Kays Translations

Chapter 153: Another Encounter

The black cat, carrying the Jansens, descended the gentle slope towards the dock.

Since it was not appropriate to put the lord and his wife in a cargo or bath vehicle, Eto and Willem were in the cargo vehicle, while the lord and his wife sat in the back seat.

“Wow, this is something else… It’s not just that it runs without horses, it’s way faster than a carriage.” 

Dafyyd murmured as he watched the scenery pass by.

His face had been like that of a child with a new toy, but shortly after starting, his expression grew serious.

“And unlike carriages, it doesn’t need breaks. It might be tough to operate alone for long periods, but with shifts, it’s manageable. If we had more of these, the world would feel half as big.”

“That’s the idea. Goods, people, information, and even military strength can be transported twice as fast with magic vehicles. The faster the information, the more valuable it is, and the same applies to transporting goods.”

“Exactly. Whether in business or war, the presence of magic vehicles changes everything.”

“Yes. Our faction is scattered and not numerous. Although we appear to have ample forces thanks to the Marquis, that’s for defending against external threats. To compete equally with other factions, we need to improve quality.”

Isamu nodded in agreement as he continued.

“It won’t be immediate, but we plan to offer magic vehicles at a low cost to our faction members soon. This inspection tour is also a field test for that.”

“In our territory too…” 

Dafyyd sighed at Isamu’s words.

“Yes. There are many potential uses, so please look forward to it.”

Isamu, holding the steering wheel, smiled happily.

They arrived at the dock in less than an hour, where a familiar face greeted them in surprise.

“Hey, Isamu-sama! Long time no see.”

It was Revecchio, the captain of the boat they had previously taken down the river.

“Ah, Revecchio-san. Sorry, but I’ll be in your care again.”

“What are you saying? We were the ones who benefited last time. The new lightning orbs you gave us made things much safer.”

Revecchio grinned as he shook Isamu extended hand.

“So, what’s that odd thing? Looks like a carriage, but without horses. But it moves, right?”

“That’s a magic vehicle, powered by magic stones.”

“A magic tool, huh?”

“Without horses, it’s lighter as cargo and won’t get unruly.”

“Indeed… I just got a new boat, but it might be underused.”

Revecchio, initially surprised by the horseless vehicle, was convinced by Isamu’s ability to improve the lightning orbs and lamented that the enhanced boat’s performance might not be fully utilized.

“Wow! It’s definitely bigger than the last one!”

The boat they had previously taken was large, but this new one was even larger. It was a catamaran, with two hulls connected side by side, featuring a shallow draft, stability, and a high cargo capacity.

“We connected with Marquis Innocenti, which increased our work, so we added a new boat. It’s bigger, has more cargo space, and larger cabins, but its best feature is something else. But first, let’s load the magic vehicle.”

Revecchio smiled and began directing the loading of the magic vehicle onto the boat.

Once the magic vehicle was secured, the boat slowly departed from the pier, heading towards the stable waters of the Lusarsa River.

After about five minutes, the boat settled into a steady flow, and Captain Revecchio handed the helm to a crew member and joined Isamu and his group on the deck.

“How do you like the new boat?”

“It’s more spacious and comfortable. The weather’s great too.”

“Glad to hear it. The best feature is the figurehead.”

“Figurehead?”

Revecchio pointed his thumb towards the bow. Isamu squinted towards the bow and saw a figurehead gleaming in the sunlight.

“Is that…?”

As Isamu strained his eyes, the others gathered on the deck did the same.

“It’s Orihime-sensei!”

Tiramisu was the first to shout.

“So it is!”

Isamu, reaching the same conclusion, hurried to the bow.

“This is… Orihime-sama and… Lusarsa-sama?”

Up close, the figurehead was a beautiful woman cradling a cat, presumably Orihime, with a gentle smile.

“That’s right. I heard Orihime-sama protects boats, so I had this made to worship her alongside Lusarsa-sama.”

Revecchio proudly explained.

“Wonderful! This expression captures both her charm and dignity perfectly. The captain truly understands Orihime-sensei’s allure.”

Nodding repeatedly, Mizeroi admired the figurehead.

“Exactly! And it’s already bringing us good fortune.”

“Good fortune?”

“Yeah. Since we got this new boat, we haven’t been attacked by monsters. It’s been about two months.”

“That can’t be… Wait…”

Isamu recalled the previous boat trip’s events, making him reconsider.

As if to confirm, Orihime, who had been perched on Isamu’s shoulder, leapt to the edge of the deck and peered into the water.

“Meow~~”

She let out a cry and looked into the water.

