Risou no Himo Seikatsu - Volume 12 - Chapter Aft

Appendix — The Lord and Maids’ Reconnaissance Duty

Dolores was a maid who worked in the inner palace of Capua. She was well aware that she was a rather lucky woman.

Her family was one of knights, with no place in the peerage themselves. Still, the family had a history, so she had managed to become a maid of the inner palace. Such an environment could be either heaven or hell depending on its master.

Her master, Zenjirou, was so kind that it would be awful to ask for anything more. The head maid and some of the others actually found his lack of orders a detriment, but it meant that she could rest in turn.

When she was told that she would be accompanying Zenjirou on the Glasir’s Leaf, she honestly thought her luck might have finally run out. Indeed, life on the sea was tough enough that she was homesick after a single day. She was stuck in a small area, living with both her superior Ines, and Lucretia Broglie—someone of far higher standing. She had a limited amount of water, and the only food was pre-prepared and could not be heated. On top of everything else was the inescapable swaying.

When the seas were rough, it was hard to even sit in place, let alone stand, so she was stuck being tossed around in the hard wooden cot. When the seas had calmed fully again and she heard the various sailors calling it “a stiff breeze,” or saying they were lucky they hadn’t had any storms, or even that it was good the seas had been so calm, she seriously considered asking Zenjirou to send her home.

Still, she had spent roughly ninety days on board and made it through. The Glasir’s Leaf had arrived at the incredible port of Pomorskie in the country of Złota Wolność. Then, after staying the night at the high-class Ancient Arbor, Zenjirou had given her—along with the other maids and soldiers—a rather large amount of money as thanks for their efforts.

Dolores was young, so she recovered quickly. While they were meant for serving staff, she had spent the night in the luxurious accommodations and eaten some new food. The next day, she was full of energy.

I really am lucky, she thought as she left for her allotted free time. Contrary to the heavy coin purse she was carrying, her steps were light as she almost skipped through the foreign port town.

“I do not mind deferring to your preference of destination, Lady Dolores,” the young soldier accompanying her as protection told her. “We were allowed to walk freely at night, albeit for a relatively short time.”

“I shall accept your kind offer, then,” she replied, roaming the town with the man following behind.

While she had contented herself with her position as a maid, her family had a fair amount of history behind it, even if they had no title. Brought up in that family, she was used to having assistants and guards of her own following her.

According to the manager of the Ancient Arbor, the town was safe enough that even a foreign woman would be able to walk around during the daytime without an issue. Zenjirou was a worrier, though, and had not allowed any of the maids but Margarette to travel alone. With her role as a spy, Margarette was more capable of hiding than the knights. Her blonde hair, green eyes, and pale skin meant that if she wore local clothes, she would be safer alone than accompanied by a darker-skinned knight or soldier.

“Now that I think about it,” the soldier said suddenly, “should you not have changed clothes as well?”

“It is fine,” she said easily. “We will stand out regardless, so these outfits are probably safer.”

Her maid outfit was clearly of fine make, even at a glance. Wearing that outfit made it obvious that she worked for a fairly wealthy—or even noble—employer. People would shy away from tangling with someone with such backing. Of course, that didn’t mean ransoms and the like were not a risk, so it was not an absolute guarantee.

“True. Though I must say, we seem to be standing out less than I had thought.”

“Indeed, thankfully,” she replied, looking around.

The “international” status of the port was not bandied around for nothing. The majority of the people walking the streets were pale-skinned citizens of the Northern Continent, but their hair color, eye color, and especially hairstyles and accessories were truly varied. Still, it was also surprisingly easy to see other people with similar darker skin tones like Dolores, or lighter tones somewhere in the middle. With things as they were, if the two of them kept to themselves, they likely wouldn’t draw excessive attention.

Of course, Dolores was tall for a woman and had a good figure along with attractive features. The attention she drew was more than the average foreigner would.

“Let’s go, then,” she said before transitioning into a more joking tone. “Accompanying a woman shopping may be somewhat difficult, but I hope you can bear with me.”

“It will be fine. I have accompanied my sister shopping on many occasions,” he laughed in response.

Just wandering the main street in Pomorskie was rather enjoyable. However, there were many shops, so wandering around would use up the small allowance of free time she had and she might not find anything. Dolores was therefore prepared. She’d asked at reception and obtained a simple hand-drawn map with the best stores marked on it.

The parchment was not made of drake skin, but sheep skin instead. It felt and looked slightly different, but it was not a concern to her.

Fortunately, all of the shops the employee had told her about were large stores on the main street. Assuming she followed the map, even her lack of local knowledge wouldn’t get her lost.

