Kays Translations

Volume 2: The Secondary Capital, Ravenstadt

Chapter 54: A New Home

The territory of the Vanni Marquis lay in the southwestern reaches of the Kingdom of Danmels. It was situated two domains south of the Merlot Barony, and it also bordered the southern neighboring kingdom of Volters — one of the frontier lands standing as the first line of defense.

Within this vast domain stood two key cities: Vanicatir, the fortress capital serving as the heart of national defense, and Ravenstadt, the secondary city known as the agricultural and administrative hub of the region.

The division between the two cities was deliberate. The lord’s estate and the headquarters of the regional army were located in Vanicatir, while the administrative offices and the private mansion of the Marquis were established in Ravenstadt.

At first, it had seemed confusing. The Marquis Residence referred to the private home where the noble family lived, while the Lord’s Hall was the official building where the lord conducted public affairs. The Administrative Hall, meanwhile, was a workplace for officials managing the day-to-day governance of the domain.

In most territories, all three of these would be combined and referred to simply as the Lord’s Manor. But in the Vanni Marquisate, they were intentionally separated between Vanicatir and Ravenstadt.

The reason for this, as I came to learn, was simple — and grim. Safety.

After all, it would be reckless to have the lord’s family or the administrative core of the domain stationed in a frontier city so close to a potentially hostile border. When I first heard this, I had thought, “Then why not just make Ravenstadt the capital instead?” But the answer was clear: without the lord personally commanding from Vanicatir, it would be impossible to issue swift orders to the border fortresses or the watchtowers. Moreover, having the Lord’s Hall at the front line symbolized the Marquis’s unwavering dedication to national defense.

It was, in other words, both a strategic necessity and a matter of pride.

As for us — the family — we would be residing in Ravenstadt, the secondary city. Ravenstadt thrived on the abundance of water drawn from Lake Leve to the east, making it a fertile and prosperous agricultural town.

The city stretched in a long shape from north to south, following the curve of the lake. Water from the lake flowed through a network of outer and inner moats that also served as boundaries dividing the districts.

These canals had originally been part of the town’s first defensive moat, or so I was told. When the city expanded northward and southward, the old moat became a natural divider — a quiet reminder of its earlier, smaller days.

Through this expansion, the city came to be organized into three districts. The Central District, the original heart of the city, housed the Administrative Hall, the Marquis Residence, and the estates of nobles and wealthy citizens. The Northern District, added later, became a bustling commercial area filled with trading houses and inns. And the Southern District evolved into the industrious quarter — home to workshops, artisans, and the clamor of production.

Mother told me all this, her tone measured and informative. Yet, knowing she had learned these details while she was once Vessel’s fiancée left me with a strangely bitter feeling I couldn’t quite name.

Still, that aside, the house that Vessel-san had prepared for us was located in the eastern part of the Central District — and it was far grander than I had imagined.

The estate sprawled across an area the size of a school field, enclosed by high brick walls.
Beyond the gate stood the main residence, a mansion large enough to rival a gymnasium. To the right were quarters for the servants, a carriage warehouse, and even a stable complete with a small pasture.

It turned out that this mansion had once been the secondary residence of a merchant guild master — and, surprisingly, it was considered small compared to other estates in the district.

Still, for just four people, it felt almost absurdly large.

When I asked Mother about it, she smiled faintly and explained, “Once one receives a noble title, one must live in a house befitting that title. Otherwise, the one who granted it may be ridiculed as a fool who bestows nobility upon commoners.”

She also said that employing servants and maintaining a large household was part of her duty as a newly appointed noble. It was an aristocratic way of thinking — but when I considered it from the angle of creating jobs and supporting the local economy, it didn’t seem unreasonable at all.

The main residence itself reflected the taste of a wealthy merchant — a comfortable, civilian-style structure with enclosed corridors and practical design. The interior wasn’t ostentatious, but every joint, every panel, spoke of careful craftsmanship and quiet refinement.

The house was divided into four large sections:

On the first floor, the left wing contained offices and meeting rooms — the work area.

The right wing housed the dining hall and bath — the living quarters.

The second floor’s left wing consisted of guest rooms.

The right wing was the family’s private residence.

It was, in a sense, like living in a combined home, workplace, and inn — all under one roof. But there was one feature that made me fall in love with the house at first sight.

The bath.

Normally, even in large mansions, one would expect only a small, private bathtub for a single person. But here, the bathhouse held a large, sunken communal tub, big enough for several people at once — and it even had a magical heating device to keep the water warm.

