Chapter 69: The Capital City Deeva
"Milady Karina, the capital city is coming into view!"
Upon the voice of Cecily, the knight accompanying them, a maid opens the window of the carriage. The scenery that Karina vaguely remembers from her childhood days unfolds before her.
Four days had passed since leaving Suctari, it was the morning of the 13th day of the waxing moon.
"Ah, we've arrived... to the capital city, Deeva."
Unlike the warm Shikipearl region, it was entirely different. Beyond the tree-lined road shedding its leaves for the season, the snowy peaks of the Kobasna mountain range loomed behind the capital.
The view from the Kruge Road, which depicted the capital, was often painted on postcards and appeared in the songs of minstrels as a popular scene.
Karina usually rode her Toriuma, but due to her status as a high-ranking noble about to be ennobled, she had chosen to ride in a hastily prepared carriage.
Even the elite guards, mostly of higher rank, rode more formal horses rather than Toriumas.
While Toriumas were easy to raise and handle, with many advantages, they were also seen as rural livestock by some.
As for me, I'm part of the Toriuma group. I still don't have the confidence to ride a horse on my own.
Still, as far as noble parties heading to the capital went, we were quite modest. Including myself, a regular soldier, there were just fifteen in the regular troops. In addition to that, there were a few wagons laden with necessary supplies and tribute items. On the other hand, we were using requisitioned drivers from the townsfolk and merchants going for supplies.
Anyway, since there wasn't much time left until the called-upon Celebration of the Founding, only those on horseback or pulling wagons were allowed to join, leaving those on foot behind.
Using my map skill, I roughly calculated the distance to the capital at over 300 kilometers. We covered that distance in just three days, making it quite a forced march.
What's more, the current state of the kingdom meant that even major roads weren't very safe. We spent one night in the well-secured city of Arad on the way to the capital, but the remaining two nights were spent camping and fending off monsters and bandits.
Luckily, their numbers were small, and our escort squad drove them off. No one, including the drivers, suffered more than scratches. Thanks to this battle, Beth also reached Level 12 as a magician.
My adventurer level is still at 15, but finally, my "Doll Play" skill reached Level 10, granting me the mysterious ability to "grow."
Unfortunately, due to sharing the same tent with the other soldiers, I haven't had the chance to experiment with what it can do.
Even Professor Lina just said, "(Look forward to it!)" and nothing more...
The half-dwarf girl Northe, entrusted to me by Greon, had managed to sneak into the wagon train and was doing quite well.
After rescuing her four days ago, we decided to send her to the capital, where she would be beyond the reach of Baron Brel's grasp.
So, for one night, she was hidden in the female soldier's room, shared by Larouque and Beth. From the next morning, she wore a baggy robe with a hat, passing herself off as a boy acquaintance of Larouque's. Despite never having ridden a horse, she was skilled at handling wagons. Apparently, she had been made to carry loads as a blacksmith's slave.
Furthermore, she was competent in cooking, which proved useful to the maids who were already short-staffed. Since Karina didn't know the situation, the secret of Northe's abilities was hidden from her, causing one of the maids to pale when Karina commented, "What kind of dish is this? Your cooking has improved." This was under Larouque's strict instructions, of course.
In any case, it was a secret escape plan we had secretly executed to ensure Karina's innocence. Instead of camping with the all-male wagon team at night, we sneaked her into Larouque and Beth's tent. They're both slender, so it was possible.
Greon had said, "When you get to the capital, make her your slave. It's better until she can fend for herself," but I would prefer to free Northe from slavery if possible.
It seems difficult in this world's system, but I'd like to think of a way.
And so, passing through the smaller towns along the banks of the Stritza River, we finally arrived at the gates of the capital city, Deeva, around noon.
With the "Day of the Crescent Moon" approaching in two days, Karina was expected to attend the Kingdom Assembly. It was a rather tight timing for our arrival. In case of any issues along the way, Karina had even seriously considered the idea of riding ahead with the mounted troops.
The walls of Deeva, the capital city, easily exceeded 10 meters in height, with large ballistae visible atop them. There were also spires scattered throughout, making it capable of proper siege defense. It's the capital after all, so it's only natural that it's designed that way, but as the Goddess had mentioned, this world seemed to be prone to war.
Knight Igri stood at the head, announcing the presence of the noble party that would be attending the Kingdom Assembly at the city gate.
There were more than ten guards visible from the gate's guard unit. The captain-level figure was a Level 22 Warrior. Impressive. There were even burly female soldiers present.
One by one, the wagon drivers displayed their statuses, and Beth and I, who had been guarding from the rear, were the last to be checked.
The grand boulevard from the city gate was about four lanes wide and seemed to have right-hand traffic. Far in the distance, a castle like Disneyland could be seen.
"We've finally arrived!"
I was told what I was thinking before I could say it.
Beth, who had volunteered for this adult-like purchase of a book, was deliberately putting on glasses to take in the view of the capital city. I noticed that she caught me looking at her in disbelief, but she just cleared her throat and coughed. Well, that's fine. I understand.
With the "Epoch Festival," which seemed to coincide with the National Foundation Day, approaching in two days, the streets were already adorned with the royal family's crest flags and decorations, creating a more festive atmosphere than usual.
The group headed to a certain noble's mansion, which was said to have been used by the Earl's family when they visited the capital. Naturally, the scale was much different from the size of a van's inn. Accommodating about thirty of us, the mansion had ample space for us. The entire group could stay in just that one building.