“Oh, here it is,” she said.

The door she had arrived at was mostly white and clearly catered to women, given the charming design that was painted onto it.

“Welcome,” a female employee greeted her with a calm smile. Her lack of reaction to the soldier keeping watch behind Dolores went to show her training.

“I am somewhat of a sightseer,” Dolores started. “The Ancient Arbor recommended your store. I have not made any real decisions about what to buy, but could you show me your products?”

The Ancient Arbor was a high-class establishment that anyone selling wares in Pomorskie would know about. The woman’s smile deepened as she heard the name.

“If you will pardon the question, are you asking for work?”

“No, for myself.”

“Understood. Please wait a moment.”

The woman headed farther into the store and then returned. Asking whether it was business or personal purchases would naturally impact the budget Dolores had.

Anyone with some insight could tell that her outfit was that of a maid serving a noble. If she was buying something for her employer, she would be able to spend a significantly different amount than when spending for herself. The employee asking beforehand meant that the store would be able to properly address either scenario.

When the woman finally returned, she was carrying a rectangular tray with several types of cloth atop it.

“This is the lace that our store deals in. What do you think?”

The fabric she showed them was beautiful. It was a narrow weave that brought bandages or ribbons to mind. Half of the samples were white, but there were also those in red, yellow, green, blue, and black. Each of them had splendid patterns in the woven thread.

“Pretty...”

Dolores’s reaction was no real surprise. Lace was exceptionally rare on the Southern Continent, so it was hard to come by. It was a hit with women to begin with, but the novelty certainly added to it. She was completely entranced by the “woven jewels.”

“Longer, thin strips like this are mainly used on the hems, collars, and cuffs of dresses as decoration. Shorter lengths can also be used as hair accessories.”

“I can see just how gorgeous that would look,” Dolores agreed, smiling as she imagined one of her dresses edged in lace.

“This is how they look when finished,” the clerk said, showing her a dress on a hanger. It was a display sample, so the store had naturally gone all out in addition to the lace. It wasn’t on the level of a wedding dress, but it would certainly fit the leading lady at an event.

“Wonderful...” Dolores murmured.

Her voice had grown even more bewitched, but she could easily foresee the dress itself costing more than what she had on hand.

“How is it attached, though?” she asked after a moment.

“There is no particular trick to it,” the clerk replied. “There is a specific method, though. The common thing is to use the same thread as the lace itself to attach it. We also sell these to those unfamiliar with the material.”

The young saleswoman pulled out several scraps of cloth with the lace sewn onto them. They were examples of how to do exactly that.

“We also sell the thread, of course. Additionally, we sell the hooks used to make lace, so you could buy the whole set and try making your own?”

Dolores stared fixedly at the lace. “Would I be able to?” she asked.

“The type that we sell here would be hard to make if you are not a specialist, but anyone can make the simpler patterns.”

As she spoke, the employee pulled out another short length of lace. It was extremely simple and it was obvious that it was not something the store itself would sell. It was instead an example of the simplest lace weave. However, Dolores was not confident she could replicate even the simplest pattern just from seeing it.

“If you have the time,” the woman began, apparently sensing her feelings, “we can teach you the simple pattern?”

She showed Dolores two balls of white lace thread and two of the hooks for making it.

“Ah...” Dolores couldn’t help but look at the soldier waiting behind her.

Her guard understood the meaning behind the look and smiled back. “Do as you wish, Lady Dolores. You need not worry about me.”

She felt a bit sorry for the soldier being at a loose end while she was learning, but decided to accept his kindness.

“Could you?” she asked the woman.

“Very well. Please, take a seat,” the employee replied, guiding her to a chair and round table in the corner of the shop.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

In the end, Dolores bought some lace to give to each of the maids, a set of hooks with different diameters to make the lace, several balls of thread to use with them, and samples of the attached lace and simplest patterns. The clerk had taught her the three simplest patterns, and Dolores felt it was a huge success.

After leaving the lace store, she visited a shop selling decorative candles and herbal teas. Both of them were well worth the visit to her. Candles on the Southern Continent were mainly made using beeswax. Some places used sumac wax that had spread from the eastern regions, but on the Northern Continent, they also had drakewax.

The employee had mentioned that other animals were rendered and used for wax as well, but they didn’t sell any such candles. The scent from them was strong, so they were cheaper, and they were usually homemade in the more rural areas. Either way, she bought several drakewax candles that were not available on the Southern Continent.

