Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Imperial Summons
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Imperial Palace
"......"
"......"
Sitting alone with the Lady in the office, an awkward silence hung in the air. And what was that gift-wrapped bundle? Had she brought a present? As those thoughts swirled in my mind, I was the one who broke the silence first.
"Thank you for coming all this way, my Lady."
"It's nothing. I just had some business to attend to."
She placed the bundle that looked like a gift package on the table and fixed me with a cool gaze. I had no idea why she was acting so distant, but there were things I needed to confirm regardless.
"Did you happen to receive my letter? I sent one to you, my Lady."
She nodded at that.
"I did. Not from the territory, mind you. I ran into someone on the road while heading here for other matters."
"I see."
The Lady said she'd read the letter I'd sent while riding in her carriage and readily promised financial support. Not for free, of course, but interest-free. With the funding secured, I moved on to the next topic: business.
Forming the Landsknechts had been a good move, but to give them proper jobs, cooperation with Cligrove was essential. Our mercenary band's reputation was still too new, so I'd have to leverage my own name for sales, naturally.
"Reliable and valiant mercenaries... An unusual idea."
After hearing my plan, the Lady remarked as much, her blue eyes fixed on me.
"It's not without its problems, of course. But I believe you can pull it off, Viscount."
That single sentence told me she still trusted me, despite her cold demeanor. She was just keeping her distance because of that incident last time.
Fair enough. If rumors spread about the Count's heir—a woman, no less—being involved in a scandal with another man, it would tarnish the territory's reputation. After chatting at length about the territory, the Lady quietly spoke up.
"Have you said everything you needed to?"
"Ah! Yes, that's all. I've been doing all the talking. My apologies."
"No need to apologize. I'm actually glad to learn you've been working so hard to revive the territory in such a short time. The mansion being so empty is all for feeding the people, right?"
Like spring arriving in the dead of winter, the Lady—who'd been carefully managing her expression—finally broke into a warm smile.
"And for your efforts, I have a gift. Open that one."
She pointed to the bundle she'd brought and placed on the table earlier. The fact that she hadn't sent a servant but carried it herself suggested it was something truly important...
Sarah-
"What do you think?"
Unwrapping it revealed flowing silver leather. It was the werewolf pelt I'd hunted long ago. Unlike its raw, unprocessed state back then, it had been fully crafted into a cape. No trace of beastly odor remained; instead, it carried a faint woody scent, a sign the processing was complete.
Processing magic beast hides differs slightly from regular ones. First, like with any beast, you rub in salt and sand on the inside and dry it. For magic beasts, this drying happens under sunlight for days to purge the harmful energies within.
Once the energy seems sufficiently drained, you rinse it several times with water, then soak it in urine and dung water for another cleaning. No idea if that's strictly correct, but that's what I was taught.
Finally, you boil bark shavings into a solution, submerge the hide, and refresh the solution over weeks. The result is durable leather free of stray hairs—perfection.
"It's been processed impeccably by the book. And this..."
My eyes drifted lower as I examined the cape. Turning tough magic beast hide into a cape was hard enough, but they'd even embroidered a crest. Cligrove's crest, no less. A lion clutching gold coins was subtly stitched into one corner.
"Come to think of it, you haven't made your family crest yet. So I had ours added, small as it is. The center's left blank—put yours there when you make it. Now, to the main point..."
As I draped the cape over myself, examining it from all angles, the Lady revealed the true reason for her visit to this territory.
"A letter from His Imperial Majesty has arrived. It instructs Father to take ownership of the territory from Sarisa Count and bring the noble to whom it will be granted."
"So that means...?"
"We must go to the capital."
"The procession of the Lady of Cligrove!"
The capital of the Depord Empire, Londinium. The Lady's carriage breezed past the city gates with near carte blanche. Peering through the small window, I could see the capital's walls and gates were no place I'd want to attack.
Far more ferocious than Cligrove's famed double walls were the capital's triple fortifications, complete with a moat too wide and swift to swim—even for a decent swimmer.
