435 Mahdra's people ① - inspection team

15th of the Tea Moon.

Me and I-Fa were due to visit the settlement of Sauti in the morning.

The visiting team from Castle Town wanted to see it from the site itself, where the Mahydra women cook, so we left Fa's house almost first thing in the morning, too.

Along the way, we rendezvous with the faces of the Lew family.

Limi-Luu fell ill. In my place, he had been regarded in this matter as the head of the hands-on, and since it was only in the morning, he could have accompanied the escort. Moreover, today, it was stipulated that even Giza-Lou would accompany the visiting delegation in order to exchange words with it, since the story was that Melfried himself would be added.

"Looks like you got your powers back, Asta."

Giza-Lou stated that to me with an unusual look.

Inside, I don't know. You're no longer supposed to think of me as just a troublemaker - and though I do, it was probably me who got nervous.

"He said Kota-Lu was feeling better soon, too, and I'm really glad. I'm very happy, too."

"... both Western God and Morga Forest would have recognized Kota's eligibility to live as a forest folk"

That's all I left to say, Giza-Lou just got in the luggage car.

Rudd-Lou, who was dropping that back off, sneaks up on me.

"Then Asta was allowed to live as a forest dweller, as she did."

I don't know if Giza-Lou included that much meaning.

But I was able to respond positively.

That's how before I went for a settlement in Sauti, I decided to let someone I could just speak to deliver a word of thanks to. Lara-Luu and Sheila-Lu had also visited Fa's house once in the past few days, but they were also greeted by older women and others who had difficulty leaving the house.

Grandma Ziva, Mother Meer Ray, Tito Min-Lu, Sati Ray-Luu, Tali-Luu and the ladies of the branch all smiled and congratulated me on getting through the trials of the disease. Having survived the same trial, Kota-Lou laughed much more cheerfully than before.

And it's Michelle and Mime.

Mim had come to see me, but Michelle and I had been facing each other for a long time. Also, Michelle and I were still in therapy, but we were up early enough to beat the women, and we were recovering enough that we could walk without any more disabilities.

"I told people to cure it, and so on. What's wrong with that?"

At the aperture, when Michelle said that in an unpleasant manner, Mim was laughing and slapping "already" on its chest. I was warm enough to respond, "Unless it's nice."

Others could also say hello to Mida and Lyada-Lu, who happened to be up early. I was so glad that Mida shook my cheekmeat with a puffy look on my face as if nothing had happened.

Unfortunately, Donda-Lou and Dalm-Lou were in bed so they could not say hello. I decided to go back to my luggage truck too, leaving you with me to drop by on my way home again.

From the Luu family to the settlement of Sauti are five, Limi-Luu and Raina-Lu, Giza-Lu and Lud-Luu, and the facial rash of Sin-Luu.

Rayna-Lew was also concerned about what work was being done in the settlement of Sauti. It's a holiday for the stall business, and he hoped to accompany him because of it.

Only Limi-Luu rode this luggage, and the others went for the settlement of Sauti in Lulu's luggage.

It is, of course, Ai-Fa who holds the reins here. I suppose I should be forced to drive for a while, even if I were to resume my work in the lodging town, as I would be relentlessly hit by rain on your desk and it could lead to a major accident if I got sick.

Me and Rimi-Lou decided to relax and exchange words while forming as far forward as possible so that the voice could reach the Ai-Fa on your platform as well.

"It really looks like Asta is totally back to normal too! Is it time to start working on the stall?

"Right, I'm going to make up my mind at today's rate. If you seem to get tired too badly, I might give you a few more days off."

"Yeah! Because it's not a good idea to force it!... but if Asta shows up healthy, Tara and Yumi will be happy. Guys, I was so worried!

Of course, I've been looking forward to seeing everyone in Inn Town. The people on the edge of the woods have come a long way in the past few days, but they haven't seen the people of the town for ten days.

