EEBT CHAPTER 9 : All the Singles Gather

In a secluded corner of the imperial palace, a clearing where no one paid much attention.

 

Normally, the soldiers who had finished their night shift would exchange duties with the day shift and start their day with breakfast, but today was different.

 

The tent where they had sheltered from the wind and rain was dismantled and loaded onto a carriage, and the heavy weapons were neatly arranged with their muzzles and triggers sealed.

 

Alex folded the tent fabric with the other soldiers and asked a comrade working across from him.

 

“Raimi.”

 

“Corporal Raimi.”

 

“What are you going to do when you get home?”

 

“Well, I’ll catch up with my family. I haven’t seen them since last winter. What about you, Sergeant?”

 

“Me? I don’t have a home to go back to, so I’ll just rest around here.”

 

Even though they hadn’t eaten breakfast and were working through lunch, no one complained.

 

For now, they were just happy to escape the monotony of their duties and return to their families. Some would only have a day or two before heading back on the long journey, but even so, reunions were sweet.

 

Knowing this, Alex climbed onto an empty wooden crate, gathered the soldiers, and gave a brief reminder.

 

“Alright, everyone. You all know you need to be back in nine days, right? Including the weekend.”

 

“Yes, sir!!”

 

“Good. If you think you’ll be late, contact us first. Make sure to rest well! Dismissed!”

 

“Dismissed!”

 

After Alex’s short reminder, the soldiers changed into their A-grade uniforms, packed their belongings, and began heading out in small groups through the palace’s back gate.

 

While some were returning to the arms of their families or lovers, others weren’t so fortunate.

 

Alex and the singles unfolded a map and started making plans.

 

“Alright, let’s find a good inn and rest up. It’s been a while since we slept under a roof.”

 

“I heard there’s a nice hot spring near the capital. Should we go there?”

 

At Swafford’s suggestion, Alex nodded with a gleam in his eye.

 

“Why not? It’ll only take three or four hours by carriage.”

 

“Let’s do it. It’s been a while since we relaxed.”

 

“Oh, let’s bring Sergeant Lake too. They say rest is the best medicine when you’re injured. We’ll make sure he gets some proper care.”

 

“Sure.”

 

And so, these poor souls, too busy to find love, set their sights on Bath, a nearby hot spring town, craving a break.

 

The group consisted of one officer, two non-commissioned officers, six soldiers, and one civilian—ten singles in total.

 

Thus began the march of the singles.

 

* * *

 

Clatter, clatter.

 

“Is the place we’re going to called Bath?”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

In the large, luxurious carriage of the ducal family, there were only two passengers.

 

Adeline looked out the window. The bustling, crowded scenery of the capital was gone, replaced by endless fields of wheat and orchards.

 

“Can you tell me more about Bath?”

 

“Ah, yes. Bath is…”

 

At Adeline’s question, **Naya** began to explain.

 

Long ago, there was an ancient empire that achieved great civilization. This empire built infrastructure like aqueducts and bathhouses throughout its provinces.

 

As expected of a fictional world, it was reminiscent of Rome.

 

When the ancient empire fell, the remnants of its civilization remained in lands where its influence had vanished, falling into the hands of other barbarians.

 

Most aqueducts and bathhouses were dismantled by barbarians and used to build houses, but the Glonas Empire, the setting of this novel, gradually expanded its influence by partnering with the empire’s citizens living in the capital and its outskirts, making good use of the ancient empire’s legacy and road network to grow rapidly.

 

Now, it had grown into a hegemonic power, succeeding the ancient empire.

 

So, is this country like France or England? Well, it’s a fictional world, so I guess it doesn’t matter. 

 

**Bath.** Come to think of it, I’ve heard that name before.

 

“…And so, Bath is the only region outside the southern continent, the ancient empire’s homeland, where the bathhouses and aqueducts from that time still remain.”

 

“Ah, thank you. That was a great explanation.”

 

Once again, I felt glad I had hired Naya.

 

The servants before I possessed Adeline’s body would have surely found this behavior strange. But Naya was someone I had newly hired, so it didn’t matter.

