Ossan Saikyō Chapter 14 Part 08
“Ah, I see. Then you took quite a dangerous role in all this, Soushi-dono. Thank you for bringing Ryūsha-sama this far. I’m sure His Excellency the Marquis will reward you for this as well.”
Inside the swaying carriage, Arslin, the leader of the escort, bowed his head. He was a man in his 30s, an adventurer with the air of a seasoned warrior, his hair cropped short.
According to what I had heard, he was working directly under the Marquis as one of his agents. However, neither his intelligent eyes nor his manner of speaking seemed like those of someone from a commoner background.
Perhaps he had once been a nobleman or something along those lines.
We were currently riding in a carriage toward the capital of the Marquis’s territory. Incidentally, this carriage had belonged to the slave hunters.
Fortunately, no one had been imprisoned inside, but the presence of restraints such as shackles stored in a wooden crate made its original purpose obvious.
“I only carried out a request from the Guildmaster, but I’m glad if I was able to be of use to His Excellency the Marquis. Though there wasn’t really that much danger. The capital’s security seemed rather lax.”
“Under that King, there is no way the soldiers could maintain any sense of duty.”
“About that, I’m sorry, but I’m not very knowledgeable about politics, so I don’t know much about the current situation in Mekalinan. I’d appreciate it if you could tell me a little about it.”
When I asked, Arslin looked somewhat reluctant and turned his eyes toward Ryūsha. The boy looked back at him and seemed to nod.
“The Kingdom of Mekalinan lost its previous King 2 years ago, but...”
According to Arslin, Mekalinan had originally been a country that accepted the use of slaves as labor to some extent, but the previous King had intended to gradually reduce the slave system and eventually abolish it.
However, he suddenly died two years ago, and since no successor had been decided, his younger brother, Duke Giselpha, who held the title of Duke at the time, took over the throne.
The problem was that he was ambitious and a supporter of slavery. After strengthening the slave system, he apparently began imposing strict regulations in order to increase the number of slaves, forcibly enslaving anyone who violated them.
As a result, the people in and around the Capital were being forced to live extremely difficult lives, while nobles and certain wealthy merchants and landowners who benefited from the slave system were prospering.
“That certainly explains the state of the capital. But things are different in the Marquis’s territory, aren’t they?”
“Indeed. Marquis Raghantz was a close and understanding ally of the previous King. He currently opposes King Giselpha’s policies and continues to govern as things were before. However, there’s no telling how long that will last.”
“You mean the King might take some sort of military action?”
“Precisely. You noticed that all of the slave hunters we encountered earlier were former adventurers, did you not?”
“Certainly.”
“King Giselpha has somehow won over the Adventurer Guild in the Capital and is gathering former adventurers to use as his pawns. He has even hinted at using adventurers for an invasion of Orz.”
“Come to think of it, there were a lot of rough-looking adventurers called ‘Special Forces’ at the Guild in the Capital. Were they those former adventurers?”
“Exactly. Those Special Forces are precisely that. Normally, former adventurers should not be able to operate as adventurers, but I hear that even the Guild is involved, having them collect materials and the like.”
“I see... But the thought of invading Orz is frightening as well. My party members are still there, so I’m worried about them. If I really can’t leave the country, I at least want to let them know that I’m alive...”
“Hmm. In that case, the Marquis may be able to do something. I’ll ask him myself to see if he can grant you permission to use the《Voice Link》magic tool.”
“If possible, I’d greatly appreciate it.”
I had also asked Denken about the《Voice Link》magic tool, but using the one at the Capital’s Guild was impossible because transmissions were subject to national censorship.
If I could at least let my party members know that I was alive from the Marquis’s territory, it would put their minds at ease.
Still, things had moved so quickly. I had somehow ended up in Mekalinan by chance, only to find that Mekalinan was on the verge of civil war, and before I knew it, I had become deeply involved with one of the key figures in the situation.
Even for a middle-aged man, this was a lot to keep up with.
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The carriage arrived at the capital of Marquis Raghantz’s territory just before sunset.
