Chapter 80: CH 80

Chapter 80: The Man Who Throws Gold

　While a large departure parade was being held in the capital, led by Empress Audrey, I quietly set off with my two maids.

　Zoe, the head maid, and Kate, who I had just recently picked up.

　I took a well-made but inconspicuous carriage and posed as a proper merchant, and had Zoe and Kate follow me on foot.

　After about half a day of walking along the road, I sent Kate ahead of me to secure the lodging for the day.

　As I watched from the top of the carriage as Kate ran to secure the lodging, Zoe spoke to me from the side.

　Her speech and address had reverted to that of the days of me being the Prince, as we are traveling secretly.

“Master, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Why did you bring Kate along?”

“Hmm?”

　I turn my head to the side.

　Zoe was looking up at me with a troubled, questioning look on her face.

“I understand why Master took a liking to her. She is honest and devoted and is very aware of everything. But she is too inexperienced. In the palace, other maids are there to follow her around, but when she is outside, ……”

“Oh well. There are still some risks, that’s for sure.”

　I looked at Kate’s back, which looked about the size of a pea at the end of the road and smiled.

　As with anything, enthusiasm is when you are doing something that is beyond your capabilities or near your limits.

　Humans don’t say, ‘I’m going to walk!’ when they are walking, only when they are trying to run fast, they will say ‘I am going to run!’.

　In this sense, Kate’s constant enthusiasm was probably unreliable in Zoe’s eyes.

“It’s not a big reason. I’m just trying to nurture Kate’s talent and give her some experience.”

“Nurture?”

“Yeah. That girl will grow if you keep training her. Don’t you think so?”

“That’s true, but …… with the shortage of manpower, that would be inconvenient for Master.”

“A nobleman must nurture others, and it is a nobleman’s privilege to put up with them.”

“But …… master is now ……”

　Zoe is about to say something, but she stops.

　”……” it was probably followed by “even though you are the Emperor”.

　After stammering for a bit, she shook her head.

“As expected of Master.”

　She seemed convinced.

　Since we’ve known each other for so long, she understands that when I nurture people, I nurture them, regardless of whether I’m the Emperor or not.

　I brought them here not only to nurture Kate but Zoe as well.

　She works hard as the head maid, so I kept her with me, but I wanted to let her out sooner, just like Evelyn.

　That Evelyn is now the Governor of Almeria.

　Zoe’s talent is no less than Evelyn’s.

　That’s why I brought Zoe along with me, to give her some experience.

　　　　　☆

　After about a week’s journey, we came to Dussel, the capital of Gabel.

　Dussel.

　A city built on both ends of the Dussel River, as if it were sitting on top of the river.

　The city, which has prospered thanks to the river’s water transportation, was so crowded that we could see it from a distance even on the night we arrived.

“It’s a bustling town.”

“There are more than 200,000 people registered in the city’s register.”

“T-Two hundred thousand!?”

 　Kate was so surprised that her intonation of “hundred thousand” was slightly funny.

“Anyway, have you got the accommodations in order?”

　Unlike Kate, Zoe was not surprised by the city of about 200,000 people, since she has been in Royal Capital for a long time.

　After calming her down, she asked Kate.

“Ah, yes!　I have a room on the top floor at the inn by the river. And to be safe, I rented out the one downstairs as well.”

“You weren’t able to rent out the entire inn?”

“I apologize, but there were already some guests there when I got there.”

“Then negotiate–“

“Good. Well done, Kate.”

　I stopped Zoe’s questioning and complimented Kate.

　She may not have done the best but she did well enough.

　If it’s good enough, then Kate needs to get more praise and confidence now.

　Kate looked relieved by the praise.

　She was more relieved than happy.

　It would take a while, I thought, as I entered the city.

　Even at night, the city was quite busy.

　Especially along the river, which is the heartbeat of the city, there were various night stalls and people were doing nighttime business.

　Amid this bustle, we entered the inn Kate had arranged for us.

　The innkeeper welcomed me with his staff, probably because I had paid a lot of money in advance.

　After telling Zoe to give an appropriate tip, I entered a room on the top floor.

　The room had a wide window overlooking the Dusel River, probably because it was designed for rich people from the start.

　I sat by the window and looked out at the river.

“Fuhahahahaha!”

　Suddenly, I heard a man’s high-pitched laugh coming from above the river.

　There was a houseboat in the center of the river, and at the tip of the boat, a man was throwing something while laughing hysterically.

　On both sides of the river, there were piles of people watching, marveling, and cheering each time the man threw something.

　The man, pleased with the response, threw more stuff.

　And so it goes.

“That’s …….”

“It’s sparkling.

“Looks beautiful. ……”

　Zoe and Kate came up behind me.

　They were one step back from me, in an over-the-shoulder position, looking at the boat and the man.

“What is he throwing?”

“Maybe money.”[TN: 金 ‘kin’ means gold or can mean money as well]

“money?”[TN: きん’kin’]

“It’s the gold.”[TN: 黄金’kogane’ means gold as well]

“”Ehhhhhh!?””

　Zoe and Kate both squealed in surprise.

“Oh, by gold  do you mean that gold?”

