Ophelia, surprised by the unexpected gift, accepted the coat the maid offered. The white fur looked high-quality, and the soft cotton lining made it comfortable to wear.
She had prepared a winter coat from the Republic of Tamora, but it seemed incomparable to this.
"It's made from the fur of a giant snowy wolf that the Duke himself hunted last winter. It was as big as a house."
The butler boasted about his master, the Duke, with a proud face.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the wolf was the size of a house, but if it was big enough to make two long coats for an adult woman, it certainly wasn't an ordinary size.
“Oh, it looks really warm. I’ll wear it with gratitude!”
Candice smiled playfully and thanked him.
In the non-class society of the Republic of Tamora, this was not considered a major offense, but to a butler accustomed to the etiquette of the nobles, it might have seemed somewhat rude.
Ophelia looked at the butler's face with concern. But the butler seemed completely unconcerned.
Rather, it seemed like they were being considerate of the two people who were unfamiliar with imperial society, so they might feel uncomfortable.
“Excuse me, what should I call you two?”
If the two were nobles of the empire, there was no need to worry about titles.
Strictly speaking, according to the imperial caste system, they were commoners, but it was not right to treat guests who had come from a distant land to help with the affairs of the territory carelessly.
“Oh, you can just call me by my name. I’m Candice Eposher, and this is Ophelia Hailing.”
"No," Candice said with a shrug. Ophelia nodded in agreement. Only then did the butler, seemingly relieved, lead them to the carriage.
“This way, Ophelia, Candice.”
Ophelia let out a small sigh and followed the butler.
It was awkward to be addressed with respect by someone who was as old as her uncle, but if that was the culture of the empire, then it was something she had to adapt to.
The journey to the ruins took a little longer than the distance from the port to here, as it involved a long climb up a winding mountain road.
Just as she was beginning to feel motion sickness in the swaying carriage, they finally arrived at the entrance to the ruins perched near the summit of a high mountain. Indeed, even in midsummer, the temperature was so low that her breath was puffing out.
“Wow, it’s really cold...!”
As soon as she got off the carriage, Candice, startled by the cold, felt like her ears were going to fall off, and touched her gloved hand to check if they were properly attached.
"Young ladies! This place is dangerous! Do not approach without permission!"
And then, a laborer working at the ruins ran over, his face flushed with confusion, and stopped them. He mistook them for innocent noblewomen, simply by their appearances in precious fur coats.
"Hello, we're researchers dispatched from the Tamora National Magic Academy."
It was a situation that could have been unpleasant, but Ophelia calmly took out the ID she had brought from her pocket and showed it to him.
"What? Those researchers were supposed to be coming tomorrow? Just the two of them? Didn't the person in charge come?"
The worker looked around, bewildered, for the person in charge. He seemed to have never imagined that only two young women would show up.
“...I’m in charge. I’m Senior Researcher Ophelia Hailing.”
She answered in a firm voice. This was something she had expected when she was dispatched to the Empire.
Imperial society was a strict caste system, conservative and authoritarian. Entrusting such a weighty responsibility to a woman who had just become an adult was unthinkable in the empire.
She anticipated that there would certainly be those who would ignore her and that there would be difficulties in getting things done. Overcoming this was also a hurdle that Candice and Ophelia had to overcome on their own.
“...”
Candice glared at the porter from behind her friend, waiting for his next words to be heard, ready to protest if he were to make rude remarks like "young" or "woman."
But the porter's reaction was a little different from what she had imagined. He awkwardly touched his ear and offered an apology to the two men.
"Here, I apologize for my rudeness. I look forward to working with you in the future. I represent the laborers here. My name is Barton."
“...Huh? Is that the end?”
Because of this, Candice, who had been preparing for battle, could only shout this with a deflated expression. It was to the point where she felt a sense of futility.
“Huh? Was my apology not enough?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it...! ‘A young girl like this is in charge, I can’t accept it!’ or something... I thought it was time for a more villainous line...”
As she muttered this, Barton laughed heartily.
"Ah, those old-fashioned people might say that. But here in the Weishaffen estate, it's different. Our Duke, too, lost his parents at the age of sixteen and inherited the title, yet he manages the estate so admirably."
“Did you inherit the title at such a young age, Duke?”
"Yeah, that's right. It was four years ago. The former Duke and Duchess were caught in an avalanche and lost their lives..."
