Chapter 345: Entering Eisleben Tribe Territory

Ahead on the road city walls came into view. That seems to be the town planned for tonight’s stay. The procession advanced, and as we drew near little by little many people were gathered in front of the walls. Many wore lavish clothes, so those are surely the town’s influential people. And they had assembled to receive Her Majesty. That we recognized them from here means they can see us from there too. Finding us a cheer rose. I heard voices that felt like the other party we had waited ourselves tired of had finally come. And the expressions were stiff. Anxiety about what would happen from here showed on their faces. When the carriages drew near the welcoming people began to prostrate all at once. They seemed to embody apology, we are sorry we did not go to meet Her Majesty.

The procession ignored the prostrating people, did not stop, and went through the gate into the town as it was. Showing without words that Her Majesty is angry! People inside the town who did not know Her Majesty’s anger were festive at Her Majesty’s arrival.

The procession advanced slow. Toward the townspeople’s welcome Her Majesty showed a brilliant smile, waved, and gave a great service, but when we arrived in front of the inn and she got down from the carriage it had become an ice smile. The wrapping air was cold, cold. I felt as if a blue flame that freezes everything rose from her back. Enough that I thought Shiva had manifested. Town high people who could read the air shook, and ones who could not looked at Her Majesty’s smile and looked glad. I think this kind should be fired. Extra, but.

Her Majesty did not get angry because she wanted to be angry, so the angry mode was pulled in at once and she returned to normal mode. Only, there is a separate punishment for not coming to meet, I hear (Dee’s talk).

There was a dinner so lavish I thought they had poured the whole wealth of the town into it, and I ate my fill. Deliciousness soaked into my body. The aim of taking Her Majesty’s mood and somehow escaping a report to the royal capital was obvious, but that and this are separate, I hear (Dee’s talk), and Her Majesty never forgets a treatment she has received once, I hear (Anouk’s talk), so she was always smiling, and to the end she did not say I forgive you, or I will not report.

That night I got through without fighting for the first time in a while. I kept sleepless watch in Her Majesty’s room, but I passed the night without going taut. I thought Agnes might burst into Her Majesty’s room. She seemed to have been begged to spend it on the roof across in the cold, and she did not come to the room. Pitiful. One more pitiful thing is the town guard guarding the inn. They surrounded the inn so tight an ant could not get in. But if the attacking side is pro they would break that. So we rely on Agnes.

The next morning we left that town, stayed the next town with nothing happening, and at last set foot in Eisleben tribe territory. Even told that past this river is Eisleben tribe territory, I could not tell what was different. The fields were the same, and wheat fields spread the same. The people working wore the same clothes, and the farmhouses were the same. Even going into a town and looking at the town, looking at people going through the town, I could not tell well what was different. But according to Anouk it is completely different, and if I ask Lily the Marie Kingdom, the Mainz Kingdom, and the Eisleben tribe are all different. I thought there might be dwellings in the trees like elves, and there was nothing like that at all. A few more wooden houses, maybe? And fewer three-story buildings, about that. I had expected a more fantasy development. A shame.

After entering Eisleben territory Agnes stood at the head and advanced. The princess had come home after a long time, so when the territory people found Agnes they all gathered and made a huge fuss. Princess, and not a princess shut deep in a chamber. An image of an active, man-surpassing princess, a Takarazuka otokoyaku image? Not knowing the ground is needed as an image symbol, I was made to think. Snoring and drooling in sleep must not be known, after all.

Before the procession entered the territory capital, of course officials waited to meet us. Agnes put on a large face.

"Good work meeting us! I have returned now! Tell Grandfather and Mother that I have come back!"

"Yes!"

The meeting people ran, glad. Hm? What about Father? Apart from that, even this regrettable princess, they are glad when she comes home. Agnes turned toward me with a how’s that! smile, so I returned a social smile.

Inside I felt that if I had given Agnes some favorable comment she would have declared "I brought a husband!" and it would have become a settled fact and I would have been wound in. Good... The mouth is the source of disaster. That is true.

From the town entrance to the mansion where Agnes’s guardians live was not that far, and I understood this town is not that large. A little larger than the towns we had passed until now.

And the place the carriages stopped was a mansion large inside the town, but far smaller than the Vélez ducal residence or the Kirchhoff count’s residence.

In front of the mansion an old man and a woman who looked just like Agnes stood. Just like, I say, a little older, and however you look she is the mother. And the size of the chest was completely different.

Yes! Different toward large. That chest went past you can tell front from back, enough to make you think if I bury my face it will feel good? How does the thing called heredity work?

When Her Majesty got down from the carriage, those two at the head, everyone present knelt and bowed their heads. Then the old man gave a formal address. The hands set on his knees trembled. Age, or tension?

"This is this, Queen Scarlett. Thank you truly for coming to such a frontier. I serve as chief of the Eisleben tribe, Morgan Eisleben. Please remember me. And this (he pointed at the Agnes-like woman beside him) is my daughter Sonia Eisleben. This is the mother of Agnes Eisleben, who came in Her Majesty’s company. Please treat us well. Then..."

The clan chief’s welcome greeting went on and on. I think everyone was fed up with that length. Agnes over there gave a huge yawn and was cautioned by a guard. Then the yawns would not stop and infected the attendants too. Her Majesty listening to the clan chief’s talk from the front would have a sales smile pasted on her face. Agnes’s mother beside the clan chief was killing a yawn too. Oops! The clan chief started saying what he had said first again. Did the Möbius loop of greetings that old people often have start? The kind that happens when an old person is made to talk in extreme tension.

Then Agnes’s mother poked the clan chief’s thigh. The clan chief started. He suddenly went tangled.

"That is all."

and it ended all at once. Everyone present let out a breath, haa. Miss Sonia, a nice attack. Even so, if enemies were going to attack it would be now, I thought a dangerous thing, and nothing happened. Peace. A crow is crying over my head. Good it was not a wyvern.

"Clan Chief, I thank you for the welcome greeting. The Eisleben tribe’s loyalty to the Mainz royal house..."

Her Majesty spoke welcome words extremely simply in answer to the clan chief’s welcome words, and the welcome ceremony ended.

After that I thought there would be words from the clan’s influential people, and there was no such thing. Her Majesty went into the mansion at once. With that as a trigger the attendants started moving all at once. Everyone was sick of the clan chief’s long long greeting and sulked as if this were the chance. By the way, tonight a welcome banquet for Her Majesty is planned. Thinking that clan chief’s greeting will burst again, I am already worn out.