Volume 1 Chapter 28 The Great Villain Of The World, Heads North
A few days after I met Ryougen-kun with Shouou, my father, my brother, and Seirei's group set off for the northern fortress.
After a while, Shouou and I also left the town of Hokurin for our 'mission.'
The journey would take about ten days round trip.
Both of us were dressed like travelers with our bags on our backs. We weren't riding horses.
With the 'Four Divine Steps'――no, including the Kirin, we could use the 'Five Divine Steps'――walking was actually faster for us.
Once we left the town, there was a wide road heading north.
After walking a bit, we quickly saw a vast countryside.
A river flowed alongside the road, full of water. Good quality timber could be found in the distant mountains.
Because of that, many people were coming and going on the road.
This is what Hokurin looks like right now.
I can't imagine that in ten years, this road will be in ruins, overrun by bandits.
In the game, the northern fortress and the surrounding town are part of the Jinkyo Tribe's territory.
Even if Kou Tenhou is called the great villain of the world, I can't believe it's all his fault.
There must be other reasons, but... I still have no idea what they are.
"Thank you, Tenhou."
While I was thinking about this, Shouou, walking next to me, spoke up.
"I'm able to travel like this thanks to you, Tenhou."
"No, I think even without me, Shikei would have been able to take on the 'mission,' right?"
"I'm a hostage from Souma Country, so there would have been a supervisor with me."
"...I see."
"And I really don't want to travel with anyone else for more than ten days..."
Shouou makes a face like she just swallowed something bitter.
"I'm sure it would have been a much tougher journey. Being able to relax like this is thanks to Tenhou."
"I'm glad to hear you say that, Shikei."
"Hey, Tenhou."
"Yes?"
"When it's just the two of us, what should you call me?"
"...That's right. Shouou."
"Uh, yeah. That's right."
"But Ryougen-kun is thinking about making it easier for Shouou to travel. He gave us extra travel money――no, I mean, extra funds for the journey, so we can each have our own room at the inn, right? I think we could have had a pretty fun trip even with other people."
"...What about you, Tenhou?"
"Huh?"
"What do you think about traveling with me?"
"Of course, I'd prefer to be with Shouou. It's easy to talk, it's fun to be together, and more than anything, being with Shouou makes me feel calm and warm... Wait, Shouou?"
"Nothing. It's nothing."
Shouou turns her head away.
...It feels kind of strange.
Inside my mind, Kaou-shikei and Shouou are mixing together.
The reliable Shikei with a strong sense of justice and the shy Shouou.
Sometimes, I can't tell which one is next to me.
Shouou――Sou Ouka is also the heroine who kept aiming for Kou Tenhou's head in 'History of Swordmaster.'
I believe in Shouou, and if Shouou is going to aim for my head in the future, I think there must be a good reason for it.
But... right now, I still feel a bit uneasy.
"For now, let's think about fulfilling our 'duty.'."
"Yeah, Tenhou."
While we talked like that, Shouou and I hurried on ahead.
The journey was going smoothly.
Thanks to Ryougen-kun giving us extra travel money, we were able to stay at a decent inn.
We had some extra time in our schedule.
Right now, Ryougen-kun was out on a tour of the country.
It would take him more than 20 days to return to the town of Hokurin after finishing his tour.
We just needed to get back to the town before he did and deliver our report to Ryougen-kun's mansion.
During the trip, Shouou seemed a bit nervous.
Maybe it was because it was her first time traveling alone.
She had come to Aika Country as a hostage and couldn't leave Hokurin without permission.
It seems this was only the second time she had been outside of Hokurin, including the recent exam.
Moreover, if she fulfills her 'duty,' she can send her mother back to Souma Country.
So, she couldn't afford to fail.
Because of that, she seemed to be on edge the whole time we were moving.
Because of this, as soon as we entered the inn, she fell into a deep sleep.
With that, we continued our journey together――
When we arrived in town, we quickly finished our meal and, as just travelers, booked a room――
before sleeping in our separate rooms, we completed the 'Beast Body Guidance.'
A few days later, we safely reached our destination.
"...Shall we go, Tenhou?"
"Yes. To the promised place, right?"
Shouou and I headed to a tea house in town.
We ordered cheap tea and sat at a table facing the street.
Taking a breath and looking at the town, I felt the distance I had traveled.
The air was different from Hokurin. People were walking quickly.
I sipped my tea and stared at the street.
Eventually――
"Where are you from?"
A young woman spoke to us.
Her hair was tied up in a bun. To blend in, she wore grass-colored clothes.
She was carrying a basket on her back, probably because she was working in the fields.
"I came from the southern land of Ryougen."
I said the words I had prepared.
The woman smiled and asked,
"Oh, that's quite far. What brings you here?"
"To check on a horse."
"A chestnut horse? A white horse?"
"It's a horse that's in between. It's a wild horse, and I'm having trouble with it."
"That sounds tough. We have good reins here; would you like to use them?"
"Let's drink our tea first, then I'll ask."
"Understood."
With that, the woman stopped talking.
Shouou and I quickly finished our tea, left the payment on the table, and stood up.
As if waiting for us, the woman started walking.
We headed towards a back alley.
After about 15 minutes, when there were no people around, the woman stopped.
Then she turned to me and Shouhou—
"Nice to meet you. I'm Ryougen-kun's messenger. My name is Shou Meiran."
Saying that, she clasped her hands together.
What we just talked about was to confirm our identities.
'From the south, the land of Ryougen' shows that I am a subordinate of Ryougen-kun, and 'the wild horse of the border' indicates that we came to get information about the 'Jinkyo Tribe' from the horse-riding people.