“Yeah. It’s probably made out of gold dust or gold leaf since it has relatively long airtime. Since we can see the reflection from this distance, it must have been a very large one.”

“Gold …… amazing, must be very expensive, right?”

　Kate asked fearfully, to which I replied.

“Given the size and the amount of reflection, I’d say about 100 reens each time they are scattered”

“……”

“oh my……”

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　With a thud, Kate collapsed to the floor.

　It seems that she fainted from too much.

　Zoe’s been the head maid at the Royal Mansion for many years, though, so it wasn’t enough to cause her to pass out.

　Still, she was shocked to the extent that her face turned pale and her brow furrowed.

“Fuhahahahaha!!　That’s it!”

“”Kyaaaaah!　Olcott-sama is wonderful!”

“Olcott!?”

　Zoe raised her eyebrows differently hearing the name of the person mixed in with the yellow screams from below. 

“Master!”

“Governor Gavel Olcott. Himself or his family? We’ve run into each other right from the start huh.”

‘With a Governor’s salary, there’s no way he could do something like that.”

“Exactly. He’s probably taking a bribe.”

“We’ll get him.”

“Wait a bit. This in itself is not evidence of a bribe. Let’s let him swim until we get something more incriminating.”

“I see. ……”

　Zoe nodded her head in agreement, though she looked bitter.

　Among my maids, there’s one important factor in the selection of who I want to put “out there”.

　When push comes to shove, she is the type that reason can hold her emotions in check.

“It’s true in theory, but ……”

　The person who shows reluctance is a failure,

“If so, I’ll follow theory.”

　and I like those who can say this.

　And, Zoe has those qualities in abundance.

　Zoe had a completely different expression now.

　She was looking at Olcott on the river with a puzzled look on her face, tilting her head.

　She was wondering why he was scattering gold while being pampered by a woman.

“What’s the matter?”

“Ah, no. There’s something different about it.”

“What is it?”

“He’s a Governor, but he doesn’t look like a nobleman at all.”

“Because he’s not doing his nobleman’s duty.”

“Nobleman’s duties.”

　Zoe turns her head and gazes at me.

“A nobleman has to act selflessly.”

“That’s right!”

“Even when throwing away gold, the nobleman should convert it into goods and distribute it to the affected areas. This one is just a rich man.”

“That’s so true!”

“…… Zoe. What about that Olcott, did you hear about him taking bribes?”

　Before I left Royal Capital, I had gathered some information on the major figures in Gabel, especially those I needed to look into, and I had Zoe memorize them as well.

　So I asked Zoe.

“No, not at all. He came out clean.”

“Then there aren’t that many possibilities. …… Zoe, there’s something I need you to look into right now.”

“Please tell me!”

　Perhaps it was because she had witnessed Olcott’s maniacal behavior, Zoe was motivated.

　　　　　☆

　The next morning, I woke up and got dressed with Kate’s help.

　Kate, who had just become a maid, blushed when she saw me standing there naked.

　It was just changing clothes, so I did so without embarrassment.

　Then there was a knock at the door.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

　Zoe walked in.

　She was unfazed seeing me naked.

　Kate had a mixed reaction to Zoe’s reaction as well.

　You get used to it, I thought, and asked Zoe, ignoring Kate’s reaction.

“So, did you get it?

“Yes. Of the three that Master mentioned, the poem was the first.”

“That so.”

“One of Olcott’s handwritten poems was sold for a 10000 reens.”

“Of course–“

“It’s not for sale, just on display in the store.”

“I see. I was hoping it was a painting, but it’s a poem.”

“Hmm, ……, what do you mean by that?”

　Kate asked curiously while helping me get dressed.

“For Olcott to spend money the way he did, he had to have taken a bribe–I mean, he must have taken it. So far, so good, right?”

“Yes.”

“But he didn’t take it in the form of a straight-up bribe. Then again, what would it be?　In that case, the safest thing to do is to trade poems and paintings. A person who wants to bribe, buys a poem or a painting that would be worthless normally – and were you able to get the real thing?”

“I wasn’t because it was too expensive, but I have …… copied it.”

　Zoe held out a piece of paper to me that looked like a note.

　I read it and then showed it to Kate.

“[Halo may be infinite, but Doom is eternal].”[TN: well the poem says, {No eternity, only timelessness}, ‘永遠などない、それが永遠’, really don’t know how to express it]

　Shortly after Kate read it, Zoe said

“It was 1,000 reens.”

“Ehhhhhh!”

“This one is 5000 reens.”

“[Yesterday’s Sunset leads Today’s Sunrise].”[TN: 昨日の夕焼けは、今日の朝日]

“Fueeeeeeee!?”

“Simply put, this one’s worse. Half as bad as the other one.”

　I shrugged my shoulders.

“Of those, this morning’s offering is likely to be traded for a 1000 reens or so.”

“Sasuga Master.”{Sasuga Ainz-sama}

“Hmm?”

“It appears that it already has.”

　I guess the inquiries must have come along as well.

　Zoe said with a scornful look on her face.

“I see. So, the one’s doing it is would be?”

“Yes.”

　Zoe nodded.

“The stores dealing in poetry were all salt merchants, opened solely for that purpose.”

 

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