Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 126 Towards the End of Winter and the Royal Capital

When Mom returned, not much had changed in terms of tasks.

With a slightly embarrassed expression, Mom put on the maid outfit and said a few words.

“Now, despite my age… work! Work!”

And with that, she began her maid duties. Despite feeling embarrassed, she seemed to quite enjoy it.

The maid outfit made her look youthful and was a good deal.

It turns out she had also worn a maid outfit while serving as a court lady in the palace, giving her the dignified presence of a seasoned maid.

Originally, the term “maid” referred to unmarried women who were sent to serve, but well, that’s okay.

The maids in the palace were knowledgeable and seemed to be respected by the maids who had been working there since independence.

Here, the existing maids learned etiquette and manners from Tomaria, while both sides improved each other.

However, it had gotten even colder since the beginning of the month.

Inside the Lord’s Manor Hotel, there were well-maintained fireplaces befitting of a noble estate, so they managed somehow.

Lanierda’s ramshackle house was considerably colder, a far cry from the hotel.

In place of fireplaces, magical stoves were used to heat the indoors in the ramshackle house. Unfortunately, cold drafts seeped in, making it quite chilly.

Lately, we’ve found ourselves spending less time outdoors.

Perhaps it’s only during moments like washing morning glory flowers and hanging out laundry, then taking it in.

In the past, there was no laundry to do, but now we have several sets of clothes, including maid outfits, so we can’t avoid washing.

During this winter, after Christmas, it snowed about three times.

The snow only lightly covered the ground on Christmas, and the rest of the time, it was just a flurry. Nevertheless, snowy days are undeniably cold.

I can’t help but think it must be tough for people living in tents outside.

Most people are in barracks or row houses, but there are still some who remain in tents.

Amidst all this, time has passed, and now it’s March.

“Well, it’s gotten considerably warmer.”

“Yeah, Mom.”

“We’re heading to the capital city. We need to pay our respects.”

“The capital city!!!”

“That’s right.”

The mention of the capital city leaves Minya and the others wide-eyed.

The Melria Kingdom, the capital city of Melrithia.

Situated at the mouth of the Melria River, it stood as a grand fortress city.

Overlooking the Melria Bay, it was a hub for international trade, boasting a bustling port.

Its scale was said to be second only to the imperial capital, Azhilia, of the neighboring Eastern Empire of Azhibellia.

Positioned in the southern central part of the northern continent, Melrithia engaged in maritime trade with neighboring eastern and western nations as well as the southern continent.

The Southern coast of the Azhibellian Empire lacked suitable harbors for ships, thus relying on Melrithia for the import and export of goods.

Mid-March.

“In the capital city, you see, the festivities begin a week before the spring equinox.”

“Festivities!!!”

Upon hearing this, Minya bounces up and down. Adorable.

Behind her, Ciel also bobs excitedly.

Lania’s gaze shifts back and forth.

“Yes, yes. We’ll head to the capital city in time for that.”

“Yaaay!”

Everyone raises their hands in joy.

Now, when it comes to traveling to the capital city, a carriage is in order.

One of the shops in Eldania’s marketplace houses the Commercial Guild.

The guild provides carriage rentals. We’ll hire a carriage and make our way to the capital city.

While these carriages are normally used for transporting goods, they can be rented out if less urgent items are set aside.

Of course, a deposit in gold coins is required, but if the carriage is returned in good condition, a portion is refunded.

This system works much like it did back in the Trieste City.

“No forgotten items, right? Alright then, let’s depart!”

At Tomaria’s signal, the carriage begins to move.

This time, we rented a carriage with a driver and baggage.

Carrying luggage results in a discounted rental fee.

All of us, along with our belongings, squeeze into the back seats.

I casually toss some of the baggage into my personal item box, freeing up more space.

Engaging in this kind of activity isn’t illegal or a breach of contract.

Meanwhile, Ciel sprawls out on the vacant bed of the carriage, wagging her tail playfully.

Her white tail sways back and forth.

Minya follows that tail with her eyes, and her blue irises become like a metronome.

As we’ve undertaken carriage journeys several times before, everyone is becoming quite accustomed to it.

After two nights of camping along the way, we reach a junction where the road diverges towards the direction of the Azhibellian Empire. Here, we merge with a cargo carriage from the Azhibellian Empire and continue towards the capital city.

The road ahead is well-maintained, with three towns along the way, allowing us to stay comfortably at inns.

Approaching the final town before the capital city, we immediately cross a large river.

“A bridge!”

“This is the Melria River.”

“Huh, does it flow through Trieste City too?”

“Yeah.”

Minya peers out from the bed of the carriage and speaks. I respond.

When it flowed past Trieste City, it was a medium-sized river, but here at the estuary where several tributaries converge, it has grown into a considerably larger river.

The bridge accommodates a line of carriages passing through, with quite a few people crossing on foot as well.

On this side of the bridge, there’s a town as well, boasting numerous inns, stables, and carriage parking spots.

“It’s said that the presence of towns on both sides here is a remnant of the past when there wasn’t a bridge, and people used to cross by boat.”

“Wow.”

“We used to disembark from the ship here and transfer to carriages on this side.”

“I see.”

Listening to Tomaria’s explanation, both Minya and I are impressed.

After safely crossing the grand Great Melrithia Bridge, we arrive at a square with a castle gate.

A continuous wall extends alongside the castle gate.

For some reason, the capital city is located on the south side of the river.

“Amazing, such a massive wall.”

Carriages continue to enter one after another.

The gatekeepers check the appearance of passersby, but they don’t seem to be collecting any taxes, at least not visibly.

“Next, please. Just need to verify your faces.”

“Yes, yes, yes.”

We all lean out of the carriage, showing our faces.

“Sure, come on in! Welcome to Melrithia!”

Following the gatekeeper’s words, we proceed with the carriage.

Once through the castle gate, a bustling city awaited us.

Decorative flowers adorned various spots, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

Even though there are more people due to the festival, there’s still an incredible crowd. Wow.

It was the capital city’s festival, the “Royal Capital Festival of Spring Flowers, Songs, and Dances.”

Though the notion of assassins targeting the royal family is indeed chilling, recent activities have been subdued, and significant incidents seem to be rare.

While it’s not entirely without concerns, it seems they’ve judged that we have the leeway to visit the capital and offer our greetings, so I believe we’re safe.

There’s no use worrying excessively.

Considering the circumstances, let’s enjoy the festival to the fullest. After all, it’s all about having a good time.