Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: From the Rosli Border Territory to the Unknown Land
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The exterior walls were gray.
The atmosphere was eerie.
Vines grew along the edge of the entrance.
Isn't this place a haunted house?
The man carefully opened the door and went inside.
We followed him.
It was cold.
I hadn't been to many mansions, but I doubted there was a place that felt chillier than this.
A neatly dressed butler came down from the second floor.
The man who had guided us here exchanged a few words with him, then immediately disappeared outside.
The butler took over.
"The Marquis is in his office."
We headed for the office.
As we entered, a portly middle-aged man greeted us.
"Welcome!"
"Thank you for having us."
In contrast to the cold atmosphere outside, he seemed to have a cheerful personality.
That was a relief.
"Please, have a seat."
We went to the sofa set up on one side of the office.
"Luke, could you serve our guests some tea?"
"Understood."
The butler's name seemed to be Luke.
The Marquis hardened his expression.
"I apologize. It is embarrassing to have honored guests visit at a time when the atmosphere in the territory is so poor."
An uncomfortable tension hung in the air.
'It seems even holding a concert normally is going to be difficult.'
In times like these, a head-on approach was the answer.
I should ask directly why the trade city, once the pride of the Empire, had turned into such a desolate sight.
"May I ask the reason?"
The Marquis nodded.
He began to tell us the inside story.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
A maritime trade city located in the east of the Empire.
Rosley Marquisate.
Until recently, this place had been brimming with vitality, filled with busy merchants and lines of trading ships.
A port piled high with all sorts of trade goods.
A bustling market.
The salt-laden wind always brought new stories, and the streets were full of children dreaming of adventure.
It was a sight you couldn't see anywhere else in the Empire.
But.
A few days ago, an unexpected accident occurred.
"Poison appeared."
A deadly poison that burned skin on contact was discovered in the trade goods they were trying to export.
And not just in one or two places, but in several, simultaneously.
"In the end, one of the crew members lost a finger."
"Why on earth did such a thing happen?"
"We suspect someone infiltrated the inspection office and tampered with our trade goods."
For trade goods that had been perfectly fine until now to suddenly have poison in them.
It was definitely unnatural.
As he said, there was no other way to think about it but that there was a mastermind behind it.
'Is it a scheme by a rival nation trying to take control of the trade routes?'
With this incident, the Marquisate's position as a trade port was bound to collapse.
If this were true.
"Shouldn't this be reported to His Majesty the Emperor?"
As I asked, the Marquis nodded.
"I have already sent an envoy."
"I see."
He seemed to have a similar thought to mine.
However, it didn't look like it would be resolved quickly.
The distance from here to the capital was quite far.
It was practically crossing from one end of the Empire to the other.
Even if you pushed the carriage and saved on sleep, it took over a month.
I knew this better than anyone, as I had experienced it myself.
Anyway.
The rumor that poison had been found in the trade goods spread like wildfire and had already reached the surrounding nations, and it seemed they had all cut off their dealings with the Marquis.
On top of that, the merchants stopped coming entirely.
It was perhaps a natural result, as an unfortunate incident had occurred at the center of maritime trade.
They would suffer a bit of a loss, but there were other ports, and they only had one life.
With no trade, the trade routes were useless.
The port was closed, and it was said that all the merchants who had been stationed here had left the territory.
The people of the territory who had made a living by assisting the trade had become wanderers who lost their jobs overnight.
Now, the reason why the city was as quiet as a dead mouse made sense.
They said they hadn't found the culprit yet.
'This is a headache.'
I had come across an unexpected situation in a place I had visited just for a concert.
This wasn't easy.
It wasn't something I could handle.
As I unconsciously showed an uncomfortable expression, the Marquis smiled and said.
"I apologize."
"I am sorry. I have been rude."
"It was I who shamelessly invited you, so please feel at ease for the duration of your stay."
"Thank you."
He probably hadn't expected something like this to happen within a few days either.
For now, the concert was out of the question.
Playing a song to comfort the territory's people would likely have the opposite effect.
What was needed now was not empty encouragement, but a direct solution.
After greeting the Marquis, I left the office.
Luke, the butler, was waiting.
He guided us to the guest cottage.
"Everyone must be tired, so let's rest for today."
I said to Edward and Erdi and entered my room.
How much time had passed?
"Young Master."
