Volume 1 9 - (Fleeing) 1

Volume 1 Chapter 9 – (Fleeing) 1

Translator: HASUTSUKI, Editor: Thorrium.

After blending in with the aristocrats,

Ryouma succeeded passing the castle gate.

And before him an European styled street spread in front of him.

“Oooh!”

Because the landscape is very well-organized, he can’t help but voice his admiration.

Outside the castle, the aristocrat’s houses are lined up, where the aristocrats who had escaped disappears into.

After he goes straight around 500 meters from the castle gate, he saw another gate. Apparently, the other side seems to be the commoner’s area.

Since the size of the house’s roof become smaller remarkably.

Ryouma then decide to get into the commoner’s area first. After all, it is to best hide within a crowd of people.

Despite him wearing an Imperial Guard armour and passing through the aristocrats houses, where maid and soldiers could be seen, no one questioned

Ryouma at all.

After walked for a few minutes he reached the gate.

The gate is opened, and the drawbridge was also laid down. Apparently, they only close the gate when emergency happen.

Ryouma felt slightly bothered by the guards that stands on the right and left of the gate.

As soon as he passed the gate, a lively environment spread out in front of

Ryouma’s eyes.

There are a lot of people going here and there, and various stalls and shops was lined up.

The road is not paved with stone like the aristocrat’s area, the road is made of bare soil, and disordered building can be seen lined up.

As far as I see the attire of the people, a lot of them wears robes or mantles.

And some people also wear armour. Some wearing only a simple shirt and pants.

An aunty is wearing an apron. And other various attire.

“Unexpectedly there are a lot of people… Furthermore, some people also bring weapons with them…”

Ryouma muttered those words while looking around. He noticed that some people carrying a weapon here and there mixed among the crowd.

They obviously don’t look like a soldier of a country. No matter what, some of them are criminal! Is what he wanted to say, but there’s also those who don’t have such fiendish faces among them.

The colour of their hair and skin are black, white, yellow and other various colours.

There’s even human beings with blue and green hair.

Since Ryouma previously considered that he might get isolated due to his hair, skin, or eyes colour, looking at the scene Ryouma heaved a sigh of relief.

Since there are a lot of different appearances, it seems like Ryouma’s hair and eye color won’t be a problem.

“Now then. For now, let’s find some clothes…”

After Ryouma had uttered such words, his stomach grumbled telling that he’s hungry.

After all, he had been summoned to this word when he’s about to have lunch on the roof.

However, no matter how hungry he is, he needs to procure some clothes first.

Since it would be too conspicuous if he keeps on wearing the imperial guard armor.

Ryouma then ran his eyes around looking at the signboard while rubbing his stomach that voiced some complaint.

While walking along the main street, a shop with a dress picture being drawn on the signboard entered Ryouma eyes.

============POV Change==============

Megu Leicester that day received a strange customer.

The time currently has passed 1.00 o’clock in the afternoon. That customer came in at the clothes store where she works.

“Welcome!”

The man who came in was wearing imperial guard armour, and was meet with the usual cheerful greeting from Megu as the store values hospitality.

Of course, a customer coming to shopping while wearing armour is normal.

However, this is the first time an Imperial guard came to the store.

Unlike adventurers and mercenary soldiers, the national soldiers usually goes shopping while wearing civilian clothes.

(Did he come here not for shopping?)

What Megu had thought is something natural. However, since he’s looking at the clothes that are being exhibited, she has no choice but to think of him as a customer.

“I’m sorry, but is there anything that you are looking for? Would you like for me to help you?”

Megu mustered her courage and speak to the man. The reply that’s being returned to her was very normal.

“I want one set of casual clothes top and bottom, underwear and hooded mantle, and a leather belt.”

(He seems to have a very polite way of talking, doesn’t he? Though why did he come here with the imperial guard armour anyway?)

Megu got an uncomfortable feeling from the tone of the man.

Normally, most people who come to the store are arrogant rotten people. In particular the aristocrats and soldiers.

However, Ryouma respond to her is very ordinary. As one would expect, it’s impossible for commoners to predict the attitude of a soldier.

“Is there any colour that you prefer?”

“I would like black please.”

“Certainly. I’ll prepare it. Wait a minute.”

Mainly, compared to the normal customers, she does not feel any difference either.

She asks the things that he wants to ask, and he replies it normally.

Although she felt a bit out of place with his polite attitude, Megu thought that she was just thinking too much and feetl amused by it.

(Maybe because all of his clothes are in the laundry, I wonder? Ah! I forgot to ask the size… well it’s fine. I will bring some larger clothes together as well.)

She then brings three items with three different sizes each.

“I’m sorry to have kept you waiting. How about these?”

“This is fine. Please warp it.”

(“Eh? he didn’t say anything about which size?)

No one buys clothes without trying it first before purchasing the clothes. Of course, it was natural for Megu to tilt her head since he does not check the size either.

“Emm… how about the size?” Megu asked him while feeling reserved.

“Ah, the size… hmm… the biggest one please.”