Ever since I started doing business on the street, I've never been able to pull myself off to the woods. Even then, the task of delivering food to the inn continued to dare, although the great sins of Cycleus and his men were to be suspended from street work until the remnants of his subordination were captured.

"Speaking of which, it's time for Schmiral's compatriots to go home to Sims, isn't it? If I'd been off for another two months, I might have been able to use a new road by the woods."

"Yeah, you are.... but the next Radajids are coming to Genos in six months, so I'm sure they'll be using a new path by then"

At that time, will it also be permissible to stop at a settlement by the woods, first of all before the boarding town?

Imagine, I get a little excited.

"Does that mean it's been another month since Schmiral came back to Genos - I don't know, you were quick!

"Right. You're going to be really surprised.... Speaking of Schmiral, what about Vina-Lou these days? You went back to Lew's house a few days ago, didn't you?

When I asked him that way, Rimi-Lou shook his body left and right in conjunction with the vibration of the carrier and said, "Yeah, yeah!," he responded cheerfully.

"Sister Vina, hey, my sighs are getting worse than before, and it's kind of hard! I can't believe I got into a big fight with my brother Darm before this."

"Da, Dalm-Lou and Vina-Lou have a big fight? But those two were surprisingly close sisters and brothers, weren't they?

"Yeah! Is that why we get into extra fights? If you miss that guy so much, you can be Lilyn's family too - or Dalm's brother gets angry, and Vina says back when it's time for you to give her a wedding, throw things and pull her hair... and at the end of the day, we were both yelled at by Donda's father -"

"Hmmm. Is that something I could accept as smiling...?

"Yeah! Limi was fun!

Then I just wanted to believe that it wasn't a serious fight.

And amazingly, Ey-Fa, who was listening to the story on his back, gave him a laugh when he shuddered and shrugged his shoulders.

"Excuse me. I know it's important to the Lew family, but if I imagine it, I can't laugh anymore"

"Yeah, I was probably laughing with Rudd and Tito Ming. Sister Raina was down, and Brother Ziza kept quiet like she was scared."

I wish I could have done enough. The presence of Kakatsu Shmiral has caused the Lou family to make a scene.

But it was the difference in human morality that made me wonder whether one way or another the blame lay on Vina-Lou's side.

We finally arrive at the settlement of Sauti while we exchange words in such an irresistible manner.

By the side of the main house, a box-shaped tototoss car had already been packed.

It is two luggage cars, bearing the crest of the Marquis of Genos and the Count of Dalaim. The Count Turan family should be heavily involved in this one case, but the crest was not seen.

but when I went for Kama, there was a penetration and roof at the entrance, underneath which was also the figure of the nostalgic torst. He is the guardian of the Lord Refraia of Count Turan's house.

Furthermore, to the figure of the person holding back instead, the Ai-Fas showed the colour of the tension.

And the man, who wore a hooded cloak of leather, like the people of the east, was Sanjula, the follower of Refraia.

"Thank you for your time. Looking good and above all, Giza-Lou."

Instead of white leather armor, Melfried, wrapped in a jacquard style outfit that seemed moveable, raised his voice that way first. Of course, this one wears rain gear that resembles or stops by Sanjula.

Does the meaning of visiting as a mediator with the people of the woods, rather than as the leader of the Kingsguard regiment, fit into that outfit? Whatever it is, it doesn't make any difference to me if I'm cold and frivolous.

"Uhm," Giza-Lou looks around at the people who were there on the spot.

Melfried, a mediator with the people of the woods, his aides Polearth, Tolsto, the guardian of Refraia, and Sanjula, a servant of Refraia - only those four can tell the name, and then the martial officers as escorts. The number ranged from more than ten.

And under a roof stretched wide, Dari-Sauti and another young hunter stand up. If I remember correctly, it should have been the head of the main house of Vera, the family of Sauti. The previous parents had lost their power as hunters in the battle against the Lord of the Woods, so that he, still young, was to assume that heavy responsibility.

