Chapter 221: The Roommate
“Wait, me?”
“Yes, you. It’s an invitation from Amagio. In the future, you’ll need to come back here, but for now, it’s better for you to broaden your horizons over there.”
“I’m going, I’m going! After all, Amagio will be there, right?!”
“Hold on, hold on. Well, yes. For now, you’ll stay there for two or three months, and if everything goes well, you might live there for a few years to study. There’s not much I can teach you here, and both your father and mother agree. The carriage will arrive in three days. Sorry for the short notice.”
“Got it! I’ll go tell everyone!”
With her father, the village chief, having spoken, Sarya dashed out energetically.
“…Is she going to be okay? She’s never been to the city before…”
“Experience is important, you know. Besides, even though she’s just an apprentice, she’ll have attendants with her, so there’s no need to worry too much.”
“That’s true, but… without trees, she might end up climbing someone’s house.”
“…”
“Hey, say something.”
“She’ll manage somehow.”
In the border village governed by Amagio Silverhead Duke, the couple known for their harmonious relationship sighed, thinking of their precious only daughter.
◇◇◇◇
“Oh, oh! Here it comes, Father! As expected, the carriage from the city is magnificent!”
“Ah, yes, well… That’s not just any carriage… It’s called a Dōsha, I believe. They say it’s a recent invention.”
On the day the carriage was supposed to arrive, the village chief’s family was waiting on the second floor of the village’s carriage station, sipping tea. When Sarya spotted it through the window, she couldn’t contain her excitement.
Hearing her, the villagers nearby stood up and rushed to the window.
“Is that made of iron?! Amazing, it looks so sturdy! And there are no horses!”
“Indeed. It’s my first time seeing one, but I’ve heard merchants talk about it. They say large carriages that run without horses have been appearing lately. But they were only seen around the capital, so I didn’t expect one to come all the way here.”
“Just as I expected from Amagio!”
Seeing his daughter’s innocent joy, her father couldn’t help but smile wryly.
The arriving Dōsha was twice the length of a regular carriage. With a clatter, the door opened, and a woman stepped out.
“By the order of His Grace, Duke Silverhead, I have come to escort you, Lady Sarya. My name is Rinanel.”
“Ah, I see. The letter… I’ve confirmed it. The village chief and his family are on the second floor, please come up. And about this Dōsha…”
“The driver is inside. Could you please indicate where to stop? If you specify a location, I can maneuver it there.”
“Understood. Thank you for your hard work. …Hey, can you hear me?”
As Rinanel explained, the guide rushed over to the Dōsha and called out. Then, the glass window on the right side slowly descended. Though it was tinted and hard to see through, a beautiful girl was inside.
“I can hear you. Where should I stop?”
“Uh, um… There’s a designated spot over there. Can you see it?”
“Hmm. Understood. Right in front will be fine.”
“Ah…”
As the guide watched in astonishment, the Dōsha began to move with a soft whirring sound, smoothly reversing into the designated spot. The guide whistled in amazement.
“Wow, it can really move backward! Hey, I don’t need to take care of horses, but I’m here to welcome the young lady. She should be seated on the second floor. You can guide her.”
“Yes, of course!”
The guide patted the shoulder of the apprentice beside him and started walking toward the Dōsha.
◇◇◇◇
Once on the second floor, Rinanel spotted the village chief’s family standing to greet her and walked over. When Sarya stepped forward, pushed by her father, Rinanel smiled and waved lightly.
“You must be Sarya?”
“Yes, that’s me!”
Sarya froze in place before the unexpectedly elegant and beautiful woman. She had heard that someone would come to escort her, but she never imagined it would be such a stunning lady.
“Sarya, don’t be too nervous.”
The village chief ruffled his daughter’s hair and bowed slightly to Rinanel.
“Thank you for coming all this way to greet us. You are Rinanel, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right, Village Chief. Here is the letter entrusted to me by His Grace, Duke Silverhead.”
“Indeed, I have received it. Thank you. Let me take a look.”
