Chapter 562 Turmoil on the Southern Continent ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Goldmika is the capital of the Aurumcame Governor State. It is a city built where the Arlo River meets the sea. This great river cuts the land from north to south.
It takes about one week by camel from the harbor town of Meryamisha. By boat up the river, it is only a few days.
Nada-Rume was Meryamisha’s trusted aide. For this secret trip, she took a boat part of the way. Then, she rode a camel for the rest of the journey into Goldmika.
”It really isn’t as busy as usual,” Nada-Rume said.
”Well, of course not,” her subordinate replied. Kuku’s voice was full of young energy. “We are in the mourning period for the late Governor1, after all.”
A woman traveling alone would stand out too much right now. So, Nada-Rume dressed as a man. She acted like a traveling merchant. She even brought a subordinate to play her wife. Her name was Kuku, and she was also under Meryamisha’s protection.
They rode their camels into the city, looking around at the streets. The worst heat of the afternoon was over. Normally, people would start coming out as the sun went down.
It would have been easy to hide in a crowd. But the only people outside were other travelers. Still, this was better than arriving very early or late. They stayed careful but acted calm. Then, they headed to the camel rental shop.
”Doing business at a time like this… hard work, isn’t it,” Nada-Rume noted.
”Ah, well, I would like to choose my own hours, but that is life,” the shopkeeper grumbled. “I take it you’re the same?”
”Heh-heh-heh, you’re not wrong,” Nada-Rume chuckled.
Nada-Rume handed over the tally from the town where they rented the camels. The tavern owner, who also ran the shop, gave a dry, joyless chuckle. For now, it seemed they had avoided suspicion. Nada-Rume took the chance to ask a few questions.
”How are things in the city? The Governor has passed away. So, I thought there would be a market for funeral flowers…” Nada-Rume inquired.
”Aye, well, I can’t say they aren’t selling,” the shopkeeper replied. “But there are plenty of folks with more pressing matters than that.”
”…Is there a conflict brewing, then?” Nada-Rume asked.
”I’d say so… I can’t imagine Goldmika will go up in flames. But word is that the eldest son… the new Governor, is gathering his troops.”
The conversation up to this point had felt very natural. It bothered her that Balshid, the late Governor’s eldest son, made people call him “the new Governor.” But given his official announcements, it was to be expected. In fact, Balshid was sharing his orders everywhere. This showed his ambition and power had not weakened at all.
Nada-Rume’s goal was to find out if there was fighting inside Balshid’s own group. This was her first try, and it felt like a miss. However, Balshid’s men might be watching the camel shop. It welcomed travelers, after all. So, it was still too early to make a final decision.
”I see. Maybe I should have loaded up on arrows instead of flowers,” Nada-Rume remarked.
”Only if you’ve got the connections for it,” the shopkeeper retorted. “I doubt the new Governor is so foolish as to buy weapons at this late hour.”
”Haha, I suppose that’s true.”
She could not fully believe this either. But it seemed the military side of things was tightly closed. Nada-Rume laughed to make the joke sound real. Then, she turned to leave. But just as she turned her back, the owner spoke in a low voice.
”Ah—I’ll just say this for your sake: don’t go walking around at night,” the tavern owner warned. “The authorities are on edge. You’d best get in bed with your missus and fall asleep early.”
”…I see. Thank you for the advice,” Nada-Rume replied.
Nada-Rume replied, hiding her slight discomfort at the owner’s rude joke. It wasn’t that she was truly offended. As an Aurumcame woman playing a man, it would have been strange to respond any other way.
She pulled Kuku, her “wife,” close to her. She wanted to shield her from the owner’s gaze as they left the shop. To the owner, she probably looked like a protective husband. Or maybe the man just scratched his cheek, thinking they were a lovesick couple.
After walking for a while, Nada-Rume spoke to Kuku. She was still tucked in her arms, and she lowered her voice to a whisper.
”…What did you think?”
”…Nada-Rume-sama, have you become better at handling women? My heart skipped a beat, honestly,” Kuku whispered.
”What are you talking about… That’s not what I meant…”
Nada-Rume let out a sigh at Kuku, whose face grew hot. Though, given Kuku’s dark skin from the Southern Continent, her cheeks did not actually turn red.
”Yes, I know. Only your last words felt a bit unnatural. You were trying to play it off with some rude talk…” Kuku observed.
”…So you felt it too, then,” Nada-Rume agreed.
”There is no doubt that something is going to happen tonight.”
Nada-Rume let out a long breath. Her gut feeling was right. The owner’s final words were not those of a simple shopkeeper. He sounded like he was passing down an order from the “authorities.”
He clearly did not understand the true meaning himself. But he had spoken the words because he was ordered to. That was how his voice sounded.
War was a real threat now. So, it was not strange to limit going out at night. But surely, everyone already knew that. Even without being told, people would try to avoid it.
The owner went out of his way to pass on that warning. This meant it wasn’t just a simple “try to avoid it.” It felt like a warning that they could not be safe if they were out after dark.
As expected, they got similar advice at their inn. They had booked it for a few days’ stay.
The innkeeper also seemed like he “had to” say it. Nada-Rume played her part too. She grumbled, “The camel shop guy told me the same thing. What’s going on here?”
With that done, she and Kuku went to their room, acting like a married couple. She kept her male disguise on, set her luggage down, and stretched.
