Chapter 64

Previous Summary:

Garbera and the blunt weapon.

10

The monster extermination operation around the pioneer village, conducted by the knights, was a success without any casualties, thanks to the cooperation of the villagers who were familiar with the area.

As I had offered to the captain, I and Lily also participated in this operation.

The monsters seemed to be increasing, and there were a few tense moments.

However, with Shiran leading the charge, Lily providing support by casting spells while protecting me, and the battle-hardened knights, we managed to push through.

For me, it was a valuable opportunity to gain practical combat experience.

It was disappointing that we didn't find any of the beings we were looking for, but even if we had, explaining it to the villagers who accompanied us would have been difficult. Perhaps it was for the best.

Upon returning, we stayed one more night in the pioneer village.

Apart from the apology from Miki Taiichi, who brought along some of his companions who had misbehaved while drunk, the night passed uneventfully, and we set out from the village the next morning.

The villagers saw us off—more accurately, they saw off the hero.

The fast horse sent ahead by the captain should have delivered the news of the fall of Cheria Fort, but it was unclear how quickly the empire would respond.

Depending on the situation, the villagers might need to abandon this pioneer village and evacuate north.

Despite this, the villagers' expressions seemed to be more hopeful than anxious. The reason, I believe, lies in the presence of the hero who descended into this world.

To begin with, why is Cheria Fort being abandoned, and why do the villagers need to evacuate? Thinking about this made me feel a bit conflicted.

The villagers are unaware of the actions of Kuroda Tatsuya and Kudo Riku.

Since it's not something that can be casually mentioned, the captain only explained that Cheria Fort was attacked by a large number of monsters.

If they knew, how would their gaze toward us change?

I couldn't help but be aware of the villagers' gazes as we left the village in our carriage.

＊＊＊

The captain left some soldiers behind in the village as a precaution, making the journey ahead somewhat more challenging.

Considering the rest and recovery we had in the village, it was probably for the best.

The monotonous forest scenery continued without end, but we couldn't afford to let our guard down. We repelled monster attacks and continued our journey.

The change in the landscape came three days after leaving the village.

"This is..."

I had noticed the trees gradually becoming fewer.

I had expected this to happen soon.

However, I hadn't anticipated such a clear change.

It felt as if we were moving through water, with something always surrounding us.

It was colorless and odorless.

I hadn't realized it before because we had been in it all along.

My senses had become saturated and numb.

But now that it was gone, I understood for the first time.

This is the Tree Sea, a kind of otherworld created by the magic-infused trees.

The animals, including the horses, might be sensitive to this difference in the air, which is why they are reluctant to enter.

I stood up on the driver's seat, handing the reins to Lily, who was sitting next to me.

Our carriage was descending a gentle slope, the brakes creaking.

From the elevated view of the driver's seat, I could see through the gaps between the trees to the front.

The trees were thinning, and ahead lay a grassland.

A small settlement, similar to a pioneer village, was visible.

The dense green mass at the foot of the distant mountains—was it just a forest, or a remnant of the Tree Sea?

I squinted against the headwind. The smell of the wind was different too.

"Senpai, right now..."

Kato appeared on the driver's seat, captivated by the scenery.

She seemed to sense something, her eyes filled with anticipation. I nodded in response.

"Yeah. It looks like we've made it through the Tree Sea."

A relaxed atmosphere had begun to spread among the soldiers marching in two rows ahead.

The captain's voice, urging them to regain their focus, reached us.

"Finally..."

Kato murmured with a mix of emotions, leaning forward on the driver's seat.

She was captivated by the scenery for a while.

Due to leaning forward, she was closer to me than usual, but she didn't seem to notice.

But it was understandable.

Since being transported to this world, we had been trapped in this forest.

Finally making it through must have filled her with indescribable emotion.

I suddenly noticed that Kato's hand was gripping the hem of my clothes.

It seemed to be an unconscious action, as she was still focused on the plain.

If I pointed it out, this hand would probably let go, and it would ruin this moment.

I pretended not to notice and looked out into the distance again.

At the end of this road lies the Empire's Lawrence County and the trading city of Seratta.

