336 at the Marquis' villa




Yo, good morning.
Good morning, Mr. Eizo.
"Good morning, Eizo.

 I called out to the carriage, and Camilo peeked out from the back. Camilo came out of the back of the cart and greeted me.
 Camilo helped me to load the luggage. Except for the long and bulky spear and the purely large size of Anne's two-handed sword, the amount of cargo was not much, so the loading process was over quickly.

 Camilo called out to the guard, and the carriage started moving. The carriage is also equipped with a suspension system, so it doesn't shake too badly for its speed.
 When I glanced at Anne, she seemed to have noticed and gave me a meaningful look back. I hurriedly looked away, but I guess she knew.
 This technology can be used for military purposes, of course. If you can maintain your speed without worrying about some bad roads, it must have an effect on your marching speed, and that speed is nearly equal to your strength.
 Judging from her life and conversations in our house, it seems that Anne is more concerned with military strategy than internal affairs, and it is impossible that she would not notice this.
 There is a high possibility that she will ask for some kind of negotiation in the future. And since Camilo, the Marquis, and Marius have not failed to think of it, they must have anticipated it to some extent. ...... Unless I'm buying into it, though.

 The road was uneventful, and we said very little. With an important person from another country in the room, we could not talk about the situation in the kingdom, even if it was just small talk.
 However, it was the same for Anne, who couldn't talk about the situation in the empire (even though there was the revolution).
 Therefore, the conversation naturally turns into something bland like "It's a beautiful day" or silence. It would have been more interesting if a burglar had appeared.
 The carriage arrived at the capital relatively quickly, without slowing down. In front of the crowded gates of the capital, the guard showed his ticket to the gatekeeper and was given priority. I shrank back in the back of the truck as jealous and scornful glances were directed at us.

I shrank back in the back of the truck. "How can they be so blatant about giving us priority?
I don't want to be too obvious, but I don't want to be unsure when I can get in. There are some important people from the Empire waiting for us.
Oh, I see.

 Oh, that's right, this is about getting the mess between the empire and the kingdom out of the way, quietly. If that's the case, there are probably other important people from the Empire besides the Marquis and Marius.
 If they are taking Anne with them, it must be someone she trusts or at least knows, and if so, it must be someone from the royal family. We can't keep her waiting for nothing.
 The more time she spends waiting for a foreign dignitary, the more suspicions about this case will accumulate, quietly but firmly, like snow.

 Inside the gate, it is crowded with people, not so different from outside. Seeing people of all races, genders, and ages crowding around and trying to accomplish their own goals, Anne muttered.

The capital of the kingdom is also full of people.
"And the capital of the Empire?
Yes. Well, the number of people is temporarily decreasing now, but since the emperor is like that, it seems that non-humans can live in peace, and there are several times as many.

 The emperor's wife had also said before that there were many different species. In other words, the children, including Anne, are of various races. I don't know how much of this is intentional, but if it's intentional, I might appreciate it.
 The carriage proceeded through the waves of people like a ship on the ocean.

 The carriage proceeded along the deserted road, which made me feel a little nostalgic, and eventually reached a magnificent mansion beyond the inner wall. This was the Marquis's villa. Come to think of it, I haven't been here since the Amour riots.

We're here, sir.

 At the voice of the watchman, everyone got off. Anne and I did not forget to unload our luggage. The servant we had seen before began to lead the way, saying, "Welcome to the house," and we hurried to follow him.
 Feeling the unfamiliar carpet on our feet, we walked down the sunlit corridor. If it were only a casual meeting that awaited us, we would be able to enjoy the feeling and the scenery a little more, but right now it looks a little frightening.

 We walked through a large mansion, albeit a villa, and were eventually ushered into a room. Inside, there was a large table with several people already seated at it.
 Two of them were familiar faces. The Marquis and Marius. The Marquis and Marius were attending to one of the guests, who did not look very well.
 The person who is answering looks like an old man, but the quality of the fabric is much better. I almost laughed at the imbalance, but I held it in and wondered who he was, and when I thought I should introduce myself first, the answer came from a direction I had not expected.

Father!

 The person who shouted this was Anne. In other words, this person was the emperor himself.