第５１７堀：旅路と変わらぬ漢 (Part1)
### Chapter 517: The Journey and the Unchanging Man
**Side: Yuki**
Our departure was delayed more than expected. Instead of leaving early in the morning, we ended up setting off right around the time of Japan’s morning rush hour.
I can’t believe she actually showed up in a dress. And with a mountain of luggage piled onto the carriage, no less. Perhaps I should have handled the princess’s departure preparations myself. The reason for this mess was that Catherine and Kagura were already stretched thin, leaving the princess’s packing to the maids.
Well, in the end, the delay wasn't entirely their fault; the princess had spent the whole time throwing a tantrum, complaining about her clothes and the items she wanted to bring. Does it really take two hours to pick out clothes and sort luggage? She clearly doesn't understand the meaning of "traveling incognito."
We’re speaking the same language, yet we aren't communicating at all. I’ve finally realized that expecting anything more is a waste of time.
So...
"Um, Yuki? Yuki. Is it really okay to leave the Princess bundled up like that?"
Kagura, standing beside me, looks worriedly at the princess, who is currently wrapped in a bedroll like a sushi roll and stashed among the rest of the cargo.
I suppose, given her elite upbringing, she can't help but use formal speech. It makes sense; habits aren't easily broken. We aren't exactly her subordinates, and for the sake of our future plans, we want to keep her in a good mood. Even if it’s just for show, it’s hard to just drop the act.
Nobles have their way of speaking, commoners have theirs, Weed has its own, and Japan has its own. Adapting to a foreign culture is truly a difficult task.
But that’s fine. As for the princess-in-a-roll situation:
"It’s fine. It’s to make up for the lost time this morning. Honestly, it’s more convenient for us if she just stays asleep for the whole trip. Having her awake is nothing but a headache."
"…I-I am terribly sorry. This is my incompetence. Please, I beg your forgiveness…"
Hearing my explanation, Catherine—mistaking it for a complaint—turns pale and starts apologizing.
"Nobody is at fault here. Besides, I’ll just make sure to charge the King of Haiden an extra 'nuisance fee' later for raising her like this."
When it comes down to it, the princess’s existence is our biggest obstacle, and the fact that the King of Haiden provided her to us makes him quite the strategist. She can’t be removed, she isn’t an enemy, she’s useless, and her head is full of flowers. He really did pull a terrifying move.
"…A nuisance fee? Well, fine. So, are those two you called for reinforcements actually useful?"
Kagura seems to have accepted the princess situation, as she turns her attention to Amanda and Eoid.
"H-hey, Eoid, don't touch weird places!?"
"W-wait, you know I’ve never ridden a horse before, right!?"
"Eek!? …You, you pervert!!"
"Gah!?"
Eoid gets punched by Amanda and goes flying—or rather, falls off his horse and dances through the air.
…Useful, you ask?
"…They’re useful. That’s for certain."
"…There was a pause there."
"They aren't exactly dead weight, you know. Look."
Taiki joins the conversation, pointing at Eoid, who has just landed on his feet and is running to catch up with the horse. It seems he’s been training properly. He’s even learned how to enhance his physical abilities.
"I’ve seen it enough times to know their physical abilities are high. But I don't want them causing a scene. I have to talk to my father soon…"
"Well, don't worry about that. I’ll keep an eye on them. That’s just a form of play for them. It doubles as training, too."
That comes from Deryu. She’s been acting as Amanda’s mentor, and since she’s enjoying it, I’m leaving it to her. Deryu stayed behind in Weed and only recently met Kagura and Catherine, but since they know she’s my wife and have seen her strength, they haven't complained.
"Well, those two aren't a problem. So, how long until we reach the Duke of Kamishiro’s territory?"
"Let’s see… as you know from the map, if we keep going straight on this road at our current speed, it should take about three days."
"That sounds about right."
"It really takes that long? Maybe we should have gone by car."
"Don't even think about it. If we traveled in one of those iron carriages, it would cause a stir. The people in the Haiden royal capital are already on edge; they might even mobilize their troops."
Right. The reason we aren't in a car is to keep our secret meeting with Duke Kamishiro from being discovered. Since we don't know how long it will take to persuade the Duke, we should minimize anything that might draw suspicion.
*Sigh.* It would have been easier to just use DP to raise the land and travel, but I guess that’s just how the world works—nothing is ever that simple.
"Well, we have other objectives, so taking it easy on horseback isn't so bad, is it?"
"I suppose. But traveling by horse is more tiring than I thought, which is a pain."
The constant *clip-clop* vibration is fine at first, but as time passes, it just turns into exhaustion. I’m a modern kid, after all.
"Other objectives? What do you mean?"
"Did something happen?"
"Ah, I mean checking how much the enemy knows about our movements. Or rather, narrowing down the enemy’s target."
"What do you mean by that?"
"If we traveled by car, the enemy wouldn't be able to catch up, right? But with horses, they can."
"Eh? Are we being followed by enemies!?"
Kagura looks behind her in a panic.
"No, no, that’s not what I mean. Look, you heard from Taiki that this is a state-level conspiracy, right?"
"Yes."
"If that’s true, then Catherine, you, and the Princess are all in their way."
"…Does that mean assassins are being sent after us?"
"That’s…"
"Who knows? But since the reinforcements from Baide failed, they’ll definitely make a move of some sort. We sent the reinforcements packing yesterday, and the fast horses have likely already left, so if we watch how Haiden reacts to this news, it’ll be easy to figure things out. Whether something happens in Baide, something happens to us on the road, or nothing happens at all. Personally, I’d prefer it if they made a move; it would make things clearer."
Though, the enemy doesn't know we’re trying to contact Duke Kamishiro, and they’d likely be dealt with in Baide before they could reach us. If they do come here, it would mean the enemy’s information transmission speed is abnormally high, and that the enemy has already infiltrated Baide. Either way, if they move, it confirms that Catherine and the others were the target. If they don't, then I’m not sure.
"Anyway, that’s why we have no choice but to travel slowly by horse."
"Slowly? Shouldn't we be on guard…?"
"It’s not like we can be on guard 24/7, and if anyone were chasing us on these plains, we’d see them easily. We only really need to be on guard at night."
"…At night."
Kagura mutters, looking serious.
"Don't worry so much. I’ll handle the night watch, so don't worry."
"…Are you sure?"
"Honestly, I think everyone can just sleep. We have those rings, after all."
"…Oh, that’s right. We have these rings."
Kagura looks at the cheat ring on her finger as if she’d just remembered it.
Well, in truth, if someone were to quietly cover her mouth or throw her into water, she’d still be in trouble. Or if she were buried alive. But I don't think the assassins coming after us would go through that much trouble.
More importantly, there’s something else Kagura needs to be more careful about on this trip than assassins. She probably doesn't realize it yet since she hasn't been a victim of it herself.
Actually, the "other objective" Taiki and I mentioned is the real priority. We chose the troublesome method of traveling by horse specifically to give that priority enough time to play out. I said cars were too conspicuous, but we could have just put them in the Item Box; it wouldn't have been that much of a hassle.
No, searching for the enemy’s target isn't a lie, either. But for Taiki and me, the other thing is more important.
Right now, contact is extremely limited due to the horse travel, but once night falls, contact will increase whether they like it or not.
*Heh heh heh…* I’m looking forward to the night.
With that in mind, we spent the day traveling without any particular issues, and as planned, we set up camp for the night.
"Are we around here now?"
"I suppose so. Horses don't move as fast as I thought they would."