Chapter 211: White Goes to the Capital (1)

Around the time Robby and the others were heading toward the capital of the Mainz Kingdom, White, who worked at the Marie Kingdom’s border checkpoint with the Mainz Kingdom, was on his way to the capital.

After safely seeing Robby and the others off into the Mainz Kingdom, the checkpoint director thought. From the time Prince Robin left the margrave’s mansion until he reached the checkpoint, more time than necessary had been required, and moreover a large number of dead and injured had occurred among both the margrave’s household and the checkpoint personnel. This would have to be reported to the capital. Even if they tried to hide it, once the people of the carriage that had brought Prince Robin reached the capital it would certainly be transmitted.

In that case the capital would surely regard this as important and send an interrogating messenger here. If that was so, it would be better to send a reporting person from this side before the messenger arrived. Then they would question that person variously in the capital, but they should not send a messenger to the checkpoint.

If someone was sent to the capital, there would be no need for the messenger who came here to pursue this and that and make one turn blue or red! He had heard that Prince Maxim had risen in revolt. Whether Prince Maxim ascended the throne as is, or whether Prince Maxim had been overthrown, the person sent to the capital would somehow manage it.

Having thought that far, the director considered whom to send. Or rather, it had been decided from the beginning.

That’s right! Instead of myself, I should send someone well-versed in the circumstances of this incident! In that case there is only White! Let’s send that fellow! He is wooden and inarticulate, but he cannot tell lies. Even here he is known as a timid honest man. If such a person is sent, the capital will also trust what he says. If he fails, it can simply be blamed on him!

Thus it was decided that White would go to the capital. Conveniently, the carriage that Robby had ridden was returning to the capital, so he was allowed to ride along. White was at least a knight by rank and therefore a fringe noble, so there was nothing improper about riding in a carriage.

White’s going to the capital was decided suddenly, but when he returned home and informed his family, his wife and two daughters became greatly excited. White and his wife and children had never once left the margrave’s territory from birth until now; the only city they had ever visited was the margrave’s territorial capital. Even just going to the territorial capital was a big enough event that after returning the talk of the territorial capital would be repeated for about a week.

And yet White was going to the capital of flowers!! The wife and daughters danced with wild joy! Their heads boiled over with what they should have White buy for them in the capital. This would be good, that would be good — they thought of this and that, yet they did not know what was in the capital or how much things cost. In the first place they had never once made White do any shopping. They had no idea whatsoever what White’s sense of taste was like. He might miscount the change when shopping, or be cheated without realizing it.

Normally he left the house in the morning in his knight’s uniform, and even after returning home he remained in the knight’s uniform until he changed into nightclothes. He possessed only two sets of ordinary clothes. The wife and daughters had thought about, chosen, and worn their own clothing to a reasonable degree. Yet for White they had never once thought about such things until now.

In the end the wife and daughters decided to ask White to buy delicious things as souvenirs. Yet after seeing White off, the wife and daughters realized. White had always silently eaten the meals his wife prepared, never once saying whether they were delicious or not, and simply ate in silence. No one in the family knew what White’s favorite foods were or what he disliked. No one knew what White considered delicious. Asking him to buy delicious things was something that could not be expected. At the same time the wife and daughters realized that until now they had directed no interest whatsoever toward White. Occasionally if a single glass of wine was set out he would drink it looking as if it tasted good. That alone made him look happy. He was a husband and father of only that much.

Handed a single gold coin as pocket money,

"This much!?"

White was astonished. From the family’s point of view they thought that amount would not buy anything. He would also have to buy some souvenirs for the workplace, and White knew nothing of the world.

White boarded the carriage and, because going to the capital was the greatest event of his life, was extremely nervous at first. Yet on the first day and the second day there was only the completely unchanging daily routine of simply riding in the carriage; with nothing to do he decided to sleep inside the carriage.

At the inns where they stayed along the way, meals he had never eaten before were served, and wine was also provided. At first he thought, "How much does this cost? I don’t have that kind of money," but the attendants of the same carriage told him it was at the kingdom’s expense, and he was finally able to drink and eat with peace of mind. While thinking how he would like to let his wife and daughters eat this as well. From the attendants’ perspective it was not particularly a feast of any kind. In short, the White family’s table was simply poor.

At night the carriage attendants went out to play, but White slept alone at the inn. Until now, when he returned home he only ate and slept, so no matter where he went the rotation never changed. Even if others laughed he neither heard nor cared.

When White arrived in the capital and submitted the letter given by the director to the knight order, he was immediately instructed to come to the Royal Palace the next morning.

White entered the capital, and from the carriage window everything he saw was a continuous series of surprises. He was in a typical country-bumpkin-coming-to-the-city state. That was only natural; in a world without the internet and with printed materials barely circulating (because they were expensive), traveling itself was special, and for most people it was common to grow up in the place they were born and live there until they died. What kind of place the capital was could only be heard from travelers who passed through the checkpoint.