Chapter 54

After crossing the Karsh Pass, the members of Norton's caravan rejoiced, thinking they had overcome the last difficult stretch to Periclitur.

I was satisfied that my magic had been useful, and I was also pleased that Lidi and Sharon had been recognized.

When we were about to head to the inn with Guy's guidance, Norton and the head of the guard, Byron, stopped us.

"I would like to express my gratitude for your efforts today," Norton said cheerfully.

"There are still over eighty kilometers to Periclitur. I think it's not too late to celebrate once we reach our destination."

Norton explained with a smile.

"From here on, it gets closer to Periclitur, so adventurers frequently conduct hunts. As a result, there are fewer monsters, and almost no bandits. Once we get here, there's nothing to worry about..."

From Thornbrow, we would pass through the villages of Grims and Maygur to reach Periclitur. The activity range of Periclitur's adventurers extended from Thornbrow in the southeast to Lickadale in the northeast, and Grims and Maygur were within this range. Therefore, the route between Periclitur and Thornbrow had only occasional wolves wandering in, and most of the monsters that could attack a caravan of ten wagons had been eliminated.

After consulting with Guy and Lidi, and confirming there were no issues, I gratefully accepted the offer.

We decided to stay at the same inn as Byron and the others, and a banquet was arranged for the night, hosted by Norton. Lidi and Sharon disliked the idea of joining the rough mercenaries' party and stayed in their room. I also couldn't drink alcohol properly, so I planned to participate lightly and leave early. However, as the night wore on, I was caught by Byron and the other mercenaries and couldn't escape easily.

As the alcohol flowed and Byron became more cheerful, he brought up the events of the day.

"...But, Mr. Zacharias, your magic was incredible. I've never seen a magician knock down four harpies at once."

I felt embarrassed by the praise that exceeded my actual abilities.

"That was thanks to Lidi's magic. Her air hammer threw them off balance, and my magic just happened to work at the right moment."

Byron slapped my back with his bear-like hand, saying, "Modesty, my friend!"

"I'm not being modest. My fighting style today was wrong. If I had used the air hammer like her, I could have taken them down more easily."

To be honest, I had underestimated Lidi's abilities. I knew she had been an adventurer with her grandfather, but I thought she mainly used her healing skills. However, in today's battle, Lidi used the air hammer to throw the harpies off balance and then attacked with her bow. Watching her, I realized she was a powerful archer who skillfully combined magic and archery.

Her strategy today was to use the air hammer to keep the enemies at bay and then shoot arrows at them when they faltered. She probably intended to use the air hammer again if the enemies tried to approach a second time. Today, they were taken down by the attacks of Sharon, Guy, and me before they could get close, so there was no need for a second air hammer.

I had focused on taking down the enemies, but she had focused on keeping them at bay. Her former party members, her grandfather and the halberd user Baldur, were probably not good at aerial combat. So, she likely prioritized a battle where her allies wouldn't take damage over simply taking down enemies. This time was no different. With me, Sharon, and Guy as ranged attackers, the main goal was to protect the caravan. Guy prioritized protecting us, and I and Sharon had less combat experience. Therefore, she probably thought it was better to focus on limiting the enemies' movements rather than reducing their numbers.

(I chose the Swallow Blade, which can deal reliable damage. It's indeed powerful and can be controlled freely. In a one-on-one fight, my choice wouldn't have been wrong. But, group combat is different from one-on-one. Just combining one-on-one fights doesn't make a group battle. I need to fundamentally change my approach, or I'll be caught off guard someday.)

As I was lost in thought, Byron continued talking.

"...In a mercenary's fight, survival is victory. Thinking about it afterward won't change the result. And the same situation will never happen again."

I understood his point, but I didn't want to regret it. As a former Japanese engineer, I couldn't deny the value of "analysis." I was probably in the habit of calmly examining successes and failures to understand why they happened.

(Well, there's no concept of QC in this world. The idea of PDCA is probably beyond the comprehension of ordinary people here. It was quite a challenge to explain this concept to Nicholas.)

As I was thinking, Byron's deputy, Curtis, interrupted.

