Chapter 66 – Movements of the Lower Cla.s.s Countries
In the Aristocrat District in Port Rock in central region, we followed the guidance of Reinhardt to some high-quality restaurants.
「Well, this is a place I haven’t been to.」
Marcia said, even Jin felt the same. They realized that Reinhardt and the others are n.o.bles once more.
But Jin was raised in modern j.a.pan in the end. He only had knowledge about aristocrats, so his att.i.tude didn’t change.
On the other hand, Marcia doesn’t appear to have expected such a luxurious restaurant.
「Uh, well, would it be better for me to use some more manners since you’re the children of a n.o.ble?」
Marcia said nervously, but after he was asked, Reinhardt started to laugh.
「I want you to keep talking to me like you have so far. Well, you don’t have to mind it with the manners because the room here is private.」
「Really! I’m relieved, otherwise I would’ve turned back.」
Jin says.
「Jin, calm down. Haven’t you been such a place?」
「No, it’s my first time.」
When he was on earth, Jin had been to a luxury j.a.panese restaurant at a customer reception with his boss. He didn’t know what to do so he couldn’t calm down and kept still the whole time.
「Well, because it’s a private room, just act like you did before.」
As he says so, the party enters the shop with Reinhardt at the lead. Jin, Reiko, Marcia, and at the end Elsa.
「Welcome, you’re Reinhardt, correct? Please, come this way.」
It seems that they’ve already been informed and the shop employee guides the party to a private room.
「Please enjoy yourselves.」
As they said so, the person who guided them left.
The room had a table and five luxurious chairs. When counted there was just enough for the five people in the group.
「We’ve been waiting, young master, young lady.」
「I appreciate your efforts.」
The two women wore maid clothes. It seems to be Reinhardt and Elsa’s maids. When they signalled,
「Welcome, shall I bring out the dishes immediately?」
Waitresses came out immediately.
「Yes, please do.」
When Reinhardt said that, several waitresses came out, one after another, and the table instantly became full of dishes.
「With this, we shall take our leave.」
After they said so, the two maids instructed the waitresses to leave the room and closed the door.
「Now then, shall we have a toast first?」
Saying so, Reinhardt raises a gla.s.s. Everyone else except for Reiko imitated it.
The maids poured some foaming wine and,
「I’m grateful that we could get to know each other.」
Following Reinhardt’s lead, the gla.s.ses were put together and a dim sound sounded.
Reinhardt who drank the sparkling wine,
「Yes, the wine of this country is good.」
Said so and put the emptied gla.s.s on the table.
「By the way, Jin, Marcia. Could you tell me about something?」
Differently from usual, Reinhardt spoke in a serious tone.
「It’s you, Jin, that I find most interesting. It’s about Reiko, that golem, and the waterwheel ship are not things that an ordinary person would think of, if you don’t mind, would you tell me about it?」
Jin took a sip of the sweet wine,
「I was an orphan, I don’t know my parents. I was taught all of it by my teacher, but my teacher isn’t around anymore.」
He said so. He didn’t say a lie, but he didn’t tell all of the truth.
「The place I live is a solitary island and there’s an artifact, a Warp Gate.」
「A Warp Gate! That’s very rare!」
Reinhardt couldn’t be silent any more and replied in a rough tone.
「I came to this continent with the warp gate and went around here and there. By the way, I am ignorant of the world’s common sense, so I hope you’ll forgive me for this.」
As they were conversing, they left out some parts, but truth was being half told, so the people who were listening could understand.
「I see! That’s why you have a special way of thinking! Who was your master?」
Although he was unsure for a moment, Jin decided to tell the truth about this.
「She was Adrianna.」
When Reinhardt heard this, he was puzzled.
「Hmmm, where have I heard that before?」
Then, Elsa who had remained silent so far,
「Big Brother Rai, there was a legendary person a long time ago who had the same name and was called a Magic Craftsman. If I am not mistaken, her name was Adrianna Balbora Ceci.」
Jin was surprised to hear the name of his late predecessor who died more than 1000 years ago now.
