Chapter 55
Chapter 55
Strangers in the Village
The farmers of the Holy Eldar Empire—no, not just the Empire, but likely in any nation of this world—the working class does not cook inside their homes except during winter.
This was because, in order to protect the wood used as fuel, individuals were prohibited from lighting hearths and preparing meals for every single occasion.
In large cities like Dunaice, even taxes were imposed on cooking ovens.
Thus, outside of winter, it was customary to buy bread and stew from the tavern and communal bakery located at the center of the village.
Such taverns and bakeries were often operated by the lord to generate income.
“The Orion Bakery belonged to our Betelgeuse ducal family.
Originally, we would have added taxes to bread prices to support the ducal household, but after the duchy fell into decline and everyone became refugees, we were in a position where, instead of taxing bread, we had to provide relief. Rather than making money, it ended up costing us money.
My aunt detested that terribly, but my father went so far as to use his own pension to ensure bread could be supplied cheaply to the people. Heh.”
Idnia smiled wryly as she recalled the bakery in the Duchy of Betelgeuse.
Though it had simply been a setting she had seen in a game, and a town from a game, the Duchy of Betelgeuse had, before she knew it, become her home—her homeland.
“I am a stranger who came to this land with two lives, yet I find myself daring to long for the mountains and rivers of Betelgeuse.
Perhaps, if I continue living at this Dunaice Academy, this place too will take root in my heart and become an inseparable part of myself that I cannot forget even if I wished to?”
Idnia felt both fear and nostalgia toward the attachment that had formed without her intent.
“It’s dinner time, but there are quite a lot of people. It looks fairly expensive, yet there are more customers than expected…”
Most of the customers appeared to be servants brought by academy students.
However, seeing that there were also quite a number of local residents, it seemed the people of Blackcow Village lived relatively comfortably.
“Most likely, it’s the trickle-down effect from heavily exploiting academy students.
Still, these villagers are simply living diligently in a harsh place, so the ones at fault are the faculty. More precisely, the headmaster.
It seems he’s the one leading all of this.”
Idnia frowned as she thought of Headmaster Ludwig Blackblad.
At that moment, the Black Wolf spoke.
“The food here comes out quickly. Even with this many people, it’s fine.”
“Have you eaten here before?”
“No. It was too expensive for me, so I just ate fish stew.”
“Fish stew?”
“It’s made by boiling leftover scraps from cleaning fish and stale bread. It’s cheap, and it’s quite filling with plenty of meat.”
“……”
Looking at the Black Wolf, Idnia felt a pang of guilt.
Even servants brought by gentry-class students—wealthy commoners rather than true nobles—were dining at this upscale establishment, yet the Black Wolf, despite being the servant of a great noble and the future chief of the Sacred Beast tribe, was living frugally to save money.
She couldn’t even provide him with a salary, yet he continued to live while earning his own way and still regarded her as his master—it made her feel ashamed.
However, the Black Wolf showed no sign of hardship, grinning as he looked over the menu.
“Today we’re eating something good, right? Ah, I’m hungry. Let’s eat a lot. A lot.”
“Yes. Let’s do that. We’ve also earned some income.”
Idnia began placing their order.
The food was excellent.
It was said that the southern regions of the Holy Eldar Empire, along with the Vicrant Empire, had adopted Eastern culinary methods and developed a splendid food culture—and the dishes here truly lived up to that reputation.
The spices were used skillfully without being overpowering, enhancing the flavor of the dishes. Even Idnia, with her past life as a person from Earth, gave it high praise.
“Excellent. It’s a bit pricey, but it’s worth it.”
After the fall of the Duchy of Betelgeuse, Idnia had completely lost interest in gourmet food.
Occasionally she received tea or sweets as gifts, and she enjoyed those, but otherwise she lived without them.
From her memories of Earth, she knew that in this world—where cold-chain distribution did not exist—food had many limitations.
However, the cooking at this establishment was different.
They insisted on using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, producing high-quality dishes without relying on refrigeration or long-distance supply chains.
“The problem is… I ended up eating more than I expected…”
Idnia took out her wallet and paid.
There was no issue paying for the meal, but after settling the bill, she no longer had money for lodging.
Of course, she had valuables obtained from defeating the swamp creature, and selling those would cover the inn, but she would need to go and sell them first.
“I suppose I’ll have to dispose of the valuables to secure lodging…”
“Ah, as you are a duchess’s daughter, we can allow you to pay later. Please don’t worry about lodging and rest comfortably.”
The restaurant staff, who seemed to share operations with the inn, offered to extend credit.
However, Idnia shook her head.
“I cannot casually trade away trust just for my convenience. I do have physical goods on hand, so I would prefer to convert them into money.”
“Understood. In that case, please visit our general store.”
The staff provided umbrellas and escorted Idnia and the Black Wolf to the general store.
“……”
“So this is why people say those from the south are good at business.”
Even the Black Wolf was impressed by their service.
This restaurant, which captivated customers with Mazdari-style cooking, also offered affordable menu options.
Among them were Mazdari dumplings—something between dumplings and pies, filled with minced meat and seasoning wrapped in pastry dough.
They were mass-produced and baked in ovens, yet still delicious, and most villagers preferred to eat these even if they had to pay extra.
A group of travelers currently dining here had stacked plates of Mazdari dumplings and were chatting as they ate and drank.
Composed of two men and one woman, they had tanned, glistening skin, resembling pirates who had stopped by this place by chance, joking and laughing over dumplings and alcohol.
