Act 2: Klausner’s Domain

Act 2:
Klausner’s Domain

 

“SEI.”

I heard someone call my name outside the carriage. When I looked out the window, I spotted Albert riding up on a horse.

Albert nodded ahead and said, “We can see it now.”

I poked my head a bit out the window and found that down the forested road we could just see a castle on a hill. At the foot of the hill was a town surrounded by high walls. This was the capital of Klausner’s Domain.

It was early afternoon, and the sun’s rays slanted to the west, making the orange tiled roofs of the houses glint brightly. The dark stone of the castle and protective walls contrasted with these glowing roofs. However, it all looked distinctly European to me, and seeing as I had

wanted to visit that part of my old world so badly, the mere sight of it made me let out a gleeful, “Wow!”

You might be thinking: Hey, didn’t the capital look just like this? Well, sure, kind of—but this town looked just different enough from the capital that I was excited all over again.

The carriage rolled on while I drank in the sights. We proceeded in a line out of the forest and approached a wide-open field of cultivated wheat.

We were almost at our destination.

We had pretty much headed straight here since we left. It only made sense to rush, considering the crisis at hand. However, seeing that our company of knights was, in a word, huge, we couldn’t really “rush,” per se. It had already taken several days to arrive, and we had stopped in towns along the way, too.

Those pit stops had brought their own problems. Klausner’s Domain wasn’t the only region experiencing problems—every lord of every territory desperately wanted the palace’s aid. Therefore, at every town we’d visited, the lord of the land had come to request our help with all sorts of things. My heart broke a little every time we had to turn them down, but we were in a hurry, and the majority of the requests went beyond our ability to fulfill.

Most of the lords understood the gravity of our responsibilities, but some refused to back down with grace.

It was hard. With respect to the intricacy of political hierarchy, it wasn’t like I could just decide to go help them on my own, so I was really at a loss for what to do. I felt absolutely wretched every time I had to decline, and having to do so over and over again weighed on me.

I tried not to let it show on my face, but Albert saw right through me. He didn’t say anything about it, but I noticed that he made sure we stopped staying in the capitals and stuck to less important towns.

While I reflected on our trip, we passed through the field and finally arrived at the castle gate. The carriage slowed, adopting a pace more appropriate for town.

Thanks to the vanguard announcing our imminent arrival, we weren’t stopped and were permitted to proceed all the way to Lord Klausner’s castle.

The town looked more compact than the capital, but it was lovely in its own way. I had assumed the infestation of monsters and the meager herb harvest would have left the town in a dark mood, but it didn’t feel that way at all. In fact, the people we passed seemed quite cheerful.

Maybe the situation isn’t as bad as we thought? Or maybe the folks out here are made of mentally firmer stuff? As I wondered, we arrived at the castle entrance, and the carriage came to a stop.

I took a deep breath and gathered my resolve. Starting now, I had to act as the Saint. I waited inside the carriage as I had been instructed beforehand, waiting for someone to open it. I had been told that proper nobles didn’t just get out of carriages on their own.

A few moments later, the door opened and light streamed in. I peeked out the door to see Albert standing just outside, his hand outstretched. Although I had been taking courses on etiquette, I still wasn’t used to being escorted like this, so I felt a bit shy. In an oddly indescribable state of mind, I smiled awkwardly.

Yeah, best to just smile and make it look like I’m totally cool with this.

I tried my best not to make a weird face as I tentatively took his hand and descended.

When I looked up from my feet, I found a number of servants lined up in front of the castle entrance. Directly in the middle of all of them stood a man clad in elegant attire who looked to be in his late fifties. Strands of gray peppered his hair, and he looked a bit taller than me. Is he Lord Klausner?

Albert guided me forward until we stood next to each other before the man.

“I bid you welcome. I am Daniel Klausner, and I govern this land.” Lord Klausner bowed gracefully as he introduced himself. The servants behind him simultaneously bowed as well.