「So that was it! In those days Magic Craftsmen were considered heretics. Indeed, so your master had that name?」
「Y-yeah.」
To be named after the person themself, Jin knows this isn’t true, but he’s not foolish enough to say so. Reiko who was to the side drew a favorable opinion of the two people for knowing her mothers name.
「Is that so? Then I want to ask Marcia next, since I’ve been asking Jin It’s about the shape of the ship, was that your doing?」
Reinhardt took a slightly firm tone again.
「Y-yeah, that’s right.」
Marcia has been tense for a while. Reinhardt laughs and returns to his rough tone.
「Your normal tone is good enough, after all, we’re in a private room for that.」
He said to encourage her.
「W-well, if you insist. Though it’s called a catamaran, my father made a prototype and Jin and I completed it.」
「Well, your father was a shipwright too, right?」
Marcia nodded,
「The works not as earnest as you think. Because I get absorbed in gambling, my feminine appeal has been disappearing. But I liked that catamaran that father made in with a sense of fun.」
After she said so, she took a drink of the wine. One of the maids immediately topped it off.
「At first, it was a thicker ship, but a thinner one was likely to be faster, so we made it thin.」
「I see, I see, it’s because it’s thin that it speeds up, but the stability worsens. But the catamaran is still nicely stable.」
As he says so Reinhardt takes a drink of the wine that was poured by the maid, and towards Jin,
「Then wouldn’t it be good for Jin to get to know a lot about this continent?」
Saying so, Jin nodded.
「Then let’s explain a bit about the continent before talking about my country.」
Reinhardt takes another drink and says,
「300 years ago, a great magic war happened. At that time the country that took the leading part in the human side was the Dinari Kingdom but because of a disruption afterwards, it is at present a subordinate country.」
In fact, Jin did not know this, so he nodded once.
「The Celuria Kingdom was set up in the area around the castle town of the Dinari Kingdom. They are a country which boasts one of the greatest cultures. It’s because they succeeded the former Dinari Kingdom.」
It was quite an interesting story, which made Jin want to listen.
「There is a rumor that the Cerulia Kingdom is making some suspicious moves, but that isn’t something to talk about here.」
However, Jin has already heard of it.
「On the other hand, the Shioro Empire I belong to is built where the first generation of the Dinari Kingdom and his younger brother founded the kingdom in the west. So, although not exact, it can be said to have been the Dinari Kingdom.」
「I see.」
So that he doesn’t remain silent the whole time, Jin chimes in with a moderate reply.
「On the other hand, the Klein Kingdom, Franz Kingdom, Egrea Kingdom, the Elias Kingdom, and the Leonard Kingdom at the east end of the continent are also former Dinari Kingdoms.」
「I see」
「Well, it is said that to prevent the west from invading that the younger brother of the founder of Dinari founded the Shioro Empire.」
「Invasion?」
「Yes. A large desert spreads out to the west of the Shioro Empire, and there are different ethnic groups on the other side of the desert.」
「Different ethnic groups?」
「Yeah, after the magic war, it is said that the vanguards only attacked once. I think they though those of us who took part in the war would be easy to take.」
It’s a logical reason.
「But there’s an artifact in the Shioro Empire from the great war in those days.」
「An Artifact? What kind?」
Then Reinhardt laughed.
「I can’t tell you here, but if you come to our Shioro Empire as a guest, it might be different.」
Reinhardt said
「Now, let’s eat.」
After saying so, the two maids instructed the wait staff.
Then they were preoccupied in casual conversation while eating.
It was certain that Jin was interested in the artifact that was in the Shioro Empire.
＊ ＊
That evening, at the dock that the compet.i.tion committee manages, the ships and golems which are to appear in the finals are kept there.
In order to suppress consumption of the magic stones or magic crystals, the golems have suspended their movement temporarily.
A suspicious figure appears.
After rustling around a little, the suspicious figure opened the lock to the dock; then,
「What are you doing?」
「What is… What are you ah, ah, ow…!」
The next morning, a man who was tied up was found rolling in front of the dock.
The man was a member of the harbor garrison. He is going to be interrogated about what happened and why he was there when he wasn’t on night duty, and he sounded deranged babbling that a small girl was the one that tied him up.