Just two more chapters by tomorrow morning... I want more dungeon stuff again.
I'm accompanying the King on his roughly 10 Km return to Rombertia from his imperial visit. Ralpha and Bel wanted to accompany me as well but when I said I was going together with the King and they as expected they held back from it. Obviously I'm riding on my war horse. The King is riding on a large carriage with eight horses and the knights have surrounded it on their war horses fortifying it. The number of people was less than I thought it would be. There's only about 50 people guarding the carriage. Come to think of it, even if they're squires, they're all ex-knights aren't they. I doubt that they're all in the first knight group but I guess this is the lap of the capital so the public order must be considerably good. Since the road was neatly maintained we were able to arrive at Rombertia in about two hours.
The capital Rombertia is a huge town. There's two rivers at over 20 m in width that are so large that Keel's central river just looks like a stream flowing through the Eastern side of the town, and that river flows to the West into the ocean. The dike of the river has been properly constructed so there's something like a sandbar in between the two rivers and close to 200 m of the riverside has something like a 6 m stone wall embankment along it, so it could be said that plenty of flood control has been done. No, though I think it's done plenty well with just this.
I don't know if it's because the entirety of the town is on a bit of a plateau but there's close to 4 m between the surface of the river and the ground. There's countless gutters running through the town from there. It doesn't seem it was created with as much planning as Keel but going off the scale you could say it's plenty to call sanitary and there's the wall that surrounds the capital as well, so it looks even more splendid. This might be the ideal location to have a capital.
In the center of the town of Rombertia is where the castle is located. It's a large and beautiful castle with gold leaf on the roof tiles and three moats. I remember Osaka castle looking at it. It was almost to the point of letting out a groan over how splendid and majestic the castle of a large kingdom is with it's five layers of large castle towers. There's two outer citadels around the large castle towers as well. I can also see a large number of watch towers as well.
There was a castle in Keel as well but it was a castle that you wouldn't realize it unless you were told that was the case. It was a three story compact castle with just another stone wall and moats around it, a castle that felt a bit smaller than Marugame castle. It was at the level where if you were to say it was a large store from a distance then you would respond, "Ah, I see". However, this is the capital of Rombert Kingdom, and if I believe what father and mother said it's the great city that boasts the largest population on the Western edge of the Oladd continent. Since they say it's population is about 220,000 - 230,000 people it's got a population close to that of Tokyo and Chofu city. There's a bit more area than the city though.
We follow the winding roads and enter the castle. After waiting in an open area inside the castle walls for a short while and a person came to call for me. I take the rubber repair kit from my saddle bag and after leaving my weapon and horse in their care I followed after the person guiding me.
.............
I think this is probably a room in the area of the third outer citadel. It's been about 30 minutes since I was told to wait here. Even though it's repairing a bed I doubt I can enter the King's bedroom to do the work so I'm sure they're taking the water bed off of the bed and carrying it right now. Since I was bored I decided to reconfirm my repair kit just in case. If I were to fail here, buy the King's displeasure, and cause trouble for my older sister then I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for my entire life.
A bottle of raw rubber, check. Sulfur power, check. Charcoal, check. Additive agent, check. The small bucket I brought along just in case because it's difficult without it, no problem. I don't think I'll use them this time but I have all of the types of acid in different glass bottles properly coated with hard and raw rubber on the outside so they won't shatter. Yeah, it's alright. After this I just need a bucket filled with water for the final inspection but as expected I don't carry that around so I just asked for one.
When I was confirming my tools just like that and the King went out of his way to come here along with the servant slaves that brought the bucket and water bed. I bow on my knee and take the pose of gratitude for a retainer, with my head lowered.
"It's fine, raise your head. Since you came at my request and I'm interested in how you'll do the repairs as well."
Eh~ He's going to be watching from nearby...This is going to be really hard to do.
"Ha, then, I'll get to the repairs right away. Please show me where the cut portion is first.."
Oh~ Isn't this the limited first edition water bed we sold? If I remember correctly, it's the one we sold three years ago. So it was bought by the King. Just from a glance it seems they're taking good care of it and other than the hole from a sword while it's slightly worn down from aging it's still pretty clean. It's proof that the durability was plenty. Furthermore, the hole in the middle of the water bed went straight through the pole between water rooms on both the top and bottom. There's two holes. But, if it's the pole in the center of the bed then it's useless as a bed.
..........
Just as you would expect if it was stabbed with a sword, the cut itself wasn't rough but a pretty clean cut. If it's this cut then if I remove the fluffy portions around the cut and use the same material of rubber and plaster it on then stick the same fluffy rubber board on it should be fine. After a short while the work was completed. After this I just need to dry it, put some air inside, and then stick it inside of the bucket of water to check if there's no leaks. Thinking that just as I was about to use the minimum drying spell.
An old woman entered the room. I'm sure she was quite beautiful when she was younger but since she's already in her mid-40s she's an old woman who's skin has already started to wrinkle. Although, she's still quite beautiful. Since the slaves in the surroundings were taking the retainer's pose just like with the King I followed along and did it as well. I wonder if she's the Queen? Was it Molin-san?
"Is it you? The insolent person who is repairing the bed?"
Huh? Eh? Isn't this person somehow angry? Rather, insolent person...
"Ha, No...Umm.."
I get stuck on my words not sure how to respond.
