37-52

EP.52 An Unexpected Encounter (1) 

"We’ll be crossing the bridge over the Fairy River now, so it might shake a bit~ Please be careful~" 

Curious about crossing the river, Yuno got out of the carriage and went up to the coachman’s seat. 

"Sir, it’s dangerous. Please go back inside and hold onto the handrail." 

To ensure security in case of any incident, Yuno’s group had requested Count Graim to provide ordinary merchant carriages. They also changed into clothes suitable for well-off commoners or lower nobles, and concealed the weapons of Cordelia and the other guards as much as possible. 

Because of this, the coachmen had no idea of Yuno’s group’s true identity, but could tell from their appearance that they were important people, so they treated even the much younger-looking Yuno with great respect. 

"Haha, don’t worry about me, sir. By the way, if this is the Fairy River, then on the other side is the Nikana Viscounty, right?" 

"Yes, that’s right. The Viscount of Nikana was a very good person… but he went to the capital recently. He said he wanted to spend his remaining years in peace since he had no heir to succeed him… Sigh~ I wonder what kind of person will come next…" 

"I heard the Nikana and Teshida territories are being merged. Haven’t you heard anything about that?" 

"Ah~ I think I heard something like that. But for people like us who live day to day, it doesn’t make much difference." 

The coachman gave a bittersweet laugh, then, as if remembering something, cautiously spoke to Yuno. 

"Oh, right! The Viscount was a good man, but the new captain of the guards, Gerard, is a real thug. He collects tolls every time you pass the gate, and extorts shopkeepers under the pretense of credit so you should be careful, sir." 

"Oh~ Is that so? Collecting fees beyond the set taxes is illegal, isn’t it?" 

"We don’t know anything about the law. If they tell us to pay, we pay. If we don’t, we’ll get beaten, so there’s nothing we can do." 

"Didn’t you try telling the lord? The Viscount of Nikana was known for listening to the people’s complaints." 

"Oh, don’t even mention it. You have to go through the administrator to see the lord, and he’s in league with the captain of the guards. So there’s nowhere for us to complain. And on top of the regular 30% tax, they keep adding special taxes…" 

Yuno was surprised to hear about special taxes being imposed outside of wartime. 

"Doesn’t the lord ever come out to inspect the people’s welfare? Couldn’t you report it then?" 

"He does come out occasionally, but Gerard is so thorough that he only lets the lord meet people who are in on it with them. So there’s nothing we can do." 

"Thank you for telling me such important information. I’ll be careful." 

"It’s nothing. Still, you all look like important people, so they probably won’t mess with you too much. If the guards start trouble, I’ll give you a signal just slip them a few silver coins." 

"Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind. By the way, the scenery here is beautiful." 

"Oh, of course. If you go a bit further south, there’s the Fairy Lake our region’s pride. Your destination, Kiese Castle, isn’t far, so if you come for a holiday, it’s perfect." 

"Isn’t there a region south of Fairy Lake where the Bekes elf clan lives? Have they caused any trouble lately?" 

Nikana territory had long disputed the lake’s ownership with the Bekes clan, so this was one of Yuno’s concerns. 

Of course, if the empire wanted, they could easily subjugate the elves, but since the elves hunted all the monsters that wandered into their territory from the mountains and didn’t threaten imperial citizens, they’d been left alone, and Yuno had no intention of interfering as long as they didn’t cause trouble. 

"I wouldn’t know. I haven’t seen any elves in the last ten years. I remember they used to fight with hunters who entered the forest, but I haven’t heard about that lately. Meat prices have even gone down a bit because of it." 

"Hmm~ I see. Thank you for letting me know." 

After getting a rough idea about the territory from the coachman, Yuno climbed onto the carriage roof to admire the distant lake and organize the information in his head. 

‘Once we reach Kiese Castle, I’ll need to investigate the captain of the guards and the administrator. I can’t just take one side’s word for it, so I’ll have to hear from multiple people. I should also check if there are any issues with the Bekes clan.’ 

Lost in thought about the territory, Yuno was soon captivated by the beautiful scenery. 

‘Wow~ If I brought Mom, Eliza, and Catherine here for a boat trip and some fun on the lake, it would be amazing.’ 

As if reading his mind, Eliza climbed up to the roof and leaned on Yuno, enjoying the view together. 

