I had finished packing all my belongings and was ready to head to the capital.
There had been brief departures from the academy before, but preparing to leave for good brought on a wave of new emotions.
There was no place as comfortable as here...
I was surrounded by familiar people, and my actions were free.
Now, outside the academy, I would have to be cautious with every move.
A single misstep could lead to unforeseen trouble.
At the academy, the Astria name made actions easier, but in the capital, my name might become a hindrance.
Being the center of attention only added to this.
Early in the morning.
I picked up my luggage and stepped outside.
I planned to leave without delay since I had to depart anyway.
It was so early that only the chirping of birds could be heard, and no one was in sight.
Yet, the fresh breeze was uplifting.
"Rudy, is that you?"
Then, a coachman in the distance approached me.
"Yes, it's me."
"I'll take your luggage."
The coachman quickly ran over, taking the bags from my hand and loading them onto the carriage.
Perhaps he recognized my name, or maybe it was just the briskness of a coachman from the capital.
After loading my bags, the coachman looked at me.
"Shall we depart immediately, or is there somewhere you'd like to stop by first?"
I glanced briefly at the academy.
I contemplated visiting Robert or Cromwell one last time, but then shook my head.
It was doubtful they'd be at work at this time, and without anything specific to say, there seemed no point in stopping by.
"Let's go now."
I spoke briefly and boarded the carriage.
The inside of the carriage was comfortable.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})Renting an expensive carriage meant plush seats and a space comfortable enough to rest.
The front window of the carriage opened, and the coachman peeked in.
"It'll be a long ride, so feel free to sleep. The carriage is enchanted with vibration control magic for a comfortable rest."
"Ah, okay."
"Then, we'll be departing now."
Time passed, and I slowly stirred from my stiffness.
It felt like a significant amount of time had passed, yet we had not yet arrived at the capital.
Despite the carriage being as comfortable as possible, the confined space had left my body feeling cramped.
I moved slightly to ease the stiffness and then slumped back into the seat.
"I should have taken out a few books."
Once I had loosened up, I realized there was nothing much to do.
Since I had packed the books separately, I would need to stop the carriage to get them out.
Not knowing exactly where we were, and considering that stopping the carriage would only delay our arrival, I decided against it.
I looked towards the window the coachman had opened earlier.
With a soft clatter,
"Ah, you're awake?"
As I opened the window, the coachman addressed me.
"Yes, I am. How much longer until we arrive?"
"About an hour more to go. And please, feel free to speak informally. I'm just a humble commoner."
I shook my head at the coachman's words.
"There's nothing insignificant about being a commoner. We are all similar, after all."
"Ha, thank you for saying so," he responded skillfully, perhaps used to interacting with nobles.
"I'm a bit bored; would you mind keeping me company with some conversation?"
"Of course, it would be my pleasure."
I smiled at his response and continued the conversation.
"Do you know the current state of the capital?"
"The capital, you say... It's quite chaotic. With the rebels and the empire clashing, some people are even preparing to flee."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})"I see... And what about the nobles?"
This coachman seemed to interact with many nobles, given his job of driving a carriage primarily for them.
It would be natural for him to hear stories about the nobles during his travels.
I planned to gather some information.
The coachman glanced at me cautiously before speaking.
"Ha, how could I know what the nobles are thinking?"
"You can speak freely. I'm not one to fuss over such matters."
"Well... from what I've heard in my line of work, it seems the nobles are also busy. Preparing for war, or deciding which side to align with."
His voice grew softer.
"Caught between the rebels and the empire?"
"Oh, no. How could someone serving the empire choose the rebels? I was referring to factions within the empire."
Factional movements...
Such movements would undoubtedly lead to turmoil.
The balance between the noble faction and the emperor's faction, which had been maintained until now, could collapse.
For me, however, this was somewhat good news.
As a contender for the Astria family's succession, I needed to pull the Astria subordinate families, who were part of the noble faction, to my side.
I directly asked the coachman.
"Do you know anything about the movements of the families under Astria?"
The coachman quickly shook his head.
"I wouldn’t know such things. How could a commoner like me be aware of the nobility's affairs?"
A strong denial often implies the opposite.
I was just probing, but his response suggested he knew something.
I cracked a sly smile.
"Twenty gold coins."
"…Pardon?"
"I'll give you twenty gold coins. How about you share what you know?"
Twenty gold coins was a sum comparable to the price of this carriage.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})It was an amount a commoner might never see in a lifetime.
He might be reluctant to speak for fear of jeopardizing his livelihood as a coachman, but this amount could be worth the risk.
"Ah... well..."
The coachman's eyes flickered with indecision.
"I’ll keep our conversation confidential. Why don't you tell me?"
To the coachman, my smile might have seemed like a devil's temptation, but I didn’t mind.
After hesitating, he finally spoke.
"Well... this is just something I overheard... Do you know the Mayer family?"
"Yes, I'm aware of them."
A count's family under the Astria name, quite influential in their own right.
"I once served the young lady and the head of the Mayer family. During that time, I overheard them arguing loudly about something...
It was... about supporting you."
"The Mayer family?"
I was puzzled.
The Mayer family was a well-known, loyal family to the Astria name.
For them to consider supporting me, an outsider? It was good news but felt a bit odd.
"Are you sure about this information?"
"Yes, sir! I heard it myself... So then..."
I maintained my smile.
"Let’s settle it once we arrive."
"Th-thank you."
Though the information was somewhat ambiguous, it gave me something to ponder.
The Mayer family...
As I contemplated, a doubt arose.
Could they have been acquainted with the original Rudy Astria?
Even if the original Rudy Astria behaved recklessly, he might have had close connections.
Could I possibly benefit from the original Rudy Astria's relationships?
While this thought brought some reassurance, it also stirred unease within me.
After all, the family members knew me as the original Rudy.
If my changed demeanor became too apparent, I wondered how they would react.
"Ah, we're almost there."
As I mulled over these thoughts, the capital came into view.
Upon arriving at the capital, I headed straight to the Astria mansion.
As the carriage entered the grounds of the Astria estate, I was greeted by an unwelcome scene.
Ian Astria was standing at the front of the mansion, flanked by several nobles.
It almost felt like they had come out to welcome me.
I had informed them of my arrival time in advance, but I didn't expect them to be waiting like this.
I thought they would just be preparing lunch or something.
Besides, wasn't Ian supposed to be busy?
I heard he secured the position of commander in the Royal army, so seeing him idly at the mansion was exasperating.
It was already lunchtime, and the thought of dining with him made me worry about losing my appetite.
The carriage came to a stop inside the mansion, and I stepped out.
"Rudy, it’s been a while."
Ian greeted me as I disembarked from the carriage.
"Yes, it has been a long time, brother."
As I returned the greeting, the nobles beside him chuckled.
"It's nice to see siblings getting along so well!"
"Indeed. So many families have discord among siblings, but it's perhaps for this reason that the Astria family continues its legacy!"
I frowned at the nobles' remarks.
What have we done to be considered close?
Is a simple greeting all it takes to be seen as having a good relationship?
Seeing them interpret such basic interaction as flattery was baffling.
The coachman who accompanied me probably could have flattered better.
"Well then, Rudy, let’s go inside for a meal," Ian suggested.
I nodded in agreement.
"Yes, that sounds good."
I followed Ian into the mansion.
