Chapter 12: Chapter 12
The carriage travels along the dirt road on a beautiful sunny day hitting stones and bumps, making for a very uncomfortable ride. We are shaken and knocked about, and if Satou hadn't put all the cargo in his storage, I wouldn't be surprised if some of it fell on us. When I got on the carriage, I wasn't expecting the most comfortable ride, but this was worse than I imagined it would be.
"Ooh!"
"Meow!"
Pochi and Tama try to leap out of the carriage, but Liza is there to stop them. Pulling the duo by their belts, she keeps them from jumping. This has happened countless times. Every time a small animal like a mouse or rabbit is spotted, they instantly try to attack. We aren't travelling that fast, but they could have been hurt if Liza hadn't stopped them.
"Pochi, Tama, you'll fall out if you lean over the sides, so please keep your backs against the coachman's box,"
"Yes, sir."
"'kaaay."
The two of them seem to have got the message, but I thought that the last time Satou warned them. It is only a matter of time before something else catches their eyes. I smile as I watch their tails waggle and their ears flicker.
Apart from the duo causing us to worry and the uncomfortable ride, there have been no problems. We haven't run into any monsters or bandits. This may be just me, but I was expecting to have had some encounters by now from playing games and watching anime. This is probably because of the Earl's army. He spoke with pride when he told me of the peace and safety his soldiers had brought to his land. At first, I was worried that the statement might be raising some flag, but nothing has happened so far.
We have been travelling for about an hour now and so far passing through grassy hills and small patches of trees. When we first started our journey, there were plenty of other carriages and people travelling on foot. But now, we haven't seen a single person for a while. Most had gone in the opposite direction to us at a fork in the road a while back. According to Satou, they were heading down the west highway, which was where Seiryuu County's mining city was located. Beyond that, the road crossed two more counties into one that was apparently a very prosperous area for trade.
There were counties and baronies to the south, too, in the direction we were heading. But due to their relaxed laws and less money spent on combating monsters, most people avoid them.
"Meat?"
"Sheep, sir!"
It wasn't long before Pochi and Tama spotted something else. I couldn't see them at first from where I was sitting, but soon a massive herd of sheep came into view. There was a shepherd, too, but he didn't notice Tama and Pochi waving at him. I think I can even spot a small sheepdog running among the herd. It was skillfully running around to keep the herd of sheep together. The carriage hit another large bump, nearly causing me to bite my tongue as the straight road we were travelling along took a broad curve around a hill.
"Be more careful with your driving!" Arisa complained as she used Pochi as a step stool to reach Satou upon the coachman's seat.
"Don't ask so much of me. I'm still a beginner,"
"Arisa, you're heavy, ma'am,"
"Sorry, sorry. You were in the perfect position for me to climb on top of you, so I couldn't help it,"
Arisa jumped up onto the coachman's stand and snuggled next to Satou, resting her head on his shoulder as she apologised. Satou really has his hands full with her.
"It's almost lunchtime. There's a stone slab on the next hill that seems like it could protect us from the wind… let's stop and eat there," Satou suggest, and everyone agrees to it.
We continued travelling for a little bit down a weed-covered path before stopping. Satou started giving out instructions to his slaves as soon as we stepped out. They quickly get to work tending to the horses and setting up the area. I had to help Mia down from the carriage before Pearl, Nana, and I helped out by collecting rocks with Liza to use for the stove and picking some wild barries that Pearl said were edible.
"Mission complete, sir,"
"Done!"
"Good work, you two,"
As we returned, everyone else was finishing up their own jobs. Pochi and Tama come running from the horses with their report, and Satou patted them on their heads. Lulu is also done as she apparently had been inspecting the carriage.
"Master, there are no issues with the wheels or the axle. They had bits of weeds stuck to them, so I cleaned them off,"
"Great. Thank you, Lulu," Satou smiles, making Lulu blush. "Lulu, can you help me unharness them?"
"Certainly, sir,"
Pearl, spotted something in the distance, so our group left again to go investigate. It wasn't anything too bad, just something called a Horned Rabbit that Liza killed with a single thrust of her spear. We return, and Liza starts to bleed the rabbit while Pearl and I make a stove. Nana wanted to help, but she was too clumsy and ended up preparing the firewood. It takes us ten minutes to build, but when we are done, we have built a sturdy looking stove, and Lulu arrives to help Nana add the firewood.
