To the Duchess

With the perfume loaded and the cart ready, I waited until noon.

Then I woke Alexia and had her stand by at the cart.

I'd wanted to leave immediately, but our travel speed was entirely different with Alexia versus without her.

In the worst case, I might have to leave Azu and Elza behind.

I returned to the shop and found Orleans already awake, so I told her to wait at the cart.

When I opened the room to check on them, Elza was undressing Azu and wiping her down.

"How's Azu doing?"

"Much better. Youth really does wonders for recovery."

She'd looked quite pale when they arrived, but she'd improved considerably.

"If you're not feeling up to it, I'm prepared to leave you behind this time."

"No. I'm going."

Azu answered without a moment's hesitation.

"All right. Don't push yourself."

"Thank you."

With that, Azu changed into her adventuring gear.

Her face still looked slightly flushed.

"Elza, have you slept at all?"

"A little, yes."

"I see."

We really couldn't afford to wait any longer.

I brought them both to the cart.

The mules, having had a long rest, seemed to have energy to spare.

Reassuring.

I'd handle the reins solo for a while.

I drove the mules, and the cart lurched into motion.

The cargo of soap and perfume added some weight, but the mules seemed to handle it fine.

We passed through the gate and headed straight for Ateil.

Azu's fatigue hadn't fully lifted; she fell asleep shortly after departure, her breathing soft and steady.

I had Orleans drape a blanket over her as we traveled the road Alexia had once hardened with magic.

Just having a maintained road reduced the bumping significantly.

On the first day, we pushed until just before sundown and made camp at a suitable spot.

By that point, Elza and Alexia had woken up, so I had them take watch.

Azu was still sleeping.

On the second day, Alexia's magic and Elza's blessings let us cover a huge distance.

With the blessing on them, the mules kicked down weak monsters and outran slow ones.

Alexia's tailwind seemed to lighten the load, increasing our speed.

At this rate, we'd make it.

By evening, the cart's axle had worn out.

We'd been going too fast, apparently.

New cart or not, I'd heard axles were prone to wear, but still…

We felled a nearby tree and decided to make one ourselves.

Normally a craftsman would measure and adjust everything for precision, but using magic, we managed to produce an axle of surprisingly high quality.

"Not bad at all."

"If it's just shaving wood, it's manageable."

"Fair enough, with the original as a reference."

We swapped out the axle.

I rubbed candle wax into the contact points where it met the wheels. Just a small comfort, but better than nothing.

Just a little farther to the destination.

That was when Azu woke up.

Having slept through most of the trip, her color was fully back to normal.

We camped for the night and set out again at first light.

The axle rotated without issue.

By midday we arrived at Ateil and paid the tax to enter.

Once inside, I made a beeline for our destination.

The duke's estate was the largest and most impressive building in the city.

Impossible to miss.

I showed the letter of introduction and the tally stick from the steward to the gate guards and was let inside.

From there, I couldn't simply wander freely, so I waited for the steward.

We'd made it, just barely.

Half a day to spare. Cutting it close, but we'd deliver within the deadline.

The steward arrived and began inspecting the goods.

Despite the rush, nothing had been damaged in transit.

"The quantities appear to be in order."

"Yes, sir. I'm confident you'll be satisfied."

"Very well. I'll bring one of each to the duchess. The rest goes to the storeroom. Payment will be rendered when you're presented to the duchess."

"Understood."

I'd considered having Azu and the others wait at the cart, but making them stay behind seemed odd.

The servants efficiently moved the soap and perfume into storage.

The steward then picked up one soap and one perfume bottle and held them at the ready.

"This way. I'm sure I needn't say it, but do mind your manners."

He didn't need to tell me.

The duchess was a woman of high noble standing.

If we caused any trouble, it would make the incident with Baron Aarg look like nothing.

The steward knocked on what seemed to be a reception room door and opened it.

Inside were several maids, a priest, and a single noblewoman.

That must be Duchess Lecreune, the one who'd placed the order.

Her long blue hair left a striking impression.

Following the steward's direction, we entered.

The priest wore the robes of the Church of the Sun God.

Lavish robes, at that. Meeting with a duchess suggested considerable rank.

My eyes widened for just a moment.

The priest and the duchess appeared to be on fairly close terms.

They exchanged a few words before the priest took their leave.

As they left, the priest said, "May blessings be upon you."

A kind sentiment, surely, but the Church of the Sun God had left me with nothing but bad associations — the statue incident, the whole mess — so my feelings were complicated.

It wasn't as though that particular priest had done anything wrong.

I'd known the Church of the Sun God had spread to the Empire, so running into them somewhere was inevitable.

"Come closer."

At the duchess's instruction, relayed through a maid, we approached.

The steward took his place at her side.

My throat was dry with nerves.

"You brought it as promised. Come, sit. Won't you have some tea?"

"I'd be honored, Duchess Lecreune."

The maids briskly prepared tea for everyone.

Only then did I finally sit down.

I was sweating terribly from nerves. I gripped my cup with trembling hands.

I glanced behind me — Alexia and Elza seemed fine, but Azu and Orleans were clearly tense.

Don't break the cup, I thought silently.

The steward placed the soap and perfume before the duchess.

She promptly unwrapped the packaging and removed the contents.

She ran a finger across the soap.

"Ah, this fragrance and this texture. This city has so few quality soaps and perfumes."

She picked up the perfume and her expression softened into something almost dreamy.

She was quite pleased, it seemed.