＊＊＊

With a slightly lighter step, the surviving soldiers of Cheria Fort continued down the road.

We had made it through the Tree Sea and entered the Empire's Lawrence County.

According to what I had heard from Kai, this area is known for its strong prejudice against elves.

In the southern part of the Empire, including Lawrence County, elves are treated more like a lower class compared to the northern regions, which are not adjacent to the Tree Sea.

This might be more convenient for their role as a defensive force.

In contrast, in the northern regions, including the small country of Aker, where Kai and Shiran are from, the historical discrimination against elves is much less.

However, the entire country is almost half-swallowed by the Tree Sea, making life difficult for the elves regardless.

Reflecting on it, when we were preparing to leave Cheria Fort, Shiran was in charge of the knights instead of the captain, who was giving orders to the imperial soldiers with Kiyohiko.

The southern army of the Empire includes many from Lawrence County.

The division of roles between the captain and Shiran was due to this background.

"Kai, can you come over here for a moment?"

At night, we camped a little away from the soldiers to avoid any unfortunate friction.

Kai, who was in charge of our care, was with us.

Shiran and Kiyohiko sometimes joined us, but not that day.

"What is it, Takahiro-san?"

Kai, who was talking with Garbera, came over.

She was carrying Ayame, whose limp limbs were adorable.

When Ayame's eyes met mine, she started kicking her legs, apparently wanting to come over.

Wagging her tail busily, Ayame swam through the air doggy-style, and I took her from Kai.

"I have something to give to Kai."

"Something to give?"

"Yes. Rose, give her what you showed me earlier."

"Yes, Master."

Rose nodded and handed the item to Kai.

"I borrowed a few new magic stones. I had Rose make a magic tool using one of the simpler ones."

I gave Kai a simple bracelet with a cream-colored imitation magic stone embedded in it.

"This is an imitation of a flash magic stone."

"...Huh?"

While petting Ayame, Kai stopped trying to put on the bracelet at my words.

"Aren't flash magic stones the disposable ones?"

"Yes, that's right."

Some magic stones have a limited number of uses.

A flash magic stone is a non-lethal blinding stone that self-destructs by producing a strong light.

Even though it produces the same light, it's different from a long-lasting lighting magic stone.

This is related to the quality and output of the magic stone.

A higher quality stone lasts longer, while a higher output stone wears out faster.

"I can't accept such an expensive item!"

Kai, flustered, tried to return the bracelet.

While flash magic stones are relatively inexpensive among magic stones because they don't use high-quality raw stones, they are still expensive for the average person when considered as a disposable self-defense tool.

However, this is not a regular magic stone but an imitation.

"Since it's homemade, there's no material cost. Please don't treat it as disposable. Rose can only make these for now."

Currently, the imitation magic stones Rose can make have low output and durability.

This is natural given that she is still in the trial-and-error stage, and the types she can make are limited.

Additionally, Rose's imitation magic stones have another technical limitation.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of magic stones: those that require the user's magic power and those that don't.

The former includes magic tools like water flasks that produce water and lighters, while the latter includes vehicles powered by ambient magic power.

The latter type has a mechanism to absorb magic power from the environment.

An extreme example of this is the restraints used to secure criminals in this world.

In our world, we can incapacitate people by simply locking them in prison.

However, in this world, some residents can enhance their physical abilities with magic, cast spells, and break out of prison without any tools.

While these individuals are highly valued in a world threatened by monsters, some still turn to crime.

To deal with such individuals, this world has tools that seal magic power.

When the user tries to use magic, the restraints absorb the magic power and disperse it.

Once restrained, it's nearly impossible for an ordinary person to escape.

However, living beings have resistance to interference with their own magic power, so restraints can only be applied if the person is unconscious or willing.

Moreover, it's questionable whether they are strong enough to hold a specialized warrior like a Warrior.

Nevertheless, these tools play an essential role in maintaining law and order in this world.

Unfortunately, such types of magic stones, which require a mechanism to absorb magic power, are too complex for Rose to make at this stage.

