947 Episode 2: Your Duke and the Visitors (Upper)

From now on, about four years ago, the Knights of Genos, led by Melfrid, drove Totos on the streets far from home.

This is the way back to the coronation ceremony in Alglad, King of the West, where Marquis Martin, Merfrid's father, was supposed to relax in a Totos car guarded by 100 cavalry.

The journey from Genos to King's Landing is said to take 30 to 40 days on one way. However, I was able to arrive in King's City in exactly 30 days on the way, and I felt that the itinerary was going well on this way back.

Twenty days have already passed since leaving King's Landing, so the rest will be about ten days.

It was supposed to be the work of the Guardians who guided the trip so well.

"Looks like the sun's been tilting for a long time. But before the sun sets, we should be able to reach our destination."

― ― One of the Guardians sent Toth over to Melfrid, who was leading the way.

Camuer-Josh, a young swordsman in a mellow style with golden brown hair and purple eyes, wearing a thick long leather coat. He had an enemy Mahidrah human in his mother, but now he is transferring God to Selva and has been officially approved as a Guardian by the King's Landing. He also understands that he has the right amount of equipment and that during this long journey, Melfrid has been able to do the same.

"I wonder if there are 10 days left until the nostalgic Genos. As long as the captain loves the companions and sons he left behind in his hometown, right?

Melfridge was well known not to call himself by his own name, so that people in the outside world could not understand his nature. That is the name chosen. The group was made up of Genos' Kinsai Corps, and Melfrid was in charge of the group.

"... until the mission is accomplished, there's nothing left to do. I want you to do the same."

"I don't have a family, so don't worry."

Kamur-Josh smiled slightly behind his deeply worn headscarf.

"But the captain's son and daughter are finally three years old, right? Isn't it a cute platter? It is self-restraint when it comes to steel that can be divided into miscellaneous things."

"... how do you know my daughter's age?

"Of course, the Housekeeper of Genos sent me a message. I inherited all the good things from your parents, and they say it's a lovely princess."

Merfrid's father, Malstein, was particularly fond of this Camouflage-Josh and seemed to have gotten a lot closer along the way.

Regardless of how the opponent was recognized as the Guardian of the King's Landing, it seems that the Marquis should not be so close - in that way, Malstein has a childish attitude that does not suit his age. In addition, Kamur-Josh was more of a childish personality and might resonate with others.

(... if this man was harmful, I wouldn't be able to stop him.)

As a troop commander, Melfrid had no reason to doubt Kamur-Josh's sincerity at the moment.

After a while, you can see the shadow of the castle wall in front of you.

The sun is finally at the end of the west. Today, I was able to get to the destination territory with ease.

"Oh, I see it. I see it. That's Count Seth's territory."

Camuer-Josh is raising his voice.

"Seth's specialty is kimus flavor grilled. I'm sure you'll be happy with Genos.... but not as many ingredients are in circulation as Genos."

◇

The party that crossed the gates was invited to the castle of Count Seth.

I was sending out the first messengers, so I was ready to welcome you. Soldiers were deployed on the streets leading to the castle, and the residents sent a rare gaze from the other side.

In the territory surrounded by walls, the lord's castle is surrounded by further walls. The Knights from 100 were allowed to enter.

"Soldiers will guide you to your quarters. Genos, please come with us."

It was decided that Malstein would be accompanied only by his sidekick surname, Melfridge, and Kamur-Josh.

Kamur-Josh then speaks in a silly manner.

"Um, may I join you today? I have a few things to discuss about tomorrow's itinerary."

My partner is the other Guardian.

As Martin forgives Falcon, the man who left Toth's cord with the castle servant approaches.

"Thank you very much. I'm only happy to be with you, but thank you very much."

Though courteous, I am never afraid. And he was also a Guardian, sanctioned by the king's capital, and his name was Zashma. He is about ten years older than Kamur-Josh and has an atmosphere like a familiar visitor.

"Now, let me show you to the bathhouse. Please clean up your journey first."

The Guardians were guided in the meantime, and Melfrid was invited to the bathhouse with his father and surname.

It is strange to purify myself with my father, but this was an important time to speak in private.

"Seth is a territory that doesn't interact with Genos at all. Please don't be alarmed."

"Hmm. But there's no way we can maliciously target strangers. Besides, Count Seth and I are supposed to be greeting in King's Landing."

This time it was the crowning ceremony of a new king, so the famous nobles of the kingdom were summoned to the king's capital.

