"This is Catherine!"

The soldiers salute in unison. The old woman was apparently a person of high rank.

"It seems that she was attacked by someone and her horse ran out of control. Check the other side quickly!"

"Yes!"

The captain instructed his men to salute the woman, whose name was Catherine, and led the three men running in the direction from which the carriage had come.

The remaining two men, seeing that the horses had not yet noticed them, said, "Monsieur Catherine!

"How may I help you, Mademoiselle Catherine?

They inquired her intention.

"Would you like me to get you a replacement horse?　Or should I contact the house?

But the answer exceeded the soldier's expectations.

"Oh, okay. I'll go on foot. When the horses are alerted, please bring the wagon to the house.

"What?　Huh?

While the soldier was half stunned, Catherine bowed to Jin.

"Thank you very much. From the looks of you, you must be from the Shoro Kingdom.　I am Catherine de Lafayette. I'm the former duchess, in case you were wondering.

My name is Jin Nido, honorary Baron of the Shawlo Kingdom.

This is my sister Elsa.

Jin then introduced Reiko and Edgar as automata and Zion and Lucas as friends.

"Well, well, you have wonderful automata. You must be from the Shoro Kingdom. Are you here for sightseeing?" "Yes, I am.

Yes, I am.

Yes, I am. Yes.

Jin remembers the name of the hotel.

"Uh, the H?tel Renoir."

"Well, you're very good looking. If you don't mind, I'd like to thank you for saving my life and invite you to dinner tonight. How would you like that?"

After a slight hesitation, Jin accepted.

"Yes, thank you.

"Then I will send a carriage to pick you up at your hotel at 5:00 in the evening. Please bring your friends with you. I'll be waiting for you.

The former duchess Catherine said with a smile and ordered her soldiers to accompany her to the house.

One of them accompanied her and the other guarded the carriage.

"Elsa, can you fix the horse too?"

"I'll try ....... "

is basically a magic that enhances the healing ability to the utmost limit. As a result, it was effective for the horse.

The horse opened its eyes and stood up as if nothing had happened.

"Oh my God, that's great!　Thank you very much, Elsa!

Catherine thanked her, and the soldiers rolled their eyes in surprise.

"Now, if you'll excuse me for a moment..."

Jin and the others decided to leave as they began to attract more and more attention.

"Brother Jin, did that man send you to ......?"

"Yeah. He seems to be a very important person, he might have some good information, right?

"I see, Jin is so smart!"

"......"

While exchanging such conversations in a whisper, Jin and the others resumed their own information gathering.

* * * * * * * * *

At 3:00 p.m., Jin and the others returned to .

It was a little early, but they decided that they would not get much out of their visit.

"I think our connection with the former duchess is more effective.

I agree. She seemed like a decent person.

The group rinsed off their sweat from walking around in the hotel bathroom, changed their clothes, and freshened up.

They checked with the Secret Service (SP) who had ordered them to stay at the hotel, but they were told that their belongings had not been ransacked or searched.

"Listen Zion, leave the negotiations to me and Erza. You don't know anything about our customs."

"I know, Jin. I'll play the lady again. Lucas don't talk unless I say it's okay.

"Oh, miss ......"

"I like that you put me first, but you don't see what's going on around you. I learned that when I negotiated with Jin. You keep your mouth shut. Is that clear?"

"Yes. ......"

Theon seems to be reasonably, if not quite, smart. Jin was relieved to hear that.

"Well then, Elsa, could you give me a quick lesson in Shoro imperial etiquette while we wait for the carriages to pick us up?

"Hmm, okay."

And so, for about an hour, Elsa gave a lecture on etiquette.

* * * * * * * * * * *

A minute after 5:00 p.m., a carriage arrived in front of the hotel.

This was also a one-horse cart. Instead, there were two carriages. Apparently, only small carriages with one horse are allowed to drive around the town.

We had a little trouble deciding on the combination of horses, but in the end Jin, Elsa, and Edgar got on one carriage. In the end, Jin, Elsa, and Edgar got on one carriage, and Theon, Lucas, and Reiko got on one carriage.

The carriage drives slowly along the cobblestone street. We are going to the northwest of the city. There is a house of the Duchesse de Lafayette, apparently.

"It's an interesting town. A mixture of old and new buildings."

Probably from the war.

Jin and Elsa speculate about the town they see from the window.

Lucas then spoke to Reiko .......

"Re, Reiko, is Jin ...... a good husband?"

I was made by my father and I exist for him. There is no good or bad. Don't try to talk about your father with me.

He was cut off. Reiko was not happy to be temporarily away from Jin's side, even if it was to keep an eye on Sion and Lucas.

Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the duke's villa.

"Come in, my dear."

The gate was wide open, and Jin and the others were greeted by many servants as they entered the gate and got off the carriage in front of the front door.

"Welcome, my dear!"

Catherine was waiting for them at the end of the entrance hall.

"Come in, come in. You guys, please don't be rude.

Jin, Elsa, Zion, and Lucas were each accompanied by a maid of honor who led them to the hall.

"Wow. ......"

Jin shouted in a small voice. The hall was decorated luxuriously.

The floor was covered with a soft red carpet. If you look closely, you can see patterns woven into the carpet.

The walls are hung with colorful tapestries, and between them are tasteful paintings.

In front of the building is the flag of the Kingdom of Franz, flanked by gold and silver armor.

The ceiling was decorated with carvings in rich colors, and a chandelier with magic lamps hung from the ceiling.

The table in the center of the room was made of jet-black wood with elaborate carvings on the sides and legs.

Catherine takes a seat behind the table. Jin and the others were shown to their seats by the maidservant.

To Catherine's right are Jin and Sion. Elsa and Lucas are on the left. Reiko and Edgar stand behind Jin and Elsa, respectively.

"Welcome, Chevalier, Sir Jin Nido!

Chevalier" is the name for a baron in the Kingdom of Franz. In the Kingdom of Egelea, they call me Knight, and in the Kingdom of Shoro, Ritter.

I am Catherine de Lafayette, wife of the former duke. Now I am just a widow. So I hope you people from abroad will treat me normally."

But that is not the way it works in aristocratic society.

It is considered a virtue for the superior to show generosity to the inferior. And those who are below them are not to take advantage of it, but to show courtesy.

Since Elsa had told him in advance, Jin was able to respond in a reasonable manner.

"Thank you for inviting me today. It is ...... an honor to have this opportunity to meet you.

Jin bowed his head, saying the words that Elsa had taught him. Catherine smiled at him.

"Oh, I'm the one who should be thanking you. You not only stopped the runaway carriage but also healed it. ...... But now is not the time for such questions and answers, let's start the supper."

Catherine clapped her hands and the waiting maid of honor stepped forward and poured wine into a crystal glass.

"Well then, I thank you for meeting me. Cheers!"

Catherine led the group in raising their glasses.

"Cheers!"

The wine was slightly sweet and pleasant. It was a good choice as an aperitif.

"Come on, eat a lot!"

Steak, rich chilled stew, and other dishes made with fish, a rare delicacy in the Franz Kingdom, which has no sea.

All of the dishes were seasoned with a fine taste, and everyone ate to their heart's content.