As they crossed the wide bridge over of the wide canal, the view outside the window changed altogether.
“Ohh, interesting.”
Jin reflexively blurted out.
As he had thought, there were a lot of waterways in Roizato, vertical and horizontal, all of which were being used for transportation.
There were also some houses mounted on top of these waterways which looked quite fascinating. Hearing Jin mutter that, Reiko started sending the scenery information to Laojun, thinking that it might be helpful as reference data.
Although Jin himself hadn’t seen the cities in person, to him it looked like a combination of Edo and Venice.
But as they went closer to the center of the city, the number of these waterways decreased as they connected to the inner moats of the royal castle, surrounding it.
Naturally, there were numerous water gates along the way, making it very difficult to get to the castle.
“The inner moats are about 10 meters, eh…”
He was somewhat reminded of the Imperial Palace of Japan in Tokyo.
There was just one entrance into the castle which wasn’t a moat and the group advanced through it.
And then after a while, a squad of imperial guards were lined up in the way and they stopped the carriage there. That was the first time they got off the carriage after entering the city.
The imperial palace was completely surrounded by the moats.
All of their carriages were stationed at the garage and the horses, except Jin’s golem horse, were left with the person in charge.
His golem horse was taken in with a look of admiration from the handler.
“Jin, please ride in this carriage. Miss Reiko too, please.”
Three carriages without roofs came to take them.
Reinhart was riding on the first carriage and Jin was on the second. The third one seemed to be for luggages and so Jin left his hand luggage there.
The three carriages advanced down a beautiful, stone-paved road.
They then crossed a sturdy looking door and beyond that was the imperial palace.
“Oohh…”
He couldn’t let out a loud voice because of the place but he couldn’t help but feel amazed.
There lied the Shouro empire’s imperial palace, boasting 300 years of history.
The Shouro empire imperial palace was built with granite and was three storied. Its breadth stood out more than its height.
It wasn’t like a spire, rather it looked like a tough-looking western castle.
Jin and the others walked into that castle which was being guarded by knights and soldiers.
＊ ＊ ＊
Reinhart went to report, along with Matheus, and Jin was left in the reception room.
Two attendants accompanied Jin, one male and one female.
“Please, help yourself.”
Jin was a bit surprised when he sniffed the fragrance of the tea they served him. It was a very nostalgic fragrance.
He sipped a bit.
“…roasted green tea?”
It was a taste very similar to that. And so, he tried asking the two with him.
“Is this tea a Shouro empire specialty?”
The male butler answered.
“Yes, it is a specialty of Shouro empire’s southern part.”
“Do you know how it is made?”
When he asked, the butler answered,
“…I am not sure if I can talk about that.”
Jin could assume. If it is a specialty, then there’s probably a secret production method. He can’t just tell it to a foreigner at a moment’s notice.
“I understand. I will be talking to myself then. After picking out green leaves, you steam it and then dry. Afterwards, you heat it till it releases a sweet-smelling fragrant.”
The moment he said that, the butler’s expression changed.
“H-how do you know that?!”
“…As I thought. No, it’s just that it resembled the tea from my hometown.”
The butler regained his composure after Jin said that.
“Is that so? I had heard that you are a very outstanding magi engineer but to think you are also knowledgeable about tea.”
He had just known of it because the director liked tea and he had to listen to the director talking about it, but he didn’t say that out.
“Do you perhaps also have tea which is made by heating the leaves immediately after picking them?”
Jin tried asking the butler, to see if they also had green tea.
Tea leaves go through oxidative fermentation naturally as they have enzyme in them. If this goes well and is left alone, it turns to black tea. If it picked and heated immediately, it stops the enzymes and green tea is made.
“Y-you even know of that?! That is the production method for green tea which was developed over a 100 years ago!”
Ah, so they also have green tea, Jin thought happily.
The tea leaves they were cultivating at Hourai island was an imitation of the Kaina village product, so the taste is a bit different.
But the one here is exactly the same.
“Can I get a refill?”
As Jin said that after drinking it all, the female attendant cheerfully poured him more.
“Ah, delicious.”
Hearing Jin say that while drinking, the female attendant made a happy face.
“Her family are tea farmers, you see. She is happy you like it.”
As the butler said that, the female attendant’s face reddened.
Even so, she is pretty silent. As if she was forbidden from opening her mouth.
“Is it cultivated in a warm area?”
“You know your stuff. That’s right. Roizato is the northern limit to cultivate it.”
At this rate, there might also be rice, Jin thought and so he tried asking boldly.
