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TL: ALT
Chapter 27 – Departure and Overnight Stay
They set off from Minamifune-machi, following the main road.
It was a caravan of about fifty people traveling from the royal capital to the frontier.
The group that had left the Welcome Trading Company had rented a hupos from the stables and successfully found the caravan.
They were about to leave, so it was a lucky coincidence.
Maybe it was the result of a good connection with the people, or maybe his luck had finally improved.
The leader of the caravan was a man from the Rock Squirrel tribe, and his name was Marumaru.
Although he was small in stature—only about the height of a child—his friendly manner made everyone feel at ease with him.
One thing that surprised Wataru when he came to this world was that the appearance of the so-called “Demi-humans” and “Beastkin” varied greatly from person to person.
There are some who look almost human, like Aire, but there are also many who are covered in animal fur and whose faces look more animal than human.
The average thickness of the fur also seems to vary from species to species.
In Marumaru’s case, the rock squirrel species was strongly expressed, and he looked like a very large squirrel.
“I never thought I’d be accompanied by the famous undefeated gladiator Aire-dono, which makes me feel very safe on this journey. What a relief.”
“Thank you for accepting my request so readily, even though it was so sudden.”
“Not at all. I would have paid to have you on my side as well. What a relief.”
Marumaru stroked his head humbly.
Perhaps because he is small, his gestures are large.
His movements are somewhat comical, and he gives the impression of being cute.
“(But this is also his own way of negotiating, right?)”
Marumaru’s business is selling jewelry and other ornaments.
Merchants who deal in precious metals also handle large amounts of money.
Naturally, they tend to be the most important people in the caravan.
The possibility of being attacked also increases, so they need a lot of guards, and if they are just greedy, they will not be able to survive, and they will be ruined if they are not good at controlling people and have good nerves.
Marumaru was surprisingly kind to Wataru.
This was due to Aire’s fame and had nothing to do with Wataru’s abilities.
Aire was a really good bargain slave, and Wataru changed his mind about that.
For Wataru, the term “gladiator” doesn’t really ring a bell, but if you imagine Aire as an undefeated world boxing champion who continues to defend her title, you can get an idea of how amazing she is.
“(Well, she doesn’t look amazing at all right now…)”
Wataru was in the middle of the caravan, riding a hupos.
It had a saddle, so it was okay if it just walked but not if it ran.
Aire walked beside him in a pitiful state.
“Master, I’m sorry~, forgive me~”
“Not good. Aire will have to go without a snack for a while. Mariel, we’ll eat the smoked chicken breast ourselves.”
“Understood. Aire, you’re so stubborn. Master and I will enjoy it.”
“No way-nya~, my favorite snack~”
Aire hangs her shoulders and ears and lets her tail hang down, looking sad, but she has only herself to blame.
William is a reasonable adult, so he forgives her with a smile, but if she goes around doing this to everyone and spoiling their impression of her, it will affect her future.
“(Or rather, if the person was a noble, wouldn’t they be accused of disrespect? I’m pretty sure there was a word in Japanese that meant ‘rude attack.’)”
He wondered if this kind of punishment would be effective, but it seemed to have been more effective for Aire than he thought.
Basically, the Beastkin of the Golden Tiger Tribe is not that different from humans in terms of what they can eat.
They eat vegetables, and they can even eat garlic and onions.
However, there are major differences in their food preferences.
They prefer animal protein such as fish and meat, and in Aire’s case, her favorite food seems to be smoked chicken breast sold in supermarkets.
“You’re going to work as a bodyguard, right? Then I’ll forgive you sooner.”
“Hahaha, even the undefeated gladiator Aire-dono had a cute side. However, I think our bodyguard will make the first move, so please take the rear,” Marumaru said.
“Uuuu, I’ll do my best… my chicken breast…”
“(Is that girl really strong enough to be talked about by so many people?)”
Wataru couldn’t help but tilt his head in doubt.
○○○
The first day of the journey had begun.
Everything Wataru saw was new.
Minamifune-machi was a so-called castle town, and it was surrounded by very high outer walls.
