Volume 1 Chapter 29 Kou Kairyou And Crown Prince Rouen, Moving Through The North I
──Kou Kairyou's Perspective──
"What's wrong, my friend? You look troubled."
Crown Prince Rouen, riding on his horse, approached Kairyou.
"Are you worried about the bandits? Don't worry. I, Rouen, will take care of them."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
Kou Kairyou replied.
Then, to avoid being seen by the Crown Prince, he shook his head.
What Kairyou was worried about was the Crown Prince himself.
When Kairyou looked back, he could see the Crown Prince's elite cavalry, the 'Wolf Cavalry.'
If a battle broke out, they would need to protect the Crown Prince.
The unit's goal was to safely escort the people to the town in the north.
So, they were told to avoid fighting as much as possible.
This was also communicated to Crown Prince Rouen by Kairyou's father.
However, the morale of the Crown Prince and the 'Wolf Cavalry' was high.
They looked ready to charge out to deal with the bandits at any moment.
(I just hope His Royal Highness the Crown Prince follows my father's orders.)
Kairyou quietly sighed.
(After all, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince wasn't even supposed to come to the northern fortress. Yet...)
Kairyou and the others entered the northern fortress about ten days ago.
While traveling, Kairyou's father listened to the complaints of the townspeople. There were stories about bandits appearing on the roads.
So, as soon as they arrived at the fortress, his father organized a unit to protect the people.
That unit was supposed to be led by his father's subordinate.
However, a few days after Kairyou and the others arrived at the fortress, Crown Prince Rouen came to visit Kairyou's father, Eishin.
He showed Eishin and Kairyou a letter from the king.
The letter said, "I want you to show Rouen the current situation in the north."
Crown Prince Rouen is excellent.
He is slightly weaker than Kairyou in martial arts, but he has almost equal strength.
He is knowledgeable and feels the responsibility to inherit the kingdom. The only thing he lacks is experience.
That's probably why the king thought to let the Crown Prince experience the current situation.
(...His Majesty the King does not understand the personality of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.)
Crown Prince Rouen would not be satisfied just staying at the fortress.
He had heard that Kairyou's father was sending soldiers to protect the people.
Naturally, he insisted, "I will go too!" If he claims, "My father the king told you to show me the current situation in the north!" it would be hard to refuse.
The 'Wolf Cavalry' that Crown Prince Rouen brought with him also agreed with the Crown Prince's opinion.
If they were to be stopped, they would leave the fortress with the Crown Prince.
Kairyou's father had no choice but to accept Crown Prince Rouen's proposal.
He decided to send Kairyou along with a trusted subordinate as a supervisor.
(Will His Royal Highness the Crown Prince... follow my words?)
Kairyou sighed again.
(Both my father and I have sworn loyalty to His Majesty the King. Speaking directly to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince... makes me feel hesitant. Who among us can honestly express their opinions to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?)
Suddenly, Kairyou remembered his younger brother, Tenhou.
He had boldly argued against Crown Prince Rouen without fear.
Thinking about whether he could do the same, Kairyou shook his head.
"Send a few cavalry ahead to check for safety up front. If anything happens, signal us. The infantry should stay alert around us! Until we reach the northernmost town... Tanetsu, don't let your guard down!"
"""Yes, sir!!"""
Kairyou's subordinates responded to his orders.
"My friend, Kairyou. If we are to be cautious up front, why not leave it to us, the 'Wolf Cavalry'?"
Crown Prince Rouen, who was riding next to him, said.
"It seems that bandits run away as soon as they see soldiers. However, we, the 'Wolf Cavalry,' are all skilled horse riders. We can catch up to the thieves and take them down."
"Our goal is to escort the people to the Tanetsu town."
Kairyou replied.
"The elimination of the bandits will be handled by another unit. Of course, if the enemy comes, we will fight back. If we capture any prisoners, we might be able to find their base. However, protecting the people is our top priority."
"Protecting them? If we defeat the bandits, the road will be safe, right?"