"What do you mean by insolent person!? Be careful with your words! I asked this person myself to come and do the repairs!"
Oh~ I'm saved. I'm saved but your majesty, King-san, your first person has changed to the formal form.
"Dear, after this is repaired you intend to drag in someone again right? Who is it this time? If it's just a slave then I'll look at it with a big heart, but I won't forgive a commoner or noble that's working as a maid servant in the castle. Do you intend to needlessly increase the number of heirs again!?"
Her highness the Queen has started talking on with an amazingly threatening attitude.
"Wh! I properly paid the doctor's fee to the second daughter of the Kongus family! Even if a boy is born they won't become an heir!"
You...
"It's not that sort of problem!..All of you, leave the room and close the door!"
After the Queen said that and the slaves all ran out of the room as fast as they could. I was about to as well as I stood up but the King grabbed on to my arm.
"Greed, you still haven't finished the repairs yet right? You're not allowed to leave the room! Continue with the work!"
"No, you stop the work and leave the room as well. Dear, I'll have you properly listen to me today already!!"
What do you want me to do? My arm is still being held onto by the King.
"No, don't bother with her! Now, Greed, continue with the work!"
"..I see, if you're going to go that far then I have my own thoughts on this! Someone! Call for Yulu, Becky, and Malin! Right this moment!"
The King and Queen are quarreling with me in the middle. In addition it seems like it's going to increase by several people.
"And..It's fine, Greed or whatever. Continue with the work. Ah, wait just a moment. Status Open..so you were someone of a Viscount family? That's just perfect, it's some kind of fate that you happened to be here. You, after hearing the conversation we're about to have tell us you're opinion. This is an order from the Queen of Rombert Kingdom. Is that alright!"
"yye, Yes ?"
I couldn't help but reply.
"..Molin! Do you intend to listen to the opinion of a stranger on a problem of my royal family!?"
Right.
"It's already beyond the level of a problem that we can hide at this point!! Everyone in the capital already knows about it! In the first place, it's not a secret or anything like that, already! Greed! You get to finishing up your job right now!"
What? Is this King laying his hands all over the place that much? I'm envious. I immediately got to drying and after putting the portion of the bed I repaired into the bucket of water I blew air into the cork. It's not like I'm being stingy with MP or trying to hide my magic. I just felt like if I didn't seem like I was doing my job I might get dragged into it.
I blew air into it while Identifying the Queen. Molail.Rombert. The first wife of Duke Rombert. Level 8. Her magic is pretty high all level 3-4 other than fire magic. Umu, she's the Queen. The Rombert family has a Duke, Marquis,Count, and Viscount branch to it. For each different territory it's split up as the lord and used for those purposes. I don't know how many territories they have in all though. I've heard that when it comes to counts there's over 10 of them.
Along with some hurried footsteps another woman rushed into the room. I identified her and she was Yulusufol.Rombert. The second wife of Duke Rombert. I lowered my head with the rubber cork still in my mouth. After a short while another one, Marinen.Rombert. The first wife of Count Rombert. After that yet another one came in, Rebecca.Rombert. First wife of Marquis Rombert. They're all exceptional beauties.
The King, his four wives, and a young man with a rubber cork in his mouth. There's no other sound in the room than me blowing air. The three who came later can't seem to grasp the situation. They're paying attention to me as if I'm the culprit of some sort of calamity. The King and first wife are also looking at me along with them.
I continue breathing as I blow air into the rubber pipe of the cork. It's should be about good. I put the cut portion into the bucket. There's no leaks in the air. It's OK.
I take it out of the bucket and after sticking a rod into the rubber cork to let the air out, I quickly wipe off and dried the surface. I politely folded up the empty water bed and after cleaning up my tools and,
"The repairs are completed. Now then, I'll take my leave.."
Said that. I wonder if they'll just let me go on feeling?
"I won't allow that. I just said it right. Now, listen from over there."
After all. I once again take the retainer's bow and remained silent.
"Now then, Greed. Do you know how many children his majesty the King has created?"
And Molin asked me. I don't know.
"No. Your highness the Queen. I'm from the countryside and I just left Bakuddo in Marquis Webdos territory the other day therefore, I only know of your eldest son, his highness Duke Ronbald, the crown prince Richard, your second son, his highness William the Marquis Rondol, and your eldest daughter her highness Biagitte who's already married to the eldest son of Duke Baguwel."
Well that sort of stuff is common sense so even I know of it.
"Ho~ So you were from Bakuddo..So that's why..Well it's fine. The correct answer is 8 people."
Molin said it. Well if he has four wives and each one gives birth to two then that sounds about right. It's less than my mother after all.
"Ha..I'm amazed at my own ignorance."
"It's fine. And, what do you think about this number?"
What do I think..It's not unusual right. Since they're royalty it's not like they wouldn't have to worry about their children dying in infancy, so it's not a low number but it's also not a high number right?
"Ha, since they are the heirs that will rule the future of the large Kingdom of Robert, in order to continue with the reign of peace and bring relief to the next generation, I believe it is a good number.."
"That's right. If it was just that then I'm sure it would be quite easy to relax. The number just now was the children of legitimate birth. The illegitimate children just of the ones that we know were born is 65 children."
Wha!? 6...5?
See, water bed and condoms were the most important things out of everything he made~