Chapter 79 : Road to Laserna ・ Day 1
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
“This time we’re leaving from the south gate, right?”
“Yes, because Laserna is located south from Pedrell.”
There were four gates in Pedrell. Each of them was located according to four cardinal directions. East, west, south and north. The forest where I had fallen into Alsar and collected lulu grass was located on the east.
We used the North Gate to go to Calhea and this time we were going to use the South Gate. With this, the only gate I had never used would be the West Gate.
“We can’t go into our formation while we are still in the city but after we’ve passed the gate, please stand guard around the Madam’s carriage.”
Mel-san, who was also riding on a magical horse nearby us, said. Just like what we had discussed yesterday, the four of us would be mainly guarding Francesca-san’s carriage.
Well… Judging from yesterday’s mock battles, it’d be better if the three of them to be focused on guarding Francesca-san, the most important person in this group.
“Understood~ Leave it to us~ After this, we just need to go into our formation, right?~”
“Yeah… I figured it’d be for the best to leave it to you guys. Sig-dono might not like it but…”
Mel-san said while throwing an apologetic look toward Sig-san. As I thought, Sig-san’s dislike of Francesca-san must be plain obvious to everyone but Francesca-san herself…
“A job is a job so don’t worry about it and just leave it to us.”
Sig-san said reassuringly as he threw a fleeting glance back at Mel-san. True. There would be a problem later on if we cut corners here after all. Despite his dislike, Sig-san will still do his job properly.
“Ren, as soon as we left the gate, could you cast [Magic Barrier] that could hold on for five days to all of us?”
Then Sig-san looked at my direction and asked me for a barrier.
“Ah, yes. I think I can cast it for everyone including Sig-san and the others but… I’ve never done it before so I’m not really confident I can. But if it’s just for the four of us including William and the others, I’m confident I can pull it off.”
[Magic Barrier] didn’t consume much magic power so the burden on me wouldn’t be that great. To top it off, I had a lot of magical power too so I was sure there wouldn’t be any problem if I just had to cast it for the four of us including William and the others.
As for extending it toward the rest of the guard team along with an additional eight people we had to escort and their horses, I think… I could pull it off but I’ve never casted it for that many people before so I couldn’t say I was confident I could pull it off….
If only we could see our MP just like in the game, everything would be so much easier….
“Then please cast it only for the four of us including our horses. I’d like Ren-kun to keep your magic power on reserve as much as possible since it’d be terrible if you were to run out of magic power in the middle of our journey…”
Fer-san said while hugging me from behind.
I do agree it’d be better to conserve my magic power as much as possible since we couldn’t know how much MP we have for sure in this world….
“I understand. Is that fine with you too, Sig-san?”
Since Sig-san was the first person that mentioned me to cast the barrier, I asked him for confirmation.
“That’s exactly what I want to hear. Mel, that’s how it is. Well if something were to happen, all of us will definitely pitch in to help so don’t worry.”
Sig-san turned his body to Mel-san and said with a grin.
Yup, they can count on us.
“No. I never expected we’d get buff magic in the first place so I don’t mind. If by chance something did happen, I’d be counting on you guys for help.”
Mel-san stared back at Sig-san and responded nonchalantly.
Actually since there was a chance we might encounter a wizard with paralyzing magic, I wanted to cast a magic barrier to everyone but the risk of running out of magic power… Well even if they got caught up in paralyzing magic, I could just immediately cast purifying magic on them.
Hmm~ Maybe I should try to test the limit of my magic power next time?
“Captain! We’re about to reach the gate! Please lead the way!”
“Yeah. Well then, I’ll be counting on you guys later!”
One of the guards called out for Mel-san. He lightly waved his hand at us and motioned his horse to run to the front. He must’ve already arranged things beforehand with the gatekeeper since our carriages were able to pass through easily.
“【Magic Barrier】.”
“Thank you, Ren.”
As soon as we passed the gate, I casted [Magic Barrier] to all the members of Luce.
The carriage went through the gate in a vertical line by the order of carriage filled with luggage, carriage ridden by the servants, carriage ridden by Francesca-san and lastly, another luggage carriage.
The carriage for carrying luggage had no roof but the box-shaped carriage for passengers came with a canopy along with doors and windows on both sides. The one ridden by the servants could hold up to ten people while Francesca-san’s could hold five to six people.
