Chapter 46
The early morning after Rururia won permission from Rays-sama to go out, we were in the heart of Gederland.
Fishermen started work early, so the town was already bustling. One of this town's defining features was that, once the morning commotion ended and noon approached, the people who brought color to its streets changed.
Merchants and tourists took the fishermen's place, filling the streets.
The shops in prime locations along the sea mainly catered to the latter, so they were not open at this hour. Even so, Rururia peered curiously at their storefronts.
"Hey, why does every shop have stairs, with the entrance a little higher up?"
"Oh, haven't you seen that in your homeland, Rururia? They put the entrances a little higher up so the shops won't flood when the sea gets rough."
"Oh, I see. Fezaris is an inland country, so this is only my second time seeing a port town. The first was when I departed, but they hardly let me out of the carriage...."
That made sense. Normally, no one would let a princess who was about to marry into the Empire go sightseeing in a port town.
"Still, this really is a huge port. Ships are lined up all the way over there. I've never seen anything like it!"
"That's because it's the largest port on the Northern Continent. I hate to put it this way, but after seeing this port, you might be a little disappointed when you see the Empire's ports."
"Then I'll just build a huge port myself, so there's no problem!"
...She was quite an ambitious princess. Considering how she'd even managed to win an argument with Rays-sama, I had a feeling she might actually do it. I wondered what had happened in the future I knew. This port itself had been reduced to ash, after all.
"Oh, right! There's something I want to see before the shops open," Rururia said, clapping her hands.
"What?"
"I want to see some horses! Warhorses, if possible!"
"Horses? Why?" Ryuzel, who had been silently following along as he listened to our conversation, reacted with a twitch.
According to Rururia, horses on the Southern Continent were one or two sizes smaller than those on the Northern Continent. Consequently, their main use was hauling loads, and cavalry units were hardly seen anywhere across the continent.
Come to think of it, I did not recall seeing many books on warfare in the Southern Continent that mentioned cavalry units.
"That's why, when I came to the Northern Continent, I wanted to see one up close at least once! Not a carriage horse, but a big warhorse!"
She would probably have plenty of opportunities to see those in the Empire. Then again, perhaps even a princess would not be able to simply visit the stables.
I suddenly felt a presence and turned around to see Ryuzel approaching until he was right beside me, looking as though he wanted to say something. Yes, I knew exactly what he wanted to say, so I decided to leave this to him.
"Rururia, Ryuzel commands the cavalry unit of the Tenth Knight Order. That's why he rides an exceptionally fine horse."
Rururia's eyes lit up at my words.
"Really!? How wonderful! Would you please let me see it?"
"Please, Ryuzel," I added, making my own request.
"...Indeed, although the continent is vast, Stanley can certainly be counted among its five finest horses. Very well. At Rururia-sama's earnest request, I shall show you my beloved horse. The stables are this way. Please follow me," Ryuzel said, suddenly brimming with enthusiasm as he strode to the front.
Still, saying Stanley was one of the continent's five finest horses was quite a claim.... I found myself profoundly grateful that Frain was not here.
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"What a wonderful horse! What an amazing experience!"
Rururia was extremely excited after seeing Ryuzel's beloved horse, Stanley. Ryuzel was so pleased by her lavish praise that he even let her ride Stanley and took her on a little tour around the area, leaving her in an exceptionally good mood.
Zora-san, Rururia's attendant, had gone pale while watching from behind us. The guards keeping watch over us from a little farther away also seemed frantic, but at least the horseback-riding experience ended without incident.
"I'm starting to get a little hungry."
It was still a little early for lunch, but we had been walking around since early morning. As if responding to Rururia's words, a little rumble came from Rufa's stomach, and Rufa's cheeks reddened with embarrassment.
"It's about time some of the shops started opening, so shall we have lunch? What would you like to eat, Rururia?"
Since many ships from the Southern Continent came to this town, we could find all sorts of cuisine here. Many tourists from Ludeck also visited specifically to enjoy food from the Southern Continent. Of course, there were also restaurants that served Ludeck cuisine for visitors from the south.
"Hmm... Hey, Roa, you've known this town well since you were little, right?"
"Yes. Like I told you, I was born in a nearby fishing village."
"Then, do you know any places you'd recommend that aren't aimed at tourists? Something more like a hidden gem?"
"What!? Well, there is one, but putting taste aside, it really only serves ordinary food, you know?"
"Isn't that exactly the sort of place I want? I want to try the Poge at a place like that!"
"The storefront is pretty run-down compared to the shops on the main street, though...." As I said this, I glanced at Zora-san, who nodded. Apparently, compared with the horseback ride, this was nothing to worry about.
"All right. We'll be going down a narrow side street, so I'll go tell the guards," I said, heading toward the soldiers who had been keeping their distance.
After apologizing to the guards, who were practically begging us not to do anything reckless, we slipped into a narrow lane.
"Ohhh... This has a charm of its own."
The narrow lane rose in small steps like a staircase, with tall buildings packed tightly together on either side. Flower beds occupied what little space there was, and local children played in the occasional tiny plaza.
"Ah, here it is. I wonder if it's open?"
It was a diner that had been there since I was a child. Even then, an elderly couple had run it, so I had worried that they might have closed it down. But a sign announcing that it was open hung outside.
"Hello." I opened the door as I called out, and the elderly couple, exactly as I remembered them, came out to greet us. Hmm? Had time stopped in this place?
But then I saw their son and daughter-in-law, who had not been there in the past, helping out, and felt reassured.
"Welcome. Please, come in."
Everyone entered the restaurant, with Rururia looking around wildly and the others surveying the place with interest.
The interior was just like an old-fashioned port-town diner. I felt right at home.
The Poge was as delicious as ever.
Rururia stared intently at the Poge with a serious expression. "This is... the ultimate." She seemed to have taken quite a liking to it, but was it really all right for a princess marrying into the Empire to have Ludeck home cooking among her favorite foods?
"All right! Now that we're full, let's go see even more of the town!"
Entirely unaware of the faint unease that had crossed my mind, Rururia cheerfully made her declaration, and the elderly couple smiled warmly.