H28.5.9 Typo Correction
① The hill, which was a resting point, seemed to be a well-known spot among travelers, and besides us, there were three carriages that appeared to be from traveling merchants and five people on foot. →…a known spot…
About two hours had passed since we left the Imperial Capital Granza, and the surrounding scenery had become a peaceful and idyllic countryside.
The fields along the main road were planted with vegetables and fruit trees, and farmers were diligently pulling weeds and tilling the soil, their brows beaded with sweat.
A little further on, we passed through a coniferous forest, and beyond that, livestock was being grazed.
It should be soon that we would see the resting point that Hans, the coachman for the noble’s carriage, had arranged.
The resting point was a small hill along the main road, and it seemed there were already some people there.
The hill, which had appeared small in the distance along the main road, gradually grew larger as we approached.
So far, we had made a smooth start without any problems.
The hill, which was a resting point, seemed to be a known spot among travelers, and besides us, there were three carriages that appeared to be from traveling merchants and five people on foot.
The weather was clear today, a bit hot, but the humidity was low, and the wind blowing over the hill was pleasant.
Our party, “Princess Harem,” had Freya and Mai unload a straw mat from the luggage rack and spread it out.
The preparations for our break were complete, with cookies that Tirna had given us and herbal tea in a pot, transferred to teacups.
Meanwhile, looking at the noble’s carriage, which was our charge, the coachman Hans opened the carriage door with a reverent gesture, and the first person, a woman, stepped out.
She had shoulder-length brown hair and a serious expression, appearing to be young. Given that she was wearing a standard maid’s uniform, she was likely Margaret, the Baron’s daughter’s milk sister and attendant.
Then, as Hans and Margaret stood erect on either side of the door and bowed their heads, Clarina, the Baron’s daughter, descended from the carriage.
Her blond hair, which reached the middle of her back, was styled in vertical rolls and shone brilliantly. Her delicate face exuded the pride of a Baron’s daughter, and she possessed the appearance of a typical noble lady.
Hans and Margaret immediately took out a foldable parasol, chairs, and a table from the carriage and efficiently prepared for tea.
We watched their actions while enjoying our tea.
“About 60 points?”
Elise suddenly gave a score, and I thought 60 points was a bit too harsh.
“Isn’t that scoring a little too strictly?”
“Individually, she looks like a decent lady, but her movements are a bit awkward, and she’s just a faded version of Ly.”
“Well, considering she’s a Baron’s daughter, it’s quite an accomplishment.”
Elise explained her scoring criteria, and indeed, it was understandable that she would be compared to Ly.
Kirika then joined the conversation, and we were all animatedly discussing Baron’s daughter Clarina.
At that moment, Baron’s daughter Clarina’s face flushed crimson, and she approached our resting straw mat.
“Listening silently… You will not be forgiven for insulting me, a noble, even if you are an uncouth adventurer!!”
Baron’s daughter Clarina advanced, her eyes narrowed, looking as if she was furious.
“You know… that act itself is vulgar…”
Swan Hilda advised with a sigh.
“Hey, Clarina, would you like to have tea with us?”
Perhaps it was her thick skin, or perhaps the composure of a former royal from a small country, but Elise judged it an opportunity when Baron’s daughter Clarina approached and invited her for tea.
“This noble cannot sit on a cheap straw mat.”
Ignoring me, the only man sitting on the mat, a verbal battle began between the “Princess Harem” members and Baron’s daughter Clarina.
Looking at Hans and Margaret, their shoulders slumped in defeat, and the surrounding travelers watched from a distance.
“You lack confidence in your etiquette, don’t you?”
Kirika attacked, as if to chase her.
“I… as a noble of the glorious Espana Imperial Kingdom, I will not flee or hide, even from an adventurer of unknown origin. I accept this challenge!”
Poor girl… she was completely trapped by the “Princess Harem” members’ plan.
Fortunately, however, there seemed to be no third party present who was well-versed in etiquette, unlike Viscountess Salibana, whom Muna brought last time.
Then, Baron’s daughter Clarina stepped onto the straw mat with her black, gleaming leather shoes still on, but was sternly reprimanded by Freya.
“Clarina, shoes are strictly forbidden on this mat!! You have no common sense at all…”
It seemed that Freya, the shrewd accountant of “Princess Harem,” could not tolerate our shared property, the straw mat, being stained by shoe soles.
Beside me, Elise, her verbal sparring partner, also seemed to agree with Freya’s words, her lips curling into a smug smile.
Then, after a restart, Baron’s daughter Clarina, who had taken off her black leather shoes, stepped onto the mat and was served a teacup of herbal tea and cookies on a plate by Freya.
Hesitantly, Baron’s daughter Clarina pinched the cookie between her fingertips and brought it to her lips.
“N-no way… it’s delicious!?”
While Baron’s daughter Clarina was in astonished surprise, the members of “Princess Harem” began to elegantly enjoy their tea.
With former royalty and former imperial royalty making up “Princess Harem,” they were able to practice etiquette at a level comparable to the formal tea parties hosted by the Espana Royal Family.
In other words, a mere Baron’s daughter of lesser nobility could not possibly match their level, even if she stood on her head.
Baron’s daughter Clarina then picked up her teacup and attempted to bring it to her lips elegantly, but her arm trembled with nervousness.
And as she tried to drink the herbal tea, the rim of the teacup hit her front teeth – *clack, clack* – making an awkward sound, and it seemed the match was over.
“Clarina, how do you like the taste? We just want to be friends with you. Shall we start over?!”
In contrast to her previous demeanor, Elise now attempted to appease Baron’s daughter Clarina.
“…Start over…?”
“We mean, let’s start over with greetings.”
Swan Hilda offered a helping hand at the perfect timing.
Watching from the side, it was strange how Baron’s daughter Clarina appeared like a pitiable victim being deceived by a cunning con artist.
“I am Elise.”
“I’m Swan Hilda.”
“Mai… nice…”
“I am Kirika.”
“I am Freya.”
“I-I am Clarina Misha von Hartia.”
And so, having reconciled? with Baron’s daughter Clarina, our charge, our carriage resumed its journey along the main road.
Three days after departing from the Imperial Capital Granza, we arrived at Dolsen, a post town built at the entrance of the Great Forest Zone, which separated the Espana Imperial Kingdom from the former Kamiyar Holy Nation, as scheduled.
The appearance of Dolsen seemed largely unchanged from our previous visit, but along the main road that cut through the Great Forest Zone, the Espana Imperial Army was camped there, heading towards the front lines against a detached unit of demonkin who had invaded the Southern Nations.
We decided to stay at “Higan to Shigan,” where we had stayed last time.
Meanwhile, Baron’s daughter Clarina, our charge, had been completely disarmed by Elise and the other members of “Princess Harem” and was now clinging to Elise.
Currently, Baron’s daughter Clarina is 17 years old, the same age as Elise. However, on this journey, Elise has taken a higher position, and Clarina calls her “Sister Elise.”
“Sister Elise, let’s take a bath together.”
“Clarina, what a sweet girl. Alright, let’s take a bath together.”
It seems that pure royals and imperial royals are also natural charmers.
While I have them bound by the side effects of “Resurrection Magic” and “Slave Contract Magic,” if I had encountered them naturally, I would have met the same fate as Baron’s daughter Clarina.
Thank you for reading.
episode15-3, “Demonkin Attack,” will be automatically posted on May 9th at 0:00.
