Chapter 216: Various Problems Arise at the Place We Stayed

The lodging in the village was the village headman’s house. That was as expected, yet the lodging was a separate building of the headman’s residence, arranged for receiving distinguished guests. Although called a village it seemed to possess a fair capacity; our carriage and the escort soldiers, as well as merchants who looked wealthy, could all lodge inside the village. Those without money camping outside the village was the same everywhere. As expected, because it was the highway leading toward the Marie Kingdom there were lodging guests matching the volume of traffic, so there was corresponding capacity. Naturally.

First the village headman came out to greet us. Here a bit of trouble arose.

The headman asked Lily,

"Does this prince require a woman for night service?"

Oohhh, this is already a welcome! I do not think my feelings showed on my face, yet Lily shot me a single glare and declared coldly,

"That will not be necessary! We have no need."

The headman was overawed by Lily and flinched.

"However..."

he said, so inwardly I was sending cheers of "Do your best! Headman, try harder!!", yet

"We do not need it!"

Lily said in a voice that made me think the room might freeze.

"Is that so..."

The headman’s voice was regretful. It was fine that Lily refused, yet when I thought about it something was strange. A prince from the neighboring country whose background is completely unknown (well, the background is known, but what becomes of him afterward is unknown, right?) suddenly arrives, a village daughter is sent to serve him, and what happens to that partner girl afterward? Could it be that if one lays hands on her one is simply to take her away? Is that girl, or woman, an unwanted child of this village and therefore "take her away!"? Have they not considered whether an unwanted child of the village is someone I need? I thought this and that, yet perhaps the idea is that if one is pleased with her one leaves a corresponding sum of money?

Perhaps realizing what I was thinking, the captain of the escort approached with brisk steps and spoke in a low voice,

"Prince Robin, there is no need to think too deeply. This is about the level of pocket-money earning for the village women. Because this village has many travelers the demand on that side is also large, and there are women who make it their livelihood. If they serve as partner to Prince Robin they can receive a corresponding sum, so they have come to make the offer. Of course, because they will be serving noble personages their looks are of a corresponding level, and I am certain you will be satisfied."

When I looked sideways at Lily she was glaring this way with quite a sharp look in her eyes! Eh? But Captain Jobson said I would be satisfied, didn’t he? Saying "satisfied" means he knows what kind of woman will appear, doesn’t it? Knowing means he has experienced it, right? Yeah, there is no way I am being specially arranged for.

"When you say ’satisfied,’ may I take it that it has already been confirmed?"

I asked in a "you too are an actor!" mood. Captain Jobson scratched his head and said,

"Well, you can tell! No no no, Prince Robin, you say rather sharp things! Oh, this is troublesome! Ahahaha!"

He laughed loudly as if to brush it off. You and I were about to become hole-brothers, were we not!? Well, there is nothing particularly troublesome about that.

I said to the headman,

"I have no need of night service, so pass it on to him."

Thereupon the headman rubbed his hands together and said to him,

"Is that so! Lord Jobson, thank you as always. Then I will speak to the usual girl."

The keyword "as always" rings inside my head! Hearing that, Lily muttered,

"Honestly, it can’t be helped. Really."

yet I want to say "And what about me?" I understand, I understand, yes, Lily-san. We are observing mourning.

Dinner ended, I entered the bed without incident and closed my eyes. I was restless. I felt as if I could see the characters for "restless." Just what time is it now? I have heard that clocks were brought by people who transferred. Yet they were too precise to be reproduced; wristwatch level is impossible (naturally), and although table clocks were made they are extremely expensive and apparently not obtainable by ordinary people. The error of each clock is also large, yet because there seems to be no concept of standard time that is probably neither here nor there.

While I was thinking this and that I heard the sound of the door of the neighboring room opening. The neighboring room is Lily’s, right? What is it, Lily-san? Making my whole body into ears and my body into nerves so that I can even feel the movement of the air, I catch Lily’s movements.

Lily-san is speaking to the sentry who ought to be at the door of my room; a murmuring voice can be heard. What are they talking about???? I was thinking when there was a knock at the door.

Hesitantly the sentry called,

"Prince Robin, may I? Maid Page-sama says she has something she wishes to speak about."

The door was opened and

"Excuse me. Robin-sama, may I?"

Lily entered. The soldier, being considerate, tried to leave the room, yet Lily stopped him and said,

"You also listen together. And would you convey what you hear to the captain?"

The soldier looked dubious yet stood before the door.

Lily stood before me and said,

"Robby-sama, suspicious shadows are lurking outside the lodging. There may be a battle. Would you make preparations?"

"Eh!?"

A startled voice escaped, and the sentry standing before the door covered his mouth. Yeah, I understand. The content was different from what he had been thinking. Even if he thought it unlikely, because it is the middle of the night he had been hoping there might be an erotic development, right? But you know, the world is not that sweet.

"Lily, are those fellows aiming here?"

At my question Lily shook her head.

"I do not know. I think it is more the other houses than here. The merchants’ lodging will have looser security, and they will also be carrying wealth."

"That is true as well. Then shall we prepare? Then, you there, can you convey this to Captain Jobson of the escort? As quietly as possible. If the ones outside are bandits it would be bad for our movements to be known. Do not light the lamps of the lodging. Bring only Captain Jobson."

At my voice the sentry at the door saluted with a sound like shakin! and dashed out the door. It is a thoroughly commanding tone, yet I am only a guest and not a superior or anything, so it is the height of overstepping authority.

Lily and I changed into the night-strolling outfits from the capital and waited a considerable while before Captain Jobson finally arrived. He came with a dota-dota feeling that made me want to ask where and what he had been doing. Even without asking I can tell by the smell what he had been doing.

By now even I can sense the column moving outside the lodging. At this hour moving along the outer street without lighting lamps is suspicious beyond measure!

"I was told it is an urgent matter?"

Captain Jobson entered the room and asked. Had the sentry conveyed nothing?