The village chief accepted the letter, confirming the wax seal was indeed that of Duke Silverhead before opening it.
“I am Rinanel. I don’t have a surname. Amagio asked me to assist you. I look forward to working with you.”
“Uh, um, yes! I-I look forward to it too!”
Seeing Sarya’s shy reaction, Rinanel chuckled softly.
“Don’t be so tense. I may be older than you, but there’s no hierarchy between us. Besides, if all goes well, we’ll be spending a few years together. We can discuss the details on the way.”
“R-Right…”
As Sarya’s eyes widened at Rinanel’s refined demeanor, a new figure appeared from the stairs.
“Safran, please come in! Your seats are prepared over there!”
“Thanks for that.”
As the girl who had just arrived caught sight of the second-floor cafeteria, it fell silent.
She had black hair and wore a military-style outfit in dark colors, with a large jacket. Though it looked like a skirt, it was actually a pair of loose-fitting shorts paired with black tights for ease of movement. However, the most striking features were the beast ears atop her head and the black tail swaying behind her.
The two beast ears twitched slightly as the girl turned her gaze toward Rinanel, who was chuckling.
“Rinanel. We’re set to depart in two hours. I was told to wait here.”
“Ah, yes, it seems so. Is this young man going to guide you?”
“Ah, um… Yes, this way! Please follow me!”
Guided by the apprentice boy, the cat-eared girl walked over to the table beside the village chief’s family.
“Ah, Village Chief. I’ll call you again once we’re ready. Hey, you! Get drinks for the young ladies. Manager! Put the bill on my tab as usual!”
The guide, who had arrived late, nudged the apprentice boy and sent him off running. The village chief’s family chuckled at the relaxed scene and returned to their seats.
“Ah, Sarya, let’s sit together over here.”
“Y-Yes…”
Encouraged by Rinanel, Sarya took a seat at the same table as the cat-eared girl. She was still confused by the sudden turn of events, having not even confirmed the Dōsha’s driver.
“Let me introduce you. This is Safran, the owner of the Paraiso, the Dōsha you just saw. She drove all the way here from the capital.”
“I’m Safran. Lady Sarya, I’ve heard about you from Amagio Silverhead. Though our time together will be short, I look forward to working with you.”
Sarya’s eyes darted around, struggling to comprehend the unusual introductions. The delicate girl before her was the driver of the Dōsha? Paraiso? And she was addressing a duke by his first name?
“Haha, it’s no surprise you’re shocked. I’ll explain everything properly.”
And so, for the next two hours until their departure, the girls continued their lively conversation. Sarya was overwhelmed as she learned about the rapidly changing circumstances in the capital, which would soon transform her future.
◇◇◇◇
The journey felt long yet short. They departed in the morning and arrived at their destination as dusk fell.
“Well then, this is where we part ways for now, Sarya. Let’s meet again in the capital.”
“Yeah… Thank you, Rinanel. And thank you too, Safran.”
“You’re welcome. I’ll be coming back here for my duties, so we’ll see each other again.”
Sarya would stay at an inn for one night before heading to the capital Moa by train. Safran and Rinanel would return to Moa in the Dōsha. Although Sarya could have joined them, Amagio had instructed her to travel by train for a social experience.
After waving goodbye until the Dōsha was out of sight, Sarya took a deep breath and set off.
“First, I’ll head to the inn. I’ve heard it’s already arranged, so I should be fine.”
Thus, without any incidents, Sarya arrived at the inn, where she was destined to meet someone who would significantly change her future.
“You must be Sarya. I’ve been waiting for you. I’m Ixia. I look forward to working with you.”
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Announcement
We are pleased to announce that the book will be published by Famitsu Bunko. The release is scheduled for next spring. The illustrations will be handled by Yui Haga! We’ve already received rough sketches, and they are simply stunning.
We will continue to share updates on our activities and on Twitter (@Kaku_TenTenko), so please stay tuned!
(We will continue to post this information for a few more chapters.)