PAGE 1

Citizens who lived in the nearby town were all invited, drinks and food were served as if a festival was being held.

During this event, I had heard there were not enough hands in the kitchen, so I had offered my help by peeling potatoes in the corner. Alan was most surprised when he later came to find me.

After that, he seemed to be excessively sympathetic that I was capable of peeling potatoes.

But actually, it was just something that I had learned through helping my mother cook in my past life.

 

But in any case, I cannot be leisurely talking on like this.

Today was the day that we were to take the prisoner back to the castle. Even if the tied up criminal was to be put in the wagon, the trip would still take the entire day, so it was necessary to leave early.

 

I, Maia and the others followed Madame Beatrice as she went to the entrance of the mansion.

The whole branch family had come to see us off as we entered the carriage.

It was I, Maia and the others, and Madame Beatrice who would ride inside.

Alan and the knights would ride horseback, while the soldiers would either ride the covered wagon with the criminals or the driver’s seat of our carriage. The remaining three would ride their own horses.

 

I felt a sense of relief as soon as the carriage began to move. It had been a very long time since had I last stayed a night at in a different location.

 

As for the reason that Madame Beatrice came all the way out here. It was because the person that the guards had apprehended had seemed to be in a strange state.

 

At first glance, the man seemed like he might have been a hunter who had accidentally crossed the border.

His hair was disheveled, he was covered in animal skins to possibly disguise his human scent, he was even carrying a blowdart and a bow when he was discovered. Exactly what you would expect from a hunter.

However, when the border guards had approached him, the man had pulled out his hunting knife and attacked them. And so he was captured.

They soon realized that there were strangely a number of dead wolves around where the man was. The wolves looked to have vomited a liquid that was too thin to be blood.

And this man had several empty bottles, that when inspected, showed the remains of thin red liquid stuck to the bottom.

 

The branch house had considered him quite suspicious for ‘bringing this poison’ into the land and had contacted the Margrave. They had also related the color of this poison when they contacted him, and so he had remembered.

About the failed magicians.

However, the Margrave had already been scheduled to pay a visit to a different noble’s house. And so Madame Beatrice and Alan had gone instead.

 

Both Madame Beatrice and Alan were cautious of this possibility of the man being a failed magician, but nothing of note had happened.

The apprehended man was quiet… Or perhaps he was stunned. While we could not get a word from him, he did not become violent either. Though, we were still sure to have him bound tightly.

We also received the bottles that we had heard of, as there would be a need to inspect them carefully once we returned.

The job was mostly complete now.

 

As I sat in the swaying carriage, my mind started to wander towards the tasks I would do once we arrived at the castle, which ones were the most important and–

 

“Woah.”

“…What happened!?”

The carriage had come to a sudden halt, resulting in my head bashing against the wall of the carriage. It hurt.

 

“Oh, Madame Beatrice!”

While I was moaning and holding my head, Madame Beatrice had rushed out of the carriage.

 

“Maia, you protect Kiara! Clara, it’s wind wolves! It should end quickly with our help, if there are no more than five!”

“As you say, Madame.”

“What!?”

As I said in shock, even Clara had jumped out of the carriage.

If anything, it seemed incredibly wrong for the Margravine to be considered part of the combat personnel. Was it not much more important to protect her instead of me?

Though, I suppose it was because she had always been patrolling or hunting monsters like a knight, her participation in battle had become the norm, not just in her own mind but for the others as well.

 

“But, why are there wind wolves here?”

We were on the main road, which wind wolves tended to avoid due to the scent of humans regularly passing through. They would usually only attack people who had encroached on their territory.

 

The wind rushed through every time the wolves would run, which would make it difficult to fight them with all the wind and dust hindering your vision.

I had encountered them often as a sort of obstacle in the game, so I knew their characteristics.

The only way to deal with the wind wolves was to slash at their feet so they could not run.

 

“But, this wind seems much too strong!?”

The carriage was shaking loudly as if it was being hit by an incredible wind.

 

“Indeed, this is…”

Maia was holding her sword ready, but her eyebrows narrowed.

The wind during the wind wolves’ attack was supposed to be little more than a smokescreen. If the hit was effective, your character would go blind for three turns. And so you would usually use a hit-and-run tactic, quickly bringing back any characters who could not see.

Or at least, that was the strategy to use in the game.

Now the carriage was starting to rock, almost like a small boat rocking in the sea.

 

“Hhhhhheee!”

I wanted to know what was happening outside, but I had no opening to even look out of the window. It was all I could do to hold onto my seat.

On top of that, I was certain that some creature had just jumped and crashed into the carriage.

 

“Aaahhh!”

“Kiara!”

The carriage had nearly turned on its side.

I frantically leaned all of my weight on the opposite side and hit the door.

It was a narrow escape. I was able to return the carriage to its proper position and avoid having it fall on its side.

However, I had thrown myself a little too hard and ended up rolling right out of the carriage myself.

 

“Ouch.”

At least the doors opened from the outside. And while I had committed such a blunder as to fall and roll out in front of other people, now was not the time to feel embarrassed. I made sure that my skirt hadn’t turned up and decided to fall back as to not get in anyone’s way.

I thought this as I was pulling myself up— but then I saw it.

 

“Madame Beatrice!”

A short distance away from the carriage, Madame Beatrice’s leg was being bitten by a wind wolf as she fell to the ground.

 

---

Translator’s note:

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed it!