Chapter 45

Since fried rice with eggs is out of the question, I think I'll make mayonnaise. If I have vinegar. No, I do. It was among the bulk purchase Kokuin made. Well, what should I have as the main dish?

Suddenly, Kokuin's shoulders shook as he walked ahead. In front of us, several figures of knights on horseback, clad in white armor, were approaching slowly without any sense of urgency.

"…Are we already in the next territory?"

I asked in a low voice. Kokuin shook his head ambiguously. There's no clear boundary, so it's hard for ordinary people to know where one ends and the other begins.

"What should we do?"

"Trying to hide would be suspicious."

"Yeah."

No way, surely nothing will happen after we've come this far, right? We maintained our composure and continued to ride without slowing down.

"Excuse me."

When we were close enough to recognize each other's faces, they called out to us.

"I'm sorry to bother you."

Since they stopped, we had to stop as well.

The bearded knight seemed to be the leader. He looked at each of us in turn.

"Is there anything we can help you with?"

He seemed surprised that I responded. He glanced between Kokuin and me.

"Did you see any suspicious people on your way here?"

The sincere knight spoke to me without underestimating me just because I'm a child. Still, suspicious people?

I tilted my head, not understanding the question.

"Actually, there have been some bandit attacks in this area. Did you suffer any damage when you camped?"

I see. Bandits, huh.

"Did the knights come out for this?"

Kokuin asked, perhaps thinking it was all right. Later, I learned that the knights only move for large-scale bandit groups.

The bearded knight shrugged.

"It seems a noble was attacked. We've been ordered to retrieve the stolen goods."

Hey, is that okay to say? He clearly looks bothered.

Kokuin glanced at me. Yeah. We actually have a lead.

"I saw someone in the mountains, but I'm not sure if they were bandits."

"What?"

He probably thought we wouldn't have any useful information. The bearded knight's face tensed.

"I went off the path to gather herbs and saw someone who didn't look like an adventurer. There was no village nearby, so I wondered who they were."

"Was it just one person?"

"Yes. They weren't armed, but they seemed very cautious of their surroundings, so I turned back without getting too close."

"Come on, don't be scared of one person. You're an adventurer, right?"

The guy behind the bearded knight muttered. The knight glared at him.

"I'm sorry. I'm a pharmacist and can't fight. I'm also a new adventurer and don't have much combat experience. I can't compare to a knight who can risk their life at any moment."

I responded with a troubled expression, and the guy looked uncomfortable and averted his gaze. There are knights who look down on adventurers.

"I'm sorry, my subordinate was rude. I'll discipline him later. Please accept my apology."

Look at that! The bearded knight is bowing. The guy who complained is fidgeting.

"Please raise your head. It's fine! Ah, the location! I'll tell you the location!"

I fidgeted and had him raise his head, then told him the general area where I saw the suspicious person.

"I see. There should be the remains of an abandoned village in that area."

The smart-looking knight with glasses spoke up.

"Didn't you search there before?"

"The report said they did a patrol."

"Maybe they missed it. Or maybe they were just going through the motions…"

The knight glared at the guy, who shook his head nervously. Yeah, yeah. Their relationship seems complicated. I don't want to get involved.

"I'm not sure if it's the bandits' hideout."

Don't get mad if I'm wrong.

"Of course. It's our job anyway. Thank you for the valuable information."

The bearded knight flashed a smile and left with his subordinates. He seems like a good person. It's just that he doesn't have good subordinates.

"Phew."

Kokuin relaxed his shoulders.

"You were scared. You thought they were pursuers."

I whispered, and he nodded.

I didn't think they would come after us now, but situations can change.

"Let's get to the next town quickly."

"Right."

I urged Rada to start moving again. Rada didn't ask any questions. Instead of being captivated by the knight's good looks, she was excited by the handsome horse he was riding. Yeah, it was a white horse with a sharp face. Tsukushi would be jealous.

One of the knights came back and passed us. Kokuin said he might have gone to call for reinforcements. So they might have found the hideout.

We could see the town.

Outside the gate, two groups of knights in different armor were gathered. It must be a joint operation between two territories. Oh, they're arguing. Who gets to go, I guess.

"Hey, do they go on bandit hunts in such conspicuous outfits?"

They're shining in the sun. The bearded knight's armor was matte and elegant.

"Hmm, maybe that's their parade uniform. It's just flashy, but the defense might be..."

"Ah, the shiny army is moving. The other side is chasing them! They're shouting at each other! They're drawing their swords... they slipped out! The leader of the shiny army fell off his horse! He can't get up!"

I narrated it like a live broadcast, of course in a low voice. Kokuin held his head in silence. That shiny army is ours. The one Kokuin has seen before. What's going on with the guards, the lord, and the knights.

We passed through the gate, pretending we didn't see the commotion. The gatekeepers came out to watch.

We weren't thoroughly checked. We just showed our adventurer's licenses. Rada paid the entry tax. We should probably get some kind of ID eventually.

It feels like we completed a mission, and I'm happy. If I put it dramatically, the reward is 'freedom.' For Kokuin, it means leaving his hometown.

"Should we go to an inn? The merchant guild? Get some food?"

...He doesn't seem to have any particular feelings about it. That's good.