Between the lord of a Salutanian domain and the Saint, the Saint won out hands down in terms of status. Although I knew that was the way of it, it felt scathingly awkward to have people pay such respect to me. I was a commoner, born and bred, and I still considered myself as such. I prayed these formalities would be over and done with as soon as possible.

Nevertheless, I forced myself to smile as I greeted him in turn. “I am Sei Takanashi. I look forward to my stay in your domain.”

“And I am Albert Hawke, knight commander of the Knights of the Third Order. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

Lord Klausner raised his head only after Albert introduced himself. He then introduced the butler and head maid as the representatives of his servants. Both of them looked to be in their fifties as well. The butler was tall and slender while the head maid was plump and shorter than me. We were to call upon them if we needed anything. I was relieved that they seemed kind and easy to talk to.

“You must be exhausted after such a long journey. First, let us show you to your quarters. Discussions about my domain can wait until after you’ve had some rest.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Once the introductions were finished, we were shown to our rooms. I was genuinely grateful for this kindness, since I had been cooped up in a carriage all day—although we had taken a couple of breaks along the way.

The head maid showed me to my chambers, so I followed her. I was being put up on a higher floor, and in a world without elevators, that meant stairs. So, so many stairs. And yet…

It shocked me to realize how used to climbing I had become over the past year. The palace was quite tall, and it had a ton of long, long staircases. Thanks to those, I now climbed stairs effortlessly—even up distances for which I would have definitely depended on an elevator back in Japan.

At length, we arrived at my quarters. The head maid opened the door to a spacious room full of sunlight. Most of the furniture looked antique and had a subdued color. It was probably made of walnut? The wallpaper and curtains were a matching emerald green. All in all, it was gorgeous.

“These shall be your quarters during your stay.”

“Gosh… Thank you.”

The head maid no doubt had a boatload of things to do, because she excused herself. For my part, I immediately flopped down on the sofa, leaned back, and stretched.

I realize my behavior was a bit rude, but please forgive me. I was downright pooped after my first long journey in Salutania.

“Would you like to change into your regular attire?” asked Mary, the maid the palace had assigned to wait on me.

“Hmm, I’m going to be seeing Lord Klausner soon, right?”

“I believe so.”

“Then shouldn’t I just stay in these clothes?”

“You will have to change for your meeting, but perhaps you would like to wear something more comfortable in the meantime.”

“Ah, is that so? Well, then.”

Mary had come with me since it was possible we’d be here for a while. I could handle daily life necessities on my own, but I was still more or less ignorant of the rules of noble society, even with all my etiquette training. For example, all the intricate little details about what kind of clothes were appropriate for a meeting with a lord? Utterly beyond me. Therefore, Mary was here to help wrestle that sort of situation.

My public image was part of it, too. It would have been a problem for the palace if word got out that the Saint wasn’t being waited on. Consequently, another maid had come with Mary as well.

While the other maid put away the luggage I had brought, Mary pulled out my usual clothes. I shucked my current robe with a sense of relief. It was the same fancy get-up I had worn for my audience with the king.

For most of the journey, I had worn my regular clothes and the robes mages of the Royal Magi Assembly preferred, but today I’d had to don the fancy one for the initial meeting with Lord Klausner. Since it wasn’t a dress, it wasn’t tight or anything, but it wasn’t nearly as comfortable as my everyday clothes.

Wait a minute…

“You mean I’m not going to be wearing this robe when I see Lord Klausner later?” I asked, suddenly beset by images of corsets.

“We have another robe selected for you, but if you would rather we prepare a dress…”

I panicked like a kid who’d accidentally reminded their teacher about a homework assignment. “No, no, thanks! The robe sounds great!”

“Very well.” Mary and the other maid giggled.

They were both well aware of my dislike for dresses. But how was I supposed to feel, huh? I wasn’t used to wearing them. And frankly, I didn’t plan on getting used to them, either.

