Uncomfortable Cohabitation (14)
A great deal of time had passed without my even understanding the feelings I carried, and when Maximilian declared he would return to the territory, I decided to go back with him. At last, the end of my life in the Capital had arrived.
If someone asked whether I felt any regret, well... perhaps a little?
The church and the temple provided so much support that I could research freely without worrying about money—that was certainly nice. Yes, the environment was good. But an environment that was too good made a person lazy. I'd felt that myself lately. Sister Mary handled all the housework and even served as my assistant; Priest Daniel ran errands and helped with the heavy lifting. I'd always researched comfortably with my older sister's help, but these days it felt like I was freeloading completely.
And as my body grew comfortable, my mind seemed to grow lazy as well.
So, to get my body moving, I dressed early in the morning and headed outside.
"Winter really is winter..."
The winters in my previous life's memories had been so bitterly cold—with knife-like winds that cut to the bone and temperatures cold enough to freeze water—that outdoor activity itself was difficult. But the weather in this world, in the region where I lived, wasn't that cold. Still, winter was winter.
Or was it that I simply had no tolerance for the cold?
Even this much felt quite chilly.
"Ugh, it's cold."
I'd dressed properly, yet my body still seemed to shiver.
The courtyard was empty today—no men around. First, I stretched to generate some body heat. As I moved, warmth gradually began to spread through me.
"Hah... maybe I should move a bit more."
The real reason I was working my body so hard wasn't anything else.
I'd put on some flab after living in the Capital for over four months.
Yes, flab. Flab! I'd gained weight! Someone who originally didn't eat much and rarely had high-calorie food suddenly eating three proper meals a day, with meat and other rich foods on every table?
It was an environment where you couldn't not gain weight.
At least during the journey to the Capital, even if I ate well, I moved enough that it wasn't a problem.
Yes, the Capital's excessive comfort had become the problem.
No—everything was the problem. The Capital's abundant supplies combined with the temple's generous support made the table even more lavish, and the people around me, worried about me, forced me to eat more.
I didn't have to force myself to eat, but the food was delicious, so little by little my portions grew.
Meanwhile, the time I spent moving around decreased.
With others handling the physical work and heavy lifting for me, no matter how much I moved in the mornings, my activity level was still far from enough.
Winter arriving made it worse. As the cold made me shrink into myself, I even stopped the morning exercise I'd been doing... and my activity dropped further. That was when the flab started to stick.
I ran hard around the mansion's walls. My stamina had dropped over the past few months, and I started getting winded sooner than expected.
"Exercising first thing in the morning?"
Maximilian had somehow appeared and was running alongside me.
I was too out of breath to answer, and since I hadn't hit my target yet, I kept running.
"Running together like this is more enjoyable than I expected."
Maximilian didn't mind my lack of response and kept chattering away beside me. About how yesterday went, about the recent political situation... mostly stories related to himself.
"I learned this while attending banquets and tea parties recently—the unfavorable rumors about the Second Prince have grown louder."
He'd always been a wastrel of a prince, but apparently his behavior had gotten even worse lately.
The problem was that the sons of powerful families were at his side.
"I hear some nobles finally reached their limit with his outrages and sent letters of protest to the royal family. It seems the royal house is in quite a bind over it."
Listening to it, I found it funny. This was the result of their failure to manage the prince, and now they were in a bind? What did they expect...
If that was how it was going to be, they should have managed him properly from the start.
"Well, we'll be returning to the territory soon enough, so it has nothing to do with us."
I half-listened to Maximilian as I ran hard, and the moment I hit my target number of laps, I went straight into rest.
As I was gasping for breath, Priest Daniel brought me water. When had this man even come out?
Anyway, I took the water. It wasn't cold, but as it went down, my thirst washed away and I felt better.
"Pwah..."
One day alone wouldn't do much. I should keep this up every day at least until we left the Capital.
Priest Daniel and Maximilian hovered around me as I rested.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing."
When I said something, Maximilian averted his gaze and swung his sword, while Priest Daniel attended to me.
"Is there anything you need?"
Anything I need...
"Then, would you spar with me?"
I said, pointing to the training weapons set up on one side of the mansion courtyard.
"Understood."
When I pointed to Priest Daniel, Maximilian looked a little disappointed. Honestly, sparring with Maximilian wasn't very helpful. He was too strong, and there was nothing to learn...
Priest Daniel, on the other hand? Sparring against someone who used a shield was interesting. I had little experience against shields, so every bout taught me something new.
"I'll be counting on you again today."
Priest Daniel checked his shield and nodded.