When we lined up next to Dari-Sauti and the rest of them, Polearths laughed.

"I heard about the devil, Lord Asta! I didn't know 'Ameshorn's Breath' was something that would bring such a disaster to the people who came. In the meantime, I'm relieved to see you healthy."

"Yes, thank you"

"Even if I put it on, I'm not going to be stepping into a forest settlement in this way! You have no idea what's going to happen in the world."

Yes, it was only supposed to be the second time in the history of the last eighty years that the nobility of the castle town would step into a forest side settlement.

The first person to step in is Lifreia, whoever it may be.

After the assault of her father was uncovered, she visited us and finally asked us to sift through the Giva cooking supper for Cycleus - so that she could cut off the hair she had been putting down for so long, at the price of it.

It was this Sanjula that accompanied me at that time.

Sanjula, mixed with the people of the east and with a look that only the people of the east could see, was taking our gaze with a quiet expression.

"First, let me tell you first. This Sanjula man has already redeemed his sins with the punishment of whipping, but he will not feel very welcome to the people by the woods. With that mood in mind, all the sword-like things are covered."

That's what Melfried said freshly as he blinked his grey eyes cold.

"Princess Lifreia, the lord of the Earl of Turan's house, asked me to accompany this man so that I might take him so at my discretion. But since Lord Tolst is accompanied by the Count Turan family, who is responsible for it, it also does not seem necessary to necessarily stand this Sanjula. Therefore, if you are going to evade this person's company, what would you like to do if you were going to let him back in the car?

"... we have no reason to strongly reject it. If you treat it as judged, it doesn't seem to be a problem."

Dari-Sauti responded that way, but Ziza-Lou raised his voice "but".

"Until then, why did you wish to accompany this Sanjula? Is he merely a servant of Count Turan's daughter?

"That's where the problem is, isn't it? To tell the truth, it was Princess Lifreia, the head of the Count Turan family, who insisted that the people of the North should be provided with enough food."

To Polearth's words, Giza-Lou looks over there with a "ho".

"Didn't you tell me that the Refraier daughter is only the nominal owner and that it is the Tolstoy person there who is actually partitioning the Count Turan family?

"Exactly, you're right. So you also need to explain the circumstances in your history by the woods. Failure to grant princess Lifreia the authority to assume the role of the Lord was also an important undertaking exchanged between the Marquis of Genos and the chiefs of the forest."

Because of those promises, Refraia was also acquitted of the crime of abducting the existence of me and was to be released from custody. It was also due to the fact that he could not resign himself to the title without being detained as a sinner.

Moreover, in exchange for accepting the proposal, there is also the back ground that Barsha was allowed to commit the crime of banditry. It was a story that from Selva's decency to the King, it was not easy to overthrow the Count Turan family on its own, and therefore, as Malstein, it was necessary to inherit the Turan family title as soon as possible to Lifreia.

"Let me explain on this occasion that I did not break that promise. It was Princess Lifreia who made the proposal, but it was her guardian, Sir Tolst, who gave her consent to it.... there's no difference, Lord Tolst."

Glimpsed by Melfried, "Ha, yes," Tolst lays his eyes down.

He is an albeit feeble, magnificent nobleman with a squeaky face like a tired pug dog. I'm sure he's not just a weak person because he's enough to leave his guardian behind, but anyway, I had the impression that this Mistress was exhausted at all times.

Even though Cycleus was a shader in his time, he was suddenly raised to the head of the Count family, a man who was supposed to carry a great deal of hardship.

"Wow, I, too, was to be confused because at first I did not understand the Lord's mood. Treating the people of the North may make me laugh... but I doubt that I intend to use the people of the North to rebel."

"I don't laugh at anything. But where the people north of Turan have beeped up outside the stone walls, they will not remain threatening Castle Genos. Especially since Turan was supposed to be the only slaves with no experience of war."