While I changed into my regular clothes, the other maid showed me the robe I would be wearing later. This one was fantastically elaborate, too. It was a striking sapphire blue with detailed embroidery using a whole rainbow’s worth of different-colored threads.

According to Mary, they had brought several dresses, too. At that, I got a bit nervous—not just at the prospect of being stuffed into them, either. Was it really okay for them to lug all these extravagant clothes across the countryside just for me?

“Think nothing of it. This manner of dress is expected of the Saint,” the maid said, reading my troubled expression.

“Really?”

“Quite. And just between you and me,” the maid dropped her voice, “Lady Aira has several dresses just like these.”

“Huh?”

“She received them as gifts from Prince Kyle.”

Did she now? I thought—at which point I noticed Mary looming behind the maid with a frightening look on her face.

“Just what are you two talking about?” she asked.

“Oh!” The maid looked like she had been caught saying something inappropriate. She had meant for it to go unheard, but Mary had cottoned on regardless. The maid would be firmly reprimanded later.

After I got changed, I chatted with the two of them, but soon, there was a knock at the door. Mary opened it to find the head maid we had met before. She had brought some tea for us to enjoy.

“Thank you,” I said to her as she set the tea on the table in front of the sofa.

She smiled brightly at me before she left. “You are quite welcome. I hope everything is to your satisfaction and that you have been able to relax.”

Mary took over pouring the tea, which had a faint and lovely hue. I raised it to my lips for a sip. It had a unique perfume, likely from some naturally fragrant herb. Frankly, that just made sense given we were in Klausner’s Domain.

Hm…this is a bit nostalgic, actually. Maybe from Japan? What herb is it, though? I reached for an apple that had been brought to accompany the tea. It was smaller than the ones I remembered back home, and as I took a bite, I found the texture crisp and the flavor as refreshingly sweet as it was sour.

Sweet foods are perfect for recovering from fatigue.

Time passed in the blink of an eye as I took it easy, chatting with Mary and the other maid. Eventually, I realized that the sun had dipped and shadows lined the window.

Wait, what about my meeting with Lord Klausner?

When I asked Mary, she said, “I did not hear a specific time. Shall I go find out?”

“Yes, please.”

Just then, there was another knock at the door. One of the castle maids had come by. I caught bits and pieces of her conversation with Mary, but it sounded like it wasn’t what I was expecting. In fact, Mary reported that it wasn’t about any official kind of meeting at all.

“I’m having dinner with Lord Klausner’s family?” I blinked.

“Yes. She didn’t say anything about the discussions, either.”

“I see.”

Well, this just felt odd. But maybe we would discuss the state of things over a meal.

For now it was time to get ready—and at least I had Mary to help me deal with this change of plans.

 

***

 

A castle maid led me to the dining room.

I was leaving behind a bit of a dispute. A dispute about what? My wardrobe. Just a slight difference of opinion, really!

It was considered a given that the nobles of Salutania wore ornate gowns to dinner. Therefore, Mary had quickly selected one, but I had insisted on wearing the sapphire robe she had shown me earlier. Why? Because I was totally exhausted, duh! I was not in the mood for such constricting clothing.

As a woman who’d never been popular with men, I didn’t aspire to sparkly, frilly dresses. That being said, the popular fashion in Salutania trended extravagant and awe-inspiring—even a glimpse of any of their gowns made my heart race. And I’d always liked looking at cute clothes back in Japan… But, well, I didn’t think any of these pretty things particularly suited me. A part of me sometimes wished it were different, but I always felt guilty putting on anything I had no business wearing.

When I first came to this world, I had been a tad excited about wearing fancy dresses, since I was obligated to—which meant I wouldn’t have to feel guilty for doing so. However, the first time I actually wore one of them, I realized the sharp difference between imagination and reality. It was fun to look at these dresses, but wearing them all day was wickedly painful, especially the corsets.

