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TL: ALT
Chapter 28 – The Whereabouts of Mariel’s Parents
Wataru had several reasons for coming to the royal capital.
First, he sought to establish distribution channels for his products beyond the Welcome Trading Company.
He also wanted to learn about shrines and gates.
He also wanted to see if there were any excellent products in the royal capital that could be sold on Earth.
And to find information about Mariel’s parents.
He had already accomplished three of these goals.
He had decided to sell baking powder and had gained knowledge about the gate.
Although it was not in the royal capital, he obtained an excellent beauty serum in Azure Stream Town.
However, he had no idea how to find information about Mariel’s parents, his last objective.
Searching for people he didn’t know in a place where he had no connections was an impossible task.
“Well, I promised to find out about Mariel’s parents, but, honestly, we don’t have any connections to help us search. Did Fina-san, your friend, know anything about their whereabouts, Mariel?”
“Apparently, she knew they had returned to their territory. But since they belonged to a different faction, she didn’t know any details.”
“I see. I don’t know much about the aristocratic system, so my only option is to ask you for advice. Who do you think we should consult?”
“Yes, since we’re already in the capital, it would be best to ask the General Affairs Bureau.”
Mariel’s answer showed that she was familiar with how the government worked.
Wataru, who wasn’t even a citizen, worried that he wouldn’t be able to use that knowledge.
Perhaps noticing his concern, Mariel smiled to ease his mind.
“They won’t check your identity, so don’t worry.”
“Is that so? Since our office is in Southern Ship Town, you can just say that if anyone asks.”
“Yes, I think that will be fine, but if you’re worried, there’s no harm in doing so.”
“I see. I’m not very good at this kind of thing. I can’t ask Aire or Cloche because they’re from other countries, so I didn’t know what to do.”
“I’m your bodyguard. I can’t help you with something like that.”
“Both Onee-sama and I are from a family of mercenaries. We’re nomads, so we don’t do government work!”
The people Wataru could rely on varied too much among the slaves.
He couldn’t ask Aire and Cloche for help with this matter.
However, even though they were a mercenary family, there must have been someone in charge of managing the finances.
Judging from how Aire and Cloche saw things, Wataru thought they must be struggling.
〇〇〇
Wataru and the others arrived at the royal castle, the heart of the royal capital.
Tall defensive walls surrounded it, and numerous gatekeepers guarded it.
The well-trained and strong soldiers were clad in armor and armed with spears.
The castle gates were open during the day, allowing entry.
Aware that they were being watched by the gatekeepers, Wataru and his companions slipped through the gates.
“I thought Baron Moye’s castle was big, but the royal castle is even bigger.”
“The scale of the city is different. A king and a lord have vastly different resources and manpower.”
“Hmm, it looks easy to attack at first, but the key points are strongly protected by magic. If it were you, Cloche, where would you attack from?”
“If it were me… I will attack from there.”
“Hey, let’s not talk about dangerous things and get arrested.”
“We’re just kidding. But it’s important to think this way. We’ve participated in many sieges.”
“As guards, we need to think about how to evacuate in case of a sudden attack.”
“I-I see. I see.”
They were thinking about defense from the perspective of the attackers.
After hearing their reasoning, Wataru decided to accept it for the time being.
Although it was called a castle, it was clearly divided into the royal residence and the administrative district.
Wataru and his companions would use the latter.
This area was open not only to the nobility but also to citizens for administrative procedures.
With Mariel’s guidance, they went straight to the General Affairs Bureau this time, but it was incredibly spacious.
Perhaps that was to be expected in a castle, but the area accessible to commoners, up to the third bailey, spanned several hundred square meters.
The second bailey was where the nobles lived, and the royal family resided in the main bailey.
Due to the wide range of work it handles, the General Affairs Bureau occupies a fairly large space.
Many officials moved around, struggling with documents.
They were clearly working diligently rather than doing the kind of leisurely work one might expect from a government office.
When Wataru and the others approached the visitor reception desk, a middle-aged man responded.
He was about forty years old, short and stocky, with thinning hair.
His long, golden hair was slicked back.
The man listened to their request with a cold expression.
“What brings you here today?”
“We would like to know what happened to the Hanover family.”
“Why do you ask?”
The official’s expression hardened slightly.
The fall of a noble family would be a scandal.
Investigating it would likely lead to troublesome matters.
“This is Mariel, the Hanover family’s daughter. She was sold into slavery to pay off a debt, but I bought her.”
“Ah, you mean the young lady from there? You must have gone through a lot. However, it may be difficult to collect the debt. They must have been in dire straits to give up their land.”
“Ah, no. I didn’t mean it that way.”
The official’s eyes seemed to convey sympathy, but a hint of contempt was also evident.
Filled with a mixture of regret and sadness, Mariel lowered her gaze.
“As her master, I wanted to give her the opportunity to meet her parents, even though she is a slave.”
“Huh. You want to go to all that trouble for a slave? That’s strange. Well, I understand your reasoning.”
What is this guy? Wataru thought angrily. But he couldn’t cause a problem here.
There was nothing to be gained by arguing with an official.
Suppressing his anger, Wataru forced a smile.
“If you find anything, please let me know.”
“There’s no choice. I’ll check the records.”
Once the difficult-to-deal-with bureaucrat left the counter to look through the documents, Wataru took Mariel’s hand.
Her hand was as cold as ice.
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