The river beside the city had been diverted entirely, its waters flowing leisurely along lime-plastered moat banks. A moat with actual current. As I gazed at the capital with keen interest, the Lady riding with me smiled and said,
"This is the capital. First time for you?"
"Yes."
Since arriving in this world, I'd only heard tales of the capital—never seen it. I'd sensed it from Cligrove, but this place was too advanced for the Middle Ages. Sanitation... well, it was decent enough.
"The Lady of Cligrove Count is passing! Clear the way!"
Once past the gates, the central boulevard—packed like a marketplace—erupted as knights ahead shoved people aside.
"Argh! Move it!"
"Noble's coming through!"
The road wasn't that wide, so with the carriage forcing passage, the city's freemen and slaves ended up crammed like soybeans in a pot, trampling each other in screams. Better than blocking and catching a blind whip lash, though.
Clop-clop- Clop-clop-
Turning the boulevard into chaos, the carriage soon reached the imperial palace. Relying on those triple walls, the palace itself was a mansion-like structure with mere fences. Like Versailles, if I had to compare.
"After you, my Lady."
"Thank you, Viscount Lucas."
Imperial guards opened the doors, and I helped the Lady down. Normally Edward's job, but since I was entering the palace this time, I took escort duty.
If we were lovers or betrothed, I'd offer my arm—but alas, we were lord and vassal. So I simply trailed behind her into the palace. Weapons weren't allowed, of course, so I'd left mine with the guards. As for my attire...
"You look quite dashing. Have confidence."
The frock coat-style outfit screamed "I belong in London, not this world." Tailored to my build, it still looked ridiculous. Armor might've been better.
Sensing my discomfort, the Lady laughed and called it stylish, but objectively? No way.
Waiting at the palace entrance for a guide, a maid approached leisurely. Palace maids were a cut above—often daughters of lesser nobles, under imperial protection, untouchable even by other nobles. Their every gesture exuded grace and poise.
"Are you the Lady of Cligrove Count?"
"Yes. This is my retainer and the Viscount Lucas Kyle, to whom the territory will be granted. More importantly, I'd like an audience with His Majesty."
"His Majesty is in council at present. I'll guide you to your rooms before it ends."
Following the maid, we traversed the imperial interiors—far grander than my barren mansion or even Cligrove's. Gold, white, and sparkling chandelier crystals blended to declare to ignorant visitors: This is the imperial palace.
Like a country bumpkin in Seoul, gawking around, I noticed the maid stop.
"This is the room for you, my Lady."
Her assigned room dwarfed my office twofold. And that ceiling—so high, how do they even clean it? As I looked around, the Lady said calmly,
"This is the room our family always gets on imperial visits. Most nobles have their own. You'll likely get Sarisa Count's old one."
"See you tomorrow, then."
With that, she entered, and waiting maids closed the door. Left in the hall were just me and the guide maid.
"Then... I'll show you to yours."
As the Lady predicted, my room had been Sarisa Count's. Viscounts usually got smaller ones, but with the Count gone and the territory mine, so too the room.
"Hope Cutter's holding up."
Lying in bed, my thoughts turned to the territory. I'd entrusted the ambitiously formed Landsknechts to Cutter and Gringem—they'd manage. Cutter might be clueless about some things, but his charisma was unmatched. That's why I made him captain.
And for this private army in mercenary guise, I'd spent a fortune. Swapped basic gear for breastplates, chainmail, and pikes; crossbows and two-handers for specialists.
At least recycling war orphans' gear kept it within budget—small consolation.
Thud thud!
Lost in mercenary worries, knuckles rapped the door. Who pounds on a noble's door?
"Who's so rude..."
Grumbling, I opened it to a man glaring up at me irritably. That look rang a bell. Edward? Sarisa Count? He spoke first.
"You're Viscount Lucas?"
"That's me. And who might you be, acting so rudely?"
"I am Viscount Loban, friend of Sarisa Count and vassal to Duke Northmund."
A Count's friend as Viscount? Not impossible if they clicked. But "Sarisa Count's friend" sent chills. No good intentions here...