Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 345: A Moment During the March
The vanguard was divided into several groups as they advanced toward the border fortress.
Some traveled on horseback, some on foot, and others rode in carriages… the methods varied, but their destination was the same.
A thousand men. Small in number for an army, yet the sight of so many people moving together was unusual, almost eerie.
“…As I thought, this unique tension is something I’ll never get used to.”
Rest sighed deeply as he guided his horse’s reins.
Thanks to various experiences, he had grown accustomed to riding. Horsemanship was a noble’s art. He had learned it in the academy and had even received pointers from people like Dibble of the Rosemary Marquis household.
(Still, riding for long hours makes my backside hurt… thank goodness for healing magic.)
When his rear ached from riding, he healed it with magic.
An extravagant use of sorcery—something only Rest, with his limitless magic power, could afford.
“At this pace, it’ll take more than three days… If I just flew with magic, we’d be there in no time.”
“Not so simple, is it? You planning to abandon the supply wagons?”
“You’re… Senior Carbelt!”
The one who spoke to his grumbling was an upperclassman from the academy, the former chair of the Disciplinary Committee—Isis Carbelt.
She wore riding clothes and sat astride a white-haired horse.
“I told you, just call me Isis, Rest.”
“Ah… right, Isis-san.”
“No need for the ‘san,’ either. Still, it’s an honor to be in the same unit as you, fighting side by side in this war.”
“Likewise… By the way, between you and Lubase, there are a lot of familiar faces.”
“Well, naturally. It’s not much different from those who joined the Marquis Aiger campaign.”
Isis brought her horse alongside his. She rose and fell in the saddle, distributing the shock of the ride with practiced ease, far more skilled with the reins than Rest.
“Among nobles, there are the militant and the political types. For muscle like us, being sent to the battlefield is only natural. That’s what lands and titles are granted for.”
The relationship between crown and nobility—feudalism was built upon “favor” and “service.”
The sovereign granted land and privileges to his vassals, and in return, the nobles served the royal house.
If that balance tipped, dissatisfaction rose, leading eventually to independence movements or rebellion.
“By the way… Do you know why a case like this repelling of foreign tribes is such a headache for His Majesty?”
“…Because we’re the ones being invaded? If we lose, the villages and commoners will suffer?”
“Not wrong, but not the answer I wanted. The truth is—because even if we win, there’s nothing to gain.”
“Nothing to gain…?”
“Exactly. Very different from when you defeated Sabnock, or when Prince Rodel and Marquis Aiger were dealt with.”
Isis explained patiently.
“When Sabnock was slain, our kingdom gained vast, untamed plains. When Marquis Aiger was brought down, his lands and wealth could be seized. His Majesty only had to distribute those spoils to reward his vassals, without spending from his own coffers.
But this time, we’re just driving back raiders. There’s no profit to distribute.”
“…Ah, I see. Since nothing is gained, the king can’t prepare rewards.”
“Not that he can’t, but… it’ll strain both his purse and his mind.”
“Count Clover, Baron Carbelt! A moment, please!”
A soldier approached as their idle talk wound down. He was a subordinate of their commander, Valeya Cattleya.
“There’s a herd of Giant Buffalo east of the highway. Captain Catreya requests that, if possible, you hunt them to supplement provisions!”
“Tell him understood.”
“Same here.”
Isis gave her assent, and Rest followed.
The Giant Buffalo were, as the name implied, massive bovine monsters.
From a single cow, one could get about 300 kilograms of meat. A Giant Buffalo yielded five times that.
Food supply was as vital in this world as in any. Securing this meat would significantly ease their rations.
“I was getting bored. Why don’t we make a contest of it—see who bags more?”
“I don’t mind. It’ll be a good change of pace.”
With that, Rest and Isis turned their horses toward the plains beside the highway.