But it does not include the three Earls of Genos. It was the custom that only the Marquises of Genos would be called at such times, as Genos, with its complex history, had a higher ranking than its original title.

(Certainly the Count of Seth has the same power as the Marquis of Genos.)

Seth's territory, protected by the walls of the castle, appeared to be as large as Genos's castle town.

The facilities of this bathing hall are also obvious. Rather, it seemed less sophisticated than Genos.

(We're more of a border people than we thought.)

In the history of the kingdom, which spans more than 600 years, Genos is still two hundred years old and has only one history. As a territory ruled by aristocracy, I think it will be a new arrival with a finger fold. And since it was the furthest from King's Land, the border should have been a foolishly remote place.

However, the visit to King Alglad, the heart of the kingdom, left Merfrid feeling a different emotion. To be precise, it seemed to be the territory that stopped on the way, but it impressed Melfridge.

The King's Landing did not seem to be more prosperous than Genos until now, as a complete exception.

Indeed, it seems to be larger than Genos when it comes to marquises. In Genos, however, including Durham, Saturas and Turan, it seemed comparable to other Marquis territories.

However, the same is true not only for the size of the territory, but also for the level of prosperity. Genos was quite proud of the abundance of Sims and Jagal merchants visiting.

Therefore, the title of Marquis on Genos is not gradually inappropriate.

It was still more unfit for the Three Earls.

The establishment of the three Earls of Durham, Saturas and Turan was a policy to divide the forces of the Marquis of Genos.

It is a policy that emerges from such a sense of crisis that the Marquis of Genos does not aspire to independence like the Grand Duchy of Zerad. It was, of course, the kings of Alglad, your chief king of Genos, who enforced it.

(There is no objection to the policy itself. But if the Earl's people were to see the Marquis overthrown, the story would be different.)

With such thoughts in his chest, Melfridge left the bathhouse.

Next, the Guardians will purify themselves, but without watching them, they will be led to the hall for dinner. It is only Malstein's personal hobby that Kamur-Josh is summoned. It was impossible for the aristocracy of the thin realm to hope for the presence of the Guardian, who made rough work.

"Oh, this is... It is an unexpected pleasure to invite all of you who have just acquired knowledge in King's Landing to my castle."

In the cafeteria, Count Seth was waiting for him.

A small, slender, grand, gentle person. Because it had a very distinctive appearance, Melfridge was hard to remember.

The Countess and her children are also absent from the huge table. Everyone welcomed me with a smelly look and an unprecedented guest.

"I came back from King's Landing about two days ago. Now, let's begin by congratulating you on this reunion. Today we are preparing Jaguar sparkling liquor."

Seth's territory wasn't far from Jagal, so he seemed to be making a deal.

The glass of wine must have been bought from an eastern merchant. In Amsterdam, it was said that only the land of Jagal would not be treaded by Sim merchants.

A blessed wine glass is raised and an extravagant dinner begins.

Count Seth was always in a good mood.

"Nevertheless, the coronation was a splendid feast. This is the third time I've been to King's Landing, but this is the first time I've had such a feast."

"Well, three times. Embarrassed, I was the first king's capital."

Mulstein smiles loosely and hits the gavel without a hitch.

Count Seth did not withdraw from it in his childhood.

"Getting from Genos to King's Landing will take a lot of effort. The kingdoms will be aware of that. I am honored to have never spoken to the Marquis of Genos again."

"Welcome. Thank you very much for your sudden visit."

The format is preferred here, but the interaction with King's Landing is preferred there. In view of these circumstances, the two names seemed to regard you as equally qualified.

(These kinds of socializations are still not good at all. With my father, yes, I shouldn't have left Genos)

Melfrid thought as he proceeded with his meal in silence.

Of course, I am well aware of how sociable my father, Martin, is. Even in Genos, there aren't many opportunities to welcome the remaining nobles, so Malstein will have to hone his social skills in those places.

However, Melfrid was greatly reminded on this journey that it had been smelted beyond his imagination.

Anyway, in King's Landing, we were going against dozens and hundreds of strange aristocracy. On the spot, there were also many honorable nobles such as royals and dukes. Still, Martin wasn't timid, he was spinning social threads with his usual elegance.

"... yet, inviting guests in this way is really the first time I've ever done this. Whatever your destination, there's no reason to stop at Seth."

And Count Seth said so.

