Chapter 8: What Lies Ahead Is Unseen — Part 1: Easy Escorting
<
≡
>
Warning: This content may contain explicit or mature themes and is intended for viewers 18 and older. Viewer discretion is strongly advised.
Volume 1: Witch Carly Arc
Chapter 8: What Lies Ahead Is Unseen
— Part 1: Easy Escorting
They entered the Kingdom of Uniom from the Kingdom of Exley.
The Kingdom of Uniom worships the "God of War." However, this does not mean they are engaged in constant warfare with other nations.
The Kingdom of Uniom, like the Kingdom of Exley, is situated along the vast Papas Mountain Range. Because of this, monsters often emerge from the Papas Mountains.
As a result, there are many battles with these monsters, which apparently led to their worship of the God of War.
This, however, was irrelevant to the two travelers continuing their journey.
As they entered the Kingdom of Uniom, they reached the third town.
Magnolia was still fine for now, but it seemed she might hit her limit in two days. It would be best to pray at the next town.
The next day, Aurelius and his companion were riding in a carriage. Normally, they would walk, but since a merchant was looking for escorts, they decided to take the job. While traveling on foot was enjoyable and liberating, a carriage definitely offered more speed.
Moreover, interacting with others and engaging in conversation provided Aurelius with a wealth of knowledge. After all, what Aurelius needed was practical knowledge of everyday life.
The escort job involved a merchant with three carriages.
Each carriage had two seats—one for the merchant and one for his apprentice, and a hired coachman held the reins. There was also an escort seat next to him.
It seemed that the merchant had previously operated with two carriages, but having made a good profit, he increased the number to three for this trip.
The merchant had one full-time escort, which was sufficient for two carriages, but with three carriages this time, he needed to hire additional escorts. The permanent escort, a former adventurer, was well-acquainted with the procedure.
The merchant requested two additional escorts, but the Adventurers' Guild said it would be quite challenging. Typically, adventurers form parties of at least four, and sometimes more than ten, so accepting the job with only two was considered difficult.
Just then, Aurelius and Magnolia, a duo, appeared. They were approached by the guild staff and the merchant.
If the job had been for just one day, they would have accepted it willingly. However, the request was for two days. It would be ideal if she found someone she liked in the town, but if not, her situation was uncertain. They didn't want to take that risk.
Even so, they couldn't turn down the persistent request and ended up agreeing to be the escorts.
"Well, if it comes down to it, I'll take the medicine."
"But, in four days or so, it should be a day when we won't need to rely on the medicine. I can hold out until then."
"I think it will be quite tough, so I don't want to push Magnolia too hard."
"But—"
"Well, we can decide when the time comes."
Aurelius said this more casually than usual. With four potential prayer partners right in front of him, he figured they should be able to manage.
The journey with the horse-drawn carriage went smoothly without any incidents.
Aurelius was riding in the second carriage, with the coachman beside him.
The lead carriage had the merchant and the permanently employed spear-wielding escort, while the back carriage contained the apprentice and Magnolia.
"It's quite a leisurely trip. I'm wondering if it's really okay to be receiving such a good reward for something so easy."
Aurelius engaged the coachman in conversation.
"Well, this ease is probably just for now."
Upon further inquiry, the coachman shared that he used to be a merchant. However, while transporting goods with his carriage, he was attacked by monsters, lost all his cargo, and barely escaped with his life.
He ended up losing everything—his cargo, his horses, his carriage—and was left with a debt to the guild he could not repay. In his desperation, he was saved by the merchant and now works as a coachman.
This made him acutely aware of the importance of escorts.
"No, you see, if no one had volunteered to be escorts this time, there were discussions about going with just the four of us.
I suggested that we should increase the number of escorts to four and hire more if necessary. Luckily, we had the two of you available to help.
So, are the two of you strong? For example, what would you do if a Black Wolf showed up?"
"Well, a Black Wolf or Goblin shouldn't be a problem. We've dealt with them several times."
"That's comforting to hear."
At noon, they stopped the carriage for a meal. The merchant had prepared food for the two of them as well. This was one of the terms of their escort agreement.
However, the meals Aurelius had in his storage box were more lavish.
In the afternoon, Aurelius took the rear carriage, while Magnolia rode in the front one. There wasn't any specific reason, but Aurelius had asked to switch so he could talk with everyone.
"I'll sit next to you.
Though, I'm sure you'd prefer Magnolia."
"No, that's not the case at all,"
The apprentice was still young, though likely older than Aurelius.
He dreams of saving up enough money someday to own his own carriage. He also dreams of traveling across the continent and striking it rich in business.
"I haven't been an adventurer for very long either. There are still many countries I haven't been to yet, so I'm excited."
"I've visited nine countries."
"More than half? That's really impressive."
When Aurelius praised him, the apprentice shyly scratched his head.
"I'd like to ask you something.
Magnolia was riding here until noon. What were you two talking about?
