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Vol 01 Chapter 34: TABERNA

The Kirisian Peninsula.

It was one of the world’s most advanced regions, a peninsula where numerous city-states battled between themselves for supremacy.

At the easternmost city-state of the Kirisian Peninsula, a man stepped foot.

「So this is Claris, the trade city that connects the Kirisian Peninsula and the Persis Empire…」

The man looked up at the massive city walls.

Claris had a population of 250,000. It was the city-state with the second strongest national power on the Kirisian Peninsula.

Originally, it was merely a colonial city established by one of the city-states on the Kirisian Peninsula, but its location led it to become the only place that connected the Persis Empire and the Kirisian Peninsula. Located north of the Ash Sea, south of the Inner Sea, and possessing a natural good harbor known as Deer Horn Bay, it naturally attracted merchants. Then, the powerful merchants who gained strength through east-west trade rebelled against their suzerain state and declared independence.

Now, it flourished as one of the world’s leading trade cities.

「Hey, young man. Get in already.」

「Ah, sorry.」

The gatekeeper gave the man a forced smile.

「How much is the entry tax?」

「There isn’t one. That would only hinder business. Well, if you stay for more than a month, you’ll have to pay a residence tax… Are you new here? I haven’t seen your face before… Where are you from?」

「I come from a country called the Scarlet Empire. It’s what you call the Country of Silk in the Far East. My name is Yousei Akira.」

「Ah, from the Country of Silk…」

The gatekeeper stared intently at Akira.

「Well, that’s fine. Let me give you some advice. Listen, there are two types of people in Claris. One is the first-class citizens. These are relatively wealthy citizens who can afford to pay the high poll tax. The other is the second-class citizens. These people are so poor they can’t properly pay their taxes. It’s better if you don’t get too close to the second-class citizen’s district. Well, you’ll realize it’s a dangerous place just by looking. By the way, I’m a first-class citizen.」

「I see… Thank you for the advice. I’ll be careful.」

Akira smiled politely and passed through the gate.

◇

「Five bronze coins.」

「Um, do you accept Persis’ bronze coins?」

When Akira asked, the stall owner frowned.

「…Go exchange them over there.」

Directed by the stall owner’s thumb, Akira exchanged his Persis bronze coins for Kirisian bronze coins at the money changer. There was a fee for the exchange, but it couldn’t be helped.

「Here you go.」

「Thank you.」

Akira bought a pastry called ‘dolphitz’ from the stall. This pastry was a ball of dough made from flour, fried in oil, and skewered on sticks.

It seems to use sugar, hence the hefty price. It’s probably aimed at first-class citizens.

Akira thought this as he ate the dolphitz. It had a simple sweetness. But the oil was a bit too heavy.

As Akira leisurely enjoyed his snack, a grubby man burst out of the crowd. He was holding a leather bag.

「Somebody!! Catch him!! He’s a pickpocket!」

Akira kicked the man’s legs with all his might.  The man fell spectacularly. Akira picked up the bag that had slipped from the man’s hand.

「So this is a second-class citizen…」

Akira looked down at the man.

It must have been an act of desperation due to financial difficulties. There is room for sympathy… but a crime is a crime. I can’t let him escape.

Hearing the commotion, a soldier on guard duty came and took the second-class citizen away.

「Please stop!! I won’t do it again, just not slavery!!」

「Quiet, do you want to be sent to the mines?」

The man disappeared from the scene, dragged away by the soldier.

「Thank you! You saved my life!!」

「No problem.」

Akira handed the bag back to the black-haired woman who ran up to him. Her skin was the so-called olive color, and her facial features were pronounced.

The thought that Kirisian women were often considered beautiful crossed Akira’s mind.

The woman hugged the bag Akira returned to her chest.

「Is it something so important?」

「Yes, I’m aspiring to be an architect. This contains sketches of buildings I’ve seen in Kirisia and Persis, and the blueprints I’ve designed…」

Akira was slightly surprised by her words. Architecture requires a complex knowledge of mathematics and physics.

Women rarely sought to learn such subjects. Women were supposed to take care of the home; they didn’t need to study, and even if they did study, there were no places that would hire them. In Akira’s homeland, the Scarlet Empire, that was common sense.

In the East, even among noble daughters, only a few women could read and write. So, it was quite surprising that this woman, who appeared to be a normal citizen, even if a wealthy first-class citizen, said she was ‘aspiring to be an architect.’

「What? Do you also think it’s odd for a woman to aim for such a profession? That women should only work as magicians or wait at home for their husbands?」

The woman in front of him frowned in displeasure. Akira hurriedly shook his head to deny her assumption.

「Not at all, I was just a bit surprised. In my homeland, women who can read and write are rare to begin with.」

「Hmm.」

The woman seemed to calm a little.

「Does everyone here know how to write?」

「Well, first off, first-class citizens must at least be able to read, write, and perform basic arithmetic. So, excluding infants and senile elders, all first-class citizens in Claris can do at least that much. I don’t know about second-class citizens, though.」

Akira was impressed. It was truly one of the world’s leading commercial cities.

