第１８８７堀：冒険者たちはそのまま旅に出る (Part2)
"Well, it is partly at his own request, but King Giadana and Chancellor Daeda also made the plea after witnessing their medical prowess in the field. Incidentally, they seem to be planning to invite Enola and her team to the castle for treatment as well."
"Haha! Well, they certainly have an eye for talent."
"Indeed. By utilizing the medical skills of Enola and her team, they intend to both stabilize their subordinates and foster a greater appreciation for the importance of demi-humans."
"I understand the logic, but... are you really going to send Sister Enola away?"
Even now, our forces are spread thin. To divide them further at this juncture would be...
"I understand your concern, Vilia. The risk of being spread too thin and left vulnerable is high. However, the timing is impeccable—it couldn't be better. It is essential for building ties, cooperation, and trust with the Kingdom of Giadana, which sits at the heart of the north."
"...Yes. I suppose you are right."
As it stands, Weed and Ohe have no allies in the north. To prevent the battlefields from encroaching upon the southern lands, we had to find a northern nation willing to cooperate. It just so happens that the Kingdom of Giadana is that nation.
"Do not worry. I will provide Enola with an escort, and the same intelligence unit that works with Ena will accompany her. Besides, the medical team Enola hand-picked seems to be quite capable in their own right."
"That... is an understatement. Archbishop Dodona handled the majority of the patients, but even in that secret facility, there were guards—or rather, sentries—and they were subdued by nothing but fists in the blink of an eye."
Indeed, it wasn't just us adventurers who fought there. The medical team led by Sister Enola also joined the fray to rescue the demi-humans, literally beating those who stood in their way into submission. They provided the bare minimum of medical care, of course.
"Well, it isn't as if Enola and her team will be operating within the Kingdom of Giadana immediately, so we have time to iron out the details. Vilia, you and the others should prepare to head for the Kingdom of Iana. Though, I suppose you are already prepared?"
"Ah, yes. The preparations are complete. After all, the initial plan was to stop by the church before our departure, which is when we witnessed the incident."
"We were neck-deep in it, though. Still, or perhaps *because* of that, we’ll stick to the original departure schedule to maintain the appearance that we weren't involved."
I see. After everything that happened, I expected them to keep us stationed there for a while, but that is one way to look at it. Certainly, if we were truly uninvolved, departing as planned is the most natural course of action.
"You are a day behind schedule, but that should be easy enough to make up."
"We can simply run, or take to the skies."
Yes, either way, given our capabilities, we can easily exceed 100 kilometers per hour, making it trivial to catch up on a standard day's travel.
"Come to think of it, there was no real need to rush, was there?"
"Indeed. You are highly competent, but you are still, for all intents and purposes, adventurers. There is no need to travel at a speed that would alarm the northern nations. I also want you to collect information on any monsters you encounter along the way. I want to know the state of the countries you pass through as well."
"Understood. Though, at that rate, we won't arrive at the Kingdom of Iana for quite some time."
"I knew that from the start, so it is fine. Just act like true adventurers. Besides, it will be a good experience for you, Vilia. Perhaps you could even take on a quest or two when you stop in a town."
"Experience for me?"
Taking time out of a busy schedule for my sake? I started to say that there was no need to spend time on me, but my brother continued.
"Yes, experience. The same goes for Nina, Kishua, and Sia; there are northern customs and common sense that differ from what you know. Didn't you get a sense of that while working in the Giadana capital? Not just in your work, but at the inns and shops as well?"
"Certainly, I did. I suppose it is impossible for things to be exactly the same everywhere."
Even if things seem similar, it is impossible for them to be identical down to the finest detail. That is precisely how one can tell where a person was born.
"Exactly. That is why you can learn so much from such things. In that sense, this is Vilia's first long-term journey. Nina and the others will look after you, so try to experience as much as you can."
"I see. That makes sense. Vilia certainly needs that kind of exposure."
"Well, for better or worse, she was raised under Yuki, so she is quite refined."
"Ah, I can see that."
Wait? Am I really that refined? I mean, I was born and raised in the slums...
Vilia and the others set off on what could be called a journey toward the Kingdom of Iana. They would secure useful locations along the route and make use of various resources as they traveled. And while it might be a slight misunderstanding to call it "Yuki's education," Vilia had studied diligently; she possessed enough etiquette and culture that one could easily mistake her for a noble's daughter.