How much time has passed since departing that waypoint town by carriage? Through persistent rocking, I’ve been frequently popping Chris’s gifted medicinal candy drops into my mouth. Although still somewhat nauseous from the motion, the severity is drastically reduced compared to before.
But isn’t tooth decay a concern? Come to think of it, how did dental care work in this world anyway? From what I remember reading, forcibly extracting problematic teeth used to be the only recourse during technologically primitive eras. Shuddering at the thought, I ceased pondering too deeply down that path. Though I should eventually give some consideration to advancing medical practices as well, I decided, privately committing myself.
“Are those candies really that effective?”
“Hm? Yes. I feel the difference is pronounced whether I have them or not.”
Perhaps noticing my continual candy consumption, Father seated opposite me had taken interest. At that point a mischievous idea dawned on me. With a sly grin, I continued speaking.
“And…they taste quite sweet and delicious too.”
“Oh? Then perhaps I should partake…”
Nothing I said was untrue – the initial acid bite notwithstanding, the ensuing sweetness was honest. Father slowly took the proffered candy from my palm
” …… “
then abruptly halted just short of popping it into his mouth, seemingly noticing something in my expression after peering at me askance. Huh, what happened? Next, Father opened the carriage window summoning Reubens.
“What is it, Lord Reiner?”
“No well, a gift from Reed apparently. He claims they are very sweet candy drops.”
Grinning wickedly, Father stared straight at me.
“Say Reed, you boasted of them being extremely sweet and tasty no?”
“Yes, very sweet…the aftertaste it is.”
I didn’t show it on my face, but internally, I was thinking, [Caught!!] and feeling a bit uneasy. I answered Father’s question, but the part about the aftertaste was muttered in a faint voice, so Reubens probably didn’t hear it.
“Is that so? Then I shall partake without reservation.”
He accepted the proffered candy from Father with refined grace, then without an ounce of hesitance, popped it into his mouth with a hearty [Nom!]. Yet his expression remained unchanged…or rather, while somehow retaining a cheerful smile, from my perspective his features gradually darkened ominously.
“Indeed, it is sweet…aftertaste…
Biting back laughter watching Reubens’s reaction, Father looked extremely amused. After fiercely glowering at both of us a moment, Reubens redirected that resentful gaze squarely at me alone.
“On another note, your skills have risen considerably as of late Lord Reed. I believe I shall face you in earnest next time, if that would be acceptable…Lord Reiner?”
“Fufufu….excellent. I intend to temper your mental fortitude, so do instruct him rigorously.”
“….My apologies.”
The two seemed to enjoy their back-and-forth repartee. Once he gets serious I’ll probably be flattened within seconds. And so my little prank attempt concluded in failure, with extra training awaiting me back at the estate now slightly less palatable courtesy of self-inflicted karma. Even amidst such exchanges however, the carriage continued steadily on its way. Eventually I noticed something and spoke to Father.
“The rocking seems to have decreased substantially Father.”
“Indeed. We draw near the border with Magnolia so are close to Renalute territory now. The checkpoint will soon come into view.”
We’re finally reaching Renalute! Which means I can bid farewell to this carriage at last. Entertaining that thought instantly lifted my mood. Just then, Diana’s dignified voice rang out from outside.
“Renalute’s checkpoint is visible ahead.”
Reacting to her call, I peeked out the window where I glimpsed a structure resembling a fortress rather than mere checkpoint, surprisingly large in scale. The entry and exit gates seemed forged from timber, emitting a castle gate aesthetic.
Two dark elf troops bearing spears stood guard before the gates, already seemingly aware of and slightly wary due to our presence despite the distance still separating us.
“I shall ride ahead and notify them of our arrival.”
Reubens declared as if reporting to Father who nodded in response. Reubens then spurred his mount onwards, galloping smoothly to the checkpoint by himself.
Thanks to Reubens’s advanced warning perhaps, the gates opened precisely as our carriage approached. Prompted by the gatekeepers, we slowly entered the fort interior. After proceeding some ways in, the carriage was halted.
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Multiple dark elf troops approached the coach to respectfully announce:
“Begging your pardon for the impertinence but we must verify identities therefore humbly request you present documentation and allow the honored guests to grace us with their presence.”
