Chapter 16: Medal and Viscount Residence

[We have been truly in your care. We can't even do enough to thank you. Not just my daughter but even my wife…really thank you]

The Duke bows his head very deeply in the parlour. Somehow I'm really weak with this kind of stuff. How many times is this person going to bow his head?

Sue is in the wife's room. We were shown into this room and sat down facing the Duke on chairs that looked expensive.

[Please don't mind it too much. Sue is safe and your wife is cured. Isn't that good enough?]

[No, It can't stay like that. I want to reward you properly. Reim, please bring me that]

[Certainly!]

Reim-san brought a silver tray with various stuff in it.

[First, this. For protecting my daughter and the guards from attackers while travelling. I want you to receive these]

'Jaraa' a bag that probably has money inside was presented to me.

[There's 40 pieces of white gold inside]

[ [ [ ! ? ] ] ]

Everyone one else understood this but I don't quite understand. I know gold, but white gold?

I called out to Elsie who was dumbstruck beside me.

[Nee Elsie, What's white gold?]]

[…It is currency above gold…. One is equivalent to ten gold coins]

[Ten!?]

Until now, since I came to live in this other world, I understood from the start that one piece of gold coin is about 100,000 yen. Umm, if it's like that, because one white gold coin is 1 million yen…40 million yen...ueee !? (TLN: about $380,000)

[Iyaa, this is too much desuyo! We can't accept this!]

I refused in a panic when I finally noticed this serious matter. No matter how you look at it, this large sum is just beyond what we can handle!

[Don't say such things, I want you to accept it. Kimi-tachi, that money will surely be important if you're going to continue adventuring from now on. You should think of it as funds.]

[Yes…]

Certainly, it's the truth that it will help one way or another. I don't want to admit it but, there's also problems that can't be solved with money. Moreover, judging from the Duke's personality, he probably will never accept it if I return it.

[And I'll give this to you]

The Duke displayed four medals lined up on the table. About one centimeter in diameter. A relief lion facing opposite of a shield on the center was carved onto the medal. Huh? that crest is….

[It's the medal of my Duke house. If you have this, you can pass through any checkpoint, and facilities which are only available to nobles will become usable. It will become the proof of your status.

Originally, it seems this was something given to merchants of the Duke house. One by one, the characters of our names were engraved onto the medal, it is said that this is to make sure that there are no identical ones. It seems this is to prevent it being misused if it gets lost.

The medal that I received was carved with the characters [Tranquility], Elsie is [Zeal], Rinze is [Benevolence] and Yae is [Sincerity]. [Tranquility] huh…. Well, peace and quiet is best after all.

This may certainly be useful. This will be helpful for when we come to meet Sue again. It will also be troublesome to be stopped for inspections at the checkpoints. Or rather, shouldn't I just come back here through 'gate' when that time comes?

We split the money into four equal portions. But, with these being ten gold coins each, one million yen huh…. It won't be funny if we dropped these.

As one would expect, carrying this much money while walking is scary, so we decided to only carry one each and entrusted the rest to the guild through the Duke. By doing this, it enables us to take out the money in any town's guild. So it's something like a bank.

When we started leaving steadily, Sue and Ellen came out to see us off towards the entrance.

[Come back and play again ! It's absolute !]

While receiving the Duke family's ardent farewell, we head directly for Viscount Sordric's mansion in the carriage.

[Eh, the person to hand this request's letter to, is Viscount Sordric de gozaru ka?]

Ah, Have we explained about this to Yae yet? While shaking in the carriage, I was seeing Yae's surprised face in wonder.

[Do you know him?]

[Far from knowing or not knowing...I spoke about this before, the person who took care of my father is that Viscount-dono de gozaru yo]

So that's what it was. Such a small world.

While being shaken and rattled, Elsie drives the carriage through an extravagant street and before long, we stopped in front of the Viscount mansion that the Duke told us about.

Although saying this, having previously seen the Duke house, the viscount house gives me a cozy impression. Well, there's no mistake that this is the mansion. There is elegance and antiquity that makes you feel the history.

For the nobles living in the royal capital, they have their own residence in their own territory besides here, could this one be a villa by any chance?

I mentioned Zanuck-san's name to the gatekeeper and asked for us to meet the Viscount. A short time later, we pass through into the mansion and a person that seems to be the butler lead us to the guest room.

Although I'm saying this, also comparing this room to the Duke house…'munya munya' (mumbling sound).

While I was thinking rudely in the room, a red haired great man in the prime of his life appeared in the room before long.

This man…is strong. I understand from seeing the well-tempered body under his clothes. His eyes are also sharp, like a hawk aiming for its prey.

[I am Karollus Gallun Sordric. Are you Zanuck's messengers?] (TLN: He uses 'watashi' and uses 'omae' to address them)

[Yes. We received a request to hand this letter. We were entrusted to receive the Viscount's reply]

I handed the letter from Zanuck-san. When the Viscount received the letter, he opened the seal with a knife, took out the contents and briefly looked over it.

[Wait a moment. I'll write the reply]

After saying that, the Viscount left the room. A maid-san entered the room to substitute him and treated us with tea. Also comparing this tea to the Duke house, it's somewhat…not good, not good. This is rude to the other party. Comparing with the Duke house in itself is a mistake.

[Sorry for the wait]

The Viscount came back with a sealed letter in hand.

[Well then, please hand this Zanuck. I entrust this. And then...]

While holding out the letter to me, the viscount turned his gaze towards Yae.

[I was curious about this from some time now, you there. Where…no, I don't think we've met]

The Duke tries to recall something while tilting his head in contemplation. Yae shifts her focus forward and introduces her name.

[My name is Kokonoe Yae. The daughter Kokonoe Shigeru Hyoue gozaru]

(TLN: Hyoue is the guard position, has too many meaning)

[…'ko…konoe...Kokonoe! You're chief Hyoue's daughter !]

The Viscount gave a broad smile and slapped his knee, he started gazing fixedly at Yae's face in delight.

[No doubt, you're alike to Nanae-dono's early years. Good thing you took after your mother! ]

Yae returned a smile who couldn't say anything, when the Viscount pleasantly laughed.

[Umm…How is Yae…?]

[Nn?, Aah, her father chief Hyoue, was our Sordric house's swordsmanship instructor. When I was still a snot-nosed brat, I trained really hard. Iyaa, that was tough. Has it already been 20 years?]

[Father who was brought up among swordsmen, it's been said that, there hasn't been anyone as talented as the Viscount]

[Hohou? Flatteries are wonderful in itself, being praised by the teacher that is] (TLN: to prevent confusion. it was her father who said there was no one talented as the viscount)

It seems it's altogether not bad, a smile floats on the Viscounts face. Yae continued her words while facing the Viscount with an earnest gaze.

[Father said if we were to meet, I were to receive instruction without fail de gozaru]

[Hou...?]

Listening to Yae speaking, The Viscount narrowed his eyes in interest.

Eeh, What is it, this atmosphere...