Chapter 42

After parting ways with Barret and the others who were returning to Gricia Village, Ichiryo took Haber with him to inspect the river that flows through Isteria.

Now, the place where Ichiryo and the others stand is a high ground, from which they can see the streets of Isteria and the river flowing through them.

Ideally, Ichiryo wanted to be guided by Nelson or Zirconia, but the two were preoccupied with preparing the tools and personnel Ichiryo had requested and their regular duties, leaving them no time to accompany him on the inspection. Isaac was also busy, having been tasked with preparing 3,000 identically sized cloth bags, and had not been seen since.

Thus, the only one available was Haber, who was chosen to accompany Ichiryo on the river inspection.

"That's quite a large river. Where does flooding usually occur?"

"Well, according to the map, the water generally overflows around that area, causing frequent building inundations. There are also several other spots prone to flooding, but it seems to happen more often in the tributaries than the main river."

Haber, looking at the map of Isteria he was holding, pointed to the river visible in the distance. The map had notes written in various places, indicating the locations of past floods, the years they occurred, and the extent of the damage.

Looking in the direction Haber pointed, Ichiryo saw that the riverbanks were reinforced with high mounds of earth. These mounds were likely used to prevent flooding, but if heavy rain still caused floods, there must be some issue with the structure or placement of the mounds.

"Even with these mounds, flooding still occurs... Haber, can you show me the construction plans for the mounds later?"

"Understood. I don't have the authority to access the documents, but I'll inform Nelson-sama later."

"Thank you. Also, could you turn around for a moment?"

"Eh? Ah, yes, understood."

Haber, a bit puzzled by the sudden request, turned around obediently. Ichiryo, confirming that Haber had turned, took out a digital camera from his pocket and took several photos centered on the river.

"Alright, you can turn back now. I want to see the mounds up close, so let's go to the river. Also, are there any other rivers in Isteria?"

"There are two major rivers flowing through the west and east sides of the city, but if you count the tributaries, there are quite a few. Do you want to see all of them?"

"Well... since we have limited time, let's prioritize the areas where floods have occurred in the past. If we have time left, we can visit the others."

Ideally, Ichiryo wanted to inspect all the rivers and mounds and take as many photos as possible for the flood control measures he was planning, but he had to leave for Gricia Village in three days. Therefore, he should prioritize the areas where floods have occurred and visit the others later.

"Understood. Since we'll be covering a considerable distance, let's use a rata. I'll prepare it right away, so please wait here."

"Ah, I can't ride a rata alone..."

"Excuse me. Then I'll prepare a carriage for you."

When Ichiryo said he couldn't ride a rata, Haber didn't seem particularly surprised and, with a cheerful smile, bowed to Ichiryo and ran off.

"Hey?"

In a corner of Isteria's high-end commercial district, a maid was standing there. She was Eira, the attendant of Lise, the only daughter of the Istele family.

Eira was captivated by a carriage parked a few meters away. What caught her attention was not the carriage itself but a young man sitting behind the driver. The man got off the carriage, peered into an irrigation channel that cut across the commercial district, and spoke to another man who had also gotten off the carriage.

"That man... I've seen him somewhere before..."

"Eira-sama, is something wrong?"

As Eira was staring at the man peering into the irrigation channel, one of the two young men standing behind her spoke to her. The two men were slaves owned by the Istele family, and their main duty was to carry the belongings of the Istele family and those working around them. They were holding wooden boxes containing meat, vegetables, and other food items.

"...Ah!"

Eira didn't respond to the man who had spoken to her but thought for a few seconds. Then, she suddenly remembered who the man was and exclaimed.

"He's the one I bumped into here before... and the other one is probably Haber-sama, the deputy of the First Officer Training Corps."

Thinking about it, Eira tilted her head in confusion. The last time she saw the man, he was wearing plain shirts and pants like a local farmer. Now, he was dressed in a high-quality robe like a noble and was talking to Haber. Moreover, from their conversation, it seemed that Haber was following his orders.

If Eira were an ordinary person, she might have thought it was a case of mistaken identity and ignored it. However, as a special attendant with the skill of memorizing names and faces, she couldn't make such a mistake. She was a professional at memorizing names and faces, and her job was to whisper the names and titles of people Lise met to her ear.

"That's strange. If he's a noble, why was he dressed like that the other day? Was he in disguise...?"

While Eira was thinking, the man who had been peering into the irrigation channel got back into the carriage with Haber and drove off.

Ideally, she wanted to approach him directly and find out who he was, but if he was a noble, she couldn't question him. Eira, a high-ranking attendant to Lise, the daughter of the lord, was originally a commoner. She couldn't approach a noble to ask for their name and status.

"Eira-sama?"

As Eira was considering whether to report this to Lise later, the man behind her spoke again.