He somehow gives the feeling that he wants to buy the clothes immediately. It was a very suspicious attitude. However, Megu shook her head, after all, the customer is buying it.

“Certainly. The price would be 1000 baht in total. I will immediately wrap the goods, please wait a minute.”

Saying that she lowered her head, then Megu heading toward the counter when he called her.

“Oh, Wait a moment. Because I’m in a hurry I want to immediately pay, will you count the money together?”

He put the bag with the money.

“If it’s not enough, please do say so?”

(I wonder if he’s an aristocrat son from somewhere? But, he wore an imperial guard armour, though?)

Most of the time, the ones who shops like this is someone from aristocratic families.

(But he does not seem to be an aristocrat, I wonder? But well, whatever! Since the person appears to pay with money properly, everything is good.) Megu then stopped thinking about it.

A customer who pays is a good customer even if it’s a suspicious person. Such thought crosses her mind.

“Certainly. Please wait a minute.” Megu lowered her head once again and went toward the counter.

===============POV Change============

“Fuu~.”

After leaving the clothes store Ryouma breathes out while trying not to attract public gaze. He never felt this much tension just by from shopping.

When Megu said“The price would be 1000 baht in total”, no matter how many coins he has, he doesn’t have any idea of how much they are worth. At the time when he handed over the bag with the money inside of it to her, his heart was beating so fast that he thought it might explode.

However, for the time being, he achieved his objective.

“After all this is a race against time.” After muttered such words, Ryouma once again walked out the main street.

“Oba-chaaan~. One of today special please!”

On the other side of the main street, there’s a store located inside a dark, gloomy alley.

The name of the shop is restaurant Oceanic Noise. It is the kind of a restaurant where people will decline in coming if they are not being recommended by someone.

However, contrary to the dark appearance, the inside is clean and tidy, there are male and female customers, there also some who came with their children.

The time right now is currently 3.00 o’clock in the afternoon.

Finally, Ryouma could get some lunch.

He changed his clothes into his black shirt and pants which he bought a while ago at Megu’s shop.

(Somehow I made it huh…)

Back when went out of the castle, all he could only think about was running away immediately.

Normally, he would without looking back, be trying to escape as far away as possible. However, since he doesn’t know the geography and have no equipment, there’s simply no way to do that.

It would be the same as asking for death, after all, if he were to go without confirming the minimum information, such as how far there is to other locations, what directions to go and how much preparation one’s needed to prepare.

Furthermore, Ryouma can’t ride a horse. As a modern person, Ryouma has no horse-riding experience.

Since he saw carriage in the town, it seemed natural for him that the pursuers would be mounted.

Being on foot vs. his pursuers being mounted. It was evident that he would be caught fast like that.

But since Ryouma wore armour when getting out of the castle, the imperial guards don’t know his face.

Their only clue is that he is wearing an imperial guard armour. For that reason, they would surely chase someone who had gone out of the castle wearing an imperial guards armour.

His concern is that if by any chance their preparation is faster, by the time

Ryouma goes out he would immediately be caught, however, Ryouma thought that the heaven seems to favour him.

Searching for a quiet place outside the castle, he changes the attire to the one he bought. Then he buried the armour in the ground. And right after that, he got a glimpse of his pursuers passed by heading out from the castle. At that time a small army passed by Ryouma, coming out of the castle. And he made sure to remember the people leading them.

“Here you go! Thank you for waiting!”

With cheerful voice, a lunch set was spread on the table, there’s karaage, fried fish, bread, and salad.

While stuffing his mouth with the bread and Karaage, once again Ryouma thought back to the pursuers who passed him a moment ago.

(They seems to be high-ranking people. Honestly, I didn’t think that they would pursue me using cavalry…)

At the time when Ryouma was looking for a place to eat, they came out from the castle.

The ones who lead them was four people. Among them, two people were familiar faces.

(Rolph and Seria huh…)

Rolph’s face made him immediately think of a veteran soldier, and the one who had an air around her that made her feel noble and intelligent was Seria. Next to them was and unknown young man that looks surprisingly weak.

Ryouma knew he should not make light of these three people, though it does not mean that he’s afraid of them.

(The problem was the last person…)

The woman with blue eyes and blonde hair. In Ryouma eyes, she seemed to an equal fighter to Rolph. Since he had been trained in martial arts, he was able to deduce the ability of someone just from a glance.

(Furthermore, her eyes… that’s not only the eyes of a warrior… there is more to them…)

That eyes which are full of calmness and intelligence. It was akin to Seria’s eyes; however, she had one crucial difference, being that her eyes are filled with confidence backed by experience.

If Seria is an immature strategist, then, she’s a general who have already matured and experienced a lot.

It’s eyes that have been going through bloodshed, they belong to someone that not only has experienced the battlefield like Rolph, but also has a deeper strategist mind.

Ryouma thought about the future while stuffing his mouth full. (From here on, it seems like it would be one hell of escape…)

This was Ryouma and Shardina first time meeting before they fought for the hegemony of the western continent.