Chapter 4

Chapter 2, Episode 4: Farmers

 

 

Baum— Frieden.

A country represented by a female elf who is called the princess maiden.

She is currently in an area in which only the princess maiden is allowed entry— the palace of baptism.

Past a thick forest, there is a spring filled with ultramarine water and a faint mist floating about it.

There, the princess maiden who was submerged to her waist, quietly opened her eyes.

A light bluer than the color of ultramarine floats to her eyes, disperses into specks, then disappears.

 

「… Might you be the one who arranged for the landing of the zorosta?」

 

The princess maiden’s gaze was fixed on a sparkling orb situated between two bronze statues.

 

『…』

 

There is no reply. As always, it does not say a word.

 

「Then I will have you allow me to do what I can.」

 

A large ripple begins to spread out from the spring.

As she stood up, water flowed down from the princess maiden’s collarbone* and was absorbed into her bountiful b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

*TL note: We realize it says she was submerged to her waist before. We think it might be an oversight on the author’s part.

A light cloth clings to her, and her elegant body has a bewitching air about it.

She grabs the clothes she placed along the waterside, gently puts them on, and begins to walk.

She quickly walks through thickly growing trees and comes across a familiar pa.s.sage.

She continued to walk silently down the hallway surrounded by white walls for a bit, then arrived at a hall where a group of female maiden knights were waiting.

 

「Please bring me ink, pen, and paper immediately.」

 

With her hair still wet, there seems to be anger hiding somewhere in the princess maiden’s expression. It makes the maiden knights nervous.

 

「Right away.」

 

A maiden knight signals with her hand to a subordinate knight apprentice.

 

「Immediately!」

 

She quickly disappears into the darkness of the pa.s.sageway.

 

「Princess… what exactly happened for you to look this way?」

 

The maiden knight commander asks frankly.

 

「It’s an urgent matter…」

「Did you “see” something?」

「Yes. I must report it to his Majesty the emperor immediately.」

 

The apprentice knight returned at that moment short of breath.

 

「I’ve brought them! Haa… Haa… Haa…」

 

The princess maiden takes the ink, pen, and white paper.

 

「Hehe, thank you.」

 

Perhaps because she ran with all her might, the apprentice knight was leaning against the wall. The princess maiden smiled at her.

One of the maiden knights swelled with rage.

 

「Hey, that’s unseemly. That’s why you’re still an apprentice!」

「E-Even if you say that…」

「I don’t mind. Let her take her time and rest.」

 

After saying that, the princess maiden looked around the area. A maiden knight took that as a cue and presented her with a wooden chair.

The princess maiden places the white paper there, moves her pen, and opens her mouth to speak.

 

「Listen well. Once you give this to the spirit knight, tell him to depart for the Imperial capital immediately.」

 

The princess maiden bit her thumb, made sure there was a bead of blood, then pressed it against the white paper.

The white paper transforms from the bloo

d blotting it. It gives off a faint light and spontaneously b.a.l.l.s itself up.

She hands it to a maiden knight, who then takes her leave and runs off into the hallway.

The princess maiden muttered softly after seeing her off.

 

「There is no more which I can do. The rest… is up to you, your Majesty, Schwarz.」

 

Imperial year 1023, July 19.

Hiro wakes up due to a sharp pain.

 

「Oww…」

 

His head is in pain. He strokes the spot where he was. .h.i.t and sits up.

Hiro lets out a deep sigh and looks around the room.

It’s wide enough for four adults to sleep side by side in, and there are books strewn about. Hiro tosses off an old blanket, stretches his arms, and lets out a yawn.

Currently, Hiro is in an express carriage which was prepared and reserved for him by Margrave Grinda.

There are six horses drawing the carriage. Perhaps because speed was being stressed, the ride itself was the worst.

Each time they went over a b.u.mp, his body would float in midair, and his head would always b.u.mp into something.

Even Hiro couldn’t get used to it, thickheaded as he was. It wasn’t a comfortable journey, just as Margrave Grinda said.

 

(… I wasn’t able to get any proper sleep.)

 

As he looked out the window half asleep, he saw a gra.s.sy plain stretching out.

The window opened from the outside, and the coachman driving the carriage peeked in.

 

「Young sir, we’re almost at our destination.」

 

He answers by raising his hand to the friendly coachman. It would have been better if he had knocked.

As he closed the window, the carriage shook with a bang. Hiro gets up and prepares to alight.