"Please go easy on me."
I snorted at his theatrics and immediately thrust my spear forward.
My previous life had been so peaceful that I'd never had occasion to use weapons. So I'd thought of a shield as nothing more than a tool for blocking attacks—but watching one used in practice, it was also used for offense and for obstructing vision.
Especially when used offensively—that was truly terrifying.
"Whoa!"
I twisted my body and barely dodged the shield Priest Daniel swung. He watched me with a smile, waiting.
"Your reactions are excellent."
It was a compliment, but it didn't feel like one.
After sparring for a good while, during a rest break, Maximilian was watching with an envious expression.
"Why are you looking like that?"
"I'm just resting."
His tone was chilly. Was it because I hadn't played with him?
"What are you doing today?"
"I have social engagements."
Again...? Why did it feel like he was going out even more often now that winter had arrived?
When I looked at him with a suspicious expression, Maximilian suddenly looked wronged.
"It's a gathering of men only."
"Who said anything?"
Did that hit a nerve? When I responded curtly, Maximilian grew restless.
"It's true. And the gatherings I've attended recently have all been with friends."
Friends from his Academy days, or something like that?
"I said, who said anything?"
Recently, he said? So that meant before that, he had been meeting women?
Well, Maximilian was of marriageable age, and he wasn't a bad catch as a groom, so of course many people would show interest.
I knew that, but it still put me in a slightly foul mood.
"Hah... I should head inside."
Leaving the restless Maximilian behind, I prepared to go into the mansion first.
"I'll wash up first."
I'd worked up a sweat, so I needed to wash.
I heard Maximilian calling after me desperately, but I quietly ignored him and went to wash up.
After breakfast, we began discussing what each of us would do for the day. It was the sort of routine we had every morning.
"I'll look into carriages."
Priest Daniel spoke first.
"We don't know when we'll depart, but considering the luggage, we'll need a carriage."
The iron I'd compounded through alchemy—which would have enormous repercussions if it leaked—was carefully stored in the warehouse. If we weren't leaving that behind, we needed a carriage.
"Look into a cargo wagon, not a passenger carriage."
"A cargo wagon?"
"Yes. Hauling cargo is what matters. This isn't for traveling in comfort."
Maximilian's words were entirely correct. And cargo wagons varied—if one was well-covered with sturdy canvas, that alone made it useful for travel.
"Wouldn't a large passenger carriage work just the same?"
"They're expensive and harder to maintain."
As far as I knew, carriages required considerable maintenance. Buying an expensive, feature-heavy carriage without specialized knowledge?
When something went wrong, it'd be hard to fix. A simple wagon, on the other hand, would be easier to diagnose, and you could get it repaired in any city or village.
"Maintenance... I see. I hadn't considered that."
"Don't get a carriage that needs too many horses—a modest two-horse team will do. Finding feed and caring for the horses is work enough as it is."
Priest Daniel nodded in agreement with Maximilian's words.
Indeed, with a carriage, even entering a village or city meant separately managing the vehicle. The horses needed care, of course. When choosing an inn, it had to be able to store horses and carriages, and you had to watch out for thieves...
In short, there was a lot to worry about.
"Understood."
Priest Daniel said he understood and not to worry. My older sister seemed intent on going with him.
"It'll be hard going alone."
"Well, Older Sister and Daniel can handle that..."
I looked at Sister Mary.
"Is something the matter?"
"I was thinking of going to the temple."
The moment I finished speaking, Sister Mary and Priest Daniel both startled and grew flustered.
"Th-the temple?"
"Yes, well... I thought I should at least say goodbye before we leave."
Since we didn't know when we'd depart, I figured I should pay my respects in advance.
"I-is that so? Th-then we should give them advance notice."
"No, I thought I'd just go today."
"R-right away?"
Sister Mary looked aghast.
"Yes. I don't like making a big production of things."
"E-even so, if we don't notify them in advance, something like last time could happen."
"Would telling them change anything?"
I'd half given up. If we announced it, the faithful would go wild wanting to see me; if we didn't, people would still make a fuss that I'd come. So I'd just go briefly and come right back.
"I-I understand. I shall accompany you."
"Yes, well, let's just go and come back."
Once our tasks were decided, everyone moved out. Only Maximilian, who still had free time, remained at ease...
"Why the sudden decision to visit the temple?"
Was he curious about the reason?
"We've received so much from them—I at least want to offer my thanks in person."
"Is that so? Please be careful."
Seeing Maximilian worry, a small smile crept onto my face.
"What could possibly go wrong?"
Surely nothing would happen?