Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 182
Chapter Title: Reindeer Riders from the North
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“Next carriage... Ah...?”
The soldier guarding the gates of the Imperial Capital, Robert, had just finished inspecting a carriage headed to the blacksmith guild when he was met with an utterly bizarre sight.
“Whew~ Finally our turn?”
“Feels like we've been waiting thirty minutes.”
“Can we go in now?”
“...?”
Two travelers with hoods pulled so low their noses were barely visible.
It was winter, and the wind was fierce, so deep hoods weren't unusual in themselves. The problem was the animal the three travelers were riding.
“...Reindeer?”
A bit smaller than an ordinary horse but far larger than a pony—massive reindeer.
Not meat or hides, but live, breathing reindeer.
Robert froze, staring blankly up at the travelers who had arrived mounted on animals rarely seen in the Imperial Capital.
“Ooh~ City folk, and he recognizes reindeer right away?”
“Yeah, most people just call 'em big deer. Must be the smart guards in the capital, huh?”
“Ah~ That makes sense.”
“Ahem...”
Snapping back to his senses at the sight of the travelers chatting and giggling atop their reindeer while he stood there dumbfounded, Robert cleared his throat softly and straightened his back.
“Apologies, but for identity verification, please remove your hoods briefly.”
“Oh, right. Wondered why you were just standing there.”
“Ah... I don't wanna take it off outside...”
“Quit whining. Take it off quick if you don't wanna end up in jail.”
“Eek...”
After a brief scuffle, the three travelers pulled back their hoods simultaneously, revealing their faces to Robert.
“This good enough?”
“Huh...?”
What emerged were three elves.
Robert had a million questions about elves riding reindeer of all things, but he held them back and proceeded with the inspection.
“...May I have your names?”
“I'm Stefan, this is Pavel, and the girl's Nadezhda.”
“Stefan, Pavel, Nadezhda... Where are you from?”
“Uh... Our region is... Ah, Karelia! From Karelia.”
“Karelia? I know that's the empire's northernmost region, barely fit for moss and grass, with hardly any people living there. You're from there?”
“Yep. Everyone else headed south for better land, so we're pretty much the last tribe left!”
“Hm~”
His question about why reindeer instead of horses answered, Robert's expression softened a bit as he jotted down their responses.
“What's the purpose of your visit?”
“Heard they sell awesome clothes in the capital, so we came to learn how they're made.”
“Hm... Do you know the shop's name?”
“Hang on... Yeah, this place, right?”
“Ah~”
Robert tensed slightly as one traveler suddenly rummaged inside their robe, but when a very famous portrait of an elf from the capital emerged, he nodded and stepped aside to the edge of the road.
“All clear. Note that within the capital, riding animals is forbidden off designated roads, and animals and carriages must be stabled in approved areas only. Please take care.”
“Got it, thanks!”
With a simple gesture granting entry and a few precautions from Robert, the three elves thanked him, pulled their hoods back up, and urged their reindeer into the capital.
“Whoa... Never thought I'd live to see something like that...”
Muttering softly to himself as he watched the elves' retreating figures in a daze, Robert felt a mix of delight and bewilderment at having gained yet another wild tale for the tavern—then moved on to the next inspection.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The sun was setting, and everyone was wrapping up to head home.
“Pardon the intrusion.”
Just as he'd tidied the workbench and was about to dismiss the staff, the door burst open, revealing the hooded trio.
It had been ages since anyone from the Devonshire Ducal House last barged in so rudely. Stunned, he stood there blinking, and the trio casually scanned the workshop.
“This Atelier Liberatio, right?”
Turning to Marie, who stood closest, they asked brightly.
“Yes, it is.”
“Yay~ Finally found it! The capital's a maze. Took forever thanks to that. Who's the owner here?”
“That would be me.”
“Huh? A human? Thought it was that forest miser from the ads!”
“......”
Their hyper energy was hard to keep up with, and calling Caterina a “forest miser” to her face was downright rude.
Running into these lunatics right before closing only amplified his exhaustion.
“Haa...”
He sighed, scratching his head.
Then, eyeing the hooded trio through half-lidded gaze, he spoke.
“So, what brings you here at this hour?”
“That ad you posted recently! Loved it, so we came to talk. Too late?”
“We can certainly talk...”
He trailed off, frowning.
They weren't demanding goods on the spot—just a chat. That much he could handle.
