Chapter 478 – Lord of the Port Town

Wisneaire—a port town in the southwestern part of the Kingdom of Verdugal.

It was a relatively large port town among the coastal strongholds within the ducal territory.

It also had a Moon Temple, and merchant traffic with the inland regions was bustling. The roads were well-maintained, making transportation convenient, with ships arriving from the western sea and vessels bound for Termwills also making port calls.

Given its status as an important stronghold, it made sense to dock the Sirius here and add another teleportation point.

“The lord of Wisneaire seems to hold a favorable impression of the Otherworld Ambassador,” the Duke remarked.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It appears his negative impressions of demons have been completely reversed.”

“Ah… meaning regarding the Demon Slayer as well?”

“Indeed. He should be aware.”

…Wisneaire was a place where foreign ships arrived, making it convenient for spreading disinformation. The lord had likely been notified as well.

So his favorable impression stemmed from knowing I was the Demon Slayer. Well, I could learn the details by asking him directly. First, I should properly complete my duties.

“Understood. We can discuss that later. Where would be best to dock?”

“Let me see… The port would be suitable, wouldn’t it? It’s close to the Temple and convenient for setting out to sea.”

“Very well. Then… I’ll take over navigation from Alpha.”

Leaving the escort of the VIPs gathered on the deck to others, I returned to the bridge to switch places with Alpha. When I reached Alpha at the pilot’s seat, it gave a small bark and yielded the spot to me.

“Thank you, Alpha.”

When I expressed my gratitude, Alpha nodded quietly. I sent Caduceus to the deck as we switched places, then took control of the Sirius and slowly approached Wisneaire.

Although airships were new vehicles, King Melvin had issued an official notice that they should be treated similarly to dragon palanquins, another aerial vehicle using the same air routes.

Meaning we followed the same procedure as before: stopping at the watchtower on the landside outer wall to confirm we weren’t a suspicious vessel, then having the city interior signal with flags.

While the process remained unchanged, it had now become official protocol in both Verdugal and Silvatria. Since we’d implemented similar procedures in Baharzad as well, if airships were constructed in southern regions in the future, they’d likely follow the same steps.

“Your Grace, welcome back.”

“Yes. Well done on your duties.”

The Duke standing on the deck offered words of appreciation to the soldiers at the watchtower.

“Those aboard include not just myself and my family, but also Her Highness Stephania, Her Highness Adriana of the Kingdom of Silvatria, and Her Highness Elham of the Kingdom of Baharzad. Grand Duke Debonnis and Sir Theodore, the Otherworld Ambassador. And their fiancées as well. Please ensure you show proper respect.”

“Yes, sir! We’ve been informed by the advance messenger.”

Though the soldier appeared thoroughly intimidated by the gathering of VIPs among VIPs, he saluted in response and moved briskly to signal the city interior with flags.

The signal indicated—besides the Duke’s arrival—that top-class guests were aboard. Meaning the lord needed to come greet them.

When flags waved in response from the large mansion on the high ground within the town, the soldier turned back toward the deck and said:

“Please proceed.”

Following his words, I guided the Sirius into the town. Circling once toward the sea side, I gradually lowered altitude to dock at the port.

Taking care not to create large waves, I carefully landed on the sea surface. Then I navigated to the port, docked, and dropped anchor.

“Well then… that should do it.”

As expected, the white townscape looked beautiful even from the port side.

The lord’s welcome party would likely arrive soon, but before that, I decided to visit the Moon Temple with Claudia.

After quickly completing my business at the Moon Temple and returning, I found the Wisneaire lord’s carriage had arrived at the docks to greet us.

“Welcome, Grand Duke Debonnis. I am Raul Wisneaire, entrusted with governing this port town by the Duke.”

A noble who had descended from the carriage was respectfully greeting the Grand Duke. Count Raul Wisneaire. A noble under the Driscoll ducal house… but he’s quite large.

His muscular build was evident even through his clothes, making his noble attire appear tight. You could tell at a glance that he trained…

“Yes. I’ve heard from the Duke that you’re doing well.”

“Thank you very much. As I’m still young, I have much to learn and can only do my utmost.”

The territories of great nobles were comparatively—or rather, considerably—larger than those of other nobles.

Speaking of Verdugal, due to the nature of its labyrinths, the central governance range was extensive and royal authority strong. But in other kingdoms, there were cases where great nobles’ territories possessed power rivaling the royal family, to the extent they could almost be called separate countries from the central region.

Well, in terms of territory size, Grand Duke Debonnis and Duke Driscoll were similar. That’s why, to ensure smooth governance, they placed subordinate lords granted titles by the ducal houses in important strongholds. The lords of the inland mines were examples of this too.

Since coastal lords didn’t have direct conflicting interests with the grand ducal house, the Duke’s view was that they’d rarely hold particularly negative impressions of Grand Duke Debonnis.

Nightmare Grazheim’s manipulation activities were also limited here. Since the royal family’s, Grand Duke’s, and Duke’s intentions aligning had been widely publicized recently, no lord would likely cause friction with the grand ducal house now.

I’d assigned Caduceus as escort just in case… but I’d heard Count Wisneaire was of sincere, honest character with integrity. Nothing untoward should happen.

“Ah, Sir Theodore. You’ve returned.”

When I approached with everyone, the Duke noticed me and called out from the docks.

“Yes. I’ve completed my business.”

When I nodded and replied, the Count turned around, his eyes widening.

“Oh…”

He approached me, and when he reached before me, he respectfully knelt.

“Pleased to meet you, Otherworld Ambassador. I’ve long heard rumors about you. I am Raul Wisneaire.”

“Pleased to meet you, Count Wisneaire. I’m Theodore Gartner. …Um, could you please raise your head and stand up?”

The Count had been folding his large frame small, but at my words he raised his head. Then he slowly stood up.

A stern face with deep features. Since he was backlit, the shadows deepened, making his expression somewhat hard to read. He was a giant who made me look up. When he stood, I was completely cast in his shadow. I could see his eyebrows forming a troubled V-shape.

I somewhat understood he’d knelt to avoid appearing intimidating… For now, I offered a handshake, and he firmly grasped it with both hands. That I was being strangely favored was probably because he knew I was the Demon Slayer.

“My apologies. I lost my mentor during the King of Deathly Slumber’s attack.”

Perhaps sensing my slightly puzzled expression, the Count spoke quietly.

Ah… So it’s about the King of Deathly Slumber. In that case, it would mean Mother avenged his mentor’s enemy. But considering the Count’s position, that couldn’t be all.

“…And about the current situation too?”

“Forgive my presumption… Due to my position, I’m somewhat aware of matters regarding the Termwills Demon Slayer. I deeply respect the Ambassador who stands at the forefront against demons across two generations, mother and child.”

Saying this, the Count bowed his head apologetically.

“Your mentor, you say. I knew you had strong feelings about demons, but…”

“He was someone who saved both my wife and I when we were attacked by monsters in our youth. To my wife and I, he was our life’s savior, and also a teacher who briefly instructed us in martial arts.”

At the Duke’s words, the Count closed his eyes and nodded. Then opening them, he bowed once before brightening up with a smile.

“I’ve digressed. Welcome to Wisneaire. You are most welcome here.”