shocked when it was confirmed that it was true.

Although the Ka’har have rarely crossed the eastern border since the founding of Berengeria, their vicious notoriety and cruel anecdotes were already widely known.

Meanwhile, rumors were secretly spreading beyond the border that the princess of Ka’har had already arrived in the islands and was planning to enter the academy as a special student.

Some people were intrigued, while others grabbed their swords in anger.

Meanwhile, I was busy learning sword skills from Nigel, so I didn’t have time to worry about the rumors surrounding me.

Because the entrance ceremony is just around the corner.