Chapter 7: Our Journey: Travelogue ⓪ — Skia Horse Ele and a Light Meal

Has it been about ten minutes since we departed?

This is the dining room at the front section of the Skia Coffin Ele.

Two steps down from the room level, a black oval table is placed horizontally in the center.
White sofas surround it completely.

It can comfortably seat ten people.
The system kitchen and storage room are on the left side.

“So then… how exactly does this thing move?”

Mineha-san, sitting across from the Witch, asks.
By the way, she’s not in her Fairy-real form.
She’s taken off her armor and is dressed casually.

After sipping the tea Anna Kreuzchen had poured, the Witch answers.

“There’s a golden-ranked mid-tier dungeon monster called a Shadow Horse, you see.
Above that is a Dark Horse. By fusing Shadow and Dark with a bit of slime—just like that—you get the Skia Horse Ele. It carries relics of shadow and darkness, so it’s extremely convenient.”

The Witch casually says something outrageous.

Mineha-san and Bid-san are both stunned—and understandably so.
I feel exactly the same.

At the table listening to the explanation are just me, Mineha-san, and Bid-san.

Hoss-san is cheerfully selecting ingredients from the storage room, with Anna Kreuzchen helping. Shaldina and Dagaa are “inspecting,” which is really just exploring.

They probably understand that the Witch’s second-floor workshop is dangerous and off-limits.

“So… is that thing really safe?”

“Hm hm, I see, I see. A valid concern—but there’s no need to worry.”

“Why not?”

“Well now… the definition is tricky, but if I had to say—
it’s Legendary.”

“A living Legendary!?”

“Yes, you could call it that.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Well, if living OOPArts exist, then living Legendaries wouldn’t be strange either.”

“By that logic, living relics might exist too.”

The Witch laughs.

“Yes, yes. That’s a nice thought. Living relics might exist as well.”

“So… what exactly did you embed into them?”

“Oh, that would be transmission stones.”

“Stones?”

“There’s a driver’s cabin at the front of the second floor, and a parent transmission stone is installed there.”

“Wait—are you controlling them by voice?”

“They understand language?”

“Seems so. Right now, they’re following the preset route.”

“Well then, that’s how it is—so relax and enjoy yourselves.”

“…But there are no reins.”

“Oh, that’s because they’re shadows. They extend part of their bodies into the axle below and move it directly. Simply put, they’re possessing it.”

Something only shadows could do. How convenient.

“There’s no need for reins at all. And more than that—there’s practically no shaking.”

“Yes, yes. They account for that too. Now then, Lady Mineha—does that ease your worries?”

“I suppose it does. Sorry for being so difficult.”

Mineha-san apologizes.

“Oh my, there’s nothing to apologize for. Asking uncomfortable questions for everyone’s sake isn’t easy.”

“It’s not that. I just didn’t trust you.”

Mineha-san narrows her eyes and flashes a daring smile.

“Fufu, fufu… let’s go with that then.”

“You’re not very honest.”

“Shut up.”

Mineha-san pouts—probably embarrassment.
Well, that’s just how she is.

Saying she was oddly tired, Mineha-san heads for the bath.

Bid-san sips his tea and asks the Witch:

“What’s the route like?”

“Let’s see, let’s see… ah yes, here it is.”

The Witch pulls out a map and spreads it across the table.

This region.

The trade city Heisen lies north, by Lake Reeve.
Traveling there by land is nearly impossible; you have to stop at a port town and go upriver.

Why impossible?
Because the area is completely surrounded by steep cliff-like mountains.
Not figuratively—actual sheer rock walls.
And right in front of them is a massive forest.

The Heisen Great Forest is a treasure trove of dungeon monsters.
No one has ever reached its deepest depths.

What is known is that beyond the forest lies a full mountain range.
That’s all—details are completely unknown.

This forest is the workplace of Heizen’s explorers, who are locally called:

“Slayers.”

In other words, Heisen’s trade relies on sea routes, not land.
It’s a vital maritime hub.

Lake Reeve connects to the Claudia Sea, but there are no nearby harbor towns.
It’s also the terminal point for the river ports connected to the Reeve River.

Still… looking at this map, I realize—

This terrain, surrounded by rock walls… it’s a crater.

Lake Reeve is circular because water pooled into the crater’s remains.
One would normally think of a meteor impact, but this continent has many such craters.

“First, we’ll enter the caravan road. We’ll pass the first village, stop at night, sleep, and depart again in the morning.”

“So we’re basically skipping villages and towns?”

“Yes, yes. We’re well-stocked, so there’s little need. If there’s somewhere you want to stop, we can—but probably not.”

“Is there a reason we’re not stopping?”

“Well, this is bragging a bit, but you all stand out. And the Skia Coffin Ele is very conspicuous.
Dealing with pests is bothersome.”

“I… see.”

“Oh, Mineha forgot to ask—do we need night guards?”

Good point.
But there’s no way the Witch overlooked that.

“At night, the Skia Horse Ele deploys a shield and stands guard.”

“How strong are they, exactly, as monsters?”

I ask. One of the originals was upper-tier gold rank.

The Witch gives a wry smile, winks one eye, and presses a finger to her lips.

“Secret, secret. Just barely short of gem rank.”

“That means—!?”

“Whoa…”

Bid-san is speechless. I groan quietly.
They’re completely beyond normal opponents.

Anna Kreuzer smiles faintly—she heard it too.
Our nighttime safety is practically guaranteed.

“Hey! You lot—ain’t you hungry?”

Hoss-san asks, setting out ingredients.

“A little hungry!”

“Come to think of it, we skipped breakfast.”

“Just a bit hungry, yes.”

“Then I’ll whip up something light.”

Hoss-san starts cooking, with Anna Kreuzchen following his instructions.

Soon, the food is ready:

Fried eggs topped with plenty of cheese and a rich sauce.
Sautéed spinach with bacon.
Lightly toasted white and black bread beans.
And onion-and-potato soup.

“It’s delicious! The spinach and bacon—the oil is amazing!”

“I only added a tiny bit of vegetable oil.
The bacon fat and spinach oils are enough, really—but I wanted one extra note.”

“Eggs with cheese and rich sauce—it’s surprisingly rare.”

Sounds like something from America.
Didn’t they have chicken with orange sauce and raspberries or something?

“Back home, we add mashed potatoes too.”

“What’s that?”

“Steamed potatoes, mashed up.”

Ah, mashed potatoes.

“Oh ho, hmm hmm. Kon likes this onion-and-potato soup.

The Witch stirs the soup with a spoon.
The onions have melted into a thick sweetness.

“Ah! You’re eating something tasty!”

“Na!”

Shaldina and Dagaa charge in.

“Hold on now.” 

Hoss-san says, plating the same meal for them.

After eating, we drink tea brewed by Anna Kreuzchen.

We relax.

Ah… this really feels like a journey.

I unwind.
Mineha-san returns from the bath and enjoys the same light meal.

The women seem to be heading for the bath next.
Hoss-san says he’ll check the stored ingredients.

I head to my assigned room.

I crack open the window slightly and lie down on the bed.

It’s surprisingly comfortable.

This might turn out to be a very pleasant trip.
I can’t help but smile—it feels more like a vacation.

I can feel a slight sway, but there’s almost no noise.

As I close my eyes, my consciousness drifts away.

I fall asleep.

Zzz.