Uncomfortable at the best of times, I felt a corset would be the end of me in my current state. And anyway, I doubted I could actually eat if my waist were being squeezed.

Let me tell you, I was relieved I’d managed to convince the maids to let me wear the robe.

“Sei.”

“Lord Hawke.”

Albert called for my attention as soon as I entered the dining hall. He had changed out of his traveling attire as well and wore a standard knight’s uniform.

“Is that a new robe?” he asked.

“Yes. I guess the palace had it made for me.”

“I see. It looks wonderful on you.”

Oh, come on! That bomb left me absolutely shaken. I usually wore the same outfit all the time, so I still didn’t have any resistance against being praised for my fashion sense.

“Huh? Oh, uh, th-thank you,” I managed, my cheeks burning.

Meanwhile, he wore that alluring, handsome smile of his. It was good manners to compliment a woman’s attire, but was it all right for me to compliment him back? Like for example, “And you look as unbelievably hot as always!”

Ha, as if I had the courage!

“Shall we go?” He offered me his arm.

“R-right.” My heart pounded as I took it.

Within the dining hall, we found Lord Klausner’s family already seated. It appeared we were the last to arrive. We took our seats, Lord Klausner greeted us, and the dinner began.

As I listened to Lord Klausner’s welcoming speech, I remembered something unpleasant: the state of the cooking in this country.

I had completely forgotten about that little issue because I was used to eating meals of my own devising at the institute. Suffice to say, the cuisine in this country was lacking in the seasoning department. In other words, the food was flavor-challenged. This shortcoming became especially obvious in fancier dishes. Fruits and veggies were generally okay since they had their own sweet or sour flavors, but dishes with meat uniformly left something to be desired.

I was famished, but I started grimly wondering whether I should’ve worn a dress after all, as I wasn’t likely to enjoy this meal. Squeezing my stomach with a corset would probably have made me feel full faster.

Dang it, I thought as the dishes were brought out. But as I examined them, I let out a soft, “Oh…”

Lord Klausner smiled at my surprise, but my attention was more fixed on the food: roast chicken, a common enough Salutanian dish, but this bird was garnished with rosemary—a combination I remembered from my old world.

The butler began slicing the chicken, which had been roasted whole. A delicious smell wafted up from it. When I took a bite of the serving put on my plate, my mouth was filled with not only the flavor of rosemary but other herbs.

“How do you like it?” Lord Klausner asked.

“It’s heavenly. Is this a local recipe?”

“Actually, no. I simply heard using herbs in this particular way had become popular in the palace, so I decided to give it a try.”

Knowingly or not, he was referring to my own recipes. However, this dish used a far more complex combination of herbs than I typically did. Perhaps the chef had added them in? They had to have a deep knowledge of flavors—just as one would expect of someone who grew up in a domain known for its herbal variety.

In any case, the chefs I taught my recipes to had passed their knowledge on to the other chefs in the palace, and as a result, knowledge of these dishes—which were rather popular, if I do say so myself—had continued to spread. If the people who got to try those dishes at the palace dining hall were in turn sharing the recipes with the country nobility, maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about bland meals as we traveled. Frankly, I hoped everyone’s cooking started leveling up.

Seriously, though. First that striking herb tea, now this delicious chicken. I was already impressed by Klausner’s Domain.

As we ate, Lord Klausner told me more about the region, describing not only the current state of things but the land itself.

Since their territory’s main industry was the cultivation of medicinal herbs, naturally they were a big focus. We discussed the kinds of herbs they grew and those that could be picked around the town, all of which was of great interest to me. Lord Klausner even brought up herbs I hadn’t ever heard of, and I couldn’t help asking him question after question. Fortunately, he didn’t show any outward sign of displeasure, and he answered everything I put to him.

“I heard you make potions as well, is that correct?” he asked.

“I do,” I said. “I usually work at the Research Institute of Medicinal Flora.”

