Chapter 9 (2/2)
Even though they were part of the citizens, the first cla.s.s citizens had the privilege of getting a great sum of the paid tax. At least in the overall numbers, the privileges they had were close to the ones n.o.bility had. Of course, there was still a great gap between them and n.o.bility, but…
“You know, my father said that he wanted to meet you after I told him about you.”
Karl talked nonstop, spewing words like a machine gun. Willian continued to be silent.
“”I´ve never been that far into this section of the district. With how rich the people that live here seem to be, it should be possible for them to hire common slaves and servants, and even buy the whole slave company.””
The feeling of grandeur the buildings gave off started to increase. Being comparatively as much prosper as the place, the people that lived there could only be appropriately prosperous too.
“”Wait a second. This guy… Does this mean he is absurdly f.u.c.king rich!?””
Willian looked at Karl´s eyes. Karl gave a puzzled look to Willian.
“It seems you are very rich.”
“Yes, but the other houses around mine are even more awesome. My house isn´t that much of a thing.”
“”Did they force their way into living in here? But they should still be very rich just on how they are able to do that. This guy…. It seems that he will have some utility.“”(TL note: Force their way in the meaning of the family not having as much money as it would supposedly be necessary to live at the place there, but because they really wanted to, they used up their money more than they should just for that sake. I couldn´t think of a better way to phrase up this line since I couldn´t find any other words to describe that)
Willian´s thoughts were dripping in malicy. Willian started to imagine the many ways he could use Karl, who was far-off much more rich than he expected.
“Are we arriving there soon?”
“Just a bit more.”
Willian made a puzzled face. Ahead of here, although it was still at the residential district, only the truly prominent rich people lived there. The place was already heavens itself…
“It is right through that gate. Please, wait for a bit, ok?”
“Thr-through that gate!? He-hey, wait a second!”
After getting all the way to the said gate, Willian´s face became grim. He had a great amount of sweat on his back. His breathing started to get rough. His heart started to beat like an alarm.
“What is the matter, Willian?”
Karl was making a innocent face. That was what it was the most scary right now.
“At the other side of that gate.. It was definitely supposed to be the place the n.o.bility lives at.”
“Ah, you know really well. It is really incredible for someone that came from outside!”
Karl happily said. However, something like this didn´t matter at all to Willian. The important thing now wasn´t that. The most important thing now was…
“Are you… a n.o.ble?”
“Yes. Well, I am a fifth cla.s.s n.o.ble; it is the ranking of a baron, so it is not that much of a thing. I also still wouldn´t really be considered a notable figure.”(TL note:The word used here is 爵位, which means kind of like having a notable position or so, like the position of a general, count or something like that. Because it is a bit overgeneralized there, I was a bit lost when translating this line, so I put this note just in case ^^)
Karl declared the shocking reality as if there was nothing special in doing so.
The instant Willian heard that, he became pale and immediately fell to the ground. His head hit the floor with full force and he completely fell prostrate.
“Eh, Willian, what happened!?”
Karl became surprised seeing that. This was what Willian would commonly refer as a “Dogeza”. His trembling back didn´t give any impression of firmness. (TL note: 0.0 This really shocked me when I read this line. It shows how much of a trauma Al has ;-; I kind of started to feel like s.h.i.+t in the dumps during the whole story after what happened there for some reason .-. By the way, for those that don´t know, Dogeza = kinda similar to OTL. If you still don´t get it, then just google it xD)
“Nonetheless the fact I was unaware, I am extremely sorry for all the acts of rudeness I have committed!”
Noises of chattering started to appear at the surroundings. To Willian, the n.o.ble district was a place that could mean life and death. If he acted wrong, or if he misspoke something, he would immediately be executed.
“What´s the matter Willian! Aren´t we friends? You are my benefactor who saved my life! There is no need for you to lower your head!”
Karl said as Willian faced his words with his lowered posture.
“No, it is a fact that a third cla.s.s civilian like me has overspoken too much to the son of a n.o.ble! I will do anything possible to compensate, and I will also accept any light punishment! Therefore, please, somehow spare my life at least!”
There was no way Willian would accept dying in a place like this. There was no reason at all to believe in Karl´s words. The moment Karl, who Willian used to think as a worthless individual, was to want his life in a whim, his life would be brought down. Just like his sister had….
“Like I said before, you are my benefactor, so…”
“I was thinking of leaving you to die at that time!”
