Knights, Let’s Smash Them

45 – Chicken and Spices (3)

“Lucy, should you listen to your older sisters?”

“Yes!!”

“Oh, my daughter is pretty.”

After patting Lucy’s hair, I strode on her horse.

When I first came to Rupel Manor, it was a worn-out saddle, but the newly fitted saddle gently supported my hips and waist, giving me a high level of stability.

After all, money is the best!

“When are you coming back?”

“I think it will take a day or two.”

It took 7 hours by car to travel from Rupel Manor to Constantina, the capital of the empire, so it was not possible to make a quick turn around.

First of all, I was planning to retrieve some deposits from the church affiliated with the Imperial Court, where I had left the money, and additionally bring in precious metals that I had stored in a safe in my house.

As a single man with no girlfriend and no marriage, the reason why I own precious metals is obvious.

-Ayu~ Chief Administrator of Lubern, I heard that the Knights of the Black Lion are pioneering a new trade route through sea routes!

-Ah yes…… But that’s probably going to be a bidding competition.

– Ah! Of course yes! Of course you have to go bidding! But, what is it that we bought a brand new merchant ship these days? A ship just built at the Veneria Shipyard.

– So?

-Wouldn’t it be a pity to leave a ship like this in the harbor again? Proceed with bidding competition, but keep it private.

-It’s a closed bidding competition…… Isn’t that just asking you to push it?

-Ahahahahaha! Hey, would you do such a shameless thing? However, the only condition is how much the top competitor has offered. You can tell me in your sleep ‘sniffly’… ….

– Hmm.

-Oops, excuse me. It’s nothing special, it’s just a light oriental decoration. You can take it without burden.

-Umm…… !! Um, what…… Hmm. Yes! I think it’s better to do it privately.

– Thank you! Administrator! Always a great help, yeah yeah.

– hahahaha! What are you doing with something like this? We all live by helping each other.

-Wahhahahahaha!

– hahahaha!

‘…… It was like that then.’

To be honest, even though it’s a source I can’t honestly tell others about, I never asked for it first.

The other side is just giving me a sleeve tuck as a gift, and I can’t refuse, right?

How heartbreaking it must be if the gift you have prepared with all your heart is rejected. It was absolutely not a bribe, it was just a gift out of sheer ‘favor’.

Okay then.

Anyway, since it’s been a while since I left the Knights of the Black Lion, it didn’t seem like there would be any problem if I slowly disposed of the sundry ‘trinkets’ I had been keeping.

If you keep a few for gifts just in case, and sell the rest…….

Will at least two platinum coins come out?

At that level, it’s enough money to hold a cooking contest. If you add up all the money the Knights have as an emergency fund right now, it’s only about 4 platinum coins.

“Then I will leave. Captain Xianne hasn’t forgotten anything either?”

“Yes.”

“Have a safe trip!!”

I started my horse while watching the knights waving their arms wide to see them off.

The sky was clear.

It was the perfect weather for a short trip.

***

After running downhill for several hours, we set off in the morning and reached the capital only in the late afternoon.

“Ugh, let’s go in quickly and rest.”

No matter how good the saddle was, riding a horse for almost 5 hours, excluding the time to take a short break in the middle and have lunch, was inevitably taxing on the body.

It wasn’t just me, it was to the point that Xianne, the leader of the knights, told us to take a quick rest in a weary voice.

Let’s pass through Constantina’s checkpoint without any problems.

It is bigger and more majestic than any other city in the Rupel Manor, and the complex streets unfold before your eyes.

The heart of the greatest empire on the continent.

Constina, the capital.

Since I fell to this world, I have been active only in this area, so it was like my actual hometown to me.

It must have come as a definite shock to Xianne, who was born and raised in Rupel Mansion.

“Wow… ….”

The blue eyes that were tired just a moment ago sparkled with vitality.

“All the buildings are high-end, and the clothes of the people are different…… !”

“Isn’t it capital? If you don’t, you can get lost, so stick closely and follow.”

“Yes, yes!!”

The size of the crowd itself is so crowded that it is incomparable to Petaronto in the Rupel Counties.

A city where travelers, ordinary residents, merchants, adventurers, mercenaries, guards, and all kinds of different races with all kinds of jobs live intertwinedly.

I got through the gateway skillfully and moved to a stable with a distinctive red roof.

Partly because you can’t use a horse unless you have a special permit, and it’s much better to use the city’s own carriage if possible.

“An outsider? The cost of keeping the horse is five silver coins a night.”

A stable keeper holding a piece of paper in one hand and speaking in a businesslike voice.

From noble mtl dot com.

It looks like nothing has changed from when he left.

“Long time no see, boss.”

“Oh no! Aren’t you Luvern Administrator!?”

This is a shop I used a lot when I was working for the Black Lion Knights, so when I pretend to know, the owner’s eyes immediately widen.

“I heard you went on a trip! Are you finally back!?”

“Ha ha ha…… It’s not like that, I stopped by because I had something to do for a while.”

“I see, but you shouldn’t be overjoyed just because you’ve been here for a long time~!”

“Sure, I’d like to ask the friend over there. Twenty silver coins for two days here.”

I handed over the silver coin I had prepared in advance. You have to prepare this in advance.

