Volume 6 - CH 2

At dusk.

I parked the carriage behind a large rock on the side of the road and said.

“I guess we’ll have to camp out here today.”

We really wanted to get into Lakana today, but due to a slightly late start in the previous town, we were not able to do so as planned.

It would still take a few more hours to get to Lakana from here, and since the mountains and forests were close ahead, we didn’t want to continue on after dark.

“That’s more like it.”

Amiyu says, jumping down from the carriage.

“But it looks like we’ll be in Lakana by tomorrow.”

“You’re right. ……. It really wasn’t supposed to be like this, but tomorrow we can enter the castle in the light of day, so we might be able to take our time looking for a place to stay. If we rush to find one before nightfall, we might get ripped off.”

To be honest, the money I had on hand was also not enough.

The money Fiona had provided was enough as street money, but of course it was not enough to live on for the rest of my life. I wanted to save as much as possible.

If it was going to be like this, I should have taken some of the money I had left in the dormitory before going to the Imperial Castle. ……

“I guess so. Well, Lakana is an adventurer’s town, so I’m sure there are plenty of cheap lodging options.”

“I don’t know about cheap hotels………. If it’s a cheap place to stay, it’s often better to stay in the wild. ……”

“What are you talking about? I don’t remember you being that well traveled.”

Then, Amiyu smiles and tells me.

“You can go to bed today. I’ll keep watch.”

“Eh, but…”

“Anyway, you’re going to be the coachman tomorrow too, right? 　It would be unbearable if you fell asleep. Besides, you always sleep later and wake up earlier than me, but are you sleeping properly?”

“…….”

“Today you will be pampered. Understand?”

After thinking about it for a while, I smile wryly and answer.

“Well, I guess I’ll let you do that.”

“Done. Then let’s eat. I think there’s a river over there, so you go get some water. I’ll make a fire.”

“Okay, okay. ……”

As I started walking, I looked up at the red sky and thought.

This journey, which started unexpectedly, is not so bad.

******

So, early next morning.

“She’s sleeping……”

I looked down at Amiyu, who was asleep on her knees by the bonfire, and muttered to myself in dismay.

Oh well. I thought this was going to happen.

She was swinging her sword in the middle of the night, saying her body was getting weak, but of course she would get sleepy if she did that.

It’s exhausting to be on your guard all night long.

“…….”

It is really a very bad idea to sleep in the open when you are being watched.

Even if you parked in a place that looked safe, the danger of wild thieves, beasts, and monsters is commonplace.

If it were the military, you would be the first to be punished.

But I couldn’t blame the girl.

After what had happened, she must have been restless for a long time, not just last night.

By the looks of the bonfire, she was awake until just a few minutes ago, so I guess she did her best.

Well, in the first place, if something had happened, I would have been able to tell by the shikigami.

I put the blanket I had pulled from the wagon over the girl’s back and looked up at the dawn sky.

The horses were already awake, but it was still too early to leave.

I decided to take a little stroll around the area.

Leaving the Shikigami by Amiyu’s side, I start walking.

When I reached the creek where I had drawn water yesterday, I suddenly opened my mouth.

“Yuki.”

I could feel the presence of a mysterious creature moving above my head.

Yuki and I had not exchanged a single word since we had left the school that day.

I called out to her again.

“Yuki.”

“…… what is it, Seika-sama?”

Yuki, her face emerging from my hair, replied in a flat tone.

I said quietly.

“I’m sorry.”

“What are you sorry for?”

When she said that, I was at a loss.

I don’t know what I am apologizing for.

“I should have listened to you more…….”

“So, can you abandon that girl the next time you see her?”

“……”

“Or can you give up hiding your strength and live your life from now on, relying on the strength you gained in your previous life?”

“…..”

“Even Seika-sama has something he will not compromise, even if it is not reasonable.”

When I shut up, Yuki continues and says apologetically.

“I should not have …… made such a nonsensical proposal. I knew that Seika-sama would never listen to it.”

“That’s not true. I was… at first, as you said, I was going to sacrifice her, it was my idea.”

“No. Absolutely—Seika-sama couldn’t listen to me. I will understand.”

Yuki then dove into my hair.

I let out a small breath and muttered to myself.

“The world is not as it should be. What should I do? How am I going to live …… in the future?”

“….., please think about that yourself.”

Yuki answered quietly.

I reached out my hand over her head and stroked her slender body, and then Yuki continued with a sigh of relief.

“Don’t you think you should give me something”

“So, do you want anything?”

When I silently took my hand off my head, Yuki looked down for a moment and said.

“Yuki is now hungry, I want to eat dry figs, and i want you to let me a lot more.”

I smile wryly and answer.

“Then, after we get to Lakana.”

Yuki remained silent, but this state of affairs probably meant that it was fine.

Suddenly, at that moment—I stopped.

The forest that spreads across the stream. The existence that appeared from between the trees caught my eye.

It was a large, deer-like monster.

It has fur that looks like a mixture of ash and brown, and a geometric horn with a combination of rectangular parallelepiped crystals grows on its head. The dull iridescent mineral found on its back and legs seemed to be a magic stone.

Has it come to drink water? The monster, which is about twice the size of a normal deer, stops moving, keeping its eyes on me in front of the river.

I don’t know the name, but it’s a monster with a pretty divine atmosphere.

I slightly turn my expression towards it.

The deer-type monster reacted in an instant and tried to escape to the forest, but it was too late. Trapped in a five-pointed star formed by Hitogata, its movement is blocked as it was about to leap.

All right.

“Seika-sama?”

Yuki on top of my head asks me questioningly.

“Why are you trying to seal it? I don’t think it attacked you. The monsters in this world can’t withstand the phase, so you can’t even use them as pawns, you know?”

“That’s why it’s okay. I’ll sell this guy.”

I answer with a smile on my face.

“Lakana is an adventurer’s town, after all. There are many places where you can exchange monster corpses for cash.”

So.

I make a seal and chant a mantra

“――――ओम्एकम् सप्त विंशतिः अष्टादश एकम्ट नव दवे सकल स्वा”

At that moment, the deer’s eyes glared at me, and the horns of the magic stone emitted light.

However, before anything happens, the body is sucked into the distortion of space.

And later, only the hitogata of the door remained.

I’m sure It was strong enough, but I’m sorry.

Become a beautiful corpse in the phase.

“Hmm… somehow, I feel like I’ve done something punishable.”

“It’s too late to be punished, isn’t it? How many gods do you think you sealed in your previous life?”

I turn heels and go back to the carriage where Amiyu is waiting.

In this life, I still have it. I hope the money issue will be resolved soon.

But somehow… I felt like I understood what Yuki said.