However, the Southern Continent was usually considered the home of drake-related things. When she asked why they were found here but not on the Southern Continent, she had been told that the drakes that could be used for them were aquatic drakes rather than land drakes. Even among those, there were only a few species that could be used. The Valentian soldier had said he had never seen any of them when she asked for a basic description, so it was likely that they lived in the northern waters, but not the southern.

It made sense, if she thought about it. While the seas might be linked, the temperature of the waters around the Northern Continent would differ drastically from those around the Southern Continent. It was inevitable that the drakes present in each region would therefore be different.

Having lit one candle as a test in the store, Dolores found she much preferred the scent to that of the beeswax candles she was used to. It burned more brightly as well and apparently softened much less in response to the outside temperature.

She had immediately jumped to the conclusion that this was the reason they were so valuable, but the merchant had offered a rueful smile and told her that it was simply because they came from drakes. The teachings that most of the continent followed held that drakes were holy creatures. It meant that processing even the unintelligent sea drakes required the church’s permission. That added to the cost, with some of the margin directed to the church, making it a much more mercenary reason for the price.

When she visited the place selling herbal tea, she bought a tea set made of white porcelain—a material she’d never seen before—along with a small bottle of maple syrup. While she had tasted the teas themselves, they hadn’t been to her liking, and the tea set itself had been rather expensive, so she didn’t buy any. Incidentally, they had some equally expensive sugar that could be added to the teas, but it went without saying that she felt absolutely no inclination to buy that. There was nothing rare about sugar to a Capuan. The liquid with a somewhat reserved sweetness that the maple syrup represented was much more interesting.

Now, weighed down with souvenirs in contrast to her lightened coin purse, she walked along the paved streets of Pomorskie.

“Are you okay, Lady Dolores?” the soldier asked worriedly. “I can carry something if you like?”

She would not take him up on the offer. “No, I’m fine. I would like to stop briefly at the Ancient Arbor to drop these off, though.”

The soldier was not an assistant; he was her guard. However safe Pomorskie was, Dolores knew just how foolish weighing down her protection with luggage would be.

“Very well. There is no need to rush, so let us take it easy as we return.”

“Thank you.”

Making sure that she wouldn’t drop any of her purchases, she slowly walked back to the Ancient Arbor. Having returned and safely stored her purchases away, they stopped at the cafeteria on the first floor for lunch.

“What is this?” the soldier asked with a perplexed look.

“A ‘pierogi,’ apparently,” Dolores told him.

Someone from Japan might call it a big gyoza. It was certainly very similar in shape. When the soldier cut it open, it revealed minced meat, cheese, and salted cabbage. It was a commoner’s dish and would usually never feature on the menu of such a high-class establishment. However, it was a popular regional dish, so it had been specially added.

The man gave a faint noise as he hesitantly moved the forkful of food up into his mouth. A frown found its home on his brow as well.

“Oh? Do you not like it?” Dolores asked. She had a much more at-ease look on her face. Indeed, she was eating it readily with all appearances of enjoyment.

“I suppose not. I cannot deal with this yellow melted thing inside it.”

That was when she noticed the cheese. That made sense; those on the Southern Continent only really farmed drakes, so they had no familiarity with cheese products. The only exception was the inner palace, which had the goats Freya had given them as a gift.

Indeed, not all of the maids had accepted the new type of food either. The only one of the older maids who ate it without issue was Vanessa.

Seeing the man’s struggles, Dolores raised a hand to summon a waiter. “Take this dish and bring another back—something without dairy products, please.”

“Of course. Please wait a moment.”

“My apologies,” the soldier said in embarrassment, his cheeks red. Being picky while being such a big man was probably something he was rather ashamed of.

“It seems rather normal here,” she commented, looking around at the other seats. She could see several of them asking the waiters to avoid specific dishes, or for them to be made without certain ingredients.

It was probably characteristic of the very cosmopolitan nature of the town. The wide range of ingredients led to a wide range of dishes that could be made. The varied people that visited would inevitably encounter dishes they did not enjoy.

In exchange for the potential of a new favorite the variety offered, those who thought they were not picky with their food could find themselves becoming so.

“I see,” the young soldier replied, clearly relieved by her support.

“Excuse me. Your replacement,” the waiter informed him.

The new meal was a stew of sausage and salted cabbage. The man’s face broke out into a smile as he speared a sausage with his fork and bit into it.

“That seems fine for you,” Dolores commented.

Sausages were not a food found in Capua either. However, unlike dairy products, it seemed much more to the man’s taste.

“Indeed, it is very tasty. I have heard that they keep well, and I am almost tempted to buy some to take home. I noticed you bought a lot. Are they souvenirs for the other maids in the inner palace?”

