79. Encounter – Miradia

From the adventurer’s town of Sotohaim, the southern road cuts through the forest. It’s maintained, of course, but due to geography, certain stretches remain vulnerable to monster attacks.

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Shiro bought a carriage with the reward money, and the group rode it along the southern road.

The carriage itself was a simple covered wagon. With facing benches in the cargo area, it could fit about ten people. They sat on cushions, chatting as they traveled.

Incidentally, Mitoka was the driver. She could hear Shiro’s words through him. The driving technique she’d learned from Aria and the others.

Shiro had thought, *Fantasy means carriages. With knowledge cheats, I could improve the design!* But the ride was unexpectedly smooth. Springboards were already in use, so the direct jolts weren’t too bad. There was still some sway, sure.

“Huh. Not as primitive as I thought,” Shiro mused. Then, “But no rubber tires or shock absorbers yet!” His mood lifted slightly. He grinned, lost in thought, tinkering with ideas.

“Shiro, what’s so funny?” Shestia asked.

“Eh? Oh, uh, just imagining ways to improve the carriage… it got me smiling,” he replied.

“Improvement? Sounds fun. Shiro can do anything,” Shestia said, grinning back.

“Huh. Whenever Shiro starts thinking about building something, he gets surprisingly childish,” Aria said, smiling.

Shiro and the others were heading south of Sotohaim, toward a forest beside the road, along a riverbank.

We’d only ever gone north, along the edge of the Great Tree Sea, but Shiro said he wanted to check out the south side too. So we decided to take on a regular gathering quest in the southern woods.

Shiro and Shestia were in full picnic mode for the regular gathering quest. Aria and Albert just sighed, but shrugged—fine, every once in a while, a little relaxation wasn’t a bad thing—so they tagged along.

The terrain rose into gentle hills, dotted with patches of forest, rocky outcrops, and low hills.

At one point, a section of the road ran south along the riverbank, making for a relatively smooth path.

Shiro noticed a reaction from his constantly active exploration ability.

“Forward about 1,000 meters—there’s a carriage under attack by a group of fifty Mad Boars on the road ahead!”

Shiro shouted.

Everyone jumped down from the carriage instantly. Shiro quickly stashed the carriage into his inventory, tied the horses to a nearby tree, and left them feed and water.

We all ran toward the battle site.

We approached the scene. Two carriages were visible. One was a fine-looking carriage—painted white, simple but with high-quality, subtle detailing. The other was plain, clearly meant for guards or cargo.

Twenty or so guard knights surrounded the carriage, locked in combat with the monsters.

Mad Boars used earth and water magic to conjure mud-based spells. They’re called “Mad” because they move erratically, frenzied and unpredictable. Their sharp fangs, jutting from their mouths, were especially dangerous—they charged forward and impaled their targets with those teeth.

The mad boars surrounding the carriage were larger than usual and more aggressive—taking on two at once made defense nearly impossible. The knights were managing to hold their ground, but the situation was clearly dire. At least ten knights had been thrown back, likely injured.

Aria deduced, from the crest on the carriage, that it belonged to the royal family—probably someone she knew. So she decided to help the knights while ensuring the carriage’s safety.

Aria, Albert, and Shestia approached from the ground, calling out to the knights.

Meanwhile, Albert cleaved through several beasts close to the carriage with a single strike.

In the meantime, Shiro erected individual barriers to shield those in danger. Mitoka shouted at everyone to get away from the monsters.

Shiro and Mitoka ascended into the air.

The knights, looking up at them in stunned silence, froze.

In that instant, Shiro and Mitoka unleashed their Homing Lightning Needles—within seconds, the monsters were obliterated.

The knights stood motionless, mouths open, staring upward in utter disbelief at the sheer unpredictability of the magic.

After the battle, Shiro and Shestia split up to treat the injured. Several people who’d clearly suffered severe wounds were healed instantly by their magic—everyone was astonished.

Aria and the others approached the carriage.

"Hey, Nadia, Alexei, Alan—glad you're safe."

"Uh, Aria, Albert, and Shestia, huh? We’re lucky you showed up."

Alan, the eldest of the knights, replied.

"Big sister Aria!" A beautiful young girl jumped out from the carriage.

"Ah, it’s really Mirai. You okay?" Aria responded.

"Yes! Thank you so much for saving me!" Mirai bowed to Aria.

"Mirai, it's been a while," Shestia called out.

"Oh! You're here too, Shestia!" Mirai smiled.

Shiro and Mitoka stood at the back, watching everyone's reactions.

Then, Miradia turned toward Shiro, her expression flickering with recognition—her eyes widened in sudden shock as she stepped forward.

"Could you be... the Master?" Miradia asked.

Shiro flinched, suddenly addressed by a beautifully elegant noble少女 with poise and grace—his mind scrambled.

"Eh? Ah, yes, I suppose so. Shiro Kamikawa," he stammered, bowing slightly.

Miradia then lowered herself into a prayer-like posture, kneeling on both knees.

"It is an honor to meet you, Master. I am Miradia Hainzworth, third princess of the Hainzworth Kingdom," she said, voice calm, precise.

The surrounding guards gasped, breath caught in their throats. A royal princess—kneeling before a man they didn’t even know.

"Your Highness! What are you doing?!" the female knight standing nearby shouted.

"Everyone," Miradia said, voice steady and clear, "this man is the Master."

"Wha—?!" They all stared, stunned.

Then, every knight accompanying Miradia dropped to their knees, heads bowed.

"Wha—?!" Shiro blurted, startled.

"Hey, everyone—please stand up!" Shiro called out.

"No, Lord Shiro. Thank you for coming to our aid. Who knows what would have happened if you hadn't arrived. And this time, we’ve come to ask for your support in resolving the disturbance in the capital—your presence is needed, Lord Shiro, who serves as the Apostle of Firumia. Kneeling before you is only natural."

Miradia spoke with a clear voice. Naturally, as a princess of the royal family, even as a young girl, her demeanor and tone carried authority.

Shiro didn’t know what to say, his face twisting into a look of mild distress as he glanced between Aria and Albert.

The two watched with smiles, but Aria nodded with a look that said, “Well, can’t be helped,” at Shiro’s flustered expression. Then,

"Saintess Miradia, Shiro is in trouble. He’s not the type to appreciate such stiff treatment. A bit more casual approach would make Shiro happy."

And Aria spoke to Miradia in a tone utterly unlike her usual noble manner.

Upon hearing that, Miradia blinked and looked at Shiro.

She chuckled softly, her smile lingering like a saved image in memory, as she turned toward Shiro, who was nodding vigorously.

Understood. Let's skip the formalities. Mistress Shiro, please take care of me," Miradia rose and extended her hand for a handshake.

“Ah, of course,” Shiro replied, returning the handshake.

Afterward, the Aria Party agreed to escort them to the frontier lord's manor in Amandale, and Shestia and Aria climbed into Miradia's carriage.

Shiro, Mitoka, and Albert returned to the place where they had left their horses and made their way back to town in a carriage.

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