Somehow, their carriage really fit the image you’d think of when talking about carriages ridden by nobles.
There were four coachmen and ten servants. Two of the maids were riding on the same carriage as Francesca-san’s so there were plenty of spaces left on both passenger carriages.
Me and Fer-san, who were riding on Viktor, were positioned on the right side of the carriage while William and Oscar were on the left side. There were six guards positioned in front of us and two on our rear side.
All horses started to run at the same speed as the carriage.
“In cases like this, we travel during the day where there are less dangers and rest during the night. Adventurers are accustomed to travel during the night but ordinary civilians are not. The sun feels hot at this time of the year so we need to take a lot of breaks too. That’s why escorting quests is pretty difficult to handle.”
“I see.”
Fer-san explained to me from behind but still! Having him whispering right into my ears made me feel strange so I hoped he’d refrain himself from doing so…!
Fer-san was right though. Francesca-san was wearing a long dress that almost reached the ground. It was obvious she was not used to travelling. Though she also brought her maids with her so there was no need for her to move much…
The coachman might be used to drive carriages during the night but still, traveling during the day would be the better choice since it was safer compared to traveling during the night.
It was still early in the morning so the sunshine didn’t feel hot yet but later on, we had to be careful not to get heatstroke and made sure we stayed hydrated.
“By the way, we’re not moving that fast either.”
“Yes. Since we’re not in a rush. The higher we move, the more the carriage will shake. The stagecoaches that travel between cities also run at about the same speed as us.”
Our current speed was just enough. Not too fast and not too slow either. The horses were running slowly so we were able to converse like usual. But still, it wouldn’t be good to chat too much during work. We need to keep our conversation in moderation…
“It takes five days to reach Laserna, right? How far are we going to travel today?”
“Let’s see… We’re going to run for about eight to ten hours per day so I think about eighty kilometers? The road is not all flat either. We’re going to reach a resting place in about an hour and half so we will probably rest there first.”
Not too long ago, I had decided to keep our conversation in moderation but I couldn’t help it. I still had more things to ask.
From Fer-san’s explanation, that meant we were moving at about eight to ten kilometers an hour? That… Weren’t we slower than a bicycle? I guess carriages were slower than I had thought…
Well… We brought a lot of stuff and the roads here were not as well maintained as Japan so it was a given that we couldn’t move that quickly since the roads were still bare too.
“I see. Then I will quietly use [Search] while we’re on the road. 【Search】.”
“Fufu~ Ren-kun is really diligent. But please don’t push yourself too hard.”
If our opponent used [Magic Barrier], I wouldn’t be able to detect them using [Search] but still, it was better than doing nothing at all.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
“Huh? Why are we getting slower?”
“Look. Can you see that spot over there with plenty of trees for shade and almost no grass on the ground? We’re going to take a break there.”
We were riding silently for a while when we were gradually going slower. Even though I whispered in a small voice, Fer-san was still able to catch my question. He tightened his hold on me and told me that we were going to take a break.
“We’re going to take a fifteen minutes break! Each and everyone of you, remember to keep yourself hydrated! You can also relieve yourself here but don’t forget to use [Clean] after you’re done!”
Mel-san gave us instructions in a loud voice. Since we’ve arrived at our resting place, I asked Fer-san to help me off from Viktor.
Mel-san’s instruction reminded me of the time when I first arrived in Alsar. In that forest, I did it outdoors but I didn’t use [Clean] since I didn’t know anything about magic at that time. I just left it as it was… Let’s just say I did the forest a favor by giving it nourishment.
At that time, I hadn’t met with Malik-san yet but I think Malik-san wouldn’t get upset over something that trivial.
Of course this time, there was a simple toilet for the maids and Francesca-san. Only the men had to relieve themselves out in the open.
For some reason, Fer-san, Sig-san and Chris-san were standing guard around me while glaring at everyone. Even though I was sure no one would want to watch me doing my business….
“Sigurd-sama, you must be tired, right? I’ve prepared some tea good for relaxation over there. Would you like to have a cup with me?”
“Haa… Didn’t I already tell you I won’t be eating the same thing as you during the quest? …. Ren, can you give me something to drink?”
