Firearms in a Fantasy World

Chapter 10: Impressions of Alden Town

Translator: Cinder Translations

...

Hansel sat in the carriage, feeling gloomy. This state had persisted for two weeks now.

Over half a month ago, he had joyfully received his royal appointment letter. However, upon opening it, he was dumbfounded to find himself assigned as a permanent representative to a place he had never even heard of before—the Earldom of Grayman on the northwest coast. God knows where that forsaken place was.

Later, in the military camp, he coincidentally met an old man he had encountered on his way to seek refuge. The man had finished his affairs and was prepared to return, reminding Hansel that the Grayman Earldom was where the old man was headed. At least he had company on the journey now.

Images of his old classmate Matthew surfaced in Hansel's mind. That guy had such good luck, remaining under the Princess's command. He had even said, "Although our positions differ, we both serve His Majesty the King equally!" Such smug words.

Bah, Princess or not, she could use Matthew for his accounting skills, and that would be putting him to good use. But as soon as Hansel thought of Matthew's smug face, he felt like retching.

The steward Ford, who shared the carriage with him, was quite pleased. Things had gone smoothly; the Grand Princess readily acknowledged Paul Grayman's inheritance of the title. Upon hearing of the old Earl's brave fight against pirates resulting in his demise, she not only expressed condolences but also, considering the pressure from pirate invasions on the territory, granted exemption from sending troops to defend the realm. Finally, she volunteered 50 sets of leather armor and 50 long spears.

On the journey, Hansel learned about the situation in the territory through casual conversation with Steward Ford.

The Grayman family could trace their lineage back to a prominent family during the ancient Bela Empire. After the empire's collapse, their ancestors had established themselves independently. Generations later, the family followed the Aldor Kingdom's founding king in battles across the realm, making significant contributions to the kingdom.

However, during a political struggle over the throne succession, they backed the wrong horse. In those days, the royal control over local lords wasn't as weak as it is now, and those who sided with the losing faction were bound to face retribution.

Although the title of Earl had been preserved through political maneuvering behind the scenes, the formerly prosperous estate was reclaimed by the new king. The entire family was kicked to the barren northwest coast. Since then, successive heads of the family had kept a low profile, gradually fading from the kingdom's political stage.

No wonder Hansel hadn't heard much about them before. He thought to himself, "Ah... my life is so bleak, an obscure rural noble, in an unknown backwater region. All my fervor, all my talent, is it all going to be buried like this?"

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he became. He then began to resent his own background. If only he weren't a bastard, if only his mother had come from a better family... But no, there were no ifs in life.

Some things could never be changed. He needed to focus on completing his current task and striving to return to the presence of His Majesty the King and the Grand Princess. His efforts would be recognized someday. He quickly adjusted his mindset.

Beside him, Steward Ford glanced out of the window excitedly. "Look, Sir Abbott, ahead is Lake Alden, officially known as the Alden Domain. It's named after this lake. We're about to reach Alden Town."

As the trees along the road gradually thinned out, a large lake came into view. The opposite shore was barely visible, and there was a huge island near their side of the water, dotted with many buildings. Apart from the castle standing in the center of the island, it looked like a fairly large town.