Chapter 147: I’m sorry. I really don’t know what kind of title to use when I have no material.
Near dusk on the fourth day of continuous walking, we finally reached the town called Valleed, near the Drefon Great Labyrinth. This town, said to have once bustled with Adventurers gathered to conquer the Drefon Great Labyrinth, was ravaged by an Epidemic, and now the entire town is terribly deserted.
The buildings facing the street showed no signs of life, and the residents were few and far between. Even the rural towns we stopped at on the way from Pnosis Territory to the Royal Capital, let alone the Royal Capital itself, had a bit more life to them.
“So this is Drephone territory…”
Rouge, walking beside me, murmured as she observed the town. She must have had some thoughts seeing her mother’s deserted birthplace.
Looking at the size of the town and the number of shops lining the streets, it was clear that the entire town had been very lively before the Epidemic broke out. That’s precisely why the current situation, with most of the shops closed, was melancholic.
The townspeople were… or rather, their gazes were captivated by the lavish carriage Prince Lucas was riding in. Some of them, perhaps guessing who was inside, knelt on the spot and bowed their heads.
“It seems they arrived without prior notice, huh?”
“Yeah…”
I agreed with Lily’s deduction. In the kingdom, every region has a noble who governs the town and its surrounding area. If royalty were to visit their town, it’s the noble’s duty to welcome and entertain them. In fact, in the port town where we disembarked, the lord had arranged a reception for Prince Lucas.
The fact that there was no such reception probably meant the lord of this town hadn’t been informed of Prince Lucas’s visit. They might be in a panic right now, having just learned that Prince Lucas has arrived.
“But why didn’t they inform them…?”
“…House Drephone governs this town and the surrounding area. …Viscount Drephone, that is. One of the few territories that weren’t confiscated is this town and the area including the Drefon Great Labyrinth, but…”
“Is there… some reason for that…?”
I asked in a low voice, mindful of anyone listening. Lily glanced at Rouge, and after confirming Rouge’s nod, she told me.
“The current head of House Drephone is the husband of Prince Lucas’s mother’s older sister. In other words, he’s someone with no blood relation to Prince Lucas. House Drephone had no male heirs, so they brought in a son-in-law by adoption, you see.”
“Could it be that they don’t get along because of that?”
“Well… The only ones who carry the legitimate bloodline of House Drephone now are Prince Lucas and his younger sister, Princess Lucretia. The man who became the adopted son-in-law of House Drephone and his wife, who carried Drephone blood, had no children. And his wife died from the Epidemic, so…”
“That’s pretty complicated, huh…”
So they’re House Drephone in name, but not in substance, huh… For nobles, blood ties are considered paramount. House Drephone, as a noble family, seems to be in a more precarious situation than I imagined.
If the current head wants House Drephone to continue, his only options are to adopt a child with Drephone blood or marry a woman with Drephone blood and have children.
I glanced at Rouge, and she was looking down, seemingly lost in thought. …Could it be that such a discussion actually took place?
In any case, it doesn’t seem like Prince Lucas came here just to visit his mother’s grave.
We continued walking through the town after that and finally arrived at an inn. The large, brick-built inn had a brand-new exterior and appeared to be well-maintained. The surrounding shops were also open for business, and it was more lively compared to other areas.
As a result of the decrease in visiting Adventurers due to the Epidemic and the shrinking of the town’s scale, only the area around this inn probably maintained its former appearance.
Perhaps to accommodate large Adventurer parties, the inn had eight-person rooms with four bunk beds each. For this Off-Campus Training Exercise, it seems they rented four such rooms for the students.
Just like with the Tents during camping, we were split into two rooms for boys and two for girls. After dropping off our luggage, we immediately ate a chicken dish, said to be a local specialty, at the inn’s adjoining dining hall, and then it was time for bathing.
Fortunately, the inn had private Shower Rooms, and the changing areas were attached to the Shower Rooms. This way, Rouge wouldn’t have to worry about prying eyes.
That said, I should probably be cautious just in case.
I sat on a bench positioned where I could see the entrance and exit of the Shower Room and waited for Rouge to come out.
Just then, I happened to look towards the inn’s entrance and saw Alissa-san. She seemed to be talking to someone, but it didn’t look like any of the people accompanying us on this exercise or an inn employee. Could it be a messenger from House Drephone?
They would surely know that Prince Lucas is staying at this inn, so perhaps they came to offer greetings, or maybe they intend to invite him to their mansion tomorrow or so.
…Well, it’s none of my business, I guess.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Hugh. What were you looking at?”
Asked by Rouge, who had come out of the Shower Room, I shook my head saying, “It’s nothing,” and stood up from the bench.
“A hot bath after so long felt so good. I’m warm all the way to my core.”
As we walked back to the room side by side, Rouge happily spoke while drying her hair with the towel around her neck.
“We were just bathing in lakes and rivers while traveling, after all.”
That felt good in its own way, but it can’t beat the comfort of a hot Shower. Above all, it’s more hygienic.
Still,
“Hm? What’s wrong?”
“No…”
Rouge’s porcelain-white skin, visible from her casual attire of the academy-specified shirt and half-pants, was faintly flushed red from the hot water. She looked even more alluring than usual, to the point where insisting she was a boy felt a bit strained…
“Hugh?”
“N-Nothing!”
Having been unintentionally captivated, I hurriedly averted my gaze from Rouge, who tilted her head curiously. Her birthday is in five days. Every time I strengthen my resolve to confess, my feelings race uncontrollably. The reason Rouge looks so alluring is because I’m too conscious of her. Calm down, calm down, me.
While Rouge looked at me suspiciously, I took deep breaths repeatedly to calm myself and entered our inn room. Inside, the roommates who had finished their Showers earlier were gathered in a circle.
“You’re back, Hugh, Rouge. You two should join in.”
Urged by Brown, we joined the circle for the time being. Wondering what they were doing, it seemed they were enjoying a chat with dried meat and dinner leftovers as snacks. Doesn’t look like there’s any alcohol…
We shared the same Tent until yesterday, but everyone went to sleep quickly, thinking about fire watch and the next day’s travel. But tomorrow is a rest day, a day off, so it doesn’t matter how late we stay up tonight.
Gathering like this with just the guys and chatting aimlessly reminds me of school trips from my previous life.
Tonight looks like it’s going to be a long one.
Lily & Lecty’s character designs have been released on my activity report!