Chapter 41

The carriage rattled along. It was a clear day, perfect for an expedition, although the destination, a wetland, was apparently shrouded in mist or overcast.

The seating arrangement was as follows: the captain by the entrance, the deputy captain, Berrie, across from her. I had the eagle-lion, Amelia, at my feet, Liette in front of me, Zara next to me, and Urgas across from her. Gal was holding the reins of the carriage.

It would take a day and a half by carriage to reach the Calkuk wetlands. The unexpectedly long travel time was frustrating.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was extremely awkward.

The cause was Liette's sudden appearance.

It seemed Zara knew her. Come to think of it, Zara had mentioned entrusting a lynx to her mother-in-law's family, which would be Liette's maternal grandparents' home.

"That girl was so mean. She asked me to give her my lynx as soon as she saw it. I couldn't, of course, because I had a contract with it."

"That, that was over three years ago, right!?"

"How old were you then?"

"Fifteen... but—"

An unexpected fact came to light. The tall, adult-like, and beautiful Liette was the same age as me.

What a shock. It was too much.

I had just been told by the cafeteria lady, "I thought you were around fifteen!"

However, I was surprised by Zara's unusually hostile attitude, but it seemed there was a reason.

"Bringing up something from years ago is so persistent."

"Of course. Who wouldn't be upset if they were asked to treat family members like commodities?"

At this point, Deputy Captain Berrie sternly reprimanded the two.

Incidentally, the captain had a perpetually angry expression. I didn't dare look at her directly, but the tense atmosphere was palpable.

Fortunately, Amelia was unusually well-behaved in the carriage.

Since she was such a good girl, I planned to give her a sugar cube during the break.

Sugar cubes were the eagle-lion's favorite treat, but overfeeding was strictly forbidden.

This was the longest travel time of any expedition I had been on.

We would have lunch in the nearest village and stay at an inn for the night. I wondered if the inn would allow a幻兽 to stay.

If not, we would sleep in the carriage.

"By the way, the eagle-lion is so well-behaved."

"Yes, she's a good girl."

According to the report written by the princess's maid, the eagle-lion was described as "extremely ferocious."

It must have been mishandled.

Liette, blushing, looked down at Amelia, who was curled up and snoring softly. She whispered, "So cute."

"Even if she is cute, only the health soldier, Lislis, and Gal are allowed to touch her. It's best not to try."

Urgas, who had been bitten by Amelia before, was giving a warning.

"I know that."

Liette claimed to be well-versed in the ecology of幻兽. Urgas apologized, saying, "I'm sorry," without much remorse.

When it was lunchtime, we decided to eat in the nearest village.

Since we had Amelia with us, we couldn't go to a restaurant. We hadn't prepared any boxed lunches because the expedition was sudden.

As I was wondering what to do, Deputy Captain Berrie made a suggestion.

"I'll go buy some takeout food."

"Thank you, that would be great."

Deputy Captain Berrie went to buy lunch, and we would eat in the carriage.

The captain and the others would eat at the restaurant.

In the carriage, I was alone with Liette.

I thought I should feed Amelia now.

When I called her, she woke up with a snap. When I offered her fruit, she grabbed it with her front paws.

I spread out a cloth to prevent the carriage from getting dirty with fruit juice.

"Oh, you can peel the skin yourself now."

"Yes, somehow."

It was difficult to teach her. I smiled, remembering the days it took for her to learn.

I gave her water and let her walk around a bit outside. This should keep her occupied for a while.

After finishing my tasks, I returned to the carriage.

The carriage was silent.

Outside the window, I could see lush nature and windmills on the hills. It was a picturesque village.

Feeling the awkwardness, Liette spoke up.

"Um—"

"Yes?"

"Am I really a bother?"

The current tense atmosphere in the team was due to Liette. So, I answered honestly.

"Well, as a health soldier, I would say yes, but as Amelia's contractor, I am very grateful. To be honest, I have no combat skills."

Liette would be a great support on the expedition.

I expected her to excel as a magic user.

"I can read the room, you know."

"That's wonderful."

"But, all that comes out of my mouth is sassy remarks."

"That's not good."

She asked how she could fit in with the team. Liette seemed genuinely troubled.

"It's not that difficult. Fitting in is easy."

"Is it, really?"

I nodded reassuringly.

"So, what should I do specifically?"

"Um, well—"

I was at a loss when asked for specifics.

Everyone had been kind, and before I knew it, I had fit in with the team.

"The captain may seem strict, but she's actually kind, and Zara is very supportive—"

"Kind? The captain, Roodtink, and the lynx owner?"

"The lynx owner is Zara Arts."

As we were talking, there was a knock on the carriage door.

It was Deputy Captain Berrie outside the window.

"That was quick."

"Yes, there was a street market near the village entrance."

"I see. Thank you for your hard work."

I greeted her with a salute.

The paper bag handed to me by Deputy Captain Berrie was still warm.

"These are steamed buns with a nut filling."

It seemed this was a hot spring town, and steamed dishes were common.

Other items included steamed eggs, skewered steamed chicken, and fried potatoes. These were typical street food dishes.

Deputy Captain Berrie handed a skewer of steamed chicken to Liette, who looked confused.

"Um, do we not have any utensils? Plates? Forks?"

"No, we don't. Just grab it with your hands."

"..."

"Do you have a knife?"

Deputy Captain Berrie smoothly drew a knife from her belt. Liette, with a tense expression, shook her head.

It seemed she was resistant to eating with her hands. As expected of a marquise's daughter.

"Liette, this is how we eat in the team. We're barbarians and bandits."

"Barbarians... bandits...?"

I tried to think of a better way to put it, but couldn't find the right words.

"If you find it difficult, you can return here. There's a carriage back to the capital."

This wasn't a harsh statement but a kindness from Deputy Captain Berrie.

If Liette wanted to return during the expedition, it wouldn't be possible.

Liette shook her head vigorously and grabbed the skewer of steamed chicken.

It was a chicken wing on a skewer.

She stared at the wing intently.

I decided to eat my skewer of steamed chicken first.

It looked like it was just steamed, but when I bit into it, I realized it wasn't. It was marinated in fruit vinegar, citrus, and spices.

It was sweet and tangy, rich yet light, and the meat was surprisingly tender.

"This is delicious."

I recommended it to Liette, who was still staring at the wing.

She tentatively bit into the wing and chewed, then let out a sigh.

"How is it?"

"Very barbarian-like."

Hearing her comment, Deputy Captain Berrie and I laughed.

◇◇◇

After lunch, I asked Deputy Captain Berrie how to fit in with the second team.

"It's not difficult at all."

Deputy Captain Berrie seemed to know the answer. Liette leaned in to listen.

"Instead of trying to do everything on your own, rely on others."

"That's it?"

"Yes. But it's hard to do consciously."

No one is omnipotent, Deputy Captain Berrie explained.

"That's why cooperation is necessary. The team is one unit. Once you understand this, fitting in will be easier."

In other words, don't be stubborn and work together. The interpretation can vary.

"I want you to feel reassured. The team members are all on your side. Some may look intimidating, but they are generally kind. However, I hope you can understand that they need to be strict. The second team is a group of young people who lack the capacity to handle unexpected situations."

Liette nodded deeply at Deputy Captain Berrie's words.

Her eyes, which had been filled with doubt, now seemed to show determination.

Then, she spoke with resolve.

"I understand. I will try to become a barbarian bandit—!"

—Well, that's not quite right, is it?

I was worried about the future.