“They are. Some of it is for me, of course, but the majority are souvenirs for others. Have you not bought anything for your coworkers?”

The man considered for a moment.

“I have not. It is almost a shame, but perhaps I can buy some of these sausages and share them.”

The sausages had apparently been a real hit, and Dolores couldn’t help but laugh at the almost childish comment.

“Ah, well, I mean...” The man shied away as she laughed.

Being in the inner palace made it easy to forget, but to commoners, Dolores would be seen as a noblewoman. One beautiful enough to truly draw the eye as well. Sharing a table and having her laugh in enjoyment was unsurprisingly enough to fluster the man.

The unplanned meal was a rather pleasant event for the young soldier.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

Dolores still had some time left after they finished eating. She therefore asked the soldier to accompany her and they went out into the town again, this time to a completely different region.

“Is there somewhere we can see the entirety of the port from?” she asked him.

The soldier said that he had an idea and then asked one of the locals before guiding her through the streets.

“You seem rather confident. May I ask why?” she inquired.

The soldier straightened slightly in pride at her side. “I was born in Valentia. Manmade ports have elevated areas for citizens to evacuate to in the case of a flood,” he explained.

“I see,” she replied, impressed.

The man held his head high. The existence of such places mainly hinged on the person in charge’s discretion, so it was not unusual to see ports without any such facilities, but there was no one here who would reveal that.

The high ground was to the east of the town.

“Is this sufficient, Lady Dolores?” he asked.

“This should be fine,” she replied.

A set of wide stone steps opened up into a large open square. The majority of the space was taken up by lawns, but there were wooden benches as well. There were also lanterns that would be lit in case of emergencies, which hung next to the benches. It was unremarkable, though, looking more like a park and place for the citizens to relax than an evacuation site.

There was an elderly couple sitting on one of the benches, and a group of children ran around on the grass as they laughed. The town’s wealth showed even in their clothing.

Dolores felt a smile on her face at the peaceful sight but soon remembered why she was there. She was now able to see the entirety of the port.

“It truly is a huge, impressive port. Would you say it is more so than Valentia’s?”

“I would have to admit it is, however sad it is to state.” Indeed, there was a grimace on the man’s face.

“Ah, is it annoying to see?” she asked in surprise.

“It is,” he agreed. “I was born and raised in Valentia. I thought it was the best port in the world.”

Despite the man’s dismay, Valentia was not all that special. Even on the Southern Continent, there were those that rivaled it. However, nothing surpassed it. So the people living there boasted about their town being the best.

Pomorskie was unquestionably bigger, though. It was profitable and safe as well. In every way, it was better than Valentia. It made sense that someone from the latter town would find it hard to swallow.

She was rather charmed as she watched him clench his fist, but she knew she didn’t have much time left.

“I am going to do some work,” she said. “I do not think it will look suspicious, but please keep a casual attention on our surroundings just in case,” she whispered, moving close enough that their shoulders were almost touching.

The man almost jumped out of his skin, but then nodded. After all, she was not too much shorter than the soldier, so whispering by his side meant that her hot breath tickled his ear.

“U-Understood. Leave it to me.”

“Make sure it looks casual,” she pressed as he almost saluted. She couldn’t resist a slight laugh as she did.

Natalio had handpicked him for this duty, so his abilities were assured. The man took a nonchalant look around.

“No one is paying us any attention,” he said.

Dolores then took out a thin music player from the pocket of her apron dress and opened up the camera with familiar motions. She took a photo overlooking the port as a whole, then one of the shipyards. Afterwards, she walked in the other direction and took one of the entirety of the town. Then the walls around the town, one centering on the gate into the town, and one on the feudal lord’s estate. Making sure no one was focusing on her, she then took a photo of the relaxing elderly couple, and one of the children playing on the grass.

She didn’t use the zoom, focusing on getting an overall picture. After a very brief time of shooting photos, she turned the device off and returned it to her pocket.

The main thrust of her duties to record the Northern Continent would not be here, but in Freya’s homeland. There was plenty of storage space on the device, but battery life was another matter. This would be the limit for now.

“Thank you. I am finished,” she said with a grin.

The soldier looked respectfully at her. “You are incredible, Lady Dolores.”

“Pardon?” she asked, surprised by the sudden compliment.

The man smiled at her and continued. “Sir Zenjirou trusts you with his magic tools and their use. You seem familiar enough with it that his trust appears well-founded. The burden of travel between the continents must be no small matter for a woman. Yet here you are after only a single day, carrying out your duties. I have a lot of respect for that.”