Rose wants to make vehicles powered by ambient magic power, but they require a mechanism to absorb magic power from the air and sufficient durability to maintain output. Realizing this is beyond her current capabilities, she looked dejected.

"I understand the situation, but why are you giving this to me?"

Kai asked, handling the bracelet cautiously, which made me smile.

"I heard that elves are in a weak position in the Empire. It wouldn't hurt to have a means of self-defense in case you get involved in trouble."

"True, the Empire is strongly prejudiced against elves, but it's not to the point where people throw stones. In Lawrence County, elves are not oppressed... In the northern MacLaurin March, I've heard that's the case, though."

"Ah, the 'elf-hating MacLaurin,' right?"

I'm gradually learning more about this world.

According to the lessons from Kai, who acts as a small teacher, there are three powerful families in the southern Empire that hold significant power and military strength, acting as the overlords of surrounding nobles.

One of them is the MacLaurin March.

As an overlord, the March is vast. On the map of the northern Tree Sea I saw, it was depicted as larger than all five northern countries combined.

While it feels strange that a noble's territory is larger than a country, I learned that the territories of the Empire's major nobles are almost like countries themselves.

According to Kiyohiko, the Emperor of the Empire is a powerful noble with a distinguished history and a cathedral church that venerates the hero.

"The most important thing is the last part. In other words, if there's a problem with the current Emperor, the church can simply replace the head," he said.

While his view is biased against the church, which dislikes the hero, it does touch on the essence of the matter.

The hero is what matters most.

This world is probably structured that way.

It feels a bit unnatural to me, coming from another world, but this is the natural state of this world.

In fact, there have been instances in the past where a powerful noble, backed by the church, usurped the throne.

The nobles of the Elekse Empire sometimes wield power that surpasses the royal family.

Regarding the MacLaurin March, it's not just vast. It has many mines that produce magic stones, making it economically very wealthy.

Moreover, it's not directly adjacent to the Tree Sea, so it suffers relatively little from monster attacks. The reputation of the "elf-hating MacLaurin" might stem from the fact that, despite being in the strongly prejudiced south, they don't need the elves' power.

"Most of the soldiers from the MacLaurin March are sent to Evynus Fort. So, we won't go there this time. It's fine."

"Still, it's true that there are fewer people who can help you if something happens. It wouldn't hurt to have this. Think of it as a thank you for all your help."

Kai seemed troubled, realizing I wasn't going to back down.

Kato, who was standing behind her, patted her shoulders.

"It's fine. Senpai is just worried about Kai."

"...I think he's a bit overprotective."

"Hehe, that's true."

Kato smiled at Kai, who was hugging the bracelet to her chest with a lowered brow.

Seeing her, I frowned slightly.

"Why are you talking about it like it's none of your business?"

"Huh?"

"I have one for you too, Kato."

In response to my gaze, Rose offered the bracelet to Kato, who widened her eyes.

"I just received a knife the other day."

"As I told Kai, it's always good to have a means of self-defense."

I hadn't forgotten the incident in the pioneer village.

I told Miki, who came to apologize, that I wasn't bothered, but it would be foolish to trust them enough to not take precautions.

"But..."

"Please take it, Kato."

Lily interrupted Kato, who was about to say something.

"As Kato said, Master is really overprotective. Right?"

"...I'm just being cautious."

I frowned as Lily hugged me from behind and poked my cheek.

"Hehe, that's true."

Lily laughed, and I suspected she was just hiding her embarrassment.

＊＊＊

The journey continued.

We stopped at the pioneer village to check on the situation and took occasional breaks, but generally, we headed straight north.

We also met up with a military unit heading to Cheria Fort, which delayed us for about half a day.

I didn't meet them directly, but the captain later told me it was a unit of about twenty soldiers.

I was concerned about the captain's serious expression, but with the need to resume the journey, she left quickly.

Since we had requested reinforcements, the arrival of only twenty soldiers might indicate that the information from the messenger wasn't taken seriously.

If that's the case, it would be meaningful for the captain, who held a responsible position at Cheria Fort, to go to Seratta and explain the situation directly.

Eventually,