Upon entering the castle, the guards gave us a tour, almost like a sightseeing tour of a historical building.
“This area has been arranged for guests to relax. Not only the great hall and dining room, but also offices and bedrooms have been prepared. There is also a slightly smaller bath with a view of the sea, which has been very well received by our guests…”
I was curious about the guard’s extremely fluent explanation, and without thinking, I interrupted to ask in the middle of his speech.
“Um, do you always give such detailed explanations to every guest?”
The guard hurriedly turned to look at me.
“Ah, I’m sorry! Was it too long…?”
“No, not at all. It’s just that you’re explaining it very thoroughly,” I reassured him with a smile, trying to calm him down. The guard cleared his throat and nodded lightly.
“Well, I’m glad to hear that. Normally, our lord doesn’t stay here in Tribute, but rather in the fortress city of Tirindo on the border. However, due to the large number of guests visiting Tribute, it has become more common for him to spend time here to make things more manageable. We guards also deal with the many people who come to seek an audience with him every day.”
“I see…”
I listened to the guard’s somewhat proud explanation and sighed inwardly.
So far, I hadn’t seen any special industries being carried out here in Tribute. Normally, a port town would have industries like transporting goods by ship or fishing, but apparently, in this world, the great sea is home to a multitude of large magical beasts, so industries relying on ships had hardly developed at all.
There are ships on smaller rivers or lakes, but it seems that seeing ships in the sea is extremely rare.
Given this, the main source of income for the land must be trade and the tolls from traveling merchants. Perhaps that was why Marquess Rosso himself was often busy dealing with guests.
This is bad. If my concerns are correct, the Rosso domain may eventually dry up. If that happens, it would be impossible to build a friendly relationship with Rosso. The cause lies with the Yellenetta Kingdom, which attacked from Scudetto, but no matter the process, the merchants who were supposed to travel through Tribute would now flow toward Ceat Village. If anyone’s annual income is halved, it’s only natural they’d resent the ones taking the profits that were supposed to be theirs.
If the long-established Rosso family went bankrupt because of this…
“…Alright, I’ll take a chance.”
Tired from thinking seriously, I decided to change my mindset. I’ll judge Rosso based on his character.
With that thought, I felt a little lighter and enjoyed the rest of the guard’s tour as we headed to the audience chamber.
“This way,” the guard said, knocking on the door to the audience chamber.
Then, the imposing steel double doors opened from the inside. The hall immediately appeared before us. It wasn’t too large, and there didn’t seem to be many people inside. At the back, a man was sitting in a large chair with a high back. On either side of him were two knights in extravagant armor. Along the walls, I could also see a few individuals who looked like magicians.
“Come in,” a low voice said from the man.
Panamera and I entered the audience chamber, walking toward the back of the hall with a bit of tension. The man sitting in the chair raised his face.
He had dark silver hair and appeared to be in his forties. His sharp, elongated eyes were striking. His expression didn’t reveal much emotion, but I felt a tightening in my chest, thinking he might be angry.
The man stood up from his chair and looked at Panamera and me.
“Welcome, Panamera Carrera Cayyenne, Count. And Van Nei Fertio, Viscount… I am Porto Vin Rosso, the Marquess who rules this Rosso domain.”
The man greeted us with a slightly raspy, refined voice. He had a calm, dandy presence that reminded me of Espada.
Admiring the demeanor of this mature man, Panamera lightly bowed and returned the greeting.
“It is an honor to meet you, Marquess Rosso. Please, call me Panamera.”
“Oh, Van Nei Fertio! Please, call me Van!”
After hearing Panamera’s greeting, I hurriedly echoed her words. I couldn’t help but feel a bit anxious afterward, wondering if I should have been more formal, but Rosso smiled faintly and nodded.
“…I see. I can feel the force of someone who rose through military power. It’s reassuring. Also, Van Nei Fertio, you’re much younger than I expected. I’ve been wanting to speak with you both.”
Rosso interpreted our greetings favorably, smiling as he spoke.
“Now, please, have a seat.”
It seemed that the formalities were over. Rosso said this casually and immediately sat on a single sofa, waiting for us to sit down as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment