Volume 5 Chapter 5: The Nemesis of the Town of Terenza

---

Author: 夜州 (Yashu)

Previous | TOC | Raws | Next

---

“So Lil and Cain-sama have met before… Could you please –– carefully explain more about this?”

Cain nodded at the now serious Telestia’s words.

The four of them sat down at a table, and Cain began talking, tracing his memories back to the very start.

“This was back when I was still in the Gracia territory. On one occasion, I went to Lamesta with my father. And then––––”

The town of Lamesta was the hub of imports from and exports to the Baisas Empire, so Cain had headed to the marketplace, escort in tow, to search for unusual things and presents for Reine and the rest of his family.

Then, as he was buying a necklace from a street vendor, he had met a girl –– Lil.

She had tried to buy the same necklace he had been eyeing as a present for Reine.

Cain had let her have it, and she had chosen a necklace for him in exchange.

Cain had thought she was quite a cute little girl, wearing clothes that were quite high-quality for a merchant’s child.

She seemed to have been being chased by someone, and as she was running away from them, he had lost her in the crowd.

After that, Cain had had to help Garm, making him unable to go back to the marketplace, so he had never met her again.

“––––and that’s about it…”

Having finished his explanation, Cain took a gulp of his now slightly cold tea, quenching his thirst.

Liltana had been staring at the floor the entire time Cain was speaking.

“––––Is that so. Understood. Lil, does that match with what you know…?”

At Telestia’s words, Liltana slightly shook her head, still staring at the floor.

Seeing that, Telestia and Silk exchanged glances, then nodded to each other.

“Cain-sama, the three of us girls would like to have a talk now. So, would you be so kind as to let us borrow this huge bed?”

“……Huh?”

Cain replied to Telestia confusedly.

“Cain-kun, Teles is saying that the three of us girls would like to sleep in the same room as each other today. And, with our own rooms, it would be quite cramped with three of us, would it not? But with this huge bed, we’d have room to spare and then some, so she was asking you to lend us the bed…”

(So it’s like a girls only grouping on a school trip kind of thing…?)

In his previous life, there had been a school trip coming up in autumn of his second year in high school, but he hadn’t been able to go.

Thinking about that, Cain nodded, smiling.

“Yeah, I don’t mind. Just leave the documents and reports on the desk alone please. A lot of them are quite important.”

Finishing his tea, Cain stood up, saying ‘I’ll go sleep in a different room then.’

“Oh, right. Cain-kun. You thought of Lil as a ‘cute kid’ back then, right?”

Liltana twitched at Silk’s words, becoming red from ear to ear.

Thinking it was starting to get dangerous, Cain said ‘Good night!’ and left the room in quite the hurry.

Leaning against the closed door, Cain heaved a huge sigh.

“––No way, that kid back then was Lil…”

Cain walked down the corridor while remembering that time.

–––– He had no room to sleep in anymore, after all.

However, the excellent butler, Darmeshia, appeared.

“Cain-sama, I have prepared a room for you over here.”

“…Thank you. Were you listening…?”

Darmeshia smiled wordlessly, then said ‘This way please.’

Taken there by Darmeshia, Cain fell asleep in a vacant guest room.

◇◇◇

“Cain-sama, good morning.”

“Mooorning, Cain-kun.”

“…Morning, Cain-sama…”

Behind Telestia and Silk, who greeted Cain cheerfully, Liltana did so with embarrassment.

“Morning, everyone.”

They had already changed into their uniforms, and after breakfast, they would be leaving Drintor.

While Cain was curious about the contents of their conversation the day before, there was no way he would ever hear it, so he simply headed to the dining room, full of worry.

Breakfast was in the same buffet-style as dinner the day before, and everyone chose what they wanted from a new menu.

Cain’s group of four had breakfast at the same table as well.

“We just need to pass through one more town, and then it’s finally the Republic of Ilstin. It’s my first time abroad, so I’m looking forward to it.”

