A Night at the Northern Inn
Quite some time had passed since they set out. They now found themselves in the northern reaches of Sionel territory.
“How strange. It feels much warmer here than in the capital.”
Momo, who had worked hard throughout the journey, had curled up inside the pocket of Pay’s coat and was now fast asleep, snoring softly with little puffs of air.
Carrying five grown men at once while flying as gently as possible for Pay’s sake must have taken a great deal of effort. She planned to reward him with plenty of smoked meat once he woke.
“We flew slowly once we got close, yet there isn’t a single soldier on patrol. It’s surprising,” Raphael remarked.
Cassel answered in a low voice, “Frequent patrols are only feasible near the borders or around the capital. Covering such a vast area without gaps is nearly impossible.”
“Where should we head first?” Prince Asterin asked.
Pay fell into thought. Even though they were still within the northern part of Sionel territory, riding borrowed horses in place of Momo would make it difficult to leave the region quickly. With a set deadline for their return, they couldn’t afford to wander aimlessly through every settlement. Pay spoke up.
“In times like this…”
“In times like this?”
She raised a single finger. “An inn, of course. I read in an adventure novel that you befriend the other guests and ask the innkeeper for information.”
“It’s not a bad idea, but the source is rather questionable.”
“Lucius!”
Though it wasn’t a bad suggestion, his words were overly dismissive. When she turned to look at him, Lucius was smiling quietly. Had he only been teasing?
At the start of their journey, he had been sharp toward the three men, but after traveling together for a while, his demeanor seemed to have softened.
“The sun is nearly set anyway. Finding an inn is the right choice. The others can sleep on the ground if they must, but you should rest in a proper bed.”
Lucius had pushed Momo hard, allowing them to cover the distance in a single day. Even accounting for a drakan’s flight speed, the journey should have taken at least two or three days. On horseback, it would have required a week to ten days, perhaps longer.
As he said, the sky had already darkened from evening into night.
“What are you saying? They’re all important people.”
“Just worry about yourself.”
“Oh, look! There’s a sign that says INN over there.”
Prince Asterin’s sharp eyes had spotted the inn in the distance.
“Please remember the precautions we discussed before departure. Whether you’re a commander or a prince, avoid using words like ‘magic’ as much as possible. Of course, if it becomes unavoidable, you may use magic.”
Cassel made them repeat their promises once more before they entered the inn.
How curious.
Unlike the countless inns in the capital, this one didn’t compete with flashy names. As Asterin had said, the sign simply read INN.
After leaving the monastery for the Magic Tower, Pay had rarely ventured beyond the well-guarded capital. This kind of place was new to her.
They secured rooms and gathered around a table to eat. Raphael, glancing toward the wall, asked about a bubbling pot.
“Surely that isn’t our meal?”
“Of course it is, sir. It’s our traditional stew, boiled for a hundred years without ever changing the pot.”
The innkeeper, who had just brought spoons and forks, spoke up casually.
“A… a hundred years?! You’re joking, right?”
Whether Raphael was shocked or not, the innkeeper seemed determined to tease him.
“The longer it simmers, the better it purifies any evil aura clinging to travelers. It’s a local specialty, so everyone should have a bowl.”
“Ugh, I’m not eating that.”
“In that case, I’ll give you twice the bread baked from fifty-year-old dough. When it’s well baked, you can see the yeast alive and dancing on top.”
“What?”
“If you’re lucky, it even looks like a person. Hahaha!”
The innkeeper’s wife placed a large basket of bread in the center of the table.
“Fifty-year-old dough! Innkeeper, your jokes are too much. I don’t believe it!”
Raphael looked disgusted, yet his pupils trembled slightly.
“Pfft…!”
Pay could no longer hold back. She rested her arms on the table, buried her face in them, and giggled.
After all, no matter what anyone said, Raphael Orléans was a noble son raised delicately in the Orléans ducal house. Even if he enjoyed teasing others, he was the one who ended up teased in the end.
Once this journey ended, even if he lived his entire life as a knight without ever leaving the capital again, that pampered young master’s temperament would never change. But that was part of his charm, wasn’t it?
It was an incredibly enjoyable time.
Despite the innkeeper’s threats, the food was perfectly normal. However, because the climate in Sionel territory wasn’t suited for growing wheat, bread made from flour was quite expensive and had to be ordered separately.
Still, the cooking was good, and they managed to finish nearly everything. Momo, who had been sleeping soundly, woke in the middle of the meal and stuffed his belly full of meat. Lucius gave him a light thump on the head for it.
“You all worked hard coming so far. Sleep well.”
“Lady Pay, it is thanks to you guiding the drakan so skillfully.”
“Hehe, it was nothing.”
“Let us meet tomorrow morning. If you hear any strange noises outside, do not come out hastily. Wait until we knock on your door.”
Pay’s private room was the innermost one.
Even small considerations like this were something she had never experienced before. Because of that, the deep wounds in her heart were clearly beginning to heal.
The next morning.
They decided to delay checkout and went out to gather information, but it proved difficult.
