Chapter 112
Chapter 112
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: Martial Arts Tournament (3)
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This was baffling.
Weren’t we on polite enough terms with each other?
Suddenly asking if I was out of my mind…
It seemed she thought, like the butler, that I was so smitten with women that I brought them along without a second thought.
“Is there a problem with me coming with my companions?”
“…Haa, no. It’s already happened, what can be done now… It was your choice, after all…”
Misha whipped her head away and walked to the other side.
What did she mean by that?
“Hyeon-ung?”
“What’s with her?”
“She seems to have a bad personality.”
Perhaps because she’d ignored their greetings, it felt like my companions had taken a disliking to her.
“I don’t know, she’s not usually like this. Don’t worry about it too much.”
“Do you think she’s unhappy that we’re tagging along?”
“Could it be that she also has a thing for you, Hyeon-ung…”
Timi narrowed her eyes and glanced in the direction Misha had gone, but no matter how I looked at it, that wasn’t it.
Misha had never once shown any sign of it.
“Definitely not. She’s… never mind. Just don’t pay it any mind.”
It was a bit much to say she was aiming for the Crystal Tablet inside the lord’s castle.
“I think there are too many women around you, Hyeon-ung.”
“Isn’t that just because he’s so charming?”
Kids these days, stating the obvious…
After a short wait filled with idle chatter, the lord finally arrived.
“You’ve arrived.”
“You’re here early.”
Seeing him alone, it seemed Alice wasn’t coming with us.
Well, considering he only summoned and met her in a room coated with bluestone to avoid the angels’ eyes, it made sense.
“Have you eaten?”
“Yes, we have.”
“Diligent as always. Are these your companions? They are all quite beautiful.”
“Thank you. Everyone, this is the lord.”
As we were exchanging light greetings, Misha approached.
“When are we departing?”
“…So you were here too. Now that everyone’s present, we should get going. All of you, please board.”
“Are we all riding in the same carriage?”
“That’s right. This is the only carriage that can withstand Erdia’s speed.”
So the horned, yellow creatures were called Erdia.
In any case, with only one carriage, I had expected as much, but…
It was going to be a little awkward on the way.
And as for… certain biological necessities…
I’d just have to hold it in somehow.
Still, it seemed like a natural opportunity to talk with the lord would arise.
“You can board first. I need to speak with my butler before I come.”
“Yes, my lord.”
The interior of the carriage was quite a bit more spacious than it looked from the outside.
It was large enough for ten burly men to sit comfortably.
Misha, who had boarded first, took a seat in the far corner, so we sat opposite her.
Whether it was because she had ignored their greetings earlier or because no one was talking, the atmosphere was truly… awkward.
“Did you eat?”
“I don’t usually eat breakfast.”
Misha was still giving me and my companions a strange look.
“Is there some problem with my companions going to the capital?”
“The problem isn’t going to the capital… but, well, forget it. What’s done is done.”
She certainly had a knack for making a person curious.
“Then what is the problem?”
Timi asked in a sharp voice, the mood turning serious.
“What’s wrong with everyone?”
We’d have to see each other for the entire trip, yet even before we departed…
*Creeak—*
Thankfully, the carriage door opened and the lord entered, changing the atmosphere.
“The mood in here is a bit strange. Did something happen?”
“It’s nothing. Aren’t any other attendants coming with us?”
I thought the butler might be following us, but thankfully, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“There’s no need. Someone has to manage things while I’m away.”
“If you’re away, does the butler…”
“That’s right. He handles most of the practical affairs anyway.”
I was a little worried hearing that the butler would be in charge.
I had no idea what kind of trouble he might cause for the Golden Lion Guild, with whom I was friendly.
“Then let us depart.”
The lord lightly tapped the window connecting to the coachman’s seat, and the carriage lurched forward with a jolt.
If it had kept jolting like that, I would have been 100% motion sick, but thankfully, the ride smoothed out after we got moving.
“How long will it take to reach the capital?”
“It should take about a day and a half. The Erdia are fast, but the capital is quite far from here.”
