Chapter 54: A Restaurant in the Royal Capital

The Bayerlein Ducal Estate in the royal capital was managed by Alexander and his wife, who primarily resided there. As members of the Supreme Council, the Bayerlein family required either the head of the family or a designated proxy to be stationed in the capital. Until now, Alexander had served as the proxy, attending council meetings on behalf of the duke. Starting next year, however, Grandfather planned to take up residence in the capital himself.

Of course, I understood his real motivation—it wasn’t just about fulfilling obligations but also about staying close to me and ensuring my protection.

While the Roxfall family had its own estate in the noble district, that’s where I planned to live.

The Roxfall Estate

Our Roxfall estate, located in the northwestern part of the noble district, was much smaller than the Bayerlein estate. To my surprise, the neighboring estate, originally owned by a baronial family and larger than ours, had been purchased by the temple. They even went so far as to knock down the wall between the properties.

“Welcome, Lord Toma,” greeted Cardinal Daldel, walking over from the adjacent estate. But I couldn’t help but point out the broken wall.

“Hohoho,” she laughed, evading the subject entirely.

“We shall assume responsibility for guarding this estate. Our thanks to the Roxfall knight-baron family for your cooperation,” she said, her gentle smile accompanied by a sharp, intimidating gaze directed at Father.

Grandfather had remarked that the presence of temple knights would serve as a deterrent to unwanted pests, so I chose to look at it positively.

Estate Staff

The estate had been managed until now by butler Ryud Bobson, the son of Johnson, the butler at our Ashud estate, and his wife, maid Lulka.

With my upcoming residency, we hired a coachman named Jack and a maid named Lila, who were also a married couple and would live on-site. Additionally, Ben and Sharmi, my dungeon exploration companions, would also reside here as my personal guards.

Reunion with My Companions

“Lord Toma! I’ve been waiting for you!” Ben exclaimed.
“Greetings, my lord and lady,” Sharmi said politely.

Both Ben and Sharmi, having leveled up significantly during our dungeon explorations, were now close to level 200. Their levels even surpassed those of the temple knights.

Despite this, the temple knights had been training diligently and leveling up independently. As a result, their leader, Suzanna Kolrausch, had reached level 190, with other knights also improving considerably. However, Ben and Sharmi’s superior levels led to a decision that they would serve as my guards going forward.

It’s rare to see anyone above level 200, even in the royal capital. While Grandfather’s soldiers included knights exceeding level 300, I hadn’t encountered anyone in the capital with a level above 150 yet.

Speaking of Suzanna, she had also been reassigned to the capital. I had spotted her earlier, standing behind Cardinal Daldel.

Exploring the Royal Capital

With three days remaining before the entrance exam, we decided to explore the capital. Mother, Siegvalt, Sharmi, and I boarded a box carriage, while Father, unable to ride in a carriage due to noble regulations, rode alongside on horseback. Ben, also on horseback, acted as a guard. He had trained alongside me in horsemanship and looked every bit like a knight.

“First, let’s get some clothes tailored,” Mother suggested.

Visiting a Tailor

The royal capital had several exclusive tailoring shops that catered only to nobles. For upper and middle nobles, tailors would come to their homes, but lower nobles like us had to visit the shops directly. This custom, among others, made the capital’s social structure feel overly rigid.

We visited a tailor frequented by the Bayerlein family. The shop was filled with a wide selection of fabrics, making it hard to choose.

“Madam, this fabric suits you perfectly.”
“I love the color of this one,” Mother mused.

Choosing Mother’s dress took over three hours. I hadn’t realized how exhausting it was to accompany someone while they shopped for clothes.

In contrast, picking out my clothes took less than thirty minutes.

“Aww, Sieg is so adorable,” Mother cooed.

Siegvalt resisted the measurements, but fabric selection went much quicker.

Dining in the Capital

After the exhausting fitting session, we decided to find a restaurant for lunch. Suzanna recommended a high-end establishment called Rilunfolk Zeid.

When we arrived, the staff greeted us politely but informed us, “Apologies, but all seats are reserved.”

It was a renowned luxury restaurant, so their system was understandable.

“I should have anticipated this. My apologies,” Suzanna said.
“This isn’t your fault, Suzanna. It’s just a part of city life,” I reassured her.

We moved on to another restaurant that was more casual and easier to enter. However, before we could be seated, we witnessed a scene:

“Welcome, Viscount Jonas! Please, come in,” the staff said, ushering the viscount and his party inside despite their lack of a reservation.

It became clear that this establishment prioritized clientele based on status rather than fairness.

Fuming, Suzanna prepared to confront the staff, but I stopped her.
“We’ll never return to this place, so there’s no need to waste our time here.”
“Still, I’m sorry for the unpleasant experience!” Suzanna apologized profusely.
“It’s not your fault, Suzanna,” Mother said kindly.

The next restaurant we visited, Damboro, was a more modest establishment that also served commoners. To my surprise, I found it much more enjoyable. The atmosphere was relaxed, and the food was delicious.

We returned home satisfied.