Edward came to find me.
He insisted there was something urgent he needed to show me, so I went outside again.
A horse and a coachman were lying on the ground.
"It's inflammation. It seems the hoof is in severe pain."
It seemed one of the horses that pulled the carriage had a problem.
It was at a level where it was difficult just to stand on all four legs.
'Well, it's actually strange that it lasted this long.'
I had been managing it steadily, but it was true that I had pushed it too hard.
"Let's let it rest."
Eventually, we decided to stop our journey until the horse recovered.
I didn't know it then.
That that single decision would leave us stranded in this place for a full two months.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I greet Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Ruhan Flovitz got out of the carriage.
A few knights stood behind him.
Eins was there too.
As I knelt quietly, the Crown Prince's face, upon discovering me, showed bewilderment.
"...Why are you here?"
That's what I'd like to know.
I couldn't say that.
"I was on my way to a concert schedule and stopped by for a moment."
"Is that so? This is perfect. Guide me to the Marquis's mansion."
"This way."
I ended up in the position of escorting him.
By the way, they said they had sent an envoy to the Imperial Family, but it seemed neither the Emperor nor Crown Princess Elise came in person.
Even if it was a serious matter, there must be someone best suited for the job.
Honestly, I was curious about how he would overcome this situation.
Together with the Crown Prince, I arrived at the Marquis's mansion.
"It is an honor to meet Your Highness the Crown Prince, the representative of His Majesty."
After confirming that the two had entered together, I headed back to the cottage.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"You seem very fatigued."
Ruhan said.
"How could I be comfortable alone when the people of the territory are living in such hardship?"
"Tell me the details."
The Marquis explained the situation up to that point.
Ruhan listened to him without a word.
A little later.
"The culprit has already fled, and there are no witnesses, you say."
His pupils sank heavily.
The possibility that this was a mere accident was nonexistent.
The situation was too unnatural for that.
It was also hard to believe that the Marquis himself had staged it.
He had suffered a huge loss, not gained any benefit.
He had lost both honor and financial stability.
Then, there was only one possibility left.
"It is highly likely a scheme by a rival nation trying to take the profit."
"But it is not easy to find a suitable mastermind."
Ruhan unfolded a map.
He pointed with his finger to a small island in the east of the Empire.
"The Kingdom of Ivelon."
"Their position seems better as a trade port. Why haven't they done so until now?"
"The location is good, but the coast has many reefs, so it is not a good terrain for trading ships to come and go."
"But if there is no other port nearby, docking would be unavoidable."
Ruhan and the Marquis's eyes met in the air.
Of course, the Marquis had not failed to consider this possibility.
That the Kingdom of Ivelon, to become the new center of trade, might have threatened his position.
It certainly made sense.
To find the culprit of an incident with an uncertain mastermind, you just have to see who benefited the most from it.
But there was no evidence.
To prove his innocence and restore his reputation, he needed clear evidence that they had actually schemed.
He had not yet thought of a way to prove it.
At that moment.
"I must investigate this in detail."
Ruhan said.
"I will send an envoy to deliver a letter. I intend to visit in person."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"You mean me?"
The Crown Prince came to the cottage.
The first thing he took out was quite impressive.
"I will be going to Ivelon soon. You will come with me."
Was I fated to be dragged around?
It wasn't easy to refuse, as it was the Crown Prince's order.
I heard that the Kingdom of Ivelon in the east had recently built a new port, and it seemed the Crown Prince suspected that place was behind this incident.
It wasn't a completely impossible story.
I had no objection to him personally going out for the investigation.
But I didn't know why I had to be included.
It wasn't like he was going to make me play the piano there.
"Nominally, I am going for diplomatic negotiations, so I will need the appropriate respect. I will transport the piano safely, so do not worry."
The Crown Prince said this with a calm expression.
'So it was real.'
Maybe he felt a little guilty, for some reason, he promised a reward.
"If I complete this task safely, I will propose to His Majesty to promote your family's title as soon as I return."
...Wasn't this pretty good?
I didn't know anymore.
"I will follow your command."
And so, the trip to Ivelon was decided.
A little later, the envoy that had departed first returned, and from them, we received the letter granting the Crown Prince's visit.
I had left the Empire's land, wandering for a concert, only to end up on a trip like this.
As expected, you never know what will happen in life.