"Yes. So I asked for your thoughts… Thank you, my lord, for your passion for the daughter of the people of the North, your servant."

"The followers of the North, you mean the women?"

Rudd-Lou, who was still eager to see Sanjula's trends, looked back at Tolst in a way that was somewhat intriguing.

Tolst nods, "Yes," soaking up the sweat that isn't even there.

"Let the folks by the woods face each other several times in the former Count's mansion. So your lord, in a cordial affair with his daughter, said he was worried about the treatment of the people of the North in Turan."

The more I heard, the more unexpected it was to me.

But now, around Refraia, only Sanjula and Chiffon-Cher are left.

Refraia, daughter of the great sinner Cycleus and himself a tortured sinner, was strongly alerted by the Marsteins. So he was kept away from the place of socialization as a nobleman and forced to live as a nominal mastermind alone.

"However, such sentiment alone cannot change the treatment of the people of the North. So your lord began to argue that we should do everything we can to make the people of the North more beneficial to Turan and Genos."

I guess the Melfrids had already heard about it, and the people by the woods were just trying to blame it. Dari-Sauti, who was to be in close contact with the people of the North, looks heartbroken by their plight, but it is not by nature a story involving the people of the woods. Tolst was even frightened as he flashed everyone's gaze all over him.

And now Sanjula, who was in his place, opened his mouth.

"The people of the North, how we treat them, even in Selva, vary. I, I have not toured so many lands - in the north and in the vicinity of the Wang capital, have been treated more coarsely, otherwise, more generously, I think. People of the North, how much you hate them, it seems to make a difference"

It is a voice so calm that it cannot be beaten by Schmiral that it has a much more fluent tone than Schmiral. Among the hunters, Ai-Fa and Rudd-Lou and Sin-Lou in particular, watched the figure with an unannounced eye.

"So, Refraia, I thought. People of the North, if we treat them more generously, we can create more power. I was wondering if meals, treatment and, better yet, wealth over and above the copper coins needed for it, would bring to Turan and Genos"

"Well, in this case, that's what makes ingredients like fuwano and sugar and tau oil. That's what I'm talking about, of course, if you mouth a delicious meal, you could work better."

And now Polearth speaks up.

"Originally in Turan, it seemed to reward good workers quite a bit. If you remember the words of the west properly and contribute to your work more than the others, you will be given an excellent meal or bed, and so on. … it is Princess Lifreia's suggestion this time that we want to improve its quality more."

"This Genos is also a very southern town in Selva. Neither do we have hatred or resentment towards the people of the North, as we live a life unrelated to border strife. Still, it is strictly forbidden by the laws of the kingdom to give freedom to the people of the North, so we cannot solve the status of slave… but apparently, in other lands, we are allowed to give wages to the people of the North or even marry one another among the people of the North"

Did you cheer up the mouthfeel of the Polearths, and Torsto's tongue is getting a lot smoother.

"We are going to hear more from pedestrians and others who are going to visit Genos to see if that is the truth. Anyway, the people of the North in this land were assembled arbitrarily by the previous Lord, so there was a part of us that had trouble dealing with them."

"Also, it seems that not many people, such as Sims and the people of Jagal, are uncomfortable with the rough treatment of the people of the North, right? Well, in the east and in the south, there seems to be no lesson in treating the humans of the enemy countries as slaves... well, even in Genos when I said that, I didn't learn to treat such things."

"But it is also forbidden under the laws of the kingdom to return the people of the north, once captured, to Mahdra. For a compatriot fighting at the border, it becomes an act in favour of his enemies. If a freed slave were to take a knife as a soldier in the north, that soldier in the west would probably be threatened, so I guess that would be an inconvenient thing to do."

Taken by Tolsto, Polearths, and Melfried, Dari-Sauti and others seemed to be at ease.

"For you, the people of the North seem a lot more troublesome to deal with. Is that also the price you were giving Cycleus for his freedom?"