"Master, is it all right if I start the fire now?" Lulu asks as she and Nana finish loading the stove with firewood. She takes out a flint in one hand, ready to use it.
"Hold on, Lulu. Use this instead," Satou says, taking out a thin metal stick.
"Ah, I've never used this Magic Item before. How does it work?"
"Fire comes out of the tip when you press down on that raised area,"
"Wow, how remarkable! Being able to make fire this easily is like magic,"
"Well, it's a Magic Item, after all,"
The fire quickly sparks to life, burning away the wood. This is my first time seeing a fire spark to life so quickly. That is a fantasy world for you. Even tasks as simple as starting a fire for cooking and heating have a magical tool.
"Has anyone cooked before?" Satou asked after a few seconds, and most of the group shook their heads.
"I've kept watch over the fire and peeled vegetables and such, but I've never done any proper cooking," Lulu answers first.
"Number Three had all the cooking duties, so I lack hands-on experience. I am learned in the basic operational sequences of cooking. Still, I do not have any recipes registered in my library. I would very much like to install them, I wish," Nana replies looking at me.
"I have never cooked for a group this size before, but I know the basics of cooking monster meat," I answer when it comes to my time.
Only Liza and Pearl have any cooking experience for a group this size. Liza said she used to cook for other slaves and for large numbers of people before her tribe was destroyed by the weasel tribe. Pearl herself used to cook for her tribe's warriors when they were on patrol. After talking about it, we decided to let Pearl and Liza take the lead while Nana, Lulu, and I aided them. I haven't had a chance to learn how to cook since coming to this world, so I am looking forward to it. Satou left us to it, going over to help Mia and Arisa as they struggled to spread out a blanket.
I was tasked with skinning and gutting the Horned Rabbit. I have never done it before, but somehow I find the right places. I put it down to my Dissection, but I still make the odd mistake here and there since it is still at a low level. There are a few cuts in the meat by the time I am done, but not enough to render it unusable. Nana had similar trouble peeling some vegetables, but like me, with the rabbit, her finished product wasn't too severely damaged. Lulu was the only one to excel. She peeled twice as much as Nana and didn't make a single mistake.
Still, it was Liza and Pearl that stole the show. They prepared herbs and cooked the rabbit and vegetables. It was nothing compared to a professional chief. Still, it was tasty when they asked for my opinion with a quick taste test. It will still be a while before it is ready, so I go over to help Satou, Mia and Arisa with what appears to be sewing. I used to sew in my old world, so I should be able to help them out in this world.
"Need a hand?" I offer as I approach.
"Sure," Arisa says. "This guy keeps forgetting to knot the thread, so find a needle and some thread, and help us sew these pillows."
Satou looks a bit embarrassed but hands me a needle and some thread.
"Here," Mia says, patting the spot behind her. As usual, she uses little words, but I get the message that she wants me to sit next to her.
I get started quickly as soon as we sit down. The task is to sew some leather pieces to the cloth wrapped stew pillows we have been using. I don't know why we bothered with the pillows since they were uncomfortable, but at least with the added leather, we shouldn't keep being scratched now.
"Strong," Mia mutters as I quickly piece the leather with the needle.
"How can both of you do this so fast?" Arisa stares at me as she struggles to push the needle through.
"I'm used to it," I lie. This is the first time I have ever worked with leather. "I had to maintain my own equipment."
"I guess it makes sense for a former Mon-Hunter," Arisa mutters, looking down at her own work. Satou already told them my fake background of being an ex Mon-Hunter. But suddenly, Arisa looks up at me. "Does that mean you can make us armour out of leather?"
"I only know how to maintain and repair it," I tell her. "I'm sure with enough practice, I will be able to, but that is beyond my ability right now."
"Too bad," Arisa sighs. "We have plenty of leather but little armour."
Between all of us, we manage to complete the improvements to the pillows by the time our lunch is ready. Satou even had enough time to make a petite palm-sized chick that Nana instantly fell in love with.
"Meat?"
"What a plump little bird, sir!"
Tama and Pochi stare at the tiny chick with their mouths watering and stomachs growling. Their eyes are narrowed at the bird as they lick their lips and look like they are ready to pounce at any moment.
"Mm, cute," Mia says, walking to Satou and stroking the toy.
"Hero Kura," Nana makes me jump when she suddenly appears right in front of me. "Is it okay for me to obtain Satou's permission to care for this larval?"