“Did you hear that? That pretty girl in the academy uniform and the kid. They said she’s a duchess’s daughter?”
“A duchess’s daughter? No way. What kind of duchess’s daughter only has a single small attendant?”
“Hm. If it’s a duchess’s daughter like that… could it be the Betelgeuse duchess’s daughter?”
“Oh, Betelgeuse still existed.”
“The Betelgeuse duchess’s daughter, huh. High status. Probably an academy student? The duchy fell, so she only has one attendant?”
“Even if the duchy fell, she ordered quite expensive food. She must have some money.”
“Well, even if a wealthy house falls, their status is still beyond ours. Her pockets must be well lined.”
“Hm… a young female mage with a single small attendant and deep pockets… isn’t that just begging to be robbed?”
“Shall we?”
“What? Are you out of your mind? Don’t. This is an academy-affiliated village. The moment anything happens, academy mages will appear and arrest us. Ransoming her would be impossible.”
“And don’t forget our mission. We must hold this place until our lord arrives.”
“But we don’t even know when that will be. Maybe a little pocket money before then wouldn’t hurt?”
“Pocket money… you idiot.”
“As long as nothing goes wrong, it’s fine. Don’t worry. We’re not planning to ransom her—just take the girl’s wallet.”
“Are you insane?”
Despite their words, they finished their meal and stood up together.
At the general store, some adventurer-like individuals were already browsing goods and were startled upon seeing Idnia.
“Hm?”
“An academy student?”
“Wasn’t she a first-year in her first semester? It’s too early for students to be out like this.”
They seemed aware of the academy schedule and were surprised that a first-year like Idnia had already gone out on an overnight stay.
At that moment, a staff member from the restaurant escorting Idnia spoke to the general store clerk loudly enough for others to hear.
“She is the Betelgeuse duchess’s daughter. Please do not forget that Sir Lorenzo instructed us to take special care.”
“Understood. So, what brings you here, my lady?
If you wish to purchase items, please feel free to browse.
Or would you like a staff member to assist you?”
“Not only to buy… I’ve come to sell something.”
Idnia placed the jewelry box obtained from the swamp creature on the counter.
After appraising the box and the jeweled cross inside, the clerk looked surprised.
“Oh, this isn’t gold-plated—it’s solid gold. And the gemstone… this is a red sapphire.”
“Not a ruby?”
“If a ruby were this large, it would not be out of place in the coffin of an emperor. How much are you asking?”
“A fair price, of course.
But it’s difficult for me to estimate its value. If I were to request a gemstone of the same size, how much would it cost?”
“In that case, we would have to commission jewelers in Milan.
A custom-cut red sapphire of this size would cost around 10,000 shillings.
It would also take at least half a year.”
“Pardon? 10,000 shillings?”
Idnia was shocked by the unexpectedly enormous amount.
“That would be the price for a custom order. If we had it in stock, it would be around 9,000 shillings.
If not transported from Milan, removing insurance and shipping costs would bring it down to about 8,000 shillings.
Of course, the price at which we purchase it would be much lower.
That price reflects procurement from Milan and all associated costs until it reaches customers.
If we were to buy it, we would have to resell it, so we cannot purchase it anywhere near that price.
Frankly speaking, we could only offer about one-tenth of the price in cash.”
“One-tenth… meaning 1,000 shillings?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, that’s quite the markup.”
The Black Wolf grumbled, but the clerk did not take offense.
“I understand why you would think so. However, since this is not an item that can be sold here, we must price it accordingly. If it were sold in Dunaice, it would fetch a higher price.
Personally, I would prefer not to handle this transaction. It feels improper to acquire what seems to be an important treasure of the Betelgeuse ducal family at such a low price.
If you are short on funds, perhaps you could use it as collateral and take a loan instead? We can prepare a pawn agreement.”
From the merchant’s response, it seemed clear that such a small rural shop could not handle an item of this scale.
“Still, I would like to sell it.”
To Idnia, it was merely a treasure obtained from defeating a monster and not something she valued deeply, but the Black Wolf immediately protested.
“No! That’s far too much of a loss. Let’s sell it later when we go to a big city during vacation. The merchant is even recommending that.”
“But I need immediate funds. Even if I take a loan using it as collateral, I don’t want to rely on credit here.”
“If you pledge something of this value, it’s not your credit that matters—it’s the other party’s credit. Why are you being so stubborn?”
“That’s because pawn agreements require a signature.”
Idnia recalled that this shop belonged to Mazdari’s son, Lorenzo Medici.
Even in a simple financial transaction, she did not want to enter one where the other party held the upper hand. That was her true intention.
“Oh, right. Then what about selling just the box? It’s also a treasure, isn’t it?”
“Just the box?
Hmm… ah, it’s actually gold- and silver-plated. The colors have faded, but it’s genuine mother-of-pearl as well.
Very well. We will purchase it for 80 shillings.”
“Ah, then let’s proceed with the deal.”
80 shillings would be more than enough to cover lodging and allow her to stay in this relatively expensive place for quite some time. It would also serve as pocket money for future overnight trips.
“Ah, then sir, we’ll be going first.”
The adventurers who had been browsing the shop finished their purchases and stepped outside, murmuring as they left.
“Wow, as expected of academy students…”
“They’re rich.”
Hearing this, Idnia felt a bit embarrassed.
“This was something I obtained properly by defeating a monster… though explaining that would take too long. There’s no need to explain it anyway.”
At that moment, the Black Wolf sensed something unusual.
Just as the adventurers were opening the door to leave, he felt a strange presence from outside.