Chapter 326
Chapter 326 Emperor
As they crossed the wide bridge over of the wide canal, the view outside the window changed altogether .
“Ohh, interesting . ”
Jin reflexively blurted out .
As he had thought, there were a lot of waterways in Roizato, vertical and horizontal, all of which were being used for transportation .
There were also some houses mounted on top of these waterways which looked quite fascinating . Hearing Jin mutter that, Reiko started sending the scenery information to Laojun, thinking that it might be helpful as reference data .
Although Jin himself hadn’t seen the cities in person, to him it looked like a combination of Edo and Venice .
But as they went closer to the center of the city, the number of these waterways decreased as they connected to the inner moats of the royal castle, surrounding it .
Naturally, there were numerous water gates along the way, making it very difficult to get to the castle .
“The inner moats are about 10 meters, eh…”
He was somewhat reminded of the Imperial Palace of Japan in Tokyo .
There was just one entrance into the castle which wasn’t a moat and the group advanced through it .
And then after a while, a squad of imperial guards were lined up in the way and they stopped the carriage there . That was the first time they got off the carriage after entering the city .
The imperial palace was completely surrounded by the moats .
All of their carriages were stationed at the garage and the horses, except Jin’s golem horse, were left with the person in charge .
His golem horse was taken in with a look of admiration from the handler .
“Jin, please ride in this carriage . Miss Reiko too, please . ”
Three carriages without roofs came to take them .
Reinhart was riding on the first carriage and Jin was on the second . The third one seemed to be for luggages and so Jin left his hand luggage there .
The three carriages advanced down a beautiful, stone-paved road .
They then crossed a sturdy looking door and beyond that was the imperial palace .
“Oohh…”
He couldn’t let out a loud voice because of the place but he couldn’t help but feel amazed .
There lied the Shouro empire’s imperial palace, boasting 300 years of history .
The Shouro empire imperial palace was built with granite and was three storied . Its breadth stood out more than its height .
It wasn’t like a spire, rather it looked like a tough-looking western castle .
Jin and the others walked into that castle which was being guarded by knights and soldiers .
* * *
Reinhart went to report, along with Matheus, and Jin was left in the reception room .
Two attendants accompanied Jin, one male and one female .
“Please, help yourself . ”
Jin was a bit surprised when he sniffed the fragrance of the tea they served him . It was a very nostalgic fragrance .
He sipped a bit .
“… . roasted green tea?”
It was a taste very similar to that . And so, he tried asking the two with him .
“Is this tea a Shouro empire specialty?”
The male butler answered .
“Yes, it is a specialty of Shouro empire’s southern part . ”
“Do you know how it is made?”
When he asked, the butler answered,
“… . I am not sure if I can talk about that . ”
Jin could assume . If it is a specialty, then there’s probably a secret production method . He can’t just tell it to a foreigner at a moment’s notice .
“I understand . I will be talking to myself then . After picking out green leaves, you steam it and then dry . Afterwards, you heat it till it releases a sweet-smelling fragrant . ”
The moment he said that, the butler’s expression changed .
“H-how do you know that?!”
“… . As I thought . No, it’s just that it resembled the tea from my hometown . ”
The butler regained his composure after Jin said that .
“Is that so? I had heard that you are a very outstanding magi engineer but to think you are also knowledgeable about tea . ”
He had just known of it because the director liked tea and he had to listen to the director talking about it, but he didn’t say that out .
“Do you perhaps also have tea which is made by heating the leaves immediately after picking them?”
Jin tried asking the butler, to see if they also had green tea .
Tea leaves go through oxidative fermentation naturally as they have enzyme in them . If this goes well and is left alone, it turns to black tea . If it picked and heated immediately, it stops the enzymes and green tea is made .
“Y-you even know of that?! That is the production method for green tea which was developed over a 100 years ago!”
Ah, so they also have green tea, Jin thought happily .
The tea leaves they were cultivating at Hourai island was an imitation of the Kaina village product, so the taste is a bit different .
But the one here is exactly the same .
“Can I get a refill?”
As Jin said that after drinking it all, the female attendant cheerfully poured him more .
“Ah, delicious . ”
Hearing Jin say that while drinking, the female attendant made a happy face .
“Her family are tea farmers, you see . She is happy you like it . ”
As the butler said that, the female attendant’s face reddened .
Even so, she is pretty silent . As if she was forbidden from opening her mouth .
“Is it cultivated in a warm area?”
“You know your stuff . That’s right . Roizato is the northern limit to cultivate it . ”
At this rate, there might also be rice, Jin thought and so he tried asking boldly .