I look at Satou, and he nods his head.
"Sure, go right ahead," I tell her, and she rushes to him in a flash.
"You like it, do you?" Satou asks as he hands Nana the chick.
"Yes," Nana nodded emphatically as she rubbed her cheek against the toy. "So remarkably soft and round… indeed, it is adorable."
"I'll give the first one to you, Nana," Satou smiled as Tama and Pochi asked for their own toys.
"Mrrrr…" Mia tugs on my sleeve and looks up at me.
"Do you want me to make you one," She nods her head, so I get the supplies from Satou and attempt to make something.
I end up making a rabbit out of white cloth. It came out surprisingly well, but I guess my knowledge from my old world transferred to this one. I managed to give it a cute face, but I didn't have enough stuff to stuff it, so I made it into a hand puppet for Mia. At first, I was worried Mia would be unhappy to get something different from the dolls Satou was making, but my worry was for nothing. Mia smiled as she used her hand to wiggle the rabbit's fingers and open and close its mouth.
"It's a tiny Tama, sir!"
"Mine's a tiny Pochiii?"
Pochi and Tama started to run in circles holding their toys up. Satou did an excellent job as the toys share a solid resemblance to Tama and Pochi. They quickly run over to Mia and Nana to show off their toys.
"Bunny," Mia holds up her rabbit, making it wave at the girls.
"It's alive!"
"It's a real bunny, sir!"
"It's just a puppet," I tell them, and Mia takes her hand out, showing them where her hand goes.
"Hero Kura, please make me a puppet like Mia's," Nana says, rubbing her cheek against Mia's puppet. Mia doesn't seem to mind as she uses the puppet's hands to pat Nana's head.
"Sure, I will make you one when we get more supplies," I promise her.
Judging from how Pearl, Liza, Lulu and Arisa are looking at us, I feel Satou and I will be on doll making duty again sometime soon. I don't really mind, and I enjoy sewing, so it shouldn't be a problem. Satou seems fine with the idea of making more dolls too. Meanwhile, I can smell that our lunch will be ready soon. The smell is blown towards us on the wind making everyone's stomachs rumble.
"Is it ready?"
"I'm sure it will be soon, sir!"
Tama and Pochi run circles around Liza and Pearl as they finish up cooking with Lulu's help. They stared at the stove, unable to keep still as they drooled and circled the food with wagging tails.
"Mm, smells good,"
"Ohhh, my stomach is about to start sticking to my back!"
Mia and Arisa comment as Lulu starts setting plates that Liza and Pearl quickly start to fill.
"The food is ready, everyone,"
"Need help?"
"I'll carry it, sir,"
At Lulu's call, Tama and Pochi quickly rushed toward her. They whip the drool from their faces before picking up some of the plates. Satou pulls out a table from his storage, and soon everyone is seated in front of a plate. Today's lunch was a quiche and pickled vegetables courtesy of the Gatefront Inn, along with stew made by Liza and company. The stew contained beans, potatoes, onions, and the meat from that Horned Rabbit.
"Thanks for the food!"
Everyone calls out, surprising me, but I soon follow suit. I used to do that all the time but stopped when I came to this world. Arisa said she spread this custom, and Mia that a former hero who taught this to the elves when he retired to her village.
We ate our lunch. The food was a bit salty for my taste but still tasted good. The sweetness of the onions helped counter the saltiness. At the same time, the strong flavour of the potatoes and Horned Rabbit meat was a pleasant surprise. The beans were soft despite looking hard when I first saw them. The food was too over seasoned, but I still enjoyed it.
"It's delicious, Liza. Lulu, Nana, Kura, Pearl, you did great, too," Satou praises look to each of us.
Liza, Pearl and Lulu deserve most of the credit. All I did was cut up the meat. They were the ones to cook it while I made pillows and puppets. Lulu blushes at the compliment while I deflect the praise to the others, and Nana and Liza give black expressions. Liza must be happy with the praise as her tail waggles, beating the blanket we are sitting on.
"Liza's cooking is always so good, sir!"
"Liza's the best!"
Pochi and Tama smile with their mouths full of food. They look just like chipmunks with their cheeks stuffed as they praise Liza.
"Mm, good,"
"Maybe a bit salty, but it's delicious,"
Mia and Arisa nod and smile as they give their praise.
