Volume 3 Chapter 67 To Bridge Village
The cake seemed to be a big hit. Grandmother, Aunt Diana, and Elder Sister Beverly all thanked Cain with bright smiles during breakfast.
Seeing their faces, Grandfather gave Cain a thumbs-up and a big wink, which made it hard for him not to laugh.
Since he had given the recipe to the head chef, it looked like cakes would now be served on special occasions at Margrave Shield's house. Cain thought he might ask later if the chef came up with any new recipes.
"Cain, how much longer until the cobblestone work in the capital is done?"
Margrave Shield asked this while sipping tea after breakfast.
"There's about thirty percent left. So maybe two—no, three more weeks."
"Hmm, right on schedule. The bridge work starts after the cobblestones, right?"
"Yes, that's the plan. I'm thinking of going to the site next weekend to check how it's going and what still needs to be done."
"I see. Then how about this—you take a couple of days off in the village near the bridge? It's the season for white trout, you know."
"Thank you. I'm looking forward to trying it."
Cain smiled to himself. He had some free time now. Maybe he could send Mr. Zain and the others ahead. He planned to ask Barvish about their schedule later.
* * *
"It's nice weather today, Sir Cain."
"Yes. Traveling gets tough when it rains."
He was riding in a covered wagon with Ms. Merida beside him. They were heading to the village where the bridge would be rebuilt.
Cain had taken Margrave Shield's suggestion and planned to send Mr. Zain and Ms. Merida to their hometown while staying in Bridge Village. Even though there hadn't been much time to prepare, Mr. Zain had already made all the arrangements, so the group was able to leave smoothly.
Convincing others to come along—like Mr. Doughton and the people from the Maintenance Bureau—had been more difficult. In the end, Cain and the others managed to persuade them that this trip was both an inspection and a small vacation.
Now, Cain, four others, Mr. Zain, and Ms. Merida were traveling together in the same group.
The bridge and the village were only about thirty minutes away by carriage. The plan was to spend two days traveling and two days for the inspection, making it a four-day trip.
Because the village was close to Margrave Shield's territory, the road was wide and in good condition. They sometimes passed merchants and peddlers along the way. Cain, looking out the window, thought it might be a good idea to pave this road on the return trip.
"Sir Cain, Bridge Village is coming into view,."
She gently woke Cain, who had fallen asleep wrapped in a blanket.
"Ah, sorry. I fell asleep."
Rubbing his eyes, Cain thanked Lala and moved up to the driver's seat.
From there, he could see the walls of Bridge Village. Even though it was near Margrave Shield's land, monsters still roamed nearby, so the village had strong walls made from lined-up logs stretching out on both sides.
"It's a pretty big village."
"Yes. It's still called a village, but about four hundred people live here. It's a key place for travel. You could even call it a small town."
Mr. Zain replied as he rode up beside the carriage on horseback.
"Have you been here before, Mr. Zain?"
"Yes. I come a few times a year to sell and repair magic tools."
While they spoke, the carriage reached the village gate. A line of about ten people waited to get in. Cain could have used his noble status to enter first, but he chose to wait so he wouldn't stand out.
When it was their turn, Gardy showed the pass he had received from Margrave Shield. The gatekeepers noticed Cain was a noble and looked surprised. They tried to guide him through the gate right away, but Cain told the head guard he didn't want to cause a scene. The man gave a quick "Understood," and let them through without trouble.
They headed for a fancy-looking inn in the village center and got out of the carriage. Thanks to Uncle Will's arrangements, they secured a room without any problems.
Mr. Zain and the others were staying at another inn. They planned to meet up for dinner later, so they parted ways for now.
The village was lively, most likely because it served as a travel hub. There were stalls along the road to the inn, and Cain thought it might be nice to take a look later to see what the vendors were selling.
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