“Um, are there Shouro empire special grains as well?”
He started off by leading them in .
“Yes, there is . ”
“Umm, it’s not like wheat, not like soy either and are fit for cultivating on wetlands and when they ripe, there’s like a top portion dangling…?”
As he said that, the butler’s eyes opened wide yet again .
“Where did you learn that from?! You are talking about the ‘nogi’ which is only cultivated at the south, right?!”
Jin became even happier knowing that a rice substitute also existed . I will definitely get the seeds! – he was determined .
“Ah, that’s probably it . And the dishes which use it are…”
Just when Jin was about to ask another question, the door opened . A young knight had come .
“Mr . Jin, please come . The emperor desires to meet you . ”
Jin went walking down the hall with Reiko .
That was because they didn’t say anything about Reiko not coming along . Reiko might not have agreed to be left behind again too .
“The emperor likes meeting outstanding individuals . However, after you enter, please keep your gaze lowered until the emperor tells you otherwise . Please be careful not to raise your gaze without permission . ”
They said that there was nothing else he needs to be careful about and should just behave in his own proper manner .
And then he was guided into the office . The door looked sturdy, being made with two wooden boards and two soldiers were standing at each side .
“It’s Mr . Jin . ”
After the knight who guided him there said that, the soldier who was standing by the door pulled a cord three times . Seems to be a bell or something .
After which the door was opened from the inside .
“Please enter . ”
Hearing the voice coming from inside, the knight urged them to step in .
“Welcome, Jin . ”
Reinhart was there . And there was a big solid desk at the back, behind which the Shouro empire’s emperor was sitting .
“The emperor really wanted to talk to you in person, you see . Now, please advance inside . ”
To show his utmost respect, Jin bowed deeply and moved inside .
1 step, 2 step . He had reached in front of the emperor after 7 steps . His gaze was still at the emperor’s feet . He had not raised his gaze .
“He’s Jin Nidou, magi crafsman of a foreign country . He’s also the honorary magi craftsman of Egelia kingdom and has also become an honorary member of our magi engineer guild the other day . ”
Reinhart’s voice resounded, introducing Jin .
“I welcome you . Mr . Jin Nidou, please raise your face . ”
After being told, Jin raised his face and saw the emperor for the first time .
And was surprised .
“Welcome to Shouro empire . I am the emperor, Gelhart Hilde Fon Rubis Shouro . ”
Shouro empire’s emperor was a woman… an empress .
“Fufu, it seems like you are surprised . Everyone who meet me for the first time are surprised . That’s fine . I am the previous emperor’s daughter . And I will be the emperor until the previous emperor’s child, Elunsto becomes an adult . ”
Jin was surprised as she even told him about such internal matters .
“Fufu, you’re surprised again, aren’t you? Everyone in my country knows of it, after all . However, it is not known externally so most of the foreigners do not know . ”
She sweetly smiled saying that . Jin was charmed .
Not in a romantic way .
The woman in front of him looked to be in her late thirties, had dark brown hair and light green eyes with a small stature .
It was as if…
(Director……)
She resembled the director of the Nidou orphanage, who was basically Jin’s foster parent .
Of course, while she does resemble the director, there were parts different from the director . Not to mention that the director had white hair . However, that gentle way of talking, that kind look and above all, her aura felt just like the director’s .
Unbeknownst of Jin’s such feelings, the Shouro empire’s emperor Gelhart Hilde Fon Rubis Shouro continued .
“I have heard from Reinhart . That you are an amazing magi engineer . Also that you have built a pump which can bring water from the deep wells and have also invented a cleaning magic tool at Anbelk . And that’s not even all . Microscope, did you say? That too…”
“I have not done as much as you are assuming . ”
The empress replied ‘nobody would think that’ to Jin’s modesty .
“According to Reinhart, you have studied this ‘science’ subject? If it’s alright with you, I would really like if you were to teach even a part of it in our country . ”
The empress paused there .
“Ah, what’s the matter with me? I have gotten a bit too hasty… Mr . Jin, please take your time looking at our country . ”
Saying that, she pointed to Reinhart .
“Reinhart, I will be removing you from normal official work for a full year starting now . And I will give you the role of entertaining Mr . Jin . ”
Reinhart silently nodded . She probably also considered his rest after his work as the diplomat and his wedding with Belche .
“Please go around looking at my country as much as you like . The good parts, and also the bad parts . And I hope, you will like this country on top of all that . ”
And then, the empress gazed at Jin’s eyes and said,
“Your knowledge, even if it’s just a fragment of it . Please lend it to this country, for my people . ”
Saying that, she slightly bowed .
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