Listening to Barton's story, Ophelia felt a strange sense of kinship with the young Duke, whom she had never met before.
She, too, knew well the feeling of being left alone in the world after both her parents had passed away. She had a trustworthy brother, but the young Duke had no siblings left.
“So, whether you’re a man or a woman, young or old, as long as you do your job well, that’s all that matters. Isn’t that right?”
“This old man, you know something!”
After Barton finished his speech, Candice nodded and gave him a thumbs up, as if she was deeply impressed.
"Hmm, I guess we won't have much time since I need to get back before dinner. I'll show you around, so follow me."
He led the way, trudging along the snow-covered mountain path. Candice and Ophelia hurried behind, but the deep snow made walking difficult.
“Yes, that thing you see over there is the entrance.”
Looking in the direction Barton was pointing, the entrance to a large, ancient-style building was revealed, half-covered in snow.
Candice exclaimed in wonder, while Ophelia, unlike her friend, asked about the progress in a calm voice.
“How far has the excavation progressed?”
“...Actually, that’s the end. As you approach, outrageous traps pop up here and there... I haven’t even been able to go in yet.”
He answered with a blush. What on earth could he have hidden there that warranted such tight security? Every step he took triggered a trap, making it impossible to approach.
“We could physically destroy it, but since this is an area where snow piles up year-round, if we’re not careful, a large-scale avalanche could occur... That’s why we requested assistance from the Magic Academy.”
“Aha, I see.”
Ophelia nodded. It seemed they should begin work tomorrow morning, searching for and dismantling the magical traps hidden around the entrance.
Perhaps because the excavation progressed so slowly, the tour of the site didn't take long. Thanks to this, the two were able to return to the mansion in time for dinner.
"I'll be able to see His Excellency the Duke soon. I'm curious, aren't you?"
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Ophelia nodded at Candice's question. Perhaps because she'd heard so many good stories from Barton, she was very curious about what kind of person the Duke was.
What kind of person would a young Duke be who, despite losing his parents at the young age of sixteen, silently carries out his duties?
Imagining his appearance, which she had never seen before, Ophelia followed the butler Lester's guidance to the dining room.
And what awaits them is...
“Huh...?”
“Isn’t that the guy from before?”
The young knight with black hair who came out to meet them at the port... no, it was Duke Roderick Allan Weishaffen.
“...Sorry for the late greetings. This is Roderick Allen Weishaffen.”
Roderick introduced himself politely in a low, trustworthy voice.
However, the two women were so confused that they could not hear his introduction clearly.
"No, His Excellency the Duke? Are you saying the Duke himself came out to greet us?"
'That's right! And you even carried the luggage yourself!'
They exchanged quick glances. The Duke, slightly flustered, asked.
“Is there any problem?”
“Oh, no... I didn’t know Your Excellency the Duke would come out to greet us in person... I was worried that we might have been rude by not noticing.”
"I'm sorry, but that's not at all the case. I thought it would be polite to personally greet you, as you are distinguished guests who have come from far away. But I'm worried I may have caused you any inconvenience."
At Ophelia's answer, Roderick looked around slightly and said.
It was a strange thing. His face was obviously impassive, almost expressionless, yet Ophelia could strangely discern the emotions hidden beneath his hard expression.
“No, it was an honor. Thank you.”
Ophelia smiled broadly, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and bowed slightly. It was imperial etiquette she had quickly learned before she visited the empire.
"I'm the one who should be grateful. You came all this way. I hope you enjoyed your stay."
At her slightly awkward greeting, Rodrick unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth and smiled brightly.
To those who didn't know him well, it might have just been a small smile, but to the butler who had been watching him for a long time, it was truly surprising.
This was because the Duke had such a calm personality that he rarely smiled so brightly over trivial matters.
"You're saying we've already cleared all the traps around the entrance and will enter the ruins tomorrow? It's only been a few days since we got here... Isn't that overdoing it?"
Roderick, who was reading the report from Barton, who was in charge of the excavation site, spoke in a surprised voice.
It had only been three days since Ophelia and Candice had been deployed to the scene.
It was last winter that a small avalanche uncovered part of the entrance to the ruins, but traps prevented anything from being done until summer.
However, just three days after the researchers from the academy arrived, they had solved the problem they had been struggling with for months.
