Chapter 222: Companions on the Journey
“Um… Yes, I am Sarya, but…”
It seemed that the girl had been waiting for Sarya in front of the inn’s reception.
“We can discuss the details later. It’s better to finish the check-in first.”
“Understood.”
Though hesitant, Sarya found her words reasonable, so she headed to the reception. She wrote down her name and place of origin. The guest ledger was used to record the identities of the lodgers and submitted to the authorities, primarily for maintaining public order. Sarya had heard this from her father.
“Lady Sarya, I see your name here. Now, please proceed to pay for your stay. It will be one Itali silver coin, or you can pay in grams, but in that case, we can only accept a 100-gram banknote.”
“I’ll pay in grams, please.”
The lodging fee was as expensive as she had been told. It was certainly on the high-end side. However, Sarya was the daughter of the village chief, after all. Moreover, this was the direct territory of Duke Silverhead. She had been given enough gram banknotes, which had recently begun circulating.
“Very well… There are no mistakes. Shall I guide you to your room right away?”
“Ah, um…”
Still feeling perplexed, Sarya turned to look behind her. There sat the girl who had introduced herself as Ixia, waiting on a chair in the waiting area.
“It would be helpful if you could come back after dropping off your luggage.”
“Y-yes, understood.”
The reception staff showed no signs of confusion, so at least Sarya felt reassured that she was not dealing with a suspicious person.
“Please take me to my room.”
“Of course. This way, please. I’ll carry your luggage.”
Led by the female staff to her room, Sarya handed over a 1-gram banknote she had kept for tips and received the key in return. She had heard that gram banknotes were appreciated, and indeed, the woman wore a broad smile.
Once the staff left, Sarya let out a deep sigh. For someone who had hardly left her village, this was an overwhelming experience filled with tension. Shaking off the temptation to throw herself onto the bed, she donned only her pouch, locked her room, and hurried back to the reception lobby.
“Thank you for waiting… Ixia, right?”
The girl nodded and stood up from the sofa. She was petite, just as her appearance suggested. Sarya, on the other hand, was rather well-built among women. Ixia’s head barely reached Sarya’s shoulder.
“You don’t need to be so formal. There’s a cafeteria, so let’s head there.”
“Uh, okay…?”
She would surely look adorable if she smiled, but the girl had an astonishingly blank expression. However, her movements were decisive, giving an overall impression of briskness. She reminded Sarya of the attendants of Amagio that she occasionally saw in her village. The kind of movements typical of soldiers.
“Hot tea, straight. And this bagel set with herb cream, two servings of each.”
Ixia conveyed this to the Guild Staff at the counter and then turned back.
“Sarya, do you need milk with your tea?”
“Uh, no, straight is fine, but…”
“Then we’ll go with that. Is it okay to pay in grams?”
“Yes, that works.”
“Certainly. Thank you. I will bring it to your table.”
The girl quickly settled the bill, casting a glance at Sarya before heading to a window-side table. Sarya followed her, still feeling confused.
“Don’t worry about the payment. Amagio Silverhead has provided more than enough.”
“Eh, ah, you know His Excellency…?”
Once Sarya confirmed that she had taken her seat, the girl smoothly handed over a letter. It was the same one that had been exchanged that morning, sealed with the wax stamp of Duke Silverhead, a letter of unquestionable origin.
“This is for you. I want you to read it first.”
“…”
Breaking the seal, she examined the letter. It contained a handwritten note from Amagio Silverhead detailing the circumstances. It guaranteed the identity of the girl before her, Ixia. It requested that she live with Rinanel and Ixia as a trainee. For now, it asked her to travel together to the Capital Moa by train. Lastly, it mentioned that there would be a welcome party at the Duke’s residence the day after their arrival in Moa, and she was invited to attend.
“S-so that’s how it is…”
With Rinanel and the girl Ixia before her, both stunningly beautiful, Sarya felt a twinge of inferiority. More than anything, she couldn’t help but feel a complex mix of emotions towards Amagio, who seemed to trust such beauties.
“So, that’s the case. I look forward to spending some time with you, Sarya.”
“Y-yes… likewise…”
Just as the quiet introductions between the two girls concluded, the tea and light meal they had ordered earlier were delivered.
“Here is the Shiroania Diva from the Diaratline Kingdom. Please enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
The Guild Staff quietly departed. Ixia elegantly lifted her teacup.
“It has a wonderful aroma.”
This was high-quality black tea imported from the eastern countries, which had recently seen an increase in circulation. Sarya could now drink it in her village as well.
“…It’s delicious.”
Though Sarya had little experience with tea, she could immediately tell that the quality of the tea leaves was exceptional. The aroma was delightful, and there was no off-taste. A slight sweetness accompanied a subtly restrained bitterness.
“The Shiroania tea leaves are considered the most standard flavor among the Divas, and this is among the higher quality. With proper storage methods and the shortened transport time thanks to the railway, we can now enjoy this class of tea even in this border town. It’s truly wonderful.”
“Well… that’s true.”
Ixia quietly set her cup down and then picked up a bagel. She tore off a bite-sized piece, dipped it in the accompanying cream cheese, and brought it to her mouth.
“…Feel free to help yourself.”
“Ah, uh… thank you.”
Following the girl’s lead, Sarya took a bagel. The cream cheese was mixed with some herbs, and the vibrant green of the herbs made it look quite stylish.
“This cream cheese was made this morning using fresh milk sourced from a dairy farm about 130 Talfar away. Both the fresh milk and cream cheese were once considered rare delicacies that could only be tasted near the dairy farms, but at least now, they can be found here.”
“You sure know a lot…”
“The manager told me. He’s a good person.”
With graceful movements, yet without any hesitation, the girl continued to eat the bagel. She finished it with perfect proportions and wiped her mouth with a napkin.
“This inn serves exquisite meals. Enjoy it.”
“Thank you.”
Though Sarya had initially found her expressionless and somewhat intimidating, it seemed that Ixia was quite a pleasant person. Moreover, she was genuinely recommending delicious food to Sarya. She was probably a good person after all. Feeling her tension ease a bit, Sarya let out a small laugh.
“Once again, nice to meet you, Ixia-chan.”
“Nice to meet you too, Sarya. From tomorrow, we will be sharing a room. We will take the night train to the Capital Moa, so we will be staying on the train for one night. Is there anything you’re worried about?”
“Well… I don’t really know. It’s my first time leaving the village…”
“I see. I’ve traveled by train up to this point, so there shouldn’t be any problems. You can rely on me. Oh, and don’t worry about the morning; the staff will wake us up two hours before departure. Since this town is the starting point for the train, there shouldn’t be much delay.”
“Is that so? I’ve never seen a train before, but is it really that amazing?”
“Well, it’s certainly much better than a carriage. There are ten passenger cars, each the size of four carriages, and ten freight cars. All of them are connected, pulled by the leading locomotive. The maximum speed is 36 Talfar. It runs on iron tracks, so it’s much faster than a carriage. The suspension is also well-designed, so it won’t shake as much as a carriage. You’ll surely be amazed.”
“Wow… I’m starting to look forward to it.”
To be honest, she had been filled with anxiety at the thought of heading to the capital on something she had neither seen nor heard of before. The presence of Ixia as her companion brought her a deep sense of relief.
Come to think of it, Rinanel must have known about this. She hadn’t thought much of it, but she realized she hadn’t received any proper explanation about how to ride a train. This must be what they called a surprise.
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Updates for 1/1, 1/2, and 1/3 are also planned. (Details are in the activity report)
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