“Yes. Is lemon water alright for you?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
After the three of them finished with their business on the back of the tree as well, Francesca-san came to talk with Sig-san. With another heavy sigh, Sig-san flatly refused her offer and asked for a drink from me instead.
It was hot so out of all the drinks I had prepared beforehand in my magic bag, I chose cold lemon water since it felt refreshing to drink. I took out a big flask of lemon water from my magic bag and poured a cup for Sig-san.
Though I wonder whether Sig-san was trying to purposely rile Francesca-san up?
Everytime Francesca-san tried to strike a conversation with him, Sig-san would reply to her curtly and talk to me instead. This pattern went on and on and Francesca-san’s glare toward me just kept getting more intense and intense…!
“….So we can’t have a drink either? I understand. I’ll just quietly have my drinks over here then?”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t know what kind of expression I should put on my face so I just stared blankly at her as she glared before she left us alone.
“Ren-chan~ Please give me a cup too?~ And Sig~ I know you’re getting agitated but please don’t go overboard, okay?~ Thank you~”
“Ren-kun is the one that has to take the brunt, you know? Ah, thank you, Ren-kun.”
“No…”
After preparing water for William and the others, Chris-san came to us and asked for something to drink too. I gave him a cup of lemon water too and prepared another cup for Fer-san who was sitting beside him.
Well, being glared at didn’t feel good but I could see why she’d feel irritated at me. I was Sig-san’s fiancé after all.
“I’m just trying to find some healing through Ren…. Ren, I’m sorry.”
“Well currently, she has done nothing but glare at me so it’s fine…”
“Haa… I want to get to Laserna soon…”
“It’s okay! If nothing happens, five days will go by in a flash!”
I tried to comfort Sig-san.
I had no intention to put the blame on Sig-san. Especially when he looked so tired with his shoulders slumped down like that.
Contrary to my expectation, Francesca-san was showing her hostility without any reign at me. That was why I was in the same boat as Sig-san, I also wanted to finish this quest as soon as possible.
“We’re going to move soon!”
Mel-san shouted, he was standing a little further away from us. This time, I got on William’s back and continued on with our journey to Laserna.
Chapter 79 : Road to Laserna ・ Day 1
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
“This time we’re leaving from the south gate, right?”
“Yes, because Laserna is located south from Pedrell.”
There were four gates in Pedrell. Each of them was located according to four cardinal directions. East, west, south and north. The forest where I had fallen into Alsar and collected lulu grass was located on the east.
We used the North Gate to go to Calhea and this time we were going to use the South Gate. With this, the only gate I had never used would be the West Gate.
“We can’t go into our formation while we are still in the city but after we’ve passed the gate, please stand guard around the Madam’s carriage.”
Mel-san, who was also riding on a magical horse nearby us, said. Just like what we had discussed yesterday, the four of us would be mainly guarding Francesca-san’s carriage.
Well… Judging from yesterday’s mock battles, it’d be better if the three of them to be focused on guarding Francesca-san, the most important person in this group.
“Understood~ Leave it to us~ After this, we just need to go into our formation, right?~”
“Yeah… I figured it’d be for the best to leave it to you guys. Sig-dono might not like it but…”
Mel-san said while throwing an apologetic look toward Sig-san. As I thought, Sig-san’s dislike of Francesca-san must be plain obvious to everyone but Francesca-san herself…
“A job is a job so don’t worry about it and just leave it to us.”
Sig-san said reassuringly as he threw a fleeting glance back at Mel-san. True. There would be a problem later on if we cut corners here after all. Despite his dislike, Sig-san will still do his job properly.
“Ren, as soon as we left the gate, could you cast [Magic Barrier] that could hold on for five days to all of us?”
Then Sig-san looked at my direction and asked me for a barrier.
“Ah, yes. I think I can cast it for everyone including Sig-san and the others but… I’ve never done it before so I’m not really confident I can. But if it’s just for the four of us including William and the others, I’m confident I can pull it off.”
[Magic Barrier] didn’t consume much magic power so the burden on me wouldn’t be that great. To top it off, I had a lot of magical power too so I was sure there wouldn’t be any problem if I just had to cast it for the four of us including William and the others.
As for extending it toward the rest of the guard team along with an additional eight people we had to escort and their horses, I think… I could pull it off but I’ve never casted it for that many people before so I couldn’t say I was confident I could pull it off….