“I see. Then you must be a competent alchemist as well.”

“I’m not sure I would say my skills are alchemist-level good…”

“We have our own practitioners here in the castle, you know.”

“You do?”

According to Lord Klausner, the castle alchemists were known as the greatest in the kingdom. I was sure this wasn’t an exaggeration—you had to be good indeed if you were going to be so well regarded in the so-called alchemist’s holy land.

Then I remembered Liz telling me about the secret potion recipes the domain’s alchemists were said to pass down in their families. Such great alchemists would surely know about that sort of thing. It might be hard to get them to share any particular recipes with me, but I hoped they would be willing to at least teach me more about regular potions and herbs.

I asked Lord Klausner if I could meet them, and he readily agreed. In fact, it seemed he had predicted my interest. The conversation moved quickly, and Lord Klausner assured me that during my stay, we would definitely be introduced.

Just as he made this promise, the dinner came to an end.

I had a pretty nice time getting to talk about this powerful interest of mine. However, we hadn’t discussed the state of the domain at all. I was so absorbed in the herb-talk that I completely forgot to ask about it. I suppose that’s a problem for tomorrow-Sei…

“What’s wrong?” Albert asked, frowning at me as I walked in contemplative silence. He was escorting me back to my room.

“I forgot to ask about the monsters, is all.”

“Ah, well, don’t worry about that. I already got the details.”

“You did?”

According to Albert, he had spoken to Lord Klausner and someone from the mercenary company while I was relaxing in my quarters. They hadn’t summoned me to join them because they figured I would be exhausted from my first long journey. I was thankful, sure, but I felt guilty that I hadn’t been part of it—this was my job, after all.

“Will you be heading out on an expedition right away?” I asked.

“No, we’ll take a few days to do some preliminary scouting. You should wait here in the castle.”

“All right.”

I asked because I assumed they would need me to join whenever they set out in earnest. Scouting made sense, though. They’d need to figure out the lay of the land and what kind of monsters we’d be up against.

But if I was going to wait around here in the castle, then maybe I could meet with those alchemists right away.

Oh, yeah. I should ask if I can make extra potions here, too. I had brought some from the palace, but ideally, I would get to replenish them here. There was an herb shortage in the capital, but I imagined there might still be some available in the domain of their origin. I would have to ask Lord Klausner about it tomorrow.

And so, Albert and I discussed our plans for the next day as I headed back to my chamber.

 

***

 

The following morning, I ate breakfast with Lord Klausner and his family in a different dining hall, one that was considerably smaller.

When I asked, he promised to introduce me to the castle’s head alchemist once we were finished. The alchemist worked full-time in a place called the brewery, where all the castle’s potions were made.

After breakfast, Lord Klausner guided me down the hallway to the brewery, which was on the first floor of the castle. When we arrived, Lord Klausner knocked on the door before opening it.

As we went inside, I caught a whiff of herbs. Against the walls were several shelves packed with bottles of dried herbs and tools for making potions. A table in the center of the room was covered with even more apparatuses. On the opposite side, it seemed there was an entrance to a back room.

Several people were working away. Although they noticed Lord Klausner come in, all they did was give him a slight bow and continue whatever they were doing. Lord Klausner didn’t say anything about it, so this attitude seemed normal to all of them.

I tilted my head, wondering which of these people we were looking for. Lord Klausner headed over to the back room and called, “Corinna.”

“Oh, if it isn’t the master of the castle. What can I do for you?” answered an old woman with white hair as she emerged from the back. She was a bit hunched, and shorter than even the head maid. Because of that, while she didn’t look fat or anything, she gave off the impression of being very small and round. Despite that—and her age—she gave off a sense of vigor and professionalism.

“This is the Saint, Lady Takanashi, who has arrived from the capital.”

“Um, hi—my name is Sei Takanashi.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Corinna, an alchemist in this castle.”

