Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 35
Chapter Title: Departure (2)
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“Departure!”
Under Nania’s strangely excited lead shout, the carriage set off.
The carriage we were riding in was a special plant carriage made by Vene. I was a bit worried it might attract too much attention.
Even so, its convenience was overwhelming, so we chose to ride the plant carriage.
Srrrr.
The plant carriage advanced, boasting a comfortable ride.
At my request, it had fine gaps, making it easy to look outside.
“Wow, this slope is insane.”
“That’s why Daven Territory is called a natural fortress.”
Laura, at the age full of curiosity, gazed outside in admiration.
We were advancing along a bumpy path barely wide enough for one carriage between sharply carved cliffs.
This was why I thought even if the demon race conquered the world, they wouldn’t bother attacking our territory.
If we blocked this one path between the cliffs—the only way in—it would be an impregnable defense.
The bizarre terrain played a big role in why merchant groups bought local specialties cheap from our territory and sold them outside at double the market price, thinking it reasonable.
“It’ll get narrow for a bit.”
The plant carriage, which boasted a spacious interior for comfort, shrank and passed through a tiny gap.
A variable carriage—somehow, this felt way better than the cars from my previous life.
“So, what now?”
After passing the narrow path and traveling for half a day, Laura asked while munching on snacks she’d brought.
The Elf Empire was about two weeks away from our territory.
Carriage travel was certainly romantic and fun, but after nearly two weeks, it would make you shiver with boredom.
Like how the first thirty minutes on a plane are enjoyable gazing out the window, but after that, fatigue and boredom take over.
“If my guess is right, you won’t have to worry about boredom.”
“Huh? Why?”
“A hero party’s adventure always…”
No sooner had I spoken than a crowd of men appeared in front of the carriage.
Each held crude spears or notched swords.
An essential event every hero party encounters once.
A bandit ambush.
Seeing them, Laura’s mouth fell open.
“Wow, bandits really exist.”
It seemed Laura had never experienced a bandit attack.
Of course. Her carriage bore the Mastain Duke family crest, and the duke family was so famous that everyone knew it.
Unless they were suicidal maniacs desperately hoping for their entire clan to be exterminated.
No one would dare touch the carriage Laura rode in.
Besides, this plant carriage radiated an ominous aura at first glance.
What gave them the confidence to attack?
Even uneducated bandits should notice something off about a carriage moving with slithering plants.
“Heh heh, looks like I get to show off my Ice Age. Let’s get out quick.”
Laura seemed oddly excited that real bandits from her books had appeared.
She was urging to get off and subjugate them right away.
At that moment, Vene, who had been expressionlessly glaring at the bandits, stepped forward.
“Wait. No need to go that far.”
“Huh?”
“Just watch.”
Vene closed her eyes tight and clasped her hands together, just like Rainy did when pretending to be a saintess.
Her pointed ears twitched.
Then she opened her eyes.
Whirrlik.
The plants that made up the carriage extended on their own and began attacking the bandits.
“M-Monster freak!”
“Boss, what do we do?”
“You idiot, what’s the natural enemy of plants?”
“Uh… water?”
“You moron! Fire! It’s fire!”
“Oh…”
“Get fire, quick!”
“Yes!”
While watching the bandits’ sitcom antics, the plants showed ruthless movement, massacring them.
Of the thirty-odd bandits, half were already subdued.
I looked at Vene, who was expressionlessly controlling the plants, with a strange gaze.
No matter how I saw it, this wasn’t an archer’s fighting style.
It seemed more like she had exceptional talent as a spirit summoner…
While I pondered Vene’s class definition, the bandits began resisting in earnest by throwing fire.
As expected, grass types weak to fire types.
The plants, advancing boldly toward the bandits’ flames, hesitated.
“Need help?”
At my question, Vene grinned.
“Hee hee, no need for the hero to strain himself.”
Controlling plants must consume a lot of stamina, as sweat poured from her, yet Vene wore a confident expression.
The source of her confidence soon revealed itself.
Puuu.
The plants began spraying water from their stems.
Fire types’ natural enemy: water types.
The bandits’ flames were instantly extinguished by the water from the plants.
‘Isn’t this cheating?’
With grass and water types combined, theoretically, her plants had no weaknesses—they were invincible.
“Gaaah!”
“Boss, retreat order! Uh… Boss?”
As expected of lowlife bandits, they scattered in panic in an instant.
The boss had already slyly chosen to flee.
Abandoning his poor underlings.
“Filthy humans, I’ll kill them all.”
“…”
Vene’s declaration made me, a fellow human, feel awkward, but since I agreed such bandits deserved death.
I quietly watched her prowess while snatching a snack from Laura.
“Gaaah!”
“This is a curse! A curse has come!”
The plants cleanly finished off the last underlings and shot off sharply somewhere.
After a brief moment.
“Kek…”
They returned, dragging the pudgy body of the bandit boss.
“Ooh… tracking too.”
Laura’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
I felt awkward seeing it.
Somehow, it reminded me of tentacle stuff, which soured my mood.
If it were a woman, maybe, but I had no desire to see a chubby man’s tentacle show.
Crack.
The plants cleanly severed the bandit’s neck and slithered back into carriage form.
Vene, drenched in sweat, wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled brightly at me.
“Hero, how was it?”
“Huh…?”
“Hee hee, what do you think of my skills?”
Amid her bright smile, I sensed a sticky, sinister aura.
She seemed to be demanding praise.
Though I felt awkward, praise cost nothing, so I gently stroked her shoulder as she wanted and said.
“As expected of the hero party’s archer! Overwhelming skill that would astonish the Empire and shock the Church.”
“Hee hee… It’s nothing…”
Praise dances whales, they say?
It costs no money, so I could lavish it until my mouth went dry.
“My eye for talent never fails. Your Highness is the gem of our hero party! With you, beheading the Demon King is only a matter of time!”
“Ugh…”
I saw Rainy dry-heaving, but Vene looked happy.
What’s good is good, right?
Finally, Nania, who had been quietly cornered by the strong-willed women, spoke up.
“But, Elf Princess, are you really an archer? That just now looked more like a spirit summoner.”
Vene flinched slightly at her words.
“Uh… yeah! I’m good with a bow!”
“Could you show us?”
“…Later.”
Come to think of it, she was the hero party’s archer, but I’d never seen her archery skills.
I’d confirmed Laura’s magic.
Experienced Rainy’s holy power manipulation firsthand.
Yumi’s assassination skills… I could feel from the occasional killing intent.
“I’m curious too.”
“H-Hero…?”
Vene looked up at me with a pout.
As an elf, her basic archery was probably excellent, but to plan future battles, I needed to know her level.
“…”
Silently, Vene took the bow and arrows from the carriage corner.
“Ooh…”
Laura, complaining of dopamine deficiency, seemed thrilled with the bandit event followed by Vene’s archery demo.
“Hup…”
With Vene’s short shout, the bowstring drew taut.
Even I, no archery expert, admired the perfect form.
The problem was.
“O. They say big chests make archery hard. It’s true.”
“Yeah…”
The bowstring chafed against her ample chest, looking uncomfortable.
Maybe even painful.
Ping!
The arrow shot from the string, piercing the air with ferocious momentum.
Soon.
Boom!
It smashed into a nearby rock, shattering it.
Certainly skill worthy of claiming hero party archer.
However.
“Ouch…”
Perhaps her chafed chest hurt, as tears welled in Vene’s eyes.
“Sigh…”
I sighed where they couldn’t hear.
A mage who can’t move after ultimate spells.
An archer hindered by her large chest.
Our party’s flaws were bigger than I thought.