The stagecoach does not heard directly for the Imperial capital of Zeitral. It stops at a station closeby, three sels (9 km) away.

 

「Thank you very much.」

 

Hiro gives his thanks to the coachman and alights from the carriage.

 

「I see… This really is a big city.」

 

He was taken aback by the large number of people.

n.o.bles, commoners, mercenaries, adventurers, the station was bustling with people of various backgrounds.

Leaving the crowded station, a nice breeze and the scent of fresh leaves tickled the nose.

A carriage bound for the Imperial capital left the station, but Hiro decided to go by foot because something was bothering him.

 

(I’m being followed by someone.)

 

If they plan to attack him here, it would be a bit troublesome.

He wants to avoid involving in any innocent bystanders to his utmost abilities.

As he quickly walks along a shallow walkway carved into the side of the road, he counts the presence of the people following behind him at the same speed.

 

(Three… six… eight people, huh.)

 

He gets the feelings they’re amateurs, but it may be too soon to decide that.

He strokes the eyepatch covering half his face and smiles smugly.

 

(Should I go with the “first strike wins” strategy?)

 

He doesn’t mind waiting for them to attack him, but if he does that, the guards will hear the commotion and come over.

Not having any form of identification on him, Hiro would likely be taken in if he were questioned.

Even if he did have one, if the guards were working under someone’s influence, who knows how long he would kept restrained.

He’s in no situation to waste time on something like that right now.

 

(Now… who should I go with?)

 

After he probes for the closest presence to him, Hiro turns around a.s.sertively.

The s.p.a.ce before his hand split open, and one short sword—the handle of a spirit weapon came flying out.

After pulling it out, he goes around to the back of the suspicious man, who is noticeably shaken, in an instant.

He pressed the point of his sword to his back and spoke quietly.

 

「I’ll kill you if you struggle. If you understand, I’d like it if you would tell your friends, too.」

「A-Alright. I got it, so don’t kill me.」

 

The suspicious man gave a look to his friend nearby who was pretending to be a traveler.

As he does, his friend raises his arms above his head and crosses them over and over.

After sensing the presence of a number of people growing distant, Hiro pushes the back of the suspicious man and urges him to walk forward.

 

「I’m going to ask you a number of questions. You don’t have to answer them if you don’t want to. I’ll just kill you and ask someone else.」

 

He moves the point pressed against him below.

His slightly dirty clothes split apart, and the suspicious man’s face goes pale.

 

「I-I’ll tell you anything, so spare me.」

 

It was just a threat, but it looks like it was extremely effective.

 

(He’s an amateur after all…)

 

Hiro mutters in his head, then questions the man.

 

「Who was it that hired you, I wonder.」

「I don’t know. He suddenly gave us money… and told us to attack you.」

「Ohh, think you can tell me what happened in detail? 」

「A-A strange man appeared before me when I finished my field work.」

「A strange man?」

「He wore a robe and I couldn’t see his face, but it was a man’s voice.」

 

Hiro quickly turns the short sword around in his hand and presses the pommel against the man to urge him forward.

 

「He told me to pick a fight with you and hand you over to the guards. I wasn’t planning to take him up on it, but he gave me two Grantz gold coins. Two Grantz gold coins is enough to make you pick a fight with your own kid. Anyone would accept that offer, right?」

「I see.」

 

Hiro goes into thought. He probably won’t get any more information even if he presses this man any further.

It looks like he’s just a farmer who was blinded by money. His friends in the area are probably villagers like him, too.

 

「You can go. But if you act strangely, I’ll kill you. And don’t ever appear before me again. If I see you somewhere, I’ll kill you without hesitation. Got it?」

「G-Got it. I’ll never appear before you again.」

 

The man furiously nodded his head over and over, then ran off into the plains away from the footpath without once looking back.

Seven men followed after him.

After watching them leave, Hiro continued on to the Imperial capital.

 

(… There’s a chance they’ll be killed by their client, though.)

 

The reward was exceptional compared to how simple the job was— In other words, it means they’re supposed to succeed no matter what.

Not realizing that and failing, they’ll be killed by their client, even if it is their just desserts.

 

(But still, the fact that he use farmers bothers me.)

 

If he hired someone skilled, Hiro would surely have had to fight. If he caused a commotion, there’s no doubt he would have been captured by the guards.

While Hiro was walking lost in thought, he realized that he had arrived right before the Imperial capital’s main gate.