 

That meant I could ask questions freely without any major issues!

 

“Is that Bath over there?”

 

“Yes, that’s correct.”

 

In the distance, a city came into view. It was small but vibrant and splendid.

 

“A hot spring…”

 

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since I’d been to a hot spring in real life.

 

She smiled, filled with anticipation.

 

“Well, it’s technically to prepare for the banquet at the imperial palace, but I’m still looking forward to it.”

 

Adeline recalled the moment she handed the Duke the ledger of her allowance.

 

When she presented the ledger, the Duke had simply told her to go to Bath for a rest.

 

At that time, the Duke had a rather complicated expression.

 

It was hard to pin down exactly what it meant.

 

At first glance, I thought, “Ah, like father, like son,” but considering the twist with Alex’s identity, I had a feeling there might be some kind of revelation about Duke Lopitz as well.

 

“We’ve arrived. This is the villa in Bath.”

 

The coachman stopped the carriage and spoke to the two through the window connecting to the driver’s seat.

 

At that moment, Adeline saw it.

 

Under the coachman’s wide-brimmed straw hat, she caught a glimpse of Syed’s face.

 

Seeing his face in such an unexpected situation left her mind reeling with confusion.

 

Why was Syed working as a coachman for the ducal family?

 

What should I do?

 

“Aren’t you getting off?”

 

Naya, who had already stepped out of the carriage, asked Adeline. Adeline nodded calmly, as if nothing was wrong, and got out of the carriage.

 

Trying to calm her trembling heart, she glanced back at the servants and luggage carriages, pretending to survey them while stealing another look at the coachman. Yes. That’s definitely Syed. It’s him!

 

Then, Syed looked at Adeline. When their eyes met, he gave a faint, fleeting smile.

 

At that moment, scenes from the novel of the things Syed had done flashed through her mind like a montage.

 

He… he was a complete lunatic. He would do anything for the female lead.

 

The courage she had when she decided to meet him directly had vanished, and cold sweat began to trickle down Adeline’s forehead.

 

Just then, Naya’s voice snapped her out of it.

 

“Ah, Captain Manningham!”

 

Naya waved and called out to someone across the street, and they waved back.

 

Alex, along with Swafford, was holding a map and waving. It was a bit hard to spot him at first since he was in civilian clothes, but Alex’s appearance was undeNayably striking.

 

Dressed in a suit similar to the gentlemen passing by, he effortlessly drew people’s attention.

 

Some women even blushed secretly as they glanced at him. Swafford, standing next to him, was also quite handsome, but next to Alex, he seemed ordinary.

 

However, Naya paid no attention to that and was chatting with him after exchanging greetings.

 

Adeline casually asked Naya, pretending not to care. Maybe… there was a way.

 

“Do you know him?”

 

“Yes, he’s Captain Alex Manningham of the army. He was my older brother’s superior. He’s helped me in many ways.”

 

“Hmm…”

 

For now, figuring out how Syed had ended up as a coachman wasn’t something I could solve immediately.

 

But… being alone in a space with Syed, whose motives were unclear before the novel’s events, was practically suicidal. At least, that’s what I thought.

Then…

 

“Let’s unpack the luggage at the villa first. I’ll take a short walk around the area. Naya, bring the luggage and follow me.”

 

“Ah, understood.”

 

After giving the servants a quick instruction, she crossed the street with Naya.

 

Seeing Adeline approach, Alex folded the map and gave her a wary look. As the distance between them closed, Adeline noticed the bandage wrapped around Alex’s wrist.

 

Had his injury not fully healed yet?

 

Perhaps that injury on his wrist… was it from Syed?

 

“Hello, Captain Manningham.”

 

“Good day, Lady Adeline.”

 

His guarded expression softened slightly when he saw Naya following behind her, carrying an umbrella and other items.

 

That’s better. He looks even more handsome when he relaxes a little.

 

“It’s been a while, Naya.”

 

“How have you been?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I heard you got a job? Congratulations.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

He still has a gentle expression when talking to Naya.

 

Adeline observed his expression for a moment before getting to the point.