"Wow~ Yuno, it’s so beautiful here~ Let’s come here for a date, just the two of us, someday! Okay?" 

"Haha, if Eliza asks, of course!" 

The coachman warned them to come down for safety, but as Masters, neither the shaking carriage nor the risk of falling was a concern, so Yuno slipped his hand into Eliza’s shirt to fondle her breast while enjoying both the scenery and his lover’s body. 

Eliza seemed to enjoy his touch too, so Yuno continued their secret date on the carriage roof until the view of the lake disappeared. 

Even though they’d left Graim at dawn, it was already sunset by the time their carriage reached Kiese Castle. 

"Ugh~ I’m stiff. We finally made it. We must have traveled almost 100 km this place is really far." 

But contrary to Yuno’s hopes for a quick rest, the gates of Kiese Castle were firmly shut. 

"Stop right there! We never open the gates after sunset. Come back when the sun rises!" 

When armed guards blocked their way, the coachmen rushed forward to plead. 

"Please, sirs~ The sun hasn’t completely set yet, has it? If you don’t let us in, we’ll have to camp in the woods, where dangerous beasts could appear. Please, just this once!" 

"Hey, Leroy, Jenkins, you know the rules! You should have arrived before sunset!" 

Seeing the guards’ stubbornness, the coachman gave Yuno a meaningful look from the seat. 

Knowing what that meant from prior explanation, Yuno sighed and stood up. 

‘I’ve never heard of a castle gate refusing entry to verified travelers just because the sun set unless it’s wartime…’ 

"Ahem… Excuse me, sirs~" 

"Who are you!!" 

"I’m someone named Noyu. I used to live in Adria, but came here to Nikana for my wife’s health, seeking fresh air." 

"Hmm~ Show your identification!" 

Yuno handed over their fake IDs with a few silver coins underneath. The guards’ expressions softened immediately. 

"Hmm… your identity checks out. Well, Nikana is famous for its fresh air, so your wife should recover quickly. Don’t forget to report to the administrator as new residents tomorrow!" 

"Coming from the capital, you’re a polite young man. If you keep this up, you’ll have a comfortable life here." 

The guards signaled to those atop the gate, and it opened. 

‘Hmm~ The security is decent, but they’re clearly used to taking bribes…’ 

With the coachman’s words confirmed, Yuno wanted to verify the other information he’d been given. 

"Now that we’re inside, where should I drop you off?" 

They were supposed to go straight to the lord’s manor, but Yuno changed the plan. 

"Please take us to the best inn in Kiese Castle. We’ll stay there until we find a house." 

"Yes, sir! It’s a bit rural, so I’m not sure it’ll suit someone from the capital, but there’s a pretty good inn." 

The inn he recommended wasn’t exactly luxurious, but it was very clean, and since the price was high, there were no other guests, so Yuno felt comfortable settling his group there. 

After everyone got out, Yuno paid the coachmen and sent them off. 

"Ugh~ I’m exhausted. Just sitting and dozing in a carriage is tiring. Twelve hours on the road this really is the countryside." 

"Hmm? But why didn’t we go to the lord’s manor? Isn’t that our destination?" 

"It’s a bit inconvenient, but just for tonight, stay here. There’s something I need to do." 

"Aha~ So, big brother, you brought Marie to an inn because you want to… do something with her… huh?!" 

Marie was smacked by Yuria for her nonsense. 

As Isabella and Eliza laughed, Yuno told Cordelia to stay at the inn and guard everyone. 

"Yes, Your Highness." 

"Until I say otherwise, don’t call me ‘Your Highness.’ Just call me Yuno." 

"Yes, Yuno-nim." 

Yuno tried to get her to drop the ‘-nim’ honorific, but the stubborn Cordelia refused. 

After some back-and-forth, Yuno gave up and left the group at the inn, heading to the marketplace. 

‘Let’s see~ The shops are still open, so I should be able to gather some information.’ 

Wondering where to start, Yuno entered a blacksmith’s shop and was surprised to be recognized. 

"Your Highness the Third Prince?" 

"Huh? Y-you’re… Captain Meyer?" 

"Ah! Why am I still called captain! I only filled in once, but my colleagues won’t let it go!!" 

The one who recognized Yuno was Meyer, who had commanded the corps in Yuno’s stead during the Streve campaign. Overjoyed to see a familiar face, Yuno grabbed his shoulders and shook him.