"If you're heading for Genos from King's Landing, is there a better north side street? Nobles from all over Selva will have gathered in King's Landing this time, but this is the first time the Household of Genos has stopped by.... Besides, you've never stopped by Seth on your way, have you?

Mulstein answers, "Yes."

"I used a more northerly street to get there. We dare to choose a different path."

"Hmm. Why would you try that?

"Of course, it is to spin the bonds with people from different territories as much as possible. We Genos people didn't have a chance to connect with distant people, so we're looking at it that way."

"I see," Count Seth laughs.

You don't doubt any of Martin's words. It was also a technique that allowed for excellent socialization.

"Even though Genos and Seth have been making deals for a long time, we didn't have a chance to face each other. It's very difficult."

"Deal," Martin repeated casually.

Melfridge stopped his hand from spraying on the liquor glass.

"... that's right. The ingredients bought from Seth are essential to coloring our tables."

"It's an honor. At dinner today, we also use lots of Seth's famous Ma Pra and Ma Gigo."

It seems that the deal was made independently by the Earl of Turan.

Malstein glanced at Melfridge and then smelled Kimus in his mouth as if nothing had happened.

(... even Seth, ten days away from Genos, the Count Turan family had a deal.)

Of course, the Counts of Turan have their own dealings with Sims and Jagal, so I don't suppose it's much of a distance after ten days.

The problem was that the Marquises had no idea of the ingredients, even though they were distributed in the castle town.

(Meals are indispensable to human life. The distribution of ingredients to make it up to the Count Nokinami Turan family... is still not the right thing to do)

Recently, it has been whispered that the Earl of Turan controls the value of vegetables harvested in Durham. It should also have been one of the hearts of the Earl of Turan to distribute the ingredients bought from the rest of the territory.

(... it didn't seem helpful to go around different territories.)

Chewing on that feeling, Melfrid decided to move on with his meal.

◇

"Hmm, a little too much booze today. I'm sorry to call you, but please tell Camille-Josh that I'll rest first."

After dinner, Martin left the words behind and disappeared to bed.

Melfrid, who is also the lord's escort, will rest between the sleeping quarters and the reception in the corridor. For a moment, Melfrid decided to summon the two Guardians.

"Thank you very much. Do you mind if I join you today?

Let Zashma come in and say, "Mmm."

"If tomorrow's itinerary is set, I want you to confirm it. The Housekeeper of Genos is asleep, so be quiet."

Kamur-Josh and Zashma sat down in a bench opposite Merfried.

He was Kamur-Josh, who looked like the people of the north, and Zashma, who seemed to be good at rough things. I was no longer familiar with Merfrid, but I was not comfortable with the aristocracy of Count Seth's family.

"... so what kind of itinerary did you have in mind?

As Melfrid nodded, Camuer-Josh spread the map on the table saying, "Yes."

"Actually, I also wanted to check with the Commander. Should we avoid entering Jagal territory after all?

"In Jagal territory? Isn't that... too far away?

"Yes, I'm sure you'll have about half a month left on your 10-day itinerary. But I think the safest path is that."

That said, Camuer-Josh smiled a little.

"The request we received was to return Genos and King's Landing in 30 to 40 days one way. Even if you take a long detour, the return journey will take about 35 days, so should it be within the scope of the contract?

"No, but... isn't it hard to find accommodation in Jagal territory?

"No, don't worry, we're aware of the situation in Jagal. I'm sure half of the accommodation will be in the Autonomous Community, but I promise I won't endanger the Housekeeper of Genos."

After a while of silence, Melfrid answered "No."

"I would still like to avoid the Knights of the West stepping into the southern territories without notice. Even if it's a hundred gestures, it's troublesome to suspect an act of aggression."

"Look at that. I told you to go through Jagal for as long as you want."

While laughing, Zashma held Kamur-Josh's arm at her elbow.

Kamur-Josh smiles with a breathtaking smile.

"But are you sure this is the safest path? There will be outlaws in Jagal, but nothing as rough as attacking the Knights of the West should be on this road."

"Normally, there wouldn't be a hundred Knights attacked anywhere."

"Yeah, if it's normal."

And Kamur-Josh's pleasantly narrowed eyes turned towards Merfrid.

"But I want you to make the safest itinerary possible. Anyway, it seems to be a precaution to choose a different path for outbound and return journeys.... that means you want to be more careful than usual?

"... we have the Marquis lord and first son, so it's only natural to be careful."

