Chapter 9

After that, it was time for snacks.

"Even if you hadn't said anything, I was planning to serve them. How about these cookies? I don't have much else, but I hope they suit your taste."

Agatha looked worried as she brought out the cookies. After I ate them, I understood why she had been so worried. She had added bran to bulk them up.

"They're delicious! I've been eating just bread and water for a while now, and even before entering the temple, I didn't get to eat cookies very often. To me, this is a treat."

My stepmother, after my father died, was reluctant to even give me meals. At my age, when I was just a child, I couldn't think of any other way to endure, so I had to make do with bread and a little meat in vegetable soup.

Later, when I learned about the fruit trees growing outside the town, I used fruit to supplement my sweet cravings. So, the bran cookies are a wonderful snack. When she realized I was genuinely grateful, Agatha's expression softened.

"I'm glad. The food situation will likely become more severe, so we're cutting back in preparation for next year. That's why I added the bran. I'm sorry."

"Food situation?"

When I asked, Agatha explained.

"The spirits in this country have really decreased. Since it's already autumn, this year's harvest seems manageable, but next year will be tough. That's why the country is preparing for a famine."

"Famine..."

Is the impact so severe that you have to use such words?

"It's still just a matter of the crops not yielding as much as expected... but," Agatha sighed. "It's probably because the spirits have only recently disappeared. Still, the fact that there's an impact has made Agatha and others cautious."

"It will likely become more noticeable. To buy time for countermeasures, we need to prepare now."

I nodded in agreement. If the decrease in spirits affects the harvest, it's unlikely to recover next year or the year after. Even if we try to improve it with magic, it will take time. That's why they are stockpiling now to secure next year's supply.

Even the Duke is eating bran and things that were previously discarded, reducing his meal portions. The disappearance of spirits is truly a difficult situation, I sighed.

That night, after being allowed to take a bath, I fell asleep without realizing it. I went to bed right after dinner, still not fully recovered from the fatigue of prison life and the escape.

(I don't have an excess of stamina, after all.)

I'm at a normal level. I had also been dragged around, pushed, and fell while running down mountain paths, sustaining injuries. For a 12-year-old body, it's not unusual to need rest and sleep.

(And I took some strange medicine, so I'm glad it's just this.)

The medicine given by Prince Sarian. I didn't think it would actually work, but it was even more unexpected as a potion to change my appearance. As someone who has dabbled in alchemy, I'm curious about the ingredients, but it's probably mostly magic. After all, the manufacturer is the Demon King. Thinking about it, I now look the same age as Prince Sarian.

(If I meet him, he'll probably be surprised. I've never heard of a spell that suddenly makes you younger, and he might not even recognize me as Liz.)

It's a bit sad, but at least I won't be killed. The soldiers who chased me won't think I'm the Holy Maiden Seris, and if they can't find me, they might think I fell off a cliff and died.

Would Prince Sarian be sad if he heard that? But someday, I want to let him know I'm safe, even by letter. And to thank him... Thanks to you, I survived.

I fell asleep lost in thought.

The next morning, after a hurried breakfast, I was dressed in a child's cloak as a simple travel outfit and got into the carriage.

The carriage wasn't expensive, but it was well-made. The wheels were iron, and it seemed sturdy even on rough roads.

When I got in, the interior was quite spacious. The seats were covered in burgundy fabric with cushions, and they were comfortable. However, considering the black carriage and the seat color, I couldn't help but think the Einveil Kingdom was thoroughly fond of red and black, almost making me laugh.

But Agatha wasn't wearing red and black, and the dress she had procured for me in the town near the fortress was red and brown.

The Duke, on the other hand, was apparently traveling to the capital on horseback. Outside the window, he was giving instructions to his knights and soldiers nearby, wearing his usual black and red uniform. Still...

"Isn't the number of guards quite small for the Duke's travel?"

Since the people who accompanied the Holy Maiden in the temple would understand my concern, I asked. After all, besides the Duke, there were only five knights and five soldiers. Two of the soldiers were sitting on the driver's seat, which seemed too few for the head of a household known throughout the neighboring countries.

Agatha smiled and answered.

"Too many would make it difficult to move if we need to escape."

Escape?

In case of an emergency, I guess.

If they're preparing for such a bad situation, more guards should be necessary, but I decided to keep quiet, assuming it was the kingdom's way of doing things.

The carriage set off. Soon, I would understand why "too many would be useless."