So we’d arrive the afternoon after tomorrow.
The return trip would take the same amount of time, so it seemed like it would be about eight days in total.
I was curious to see what the other regions were like, and what the capital itself would be like.
Looking out the window, the scenery was already rushing past, a sign that we had left the domain.
The speed seemed quite fast, and when I asked, I was told the carriage was enchanted with magic.
Thanks to that, the ride was comfortable, with no shaking at all.
“We’ll stop around noon, so you should get some sleep as well.”
Me as well?
Looking beside me, Elaine was leaning against the carriage wall, dozing off.
It seemed she was short on sleep from our early start.
“I’m fine.”
“Alright. Have you prepared much?”
“There’s not much to prepare, really. I think I’ll just have to perform to the best of my ability.”
Bio had said I’d be fine as long as I’d mastered the Flowing Sword.
Of course, Misha’s participation was an unexpected variable, but I was confident.
“Right. I’m sure you’ll do well. Just don’t overdo it.”
As I was about to agree, I saw Misha staring intently at me.
It seemed to be a reminder to keep my promise, but it felt like she wanted me to set the entire table and spoon-feed her as well.
She could at least start a conversation…
Well, a promise was a promise.
“By the way, have you and Misha met before?”
The moment I brought up Misha, his expression changed.
“No. We used to see each other often. In the Labyrinth.”
Misha answered for him. The lord’s expression was still not great, but at least his claim of wanting to talk to her hadn’t been a lie.
“Really? I heard you weren’t in the same guild.”
If they were acquainted, why would he have made such a request yesterday?
“We weren’t in the same guild, but she was the lover of my guild master.”
…?
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard.
The master of the guild the lord had belonged to was the previous Pioneer.
Did that mean Misha had been in a relationship with the previous Pioneer?
“I didn’t want to be introduced that way. But it’s not a lie.”
Seeing Misha confirm it, it seemed to be true, which was quite a shock.
“What is your purpose for participating in the tournament?”
“Ah, I can answer that. She said she wanted to have a talk with you, my lord.”
Sparks seemed to fly every time the two of them exchanged words.
“A talk with me?”
The lord looked startled.
“Well, since I know both of you, I thought there might be some misunderstandings. I told Misha last time that you don’t particularly like the angels.”
The lord shook his head with a sullen expression.
“Let me correct you. It’s not that I don’t particularly like them; it’s that I hate them.”
“Hmph. You’ve got some nerve saying that while you’ve given up and are living in luxury, currying favor with the angels.”
“You only made it one floor further. Didn’t you give up in the end, too?”
…My goodness, the atmosphere was getting more and more hostile.
“Look, I don’t think there’s any need to tear each other down like this. Misha, it’s true that the lord dislikes the angels.”
“How can I believe that? You could be getting deceived as well, Hyeon-ung.”
“Do you even hear yourself?”
Three deep lines formed on the lord’s brow.
Fearing a real fight was about to break out, I quickly stepped between them.
“My lord, would it be alright to tell her the reason you came to hate the angels?”
“There’s no need for that…”
“I’d rather not spend the rest of the trip to the capital in this hostile atmosphere.”
Elaine was sleeping like a log, but Milli and Timi were on edge because of the mood.
As was I.
The lord reluctantly nodded, and I explained about Alice.
I didn’t mention that I had brought her out, but hearing that she had been reincarnated as a monster, Misha’s expression changed.
“I’ve been helping them exchange news through letters and a video recording crystal orb.”
“…Must be nice.”
“What?”
The lord looked dumbfounded.
No, even I thought Misha had crossed a line there.
To say it must be nice when his beloved had died, unable to find peace and reincarnated as a monster…
“Monster or not, at least you can contact her. I don’t even know if he’s dead or alive…”
Ah, since Misha’s lover was the previous Pioneer, I could see how she might be envious.
“Ahem. Still, I’d appreciate it if you believed that I hate the angels.”
“Fine. But the fact that you’re a servant of the angels doesn’t change, does it?”
“Once a choice is made, the outcome can’t be reversed. If I had my way, I’d kill them all.”