"Hero, the wheat porridge is pleasing as well, I report,"
Nana was the only person with a different meal. We weren't leaving her out or bullying her in any way. Homunculi, like Nana, had weak stomachs for the first six months or so of their lives, so she had to either receive MP directly or stick to a liquid-only diet. I learned that information from Satou as he recovered the information from the Cradle before its destruction. Nana had already passed the six months, but given the circumstances, we thought it best to keep her on a liquid diet for a while to see how she would fare. The plan was to introduce solid food gradually to avoid any issues. I could restore her magic myself with my Magic Manipulation skill, but we thought it would be best to let her eat normally.
"Will that be enough for you, Nana?"
"Master, it is not a problem, I affirm,"
Nana seemed happy with her meal. The only one in our group that seemed to have a problem with the food was Mia. She pushes peaches of meat off her dish feeding them to Pochi and Tama when she thinks no one is looking.
"Do you not like meat, Mia?" I ask, looking over at her.
"Elf," Mia shakes her head.
"Oh, so elves don't eat meat? Yep, that's how fairy races ought to be!" Arisa commented happily.
So elves are vegetarian. I read books where that was the case and others where they did eat meat. I guess in this world, the elves don't eat meat. But then another question arises when I look at Mia and the bow she was gifted by the green-haired man Yuya. I was about to ask, but Satou beats me to the point.
"Mia, if elves don't eat meat, what do you have bows for?"
"Monsters,"
So they were for self-defence. I guess it made sense since the monsters wouldn't leave the elves alone.
<0>
After we all washed the dishes and cleaned up the meal, we took a break for about an hour. The main reason was to let the horses rest. Still, we also had the ultermotive of tiring Pochi and Tama out so they wouldn't try jumping out of the carriage when we get moving again.
"Private Tama! Private Pochi!"
"Aye!"
"Yes, sir!"
Pochi and Tama may be looking at Satou, but every rustling leaf makes their ears twitch. They keep glancing at the bushes like they are about to run off at a moment's notice.
"I have an important mission for you! Go and investigate that giant stone at once!"
"Aye!"
"Sir!"
The girls quickly runoff.
"I'll call for you when it's time to leave, so don't go too far!" Satou calls after them, but I am unsure if they heard him.
Meanwhile, I listen to Mia play on a reed pipe. I never thought you could make music from grass, but Mia can play a beautiful tune. I have been trying to play beside her. It was tricky, but I made some sounds come out of the grass. I am nothing compared to Mia, but I was able to play something resembling a tune with her limited instructions.
<Title Acquired: Instrumentalist of Nature.>
"You're very good, Mia," Satou comments as he joins us.
"Oh?" Mia replies, looking at the blade of grass in her hands and then to me for confirmation.
"You really are good, Mia," I smile, and she nods her head.
"Princess Mia, I would like to learn the reed flute as well, I entreat," Nana, who has been watching Mia and I play for a while, finally speaks up.
"Not princess," Mia frowns.
"But Princess Mia…"
"Nana, Mia doesn't like being called princess' so please don't do it," I tell Nana.
"Yes, Hero Kura. I shall henceforth revise her designation to 'Mia,' I affirm,"
That was easier than I thought it would be. Nana really seemed to be trying to correct herself. She started repeating Mia's name like a chant until she was satisfied she had it correct. Finally, when she was happy, she took a blade of grass from Mia and started listening to her instruction. Watching the two of them together, Nana could easily pass as Mia's older sister despite Mia being over one hundred years older.
"Lulu and I are going to take a stroll around the rocks to walk off our lunch. Won't you join us, Master?" Arisa asks as she and her sister approach.
I watch them leave as Mia continues to teach Nana and me. Under Mia's guidance, we have both gotten pretty good but still nowhere near the skill level of Mia. We can play simple tunes with the occasional mistake, but I think we have gotten pretty good after so little practice.
"I'm not about to lose! I'll show you the powers I learned from playing with neighbourhood kids until middle school!"
Arisa suddenly appears with a blade of grass in her hands. It looks like seeing how much we are improving has awoken her competitive side. She sits down and plays a childish tune. It may not beat Mia's, but Arisa's skill is still above mine and Nana's. Satou soon joins us, but when his first attempt ends in failure. Arisa imminently giggles while the rest of us try not to laugh. Out of all of us, Satou is probably the worse.
"Satou…" Mia speaks up as Satou plays again.