She had prepared a winter coat from the Republic of Tamora, but it seemed incomparable to this.
"It's made from the fur of a giant snowy wolf that the Duke himself hunted last winter. It was as big as a house."
The butler boasted about his master, the Duke, with a proud face.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the wolf was the size of a house, but if it was big enough to make two long coats for an adult woman, it certainly wasn't an ordinary size.
“Oh, it looks really warm. I’ll wear it with gratitude!”
Candice smiled playfully and thanked him.
In the non-class society of the Republic of Tamora, this was not considered a major offense, but to a butler accustomed to the etiquette of the nobles, it might have seemed somewhat rude.
Ophelia looked at the butler's face with concern. But the butler seemed completely unconcerned.
Rather, it seemed like they were being considerate of the two people who were unfamiliar with imperial society, so they might feel uncomfortable.
“Excuse me, what should I call you two?”
If the two were nobles of the empire, there was no need to worry about titles.
Strictly speaking, according to the imperial caste system, they were commoners, but it was not right to treat guests who had come from a distant land to help with the affairs of the territory carelessly.
“Oh, you can just call me by my name. I’m Candice Eposher, and this is Ophelia Hailing.”
"No," Candice said with a shrug. Ophelia nodded in agreement. Only then did the butler, seemingly relieved, lead them to the carriage.
“This way, Ophelia, Candice.”
Ophelia let out a small sigh and followed the butler.
It was awkward to be addressed with respect by someone who was as old as her uncle, but if that was the culture of the empire, then it was something she had to adapt to.
The journey to the ruins took a little longer than the distance from the port to here, as it involved a long climb up a winding mountain road.
Just as she was beginning to feel motion sickness in the swaying carriage, they finally arrived at the entrance to the ruins perched near the summit of a high mountain. Indeed, even in midsummer, the temperature was so low that her breath was puffing out.
“Wow, it’s really cold...!”
As soon as she got off the carriage, Candice, startled by the cold, felt like her ears were going to fall off, and touched her gloved hand to check if they were properly attached.
"Young ladies! This place is dangerous! Do not approach without permission!"
And then, a laborer working at the ruins ran over, his face flushed with confusion, and stopped them. He mistook them for innocent noblewomen, simply by their appearances in precious fur coats.
"Hello, we're researchers dispatched from the Tamora National Magic Academy."
It was a situation that could have been unpleasant, but Ophelia calmly took out the ID she had brought from her pocket and showed it to him.
"What? Those researchers were supposed to be coming tomorrow? Just the two of them? Didn't the person in charge come?"
The worker looked around, bewildered, for the person in charge. He seemed to have never imagined that only two young women would show up.
“...I’m in charge. I’m Senior Researcher Ophelia Hailing.”
She answered in a firm voice. This was something she had expected when she was dispatched to the Empire.
Imperial society was a strict caste system, conservative and authoritarian. Entrusting such a weighty responsibility to a woman who had just become an adult was unthinkable in the empire.
She anticipated that there would certainly be those who would ignore her and that there would be difficulties in getting things done. Overcoming this was also a hurdle that Candice and Ophelia had to overcome on their own.
“...”
Candice glared at the porter from behind her friend, waiting for his next words to be heard, ready to protest if he were to make rude remarks like "young" or "woman."
But the porter's reaction was a little different from what she had imagined. He awkwardly touched his ear and offered an apology to the two men.
"Here, I apologize for my rudeness. I look forward to working with you in the future. I represent the laborers here. My name is Barton."
“...Huh? Is that the end?”
Because of this, Candice, who had been preparing for battle, could only shout this with a deflated expression. It was to the point where she felt a sense of futility.
“Huh? Was my apology not enough?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it...! ‘A young girl like this is in charge, I can’t accept it!’ or something... I thought it was time for a more villainous line...”
As she muttered this, Barton laughed heartily.
"Ah, those old-fashioned people might say that. But here in the Weishaffen estate, it's different. Our Duke, too, lost his parents at the age of sixteen and inherited the title, yet he manages the estate so admirably."
“Did you inherit the title at such a young age, Duke?”
"Yeah, that's right. It was four years ago. The former Duke and Duchess were caught in an avalanche and lost their lives..."
Listening to Barton's story, Ophelia felt a strange sense of kinship with the young Duke, whom she had never met before.