“Um, are there Shouro empire special grains as well?”
He started off by leading them in.
“Yes, there is.”
“Umm, it’s not like wheat, not like soy either and are fit for cultivating on wetlands and when they ripe, there’s like a top portion dangling…?”
As he said that, the butler’s eyes opened wide yet again.
“Where did you learn that from?! You are talking about the ‘nogi’ which is only cultivated at the south, right?!”
Jin became even happier knowing that a rice substitute also existed. I will definitely get the seeds! - he was determined.
“Ah, that’s probably it. And the dishes which use it are…”
Just when Jin was about to ask another question, the door opened. A young knight had come.
“Mr. Jin, please come. The emperor desires to meet you.”
Jin went walking down the hall with Reiko.
That was because they didn’t say anything about Reiko not coming along. Reiko might not have agreed to be left behind again too.
“The emperor likes meeting outstanding individuals. However, after you enter, please keep your gaze lowered until the emperor tells you otherwise. Please be careful not to raise your gaze without permission.”
They said that there was nothing else he needs to be careful about and should just behave in his own proper manner.
And then he was guided into the office. The door looked sturdy, being made with two wooden boards and two soldiers were standing at each side.
“It’s Mr. Jin.”
After the knight who guided him there said that, the soldier who was standing by the door pulled a cord three times. Seems to be a bell or something.
After which the door was opened from the inside.
“Please enter.”
Hearing the voice coming from inside, the knight urged them to step in.
“Welcome, Jin.”
Reinhart was there. And there was a big solid desk at the back, behind which the Shouro empire’s emperor was sitting.
“The emperor really wanted to talk to you in person, you see. Now, please advance inside.”
To show his utmost respect, Jin bowed deeply and moved inside.
1 step, 2 step. He had reached in front of the emperor after 7 steps. His gaze was still at the emperor’s feet. He had not raised his gaze.
“He’s Jin Nidou, magi crafsman of a foreign country. He’s also the honorary magi craftsman of Egelia kingdom and has also become an honorary member of our magi engineer guild the other day.”
Reinhart’s voice resounded, introducing Jin.
“I welcome you. Mr. Jin Nidou, please raise your face.”
After being told, Jin raised his face and saw the emperor for the first time.
And was surprised.
“Welcome to Shouro empire. I am the emperor, Gelhart Hilde Fon Rubis Shouro.”
Shouro empire’s emperor was a woman… an empress.
“Fufu, it seems like you are surprised. Everyone who meet me for the first time are surprised. That’s fine. I am the previous emperor’s daughter. And I will be the emperor until the previous emperor’s child, Elunsto becomes an adult.”
Jin was surprised as she even told him about such internal matters.
“Fufu, you’re surprised again, aren’t you? Everyone in my country knows of it, after all. However, it is not known externally so most of the foreigners do not know.”
She sweetly smiled saying that. Jin was charmed.
Not in a romantic way.
The woman in front of him looked to be in her late thirties, had dark brown hair and light green eyes with a small stature.
It was as if…
(Director……)
She resembled the director of the Nidou orphanage, who was basically Jin’s foster parent.
Of course, while she does resemble the director, there were parts different from the director. Not to mention that the director had white hair. However, that gentle way of talking, that kind look and above all, her aura felt just like the director’s.
Unbeknownst of Jin’s such feelings, the Shouro empire’s emperor Gelhart Hilde Fon Rubis Shouro continued.
“I have heard from Reinhart. That you are an amazing magi engineer. Also that you have built a pump which can bring water from the deep wells and have also invented a cleaning magic tool at Anbelk. And that’s not even all. Microscope, did you say? That too…”
“I have not done as much as you are assuming.”
The empress replied ‘nobody would think that’ to Jin’s modesty.
“According to Reinhart, you have studied this ‘science’ subject? If it’s alright with you, I would really like if you were to teach even a part of it in our country.”
The empress paused there.
“Ah, what’s the matter with me? I have gotten a bit too hasty… Mr. Jin, please take your time looking at our country.”
Saying that, she pointed to Reinhart.
“Reinhart, I will be removing you from normal official work for a full year starting now. And I will give you the role of entertaining Mr. Jin.”
Reinhart silently nodded. She probably also considered his rest after his work as the diplomat and his wedding with Belche.
“Please go around looking at my country as much as you like. The good parts, and also the bad parts. And I hope, you will like this country on top of all that.”
And then, the empress gazed at Jin’s eyes and said,
“Your knowledge, even if it’s just a fragment of it. Please lend it to this country, for my people.”
Saying that, she slightly bowed.