Yes, if Willian didn´t commit any mistakes, he could instead use this opportunity. However, Willian had committed a single mistake. It was a mistake he would definitely not have done if he knew Karl was a n.o.ble. His mistake was that he had been about to leave Karl to die. And then, Karl, who had seen it with his eyes, should be aware of that.
“It was in the middle of the battle, so it can´t be helped. Besides, didn´t you help me in the end? You helped me without knowing that I was a n.o.ble…. This made me really really happy. That´s why please, raise your face. Please, be your frigid self like before.”
Willian was afraid of raising his face. If he was to raise it, and then, if there was a smile of contempt in Karl´s face, he would die. He would die because of something he had just heard about…(TL note: Not sure about this line ->道半ば、いきなり降って湧いた事故のような出会いによって――<>
“”Like I am going to die. As if I am dying in a place like this!””
Willian raised his face. What he saw was Karl´s smile of relief. But even so, Willian´s anxiety didn´t go away. He [himself] knew of people that could smile despite planning on killing you. He [himself] knew it to the point of hating it. There was n.o.body that could really say Karl really wasn´t someone of that sort.
“Now, stand up.”
Willian slowly held the hand Karl extended to him. He didn´t lower his guard. He was vigilant. But even so, he had no choices other than taking that hand.
“Ahaha. In the end, even you are troubled about me being a n.o.ble.”
“Indeed. There is the possibility I could get killed by displeasing you, sir.”
“Ah, there is no way I would ever kill Willian! Besides, n.o.bility can´t so easily have people killed.”
“”As if. Even though nee-san got killed like she was some piece of trash.””
Willian was anxious, but he didn´t do the foolish thing of letting it show in his face.
“Now, polite speech is prohibited from now on!”
“That is… impossible.”
No matter how much Karl was to reproach Willian, there is no way he would be able to change that. There were other eyes watching them from the surroundings. There was no way for him to know whether there would be other n.o.bles that would look at his lack of manners towards a fellow n.o.ble and find a fault in it.
“Mu, well, let´s fix it up step by step then. For now, let´s get to my home first.”
Willian and Karl once again started walking. Willian was walking a bit behind him.
“Understood, Karl-sama.”
“Using -sama is not allowed!”
“However, adding honorifics to Karl-sama´s name is only appropriate.”
“In either case, it is prohibited for now!”
Willian showed a troubled face. He was scared of Karl´s angry face, but from hereon, there would a unknown number of n.o.bles he would have to face. To the puny Willian, he wouldn´t make it through if he was too cautious.
The two of them stood in front of the gates.
“It is Karl Von Tirah.”
“You should be Lord Teirah´s son, correct? Please, make your way.”
The guard threw a glance at Willian.
“It is my friend.”
Karl immediately declared. If one had to say, a lowly person such as the gatekeeper didn´t have the rights to have a saying on who was and wasn´t supposed to go through in that case. That was what it meaned to be a n.o.ble. It was being privileged from the time you are born; if a n.o.ble wanted black to be white, the black would become white.
“Please, make your way.”
The gatekeeper didn´t stop being suspicious of Willian. There was no way he would.
Willian was feeling out of the place. He was being overwhelmed by the place; he was being overwhelmed just by the buildings there.
“This way. It is a bit embarra.s.sing that my house doesn´t really amount to much, but treat it as your own home.”
Willian´s senses were paralysed. If he had seen this house before all the houses he had seen until now since he had gone through that gate, he would probably be overwhelmed by it. However, after going through the gates, he was able to touch a bit of the air of this [world]. And because of that, the house felt a bit lacking.
““No, I am stupid. It is obvious. The owner of this house is a baron. It is the lowest cla.s.s among the fifth ranked n.o.bility.””
To begin with, the people that lived here were of a different level. Here was the perfect world. It was too much of a lack of sense to be comparing this place to the lower world. Willian could understand a bit of Karl´s feelings of embarra.s.sment. In this world, that house was indeed lacking.
But Willian wouldn´t forget…
““I… wasn´t supposed to even have the qualifications to be standing in a place like this.””
The whole world denied Willian´s existence; it denied Al, who used to be a slave.
“”However, I will definitely eat up all of you.””
Saying this was still a bluff at the moment. His strength, knowledge, experience; everything of his was insufficient.
But even so, Al advanced forward. He could only do that, and that was the only type of life he would live; he didn´t wish for anything other than that anymore.
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