If only we could see our MP just like in the game, everything would be so much easier….
“Then please cast it only for the four of us including our horses. I’d like Ren-kun to keep your magic power on reserve as much as possible since it’d be terrible if you were to run out of magic power in the middle of our journey…”
Fer-san said while hugging me from behind.
I do agree it’d be better to conserve my magic power as much as possible since we couldn’t know how much MP we have for sure in this world….
“I understand. Is that fine with you too, Sig-san?”
Since Sig-san was the first person that mentioned me to cast the barrier, I asked him for confirmation.
“That’s exactly what I want to hear. Mel, that’s how it is. Well if something were to happen, all of us will definitely pitch in to help so don’t worry.”
Sig-san turned his body to Mel-san and said with a grin.
Yup, they can count on us.
“No. I never expected we’d get buff magic in the first place so I don’t mind. If by chance something did happen, I’d be counting on you guys for help.”
Mel-san stared back at Sig-san and responded nonchalantly.
Actually since there was a chance we might encounter a wizard with paralyzing magic, I wanted to cast a magic barrier to everyone but the risk of running out of magic power… Well even if they got caught up in paralyzing magic, I could just immediately cast purifying magic on them.
Hmm~ Maybe I should try to test the limit of my magic power next time?
“Captain! We’re about to reach the gate! Please lead the way!”
“Yeah. Well then, I’ll be counting on you guys later!”
One of the guards called out for Mel-san. He lightly waved his hand at us and motioned his horse to run to the front. He must’ve already arranged things beforehand with the gatekeeper since our carriages were able to pass through easily.
“【Magic Barrier】.”
“Thank you, Ren.”
As soon as we passed the gate, I casted [Magic Barrier] to all the members of Luce.
The carriage went through the gate in a vertical line by the order of carriage filled with luggage, carriage ridden by the servants, carriage ridden by Francesca-san and lastly, another luggage carriage.
The carriage for carrying luggage had no roof but the box-shaped carriage for passengers came with a canopy along with doors and windows on both sides. The one ridden by the servants could hold up to ten people while Francesca-san’s could hold five to six people.
Somehow, their carriage really fit the image you’d think of when talking about carriages ridden by nobles.
There were four coachmen and ten servants. Two of the maids were riding on the same carriage as Francesca-san’s so there were plenty of spaces left on both passenger carriages.
Me and Fer-san, who were riding on Viktor, were positioned on the right side of the carriage while William and Oscar were on the left side. There were six guards positioned in front of us and two on our rear side.
All horses started to run at the same speed as the carriage.
“In cases like this, we travel during the day where there are less dangers and rest during the night. Adventurers are accustomed to travel during the night but ordinary civilians are not. The sun feels hot at this time of the year so we need to take a lot of breaks too. That’s why escorting quests is pretty difficult to handle.”
“I see.”
Fer-san explained to me from behind but still! Having him whispering right into my ears made me feel strange so I hoped he’d refrain himself from doing so…!
Fer-san was right though. Francesca-san was wearing a long dress that almost reached the ground. It was obvious she was not used to travelling. Though she also brought her maids with her so there was no need for her to move much…
The coachman might be used to drive carriages during the night but still, traveling during the day would be the better choice since it was safer compared to traveling during the night.
It was still early in the morning so the sunshine didn’t feel hot yet but later on, we had to be careful not to get heatstroke and made sure we stayed hydrated.
“By the way, we’re not moving that fast either.”
“Yes. Since we’re not in a rush. The higher we move, the more the carriage will shake. The stagecoaches that travel between cities also run at about the same speed as us.”
Our current speed was just enough. Not too fast and not too slow either. The horses were running slowly so we were able to converse like usual. But still, it wouldn’t be good to chat too much during work. We need to keep our conversation in moderation…
“It takes five days to reach Laserna, right? How far are we going to travel today?”
“Let’s see… We’re going to run for about eight to ten hours per day so I think about eighty kilometers? The road is not all flat either. We’re going to reach a resting place in about an hour and half so we will probably rest there first.”
Not too long ago, I had decided to keep our conversation in moderation but I couldn’t help it. I still had more things to ask.
