Kays Translations

Chapter 402: Gathering Information Along the Way

We are set to travel eastward via the royal capital. This route is better maintained, making it easier to replenish supplies along the way.

Of course, we have stocked a fair number of magic potions in the carriage. Since I was summoned, I assume they have the means to produce magic potions there, but this is just a precaution.

Gile and Christopher are accompanying us as escorts on this journey. It seems to be their first long trip, and they are somewhat excited.

“Look! I can see smoke rising. That must be the famous hot spring town.”

“So that’s the place… the one Lord Julius saved…”

Christopher and Gile gaze at it with deep emotion. Since when did such rumors spread? It’s not like I intended to keep it a secret, but I never asked for it to be widely known.

With that thought in mind, we arrived at the royal capital. After spending a night at the townhouse, we would be stepping into unfamiliar lands for the first time.

“Fabienne, are you feeling alright?”

“Um, well… my butt hurts.”

“That’s serious. Let’s get you an extra cushion.”

I thought about joking that it would be a problem if her rear split into two, but I decided against it—I’d probably get a look of disdain.

So far, the journey has gone smoothly. The real challenge begins now: assessing the extent of the damage caused by the monster outbreak.

After adding the cushion and completing our resupply, we finally set foot in the eastern lands. The first day passed without incident, but from the second day onward, the road conditions deteriorated rapidly. The once-paved road turned into a bumpy path. Still, having a road at all is better than nothing.

“This is quite the bumpy ride…”

“Yes. You should take some motion sickness medicine at the next stop.”

“I will.”

Fabienne’s complexion looks pale. Could the worsening roads be due to the monster outbreak? I asked Lionel, and he said it was highly likely.

Taking his advice, I observed our surroundings more carefully. Here and there, I noticed broken branches and claw marks on tree bark.

It seems beast-type monsters had overrun the area. Hunting them down in the forest must have been quite a challenge. The letters I received didn’t mention this, but they might have suffered considerable damage. Hopefully, it’s not a complete disaster.

The carriage slows down. There might still be surviving monsters lurking around. Lionel judged that we should proceed with caution.

Fatigue is starting to show on Fabienne’s face. It might be best to take a proper rest soon.

“Lionel, let’s rest for a full day at the next stop.”

“Understood. As you command, Julius-sama.”

When Lionel relayed the message, everyone seemed pleased. It wasn’t just us—our knights had also accumulated quite a bit of exhaustion.

We arrived at a small town—not quite a village. The presence of an inn, a tavern, a general store, and even a branch of the Adventurers’ Guild confirmed that. Though small, it was still a town.

Somehow, we managed to secure enough rooms for everyone. The large room was entirely occupied by our knights, essentially making it their domain.

“Take it easy and rest. I’ll go look around town for a bit.”

“You’re well-accustomed to traveling, Julius-sama. Please take care.”

Just in case, I left Mira with Fabienne. I also told her to contact me immediately through the ring if anything happened. That should be enough.

…No, I’m still worried. I’ll secretly cast a spell without them noticing.

“Kyuu?”

“Don’t worry. Mira, take care of Fabienne.”

“Kyuu!”

Mira raises her hand to answer. It seems she noticed that I used magic, but she also realized that it wasn’t a harmful spell. It looks like she will obediently follow what I say.

I took Gile and Christopher outside. As expected of knights who have undergone training, they still seem to be holding up fine.

“Julius-sama, what do you intend to do?”

“I thought I’d gather some information about the situation around here.”

Once we reach the Marquis of Mulan’s estate, we’ll likely learn many things, but I also want to hear what the locals have to say. Additionally, I’d like to understand the distribution of materials in this area.

Although I was able to get some information from shopkeepers, I couldn’t obtain anything from the Adventurers’ Guild. Well, I suppose that’s to be expected since I’m just a child.

“They said monsters came to this town too.”

“Yeah. Since there was an Adventurers’ Guild in town, they somehow managed to handle it, but it seems some people in the surrounding villages lost their lives.”

“They said the monsters came from the northeast.”

Checking the map, I can see that the forest continues in that direction. Could part of this forest have turned into a demonic territory? If there’s no clear boundary, gathering materials might be difficult. I should ask Lionel later to check with the Adventurers’ Guild.

After returning to the inn and showing my face to Fabienne and Mira, I immediately set out to find Lionel. Apparently, he had also gone into town to gather information. When he returned, we exchanged what we had learned.

“That’s how it is. What about you, Lionel?”

“It’s pretty much the same information. It seems that monsters have moved across a wide area, causing damage in multiple places. As a result, there’s a shortage of magic potions.”

“So, it’s the same here too. Now that you mention it, I think I noticed the shops didn’t have any magic potions in stock.”

It seems that the shortage of magic potions isn’t limited to the Marquis of Mulan’s domain. The entire eastern region appears to be in need of them. When I consulted Lionel about the materials in the nearby forest, he immediately agreed to gather information from the Adventurers’ Guild.

Hopefully, we can find medicinal herbs in the nearby forest.

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