Rebirth in a Ruined Nation! The Life of a New Strategist Starting From Now - Chapter 44

Drifting Ship Disturbance (10) – Gedland’s Tour Guide, Roa!

We went to explore Gedland in the early morning the day after Luluria was successful in convincing Rays-sama.

Fishermen went out early for work, so the town was bustling even at this early hour. A major feature of this town was when the hustle and bustle of the morning faded and the day turned to afternoon, the ambiance of the town changed dramatically. 

Because the fishermen’s crowd was replaced by a crowd of merchants and tourists.

The shops that were located in the prime location, a.k.a the ones facing the sea, were closed at this hour because they catered mostly to the afternoon people of Gedland. Despite this, Luluria curiously looked at the closed stores.

“Why do all the shops have stairwells and their entrances are on higher ground?”

“Did this type of architecture not exist in Luluria’s homeland? They built the shops in this manner to avoid flooding when the sea is rough.”

“I see… Fezaris is a landlocked country, so this is my second visit to a port town. The first time was when I left Fezaris for the Empire. They never let me leave the carriage at that time…”

Really? Well, that made sense. Normally, you wouldn’t let a princess who was about to marry someone from another country play in a port town.

“This port town…is really huge! There are so many ships docked on the coast! This is the first time I’ve seen anything like this…”

“Gedland is the northern continent’s largest port town after all. You might be disappointed if you look at the Empire’s port town after you’ve already visited Gedland.”

“I’ll just build a bigger port town then!”

…What an ambitious princess. She was the person who successfully made Rays-sama taste defeat, so I had a feeling she would be able to establish a port town larger than Gedland. I wonder what happened to her in the future that I knew…. Well, what I did know was that this port town had been reduced to ashes.

“Ah, right! I wanted to see something before the shops opened!”

Luluria said this while clapping her hands.

“What?”

“I’d like to see horses! Warhorses!”

“You want to see horses? Why?”

Luzel, who had been quietly following us, twitched.

According to Luluria, horses in the southern continent were smaller than horses in the northern continent, hence their primary function was to pull carts or carriages. On the southern continent, cavalry was uncommon.

Come to think of it, I remembered there were only a few war records from the southern continent that included cavalry battles.

“That’s why, when I arrive on the northern continent, I want to see warhorses, not carriage horses, at least once!”

You could do that as much as you wished once you were in the Empire… No, because she was a princess, she might not be allowed to visit the stable.

I turned around because I felt someone standing right behind me, and there he was, Luzel, with excitement in his eyes. I know, I know. I’d leave it to you.

“Luluria, Luzel is the captain of the cavalry unit of the 10th Division. So the horse he used is really amazing.”

Luluria’s eyes twinkled as she heard my words.

“Really!? That is incredible! I’d like to see your horse!”

“Please let her see him, Luzel.”

I also asked Luzel.

“Without a doubt, Stanley is one of the top five greatest warhorses on the entire continent! Since it’s Luluria-sama’s request, I’ll let you see him. The stable is this way. Please follow me.”

Luzel said as he excitedly led us to the stable.

But to claim his horse is one of the top five greatest warhorses in the continent… good thing Frein wasn’t here.

***

“Wow…what a fantastic horse! This is…a truly incredible experience!”

Luluria was overjoyed to see Luzel’s beloved horse, Stanley. Luzel, who was happy with how Luluria praised his companion, allowed Luluria to ride on Stanley’s back, and we walked around the port with Luluria reading on Stanley’s back.

Zora-san, Luluria’s lady attendant, who was watching from behind, looked pale. The guards who were following us from a distance also panicked, but Luluria’s horseback riding ended without any incident.

“I’m getting a bit hungry.” (Luluria)

It was a little early for lunch, but we’d been moving around since the early morning, so she was naturally hungry. Rufa’s stomach growled in response to Luluria’s remark, and her cheek reddened in embarrassment.

“Since the restaurant is about to open, let’s have lunch. What do you want to eat, Luluria?”

Gedland had a diverse range of restaurants. There were restaurants that served food from the southern continent to Gedland’s tourists, as well as restaurants that served food from the northern continent for people who were from the southern continent.

“You said you’ve been to this town many times since you were a child, right?”

“Yeah. After all, I was born in a fishing village near here.”

“Then, do you know of any restaurants that aren’t targeted toward tourists? You know, a hidden gem kind of restaurant?”

“I know a place like that…It’s great, but they just offered ordinary food. Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah! I want to eat a pogee from that kind of restaurant!”

“The restaurant’s interior is also shabby in comparison to a more famous restaurant…”

I looked at Zora-san, who nodded. Did she think this kind of request was insignificant in comparison to Luluria riding a horse?

“All right, then. We’ll be heading to the alleyway, so I’ll notify the guards.”

I said that, and I walked to the knights that were guarding us from the distance.

“Please don’t act too recklessly…”

The guard commented as if they were about to cry, and all I could say was sorry. We then went to the alleyway.

“Compared to the main street, this part of town has its own charm…” (Luluria)

The alleyway has a difference in ground level, giving it the appearance of stairs, and it was surrounded on both sides by tall buildings. On the tight area, there was a small flowerbed where local children were playing.

“There it is. I hope it’s open…”

That small restaurant has been there since I was a kid. I was worried that the restaurant had already closed down since the restaurant was run by an elderly couple. Fortunately, the restaurant’s sign on the door showed that it was open.

“Excuse me…”

When I opened the door, I was met by the sight of the elderly couple. Hm? When I entered the shop, did time come to a halt?

When I began to think like that, I saw a man and his wife helping the elderly couple. That man and his wife weren’t here back when I was a kid, so the time didn’t stop. I was a little relieved.

“Welcome!”

Starting with Luluria who was fidgeting with excitement, the other people entered the shop while looking around the store with a great interest.

The interior remained unchanged. This was quite nostalgic.

The pogee served at this restaurant was also as delicious as always.

Luluria gave the pogee a serious look and said, “This is…amazing…”

She seemed to like pogee, but would it be okay if the soon-to-be princess of the Empire’s favorite food was a home-cooked dish from the Rudek Kingdom?

“Let’s go see more of this town as soon as we finish this meal!”

The elderly couple smiled kindly at Luluria’s passionate declaration, not detecting the tiniest piece of worry that passed my mind.