The Capital was a fortified city, as expected. Since it was apparently close to closing time, the gates were already half-closed, but Arslin seemed to be someone important enough to pass through without question, and the carriage went straight through the gates without stopping.
It was around dinnertime, so there were few people in the streets. The carriage passed through the city and entered what appeared to be an upscale residential district in the central area.
Before long, we arrived in front of a second set of castle walls. The gates were closed, but when Arslin spoke to the guards, they immediately opened them and let us through.
A garden spread out beyond the walls, with a mansion that could easily have been mistaken for a castle standing farther inside.
That said, although the garden was well maintained, it had a relatively modest atmosphere, and the Marquis’s residence was less magnificent than it was well-maintained and dignified.
When the carriage stopped in front of the mansion, Arslin, Ryūsha, and I got out. The other adventurers, who had been tense the entire time, also seemed to relax with relief on their faces.
Before long, the front doors of the Marquis’ residence opened. Three people emerged: a woman in the prime of her life, an elderly man who appeared to be a butler, and two women who appeared to be servants.
Judging by her clothing, the woman at the front was a high-ranking noble. She looked to be in her late 20s, a beautiful woman with sharp eyes and long chestnut-brown hair tied at the back of her head.
(E/N: Mommy!!!!😋)
“Arslin, well done. However, I thought I sent you to drive off the slave hunters. Who is that per… son...?”
The noblewoman turned her gaze toward me, then noticed Ryūsha and opened her eyes wide.
“Could that be Ryūsha-sama!?”
“I heard that Myuela was going to fight, so I couldn’t just sit around and ended up coming here myself.”
Ryuusha said that with an awkward smile, and the noblewoman hurriedly dropped to her knees and bowed respectfully.
“We were supposed to rescue you ourselves. I never imagined that Ryūsha-sama would come here in person. How did you get here?”
“I tried escaping from the castle on my own. I nearly got caught along the way, but with the help of Dunken-san from the Capital’s Adventurer Guild, this adventurer, Soushi-san, and many others, I managed to make it this far.”
“How reckless! I’m glad to see that you haven’t changed since you were young, but this was far too dangerous. Still, I’m relieved to see you are safe and well. Welcome to my territory, and to my home. I sincerely welcome your arrival, Ryūsha-sama.”
The noblewoman bowed again, and Ryūsha placed a hand on her shoulder before kneeling down himself in reply.
“The Capital is in a terrible state right now. If things continue like this, this country will soon become unable to function. Please lend your strength to this country, Marquis.”
“Of course. With Ryūsha-sama here, it is as though we have received the will of Heaven itself. We shall surely return Mekalinan to the righteous path it once followed.”
After exchanging those words, the two stood.
Ryūsha was then led into the mansion by the man who appeared to be the butler.
The noblewoman watched the boy disappear inside before turning toward me. She gave me a probing look, but that was only natural.
“You are Soushi-dono, I believe? I am Myuela Raghantz, one who has been granted the title of Marquis in the Kingdom of Mekalinan. For today, at least, please relax and make yourself comfortable in my home.”
“My name is Soushi. I am a B-Rank adventurer. I am grateful for Your Excellency’s kindness.”
When I bowed my head, Marquis Raghantz seemed slightly surprised and uttered a quiet, “Oh?”.
Still, I certainly hadn’t expected the Marquis, who was preparing to rebel against the King, to be such a young woman.
Ever since leaving Orz, surprises had been coming at me like a flood. I really wished they would stop for a while.
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E/N:
Wondering why, even though before the Marquis' introduction, she was referred to as His Excellency the Marquis and called for by his territory, etc.?
Well, her title alone is gender neutral when said in Japanese and if you checked the raws (which I doubt anyone would 😂), she has been referred to with gender-ambiguous pronouns, that's all there is to it. Confusing as h*ll!
Anyway, now Ossan might get involved in a Civil War is what I predict, Bad Luck-sensei running full-steam as usual!
Stay tuned!
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