De-Bugging Another World

VOL.4 Chapter 17, A village in need.

It was upon the dusk of their eight day since leaving the clearing where Kanrish had rooted them all that they finally came upon a small village, rather than yet another clearing a rough day's travel away from the previous.

"Halt. Papers please." A stern looking guardswoman addressed Emiko as she sat in the coachman seat at the front of their carriage.

"Dad, I need our papers!" She called into the carriage and Kanrish stepped forward to hand them to the girl.

"Huh?" The woman who had halted them muttered at the sight of Kanrish being a high elf, rather than a dark elf like the person she had halted.

Upon receiving their papers from Emiko, she drastically changed her attitude. Those papers stated they were a family of Dukedom and had close ties to the Alpenwood family, after all. Meaning they had a direct line to the Queen of the Cardinal they were still in.

"Please enter, Duke Swifteye. I shall inform the elder of your arrival." She spoke as another guard took her post for her as she ran off.

The scale mail armor clanked loudly as she ran, drawing the attention of many villagers.

All in all, the village was probably only about two hundred people in size, the only redeeming thing that might be considered hospitable they had, was a small inn and a bath house near the Elder's house.

While they were guided to the Elder, another guard walked next to the carriage, seemingly rather uncomfortable with the sudden arrival of an entire Dukedom family in their small village.

Several buildings were in severe condition, uninhabitable even.

"I humbly welcome you to my home, Duke Swifteye. Please be at home during your stay." The elder, a young woman in her early twenties addressed Kanrish.

"Please rise. May I know your name?" He asked her and she rose in a rapid, jerking motion, almost like she hadn't expected the request.

"M-my name?" She stammered a little and Kanrish smiled a pleasant smile at the woman, Lyya and the twins standing beside him.

"I always prefer to know my host's name; it makes communication easier." He replied and she nodded.

"I-I'm Kazumi Murata, Elder of Thornshade. It is my honor to have you and your family here, Duke Swifteye." The young Elder spoke, still slightly trembling on her knees.

"May I ask why you are so nervous? Please, be at ease, we have only recently become nobles." Lyya spoke as she approached the weary woman.

"Please, there is no need to worry. We became a Dukedom after my husband slew Algusdorth. Maybe we can help around the village a little, a few buildings on the way here seemed a little rundown." She offered and the fox kin woman looked at her perplexed.

"I-I c-could ne-v-v-ver accept s-such generosity from a n-noble... we would be in too great a debt." The Elder, Kazumi stammered and Kanrish calmed her worries with a few simple words.

"I would not feel right to charge a small village a large sum for some aid. I have helped other small villages on my travels as well. The largest payment I accepted was our first carriage, which we, regretfully, had to abandon in an emergency. But if we can help, we would be most pleased if you accepted our aid." Kanrish spoke calmly and the woman nodded, her foxtail finally stopping bristling in fear of what would be demanded for the aid of a noble.

"Please, let us sit down so we can discuss how and where our family might be of aid." Lyya spoke softly and Kazumi nodded as she dropped into the chair she had leapt from upon their entering.