“Thank you...” she responded, unable to hide her shyness at the honest compliment.

In all honesty, her “familiarity” with the equipment was more about playing with a new toy at random, and in taking the photos, she had the ulterior motive of hoping that Zenjirou might give her some more spending money if she was proactive. Such earnest praise for this made her feel somewhat awkward and almost guilty.

“We are running out of time,” she said quickly instead, changing the subject. “We should head back.”

“Indeed. Very well, then,” he replied immediately.

◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆

As things turned out, Dolores’s hopes were right on the mark. Zenjirou was exceptionally happy when he checked the photos and promised a reward from him personally in addition to the payment from Aura. He truly was an understanding master.

They were staying in the Ancient Arbor’s royal suite. It was a room prepared with the expectation nobility would be using it. Naturally, it had an adjoining room for maids and the like.

Ines and Dolores were currently in that room. In the inner palace, Ines was in charge of cleaning and was her superior. At the same time, though, she was also someone Dolores had shared a small space with for a long time on the Glasir’s Leaf, along with Margarette, Lucretia, and Lucretia’s maid, Flora.

Thinking of the other women in that way led to a sense of affinity. Frankly, though, Ines was the one Dolores felt the least close to out of any of them. Even Lucretia—a highly placed noble—had been unable to keep up her appearances and shown a much less composed side of herself in their shared quarters. Ines, however, had never lost her calm serenity.

It was almost certainly not the case, but it made Dolores feel like Ines had not suffered during the trip at all.

“Good work, Dolores. I will be telling Amanda about your efforts.”

“Thank you, Lady Ines. When you do, please make sure you stress how much use I have been to Sir Zenjirou.”

Ines offered a wry smile at her shameless request as she brewed some herbal tea that the Ancient Arbor had provided.

“I imagine you girls would remain assigned to Sir Zenjirou even if I did not,” she replied.

Even so, Dolores couldn’t let her guard down. If Freya became a concubine, the inner palace would not just be running the main building, but an annex as well. There were rumors that Lucretia from the Twin Kingdoms might also become a concubine of Zenjirou’s. If that happened, the maids working in the inner palace would be split into three sections.

It was no exaggeration that working in the inner palace with the electricity, and Zenjirou’s kind—almost doting—demeanor, was heaven. Sharing a ship with Freya and Lucretia meant that Dolores could be fairly certain of their general personalities, and neither of them would be as lax with the maids as Zenjirou was.

Dolores wanted to take full advantage of the slice of heaven she had, savoring it until she left the inner palace entirely.

“I have toured the town myself, albeit briefly,” Ines said as if just recalling it. “It truly is a wealthy town. While it will depend on further negotiations, I can see us trading here as well as with Uppasala.”

It was unusual for Ines, but there was a hint of her own desires in her statement this time. As she spoke, she placed the one herbal tea in front of Dolores.

Having no need to restrain herself, Dolores thanked her before immediately adding honey and a slice of citrus fruit. She then took a sip. The scent and flavor were both much stronger than usual. Dolores preferred her normal tea.

“You think so?” she asked.

“Indeed. I cannot be certain, but if Sir Zenjirou himself comes here, we of the inner palace may also need to.”

“Then I’d like to nominate Faye and Letti,” Dolores said immediately, without even thinking about it.

“I would not be against it, but are you sure?” Ines asked, blinking.

Misunderstanding her, Dolores had an almost wicked smile as she agreed. “Of course, I want them to be able to enjoy the town as well. Of course, they’d also need to spend dozens of days on the ship as we have.”

She was unhappy about being the only one to suffer the trip. Ines was silent for a moment, conflicted. Then, after taking a sip of her own herbal tea—which had no extra additions like Dolores’s did—she answered.

“Well, Dolores, you appear to be misunderstanding. If Sir Zenjirou visits Pomorskie again, he will not be traveling by ship. If negotiations go well, Capua will establish an embassy and he will teleport straight there. Even if that isn’t the case, he can teleport to Uppasala and then travel by ship to Pomorskie. The Glasir’s Leaf can make the trip in three to four days.”

“Oh...” Dolores replied dully. The stress of the journey had made her forget entirely about her lord’s lineal magic.

“If you insist, I will happily recommend Faye and Letti,” Ines continued with a chuckle.

“Lady Ines!” Dolores protested.

Ines simply sipped politely at her tea.

Dolores was aware of how lucky she was. While she had been subjected to the rigors of intercontinental seafaring, there were commensurate rewards waiting for her here.

Unfortunately, she was forced to realize that there would be people who were even luckier.