"It's nothing. Let's head back to the mansion."

Eira answered the man and started walking back to the mansion.

---

While Eira was witnessing Ichiryo, Barin and Barret were in a carriage heading to Gricia Village. The carriage was lined with soft carpets made of animal hides, and despite the bumpy road, the seats were not too uncomfortable. Two guards on ratas were patrolling in front and behind the carriage, and inside were only Barin and Barret.

Barin was at a loss about how to talk to his daughter, who was hunched over with her knees drawn up, her face buried in her hands. It had been over three hours since they left Isteria, and Barret had been like this the whole time. Barin had tried to talk to her a few times, but she only responded with "Yeah" or "Sorry."

"Damn... If it were Sita, what would she do in a situation like this?"

Seeing Barret, who was more depressed than he had ever seen her, Barin sighed, thinking of his late wife. Four years ago, when Barin returned from his deployment to Gricia Village to tell Barret about his wife's death, Barret didn't show such deep sadness. Instead, she focused on supporting her father, who was apologizing and crying while holding her. After that, Barret always acted brightly and took the initiative in farm work and housework, never showing any signs of the grief she felt over losing her mother. Barin was deeply comforted by Barret's always cheerful demeanor.

Now, however, Barret was this depressed. It was a pitiful situation, and Barin had no idea how to approach her.

"Barin-sama."

While Barin was lost in thought, the guard at the back of the carriage, who was on a rata, approached and spoke to him.

"Can I sit next to you?"

"Ah, please do."

The man, hearing Barin's response, quickly dismounted the rata, tied the reins to the back of the carriage, and nimbly hopped onto the back of the moving carriage and sat down.

"I have a daughter too, she's 16 this year. ... Want a drink?"

The man took a leather flask from his pocket, took a sip, and handed it to Barin.

"Thank you. Do you live with your daughter?"

The man, after answering, sat down next to Barin and took a sip from the flask. The water had a slight tang and a faint citrus aroma, reminding Barin of the herbal tea Ichiryo had made for him before.

"You don't have to be so formal. I'm not good with formal language. I only use it with the young master because I have to."

The man, smiling and joking, made Barin laugh. It seemed that the man, seeing Barin's depression over Barret, had approached to cheer him up.

"My daughter got married six months ago. She now lives with her husband's family. She occasionally brings herbs from their garden, but seeing her once every ten days is a luxury. It's a lonely life."

The man, saying this, glanced briefly at Barret, who was sitting at the back of the carriage.

"She seems to be very down. Did something happen?"

"No, I'm not sure... She wasn't like this until we left Isteria."

"…Was it because of the man you parted ways with at the lord's mansion?"

"No, Kazura-sama has done nothing wrong. But... um..."

Pointed out by the man, Barin recalled the moment he and Ichiryo parted ways.

Ichiryo and Barret were very close. They were often seen together in the village, doing everything together, to the point where they looked like a couple. If Barret was depressed because she had to be apart from Ichiryo for a few days, it wasn't hard to understand. However, it seemed like she was too depressed.

Usually, Barret would quickly bounce back from any sadness or hardship, acting bright and cheerful. Moreover, she knew that Ichiryo would leave Isteria in three days and that they would meet again in five days. Even though Nelson and the others believed Ichiryo was a Grisear, they might be worried about his safety, but Barin felt it was something else.

"Well, if it's a matter of love, it's probably better not to interfere too much. Maybe it's best to leave it alone for a while or let another woman handle it."

"Um..."

Thinking of women, Barin thought of the village girls who were close to Barret. If Barret was still depressed when they returned to the village, maybe he should consult them.

"Excuse me, but is your wife in the village?"

"…No, she died four years ago."

When Barin answered, the man sighed and looked at the road they had just traveled.

"…In the war?"

"Yes, in the final battle on the hill near the border… now called the Hill of Heroes, I think."

"…I lost my brother and older brother in that battle too."

"…"

"…"

The two fathers, each with a daughter, remained silent for a while, looking at the passing scenery.

---

A few kilometers behind the carriage carrying Barin and the others to Gricia Village, a dirty, covered carriage was moving down the road. Inside the carriage were nearly ten men, some lying down, others chatting with their neighbors, all looking quite relaxed. Next to the driver was a bald, intimidating man, staring ahead.

"Boss!"

After a while, a man on a rata approached from the front of the road.

"How is it?"

"They're on high alert, and we can't get close. I couldn't even tell how many people are in the carriage, so it's impossible to attack during the day."

The man called "Boss" clicked his tongue. That wasn't what he wanted to know.

"I know that. I asked where they're headed."

"Probably a village about a day's ride from here. I don't know the details, but it's not a large village."

The man on the rata, sensing the boss's frustration, answered with a hint of anxiety. The boss, hearing this, crossed his arms and seemed to be thinking.