Chapter 65: Earl Halewood
Finding a room while accompanied by two Hoo-chans proved difficult, but I finally found a vacant property intended for a shop at Ramcott Street No. 19, first floor, left side. It was about a 20-minute walk from the Adventurers Guild.
Being quite spacious, the rent came to a hefty 6 Gold Coins a month.
I was told it used to be a diner and that I was free to change the interior, so I partitioned the shop area from the kitchen and decided to make the kitchen my bedroom.
The shop area was completely separated into an entrance and an interior section. The interior became a living room with a small kitchen in one corner. The entrance part became a foyer that could be locked and unlocked normally with a key, but the partition leading to the inner living room was replaced with a much sturdier one.
It had no key; instead, I had a cat flap installed at the top of the partition, allowing Mii-chan to operate a bolt from the inside.
The bedroom, renovated from the kitchen, also had its back door made double and sturdy. From the outside, no one but Mii-chan could enter except by using Teleportation Magic.
The windows were also sturdy, double-panelled ones, designed so you couldn’t get in without breaking them.
The carpenter who came for the construction work looked rather bewildered, but there’s no harm in being cautious.
Including the carpenter’s labor and material costs, it came to 13,500,000 Dahla. Since I left it all to the Commerce Guild, I suppose that’s about right.
I moved out of the hotel and began a more carefree life. I decided to indulge in some sightseeing around the Royal Capital, but since it’s not exactly a tourist destination, there wasn’t much to see.
When seeking out high-quality tea leaves or entering a shop for tea, my fine street clothes served me well.
However, this being the Royal Capital, I frequently encountered nobles’ servants and knights. Upon seeing the Hoo-chans I had with me, they would invariably try to pick a fight over something.
It wasn’t so bad when I wore my fine street clothes, but they were particularly annoying when I was in my comfortable and easy-to-move-in Adventurer attire.
I’d offer a brief explanation, but if they were persistent, I’d unleash my killing intent and King’s Pressure. This time, however, things were a bit different.
Not only did the Queen’s Identification fail to work, but it seemed to be actively disregarded.
“Earl Halewood-sama summons you, the one who brazenly parades Forest Wolves through the Royal Capital! Come with us!”
When I unleashed my killing intent in return on the fellow who had bellowed at me from horseback, both man and horse panicked and bolted.
Only one knight, calming his rearing horse, was looking down on me with an amused expression.
He had been at the very rear of the knights who had shouted at me, and I could glimpse the characteristic audacity of an Adventurer about him.
“Ho, quite the killing intent. My master summons the Tamer who commands Forest Wolves, or so I’d like to say…”
“A former Adventurer?”
“Well, yeah. My master is calling for you, but with the captain having scarpered off somewhere, this isn’t going anywhere.”
“Who is this Earl Halewood?”
“He’s the lord of Tanza in the Florence domain.”
“Normally, if I show this, they don’t try to force things.”
The Identification was entrusted to me by Her Majesty the Queen: a crest of a roaring Dragon within a ring of fire. Below the crest were three flower patterns, which supposedly indicated a connection to the Queen, though I didn’t know the specifics.
“You probably received that from the Queen. The Halewood family are close relatives of Consort Cindyra.”
“Consort Cindyra?”
“His Majesty the King’s consort, the third one. She’s apparently said to be His Majesty’s favorite.”
“Does that mean Consort Cindyra’s power is so strong that they can get away with slighting the Queen?”
“So it would seem.”
“‘So it would seem,’ huh? You sound rather detached.”
“Because I have no interest in the power struggles of nobles.”
“You seem to have guts and look skilled enough. Why are you a noble’s subordinate?”
“My parents, siblings, wife, and children are all in the town of Tanza. When the order of knights expressed their desire for me to join, I couldn’t refuse. So, I had no choice.”
“If she’s the favorite consort, it doesn’t sound like they just want to see the Forest Wolves, does it?”
“Yeah, some news apparently came from the royal palace, and they’re trying to get their hands on something you possess.”
“In that case, even if I run away here, they’ll chase after me, huh?”
“You said you were staying at the Ransit Hotel, but when we went to fetch you, we heard you’d already checked out, so we were on our way back.”
So, running into me was a stroke of luck for them, huh?
“Well then, how about you follow your captain’s example and we’ll just say you ran away too?”
“Yeah, that’s less trouble for me as well, so I’ll do that.”
“I’m Shinya. Your name?”
“Zalm. Zalm of Tanza.”
A man calmly turning his horse and riding away—how cool is that~.
However, the third consort and the favorite, huh.
I really want to tell them not to drag me into their courtly squabbles, but knowing that Queen, she seems like the type who could forcefully crush any minor opponent.
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《Master, Master, please wake up.》
I was woken by a tail patting me pof pof. Since sunlight was leaking through the gaps in the double-panelled windows, it seemed I had overslept.
I could hear a gon gon sound, like someone banging on the door.
I drank some water to clear my head from the lingering effects of alcohol, then went to greet the visitor.
“You’re Shinya! Why didn’t you come out immediately!”
“Please be quiet. Or rather, I’m not expecting any visitors. Who might you be?”