Since I'm her lover, I'm curious if I should be worried about any infidelity."
"You're so lucky to have someone as beautiful as her as your lover.
I wonder when I'll ever get married.
I feel like my whole life will pass by, just being rocked in this carriage, and that thought makes me feel lonely.
Most of what Magnolia talked about was boasting about her lover. She kept talking about how strong and reliable you are. She said that before meeting you, she was confident in her own strength, but then she realized there was someone even stronger. She couldn't believe that someone so cute could be that strong. That's pretty much all she said.
Looking at you, you doesn't seem particularly strong, but are you really that powerful?
Our spearman looks more muscular and stronger."
"Well, I might not win in terms of physical strength. But I'm the type who fights with my mind rather than brute force."
"So, you really are a mage? I've never met a real mage before."
"Well, in a way, yes."
The apprentice looked at Aurelius with eyes full of admiration.
After lunch, they arrived at the first town in no time. The plan was to sell their goods here and buy new ones.
In the meantime, since Aurelius and his companion had nothing to do, they took a stroll through the town and browsed the market. They bought some provisions and placed them in Aurelius' storage box.
They were told that they would depart as soon as the goods were ready, so the two didn't venture far and stood in the shade of a tree within sight of the merchant's carriage. There was a bench nearby, but having been seated all morning, both of them wanted to stretch their legs.
"Magnolia, how was it talking to those two?"
"What do you mean?"
"You'II need to pray tomorrow night, right? I thought it might be easier to stay with someone you've been with, rather than looking for someone in town."
"Is that why Aurelius took on this job? If there's no one, I'II just deal with it. I'm not easily beaten by a curse."
"Who was it that gave in to the curse first and attacked me?"
"That wasn't because of the curse. It was because Aurelius was so irresistible."
Magnolia's face turned red.
"He~y, we're about ready. It's nice to be all lovey-dovey, but it's time to gather."
The spearman came to summon them.
"We're not being lovey-dovey, though."
"Is it bad for lovers to be lovey-dovey?"
"Magnolia,"
Aurelius smiled wryly as he headed toward the carriage.
The sun was beginning to set, but the horse-drawn carriages continued eastward, having left the town behind.
It was impossible to reach the next town by nightfall, but if they didn't keep going, they would fall behind their two-day schedule.
"Ou, we've finally made it here."
As the sun was setting, the merchant's horse-drawn carriage leading the way entered a vacant lot by the roadside. It seemed this would be their place to stay for the night.
The coachman and the apprentice appeared to be familiar with the routine, arranging the horse-drawn carriages in a circle. They tied the horses to the gaps between the carriages. In the center of the circle were a cooking stove and stones arranged for sitting.
The spearman also took firewood from the carriage and piled it onto the stove.
"Mage-san, could you start the fire, please?"
"Umm, got it."
Aurelius used magic to light the firewood. This seemed to be part of the job.
"Really, this helps a lot. It would take quite a while with a fire starter, but with magic, it's done in one go.
I'll get dinner ready shortly."
The merchant took out a pot and placed it on the stove. After boiling water, he added meat and vegetables and let them simmer. With some seasoning, a simple stew was soon ready. Then he took out some bread, skewered it on a wooden stick, and lightly toasted it over the stove. With a bit of a char, it would become warm and tasty.
"Go ahead. Since we're camping, we can't be as luxurious as in town, but there's plenty of food, so don't hold back."
Aurelius and Magnolia were given bowls of stew. Indeed, the steaming stew looked appetizing.
"Let's eat."
Aurelius used his hawk to eat the vegetables and found them to have a robust, strong flavor.
"Uhm, it's really good."
Magnolia was also eagerly eating the stew next to him.
"Aurelius, could you give me some alcohol, just a little bit?"
"No. We have a watch tonight, so we can't afford to get drunk."
"One drink won't make me drunk."
"No. I don't think Magnolia would stop at just one drink."
"With this stew, don't you want some alcohol, Aurelius?"
"Nope, I don't think so. No matter what, it's not happening tonight."
"Uuhmhm, you're so stingy."
"You can wait until tomorrow to drink. Magnolia, you need to take a break from alcohol sometimes."
"I don't drink every day. At most, just two or three drinks."
"That's still too much."
When Aurelius said this, Magnolia turned away.
Still, since they were sitting on the same stone, Magnolia wasn't truly angry.
"I would really like to offer you my prized alcohol, but…"
The speaan in the direction Magnolia was facing spoke up.
"However, I'll refrain because mage-san would scold me.
I'd really like to buy a drink for someone as famous and strong as Magnolia-san, but—
I'm satisfied just being here beside you."
"Hoh, you know who I am?"
Magnolia's eyes narrowed, but there was no hint of anger.
"Yes, we fought together about a year ago during a major monster subjugation. You were in the main force, and I was just a minor participant, so you probably don't remember me."
"Indeed, we defeated the earth dragon with about fifty people around a year and a half ago. Were you among them?"