“Ah…… !! Nice to meet you! Then, by chance, the fiancée of the Lubern magistrate…… ?”

“Yes!? Oh no!!”

At the stable keeper’s question, Xian Ne waved her hand vigorously and denied it.

Um…… Well, it’s not

Did I have to deny it that much?

I feel like my pride as a man is being hit by something.

“He is the captain of our knights. That’s because I’m currently entrusted to Rupel Mansion. He is the leader of the Snow Leopard Knights of Count Rupel.”

“Oops!! Excuse me! No, I didn’t even think that a person who was so kind was the leader of the knights—!”

“Gwa, it’s okay… ….”

Xi’an Ne, who came down from her horse, gave an embarrassing reply.

“Okay, then the check-in is complete.”

“Wait a minute.”

I spoke again to the stable keeper who was filling out the receipt right in front of my eyes.

Because it’s been quite a while since I’ve left the capital, it seemed like it would be a good idea to figure out the trend of the local merchants and market prices in advance.

“Has there been any news lately about the guild specializing in spices?”

“You mean spices?”

“Yes, the price has changed…… There are rumors that a new trade route has been opened.”

To get definitive information, it’s much more accurate to go to the Merchant Guild or information vendors.

But a stable is a place where all kinds of people come and go.

There were many cases where the staff and stable keepers who managed the place were quick to hear all sorts of rumors.

“I understand that the number of trade unions importing spices has decreased recently.”

“Really?”

“Demand has fallen compared to supply in the capital… …. Recently, as the Black Lion Knights’ grand expedition was overthrown, many merchant guilds hurriedly changed their main products, and that was, of course, spices.”

That’s right.

Perhaps the troupe in question had stocked up a lot of iron weapons needed for the expedition, but since the expedition was canceled, the weapons must have been worth sh*t overnight.

Like last time, the Blue Dragon Transcontinental Convoy handed over Damas steel weapons to our knights at a low price.

Are spices the next best option in such a situation?

It’s not a business that usually loses money, so I can see that it was a wise choice…….

What if most of the guilds that were planning to trade arms with the knights changed their items to spices?

With supply much higher than expected demand, it’s only natural that prices will crash.

For me, who was planning to break through a new spice route, I could see it as a considerable boon.

“I see. Thank you.”

I put three more silver coins on the hand of the stable keeper who provided useful information, and moved on lightly.

“My house is this way.”

“You live in a pretty busy place… ….”

“There is a bit of a taste to watching people pass by.”

First of all, work is work, but the priority is to go home and rest.

It’s almost evening time.

To check the condition of the jewelry stored in the house first, take a break for an hour or two, then have dinner and finish the schedule.

A full day is more than enough to go around looking for the top. It’s not difficult to find money in the church.

“Ah, Captain Xianne. Is there anything you would like to eat?”

“I want to eat…… ?!”

“Since we have come all the way to the capital, I will buy all the meals. Please pull out the list.”

“Really!? Administrator, don’t you have anything to say?!”

“I have no Gao, no money? Eat as much as you like.”

“Wow…… !!”

When I said it with enthusiasm, Cianne jumped up and down with joy.

Isn’t it true that the stable keeper doesn’t know that he is the leader of the knights because of his original personality?

But rather than the blonde-haired knight commander who was always bragging about himself and looked down on people.

It was much nicer and more comfortable to have a knight commander with a human smell like Siane.

As we walked and chatted like that, we found ourselves in front of the old house before we knew it.

“This is my home.”

A two-story house in the middle of the street.

It is too spacious for a man to live alone, but it was the best house that was derived by summing up dignity, price, and actual residence.

If I ever live in this world or in a two-story house, when will I ever live like this?

I grabbed the doorknob and gently pressed my thumb into the groove with the alchemy mark.

Jumping!

Shortly, the door of the house, which had been firmly closed, opened.

This is a fantasy-style security door.

“Wow, the inside is incredibly tidy.”

“I am the type who cares a little about these things. I just need to dust it off a bit. It must have been neglected for months, dust everywhere…….”

Hard to say, I sensed something out of place.

“What?”

“Why???”

“The house is overly clean…… ?”

Of course, I did clean it up when I went out. I also ordered the manager to dispose of the food to be sure.

Still, if you haven’t been in for a few months, it must have accumulated a bit of dust.

Isn’t the floor smooth as if it was just cleaned yesterday?

“Isn’t that what the manager did?”

“I told you not to clean the house……. In the first place, the manager can’t come in here.”

Something chilled my spine.

Isn’t someone living here now?

No, more than that, my jewels are still there, right?

“Wait a minute Xianne!”

I immediately ran up the stairs and began to open the bedrooms one by one.

First of all, clear the library.

The two guest rooms are also empty.

Then, the rest is…….

I cautiously approached my room. Just in case, I silenced the sound of my footsteps and cautiously grabbed the doorknob.

‘I don’t know if he was a petty thief or a homeless person who was lucky enough to come in, but when he got caught, he searched…… !’

The moment I strongly opened the door with the intention of condemning the uninvited guest who dared to break into My Sweet Home without fear.

“????”

“Ugh…… Lubern-sama, you can’t go there……. Aww, ugh, it’s not that I don’t like it…….”

On top of my bed, there was a former colleague at work, hugging a pillow and talking queerly in his sleep.

Why are you really here?