"Yes, that's it. If it is truly a coronation ceremony, it would be appropriate for the Marquis lord to go out. Moreover, this time, the temper of the fiery fire and the rumors were that the famous First Prince Kairos would take the throne. In any territory, it seems that the lord was present shortly afterwards."

With that said, Kamur-Josh finally enjoyed himself.

"But it's hard for a lord to bring his first son there. If anything happens to the lord, the first son will be the new lord. In such cases, it is normal to leave it in the territory."

…………

"In other words, this wasn't an ordinary request from the beginning. Instead of being the first son, the Commander decided to defend the lord of Genos in his capacity as commander of the Kintetsu Corps.... that's what you're thinking when there's such a danger?

Melfrid took a small breath and fell on the back of the chair.

"... so? What are you trying to say?

"We have been asked to guide you safely. If there are any unusual circumstances, it's up to you to find it difficult to do your job without knowing it."

Merfried stared at Camoua-Josh's smile, covered in golden brown beard.

"... it seems that your brightness was beyond my imagination."

"It is the ultimate joy."

"But you've done your job without any trouble. Why did you suddenly say such a thing when the rest of your itinerary was only ten days away?

"That's because I now believe that this is the right place to think."

Kamur-Josh said with a smile that didn't kill the insects.

"If you're alert to bandits, it's better to head out than back. This wagon was loaded with treasure to give to King's Landing, so it should be the prey. Still, there aren't enough bandits to attack a hundred Knights.... but if the Housekeeper of Genos is a prey, we should be on our way back."

"... why?

"There are two reasons. It's a degree of relaxation and fatigue. The journey from Genos to King's Landing takes as little as 30 days. It is a long journey of two months by round trip. As expected, the Knights are tired, and it is undeniable that they will soon arrive home. If I'm a raider, the rest of my itinerary is five to ten days away, depending on what I think I'm after."

…………

"Is the Commander still on alert for an attack orchestrated by the Earl of Turan?

It was time for Melfrid to be taken by a big surprise.

"... why would the name of the Count Turan family come up there?

"Well, that's a simple guess, considering the faction map in Genos. Of course, there are others who are targeting the loss of the Marquis of Genos, but the most powerful opponent is still the Earl of Turan."

"... my father told me to prepare you a pass for the castle town when I got back to Genos. I mean, you don't have a pass right now. So how can you imagine a faction chart between nobles?

"Even if you can't get into the castle town, you can't talk to people who enter and leave the castle town. Of course, if you could get me a pass, I wouldn't have moved on."

Melfrid took a deep breath again.

Apparently, this dumb man was more than Melfridge expected.

"... I can't slander the Count Turan family because I don't have any proof. But I think I should be very careful."

"Yes. Someone assassinated the previous chief of the escort militia. Genos is a peaceful land, but we can't afford to be too careful."

"... what is the death of the chief of the protection militia? That must have been years ago."

"Yes. The chief of the escort militia was assassinated and the brother of the lord of the Earl of Turan inherited his seat. It was also a long time ago that Miren became the new commander, and the Red Beard Party was slaughtered."

The purple eyes of Kamur-Josh were filled with a crystal clear light, with a faint smile.

It is an unspeakable gaze, like an old man or a young child.

"That's one of the reasons I'm interested in Genos. It's not like I'm going to tell you a lot... but I was a part of the Red Beard Party."

"The Red Beard?" Is that a bandit? The defense militia must have slaughtered it because they had their poisonous teeth on Genos. "

"Yes. It seems that the assassination of the former commander of the Guardian Militia, as well as the raid on the banana mission that was planning a deal with Genos, were all attributed to the Red Beard.... why did the Red Beard party, who swore an oath of immortality, do such a thing? That was the starting point of my doubts."

That's what Camuer-Josh said as he stared at Melfrid with a clear eye.

"As we proceeded with our investigation, we were able to draw a faction map of Genos. I just stopped by Genos while I was at work and listened to this. Still, if it's only been eight years, there's a lot of information. As far as I'm concerned, I'm as proud as I could be."

…………

"Now, let me point out that the Guards were originally supposed to protect the lord and his castle. It would seem quite unnatural to order such a long journey escort to a nearby guard.... but if the Marquises of Genos are careful to infiltrate the Earl of Turan, it's only natural that our brother does not order the escort of the militia, which is headed by you."

So, you...

"Yes, it seems that the Housekeeper of Genos was not in any danger, so it was decided to reveal his chest to his first son, Lord Merfried."

That said, Camuer-Josh kept his strange gaze on his mouth, spreading his usual dumb smile.