「Anyway, as a thank you for helping me, I’d like to do something for you…」

「Then… could you show me around the city?」

When Akira suggested this, the woman nodded vigorously.

「Sure. My name is Ismene. What’s your name?」

「Yousei Akira. Yousei is the surname, and Akira is the given name.」

…Though the characters can also have another meaning, it’s better to use this one and explain which is the name to Kirisians.

Akira thought as he introduced himself.

「By the way, how much do you know about Claris, about Kirisia?」

「Well… I know about the two wars between Persis and Kirisia, that olives and grapes are its specialties. And that there are dozens of city-states on the Kirisian Peninsula. Only about that much…」

「I see…」

After walking around the city, the two were having dinner at a tavern. It was Akira’s treat. In exchange, Ismene shared her knowledge about Kirisia with Akira.

「Listen, the city-states of Kirisia are linked to each other by several different alliances that sometimes have non-aggression pacts between themselves, and there are also agreements between these alliances as well. For example, they cease wars to enjoy the festival that occurs every four years, or they unite to intercept external threats… like when Persis invades.」

「I see… I was wondering how Kirisia, which consists of several separate states, had managed to win wars against the powerful Persis Empire twice. So that’s the reason.」

Akira was writing in a notebook made of parchment. He recorded everything he saw and heard during his travels in this notebook.

「Claris is the leader of the Eastern Alliance, right?」

「Yes, exactly. There are also the Southern Alliance led by Alto, the Western Alliance led by Terbai, and the Northern Alliance led by Reim.」

「I see, I see. This is very educational.」

Akira kept writing in his notebook, one thing after another.

「Alto has a council of adult men, Terbai is governed by a senate composed of nobles, Reim is controlled by a king and nobles, and Claris is governed by powerful merchants. They have differing political ideologies, which is why they don’t always get along.」

「But they coordinate when fighting against the Persis Empire. That’s fascinating.」

Akira continued to eat with his right hand while never stopping the pen on his left. It was quite bad manners.

「May I ask something?」

「What?」

「Ismene, you’re a first-class citizen, right? Does that mean you’re a noble? Then, I would assume you have a surname…」

Ismene smiled slyly at Akira’s question.

「Good question. First of all, first-class citizens and nobles are different. We’re essentially commoners. And in Claris, commoners are basically equal, so we don’t have surnames. It seems Alto doesn’t have surnames either, though Terbai and Reim do.」

「Wow… the world is vast, isn’t it?」

Akira’s pen moved swiftly. Ismene grabbed it.

「Stop that. You’re in the middle of a meal.」

「Ahaha, sorry.」

Akira chuckled sheepishly and put the notebook in his pocket.

「So, why are you traveling?」

When Ismene asked casually, Akira’s eyes lit up as he responded.

「To see the Ocean at the World’s End…or what you Kirisian call, the Okeanos. I was born on the eastern edge of this continent. When I was five, I set out with my parents to see the end of the world… along the way, my parents died, but they told me to make sure I see the end of the earth.」

「Is that your dream?」

「No, it’s not.」

Akira shook his head.

「That was my parents’ dream. My dream is something else.」

「What is it? Don’t hold out on me.」

Ismene leaned forward.

「To compile what I’ve seen and heard on my travels into a book. I want as many people as possible to know about the world.」

「Huh, I like that.」

Ismene smiled.

「But you’re lucky. Your parents’ dream will soon come true. The day after tomorrow, a ship heading to Lezado in the Adernian Peninsula is leaving from Claris. From the Adernian Peninsula to the farthest western sea is just a short distance.」

「Really! My long journey is finally coming to an end…」

Akira looked up at the ceiling, his anticipation for the unseen farthest western sea mounting.

「By the way, if it’s alright with you, may I come with you?」

「Hm? I don’t mind, but… do you have some business there?」

When Akira asked, Ismene nodded.

「There are too many excellent architects in Kirisia. The competition is too fierce for me, a woman, to get a job related to architecture. But the Adernian Peninsula is different. The countries there must be desperately in need of skilled architects.」

「I see…」

The Kirisian Peninsula was a good place to hone one’s skills, with plenty of rivals. But it wasn’t suitable for making a name for oneself.

In that respect, employment opportunities in undeveloped lands were abundant.

「Understood. Let’s go together!」

「It’s settled then!」

They shook hands.

The next day…

「Ughhhhhh…」

「Are you okay, Akira?」

A voice called to Akira, who was groaning beyond the toilet door. Akira was too distressed to respond.

「Sorry. Kirisian cuisine uses a lot of oil… I forgot to mention that people who aren’t used to it often end up with an upset stomach. Teehee, forgive me, okay?」

TN: The original title of this chapter was 「食べるな」, which directly translates to “Don’t Eat” in English. However, when read in Japanese, it sounds like “taberuna”. It sounds exactly the same as the Japanese would pronounce “Taberna”, a shop or stall in ancient Rome. This play on words creates a pun that, unfortunately, loses its humor and direct meaning in translation to English.