"There may be multiple groups of bandits. Also... there are strange rumors. Their movements are unusual for bandits. It's possible the Jinkyo Tribe is involved."
"In that case, we can deal with the Jinkyo Tribe quickly."
Crown Prince Rouen smiled confidently.
"'General Skybear' is too passive. If I were the commander, I would lead a large army and crush the Jinkyo Tribe in one go."
"The Jinkyo Tribe lives in mountainous areas. It's not suitable for a large army to attack. Also, there are other tribes to the north. If we strike first, they might unite out of fear. That's why my father plans to work with friendly tribes to isolate the Jinkyo Tribe――."
"How long will that take?"
"Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince..."
"I want the northern issue resolved before I become king. If 'General Skybear' can't do it, then I, Rouen, will have to take action myself."
"Your Royal Highness! I must say this many times, but our duty is to protect the people. Don't forget!!"
"I understand, my friend. There's no need to worry."
Crown Prince Rouen laughs while looking up at the sky.
The laughter of the 'Wolf Cavalry' follows.
(...Can I really support this person?)
A sense of unease crosses Kairyou's mind.
(Shouldn't someone else be next to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? Someone who can speak directly to His Royal Highness? Someone who can stand tall, regardless of status? If I'm not that kind of person, can I really help His Royal Highness Rouen...?)
Kairyou hurriedly shakes off these thoughts.
They are in the middle of a mission to protect the people. They need to focus.
For now, there are no signs of trouble among the people.
The merchant caravan with the horse-drawn carts and their guards are following Kairyou's instructions.
The area around the road is gently hilly.
Visibility isn't great, but they are sending out scouts regularly. They should know right away if enemies appear.
"Your Royal Highness, in about an hour, we will reach a place with a good view. Let's take a break there."
"Yes. You will feed your pigeon, right?"
Crown Prince Rouen smiles wryly and points to the back.
There, a soldier is holding a birdcage. Inside the cage is a white pigeon.
"Carrying around a pet you picked up is quite a strange hobby, my friend."
"Seirei is my stepsister. Also, that pigeon has been trained by Seirei."
It was true.
At the northern fortress, Kairyou saw Seirei controlling the animals as she wished.
It was completely unexpected that Seirei had such talent.
Seirei had said, "It's thanks to Tenhou-niisan," but Kairyou didn't really understand what that meant.
As Seirei was about to set off on a mission, she asked Kairyou to take the pigeon with him. She said it was for emergency messages.
She earnestly said, "I want to be of help to the Kou family."
Kairyou accepted her wish.
"My brother and stepsister each have great talents. They may be of service to the country someday."
"I don't want to rely on the power of strangers."
Crown Prince Rouen shrugged his shoulders while on horseback.
"More importantly, let's talk about a break. We will take a short rest up ahead, right?"
"Yes."
"Then before that, I, Rouen, will go on a reconnaissance mission. The time before we reach safe ground is the most dangerous. The soldiers and civilians tend to relax. If I go on a reconnaissance mission, I can keep everyone on their toes."
"That's not necessary. We have already sent out enough scouts."
Kairyou gently declined Rouen's suggestion.
"Also, the soldiers won't let their guard down. A few months ago, a supply unit was attacked near Tanetsu. At that time, my stepsister's family was killed. The soldiers protecting the northern lands all remember that."
"...Hmm."
"However, I believe that Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince's consideration is truly noble."
Kairyou clasped his hands together on horseback, facing Rouen.
"On behalf of my father, I thank you for your kindness, Your Royal Highness the Crown Prince."
"Y-Yeah. That's good then."
Saying that, Crown Prince Rouen turned his gaze forward.
Kairyou couldn't help but feel relieved.
It was then.
"────Report! We have a report! Enemy cavalry has appeared ahead!!"
The soldiers who had gone out for reconnaissance returned.
They had tense expressions and pointed forward.
"There are about ten of them. They are equipped with old armor and spears. They seem to be the bandits reported earlier!"
──That was what they told Kairyou and Crown Prince Rouen.
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