“The innkeeper was right. People are very reluctant to talk.”
The only guests who had stayed at the inn the previous night were the five of them. Occasionally, a traveler or two would pass through, along with merchants, but about two weeks ago a fairly large group had stayed and left, and no large parties had come since.
Perhaps because this was the edge of the empire, the people here were extremely conservative. Even the capital had its share of rigid people, but dealing with them here felt like an entirely different level. They openly avoided the strangers, refusing even to greet them. It was frustrating.
“It’s all right, Lady Pay. Cheer up. We’ve done well so far, haven’t we?”
“You’re always so kind, Lord Cassel.”
“…Hmph.”
Unlike with Raphael, Lucius did not interfere with the warm atmosphere between the two. Raphael, who seemed oddly dissatisfied by this, fearlessly picked a fight with Cassel.
“This is all because of your sinister gaze, Cassel.”
“What did I do?”
“Your rare red eyes have been burning since morning. Of course people are scared!”
Cassel spoke in a voice low enough that only their group could hear.
“My red eyes are inherited from my ancestor, Lord Kaidov. There’s no reason to hide them.”
So that’s what it was.
Even if he didn’t resemble the duke and duchess, Cassel was still a legitimate descendant of the Klein ducal family.
In the past, just thinking about the Klein ducal residence would freeze my heart. It wasn’t simply to avoid death—I found facing them painful in itself.
The thought she had before falling asleep the night before was correct.
Now… I don’t hate them that much anymore. If more time passes like this, even the tears and emotions I shed whenever I think of them will fade away.
It wasn’t forgiveness. It was the same feeling she had when she defined her emotions toward Maurice Klein.
It would be forgetting them, or reluctantly setting them aside.
As time flowed backward, Pay was gradually letting go of the ties connected to her previous life.
She pushed the dark thoughts away and spoke brightly on purpose.
“I think we need to earn a little trust from the people around here.”
“Hmm.”
They returned to the inn and continued their discussion.
“Sionel territory isn’t particularly prosperous, but it isn’t impoverished either. However, aside from the lord, there are no extremely wealthy nobles. People who have been pushed out of the central circles sometimes come here to settle… I read that in a book.”
Cassel smiled. “That’s correct, Lady Pay. As we saw from the food yesterday, the climate makes wheat farming difficult. Ingredients that don’t grow locally are expensive because of that.”
“Wow, I see.”
“……”
Prince Asterin found their conversation fascinating, while Lucius remained silent because Pay was speaking with someone who was, at best, a decent fellow and her only family. Of course, every detail about Sionel territory—from ancient times onward—was already stored in his mind.
If Pay wished, he would recite everything he knew like a thesis.
“I’m not sure if this will help. Ugh… hup!”
She pulled up the heavy bag she had brought from the Magic Tower. Cassel, who had been sitting beside her, quickly supported it with his hand and placed it on the table.
“Grrrowl!”
Carrying the five of them had already been tiring, and the bag was heavy too. When Momo let out a low growl from his throat, Pay gently stroked his head.
“Sorry, sorry. This is it. New variety corn seeds and taro. Ah, Momo! Don’t eat that. It won’t suit your taste anyway.”
Cassel took one of the crops from the sack and examined it.
“So this is taro? It looks a bit like sweet potato.”
“What’s a sweet potato?”
At Raphael’s question, Pay and Cassel stared at each other blankly.
Cassel shrugged as if it were nothing special. “Sweet potatoes aren’t commonly eaten in the capital. It’s understandable that you wouldn’t know, Raphael.”
“Potatoes have become part of the capital’s food culture, but it’s strange that sweet potatoes aren’t eaten much.”
Having endured the harsh life in the Logia border region, Cassel could explain.
“Potatoes are commonly used in soups or salads, but not often eaten whole. Sweet potatoes have a strong sweetness, so they’re even less preferred than potatoes.”
“So they’re sweet too?”
No one answered Raphael’s question.
“People usually enjoy sweet desserts after meals, but if sweet potatoes come in the middle, the flavor feels off. That’s why they’re rarely used.”
“I see.”
“Raphael probably doesn’t even know what a potato looks like.”
“Have you ever seen potatoes being harvested, Lord Cassel?”
Cassel smiled. “Of course. In the region where I was stationed before, potatoes were one of the few things that grew well. I saw them every year until I was sick of them. I’ve eaten quite a few roasted over a campfire too.”
“Hehehe.”
She felt a small sense of kinship with him.
During her time at the monastery, potatoes and sweet potatoes—essential crops for famine relief—were always planted. Yet after entering the capital, she had been surprised to find no culture of steaming and eating them.
Come to think of it, Dot once asked what it was when she saw steam rising from boiled potatoes. Nobles really have no idea what kind of life I lived.
“I don’t know what it is, but it feels like I was thoroughly teased. So what are you planning to do with these?”
Raphael, who had been quiet, asked with a sulky expression.
“I was thinking of sharing some as seeds. Of course, there’s no guarantee they’ll succeed in growing just because we give them out, and the locals won’t suddenly open their hearts to us either.”