“Wow… this is amazing!”

After finishing the unpacking from our move, we all headed straight to the bath together.

“Al, remember — wash yourself properly before you get into the water,” Mother called out as I dashed eagerly toward the tub.

“Ye~s,” I replied sheepishly.

“Arthur-sama, I will wash you, yes?” It was Rugena, one of the slave girls.

“Huh? No, it’s fine — I can wash myself!”

“So Arthur-sama does not need me? Then this one, being but a slave, shall bathe alone outside the mansion in the cold, all by herself… oh, how lonely…” She even feigned sobbing.

“Ugh, that’s low…!” I groaned.

Of course, I knew it was just an act. But the truth was, letting slaves bathe together with the family required a proper justification. Yet, to me, they were family. There was no way I’d make them wash outside in the cold. So, the only way to make it acceptable was to treat them as attendants helping their master bathe — as “bathing maids,” though that title carried certain… awkward connotations.

“…Fine,” I muttered with a sigh.

“Fufu, I’ll handle it then,” Rugena said, her eyes gleaming with victory.

She led me to the washing area by the wall. Two low stools without backs sat there, with wooden buckets and a large tub of hot water between them.

“Here comes the water,” she said softly.

Rugena scooped water with a bucket, shielded my eyes gently with one hand, and poured it over my head. The warm stream ran down my hair and back, soothingly pleasant.

Next, she mixed soap into the water, creating a cloudy lather that she worked through my hair, massaging the foam gently into my scalp. The soap, I recalled, was something you could receive from the church by offering a donation — “a blessing of the gods,” as they called it. In truth, it was a thinly veiled sale, but selling it elsewhere would apparently be considered blasphemy.

“Rinsing now,” she murmured, pouring more warm water over me.

After washing my hair, she soaped a towel and scrubbed my body from back to front, leaving no spot untouched. Her touch was methodical but not unpleasant.

“All done,” she announced cheerfully.

“Thanks,” I replied, relieved to be released from her care.

At last, it was time for the long-awaited soak. The tub’s edge rose about ten centimeters, and inside, broad steps descended gradually into the steaming water. I waded down two steps and sat where the water reached my waist.

“Ahh… this feels so good.”

It had been ages since I’d truly immersed myself in a hot bath. Even in town, the public bathhouses only offered washing areas — no soaking tubs like this.

Mother soon joined, stepping gracefully into the water and settling in the deepest part of the tub. Then Rugena and Stefana entered, freshly washed and steaming from the heat.

Even though I’d grown used to it… I still didn’t know where to look.

“…Hey, Mother,” I said, keeping my gaze fixed on an empty corner.

“Yes, dear?”

“What’s that thing over there?”

I pointed toward a glossy black stone platform about thirty centimeters high, away from the washing area.

“That? Oh, that’s a beauty table,” she said.

“Beauty table?”

Apparently, one could fill the shallow oval basin atop it with warm water to relax while receiving scrubs or massages using aromatic oils.

“Wow… for a merchant’s secondary house, this place is luxurious,” I said, impressed.

“Yes,” Mother mused. “Though I can’t say for sure, I suspect this mansion was built for entertaining guests.”

Thinking back, that made sense — the entrance hall had seating arrangements like a hotel lobby, and the guest wing upstairs held three large private rooms and even a suite with a living area and bedroom connected.

“I see,” Stefana nodded thoughtfully. “So that’s why there are so many guest rooms.”

“Even so,” Rugena added dryly, “half the second floor for guests is excessive.”

Mother smiled faintly. “The eastern part of the Central District is a no-trade zone. So if we rule out commercial use, the only explanation is that it was built for welcoming family and favored business partners.”

That matched what I knew — the western side of the Central District had the West Gate and allowed trade, but the eastern side, being purely residential, forbade commercial activity.

“I could visit the Administrative Hall to confirm,” Stefana offered.

“There’s no need,” Mother said, shaking her head. “The house has no defects — it’s perfectly livable.”

“Al, time to get out now.”

“Mm, okay.”

When I climbed out of the bath, my skin was flushed red and my body felt heavy — a sure sign I’d soaked too long. Still, it had been worth it.

“Arthur-sama, I’ll assist you,” Rugena said, steadying me when I swayed a little.

Afterward, I changed into my sleepwear, slipped into bed, and, worn out from the move and the hot bath, drifted into sleep almost immediately.

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