"Mm-hmm. Moreover, there is the aspect that in Turan, the people of the town were not created jobs and people's hearts became rough because they were entrusted with the majority of the work of the fields to the people of the north. I'm guessing that leads to one of the things that happened before."

While stating so, Melfried let his grey eyes glow cold.

"Therefore, as far as the people of the North are concerned, we intend to continue to treat them with caution, in the light of the different circumstances. … On top of that, I would like to say something to the chiefs of the forest"

"Uhm. What could it be?

"In the future, I urge you to treat them with caution when it comes to the people of the North. If I may be specific... I ask you to refrain from any imitation that would propagate to us with affection for the people of the North."

A slight tension ran through the scene.

It was only recently from Melfried, which had become much more friendly, that I was to feel the pressure of a cold blade on the crackle.

"I wonder if we've made an extra slip. We share Turan's opinion that a more decent diet would help us do more work."

When Dari-Sautti responded calmly, Melfried nodded "um".

"But the position is completely different between the people of the Count Turan family, who are responsible for the people of the North, and the people by the woods. As I said earlier, generous treatment of the people of the North is an act that may touch the laws of the kingdom. Not to mention, I want you to understand that it is inherently unacceptable for a forest people who are just the inhabitants of Genos to advance such a thing"

Dari-Sauti only said, "Hmm."

Giza-Lou originally just stares at Melfried with his eyes as thin as yarn.

The sense of urgency grows twitchy. It was Polearth who was still smiling that smashed it from the side.

"That's how the people of the North are to be treated with caution. And it is the laws of the kingdom, not Genos, that provide for it. If you mistreat the people of the North in Genos, that means the Marquis of Genos will be punished by the king of Selva."

"King of Selva, huh? But weren't we talking about a man named King living in a place that only takes a month in Totos from here?

"Exactly. Genos, however, is also a very rich territory in Selva, which is why the King has turned a very harsh eye on it. So you're afraid that if Genos is too powerful, he might disengage from the king's rule and call himself an independent state."

That is why I hear that the territory of Genos was also divided among the three Earls. I'm guessing you're afraid of the fact that only the Marquis Genos will have a monopoly on mighty power and richness.

"Therefore, from the Wang capital, every once in a while the visiting man comes. The ingredients delivered from Wang Du are like by-products. Those visiting teams visit Genos about two or three times a year, so I'm sure they'll show up again by the dawn of the rainy season."

"When stories like this are told to people in such a king's capital, it is the people by the woods who are at risk. If the people of the woods were to be seen as a dangerous clan to turn to, they would never be able to save it with us."

That being said, Melfried compared the appearance of Giza-Lou and Dari-Sauti.

"I feel that as a mediator with the people of the woods, and as the next lord of Genos, I should spin the right fringe with the people of the woods. That's why I want you to stick to reckless behavior. This is what Marquis Marquis Marquis Malstein, the current lord, thinks the same way."

"Thank you. This doesn't even sound like a stand-up outside the house."

Dari-Sauti had a powerful grin on that square face.

"I did hear the word now, as a forest chief. We also have something called our feelings and our words, but we haven't forgotten that our monarch is Lord Genos. I would like to exchange words with you until I am satisfied with you in the place where the Three Chiefs met again."

"Admitted.... I wonder if the meeting with the Forestside Chiefs every March is not enough for me? I would like to increase my chances once a month or at least once in February"

"Hmm. Let me tell the other Chiefs that from me again, too. As far as I'm concerned, I completely agree."

So finally, the tense atmosphere on the spot seemed somewhat alleviated.

"So shall we get to work today? Looks like the northerners have just arrived."

Looking back to Pole Earth's words, a new luggage truck was about to come closer to us.

It is the people of the west who are seated on the throne, wrapped in rain gear. Probably a guard. Leather breasts peek through the eyes of the rain gear.

That's how he got off to the ground, saluted Melfried and the others, and then he pulled open the door of the luggage car - from which, at last, the women of the people of the North appeared.