"...I was able to remember because I practiced against Tenhou."
"...You did well, didn't you?"
Shouou and I practiced our code words every day.
I had practiced for interviews in my past life, so that knowledge helped too.
Thanks to that, I was able to answer every word without a mistake.
"Here is the letter detailing the investigation results."
Shou Meiran took out 2 pieces of paper from her pocket.
This seems to be a report about the Jinkyo Tribe.
"Just in case, I will also share the information verbally."
"Please do." "Let's hear it."
"Recently, there have been many bandits appearing in the northern lands. They approach merchants and transport teams, and when they see guards, they quickly run away. There are rumors that the Jinkyo Tribe might be disguising themselves as bandits. I have also noted their appearance locations in the letter."
Shou Meiran started to speak smoothly.
She told us one by one about where the bandits appeared and at what times.
Being a subordinate of Ryougen-kun, she seems to be a very capable person.
"That's why 'General Skybear' has sent a unit to protect the people. There has been an announcement for those moving north to accompany them. Right now, the soldiers of the escort unit are gathering in front of the north gate."
"'General Skybear' is going that far?"
"Well, the Ryuu Family was attacked before. They probably want to prevent the same thing from happening again."
In response to my words, Meiran-san answered.
Then, as if she suddenly realized something, Shouou said,
"If we're pretending to be travelers, should we join them to make it more natural?"
"Yes, I think that would be better for safety."
"Got it. Thank you."
Shouou and I bowed to Meiran-san.
She returned the bow and adjusted the basket on her back filled with vegetables.
Her slightly bent posture looked just like a farmer's woman. Once she stepped out onto the street, she blended in with the others.
As expected of Ryougen-kun's subordinate. Is she gathering information like that, blending into the town...?
"What should we do now? Tenhou?"
"I think it would be better for me to move with the escort unit too."
Shouou and I are not familiar with the northern area.
Traveling as just the two of us while the escort soldiers are around would attract attention.
People might wonder why we aren't moving with the escort unit. They might think we have something to hide.
"If we're pretending to be travelers, we should follow them."
"However, the ones coming are 'General Skybear's' subordinates. They might know about you, Tenhou."
"That's true. Let's act a bit more like travelers. We should wear hoods... and so on."
I took out a hood to avoid the dust and pulled it down low over my face.
Then, I dirtied my face, hunched my back, and made sure my face was hidden.
If I use 'Beast Body Guidance' in the form of a chicken, 'Chicken Pathway Art' (chicken wandering around looking for food)──
"...How does this look?"
"Wow... yeah. You look like a different person. Just a tired traveler."
"If someone I know sees me, will they recognize me?"
"I think it'll be fine. I'll try to do the same."
We always use 'Beast Body Guidance' to become animals. We control our movements, walking style, and even our breathing. If we apply that, it's easy to disguise ourselves as tired travelers.
Shouou and I covered half our faces with hoods and started walking with a tired look.
As we got closer to the north gate... I noticed a crowd of people.
Just as Meiran-san said.
The area around the north gate was full of merchant carts, their guards, and travelers.
Beyond that, there were soldiers. Several dozen infantry and a few cavalry.
Among the cavalry, there was a young man wearing a cloak with the 'General Skybear' emblem. That must be the commander.
He looked about 18 years old.
His face resembled 'General Skybear', but he was a bit slender.
With a serious expression, he was commanding the soldiers... and he was my older brother.
This was unexpected.
I hadn't heard that Kairyou-aniue was leading the guard soldiers. He was supposed to be at the northern fortress learning our father's work. It was strange for him to suddenly be in charge of a unit.
Unless something unexpected happened──
"...Tenhou. Can you see the cavalry behind us?"
"...I can see it. The tall guy with black hair... wait, is that...!?"
"...Ah. That's His Royal Highness Crown Prince Rouen from Aika Country."
Crown Prince Rouen is riding a magnificent white horse.
He's wearing red armor.
The cavalry around him is also dressed in the same color armor. It must be his personal unit.
"O people of the North. I, Rouen, will surely protect you."
Crown Prince Rouen said this while still on his horse, addressing the crowd.
Next to me, my older brother has a troubled look on his face.
I think I probably have a similar expression to Shouou's.
Crown Prince Rouen has been bothering me and Shouou many times.
Honestly, I didn't want to meet him.
"...Why is His Royal Highness the Crown Prince here?"
"...Before, Father said, 'He asked His Majesty the King to form a unit he would command.'"
"...So that unit is those red-armored cavalry?"
"...The reason my brother is with him is... because His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is close to Kairyou-aniue."
That's why my brother is accompanying Crown Prince Rouen.
Crown Prince Rouen is very proud and wants to do everything himself.
It's clear from the last battle of 'History of Swordmaster' that he faced the hero army himself.
It's impossible for regular subordinates to hold him back.
The only one who can get him to listen is probably Kairyou-aniue, who is called a 'friend.'
Speaking quietly, Shouou and I moved behind a merchant's cart.
Honestly, it might be better to stop following them.
But the soldiers are getting ready to leave and checking on the people.
If we leave this place now, we'll stand out.
"...Let's keep our distance from Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince and follow along."
"...Yeah. Tenhou."
Soon, with Kairyou-aniue's signal, the people start to walk.
The merchant's cart moves behind the soldiers, surrounded by civilian guards.
Further back, travelers and villagers heading to Tanetsu follow along.
We blend in with the crowd and match their pace as we move forward.
That's how we ended up heading north with the people.
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