The lookout was the first to notice.

“Whoa, is this for real!? No mistake, it’s Lusarsa-sama!”

He shouted loudly.

“!!”

Everyone, remembering the previous incident, watched in surprise as a large shadow grew beneath the water.

With a splash, the enormous body, adorned with glowing stars, leapt from the water into the air.

“Myaaaan!”

Ooooooon.

As if responding to Orihime’s joyful cries, a low but beautiful sound, akin to brass instruments, resonated in the surroundings.

Three times it flew over the ship’s head in a rotating motion. After one last resounding sound, the massive body disappeared into the riverbed.

“Nyao~n,” 

Orihime also let out a prolonged cry with narrowed eyes.

Despite the massive body bouncing around, not even a wave, let alone spray, reached the ship, showcasing the true quality of divine beings.

“…The power of the real Orihime-sama is unparalleled.”

“Yes… Perhaps the reason we weren’t attacked by monsters is also thanks to Lusarsa-sama taking a liking to that figurehead.”

With the almost confirmed real blessing, both Revecchio and Isamu opened their mouths, somewhat stunned.

“Nyaff.”

The one who brought about the blessing, Orihime herself, perched on Isamu’s shoulder, snorted proudly.

—

Immediately after departing, they unexpectedly encountered Lusarsa again, a big event, but the rest of the boat journey was smooth sailing, with calm weather.

In the evening of the second day, they arrived at the river port closest to Balshan, the capital of the Balsham Frontier. It was roughly halfway to the confluence point with the Meator River.

“Captain Revecchio, thank you very much!”

“Hey. I’m grateful I got to meet Lusarsa-sama again. Please come aboard on the way back too.”

Since they would now travel by land, they bid farewell to Reveccio. They planned to spend one night at an inn near the port tonight and then aim for Balshan, which would take about a day and a half.

—

The Balsham Frontier is located in the central-western part of the Stahleen Kingdom, spanning north to south.

To the northwest, it borders the Plazzo Kingdom, its ally, while the rest of the western border is adjacent to the Zun Republic.

Although there hasn’t been any fighting since the ceasefire agreement with Zun about fifty years ago, it remains vigilant against the one-party dictatorship of the Republic.

Moreover, being an ally of the Kempbach Empire, which is still at war, it cooperates with the Innocenti Frontier to defend the western part of the kingdom.

The northern area is a forested region adjacent to the territory of Marquis Felker, the central-southern part is grasslands, and the southern part adjacent to the Innocenti Frontier is a rocky desert.

—

They were heading north along the road through the grassland area, located in the middle of the Balsham Frontier.

“Oh, as far as the eye can see, it’s a vast plain.”

“Yes. This area has become one of the kingdom’s major granaries. It’s almost time for sowing.”

Isamu, who had handed over driving duties to Wilhelm, was discussing the scenery with Annemarie beside him.

Since the wheat in the world of Ethersia is mainly sown in spring, seeding would start in about two to three weeks.

This area, with its stable climate, the Lusarsa River and its tributaries providing ample water, has been a prime agricultural area since ancient times.

That’s why, apparently, it used to be a war-torn land, with neighboring states vying for control.

We drove across the plain, which could be considered the remains of an ancient battlefield, taking breaks along the way, and arrived at the town of Fariya, where we would be staying for the night, just as the sun began to set in the west.

Once they reached here, it would take another three hours of travel to reach the capital, Balshan.

Fariya and other towns in this area were mostly built around military facilities such as fortresses, established as bridgeheads during the war-torn era.

Therefore, many towns have impressive defensive walls and gates, and Fariya, with its grey stone walls reflecting sunlight, was no exception.

Since there seemed to be a wait at the gate, they parked the magic car to the side and were about to join the line when a knight-like figure was seen running from the direction of the gate.

—

“Are you from Viscount Klaufeldt’s family!?”

The knight who ran up saluted and inquired.

“Yes, we’re from the Klaufeldt family. I’m Isamu Matsumoto.”

“I’ve heard about you. Welcome after your long journey. I’m Ismar, in charge of the defense of Fariya. Please come this way.”

Guided by Ismar, they headed towards a small gate beside the main gate.

“That line is for adventurers and the general public. The entrance for nobles is over here.”

“Ah, the entrances are separate.”

“Yes. They used to be the same… This town has a lot of adventurers, so, well, various reasons…”

According to Ismar, there are numerous former military bases from the war period scattered around here, many of which remain destroyed or abandoned, with monsters inhabiting them.

While the size of the bases and the number of monsters inhabiting them aren’t particularly large, the sheer number and the wide range make it difficult.

