Once we left Langley, the scenery flipped. Unlike Belfast, lots of green. Three carriages rolling through what you could honestly call jungle.
I get why people say Mismid has more monsters than Belfast. The forest was ideal habitat for them. Occasional far-off howls of unknown animals — apparently routine in this country.
Monsters were many, supposedly, but they didn’t do much damage to settlements. The forest had plenty of prey to feed them — no need to come down to raid fields.
But villagers hunting in the forest ran into monsters all the time. In that case, you are the intruder — getting attacked, you’ve gotta accept that. A bear bell or something would help, no?
“Doesn’t look like we’ll reach Eld Village before nightfall.”
At Origa-san’s words, I checked the map. Between Langley and the capital, past the forest, sat Eld Village. True — at this pace, not before dark. And rolling into the village in the dead of night, no.
“Mismid is a country made of many races banded together — almost a colony. Even today each race forms its own villages and towns; some races are friendly to others, some loathe each other. What holds it together is His Majesty plus the seven chieftains.”
Origa-san explained. The Seven Chieftains: beastfolk, winged-folk, horned-folk, dragon-folk, tree-folk, water-folk, and fae-folk — heads of the seven principal races. Currently, the chieftain of the beastfolk — the Beast-King — serves as king. Beastfolk are the most numerous, so it functions best for the nation.
The throne is nominally hereditary, but the other six chieftains hold strong authority too. Like powerful nobles. Still a young kingdom — looked to have plenty of issues.
The sun began to sink. Better start camp prep before dark. That’s it for today.
We stopped the carriages at a clearing and started camp. Gathered firewood, built a small stone stove, started prepping food. I joined in and made vegetable soup (minestrone) in a large pot.
By the time it was fully dark, plenty of stirring from the forest. Lots of nocturnals.
“A bit scary…”
Yumina nestled in as she sipped my soup.
“Ordinary beasts won’t come near with Kōhaku here. Monsters he’d notice right away, so be at ease. Giant insects and slimes, though, no good.”
I relayed what Kōhaku had passed by mind-message. Yumina picked Kōhaku up beside her and hugged him tight.
“Thank you, Kōhaku-chan.”
“Rest easy, Madam. With me here, you’re safe.”
Kōhaku murmured at a volume only she’d hear. Yumina smiled and stroked his head.
Even as we ate, several stood watch in rotation, but the Belfast-side guards — being on unfamiliar ground — were noticeably tense.
“Going to go fetch Yae and Elze. Kōhaku, look after Yumina and Linze.”
“Acknowledged.”
I peeled off from the group at the fire, went into the carriage cabin, and used [Gate] to return to my home in Alephis, Belfast’s capital.
In the living room where I appeared, Elze and Yae were fully relaxed. Our super-butler Lime-san stood by.
“Ah — time already?”
“Restless, indeed… My hair has not yet dried, indeed.”
Right. These two had gone back to bathe. Thirty minutes max, so the others wouldn’t catch on to [Gate].
We can produce water with magic — set up a basin, heat the water with heated stones — and stage it as a sponge bath, while in fact taking a proper bath. Two at a time because we needed someone to play lookout while the other bathed.
“All right — back before we’re suspected. Lime-san, anything happen today?”
“Nothing of note. Ah — Frio asked about establishing a kitchen garden in a corner of the yard. How shall we?”
Kitchen garden, huh. Fresh veg sounds good.
“Yes, approved. As he wishes.”
“Then, as you say.”
Hm — Lapis-san and Cécile-san aren’t here. I asked about them. Lapis-san had business at the market early tomorrow morning so she’d already turned in; Cécile-san had gone to see an acquaintance in town.
“If you have a message I’ll pass it on.”
“No, just curious. All right, you two, let’s go.”
""Yes~.""
I opened Gate into the carriage cabin. And — something was off. The forest was uproarious; the calls of various animals filled the air. Clearly off. Why are they kicking up such a racket!?
I jumped out and ran to the others. The guards were drawn, on full alert. What’s happening!?
“Touya-san!”
“What’s going on!?”
“We don’t know. The forest animals suddenly went into uproar…”
Yumina ran over, bewildered. At that moment, Rain — the rabbit-beastfolk beside me — snapped his face up.
“Something big incoming… in the sky!”
At Rain’s shout, everyone looked up. In the windswept rustle of the trees, against the night sky overhead, something large drifted slowly. What is that? All I caught was a dark silhouette, but the night-eyed beastfolk could clearly see.
“A dragon… no — here!?”
Galun-san stared up, voice slack with disbelief. His eyes were wide as if seeing something impossible.
Dragon. Something like that was flying.
“Why a dragon here…!”
“What does this mean? Normally one wouldn’t come this far?”
I asked the trembling Origa-san. She hugged her scared sister and answered:
“Dragons normally live in this country’s central sanctuary. That zone is their territory; no one enters, and the dragons in turn don’t leave it to rampage — that’s how we’ve coexisted. So why…!”
“Has someone entered the sanctuary!?”
Galun-san’s voice rose. If someone trespassed and this is the dragon’s response — bad situation.
Retaliation, probably. Their territory violated, they’re returning the favor.
But Origa-san shook her head, denying.
“Not necessarily. Every few years, a young dragon shows up at a settlement and rampages. Even if we drive off a sanctuary-leaver, no retaliation from the others — because the dragon is the intruder in that case. But…”
“Can dragons be driven off?”
Galun-san answered.
“Our Royal Warrior Company… a full hundred warriors, we can manage. But half-hearted attacks invite worse anger.”
Mismid’s warrior company is a hundred — and even all of them only barely. That strong, huh… Looks like a young one’s rampage. Even dragons have their rowdy juveniles. Just bad luck. Maybe just call this a natural disaster.
I pulled out the smartphone, fired up the map app, searched dragon.
Several responses in central Mismid. Sanctuary, that. And separately, one moving slowly — the one that had passed overhead. Its heading led to —
“Hey — that thing’s flying straight for Eld Village..!”
“What!?”
Everyone gasped at my words.
“Why Eld Village!?”
“Pasture extends south of there. Going for livestock, maybe!?”
Cattle, sheep, whatever — if it gorges on livestock and leaves the village alone, I’d hoped — but Galun-san shut it down.
“Once a dragon gets a taste, it returns. To them, livestock and us are both food — preference aside.”
So the village is going to be wiped out at this rate…! Smartphone-assisted remote magic has its limits. At this distance, impossible.
“What do we do? Our duty is to escort the ambassador. We can’t put her in danger…”
“Tch…”
At Lyon-san’s words, Galun-san clenched his teeth. As a servant of the kingdom, orders from above are absolute. Charge in carelessly, and if anything happened to Origa-san, it becomes a diplomatic incident. Splitting the guard half-half also won’t work… Enchanting [Gate] onto the map app — if I can’t picture the destination (Eld Village) clearly, I can’t jump there. What to do…
“Anything, Lord Touya, indeed…”
“Anything, she says…”
I crossed my arms at Yae’s words and thought. True — just our group can move freely. We didn’t take a state order; we took a guild request. And the request isn’t escort Origa-san. It’s to deliver the bogus-transfer mirror to the Mismid king…
“Ah!”
Right, right! That was the cover story!
I brought out a vanity mirror from the carriage cabin and set it against the carriage body.
“Lord Touya, what is this?”
Lyon-san pointed at the mirror, doubtful. The others were similarly lost.
“Ahem — this is called the Transfer Mirror. They come in pairs. The other is in the Belfast palace; using this, you can transfer to the palace instantly. Let’s evacuate Origa-san and Arma to the palace with this for now — how about that?”
“You’d brought such a thing along…”
“Delivering this to the Mismid king is our mission. We have His Majesty of Belfast’s permission for emergency use.”
I rolled out the lie I’d thought up. Single round-trip per day, only a few people at a time — sold it as safe to the Mismid guards.
“Understood. Let us evacuate to the palace with it for now. Everyone, please get the people of Eld Village to safety…”
“Understood. Lord Touya — please.”
Galun-san nodded at Origa-san’s decision.
“Right. Then Origa-san, Arma, Yumina, and — for verification on the other side — Galun-san, could you come?”
“Me? Ah…”
Galun-san’s voice was uneasy. I placed my hand on the mirror.
“Gate.”
I murmured at a barely-audible volume. The light-portal formed a few centimeters in front of the mirror. Rather than enchant, this works better — we haven’t reached the Mismid palace yet.
Yumina first, then Galun-san, Arma, Origa-san, finally me — the portal closed. I turned: in Yumina’s room at the Belfast palace, a single mirror was mounted. Worth setting up in advance.
“H-here is…”
“The Belfast palace. Yumina, please explain to His Majesty.”
“Yes… Touya-san, please take care…”
I left Galun-san with his mouth hanging open, and entrusted the rest to Yumina.
“Reassured, Galun-san? Then we go back.”
“Ah, yes — let’s!”
Same as before — gate at the mirror, we crossed back.
Back in the forest with the others, the preparations to depart were already done.
“All right, everyone! The ambassador is safe! We head to Eld to evacuate the villagers from the dragon!”
To Galun-san’s safe-return order, the beastfolk roared back. I walked over to Lyon-san.
“Lyon-san, what about you? The Belfast side doesn’t need to be involved, surely…”
“If I went not my problem in this situation, my father would punch me with his flaming fists. We’ll come. His Majesty would say the same, I imagine.”
Lyon-san said it cleanly. Looked like they’d talked it over and decided. Then — no problem.
Map showed the dragon was still some way from the village. Got to hurry. Luckily its flight speed wasn’t that high. Going full speed in the carriages, we’d hit the village about an hour behind.
Praying that hour wouldn’t prove fatal, I boarded the carriage.