 

“There’s something I’d like to discuss regarding our last meeting. Would you mind escorting me for a bit?”

 

At that, Alex’s face froze for a moment… but then relaxed, likely because of Naya’s presence.

 

“Understood.”

 

It was obvious that his decision was influenced by Naya, not her, but Adeline didn’t show any reaction.

 

After all, being with him was better than being with Syed.

 

* * *

 

They walked through the streets of Bath for a while, but Alex remained tight-lipped.

 

He walked half a step behind Adeline, keeping a careful distance. When she turned right, he turned right. When she turned left, he turned left.

 

People passing by glanced at them. To be precise,

 

“Shall we go in for some tea?”

 

“…As you wish.”

 

Despite being dragged around on his day off, clearly annoyed, Alex still drew everyone’s attention.

 

“Then.”

 

To escape the prying eyes, they entered the nearest teahouse.

 

“Welcome.”

 

“Three people. Do you have a quiet space where we can talk?”

 

Even though Adeline, who looked quite young, spoke informally, the elderly teahouse owner nodded familiarly and led them to the second floor.

 

The three were shown to a room by the window on the second floor and stepped inside.

 

“What can I prepare for you? Our teahouse serves green tea from the Rainbow, which won second place in the last tea race.”

 

“Then we’ll have that…”

 

“Wait.”

 

As Adeline was about to order as the owner suggested, Alex raised his hand to stop her.

 

“The Rainbow didn’t even rank in this year’s tea race, did it?”

 

At Alex’s words, the owner began to sweat.

 

“But the quality is still…”

 

“15th place. It took about 120 days, right? A pitiful result.”

 

After saying that, he sent the owner away with a curt, “We’ll have Assam.”

 

“…You seem quite interested in tea races?”

“Ship technology is something the military keeps a close eye on. It’s an area where a lot of funds are invested. Don’t noble families also value it highly? Especially if they’ve invested directly.”

 

As Alex said this and looked at Adeline, she finally remembered that the Lopitz ducal family was involved in various businesses, including tea races.

 

“That’s… right.”

 

“I thought so. The profits from winning a tea race probably don’t make up a significant portion of your assets. Given the scale of your family’s wealth.”

 

Wait, was the winning ship from our family?

 

This made the conversation awkward. Here she was, the daughter of the family, knowing less about their business than a soldier in front of her.

 

Her face flushed, Adeline coughed lightly and looked at him.

 

When the ordered tea and snacks arrived, Alex picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup. After savoring the aroma for a moment, he dropped a sugar cube into his teacup.

 

He looks like the type who wouldn’t even use half a sugar cube, but he still adds sugar. Adeline thought this as she took the teapot and placed it next to her cup.

 

“You don’t add milk, do you?”

 

Adeline poured milk halfway into her cup, filled the rest with tea, and added two sugar cubes before asking. Alex sipped his tea and looked at her as he answered.

 

“It’s a habit.”

 

His decisive tone made Adeline feel a sense of distance.

 

After sipping her milk tea for a moment, she asked Alex,

 

“Have you decided where to stay in Bath?”

 

“We’ll figure it out. It’s not like there’s nowhere to rest.”

 

Adeline quickly realized from his words that they hadn’t yet found a place to stay in Bath.

 

Then, an idea popped into her head.

 

A way to feel safe even with Syed around.

 

“Then, would you and your group like to stay at our family’s villa? There are plenty of rooms.”

 

“……”

 

“Bath is quite crowded right now. Many young ladies are here to rest and prepare their appearances before the grand banquet at the imperial palace.”

 

At this, Alex’s mind was filled with conflict.

 

Was it wise to accept Adeline’s invitation?

 

Knowing exactly what he was worried about, she added,

 

“Don’t worry. I won’t ask for anything in return. This invitation has nothing to do with what we discussed last time.”

 

When Adeline went that far, Alex thought of his men, who were still wandering around looking for a place to stay.

 

Alright.

 

If anything goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility.

 

“…Alright. Thank you for the invitation.”

 

“Thank you for accepting. I’ll make the necessary preparations.”

 

Yes. With Alex around, Syed won’t dare act recklessly.