Chapter 57
Captain Maurice said he was heading to the island lord Radick-san's mansion right away. I was simply astonished.
"Right now?"
I looked back at Captain Maurice. Radick-san was the lord of Merka Island. If one wished to meet him, etiquette required sending advance notice and waiting for a reply.
"Yes. I'm sure he'll be at the mansion."
Captain Maurice sounded as casual as if he were going to visit a friend's house.
"Understood. Everyone, let's go."
I nodded and followed Captain Maurice as he led the way. Al and Ray followed him, followed by Borel and Gatt, then Jini and Paula-san. However, one person failed to follow us: Zeze.
Usually cheerful, Zeze had lost every trace of emotion from his face. He stood rooted to the spot in the plaza, staring blankly at the thin children.
"Zeze? Is something wrong?"
"...No, it's nothing. I'll be there in a moment."
When I called out, Zeze followed us. But the usual brightness was gone from his face, and he kept looking back at the children in the plaza.
Guided by Captain Maurice, we climbed the slope from the harbor toward the hills. After walking for a while, we came upon a large mansion built halfway up the mountain. A white marble wall rose before it, with a wooden gate studded with black rivets. This appeared to be Radick's mansion.
"Radick-san! Radick-san!"
Captain Maurice knocked on the gate somewhat roughly. After a while, we heard the sound of a bolt being drawn on the other side, and the large gate opened a crack.
"Who is it?"
A tall, thin, middle-aged woman peered out through the gate. Her black hair was tied back, and she wore a servant's outfit consisting of black clothes and a white apron. Yet her face showed not the slightest trace of a polite smile as she looked us over with cold, sharp eyes.
"Oh, Rebecca. Is Radick-san here? I've brought Romelia-sama, the daughter of a count in the Kingdom of Lionel."
Captain Maurice's voice was familiar and casual. Rebecca-san, however, narrowed her eyes and fixed him with a blade-sharp stare. Captain Maurice widened his eyes, looking as though he had no idea why she was glaring at him.
After taking a breath, Rebecca-san looked at us and opened her mouth to speak.
"I'm sorry you've come such a long way, but as this is an unexpected visit, we are not prepared to receive you."
After replying by the book, Rebecca-san bowed her head.
"Come now, Rebecca. Radick-san is here, isn't he?"
"Yes. Radick-sama is at home. However, we are not prepared to receive you, so..."
Rebecca-san repeated herself.
Captain Maurice tried to press the matter, but I held up a hand to stop him.
"I'm sorry for barging in without warning."
I bowed sincerely. There was no way around it: we were clearly in the wrong.
"Would you please tell Radick-sama that I would like to visit another day?"
When I implored her, Rebecca-san nodded.
"Oh, but..."
Captain Maurice still tried to argue. His troubled expression was so pitiful it was hard to bear.
Rebecca-san shut her cold, watchful eyes and let out a deep sigh.
"By the way, young lady, do you have time? If you'd like to wait, I'll go ask Radick-sama right away. He might agree to see you today. It may take some time, but would that be all right?"
At Rebecca-san's offer, I nodded without hesitation.
"Of course. We are the ones who came barging in unannounced, so we can wait as long as necessary."
When I answered with a smile, Rebecca-san opened the gate wide.
"Then please come this way."
Rebecca-san extended her right hand, inviting us into the mansion.
Once we passed through the gate, we were already inside the mansion. Rows of pillars stood in the large hall, their upper sections forming arches that supported the ceiling. Apparently, this style did not involve building a garden outside the mansion.
There was no door at the far end of the hall. Beyond the passageway, a pond lay in a green garden. To the right stood a stone statue of a male god holding a trident, shining with a white radiance. To the left, as though forming a pair with it, stood a half-naked goddess holding an apple in one hand.
"This is a rather unusual design for a mansion..."
Borel's murmur as he looked around the mansion was swallowed up by the high ceiling.
"It's the architectural style of the ancient Reitzberg Empire, which once flourished."
I nodded as I looked over the hall of Radick's mansion.
In the aristocratic mansions commonly seen in the Lionel Kingdom, it was normal to pass through a gate into a garden and find the mansion beyond it. However, in the Reitzberg Empire, which was said to have flourished in ancient times, gardens were often built inside the mansion. Even in the Lionel Kingdom, one could see mansions in a similar style in cities with long histories.
"Oh, this statue too?"
Al looked up at the goddess statue from below, as though trying to peer at it. Although a thin cloth covered the statue from the waist down, its breasts were fully exposed, its full bosom plainly visible.
I shot Al a disapproving look as he tried to peer at the statue's naked body, wondering what he thought he was doing. Then I took another look at the two stone statues.
The male statue was presumably a god of the sea, judging by the trident he carried. The muscle contours and even the raised veins in the hand holding the trident had been rendered in detail. Despite being cold stone, it seemed to convey the heat of blood coursing through it.
The goddess statue, meanwhile, likely symbolized love and beauty, since she held an apple. The graceful curves of her feminine body had been rendered magnificently. Above all, her pure white skin was so lifelike that it created the illusion that it would feel soft to the touch.
Both statues looked as though they might come to life at any moment, making it clear that they were masterpieces from the Reitzberg Empire period.
"Merka Island has a long history, after all. I suppose they still carry on the culture of a bygone golden age."
I nodded, glad to have seen such fine works. Statues of this quality were rare.
"Everyone, this way, please."
As we looked around the hall with interest, Rebecca-san urged us toward the inner courtyard. We followed her and emerged into a large, square courtyard. Radick's mansion was built around it.
Rebecca-san turned right in front of the courtyard, stopped before a room built just to the side, and opened the door. A red rug covered the floor, and low tables and chairs had been arranged inside. It was probably a guest room meant to let visitors relax.
"I shall go ask Radick-sama, so would you please wait here until then?"
We all entered the guest room as Rebecca-san instructed, with Captain Maurice following behind.
"I'll bring tea right away. Captain Maurice, could you tell Radick-sama directly that Romelia-sama has arrived?"
Rebecca-san glared at Captain Maurice, who had entered the guest room with us. The look in her eyes clearly told him that he was expected to explain himself for suddenly bringing guests.
"Uh, yeah."
Captain Maurice had just begun lowering himself into a chair when he hurriedly stood back up.
"Well then, Romelia-sama. I'll go speak with Radick-sama."
While Captain Maurice bowed, Rebecca-san walked off by herself. He hurriedly chased after her.
"Heh-heh, she sure has him under her thumb, like a henpecked husband. You think those two are a thing?"
Al wore a slightly vulgar grin as he watched Captain Maurice hurry after her.
"Maybe they are."
I watched Captain Maurice follow Rebecca-san away, then sat down in one of the guest-room chairs. Al and the others followed suit.