”…I planned to go out to a tavern or two to check the situation,” Nada-Rume muttered.
”You’d best not do that,” Kuku suggested. “Shall we just go back to selling those funeral flowers quietly?”
”…I suppose so. Rushing about doesn’t seem like the best strategy.”
Nada-Rume replied as she glanced at the goods she had brought for an alibi. She had bought them in a town along the way. There was not much profit in them, of course, but it was better to turn them into coin if she could.
After that, Nada-Rume spent her time selling the flowers as planned. It was hard, since there were few people on the streets. But sales were decent enough when she visited houses. She thought about visiting the area around the Governor’s mansion. But given her current sales pace, that would seem unnatural.
One thing bothered her. The people in every house she visited also warned her, “Don’t go out at night.” If the warning was being given to citizens as well as merchants, things were reaching a breaking point.
As the sun began to set, they returned to the inn as advised. While Nada-Rume was out, Kuku had asked the inn’s landlady about the kitchen. She had also gathered information while making dinner. The two sat face-to-face in their room to share what they knew.
”There is no mistake,” Nada-Rume said.
”Yes. The Balshid camp is struggling with something,” Kuku added. “Shall we report back to Meru-sama?”
”…No, it’s too soon. Just knowing ‘something is happening’ isn’t enough to decide.”
Nada-Rume muttered with a bitter look, covering her mouth with one hand. It would have been easier to report if there was a clearer problem. But the locals just looked confused and said, “I don’t really know.” The information was too weak. However, if she wanted to find out more…
”…I suppose I have to see for myself, don’t I?”
”…Into the city at night?” Kuku asked.
”…Yes.”
She had told Meryamisha that she “wouldn’t stick her neck into dangerous places.” But she could not face her with such unclear results. Her master would not be happy, but she had no choice. She was certain “something” was going on.
”Nada-nee-sama…” Kuku began.
”It’s alright. I won’t make any blunders.”
Nada-Rume patted the head of her “little sister” from the poor streets. She knew her so well. She was trying to give her courage. However…
”…You really have gotten better at handling women, haven’t you? What on earth happened in the Northern Continent!?”
”What!? I—no—I didn’t, there was nothing…”
”That’s a lie! Tell me before you leave!”
”Really, you…”
It was a bit of playful banter to wash away their fear. In the end, Nada-Rume dodged Kuku’s questions and headed out to gather more information. But she left her with a firm command: “You absolutely must tell me everything when you get back!” She smiled and answered, “I won’t tell you anything, but I will definitely come back.”
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Summary:
Nada-Rume and his subordinate Kuku infiltrate Goldmika under the guise of traveling merchants to assess the stability of Balshid’s faction. They find the city under strict nighttime movement restrictions, hinting at internal unrest or a crackdown by the new Governor. Despite the ambiguity of the situation, Nada-Rume decides to conduct a dangerous nighttime investigation. The narrative concludes with Nada-Rume preparing to leave Kuku to scout the city after some lighthearted banter regarding his social skills.
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Trivia:
The Arlo River is the primary artery for transportation across the country.
Nada-Rume and Kuku use a pre-established cover story involving funeral flowers to navigate the city.
The “new Governor” is a self-proclaimed title, as the mourning period for the late Governor is still ongoing.
Nada-Rume’s female disguise and protective husband persona are standard reconnaissance tactics for this setting.
Kuku is originally from a poor area and shares a long-standing history with Nada-Rume.
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Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Meryamisha – A beautiful, white-haired, dark-skinned young woman, she is the master of Nada and local administrator managing a harbor town in northern Aurumcame. Perceptive and cautious, “That Person” is a key figure in the state’s succession struggle. While navigating intense political power plays to fiercely guard her position, she deeply cares for her people and secretly acts as a compassionate protector for orphans.
• Nada-Rume – Nada Rume, a dark‑skinned Southern Continent beauty with rounded breasts and athletic thighs, is a commoner who rose to become Meryamisha’s loyal, self‑effacing confidante and advisor. She handles practical duties for her mistress, serves as a test subject for the shop’s adult goods, and her surname Rume is linked to intelligence operations under Meryamisha.
• Nada – Tall, slender Southern Continent envoy with dark skin and sharp almond eyes, she masquerades as a male merchant for Meryamisha’s intelligence network. Protective, intuitive, and fiercely loyal, she trades with the protagonist’s shop, shares an intimate bond with Kento, and steers regional commerce amid a succession dispute.
• Rume – Nada Rume, a dark‑skinned Southern Continent beauty with rounded breasts and athletic thighs, is a commoner who rose to become Meryamisha’s loyal, self‑effacing confidante and advisor. She handles practical duties for her mistress, serves as a test subject for the shop’s adult goods, and her surname Rume is linked to intelligence operations under Meryamisha.
• Kuku – A subordinate with dark skin, characteristic of the Southern Continent, who acts as Nada’s faux-wife. She is a childhood companion from the slums and serves as an undercover operative. A young woman who acts as a subordinate and sister-figure to Nada-Rume. She is often seen in a dazed or affectionate state and is currently part of a high-stakes infiltration.
• Balshid – The eldest son of the late Governor who has declared himself the new Governor. He is actively mobilizing troops and issuing proclamations to solidify his control.
• Meru – Also referred to as Meryamisha, she is the master under whom Nada and Kuku serve.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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