"Yikes. You sound like a really talented player making an impression of a terrible one!" Arisa complains
"Satou, I have detected abnormalities in your acoustic effector. Adjustment is required, I advise,"
Arisa and Nana could be so cruel. Still, I can't disagree with them after Satou just hurt my ears. I hope he doesn't try to practice once we get moving again.
"Banned," Mia says, snatching the blade of grass from Satou's hand.
"M-Master, I…I'm sure you'll get better with practice! I believe in you, Master!"
"Thank you, Lulu. You're very kind,"
Lulu was nice enough to try and comfort him, but I find myself praying he doesn't try to practice once we get moving again.
"Substitute," Mia says, poking his shoulder.
"You're in luck, Master. Mia says that if you want to hear music, she'll play it in your place," Arisa tells him when it looks like he doesn't understand.
"Mm," Mia nods.
"Thank you, Mia,"
Satou smiles as Mia starts to play a beautiful tune. Nana and I move over to the side to practice leaving Mia to perform in peace. I watched Mia as I practised hoping to pick up on her technique. I could see Satou look tempted to try and play again, but mercifully, Arisa was there to stop him.
"Got it, sir!"
A few songs into Mia's performance, Pochi returns from the other side of the hill. In her hands, she is proudly holding up something above her head. When she returns, everyone gathers around her, staring at a small monster Statou identifies as a Short Eared Rabbit. Pochi was dirty, covered head to toe in dirt, but she smiled happily as she handed Satou her catch.
"It's small, so I'm sure we can bleed it out before we go," Liza says as Satou hands her the rabbit. She immediately slits its throat and holds it up by the hind legs to pour the blood from its body. "Master, since we've acquired this precious meat, I should very much like to butcher it before we depart. Is that permissible?"
"Yeah, sounds good," Satou nods.
"Ms Liza, could you show me how?"
"You're very eager to learn, aren't you, Lulu? Very well. I will explain, so you may take care of it under my watch if you please," Liza replies, handing Lulu the dead rabbit.
"Yes, Ms Liza," Lulu smiles as they head towards the stove.
In the meantime, Satou has Pochi wash up, and Mia goes back to teaching Nana and me. Arisa, who started feeling sick at the sight of the blood, returned to the carriage.
"Meat! I got meat!"
"Tama's so skilled, sir!"
Less the five minutes later, Tama returned just as dirty as Pochi was and held some kind of creature above her head. She was smiling proudly with her tail wagging behind her.
"Meat?" Mia tilted her head.
"Whoa! What is that?! It's adorable!" Arisa yells, jumping out of the carriage. Tama's catch certainly was cute with its soft-looking fur. The unconscious puppylike creature had a dark-blue coat with a tuft of orange hair sticking upon its head. "Let me hold it for a second."
"'kay!"
Arisa cradled the creature in her arms like a baby as Satou identified the creature as a monster called a Rocket Wolf.
"I know it's cute, but it's still a baby monster, so be careful with it," Satou warns, but it is too late.
"Okeydokey." The wolf cub had started waking up as Tama handed it over to Arisa. "Ouch!"
The Rocket wolf twisted violently in Arisa's arms, scratching her hand and nearly biting hr fingers as it broke free. It managed to jump over Tama's head and fled into the bushes before anyone could react. If this was a TV show, I would have laughed, but I feel bad for Tama as I see the disappointed look on her face.
"My Prey!" Tama tried to give chase, but it was too late as the Rocket Wolf fled further away. "It got away."
"Tama, I'm sorry. It's my fault for not holding on to it," Arisa apologises as Tama walks back to us with her head held low.
"It's okay," Tama shook her head. "Master, I'm sorry. I couldn't catch the meat…."
"I wouldn't get mad at you for losing a single catch," Satou reassured her, petting her head gently. "As long as you're all right, there's always next time. I just don't want you to overdo it and hurt yourself. Okay?"
"Kay!" Tama smiled, looking up at Satou. "Tama will get something even bigger next time."
"I'm sure you will,"
<0>
I took a turn driving the carriage when we set off. The Driving skill I gained is something I might not use, but it could be worthwhile. Liza, too, wanted to learn o the two of us have been switching places every half an hour. So far, I go my skill up to level two but driving a carriage is harder than I thought. Arisa has made several complaints already about me hitting potholes.
As for the others, they were singing as Mia played songs on her reed pipe. Arisa has been teaching Mia by humming some tunes for her to play. I think the song is from some anime, but I can't put my finger on it. Satou, meanwhile, must be bored to death. When I glance back in the wagon, I see him staring off into space, unaware of anything around him.