At the soldier’s voice, Father instantly shot up and threw open the door.
“Magnolia Empire, Baldias Territory Lord. Reiner Baldias, Count of the Borderlands. Will this suffice?”
“Ah, sincere apologies for the discourtesy! We are honored to bask in your presence!”
The Dark Elven soldier bowed and quickly stepped back. After concluding his interaction with the soldiers, Father closed the carriage door and took a seat where he had been sitting.
However, at that moment, I was thrilled by the sight of the Dark Elf soldiers through the carriage window. It was an element that players were excited about, completely unrelated to the main story—just like a scene from “[Tokilera!].” The element was the Dark Elf soldiers wearing military uniforms reminiscent of the Meiji Restoration era in Japan, a blend of Eastern and Western styles.
A slightly square-shaped military cap. A military uniform in black with long sleeves and trousers. Military boots reaching the knees. And, of course, the noticeable military sword at the waist.
Yeah, it definitely felt like I’d seen this blend of Eastern and Western styles in my past life. Even though I hadn’t played much of the main story, I remembered this. It was one of the elements my workplace junior recommended to me. I vividly recalled the words of a girl who was my junior.
“It’s Dark Elves and a mix of Eastern and Western styles, you know! And it’s during the Meiji Restoration era! The atmosphere in that route is amazing, so you should definitely check it out!”
Sorry… I did remember being strongly recommended, but in the game, I still skipped it unread. However, since I saw it directly this time, the junior girl would surely forgive me. That’s what I decided.
But, why was Renalute a blend of Eastern and Western styles in the first place? There was a proper reason for this. It was related to the [Barst Incident] that happened a few years ago.
At that time, when Magnolia officially became an allied nation and resolved the issue, the people of Renalute embraced Magnolia’s culture into their lives in a friendly and proactive manner. Originally having a culture close to the East, Renalute, by incorporating Magnolia’s culture, which was closer to the West, created an atmosphere reminiscent of the Meiji era’s blend of Eastern and Western styles.
Why did the citizens of Renalute become so friendly towards Magnolia? It was related to their birth rate. Dark Elves had a remarkably long lifespan, which seemed to make having children more difficult for them than for other races. This became a significant problem for their race and nation. Hence, Dark Elves were very protective of their children as a race, and there was a culture where all citizens watched over each other’s children as if they were their own.
And then, the Barst Incident targeted the valuable children, even Dark Elves, for slavery. That’s why the relationship between Barst and Renalute worsened and deteriorated. Taking advantage of that, Magnolia, which made Renalute a vassal state, hinted at the supply of salt.
This time, before the marriage, I learned about the current situation in Renalute through the studies. I also remembered what my junior mentioned at that time. But honestly, I had a different purpose than the blend of Eastern and Western styles. While I was lost in thought, I suddenly realized that the carriage had entered Renalute’s territory, passing through a checkpoint.
And then, a new scene entered my sight—it was a rural landscape. Yes, there were [rice fields] in Renalute.
I couldn’t help but express my joy aloud.
“Father, it’s a rice field!! A rice field!!”
“Hmm? It’s true you don’t see them much in Magnolia, but it’s not unusual in Renalute.”
Unfortunately, my excitement didn’t convey to Father. However, I was deeply moved. Meals in Magnolia were primarily based on bread, meat, soup, salad, and such. Rice was never on the table. I had hoped to somehow make it happen someday, but I didn’t expect the opportunity to come so soon.
In fact, this was also part of the reason I had Chris accompany me. I absolutely wanted to establish a trade route and import rice to the Baldia territory. While gazing at the rural scenery, as I renewed my determination, Father spoke to me.
“Probably today, we’ll enter Renalute’s royal castle. However, you’ll likely meet the King of Renalute tomorrow or later. Take it easy today and rest.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare thoroughly.”
I nodded in response to Father’s words and replied firmly. Father seemed relieved to see my enthusiastic response, but suddenly, his expression changed to a puzzled one, and he said slowly.
“…Don’t puke, okay?”
“In front of the King of Renalute, there’s no way I’d puke…”
Father’s words drained my strength.
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