Chapter 61: You Might Get Kicked by a Horse?
[space_man][space_man]As we proceeded along the highway extending southwest, for a while, we passed through several villages carved out of the forest near the royal capital and granary zones that were likely cultivated around the same time.
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[space_man][space_man]『The crops harvested around here are supplied and fill our stomachs, right?』
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[space_man][space_man]『Hmm, we’re grateful to the farmers.』
[space_man][space_man]『Ah, of course.』
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[space_man][space_man]Picking up the words I casually replied to Revia, Fine joins the conversation through the Telepathy Device installed in the Clawsolas L-type, the Captain’s Knight.
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[space_man][space_man]『Your Majesty, in that case, you must also thank me… The potato dish you ate with Izana-sama the other day, actually used vegetables from my home garden.』
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[space_man][space_man]『Hmm… It seems to be common in the Zephyrus Domain of the Empire, but it was a rare ingredient that I don’t see often in the Knight Kingdom. Thank you.』
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[space_man][space_man]Even on this parallel world’s Earth, a considerable amount of time has passed since the discovery of the New World, so crops and luxury goods native to South America have spread, mainly through maritime nations.
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[space_man][space_man]However, the Knight Kingdom is located inland and has no coastline. Although it has an international river that leads to the open sea and the port city of Hauzen, it must be said that the benefits of maritime trade are limited.
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[space_man][space_man]Instead, agriculture and grazing are thriving in the river basin, and it might be a good choice to introduce crops native to the New World there.
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[space_man][space_man]『I’ll consult with Blaze about it once…』
[space_man][space_man]『Huh, with Otou-sama?』
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[space_man][space_man]『I’m thinking of starting full-scale domestic production of potatoes.』
[space_man][space_man]『The potato dishes we ate at Nina-san’s place were delicious, weren’t they?』
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[space_man][space_man]While smiling wryly at Revia’s words, which are typical of her somewhat gluttonous side, we continued for about half an hour, exchanging words with Fine and Xenos, and gradually, the scenery touched by human hands decreased, and the greenery of the trees began to dominate our view.
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[space_man][space_man]Even so, it seemed that trees had been cut down in areas with tributaries and underground water veins. Although the pseudo eyeballs of the Knights caught glimpses of faint town lights, eventually, only plants could be seen.
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[space_man][space_man]『From here on, it’s a forested area that also serves as the border, Your Majesty.』
[space_man][space_man]『So if we pass through this, we’ll be in the northeastern region of the Principality…』
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[space_man][space_man]Responding to Captain Xenos’ voice ringing in my ears, I looked ahead at the road illuminated by the magic lamps embedded in the shoulders and legs of the giant knight.
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[space_man][space_man]The depths of the dark forest evoke a primal fear, but the main road, also used for trade, has been secured through several subjugation campaigns, so there are no medium-sized or larger magical beasts that could threaten the Knights.
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[space_man][space_man]Therefore, after walking in silence for about an hour and a half, the scenery opened up again, and in the distance, I could see the faint lights of a town on the Principality’s side.
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[space_man][space_man]『At this rate, we’ll be arriving late at night… Is that alright, Xenos-sama?』
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[space_man][space_man]『Hmm, even though it’s an urgent matter, I feel it’s a little rude, don’t you think?』
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[space_man][space_man]Dino and Lise’s voices reached us through the shared communication line from the modified Guardia Knight ahead, making me realize that I hadn’t informed them of the details after our arrival, except for those who participated in the meeting in the audience chamber.
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[space_man][space_man]However, since they were intentionally avoiding me and specifically asking Captain Xenos, I decided not to interrupt and let him explain.
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[space_man][space_man]『The resident officers should have already completed the preparations for our reception. We will head to the stableyard within the castle walls from the north gate of the capital Vern and stay overnight in the adjacent barracks.』
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[space_man][space_man]『So, it’s a little late, but we’ll be able to have a warm dinner, right?』
[space_man][space_man]『…The canned food we brought will probably warm up if we heat them in hot water.』
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[space_man][space_man]『Mmu, Dino-kun, you don’t understand. That and this are different things!』
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[space_man][space_man]Although I’m not in a position to say anything about others… I couldn’t help but smile wryly at Dino, who took the words literally and made an unrefined retort.
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[space_man][space_man]I thought that those two were getting along well and that interfering in their relationship with unnecessary concern would only lead to me getting kicked by a horse, but Revia spoke to me through the private communication line.
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[space_man][space_man]『Those two have been getting along well since our visit to the Zephyrus Domain, haven’t they?♪』
[space_man][space_man]『There’s no guarantee it will end well like it did for me and Izana. Leave it be.』
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[space_man][space_man]『Hmm, as a childhood friend, I want to cheer them on…』
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[space_man][space_man]I warned her against getting involved and possibly getting hurt, and as we continued moving through the Principality, which wasn’t much different from the Knight Kingdom, we entered a granary zone.
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[space_man][space_man]In the distance, the shadow of the royal castle illuminated by the moonlight appeared, and soon we arrived at the north gate, where bonfires were blazing brightly.
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[space_man][space_man]Following Xenos’ Captain’s Knight, we passed through the space between the Knights lined up on either side and reached the gate, where we could clearly see several people waiting on top of the capital’s defensive wall.
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[space_man][space_man]Among them, in addition to two soldiers in familiar military uniforms, there was a sturdy, unadorned man with them, likely someone from the Principality.
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[space_man][space_man]”We have been awaiting your arrival. It is an honor to meet you for the first time, Knight King. I am Zaisel, the resident officer.”
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[space_man][space_man]『Thank you for your welcome. We will be in your care tonight.』
[space_man][space_man]『Have you been well, Sir Zaisel?』
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[space_man][space_man]”Sir Xenos, Knight Captain, that sort of thing is for when we’re sharing a drink together.”
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[space_man][space_man]Smiling at the casually thrown words, the handsome, middle-aged man, who seemed stern but flexible, asked the Principality’s guards to open the gate.
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[space_man][space_man]”Go straight down the main street, and you’ll find the stableyard. Please go ahead, Knight King.”
[space_man][space_man]”May we use it freely?”
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[space_man][space_man]”The Knights here have been dispatched to the fortresses on the front lines, so it’s usually deserted.”
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[space_man][space_man]After seeing him off as he turned on his heel and rushed down the stairs of the defensive wall with his guards, we also stepped into the city through the fully opened north gate.