12th of May.
During the time when salt was still being bought up here and there.
Lishia Farheight and Pascaud Rush had reached the city of Rakham.
They weren’t on any fixed schedule so they were going at a somewhat slow pace.
After all, they could easily make it from Presos to Sharuru with a good horse.
“Lishia-san, will we be staying here today?”
Pascaud asked Lishia. He was baron Rush’s third son and was now 20 years old. He had a normal physique. He had blonde hair and blue eyes which would make him pretty good-looking but his low eye corners ruin it all.
However, that also makes him kinda easy to talk to and so he was surprisingly popular amongst the female knights, soldiers and attendants.
But there was only one woman he wanted to be popular to. It was none other than Lishia Farheight, who was right in front of him.
“Right. From what I have heard, Earl Walter seems to be staying here right now. Let’s go give our greetings.”
“Eh…”
Before departing Pascaud had heard about what Earl Walter had done and how he had lost a part of his land as leasehold land.
For that reason, he was worried about how Lishia will be welcomed by the Earl, since she was going to that land as an ambassador.
Even though he wanted to protect her, he was from a baron household and was the third son at that, as well. It wasn’t like he could hold his own against an Earl.
“I don’t really recommend it, though.”
Pascaud was the older among the two but Lishia held a higher position than him. On top of that, it was the woman he had feelings for so he was trying to keep a low profile.
However, Lishia wasn’t the least concerned about it and turned the horse around towards the Earl’s villa in Rakham.
“It will be fine. He’s another noble who serves the kingdom.”
“……”
Lishia stated to Pascaud, who couldn’t help but worry.
“Thanks for coming, Farheight-dono, Rush-dono.”
However, contrary to Pascaud’s thoughts, Earl Walter welcomed the two in a very good mood. On the surface, at the very least.
“It has been a while, Earl. I was on my way to Jin-dono’s leasehold land as the ambassador of Kurain kingdom.”
The moment Kaina village’s name popped up in the conversation, the Earl’s expression distorted just a bit but neither Pascaud nor Lishia noticed.
“You have been appointed quite an important job then. As it’s just a villa, I can’t provide much of a good service but please, stay the night here.”
The Earl said with a smile. Lishia decided to meekly take him up on his kindness.
“Leave the horses at the stable and your luggages with the butler.”
As they were told, they gave away the big, official luggages to the butler, keeping the hand luggage with them. As the official documents were sealed, they would immediately know if it was tampered with and they also didn’t think the Earl would do such a thing.
They had three horses, one for Lishia, one for Pascaud and another for their luggages. They left them at the stable.
“Ah, please give this one these fodder and water.”
At the end, they also left 2 of their carrier pigeons there. Among the 2, 1 was to report back after reaching Kaina village, about the situation there. And the other was for emergency purposes.
The fact that they had military-use carrier pigeons showed how important this role was.
“Yes, please leave it to me.”
The butler gladly received the pigeons, saying he had also taken care of pigeons before. That also made Lishia feel relieved.
Lishia and Pascaud got two separate rooms.
After entering her room, Lishia thought back upon her task again.
[As the Kurain kingdom, we really want to hold onto this brilliant-super brilliant magi craftsman, Jin.
And, we also would like to receive some tools or magic tools sometimes, which would bring profit to the country.
And for that purpose, we must not displease him.
And as such, your job as the ambassador for Kaina village is to please Jin and that is all.]
That was what she was repeatedly told by the vice-minister of foreign affairs.
[Depending on the situation, hold on to him using yourself.]
They didn’t say that, though, but she did receive indications of it.
“Jin-san…”
Based on the impression she has of Jin, Jin seemed like a guy who wouldn’t like that. Or rather, he seemed like someone who wouldn’t like any shrewd scheme.
She had deepened this belief of her by talking to her former instructor, Gloria Orstat.
She thought if she was going to have a good relation with him, she was to have a bond of pure friendship.
But that was just her instinct talking and wasn’t anything certain.
As such, Lishia was having trouble deciding on what to prioritize more for Kurain kingdom, her instinct or the authority’s instructions.
＊ ＊ ＊
“Looks like that Farheight’s young girl is the ambassador.”
“Oho? That is something.”
“It grates on my nerves but I can’t possibly use just that as a hindrance.”
“Well, that is true. By the way, it seems that she is taking two pigeons along with her?”
“Mm? You get info fast, huh? That’s true.”
“…I have a pretty interesting experiment I would like to do, can I?”
“What is it?”
“…I can’t say. If it goes well, it might also please you a bit.”
“Hmm, well, fine. I wouldn’t stop something you do by yourself.”
“Haha, wise.”
Quinta-Deneb 29 was listening in on that conversation but couldn’t grasp what the mysterious other man was planning on doing.
And so passed on the whole conversation to Laojun.
[Certainly, we can’t say for sure by just that conversation. Just that it will be something relating to the pigeons.]
“Yes.”
[Keep a lookout such that her pigeons aren’t exchanged or hurt.]
“Understood.”
[And who is this unknown man?]
“I do not know. He was wearing a hooded robe so I couldn’t see his face. Just that he is probably in his 30s from his voice and physique.”
[Then also investigate that man’s identity.]
“Yes, understood.”
[If you are short-handed, I will send one more Quinta.]
“Yes, that would be helpful.”
[Then… Deneb 30 is free, take her.]
＊ ＊ ＊
The next morning, Pascaud and Lishia had a lavish breakfast and slowly departed from Rakham.
The Earl also went out to see them off with a smile.
Lishia looked at the basket behind her saddle, which had the pigeons in it.
The two pigeons were quiet inside the basket.
There were also no signs of meddling with the document’s seal.
“It isn’t good to doubt other people much, huh?”
“Yes…”
“The Earl was also regretting doubting Jin-san. He was talking about it yesterday.”
“He did?”
Pascaud couldn’t really believe it just like that. As he had been a noble since birth, for better or worse, he knew the beings called nobles well.
And that suspicion of his will hit the mark in an unexpected way.
“Buying up salt, you say?”
They had reached Sharuru city, where the price of salt had increased.
Salt is used in almost all kinds of cooking. As such, the dinings and restaurants couldn’t help but raise their costs as well.
“And is the Earl doing nothing?”
Those parts fall under Earl Walter’s territory. It was the landlord’s duty to do something when his people are in trouble. He was even staying at Rakham which was just beside Sharuru.
Of course, Lishia or Pascaud didn’t think so far ahead to come up with the idea that the Earl himself was the one leading this.
“Yes, nothing.”
“…That’s terrible. I wish we could do something about this.”
“Lishia-san, we have a role to fulfill. We must not forget what to prioritize.”
Pascaud warned Lishia. However, it was a sound argument for a noble.
“That’s… right…”
Lishia felt bitter not being able to do anything.
“If it was Jin-san here, what would he…”
She couldn’t help but think that Jin would do something about this.
Lishia secretly decided by herself to talk to Jin about this when she reached Kaina village.
Laojun still hadn’t released the salt into the market. It would be a day or two after this.