She, too, knew well the feeling of being left alone in the world after both her parents had passed away. She had a trustworthy brother, but the young Duke had no siblings left.
“So, whether you’re a man or a woman, young or old, as long as you do your job well, that’s all that matters. Isn’t that right?”
“This old man, you know something!”
After Barton finished his speech, Candice nodded and gave him a thumbs up, as if she was deeply impressed.
"Hmm, I guess we won't have much time since I need to get back before dinner. I'll show you around, so follow me."
He led the way, trudging along the snow-covered mountain path. Candice and Ophelia hurried behind, but the deep snow made walking difficult.
“Yes, that thing you see over there is the entrance.”
Looking in the direction Barton was pointing, the entrance to a large, ancient-style building was revealed, half-covered in snow.
Candice exclaimed in wonder, while Ophelia, unlike her friend, asked about the progress in a calm voice.
“How far has the excavation progressed?”
“...Actually, that’s the end. As you approach, outrageous traps pop up here and there... I haven’t even been able to go in yet.”
He answered with a blush. What on earth could he have hidden there that warranted such tight security? Every step he took triggered a trap, making it impossible to approach.
“We could physically destroy it, but since this is an area where snow piles up year-round, if we’re not careful, a large-scale avalanche could occur... That’s why we requested assistance from the Magic Academy.”
“Aha, I see.”
Ophelia nodded. It seemed they should begin work tomorrow morning, searching for and dismantling the magical traps hidden around the entrance.
Perhaps because the excavation progressed so slowly, the tour of the site didn't take long. Thanks to this, the two were able to return to the mansion in time for dinner.
"I'll be able to see His Excellency the Duke soon. I'm curious, aren't you?"
“Yeah, that’s right.”
Ophelia nodded at Candice's question. Perhaps because she'd heard so many good stories from Barton, she was very curious about what kind of person the Duke was.
What kind of person would a young Duke be who, despite losing his parents at the young age of sixteen, silently carries out his duties?
Imagining his appearance, which she had never seen before, Ophelia followed the butler Lester's guidance to the dining room.
And what awaits them is...
“Huh...?”
“Isn’t that the guy from before?”
The young knight with black hair who came out to meet them at the port... no, it was Duke Roderick Allan Weishaffen.
“...Sorry for the late greetings. This is Roderick Allen Weishaffen.”
Roderick introduced himself politely in a low, trustworthy voice.
However, the two women were so confused that they could not hear his introduction clearly.
"No, His Excellency the Duke? Are you saying the Duke himself came out to greet us?"
'That's right! And you even carried the luggage yourself!'
They exchanged quick glances. The Duke, slightly flustered, asked.
“Is there any problem?”
“Oh, no... I didn’t know Your Excellency the Duke would come out to greet us in person... I was worried that we might have been rude by not noticing.”
"I'm sorry, but that's not at all the case. I thought it would be polite to personally greet you, as you are distinguished guests who have come from far away. But I'm worried I may have caused you any inconvenience."
At Ophelia's answer, Roderick looked around slightly and said.
It was a strange thing. His face was obviously impassive, almost expressionless, yet Ophelia could strangely discern the emotions hidden beneath his hard expression.
“No, it was an honor. Thank you.”
Ophelia smiled broadly, grabbed the hem of her skirt, and bowed slightly. It was imperial etiquette she had quickly learned before she visited the empire.
"I'm the one who should be grateful. You came all this way. I hope you enjoyed your stay."
At her slightly awkward greeting, Rodrick unconsciously raised the corners of his mouth and smiled brightly.
To those who didn't know him well, it might have just been a small smile, but to the butler who had been watching him for a long time, it was truly surprising.
This was because the Duke had such a calm personality that he rarely smiled so brightly over trivial matters.
***
"You're saying we've already cleared all the traps around the entrance and will enter the ruins tomorrow? It's only been a few days since we got here... Isn't that overdoing it?"
Roderick, who was reading the report from Barton, who was in charge of the excavation site, spoke in a surprised voice.
It had only been three days since Ophelia and Candice had been deployed to the scene.
It was last winter that a small avalanche uncovered part of the entrance to the ruins, but traps prevented anything from being done until summer.
However, just three days after the researchers from the academy arrived, they had solved the problem they had been struggling with for months.
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