Ch.189Rur (1)

As I’ve mentioned several times, winter in this world is a harsh and dangerous season in many ways.

The mystical cold and freezing temperatures—comparable perhaps to Northern Europe on Earth—are obviously dangerous, while the heavy snowfall and the emergence of hostile entities are variables that absolutely cannot be overlooked.

Elemental spirits of ice and snow that ‘manifest’ in the blizzards and cold, certain magical beasts that have successfully adapted to the winter environment, various undead born from corpses in the winter chill, and even bandits active during winter.

Each of these factors would make ordinary travelers hesitate to continue their journey, yet they pose no hindrance whatsoever to our expedition.

To be frank, this is a party of nine with three intermediate-level members, and I myself am barely crossing the threshold from intermediate to beyond—what you might call post-intermediate.

This means that the low-level hostile creatures commonly encountered on the streets can be swept aside with just a flick of the hand.

The ice and cold elemental spirits melt away when faced with Gretel’s specialty, Will-o’-Wisp magic.

Magical beasts are torn in half by Hannah, who happens to develop a craving for slaughter and blood as we pass by.

As for the undead, they simply dissolve into nothingness like melting ice before the blade shield—recently shattered by a high-level opponent but restored through the power of ‘metal regeneration’—and the casual efforts of a bored Gus….

Winter is the off-season for bandits. While they’re not completely absent, they generally don’t operate in areas beyond human territory except along this one road.

Thieves and bandits, after all, are just trying to make a living, and starting robbery or banditry in unsafe areas during winter is hardly a good choice.

Anyway, thanks to this, we were able to advance quickly and steadily, eventually entering the territory of Baron Ruhr after a long journey.

This is a rare domain for this era, with a higher proportion of people engaged in mining and industry than in agriculture. Consequently, most of the land has relatively little farmland, with a higher proportion dedicated to livestock grazing.

The Ruhr Barony, which feels similar to the Frankish Kingdom yet exudes a strongly exotic atmosphere, left quite a unique and favorable first impression in my mind.

※ ※ ※

The land of the Ruhr Barony is, in a word, a perfect environment seemingly created for mining and industry.

The terrain, consisting mainly of hills and low mountains, contains numerous mines. Particularly, the iron mines yielding high-quality iron ore and abundant open-pit coal mines have made Ruhr mining among the finest in the eastern region.

Additionally, the Ruhr Barony benefits from rivers flowing through its lower regions, allowing unlimited access to water power—one of the core energy sources of this era.

No matter how available steam engines or magical power sources might be, such ‘expensive’ technologies naturally take lower priority, making water power the primary energy source of this age.

These conditions and an environment conducive to industrial development have naturally transformed the Ruhr Barony into a territory centered around cities where mining and other industries, rather than agriculture, are the mainstream—a truly revolutionary concept for the medieval period.

Since mineral-rich lands tend to have poorer soil quality and crop yields, most of the land is used for livestock grazing where no mineral veins exist.

About half of what would be farmland in other territories is pasture here, with the remaining half growing crops to feed the livestock raised on those pastures.

Nevertheless, the core industries of the Ruhr Barony’s economy are mining—exploiting the abundant mineral veins—and the manufacturing that utilizes these resources.

Dozens of dwarf technicians, notorious for their miserly tendencies and high wages, are employed solely for business maintenance purposes, and over 30% of the territory’s population is engaged in mining and related industries.

Thanks to these various characteristics, we entered the distinctly different atmosphere of the Ruhr Barony and proceeded directly to its largest city, “Yester.”

Once functioning as the capital of the Ruhr Barony before it became a vassal state, Yester now essentially holds the position of a regional industrial hub.

Since I had informed my father in advance, I was certain they would be aware of my visit, so I entered Yester confident that we would not be treated poorly….

And indeed, the city of Yester absolutely did not mistreat the lord’s son (the heir) and his entourage.

“””””””””—WAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!”””””””””

“….Huh?”

The enthusiastic welcome, so fervent that I wondered if I might be the subject of a hidden camera prank, was truly enough to leave me dumbfounded.

Crowds gathered from all directions, bursting into cheers and shouts. Barriers had been erected and armed soldiers stood guard to control the crowd, but even they could hardly conceal their excitement.

“Hee, heeee….!!”

“Wow! Hello!”

In the face of this abnormal phenomenon, the timid Gretel was terrified, while the innocent Hannah simply waved cheerfully at the people who seemed to be cheering for our party.

The werewolf attendants and the servant Pierre were completely frozen by this unprecedented experience, and I too was similarly stunned by this entirely unexpected situation.

Having hundreds of people cheer for me was certainly a pleasant experience, but cheers without apparent reason somehow evoked a slight sense of unease.

Of course, the lack of response from my intuition suggested it wasn’t anything hostile, but I couldn’t fully relax until the situation became clear.

And in this unfamiliar yet somehow thrilling atmosphere, I noticed Charlotte Mainster looking quite composed, as if she had anticipated this.

“….Charlotte, why are people acting like this?”

Cautiously questioning her in case she might know something, Charlotte responded in a lowered voice, as if surprised by my ignorance.

“Well, it’s because you’re the son of the Baron, my lord.”

“….Son? Would being merely a son gather such a welcoming crowd?”

“No, that’s not the reason. After all, the Baron is the liberator and savior who freed the Ruhr Barony from the tyranny of the previous Baron, isn’t he?”

“….Ah. So that’s why?”

Yes, that was it. Father had told me that the original Baron Ruhr was an exceptionally deranged madman even among the kingdom’s mentally unstable lords.

A tyrant who demonstrated governance that fully deserved to be called the epitome of lost humanity, he eventually died in defeat due to various circumstances. His rule was so chaotic and his personality so brutal that it’s said even his family rejoiced at his death.

And my father not only liberated this territory from tyranny by subjugating such a terrible lord but also succeeded in managing the territory effectively through excellent governance.

In short, while the typical view of a lord in ordinary territories might be somewhat detached and emotionless, the perspective on my father, Baron Alzar, also Baron Ruhr, in this territory is clearly one of reverence and respect.

The view of my father as not just a ruler but a ‘liberator’ is naturally different, and consequently, I as his son am also benefiting from this.

Anyway, having assessed the situation, I now acted as befitting the princely education I had received, signaling to my companions to proceed along the road laid out in the middle of the street toward what I presumed to be our final destination—the government office or lord’s castle.

“””””””””WAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!”””””””””

The cheers that seemed to fill the entire space continued to resound, and by now my companions, who had somewhat adapted to the situation, were gradually losing their stiffness and awkwardness.

In fact, one of the bold werewolves, despite experiencing such a large crowd for the first time, bravely stepped forward and waved, as the atmosphere among our party transformed from its initial rigid state into something beautifully reprocessed.

Indeed, at first such an atmosphere is disconcerting, leaving one frozen in place unable to do anything, but after some time passes, people naturally respond to those cheering for them.

“””””””””WAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!”””””””””

Especially when I, well aware of the importance of showmanship in such situations, deployed my blade shield or directed Gus to raise his front paws, the intensified cheers provided a thrilling experience akin to a dopamine shower.

This atmosphere naturally infected the party, with most of my companions wearing excited expressions.

“Hueeeeeeee….”

….Except for the protagonist of shyness, Gretel, who was trembling and trying to bury herself somewhere—a girl with the potential to become the icon of timidity in this era.