"I'm surprised to hear the captain talking about such complicated things. By the way, isn't Lidi going to come? Hiding such a beauty... Mr. Zacharias, can you bring Lidi here?"

He was quite drunk and acting familiar. Guy's eyes gleamed, but I shook my head slightly to stop him.

"Still, Curtis, you did take down one of them from the back, didn't you?"

I brought up the battle from earlier, and he eagerly joined in. If I let him get too familiar, Guy might say something, and the atmosphere would turn sour.

(My skills for handling drunk people, honed at company parties, seem to work in this world too...)

"That's right. But the captain says, 'You went too far forward. You were too slow to return.' I was thinking strategically. But..."

I nodded vigorously, showing agreement.

"Indeed, it seemed like you were thinking. Given the initial situation and the number of harpies, the best archer in the team should have moved forward."

My words made him nod happily.

"That's right. You really understand, Mr. Zacharias."

Thinking he might get too confident and cause trouble with Byron later, I added a cautionary note.

"But, Byron has a point. The tide of the battle should have been clear once we started attacking. I understand why Byron said you should have returned immediately..."

Curtis looked a bit disappointed, so I continued.

"You're the deputy. You're different from the regular mercenaries. I think Byron mentioned it because he expects a lot from you."

My words seemed to please him.

"You're right. The captain has a point..."

(In Japan, people would have found such talk annoying, but he's surprisingly receptive...)

Other mercenaries gathered, and we continued the conversation. However, dealing with drunk people while sober was quite tiring. I almost reached for the alcohol but held back, considering my growing body.

(I don't mind such gatherings, but not being able to drink is tough. I plan to avoid drinking until I turn fifteen in five years... but I might be tempted...)

There's no law against minors drinking in this world, but I'm self-regulating due to the potential effects on my body.

(I remember something about brain development and bone growth. I heard it could affect memory and height. There should also be effects on internal organs, so it's better not to drink until my body is fully grown. But I can't wait until I'm twenty...)

After about two hours, I pretended to go to the bathroom and escaped to my room. Guy, who stayed behind, apparently slept in the dining hall to avoid waking me up.

The next day, we left Thornbrow at 8 a.m. The mercenaries were suffering from hangovers and lack of sleep, but the captain, Byron, and the deputy, Curtis, were as usual. Curtis apologized for his behavior the night before, but I brushed it off. Guy, who had slept in the dining hall, was his usual self, but I noticed he glared at Curtis when he approached.

(Considering it was a drinking party, I think it's okay to be a bit lenient... Curtis looks scared...)

Many of the drivers were suffering from severe hangovers and had pale faces. I couldn't help but wonder if they would be okay.

The distance from Thornbrow to Grims village was thirty kilometers, the same as the distance from Bowden to Thornbrow, but the road was well-maintained and flat, so we could arrive by 4 p.m. even with breaks. Yesterday, we didn't have much time to enjoy the scenery, but this area was a basin surrounded by the Aquila Mountains to the right, the Porta Mountains to the left, and the Saeum Mountains in front.

The next day, it rained, but we arrived at Maygur village without any problems.

Maygur village supplied food to Periclitur and had a population of about a thousand. Unlike Thornbrow, it had no walls, just a simple fence around the village, making it a peaceful farming village. It wasn't on a hill like Rasmor village, but the grassland sloped gently toward the forest, where white sheep and brown cows grazed leisurely.

While enjoying the scenery, I thought about the adventurer's town, Periclitur, which we would reach the next day.

(An adventurer's town. Just hearing the words makes my heart leap. What kind of town is it...?)

The entrance exams for the Magic Academy start on July 22. There is a period for aptitude tests from ten days before the written exam to the day before the written exam, during which you can apply for the exam at any time. In other words, you can apply for the exam up to the day before the written exam. We still had half a month until the deadline to arrive in Doctus.

We plan to stay in Periclitur for three days. The distance from Periclitur to Doctus is two hundred kilometers. The Aurelia Road between these places is better maintained than the Ars Road and is frequently patrolled, making it quite safe. For experienced travelers, it's a five-day journey, and for us, it should take about eight days.