After around ten minutes, I switch with Liza and head back inside the wagon. Satou is still out of it while everyone else sings. Even Pearl is starting to sing along despite initially refusing to join in. I'm not much of a singer, so in the end, I start reading from the book of air magic I managed to recover from the Cradle.
Most of it was unreadable and what was readable took me a while to understand since it was written in elvish. I have been slowly reading through the book between learning how to drive the wagon, but now I am coming to the end of the book. I managed to gain the Air Magic skill, but I could only learn two spells from the book Air Hammer an attack spell and Air Cushion, a support spell. There were probably so many more things I could have learned, but the book was too severely damaged.
"Lewd,"
"Hey, how long are you planning on doing that?! Let her go!"
When I raise my head to the commotion, I find an interesting sight. Somehow, Satou had groped Nana and Arisa, and Mia was tearing his hand off her.
"Master, would you like to touch the left one as well?"
"Can I?"
Satou is an idiot, and I am glad that Arisa was there to stop him. I will have to explain some things to Nana when we next stop. Nana is less than a year old, so it makes sense that she is clueless about certain things.
"What do you mean, "Can I?"?!" Arisa frowns.
"Satou, you mustn't be indecent. It's unseemly! You shouldn't touch the body of an unmarried woman, you know. So no touching,"
Wow, that was a long sentence for Mia. Pochi and Tama watch Satou from a distance, and Liza and Lulu sneak peeks over their shoulders. Mia and Arisa seem angry with Satou, but they calm down after a few moments of yelling at him. Arisa goes over to Pochi and Tama, dragging Nana and Pearl with her saying she has a new song to teach them. At the same time, Mia approaches me and, for some reason, sits on my lap.
"Magic book," Mia says, looking at the book in my hand.
"Yeah," I nod, opening it up for her to take a peak. "It is mostly unreadable, but it does have a few air spells in there."
"Elvish?" Mia looks up at me, and I have a pretty good idea of what she means.
"I only know a little bit," I tell her. "Can you teach me some more?"
"Mm," Mia nods her head.
I tell Lulu that I am done for now with her lessons, and I thank her for teaching me before I start to learn from Mia. Mia pointed to each readable word, telling me what it meant, and by the time I night fell and finished the book, I was shocked to see my Elf Language skill had become maxed out. Not only did I level out one of my skills I also managed to learn one more spell from the book. It was the attack spell Air Needle which, according to Mia, one of the elves in her village uses the spell to hunt monsters.
We set up camp that night in a small clearing and came up with a plan for the night watch. Pearl, Pochi and Satou would go first, Liza, Mia and myself second and Arisa, Tama and Nana third. We would all sleep inside the wagon when not on watch, and Satou added some kind of powder to the fire to keep monsters away.
We made good progress today. Not by modern standards but by the standards of this world we did. In fact, we travelled slightly further than most people usually do in a day when travelling by a horse-drawn carriage. The only problem is that the carriage floor is hard. Still, I find it bearable after spending too many nights sleeping on the hard cold stone of caves and labyrinths.
I felt something small and warm sleep under my blanket as I closed my eyes. I first thought it was a cat or dog in my half-sleep mind. Growing up back in Japan, my parent's cat would always crawl into bed with me. But when I went to stoke the animal, I didn't feel fur beneath my fingers. Open my eyes, I find Mia in my bed, and my hand is on her chest. I quickly withdraw it and apologise, but Mia only seems disappointed and doesn't lecture me as she had done with Satou.
<0>
"Master, you're a spell researcher?"
"No, I was just trying to make one based on an idea I had a little while ago,"
The following day Nana is learning from Lulu how to drive as the rest of us stare at Satou after he just revealed what he has been up to when spacing out. Pochi and Tama don't seem to understand what is going on, but there is no way to make it simple enough for them to follow.
"What spell were you using, though?"
"Like I said, I was creating a new one,"
"You can't just make a spell like that. It would take a research institution decades of work and inordinate funds and human resources to do a thing like that!"
Satou most have some broken gift like me only more powerful. There is no way I can create my own spell, and I believe Arisa is right when she states the amount of money and resources needed to achieve what Satou claimed to be trying.
