Chapter 303

Chapter 303: 303

At Tsuia

All in all this time, our lineup had my party: Meat, Ichika, Rokuko and I .

Followed by Team Bacchus: Gozoh, Roppu, and Wataru .

We even had Maidence, a noble of Tsuia, and her maid . Oh, and the no-good elf Shikina .

We had ten people in all, the coachman excluded . Maidence and the maid will be left in Tsuia though, so we would be heading for the imperial capital with eight people in all .

By the way, the carriage and coachman were furnished by the Tsuia family . It was a noble’s wagon, one with a door that had their family’s coat of arms on it . It was no covered wagon . It was a properly made box-type carriage . Big enough that all ten of us could fit .

Thankfully, we’ll be able to use this carriage up until Tsuia . We’ll be fine with our luggage since we have [Storage], too .

Gozoh came to talk with me before we left .

“Hey Kehma . Eh, erm, what about Salamander-dono?”1

“It still has to discipline the flame dragon and it’s being a bit difficult, so it won’t be leaving Tsuia Mountain yet . ”

“O-Oh . So it’ll come if you call for it?”

“How would I? Send it a letter or something?”

“Huh? No, I mean isn’t there something for that in your contract? Like that time in [Flame Cavern] . ”

“That’s just because it was originally hiding there . That guy’s been passing his time in [Flame Cavern] from the start, after all . ”

There’s a Salamander passing the time by idly in there… well, that’s the sort of setting we’re going with for Ontentoo’s public appearance .

“I see . So that’s why I felt so comfortable with you there…? Or maybe the key to it was Beddhism?”

Like I’d know?

Well, after all that, we started on our journey to the capital .

Rei, I’ll be leaving the inn and dungeon to you!

*

We arrive at Tsuia in the horse-drawn carriage without much of anything really happening .

Still though, for us to take just two hours for the trip… it used to take us six hours hiking from the dungeon to Tsuia way back when . I doubt it’d take even one hour on a fast horse .

“That was such a comfortable ride, as expected of a noble’s carriage… but still though, we didn’t even have to be examined or pay the toll since Maidence-sama was with us… truly, as expected of a noble . ”

“Ya shouldn’t need money to walk into yer own house aye? And this carriage here’s basically one big identification device . ”

“That’s correct, Gozoh-san . Though nobles do need to pay the toll . Even I have to!”

“Oh aye, you were one of them kinda-nobles since yer a Hero, Wataru . I forgot . ”

I mean, we could have went past without paying the toll for a single carriage this time since it’d be put on the guild’s tab .

So I guess we should really be saying more like as expected of Haku-san, the adventurer guild’s grand master .

“Haaah, I want to stay with Kuro-sama though . ”

“… We’ll be reading the lord’s manor soon, so prepare to get off . ”

“It’s alright, Kuro-sama . I left my preparations to my maid, so I can be next to you until the last moment . ”

We’d decided to head to the lord’s manor right away .

Doing so, we received a personal greetings from Yudence Tsuia, the lord himself .

“Oooh, Kehma-dono . It’s been a while! And you too, Nishimi-dono! Mai, have you been doing well?”

Wonder what made him greet me first? Did he have some ulterior motive?

I can’t see it as him just greeting the person watching over his daughter first, since he greeted Wataru—the person to bring her to me in the first place—second .

“Yes, father . I have also deepened my relationship with my fiancé, Kuro-sama . ”

“I see, I see! So you’ve gotten to the point of giving Kuroinu-dono a nickname! Isn’t seeing our children getting along so well refreshing, Kehma-dono?”

“Hahaha… . well, as you see, your daughter has been brought back safe and sound as you anticipated . ”

I couldn’t tell what his hidden meaning was there that well, so I went with forcing a smile just in case .

“Wait, what!? Her fiancé…!? Kehma-sama, isn’t Kuro-chan a… . —!? No way, a crossdresser…!?”

“Y-yeah, Wataru, are you okay?”

“Ah—sorry, I lost myself there for a moment . ”

Oh yeah, Wataru had that marriage fraud issue with the crossdresser a long time ago, didn’t he .