While Liltana had some experience in this, as she had come to the Kingdom of Esfort from the Baisas Empire, for most of the others, including Cain, this would be their first time outside the Kingdom.

The plan was to leave Drintor through its west gate and head up north, and after passing through one more town, ‘Terenza’, they would pass through the border station into Ilstin.

Having finished eating, they all exited the mansion, where the carriages had already been prepared and the knights and adventurers were waiting for them.

Alec, Darmeshia, and the rest of the servants all lined up as well to see them off.

The students all got in their carriages.

“Then, take care.”

Thanking Alec for seeing them off, the carriages began rolling.

Terenza was about three days from Drintor.

As there were no staging outposts on the way, the knights and adventurers would have to set up tents for them all.

“Drintor was too comfortable, it almost hurts leaving…”

Silk and Liltana nodded at Telestia’s words while Cain smiled bitterly.

The magic bags provided by the academy had simple beds in them, but compared to Drintor’s bedrooms, they were nothing.

The other students seemed to be thinking along the same lines, complaining, but the teachers said ‘You lot are simply too pampered,’ shutting most of them up.

Then, they arrived in Terenza without incident.

Terenza was governed by Viscount Baldo von Ragnaf Terenza.

Viscount Baldo belonged to Corgino’s faction, so he wasn’t someone Cain really wanted to get involved with.

The teachers checked in at the town’s gates, and the row of carriages entered the town.

Looking out of the carriage’s small window, Cain found the townscape to be quite deserted.

The shops weren’t all that lively, and there was hardly any foot traffic. There were also some closed shops.

“Compared to Drintor, it’s really deserted…”

Silk muttered in the carriage, Telestia and Liltana agreeing.

Then, the carriages arrived in front of the lord’s residence.

The lord’s residence was a two-storey building, and the servants were already waiting in line in front of it.

The teachers and students also got out of the carriages and lined up.

And, next to the middle-aged man who was presumably the lord, ––was Marquis Corgino.

“Welcome, welcome. You must be tired. We have prepared rooms for you, so please relax at your leisure.”

It was not Viscount Baldo, but Marquis Corgino himself who greeted them.

The students were divided up and shown to their respective rooms.

Telestia, Silk, and Liltana were each assigned a private room, while the rest of the students were given two- or four-person rooms.

Cain, of course, was assigned to –– a four-person room.

(What a blatant attempt at trying to show who’s in control here…)

Thinking such things, he spent the time chatting with his roommates until it was dinnertime.

There were several tables set up in the dining room, with each of them being able to seat multiple people.

Telestia, Silk, and Liltana would be sitting at the same table as Corgino and Baldo, while everyone else would be told where to sit.

They were all given drinks; it was time for a toast.

Then, once again, it was Marquis Corgino who stood up and gave the toast.

“Teachers, students, welcome to Terenza. It might only be for today, but please rest as much as you can. Cheers.”

“““““““““““Cheers.”””””””””””

The food was brought in one plate at a time.

Because there were so many people there, the food started to become cold, and complaints came from the students.

“Compared to Drintor…”

“Yeah, really. Everyone was given their own room as well.”

“Right, and the food was also better than here…”

Even though the students were whispering to each other, their voices were still audible.

Of course, they made sure to talk in a way that Corgino and Baldo wouldn’t hear.

“Your Highness, Lady Silk, Your Imperial Highness, I will do my best to give you a proper welcome today.”

Said Corgino with a smile, but while the three of them were also of the same opinion as the other students, they didn’t say so.

“Marquis Corgino, Viscount Baldo, thank you very much for your hospitality. I got to see the townscape today, and it was a little deser-… no, it gave a deserted impression, is something the matter here?”

At Telestia’s words, Corgino and Baldo grimaced.

“…So you did notice. The truth is, the town’s population is declining bit by bit. It’s because a certain city keeps doing as it wants…”

Corgino sent an annoyed glance at Cain, who was busy eating at a different table.

---

Previous | TOC | Raws | Next