A bit rude, sure, but they seemed more clueless than malicious. He could overlook that.
But showing up late and insisting on talking with faces hidden? That crossed a line.
“First, remove the hoods and introduce yourselves. I'm not thrilled about chatting with strangers.”
“Whoops! Sorry, sorry. Habit from hiding faces in human cities.”
He'd braced for an argument, but they apologized readily and pulled off their hoods despite hiding so thoroughly.
“You don't pick conversation partners by race, right? Even if it looks that way?”
Under the deep hoods: vibrant green hair, long ears, and sharp-featured, handsome faces.
Elves.
“Elves?”
“Not just any elves—steppe elves! Don't lump us in with that forest miser.”
Steppe elves, from far north of the Hume Earldom.
“Ah... Of all things, steppe barbarians...!”
Caterina, quietly watching from the corner, clutched her neck at the trio's cheerful ambush insult. Her voice dripped with ire; left alone, she'd probably bicker with them.
“Mm... Emily, escort them to the break room.”
“Yes.”
He sent Emily to separate them first.
“William, don't take their order! No clothes for those barbarians!”
As the elves vanished under Emily's guidance, Caterina stormed over, glaring daggers at the door and venting her rage.
“Still, shouldn't we hear them out? Bear with it just a bit, Caterina? You call steppe elves barbarians too.”
“Not to their faces! They insulted me as a miser out of nowhere!”
“I've been punched and kidnapped mid-journey. So what?”
“Uh... Wasn't that half your fault?”
“Kh-hm... The point is, it happened, right?”
“Hah...”
Her energy drained at his brazen nonsense, and Caterina leaned against the wall with a hollow laugh.
“I'll handle the elves, so just endure it this once, okay?”
“Haa... Fine. If they pull that again next time, I'm shooting arrows at those barbarians.”
“...I'll lay down the law.”
Shivering at Caterina's murderous glare, he swallowed hard and nodded.
Never let those two cross paths...
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ “Sorry to keep you waiting.”
After sending the staff home, he headed straight to the break room and offered a perfunctory bow to the elves munching cookies at the table.
“Nah? We showed up late.”
The elves waved it off casually, glancing at Emily—who stood demurely in the corner after serving refreshments—and chuckled.
“Plus, the owner's wife served us so nicely. Wasn't boring at all.”
“Pardon?”
“Lucky guy, with such a proper wife. Skilled hands, sturdy homemaker vibe, bound to bear healthy kids... I'm jealous~”
“Uncle Stefan, you say that to your wife?”
“Why not? Praising another's wife a crime?”
“You said you're jealous to death.”
“Damn, busted.”
“???”
Utterly baffled by the cryptic exchange, he couldn't respond.
What the hell happened in five minutes? He glanced at Emily, who shook her head wide-eyed in equal confusion.
Grabbing his throbbing head, he sat across from the elves.
“First off, to clarify: Emily isn't my wife. She's my maid, helping with household chores.”
“What? You put a guest greeter in such an important role, and she's not the wife?”
“What's a maid? How do you entrust housework to non-family?”
“Concubine or something?”
“No, it's...”
Their common sense was hopelessly twisted; the conversation sank into a quagmire.
How do you explain “maid” to people who don't know the concept?
Or relationships beyond family to those who can't fathom them?
“Yes... She's like a wife. Someone I trust like parents, so I left her in charge of hosting.”
“Ah~ Knew it.”
He gave up.
No quicker fix than coolly admitting it.
Emily's face flushed crimson, but he'd grovel and apologize later...
“So, can we drop the wife talk and get to business?”
“Yeah, yeah. Sorry for yapping about your wife. Our bad.”
“Thank you.”
They weren't bad people—just filterless—so the Emily topic wrapped up fast.
“Phew... You saw our ad, right? Which one?”
“That leather outfit in the recent paper. So cool, full of steppe elves' wild spirit and style!”
“I... see.”
Weeks of harsh critiques followed by over-the-top praise felt oddly uncomfortable.
Were they mocking him from the steppes? But their sparkling eyes said no, so he suppressed the unease and nodded.
“So, you want us to make those clothes?”
“That's part of it, but trekking to the capital every time for 'em ain't easy.”
“True... Takes days just to get here.”
“So we came to learn how you make 'em and the materials!”
“Er...”
He grimaced, rubbing his nape.
An outrageously brazen request.
“Tch...”
His head spun.
Haa... What now...