“Kehma-sama . We will be parting from you temporary, but please, feel free to continue using the carriage . So long as you have it, your exit from the town should go just as smoothly . ”

“Hmm…”

… It has their crest on it though? I want a different carriage .

When I glanced back to Yudence, our eyes met .

“Whaaat? Don’t worry about it . It’s natural that my daughter’s fiancé would have access to something like this . ”

“… Could I get one without the crest on it? I get the feeling various troubles will crop up because of it . ”

“On the contrary, I believe those troubles would only occur if you didn’t have our crest on the carriage . However, Kehma-dono, would you prefer for us to arrange one without our crest for you?”

I wonder if Haku-san’s hand is in this somehow…? I’m worried about bandits attacking us midway because of the crest though…

With that, Wataru interrupted .

“Oh, Yudence-san . We would love a covered wagon with your crest on it! Really, traveling in a covered wagon is the best way to go, right Kehma-san?”

“Hm? I will prepare a covered wagon as you’ve requested then, Nishimi-dono . I assume you are fine with that, Kehma-dono?”

“Oh, yeah . I’ll leave the decisions about it to him, I’m not too versed in wagons . ”

Traveling in a covered wagon, huh . Man does that remind me of RPG games .

“Hey, Wataru . Why the crest?”

“Kehma-san, you know how Golen is so near Tsuia? It’s better for you to clearly show off your connection with Yudence-san . ”

“… So it’s to prevent other nobles from intervening?”

“Exactly! See how helpful it’ll be to borrow their crest now?”

So that was a thing, huh . Troublesome…

“Kehma-dono! How about a cup of tea while you wait for the wagon to be prepared? I’d like have a chat with you and that girl with you, too . ”

The lord smiled at both Rokuko and I .

“Oh, well look at the time . I have to go do something for the journey . Leave it to me, Kehma . ”

“I have to deliver a few documents to the guild and pick up a delivery commission for a bit . ”

“I’m going too . Party members should do stuff together right?”

“Oh, I’ll go with ye then!”

“Want to get some alcohol with me, Gozoh? Wataru, we’ll fetch the commission as Team Bacchus . ”

Like a bunch of spiders scattering, they left Rokuko, Meat and I alone in the blink of an eye .

Though it felt more like they were ditching something annoying than leaving tactfully . Yeah .

“… Well, it’s a good chance, so how about we treat ourselves to some tea, Kehma?”

“… Yeah . ”

Seeing as how I was able to hear some good stuff about aristocratic etiquette during the chat over some tea, I guess it turned out alright .

*

The wagon, prepared while I was listening to valuable tales from the lord, had our luggage already loaded onto it so that we could leave right away .

It was almost entirely just small luggage bags, so the time to part with Maidence came surprisingly quickly .

“Please take care of yourselves, everyone . And Kuro-sama, see you… nn—”

“—”

Oh, Maidence actually gave Meat a goodbye kiss… on the cheek . She pulled off something Rokuko couldn’t, and easily, at that . So that’s the strength of an aristocrat’s daughter?

“Wha—!? W-Wow, you did it, Mai . ”

“Fufufu, if you can’t manage something of this level, Kehma-sama might get snatched away from you, Rokuko-sama . ”

“N-No he won’t! Kehma and I are in a relationship that’ll last to death… . ! It’s alright, right, Kehma?”

Yeah, it’s alright . Probably .

“Hm–hmmm? That is not necessarily true, Rokuko-dono! For I am here!”

“Step back, you perverted elf . Say that after you can at least manage your multiples of seven without making a mistake . ”

“I-I don’t make any mistakes though! … If I use my fingers . ”

When did Rokuko and Shikina get on such good terms? I had no clue they were this close .

Like that, we left Tsuia . We had to drink tea with Yudence this, but now I guess we can come and go whenever we want?

… This is the first time I’ll have travelled further than here . I’m a bit excited to see what it’s like . 2

“It will be around five days to reach the next town . ”

… That’s pretty far though!?

1 . I am very, very close to eliminating honorifics from my LDM translation . Hrm .

2 . Guess teleporting doesn’t count .