From Fer-san’s explanation, that meant we were moving at about eight to ten kilometers an hour? That… Weren’t we slower than a bicycle? I guess carriages were slower than I had thought…
Well… We brought a lot of stuff and the roads here were not as well maintained as Japan so it was a given that we couldn’t move that quickly since the roads were still bare too.
“I see. Then I will quietly use [Search] while we’re on the road. 【Search】.”
“Fufu~ Ren-kun is really diligent. But please don’t push yourself too hard.”
If our opponent used [Magic Barrier], I wouldn’t be able to detect them using [Search] but still, it was better than doing nothing at all.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
“Huh? Why are we getting slower?”
“Look. Can you see that spot over there with plenty of trees for shade and almost no grass on the ground? We’re going to take a break there.”
We were riding silently for a while when we were gradually going slower. Even though I whispered in a small voice, Fer-san was still able to catch my question. He tightened his hold on me and told me that we were going to take a break.
“We’re going to take a fifteen minutes break! Each and everyone of you, remember to keep yourself hydrated! You can also relieve yourself here but don’t forget to use [Clean] after you’re done!”
Mel-san gave us instructions in a loud voice. Since we’ve arrived at our resting place, I asked Fer-san to help me off from Viktor.
Mel-san’s instruction reminded me of the time when I first arrived in Alsar. In that forest, I did it outdoors but I didn’t use [Clean] since I didn’t know anything about magic at that time. I just left it as it was… Let’s just say I did the forest a favor by giving it nourishment.
At that time, I hadn’t met with Malik-san yet but I think Malik-san wouldn’t get upset over something that trivial.
Of course this time, there was a simple toilet for the maids and Francesca-san. Only the men had to relieve themselves out in the open.
For some reason, Fer-san, Sig-san and Chris-san were standing guard around me while glaring at everyone. Even though I was sure no one would want to watch me doing my business….
“Sigurd-sama, you must be tired, right? I’ve prepared some tea good for relaxation over there. Would you like to have a cup with me?”
“Haa… Didn’t I already tell you I won’t be eating the same thing as you during the quest? …. Ren, can you give me something to drink?”
“Yes. Is lemon water alright for you?”
“Yeah, thanks.”
After the three of them finished with their business on the back of the tree as well, Francesca-san came to talk with Sig-san. With another heavy sigh, Sig-san flatly refused her offer and asked for a drink from me instead.
It was hot so out of all the drinks I had prepared beforehand in my magic bag, I chose cold lemon water since it felt refreshing to drink. I took out a big flask of lemon water from my magic bag and poured a cup for Sig-san.
Though I wonder whether Sig-san was trying to purposely rile Francesca-san up?
Everytime Francesca-san tried to strike a conversation with him, Sig-san would reply to her curtly and talk to me instead. This pattern went on and on and Francesca-san’s glare toward me just kept getting more intense and intense…!
“….So we can’t have a drink either? I understand. I’ll just quietly have my drinks over here then?”
“Yeah.”
I didn’t know what kind of expression I should put on my face so I just stared blankly at her as she glared before she left us alone.
“Ren-chan~ Please give me a cup too?~ And Sig~ I know you’re getting agitated but please don’t go overboard, okay?~ Thank you~”
“Ren-kun is the one that has to take the brunt, you know? Ah, thank you, Ren-kun.”
“No…”
After preparing water for William and the others, Chris-san came to us and asked for something to drink too. I gave him a cup of lemon water too and prepared another cup for Fer-san who was sitting beside him.
Well, being glared at didn’t feel good but I could see why she’d feel irritated at me. I was Sig-san’s fiancé after all.
“I’m just trying to find some healing through Ren…. Ren, I’m sorry.”
“Well currently, she has done nothing but glare at me so it’s fine…”
“Haa… I want to get to Laserna soon…”
“It’s okay! If nothing happens, five days will go by in a flash!”
I tried to comfort Sig-san.
I had no intention to put the blame on Sig-san. Especially when he looked so tired with his shoulders slumped down like that.
Contrary to my expectation, Francesca-san was showing her hostility without any reign at me. That was why I was in the same boat as Sig-san, I also wanted to finish this quest as soon as possible.
“We’re going to move soon!”
Mel-san shouted, he was standing a little further away from us. This time, I got on William’s back and continued on with our journey to Laserna.
