Frontier Magic Pharmacist

Chapter 67: Tragic News

We arrived at the big wall. The town on the way to this point was also quite busy. The streets were well paved, and many people were dressed neatly. Of course, from a distance, I could see places that looked like slums. It seems to me that they are intentionally set up there and were keeping a watchful eye on that place. It was like “the darkness of the Royal City.”

It seemed that we had to go through a procedure in order to get to the other side of the wall. There were already many people in line. The current time is about three o’clock, snack time. At this rate, we might not be able to get in before dark.

“Lionel, do you think this is safe?　Shouldn’t we stay at an inn outside the walls today and come back tomorrow morning?”

“That won’t be necessary, sir. That place where many people are lined up is the entrance for the common people. On the other side, there is an entrance for nobles only.”

“I see. It’s a tough world.”

It seems that there is a clear distinction between the two. It is not discrimination. Of course, we headed for the entrance reserved for nobles.

This entrance was better than the one we had just entered.

“There are many carriages lined up.”

“Yes, that’s right. It looks like everyone is going inside.”

Rosalia leaned out of the window of the carriage to observe the outside. While supporting her body so that she would not fall off, we observed the outside together. As Rosalia said, there were carriages everywhere. It was as if there were carriages instead of people.

“It’s strange. It’s not even the beginning of the social season, but I’ve never seen so many carriages lined up.”

Lionel nodded his head. Apparently, there are usually even fewer.

“Is there something that aristocrats would gather together?”

I have a bad feeling about this. I hope my fears were unfounded.

It wasn’t long before our turn came. Lionel was representing us. I went next to Lionel and asked him to show me the procedure for the future reference.

It seems that a certificate signed by a nobleman is required. I showed it to the soldier, and if he confirmed it, he would let me through. The procedure seemed to have been completed without incident, and the soldier saluted me.

I got into the carriage, and it started moving immediately.

After passing through a dimly lit stone tunnel, I saw a large cobblestone street. Rosalia was cheering at the beautifully arranged sight.

I had thought that the Margrave Heine territory was no less beautiful than the royal city, but this sight made me think that it was still not enough.

“Julius-sama, it will be a while before we reach the residence.”

“I understand. Just keep going, don’t pull people away, and don’t be in a hurry.”

The streets of the royal city seem to be either set for people and carriages to pass through. It may be easier to understand if we say that the streets are divided into sidewalks and lanes. People are passing on the sidewalks and sometimes overhang the roadways.

The bad traffic manners are the same everywhere. The royal city is especially crowded. If you don’t drive your carriage with care, you might actually pull someone over.

Are there many commoners’ houses around here? Small, cozy houses stand side by side.

Further in, it seems to be a commercial area. The number of people has increased even more than before. The speed of the carriages slowed down accordingly. The view from the window also showed a succession of goods lined up in front of the stores.

“Brother, I’d like to go to that store over there.”

Rosalia pointed to a store specializing in magical tools. It seems that my cute little sister is steadily on her way to becoming a magic tool master. Girls of this age would be more interested in flowers and stuffed toys.

“Yes. I’ll ask father and mother to take you there sometime.”

Unfortunately, we don’t have time to go now. If everything is settled and we have time, we might be able to go. But sooner than that, we need to get to the townhouse of the Margrave Heine family.

After passing through the commercial district, the surroundings became quieter and quieter. The number of people on the street was much smaller than before, and the number of horse-drawn carriages was increasing. It seemed that we had entered a district where many aristocrats lived.

“Julius-sama, Rosalia-sama, we will be arriving at the mansion shortly.”

Before I knew it, the view from the window had somehow changed to a landscape of magnificent houses. Some had gardens, some did not. Since land in the royal capital is limited, it is probably only a few high-ranking nobles who can have a garden.

The carriage stopped in front of a mansion with a garden.  It seems that this is the townhouse of Margrave Heine family. One of the knights went inside. He must have gone to report our arrival. Meanwhile, we got off the carriage.

“It’s smaller than the townhouse in the capital, but it’s bigger than the other houses in the area.”

“It’s adorable and lovely.”

Rosalia seemed to like it. Lionel and the others led us to the entrance. The carriage that came in headed toward the garden. It seemed that there was a place to put the carriage over there.

We waited for a while in front of the entrance. The door opened and we entered the house. There, we could already see our father, mother, brother Alex and brother Cain. I didn’t expect to see brother Alex, let alone brother Cain. I thought he was supposed to be at school this time of year.

“Well done, I’m surprised you made it here in one piece. Must have been a hard trip in the carriage, huh?”

His father’s voice was listless as he laughed. He was not the only one. Everyone else in the family was also listless.

“Yeah, it was quite difficult, but… Father, how are Grandma and Grandpa doing?”

Father closed his eyes and shook his head from side to side. mother and the others also kept their faces down.

“I’m sorry, but both of them have already passed away. The funerals have already taken place.”

Apparently, not only did we not make it in time, they had already passed away by the time the letter reached us. That’s why it was “as soon as possible,” not “ hurry”. No matter how much we hurried, we wouldn’t make it in time anyway.

Hearing this, Rosalia was crying wanly in mother’s arms.

“So it was. I wish I could have attended the funeral, at least.”

“Then you should attend the funeral being held at the royal castle. Your grandmother was a high-ranking potion master. I heard that people from all over who once were taken care of by her will gather there.”

“I understand. I will do so.”

The reason why there were many carriages of nobles near the entrance to the royal city was because people who were going to attend the funeral of the grandmother had gathered there. That must be how many people Grandma’s magic medicine had saved. I could only mourn her untimely death.