Volume 6 - CH 1

Volume 6 – Fierce Battle in The Margrave of Erven

Chapter 1 – In The Middle of Travel

Eto looked at the clear autumn sky from the coachman seat, thinking that if he could leave his body to the rhythm of the swaying carriage, it must be a pleasant afternoon where he can let himself have a wonderful nap.

“Don’t you think she is terrible, Eto-san? Even though I love her so much, she said there is someone else that she loves!”

“Ee. Tommy-san, you told me this story earlier. Yes yes, she is terrible, isn’t she?”

“I’m glad you understand me! What should I do from now on… My friends always told me to find a new person, but I don’t think I can do that before this broken heart is healed. Eto-san thinks so too, right?”

“Indeed.”

“Besides, those who tell me to find a new person right away must be those who don’t know what is love–”

Tommy, the coachman, has been endlessly talking about the story of his heartbreak. And Eto, who sits next to him, is getting tired of adapting to the story.

At first, Eto thought Tommy was a reserved man by the way he bowed to Eto and his party and told them his name when they were about to leave the Royal Capital, before refusing to actively join into any conversations during travel. But that attitude changed completely from today’s lunch.

While the group were taking a break to have lunch on the highway, Eto was talking about Sally, the receptionist of the Royal Capital’s Adventurer’s Guild to Amou. Because the job that Eto’s party accepted was decided all of a sudden, Sally had to quickly finish the expense reports that had accumulated. With that reason, Eto began to talk about her for a bit to Amou, until suddenly, Tommy turned his gaze toward Eto as if he was going to challenge something and said, “Did you just say ‘Sally’?”

After listening to Tommy’s story, it turns out that the woman that Tommy had a broken heart with and Sally, the guild receptionist, were different people. However, Tommy didn’t stop talking even after the misunderstanding was resolved. Like a broken tap, he began to talk about his feelings for his ex-girlfriend.

It continued even after the group finished their lunch and got into the carriage.

“Of course, I know that my job is just a mere coachman. But, as long as people still move between towns, a coachman will never lack a job. So, I’m sure I can support her, and yet…. Why, Sally! Which part of me that you didn’t like!”

Even the horses that pulled the carriage seemed to be uncomfortable, probably because Tommy, the coachman, was very emotional right now.

“Tommy-san, look, the horses are uncomfortable. And the distance to Erven is still long. I will listen to Tommy-san’s story, so let’s calm down a little.”

Eto sighed while trying to calm Tommy down.

Half a month has passed since the slave trader Kabs was captured by the knight’s order. Kabs also seems to understand that he already has no hope to survive, so he obediently answers their interrogation.

Thanks to his testimony, the investigation in the Margrave of Erven is also progressing nicely. Apparently, the knights are going to tighten the noose around the Acting Lord and his group, so they can catch them at once.

So far, Eto and his party have no plans to participate in the knight’s operation. They just received an escort request from the knights to escort those who had been kidnapped and enslaved to return to the Margrave.

There are a total of thirty slaves brought by Kabs, and eight of them were kidnapped victims. Those people only have the clothes that they currently wore, and no money. And since they wanted to go home as soon as possible rather than rest in the Royal Capital, the knights rented two carriages, hired a coachman and asked Eto’s party to escort them. The Knight’s are quite generous this time, as they even lent three knights dressed as adventurers with horses to escort those ex-slaves.

Eto’s group of four rode the two carriages separately with the men riding on the coachmen carriage, and the women riding on the passenger carriage while checking everyone’s condition as they continued their journey. Since the horse-riding Knights are guarding the carriages from left and right, Eto can just monitor what’s ahead of them. ‘If it’s like this, I think we could safely reach our destination even if I slept on the coachmen seat.’ Eto thought.

Without Tommy’s turbulent story of heartbreak, Eto would have been able to enjoy the sight of the sky while traveling with a relaxed feeling. Eto even thought that if he was able to go back in time to before lunch, he wouldn’t have said Sally’s name.

Incidentally, Musik, the leader of the Knight’s order, also took careful consideration for this carriage travel.

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It seems Musik feels a strong responsibility for not being able to prevent the kidnapping incident and not being aware of the case until Eto and his colleagues investigated it. Although he didn’t intend to make this trip to atone for his sin, he did his best to accommodate the victims to return to their hometown in the most comfortable environment possible.

He even lent three knights to escort them. Besides that, Eto also heard that it is Musik’s idea to have them always spend the night in towns and villages during the trip because it is undoubtedly safer to stay in town or village than in a camp. They can even sleep in a comfortable bed. Of course, all those accommodations and meals are paid by the knights.

Just like that, Eto and his group headed for Cyril, the capital of the Margrave where Knight’s liaisons are waiting for Eto’s group to arrive. They will be deciding whether to enter the territory or stay in Cyril, depending on the progress of the investigation in the Margrave territory.

If the Acting Lord and his group are detained and brought into the court, the kidnapped victims will be the witnesses to prove their crime. If that happens, they might try to silence the mouths of the victims. That is why Eto intended to act together until the safety of the victims were confirmed even after they are able to safely arrive at the Margrave territory.

“Ugh, Sally, which part of me do you not like…”

Meanwhile, Eto sighed again, thinking that he had to do something about this coachman too.