Chapter 46

Chapter 46: Heading to the Duke's Territory

The next morning, I was awakened much earlier than usual.

"Leon-sama, we have an early departure today, so please wake up soon to avoid being late."

"Ugh... I got it. Thanks for waking me up."

Still rubbing my sleepy eyes, I managed to get up. It was still dark outside.

During the journey to the Duke's territory, we would stay overnight at the magistrate's mansion in a town along the way. The first town we were scheduled to stay in was a bit far, so we had to leave early.

I patted my cheeks with both hands to wake myself up. Ouch... I did it too vigorously and it hurt a bit...

But, well, my eyes were open now, so it's fine.

"Good morning, Roger."

"Good morning. Your luggage has already been loaded by the servants, Leon-sama. Please prepare yourself."

"Got it. Thanks."

"Yes, let's have breakfast first. I will prepare it, so please wash your face here and wait."

So, I had breakfast, changed into luxurious clothes, and got ready.

"Let's go. Everyone is gathering in the reception room next to the entrance hall."

Guided by Roger, we arrived at the reception room next to the entrance hall. It seemed to be used for minor guests. No one had arrived yet.

I sat on the sofa and waited while drinking the tea Roger brewed for me. After a while, Frederick-sama came.

"Good morning, Leon. Early, isn't it?"

"Good morning, Frederick-sama."

"Are you feeling a bit nervous?"

I wonder? I hadn't noticed it myself.

But now that he mentioned it, it might be because I'll be among nobles for several days, which is something I've never experienced before. I've become accustomed to the Duke's family, but I'll be meeting people in the capital for the first time.

"Yeah, you might be right. I'm meeting your older brothers for the first time..."

"No need to be too nervous. My brothers are all good people. Besides, I've told them about you."

It was reassuring to hear him say that.

After chatting with Frederick-sama about trivial things, Richard-sama and Catherine-sama arrived.

"Everyone is here. Let's depart. Get on the carriage."

We then left the Duke's mansion by carriage. The four of us rode in an exceptionally large and luxurious carriage, with two servants inside. Other servants would ride in another carriage, and there were two more carriages filled with luggage. In total, there were four carriages moving along the road, surrounded by knights and soldiers from the Duke's family.

I didn't realize there would be so many guards besides Frederick-sama. Well, it's understandable since they're from a noble family. It also serves as a show of authority, I suppose.

As the carriage proceeded smoothly and left the capital, I opened the window and looked outside. There were vast fields with scattered houses. Occasionally, I could see structures that seemed like churches, so perhaps they were built once we were quite far from the capital. Indeed, I couldn't hear the town's bell tolling from this distance.

Or, is this place still considered the capital?

"Richard-sama, is this still part of the capital?"

"Oh, yes. We're still in the agricultural zone of the capital. A little further, and it'll be the agricultural zone of the Duke's territory."

It seems that there's a well-maintained road between the capital and the Duke's capital, even though it's just bare soil.

And along that road, there are agricultural areas and towns.

I looked outside for a while, but since the scenery remained the same for a long time, I got bored and closed the window.

"Leon-kun, do you have any favorite food?"

Richard-sama suddenly asked me. Favorite food? Why is he asking this all of a sudden? While feeling a bit puzzled, I answered.

"Well, I like pretty much everything, but I particularly enjoy the beef stew I had at the Duke's mansion."

"Oh, that one. I like it too. The seasoning used for it was recently developed, and the meat is so tender, making it extremely delicious."

It's not exactly like beef stew, but it's a similar sauce that cooks the beef until it's tender and delicious. It's the dish I enjoyed the most among all the meals I had at the Duke's mansion.

"In that case, let's go to a restaurant where we can have beef for lunch."

"We can have lunch at a restaurant?"

Are there towns along the way? Are there so many towns around here?

"There's a town just before we enter the Duke's territory. It might be a little past lunchtime, but I prefer having lunch at a restaurant."

I see. So, there's a town near the border between the capital and the Duke's territory.

"That sounds exciting. It's my first time going to a town other than the capital."