It seems the spearman had fought alongside Magnolia before.
"Yes, Lightning's performance was remarkable back then. Especially yours, Magnolia-san. I still vividly remember you leaping and striking the earth dragon's head with your sword.
I realized that the title 'Lightning Speed'wasn't just for show."
"That's an old name. Forget it."
It seems Magnolia dislikes her old title.
"You see, the Lightning Attack has disbanded. We were defeated by a strong opponent and ended up scattered.
Now, I don't even know how many are still alive."
The spearman looked shocked.
"No way it's true, the once powerful Lightning was defeated?"
"Yeah, there are always those who are stronger.
But thanks to that, I got to meet an even stronger and more amazing man."
Magnolia leaned against Aurelius.
"Is mage-san really that strong? I have more muscle than he does, and he doesn't look that impressive."
"Aurelius is strong. Ten times stronger than me."
"How strong is that, ten times stronger than Magnolia-san?"
"Not that strong. I just knows a bit more than Magnolia."
Aurelius quickly refuted this.
In terms of pure strength, it seems Magnolia is stronger.
"But Aurelius could easily defeat monsters that I struggle with."
"Monsters are simple and easier to handle."
"And he has won against humans as well, hasn't you?"
"That was in a duel, with rules that favor mages, so it's easier to win."
"I see, so mages can win easily in a duel. I'd like to have a light sparring match sometime."
It seems the spearman is eager to see Aurelius's strength.
"But it won't be a real duel, so no injuries. It could affect tomorrow's escort."
The spearman stood up, clearly ready for a mock battle.
"Aurelius, go for it."
"I guess I have no choice."
Aurelius also stood up and moved away from the stove.
"If I win, will you give me something? I really want Magnolia-san, but since I have nothing to offer in return, that won't be possible."
"Alright. If you win, you'll get to rest your head on Magnolia's lap. If you lose, Magnolia will hit you. How does that sound?"
"Either way, it's a reward for me."
The spearman took up his stance and glared at Aurelius with a serious look. Aurelius also set his stance but didn't even attempt to draw his staff.
"How will we signal the start?"
"Whatever works for you."
Before they realized it, the merchant was watching the duel with great interest.
"Then I'll get started."
"Please do."
However, the spearman did not move, even with his spear readied. He simply sweated and appeared anxious.
Then, he stepped back and lowered his stance.
"I told you. Duels favor mages."
"I couldn't see any way to win. No matter what I did, all I saw was a future where I would die. If it were a true duel, I would have fled. It was a total defeat."
The spearman sank down weakly.
"Well then, time for the promised punishment game. Since using a real sword would cause injury, go ahead and hit him with this as hard as you can."
Aurelius pulled out a wooden sword and handed it to Magnolia.
"Uhm, are you really going to hit me?"
Even though it's not a real sword, it would still be quite painful if struck. There's a chance of breaking bones if not careful.
"Yes, it's a promise. Magnolia will hit hard, so if you don't use your spear to defend, it will hurt."
Realizing what Aurelius meant, the spearman stood up.
"Alright, let's do this."
Magnolia then swung the wooden sword forcefully several times, and the spearman desperately continued to block. Despite many mistakes and getting hit, he did not stop. It was as if he was testing Magnolia's sword.
"That should be enough."
"Thank you very much."
Exhausted, the spearman lay down flat on the ground, but his face showed satisfaction.
As night progressed, they took turns keeping watch two at a time and prepared for bed.
Aurelius and Magnolia were paired together for the first watch. The other four unrolled their sleeping bags and got inside. Aurelius set up a small two-person tent, planning to sleep there once their shift ended. Magnolia, being a woman, didn't want her sleeping posture to be seen, so she agreed to take the first watch.
Despite the unusual reason, they had camped out with their companions many times before and, since they were on the same watch schedule, it was accepted.
"Alright, I'm counting on you."
The four of them settled into their sleeping bags.
"Shall we do a quick patrol?"
Not wanting to discuss certain topics, Aurelius and Magnolia went to check the area for any suspicious activity.
"So, Magnolia, what did you think of the escort spearman?"
"He seems to be an ex-adventurer, so his movements are decent.
He could still work as an adventurer."
"That's not what I meant. I wanted to know what you thought about him as a partner for tomorrow's prayer."
"Again with that?
If you're okay with it, I don't mind."
"Alright, I'll talk to the spearman tomorrow afternoon.
He seems to admire you, so I think he'll be happy.
Also, like last time, is it okay if I stay in the same room?"
"You're going to use that cloak? It's embarrassing for me too if my face is seen."
"You can wear the cloth cloak if you like, but I was thinking of using a blindfold, as you suggested before. I think it would be better."
"Do whatever you want. But remember this—"
"I know. I love you too, Magnolia."
Aurelius gave Magnolia a gentle kiss.
"You really make things complicated. What am I supposed to say if you say it first?"
Magnolia, looking happy, snuggled closer to Aurelius.