"Maybe for a large-scale tactical magic spell or something. Right? I'm just trying to make a Water Magic spell that resembles the Everyday Magic Soft Wash, that's all,"
"That's all, huh?"
Satou just shrugs at Arisa's comment and looks at Mia.
"It's almost ready, so I was hoping you could try it out for me next time we take a break, Mia. Do you mind?"
"Mm, sure,"
Mia nods her head before Satou asks Arisa what she wants before they got off-topic and start talking about magic.
"I was hoping there was a board or something so we could play cards in the carriage. Do you have anything?"
"Mm, instruments,"
Mia and Arisa make their requests quickly, followed by Pochi and Tama, who ask for meat only to get scolded by Liza.
"I don't have anything on me, no. Shall we stop at a town tomorrow to buy some cards and instruments and such?"
According to another merchant we passed about an hour ago, we should reach the next town by nightfall. I think they said it was a small town called Kainona. They said it was a small place, but if we are only looking for things like wood, we should be able to buy some there.
<0>
It was my turn to drive under Lulu's supervision after we stopped for lunch. It is a lovely day with plenty of sunshine, a soft, gentle breeze, and Mia's music's pleasant sound. The girls are singing some familiar-sounding songs while Satou takes a nap. I have started to get the hang of driving, but I still feel nervous whenever we pass another carriage or travel next to a steep drop. Lulu's been a great teacher. A little quiet at times, but she made sure to tell me everything I needed to know.
"Arisa really is amazing," Lulu beams.
So far, the only thing we have been able to talk about is Arisa. I tried asking Lulu about herself, but she barely responded until I asked her about Arisa. From that point onward, she excited talked none stop.
"She is very smart. I'm sure our old kingdom would have become prosperous if her efforts hadn't been sabotaged," Lulu continues.
Satou has already told me what had happened. Last night he and Arisa told me about her situation, and I informed her about mine. She was surprised but took it well, most likely because Satou had already told her what had happened to him. Arisa told me that her kingdom was destroyed by the neighbouring kingdoms after they made sure her plans of introducing modern practices failed. Her entire family was killed, and she and Lulu nearly died themselves when a demon attacked her former castle.
"If it wasn't for her, I would have been alone forever," Lulu happily smiles. "Arisa was the only person who was kind to me."
"I'm sure you won't be lonely again," I tell her. "With Satou and everyone else around, you don't have to worry about that."
"Yes, everyone has been so nice to me," Lulu says before looking at me. "What will happen to you and Pearl after we reach the elf village."
Oh, I forgot, not everyone knows yet.
"Well, we will be going with you to The Labyrinth City for training until we have to leave for the Royal Capital for the Kingdom's meeting at the end of the year."
"Oh really," Lulu seemed to cheer up after that. "I thought you would leave us at the elf village."
"Original that could have happened, but since our objectives lined up, things changed,"
"I'm glad that's the case," Lulu smiled, but before asking her more, it was time for me to switch places with Liza.
The journey is peaceful. I earned the Sing skill when Arisa finally talked me into singing, but that didn't last long. Like I said, I wasn't much of a singer. Mia frowned after my attempt, and Arisa made me promise to never attempt to sing again. Now I know how Satou felt after he failed to perform with the Reed Pipe. I played with Mia after that, but my skill was nothing compared to hers.
We start taking two-hour breaks whenever the horses get tired. During those times, we take care of the horses, check the carriage for damage and Mia tests out Satou's new spell. During our first break, the test ends in failure. Satou mutters to himself before sinking into deep thought. Somehow, the spell didn't activate, but he figured out where he went wrong when we stopped for the night again. Mia successfully used the new spell to do some laundry during the second test, but it left her tired. We had to take Mia off the night watch that night, and Satou said something about fixing the magical requirements of the spell.
"Bubble Wash Awa Senjou!"
Our next morning started with Mia successfully using Satou's new spell. Frothing foam rose from the water pail nearby and sucked the dirt off Satou. Mia ended up using it on all of us, and despite the fact some of the bubbles became stuck to me, I didn't feel wet.
"It's a success. Thank you, Mia,"
"Mm,"
Mia smiled and looked at me, so I ended up patting her on the head. Somehow, this has become the way Mia likes being praised. It still used a lot of magic, but it didn't leave Mia exhausted this time. Satou says he has a few ideas on improving the spell further as we climb into the carriage and start moving again.