I had mixed feelings about being introduced as “the Saint,” but I knew it couldn’t be avoided. I accidentally wound up letting my awkwardness show with a stiff smile. However, Corinna paid it no mind.

After the introductions, Corinna gave Lord Klausner a look as if to ask why he’d interrupted her workday.

“Lady Takanashi also brews potions. She expressed an interest in meeting you.”

“Is that so?”

“Um, if it’s all right with you, I was hoping to hear more about your expertise?” I asked.

“I don’t mind at all. I was just about to start making today’s batch, actually. How about we chat while I work on them?”

“Yes, please!” I thanked my lucky stars for this opportunity to watch a great alchemist at work. I was sure to learn something from her.

Lord Klausner had other business to attend to, so he left us in the brewery. As he did, Corinna went to gather some herbs off the shelves.

“Are you going to make mid-grade HP potions?” I asked.

“Yes, that’s right. You do know your stuff, don’t you?”

“Oh, I just happened to remember—I make mid-grade potions pretty frequently.”

At my mention of “frequently,” I could have sworn I caught a glint in Corinna’s eye. Maybe it was just my imagination.

I watched her closely as she set to work with a serious expression on her face. She was quite skillful, just as I expected.

As she worked, Corinna talked me through each of the herbs she was using and the potions they might go into, her deft hands never faltering. She made one potion after another, and just as she finished the fifth, she sighed. She seemed somewhat tired.

Oh, that’s right. Normal alchemists can only make about ten mid-grade potions a day. I keep forgetting. I’d never had to deal with the same limitation, after all. It also occurred to me that Corinna really did have to be quite skilled in order to make five in a row.

“Would you like to make some as well?” Corinna offered.

“May I?”

I was just a guest who she had met mere minutes before. Was she really comfortable letting me borrow her place of work? Or maybe she was going to offer to teach me? When I asked, she responded with a smile and nod.

I was excited at the prospect of her mentorship and got to work making potions like I usually did. Now it was Corinna’s turn to watch how I worked.

One potion, two potions, three potions…

Corinna didn’t say a word as I made one potion after another. Was my process okay? I wasn’t about to ask if she wasn’t going to say anything first, but I started to get a bit uneasy.

Six potions, seven potions, eight potions…

She still wasn’t stopping me, so I kept on at it.

Just as I started on my tenth, her expression changed.

“You can keep going?” Corinna asked as she watched me, visibly shocked.

“Yes, I usually make many more than this a day.”

“Aha. Well, I suppose it shouldn’t be any surprise.” Corinna let out an astonished laugh.

Maybe I should’ve stopped with five? I chuckled awkwardly.

Corinna kept a smile on her face as she said, “It’s just that when I heard the Saint herself liked to make potions, I assumed it was just a hobby. But I see now that you’re already an expert.”

“Uh…thank you.”

“I think we’ll be able to have far more interesting discussions,” she said with a wider grin. My eyes sparkled.

Maybe she’ll teach me those secret recipes?

I looked at Corinna with such hope, but she must have guessed what I was thinking because she flatly dismissed that idea. “Don’t get ahead of yourself. We start with the basics.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Corinna smiled wryly at my slightly disappointed face. “In any case, Lady Takanashi, I’ll start with an explanation on the practical uses of low-grade HP potions.”

“Okay! But…may I please ask you to not refer to me as ‘Lady Takanashi’? Just Sei is fine, especially since I’m the one learning from you.”

“Are you sure? Very well, then.”

Corinna had already dropped the pretense of polite bearing, so it felt kind of weird to hear her keep addressing me as “Lady” anything. And I knew it was a bit late for me to start acting all polite toward her, but I was to be the student, after all.

When I asked her to treat me like she would anyone else, she at least understood that this was more comfortable for me.

We really got into the thick of it after that, and I promptly decided that on days when I didn’t have to join an expedition, I would learn about herbs and potions from Corinna while helping her to make her quota.