“I’m a messenger from Earl Maurice Halewood-sama! You are to come to the mansion at once!”
“My head is aching, so could you please speak a little more quietly? Besides, I see no reason why I should be summoned so arrogantly with a ‘come at once’.”
“You dare defy Earl Halewood-sama’s order!”
“Shut up! Who the hell do you think you are, yelling at people first thing in the morning! Don’t you dare underestimate Adventurers!”
I was feeling awful, so I unleashed my killing intent full blast.
“I have no reason to be summoned by that bastard Halewood, but if you’re going to summon someone so arrogantly, you must be prepared for the consequences, right?”
When I yelled, unleashing my killing intent and King’s Pressure at full power, his face paled. He jumped back and drew the sword at his hip, but its tip was trembling.
It seems they learned from the other day and sent some slightly more skilled individuals, but they still looked thoroughly inexperienced.
“Y-You! You not only called the Earl-sama by his name without honorifics, but you insulted him!”
“I won’t forgive you! Kneel and apologize!”
“Youuu, shall I cut you down?”
Their voices were trembling, and it was painfully obvious they were just acting tough, relying on their numbers.
“Noisy! If you’re going to summon someone, show some basic manners! You bastards. If you want to brawl, I’ll take you on, but you do realize this is the Royal Capital, right?”
I’m calling for Bee-chan, but there’s no reply.
Places with large populations lack greenery, so Bee-chan and the others don’t come near. It’s rather inconvenient.
Seeing the Hoo-chans growling to my left and right, I could clearly see the knights flinching, and I almost laughed.
“What’s wrong? Where’d all that bravado from earlier go? I said I’d fight you if it’s a deathmatch, at least give me a reply.”
“Y-You, saying all that, y-you won’t regret it?”
“Regret…? Are you stupid? I’ve been prepared to die since I completed my Adventurer Registration. Don’t lump me in with trash who wear flashy clothes and act all high and mighty. Get lost!”
I don’t have a shred of preparedness for death, but it’s better for appearances and bluffs to be grand.
I yelled and slammed the door. After a short while, without them knocking again, the presence of people outside vanished.
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“You lot backed down just like that?!”
“If you order us to use force, my lord, we will. However, if we brandish weapons in the Royal Capital under public scrutiny, there’s a risk that you, Earl-sama, will also face blame.”
“To be outdone by a mere Adventurer who’s gotten arrogant just because he was summoned by the Queen… Enough! Withdraw!”
“My Lord, let us send a messenger instead of knights.”
“Even you fear a mere Adventurer?”
“No, my Lord. This is the Royal Capital. Matters should be handled quietly.”
“Speak plainly!”
“If we offer to buy the Flower Nectar at his desired price, any Adventurer would surely jump at the chance. Send someone skilled in martial arts to meet him, and if he refuses, they can quietly bring him to the mansion. That should suffice.”
“Very well. See to it without fail.”
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I hired a street carriage and visited the Moran Trading Company on Lawrence Street, asking to be put through to Milene-sama.
“This is rare. Did something happen?”
“Do you know someone called Earl Halewood?”
“Don’t tell me, he demanded Flower Nectar or something?”
“It hasn’t gotten to that point yet, but they tried to make me appear by force, so I drove them away. At that time, I heard he has backing in the royal palace.”
“Consort Cindyra-sama is Earl Halewood-sama’s niece, you see. The Earl-sama’s older sister married into the Marquis Grandes family, and Consort Cindyra-sama was born to them rather late in life.”
“I haven’t shown the Identification I received from the Queen, so they’ll probably try to summon me by force eventually. Will it be a problem if I show it then?”
“Was it Bee-chan? I cannot stop the Bee from protecting you. It would be better if the sacrifices were few, but it is as the Tamer God wills.”
And she just went and said it with a bright smile.
“You are young, and in some circles, rumors of you being a favored consort are spreading on their own, you see. So, some people misunderstand.”
So that’s what it is. Perhaps they’re spreading these “favored consort” rumors themselves and taking advantage of others being intimidated.
I’d heard what I wanted to hear, but while I was at it, I asked where I could get a map showing the layout of this country’s territories and domains.
She told me that a simple route map for shared carriages could be obtained at the Commerce Guild for 5 silver coins, and something a bit better, used for business, was sold for 5 Gold Coins.
As thanks, I presented her with a small vial of Flower Nectar and set off for the Commerce Guild in the waiting cab carriage.
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While gazing at the carriage route map and the map with more detailed information for business, my heart danced with excitement, wondering where to go in autumn.
And yet, the uncouth sound of a knocker echoed gon gon throughout the room.
There’s a peephole in the door, but it’s only about the size of a slightly narrow mail slot, so it’s a pain that there’s no way to check secretly.
I figured it was probably a messenger from a noble or a wealthy merchant, but pretending not to be home felt bad.
When I reluctantly opened the door, two men who looked like messengers from a noble, dressed in livery, were standing there, but they looked startled when they saw Hoo-chan behind me.
“Is there something I can help you with?”
“We have come bearing a letter for Shinya-sama.”
Saying so, he respectfully presented the letter.