Liza starts off the day driving the carriage with Nana. So far, Liza has proven the best out of us learning to drive, and she can handle the carriage without Lulu's or Satou's supervision. I have almost got the hang of it myself, but I am still a little ways off from being able to drive without help.
"Master, please read us a picture book, sir,"
"Sure, let me see it,"
Pochi and Tama quickly clime onto Satou's lap with a book in their hand. Last night I watched the two of them look at the pictures in that book and listened to them make up their own story to go with the images. Mia quickly sits on my lap, and even Pearl comes closer to listen. Arisa and Lulu move their pillows and sit on the floor in front of Satou as he begins the story.
"Once upon a time, seven Gods descended from the heavens, along with the World Trees. The Gods planted the World Trees on the earth and granted wisdom and language to many people. The people lived peacefully from then on, prospering greatly beneath the eight Trees. However, nine Gods came to be in the world somewhere along the way. The eighth God was the Dragon God, living there since before the seven Gods and the World Trees arrived. The slumberous Dragon God had been asleep for a long time and awoke to find a very different world. Though terribly surprised upon waking, the Dragon God was peaceful by nature and not the sort to fuss over such small matters. And so, the Dragon God and the seven Gods accepted one another and carried on in peace. But the ninth God was different."
My brief talk with the Dragon God didn't tell me much about her. I could sense she was wise and powerful. She seemed friendly and kind when she talked to me. Even if she did trap me in this world, she still apologised and gave me some new skills. She seemed like the type of person who would have accepted the other gods, so maybe this story could have some truth to it.
"Master, why does the letter at the beginning of God look so different, sir?"
"It's capitalised. God is an important word, like a name or a city, right? The first letter of the word changes to make sure you know that,"
Pochi piped up with a question, and Satou stopped to answer. The Shigan language had a system of capitalisation similar to that of English.
"You're so smart, Master, sir. I don't quite get it, but I still feel like I do, sir," Pochi seemed satisfied, so he continued.
"The Ninth God was a Demon God who had journeyed from another world. The selfish Demon God could not bear to be second to anyone else, so he often fought with the other Gods. The Demon God was terribly jealous that the other Gods each had their own race. One day, the lonesome Demon God created hell demons to worship him. The Demon God and his hell demons tormented the other races."
Could this Demon God be the first Demon Lord? Listening to this story, I can't help but wonder about that. But then the story says he came from another world. Maybe he was like Zen and suffered from some curse that drove him mad. Zen warned me that something like that could happen to Arisa.
"Troubled, the other Gods went to him to request that he stop his rampaging hell demons, but the Demon God wouldn't listen. The weakest race of all, constantly bullied by the hell demons, was the humanfolk. They beseeched the Young Goddess to give them the power to fight back against the hell demons. The Young Goddess was very troubled indeed. After all, the Goddess herself had no such power to fight. Worried, she sought advice from the other Gods and kings, but they simply shook their heads and grunted, offering no help. Thus, the Young Goddess consulted the Dragon God, the strongest of them all. Of course, he could not lend her the power of dragons, as this would cause even greater damage than the hell demons themselves. The Dragon God hesitated at first, but he took a liking to the human playthings and liquor the Young Goddess had brought him. So he taught her a single, special magic. This was the spell to summon heroes. The magic of hope."
Satou continued the story, which began to tell of the first hero defeating demon lords and hell demons. It all ended happily in the end, but I stopped listening as I wondered why the Dragon God was male in the story, but the one in my dreams was female. Maybe the gods can change forms? I am not sure why but Mia starts poking me, bringing me out of my trail of thoughts.
"Problem?" Mia asks, tilting her head to the side.
"No, it's nothing," I assure her. "I was just thinking about something."
Mia didn't ask me anything more, so we turned our attention back to Satou and started reading another book. The picture book was the first in a series. Parion and the hero collaborated to defeat seven demon lords in the second volume. The Dragon God transformed one of his fangs into a black blade and gave it to the hero, who used it to chase the Demon God to some far-off moon in the grand finale. The picture book concluded with a warning never to go out walking on the night of the new moon, as that was when the Demon God's power was strongest.
The third volume depicted the hero taking on challenges and adventures to become a demigod so he could wed Parion and join her family. I didn't get to hear the end of this story, but I hope their love worked out. I switched places with Nana and drove the carriage as Liza gave me some instructions. Mia was upset she had to leave my lap, but she seemed happy when I promised to practice with the Reed Pipe when we stopped for lunch.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone