Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 53: Moving Out
It had been nine months since Mother had been granted her official rank, and now, as the last chill of winter faded, March was drawing to a close.
Ordinarily, this would be the busiest time of year for us — the season of sowing seeds and tending to the earth in anticipation of spring’s first harvest. But not this year. Instead, we were on the road, riding eastward in a horse-drawn carriage surrounded by a small escort of armed adventurers. The rhythmic clatter of hooves and the creaking of wooden wheels filled the air as the familiar landscape of our home receded behind us.
We were moving — not for leisure, not for trade, but because we were leaving our home behind.
Mother had received her title after the incident with Viscount Kaupels. Having been granted the rank of official noble by the Marquis of Vanni, she was now recognized as the lady of the newly established Felde Official House.
Although the title itself was a modest one, it still came directly from the Marquis — and that meant obligation. Those who received favor from their liege were expected to serve them in return.
That, however, was not the primary reason for our relocation. The real issue was that if Mother, now a titled noble, were to continue living in the village, her social standing would automatically surpass that of the village chief, who was responsible for managing local affairs. Such an imbalance could easily disrupt the village’s governance.
Moreover, since we had long been on good terms with Baron Merlot — whose lands we had lived under — remaining there might lead to unintended interference in his domain’s administration.
And so, for reasons both political and practical, we decided to move to the Vanni frontier domain — the Marquis’s lands — to begin anew.
The carriage we rode in was one we had purchased in Kaupstat. On our way back, we hadn’t been in any particular hurry, so Mother decided to buy only the covered wagon’s body, reasoning that we would certainly have use for it again. The horses pulling it now were the very same ones we had ridden to Kaupstat.
As I gazed through the small window at the fading road behind us, a soft voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Do you think things with the Viscount turned out all right?”
It was Rugena, sitting beside me, her usual curiosity tinged with concern.
I shrugged slightly. “I think so.”
“I thought you and Tine-sama would press him harder,” she murmured, tilting her head.
Mother, who had been quietly listening, smiled faintly. “There’s no need for that. I didn’t want revenge or retribution. I simply wanted to close that chapter of my life — to ensure there would be no lingering regrets.”
Her calm voice carried both strength and sorrow. I remembered clearly how she had addressed the Viscount one last time — ‘Viscount Kaupels.’ The way she said it made it clear that she was no longer his daughter, but an independent woman declaring the end of their bond.
Even when treated coldly by the Viscount, or insulted by Ditnell, she had never retaliated. They had been her family for most of her life — people she had once shared her home, meals, and memories with. Severing those ties couldn’t have been easy.
When we left the manor for the last time, I saw her pause and bow deeply toward the main house. At one of the upper windows stood her mother — Heralda Kaupels — watching in silence. That single gesture, quiet yet resolute, said everything.
I knew then that Mother sought no vengeance. Only peace.
“And you, Arthur-sama?” Rugena asked softly, turning her gaze toward me.
I hesitated for a moment before answering. Perhaps it was a cold thing to admit, but to me, the people of House Kaupels had never truly been family.
Yes, I shared their blood, but to me, family isn’t defined by birth — it’s defined by mutual support. People who stand by each other, even from afar, are family. But those who live under the same roof and offer only neglect or selfishness are strangers in all but name.
So, no, I had never thought of them as family.
And though they were not kind to us, neither had they been outright cruel. There had been no beatings, no torment — only distance and indifference. For that reason, I felt neither affection nor hatred. Just… nothing.
“I have no interest in them,” I said finally. “So I don’t intend to do anything about them, one way or the other.”
The Viscount had once asked me, “Are you not interested in this technique?”
When he refused Mother’s proposal of marriage in an attempt to keep her bound to his household, I understood his motive — he thought that by keeping her, he could also keep me, and make me assist with his research.
If I hadn’t prepared a backup plan, he might have succeeded.
When that failed, he approached me directly. But I had no desire to be involved in experiments involving dangerous reagents and volatile compounds. It was reckless — and I doubted it would succeed. So I refused, clearly and firmly.
Still, I could give him this much credit: he didn’t try to force me using his authority. Greedy though he was, he had at least some measure of restraint.
Then again, perhaps it was only because he knew that trying to throw his weight around in front of Vessel-san would have ended very badly for him.
“In any case,” I continued, “if their finances are already tight, I doubt they can continue the research for long.”
Even a brief look at the setup told me the scale of the facilities required — furnaces, vats, refining equipment — it would all demand enormous expense. Add the cost of solvents and neutralizing agents, and the total would be staggering.
I wasn’t sure how much funding the Sanders Trading Company was providing, but in my opinion, it would be wiser for the Viscount to withdraw before the debts piled too high.
“Do you think the Kaupels family will collapse?” Rugena asked, her eyes wide.
Mother shook her head with a faint smile. “No. As long as they continue managing their lands properly, they’ll survive.”
And she was right. A landed noble seldom went bankrupt easily. Their revenues from taxation — both the national and local levies — provided a steady income. Even a minor viscount could earn more than some high-ranking officials.
So once their debts were paid, recovery would come swiftly enough.
“…Still,” Rugena murmured, “it feels… unsatisfying.”
“Enough about them,” I said gently. “Let’s think about what lies ahead.”
“Our future?”
“Yes. We’re about to begin a new life in a new land. It’s far better to focus on that than waste time on people who no longer matter.”
Her expression brightened instantly. “You’re right! There are still so many unfinished projects!”
The matter of the glass and lenses had already been entrusted to the Merlot barony — all I needed to do was check in from time to time and offer advice if necessary.
The spider silk project, however, was still far from complete. I planned to resume it once we settled in our new home.
As for the bicycle design… I was hesitant. If they became too common too quickly, the number of accidents could skyrocket. That, frankly, worried me.
“The new house — Vessel-sama prepared it for us, didn’t he?” Rugena asked.
“Yes,” Mother replied. “I left it to him. He said he had something in mind.”
When Mother informed Vessel-san of her plan to move to the Vanni frontier, he immediately offered to arrange a residence for us. Since she now held a title, it would have been inappropriate for her to live in a modest dwelling like before. She had given him a maximum rent budget and asked only that the bedrooms be furnished.
Moving to another town in this world was far from simple. Transporting large furniture often cost more than simply purchasing new ones, so it was customary to sell or leave most items behind and buy replacements upon arrival.
It was the same with houses — people usually searched for a place to live after they reached their destination. So, having a home already secured was a great relief.
“I can’t wait to see what it looks like,” Rugena said, her eyes sparkling.
“Me too,” I replied. “And they say the town itself is quite large. I’m looking forward to that as well.”
Vessel-san had told us that our new home, Ravenstadt, was the secondary capital of the Vanni frontier — the largest town in the entire domain.
The main capital, Vanicatir, was a fortress city that served as the nation’s bulwark against the southern kingdom of Volters. It prioritized strength and defense over size, with the Marquis’s army stationed there permanently.
Ravenstadt, he explained, had been built to support that fortress capital — a thriving trade city that handled much of the frontier’s commerce and supply.
It would take about a month to reach it from Melestat by carriage, and according to our schedule, we were only a few days away now.
“I wonder,” I murmured, my heart light with anticipation, “what kind of place Ravenstadt really is — the secondary capital of the Vanni frontier…”
As the wheels continued to turn and the eastern wind carried the scent of distant spring, I kept my eyes fixed on the endless road ahead — a road that led to a new beginning.