It was a rather extreme statement, but Misha seemed to like it, a faint smile gracing her lips.
“You’ll never be able to defeat the angels, so how about destroying the Crystal Tablet?”
There she went again.
The lord looked at me.
“…Did you not explain? Even the previous Pioneer, your former lover, couldn’t destroy the Crystal Tablet.”
He had said that even the tiny fragment he gave me was made from dust gathered over 50 years of weathering.
“What does that mean…”
Misha looked completely clueless.
“No one can destroy it. It can only be worn down, little by little, by the passage of time. Of course, it grows back as much as it’s worn away.”
Misha looked utterly shocked.
“You’re not lying, are you?”
“If you wish, I’ll let you try after the martial arts tournament.”
“No, it’s fine… If you’re willing to go that far, it must be true.”
I thought she would insist on trying no matter what…
Hmm, I wonder if it would be possible using Will-Force?
Of course, the Pioneer might not have been able to, but someone like Bio might have a chance.
****
After five hours, the carriage stopped for the first time.
When we got out for a meal, the coachman and a mage had already started a fire.
I’d heard that a mage accompanied the coachman in the driver’s seat because the coachman couldn’t handle the high speeds alone.
He was younger than I expected.
“Are those two trustworthy?”
“Of course. The coachman is Kasat’s son, Kasim, and the mage, Seril, is Kasat’s daughter-in-law.”
Oh, so they were the son and daughter-in-law of Kasat, the lord’s trusted knight commander.
It was a bit strange for a knight commander’s son to be a coachman, but I heard it was a temporary role, as handling Erdia was a required subject to become a knight in the Cartea Empire.
“We’re planning on vegetable stew, wheat bread, and roasted pork for lunch. Are there any foods you don’t eat?”
The mage named Seril approached and asked. It seemed she was also the cook.
“I eat everything.”
“Hyeon-ung, I don’t like carrots or green beans.”
“I don’t like vegetable stew. Didn’t you bring any ramen, Hyeon-ung?”
Elaine and Timi started complaining about the food, and I felt secondhand embarrassment.
“You can ignore them. I have ramen, so you two can eat that.”
Just in case, I had packed plenty of ramen, cola, and snacks.
“I eat everything, too. Can I help with anything?”
Oh, Misha naturally joined our side and answered, even though she hadn’t been asked.
Now that she knew the lord genuinely hated the angels, her attitude had certainly changed a lot.
The atmosphere during the ride hadn’t been exactly cheerful, but it hadn’t been hostile either.
If anything, it had been a little subdued.
After about thirty minutes of conversation at the beginning, Misha hadn’t spoken.
It seemed the fact that destroying the Crystal Tablet was impossible had been a great shock to her.
Still, she seemed to have recovered a little.
“I’m just going to borrow some of the fire. I need to boil some water. Would any of you like some ramen?”
“Ramen sounds good. Do you have kimchi ramen?”
The lord was the first to answer.
Since they were business partners, he was probably used to it.
My companions all said they wanted some.
“Misha, what about you and the other two?”
“I’m fine.”
“Ramen… is that the food sold at Taste of Home?”
Oh, the other two seemed to know about it.
“Have you tried it?”
“No, I’ve only heard about it. Every time I go there, the line is long and it’s sold out…”
“Isn’t ramen very expensive?”
Before I knew it, her husband, Kasim, had also joined the conversation.
“I have plenty, so please, have some.”
Since everyone but Misha said yes, I took out a large pot and filled it with water.
As I was setting up a less spicy ramen that would appeal to most people, Misha tapped me on the shoulder.
“What is it? I thought you weren’t eating.”
“It’s not that. Look over there.”
I looked where Misha was pointing and saw something kicking up a cloud of dust… a carriage.
It was about the same size as the one we had ridden in, and it was being pulled by the same Erdia.
“Judging by the crest, that’s Duke Epeli.”
Duke Epeli?
The carriage soon approached and came to a stop near us.
“The Commander-in-Chief of the Aurelian Sea of Trees. It seems he’s also on his way to the capital.”