"Ah, look forward to it. It's a bit different from the capital and quite enjoyable."

After a while, the carriage arrived at the town. Looking out of the window, I saw closely packed houses.

"Are there central districts in towns other than the capital?"

"No, there aren't. But there might be streets with high-end shops."

The carriage proceeded along the town's main street. The townspeople looked surprised at the carriage, but they quickly recognized it as a noble's carriage and stopped staring.

Nobles are not exactly the kind of people commoners want to associate with. While the Townsend Duke's family won't do anything unreasonable, I've heard that some nobles can be quite unfair.

After a short while, the carriage stopped. It was an extravagant-looking restaurant. Richard-sama's servant went inside first. It seemed like he was announcing the noble guests' arrival in advance. It must have been quite sudden for the restaurant.

After a short wait, a middle-aged man came out of the restaurant. Then, Richard-sama's servant returned to the carriage.

"Everyone, preparations are complete."

"Understood."

Upon hearing that, Lord Richard asked me to get off the carriage first. I wonder if it's because of my lower status?

We descended from the carriage in the following order: myself, Lord Frederick, Lord Richard, and Lady Catherine.

After disembarking from the carriage, Lord Richard escorted Lady Catherine, and the two of them began walking towards the shop. Lord Frederick followed suit, so I followed him.

"Everyone from the Duke of Townsend's family. Thank you very much for visiting our store today. We have prepared seats for you, so please come inside."

"Oh, despite the sudden visit, we appreciate the prompt response."

"It's only natural."

The interior of the store was quite luxurious. While it paled in comparison to the Duke's mansion, it seemed to match the level of grandeur for a shop located in the city center.

We were shown to a private room. Inside the square room were four large round tables and chairs. Lord Richard sat at the far end, and I took the seat closest to the door.

"The menu is right here."

The staff handed each of us a menu. The main course offered several options of meat dishes, and the rest of the set menu seemed fixed.

Choices included herb-grilled chicken, beef and pork steaks, and beef stew, among others.

I think I'll go with the beef stew. Talking about it made me crave it even more.

"I'll have the beef stew, please."

"I'll go with the herb-grilled chicken."

"I'll have the pork steak."

Everyone ordered one after the other. I also needed to place my order.

"I'll have the beef stew as well, please."

"Very well. Please wait a moment."

With that, the staff left, leaving only the four of us in the room, along with our two attendants and two guards.

The attendants and guards were probably taking their meals in shifts.

"Leon, you also chose the beef stew, didn't you?"

"Yes. Talking about it earlier made me want to have some."

"That stew is indeed delicious. But for me, it's a bit heavy for lunch. Grilled chicken is just right."

"I agree. It might be a bit heavy for Catherine."

As we were discussing this, the staff returned, pushing a cart with a pot of soup. The servant took a sip of the soup first.

For a moment, I wondered what they were doing. Maybe they were tasting it? But then it dawned on me.

This must be a poison check! They really conduct such checks!

But did they do this in the Duke's dining hall too? I wasn't sure. I hadn't really paid close attention before. The dining hall is large, so they might have done it there as well.

After the check was over, the soup was served, and the waiter brought out the tableware, which I thought they might have brought along with them.

Perhaps even the tableware was brought in advance?

Come to think of it, this cutlery might be the same as the ones we always use in the Duke's household.

Uh-oh... nobles can be scary.

I should practice recovery magic to deal with weak poisons that might upset my stomach... I'll do that as soon as I get home. Poisonous herbs can be found in the forest, so I can get my hands on them easily.

I gathered myself and took a sip of the soup.

Oh! It's quite delicious. Maybe new cooking methods developed in the city center have spread to high-class restaurants like this.

Or perhaps it's part of a chain of restaurants. I'm not sure if they exist in this world, though.

From there, we enjoyed the meal while discussing matters about the Duke's territory. The beef stew was delicious, although the Duke's chef seems to have a better hand with the sauce as it usually tastes more delicious. Still, I'm satisfied.

After drinking tea and taking a short break after the meal, we boarded the carriage again and left the city.