Therefore, unless they’re high-ranking monsters, the task of subjugating monsters is left to adventurers.

Due to the constant stream of requests for monster extermination, adventurers from all over the country are gathering here, and it seems that it has now become something of an adventurer’s town.

There’s no way that an adventurer and a nobleman could get along well.

Within the city, there was no problem since their range of movement was different, but as the number of adventurers increased, they began clashing at the gates more frequently, and as a result, troubles increased sharply.

Since then, a gate for nobles was built on the side and a separate reception area was established, which is how it has continued to this day.

“I see. Indeed, there seem to be fewer merchants and travelers here.”

“Yes. Since adventurers returning from their subjugation missions will increase soon, it’s good that you’ve arrived early.”

Since the conversation had been relayed from the Margrave Balsham in advance, the procedures were quickly completed.

“…Is this the magic car? It really moves only with the vehicle, doesn’t it?”

Seeing the magic car that had moved here while they were completing the procedures, Ismar’s eyes sparkled.

Ah, it’s the same as Captain Reynaldo before, thought Isamu, taking the lead in inviting him.

“Yes. Could you guide us to the inn? Would you like to ride along?”

Isamar’s expression brightened at Isamu’s question.

“Is that alright!? Yes, please, if you don’t mind.”

Just as he eagerly replied…

**Clang! Clang! Clang!**

From above the main gate, the urgent sound of the bell resounded loudly.

“What’s going on!!”

Ismar, now back to a serious expression, immediately rushed to check.

“A large flying monster is approaching! There’s only one. Probably a Wyvern!! I see dust ahead, so it seems adventurers are fleeing on horseback!”

“A Wyvern!? Why here… Hurry, get the archers up! Adventurers and the defense squad at the gate, prepare to intercept! Don’t let them into the town under any circumstances!!”

The momentary surprise at hearing “Wyvern” was quickly replaced by swift and precise instructions.

“I’m sorry, Matsumoto-dono. As you’ve heard, it’s an emergency, so should we hurry into the town…? Matsumoto-dono!?”

As Ismar, who gave the instructions, turned back, the Orihime team had already gathered in front of Isamu, who seemed to be speaking quickly.

“What’s the threat level of the Wyvern?”

“Well… It’s about the same as a Mage Ogre. It’s tricky because it can fly, and it spits fireballs from its mouth.”

“What’s the power of the fireballs?”

“About the standard power of a Fireball spell.”

“I see… Then, Felix, Liddell, Tiramisu, and Anne, let’s intercept it outside. Everyone else, quickly into the town with the magic car. Marcela, Ulysses, and Karina, go to the top of the city walls. Mizeroi and Rudolf, reinforce the defense of the magic car.”

“Yes!!”

Upon receiving Isamu’s instructions, the members immediately began to move.

“Eto! Bring that out!”

“That thing!? Perfect for the flying one indeed. Understood!”

When Isamu called out to Eto, who was about to board Black Cat, Eto quickly retrieved a cylindrical object and two spear-like objects from the cargo compartment and handed them to Isamu.

“Thank you! Alright, everyone, let’s go!”

“Yes!”

Taking it, Isamu called out to the interception team.

“W-wait a moment, Matsumoto-dono!! I think I heard you say we’re going to intercept it now…?!”

Ismar, who had been staring in astonishment at how smoothly Isamu’s team was organizing, snapped back to reality and hurriedly spoke up.

“Yes. It’s a crisis in our ally’s territory. Let us assist, shall we?”

Isamu replied with a smile, completely unfazed.

“N-no, we can’t possibly ask our noble guests to do that! Moreover, it’s a Wyvern, you know!?”

Ismar protested with a face that seemed to say, “What on earth are you saying?”

“It’s okay. It’s about the same as a Mage Ogre, so we should be able to handle one. Plus, if it gets too dangerous, we’ll retreat.”

“But…”

“Isn’t it more important to give instructions to the adventurers? Look, smoke is starting to rise from over there, isn’t it?”

Looking towards the opposite side of the city, three horses running furiously and kicking up dust came into view.

“Ugh… Understood, but please don’t push yourself too hard!! Well then, I’ll go to the adventurers.”

Saluting, Ismar ran off towards the gate where adventurers were gathering, despite his reluctance.

“Now then, let’s prepare for interception. Tiramisu, it’s been a while for that one.”

“Yes, sir. Our opponent is just a lizard with wings! We’ll take it down easily. Then, let’s go with Zero Catastrophe!!”

“Zero Catastrophe!!”

“Nyafu!”

With pointing fingers and rallying cries, everyone entered combat readiness.

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