Living in an area where monsters roamed, it was certainly necessary to have a protective wall.
Once you passed through the main gate, there were no houses at all, so it was very open.
For Wataru, who grew up in the city of Osaka, the sight of a few barns and then nothing but vast fields was something he had never seen before.
Besides, it’s not easy to see a large plain in Japan.
As he rocked on the back of the hupos, he gazed at the scene in front of him and never tired of it.
“But it’s bigger than I thought.”
“Is it? I think it’s a very normal size for a caravan.”
“Is it? It looks magnificent to me.”
“Master, this gathering is fine.”
Mariel replies to Wataru’s comment.
Aire also chimes in with a serious opinion, unlike before.
The gathering of fifty merchants means that dozens of horses and carts will pull the goods, as well as guards.
There are also travelers walking with the caravan to ensure their safety, so it looks like a very large group.
“The plains stretch as far as the eye can see. I wonder how far they go?”
“I’ve heard that the land is surrounded by the sea on all sides, but I’ve never heard anyone who’s actually been there talk about it. Does Master like to travel?”
“I don’t know, but it’s not bad to go somewhere far away with the three of us.”
“That’s true. I’ve only ever been to my hometown and the royal capital, but looking at the scenery like this makes me feel a little strange.”
Mariel looked into the distance.
What was her hometown like?
Was it a good place for Mariel to live?
Maybe someday it would be nice to take Mariel and Aire back to her hometown.
The journey began in the morning, and after a lunch break, it was almost evening.
Even though Wataru only sat on the back of the hupos, the muscles in his lower back and buttocks began to ache.
It was more difficult than he thought.
The Hupos is very stable because of its six legs, but because its torso moves even when you are sitting on the saddle, you have to adjust your body to the distortions.
It’s not the same as sitting in a car with a reclining seat.
“I think I’ll walk a little… Mariel, you must be tired from walking so much. Switch with me.”
“Is that okay? I, your slave, ride on the hupos…”
“I don’t mind. I’m not the type to think about such things.”
“Then, if you’ll excuse me. Is it okay with Aire?”
“She looks fine to me. I guess it’s due to her body structure.”
“Master, I’m tired too. But since I’m your bodyguard, I can rest when we get to the inn.”
“I see. Thank you for your work.”
Mariel tried to look apologetic, but she was probably just tired from walking.
As she mounted Hupos, she let out a tired breath.
Wataru stamped his feet on the ground, which felt solid for the first time in a long time.
They would reach the inn town by sunset, so it wouldn’t be long now.
“Oh, is that what I think it is?”
“It looks like it.”
“There’s no sign of anything attacking us, so I think I can finally rest.”
“Well done. Make sure you get a good rest at the inn tonight.”
There are inn towns scattered at intervals of about 20 kilometers between towns where travelers can rest.
Even though they are small, they have defensive walls and self-defense organizations, so it is possible to rest in safety from bandits and monsters.
Wataru and the others who arrived with the caravan decided to find an inn right away.
However, they encountered a problem they had not expected.
“What? We can only get a private room?”
“Yes, the others are all taken. I don’t think you can get a room at any other inn, either. If you don’t like that, you can sleep in a big room with a bunch of other people, but what do you think?”
“Well, I don’t like that. We’d like a private room.”
“Okay, here’s the key. Food will be served soon. If you want a bath or hot water, you can pay extra, and we’ll get it for you.”
“I’d be very grateful if you could.”
Even though it’s called an inn town, it’s really just a collection of small, privately run inns.
When a group of travelers, like a caravan, comes in, the available rooms are quickly filled.
The owner didn’t even apologize, as if he understood that the customers were in a bad situation.
Wataru looked at Mariel and Aire.
He was going to sleep in the same room as these two beauties…
Normally, Wataru would be careful and sleep in a separate room, but tonight, it looked like he would have to sleep huddled together in a small room.
…Can he endure it?
The aphrodisiac came to mind.
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Thanks for the treat. 😊
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I’m actually surprised that he’s held out for this long 😳
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