We soldiers took up the rooms on the second floor. The townsfolk from the wagon teams stayed in the large first-floor room, which, though still larger than Skutari, would surely be much more comfortable.
I ended up sharing a room with the familiar priest Varon. It seems it's his first time in the capital too.
As soon as they put down their luggage, Karena and Sebastian were planning to pay a visit to a powerful acquaintance named Count Mikhail, who had helped them with arrangements for this sudden trip to the capital.
I'll be accompanying them as a guard, while Varon will stay behind to handle affairs during our stay.
In the courtyard, Nolte carried a load of luggage twice his size into a large room. When our eyes met, he gave a cheerful nod with his round eyes.
Despite the difficult treatment he received from childhood, he's grown up to be a good kid without much resentment.
I hope I can manage to live well here.
Count Mikhail's mansion was about a 10-minute walk from the castle.
While the count's main estate was located about two days' journey from the capital, since he was a high-ranking officer in the national military and practically lived in the capital, his secondary estate was quite expansive and impressive.
We were escorted to a spacious reception room at the edge.
Unexpectedly, a warm welcome awaited Karena.
"Oh, Princess Karena! How beautifully you've grown. I'm delighted you've come..."
Count Mikhail was a stout old man with white hair.
Displayed was "."
He might seem relatively young at sixty-something, which would be considered impolite in our world, but here, he's undoubtedly quite elderly. His status even has the (Elder) tag.
Though he was probably quite disciplined and sharp-eyed in his youth due to his high-ranking military position, the old man now stood up from his seat and happily took Karena's hand with the demeanor of seeing his granddaughter.
"I've heard about the recent developments. The late Count Orbania would also be pleased below."
Indeed, even if they were demoted to the rank of Viscount, being recognized for succession and ownership would have been a great success in the context of aristocratic society.
Karena's father had been a prominent figure in the Mikhail faction, a faction within the nobility known for its power struggles. Karena's mother, who died young, was apparently the count's niece. Thus, Count Mikhail was technically Karena's great-uncle.
Considering this, it's surprising that we haven't heard any stories about him offering assistance thus far.
The formal greetings concluded swiftly, and only Karena, Sebastian, and Igri, the three of them - in other words, those of knightly rank or higher - were invited to the count's private room.
"For the future, leave it to me. First, we must find a suitable husband..."
As the count was leaving, I caught a snippet of his words. Ah, so that's the topic?
Karena's expression seemed to tense up slightly, and Sebastian appeared somewhat restless.
According to a later conversation I had with Igri in secret, due to the stability of the Orbania family's estate, Karena's position as a potential bride had gained substantial value in the eyes of the capital's nobles.
For the second or third sons of nobles, those with slim prospects of inheriting their parents' estates, this represented a chance to ascend to a position effectively equivalent to that of a landlord. It was a rare opportunity for the family to expand its influence with little effort. Of course, for Karena and the Orbania family, there were benefits as well in gaining support from influential families to rebuild their declining standing.
For the count, taking care of the complexities of this union would enable him to accumulate favors on both sides, increasing his influence in aristocratic society.
On the other hand, the count had inquired about Skutari's military strength in detail, expressing disappointment at their limited numbers and offering advice on reinforcement strategies. As a powerful figure within the military, it was natural that he was expected to contribute troops in times of crisis.
Even from my limited perspective based on gaming knowledge, I've always felt that Skutari's forces were surprisingly small.
In the game world, even under the control of minor nobles, it felt like their forces should be on an entirely different scale than having just a few dozen soldiers. Igri mentioned that in the past, when they were still the Earl's family, they could mobilize around a thousand troops during large inter-kingdom wars.
Due to losing much of their land, suffering significant casualties among their veteran knights in labyrinth battles, and most importantly, being burdened by debt during the chaos, their forces had become less than 1% of their population.
So, if kitchen conditions improve, couldn't they significantly increase their military strength? I don't understand anything about finances, but it feels like it should be possible... Igri chuckled at my pondering.
That evening, barely making it back in time for roll call, Bes returned with a stack of heavy books, looking utterly delighted.
"Look, I even got the legendary sorcerer Amanaar's spellbook! And it's signed by the man himself! Hehe, I might just show you a little bit... Oh right, can't you read, Shiro? That's a shame!"
She's way too excited. I can read at least a little, even if it's on a toddler's level...
***
The next day, Karena's guard duties led us to visit several noble residences.
"Sebastian stayed up all night writing a marriage proposal letter," or "After attending three tea parties, Karena-sama's waist became too tight for her dress, and the maids are struggling with last-minute 'alterations'," various rumors, whether true or not, were circulating among the soldiers, leaving them all in high spirits.
These social interactions were part of the effort to increase allies within the previously distant aristocratic society.
However, rumors like the third son of Count So-and-so being clever but having a poor reputation with women, or how Baron Such-and-such claimed to be giving his eldest son in marriage, yet was even more debt-ridden than Skutari, make me worry.
If Karena can find happiness, that's all that matters, but it shouldn't be my concern, really...
The town was already bustling with street vendors, street performers, and minstrels from all over the kingdom, gathering in anticipation of the upcoming festival. The sound of firecrackers could be heard everywhere.
Amid all this, tomorrow marks the grand event of the kingdom, the appointment ceremony.
And I'm bidding farewell to these companions of mine.